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Beloved friends in Christ,
December comes softly. Light deepens. Shadows lengthen. Advent gathers us into its ancient hush. We stand on the threshold of mystery once more, held by the promise of Isaiah 9:2, that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Christmas draws near, and with it the tenderness of God made flesh, the quiet splendour of Emmanuel, the Holy One dwelling among us in humility and joy. This sacred month carries us through the feasts of beloved saints whose witness enriches our waiting. On 6 December we honour St Nicholas, the model of hidden generosity, a saint whose compassion shaped centuries of Christian kindness. On 13 December we remember St Lucy, luminous in courage and faith, a bearer of light in winter’s deepening night. On 14 December we give thanks for St John of the Cross, whose contemplative fire and mystical poetry lead us into the depths of God’s transforming love. On 26 December we mark St Stephen, the Church’s first martyr, whose steadfast faith and radiant forgiveness illuminate the heart of the Christmas season. Our parish rhythm this month is rich and full. Across St John’s and The Holy Innocents, prayer continues morning by morning. Preparations for Advent and Christmas unfold with thoughtful devotion. Candle Nights returns on the first Sunday of the month, 7 December from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, when the church opens its doors to all. A sacred space awaits. A gentle invitation. Come for five minutes or for the full two hours. Light a candle. Be in stillness. Bring your faith, perhaps a book to sit with, your hopes, or simply your quiet presence. Peace will hold you in this open church. Our Carol Service with the Paulinus Singers on 16 December will be free for all, a radiant evening of music and devotion. On 20 December we gather for carol singing and mulled wine at Copt Hewick, a moment of brightness and fellowship with a minced pie. Celtic worship continues each Friday in December, including a peaceful Boxing Day gathering for the feast of St Stephen, offering quiet prayer, gentle musical interludes, and stillness for weary spirits. There is more. Our Nativity Service on 24 December welcomes everyone, whether you come alone or with friends, with family or in joyful fancy dress. Christmas Day services stand at the centre of our celebrations. All are welcome. All are cherished. This month’s parish blog is overflowing with beauty. Deborah offers a humble and poignant autumn poem. The bell tower team shares the unfolding story of their work, a delight to read. The Magdalen Fellowship invites all to Christmas peace, including the evening meditation on 21 December. Denise gifts us a thoughtful article on the Advent wreath, rich in symbolism and hope. Caroline’s Monet studiesbring colour, light, and wonder into the season. Carol-Ann’s exploration of Italian Presepi reveals the artistry and devotion woven into the nativity tradition. And with joyful contrast, our annual parish pantomime in January promises laughter, warmth, and communal delight. We hold in prayer, those among us who carry illness, fragility, or heavy burdens this season. They are wrapped in the quiet support and care of our community, sustained by love, hope, and grace. We remember too all for whom this season brings loneliness, yearning, or grief. Those who hunger, those who weep, those whose spirits feel heavy. In our fellowship, we witness the light of Christ reflected in the gentleness of care, the listening heart, and the shared joy that threads through our parish. A prayer for December: O radiant God of Advent and Christmas, kindle in us the light that never dims. Let joy leap in our hearts, hope rise in our spirits, and peace rest upon our homes. Bless our community with generosity that astonishes, love that endures, and gratitude that deepens. Gather us in sacred stillness, as we await the cradle of Bethlehem, and lead us into the wonder of Christ’s birth, now and forever. Amen. As we move through this sacred season, we are invited to dwell in the quiet mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us, present in the ordinary and the unnoticed. Christmas carries a theology of wonder; the Word enfleshed, the infinite drawn into the fragile cradle of human life. In every candle flame, every shared song, and every gathered face, there is a reflection of that divine nearness. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6), a reminder that even the darkest nights are touched by light, and that God’s presence threads through the rhythms of everyday life. This December, the beauty of Christ’s outstretched hand is offered to all. Those who are new to church, unsure of faith, or navigating life with additional needs are met with the same gentle invitation. Those coming on their own are embraced within the shared fellowship of the community. Christmas can be overwhelming, loud, or bright with expectation, yet here there is space to be, space to pause, space to encounter the mystery of Emmanuel quietly, safely, and with welcome. Every moment of stillness, every shared song, every gathering in the warmth of church is a thread in a tapestry of belonging, offering the assurance that Christ’s love and our community hold space for all. With all good wishes and warmest thoughts for this Advent and Christmas, may the unfolding days hold moments of quiet marvel, deep reflection, and the shared delight of community. Let the ordinary glow with God-with-us, and the sacredness of each encounter; whether in prayer, reflection, music, or fellowship, remind every heart, whether young, hesitant, or seeking, that they are part of the story of Emmanuel. December becomes a season not just of celebration, but of shared presence, of community woven together in wonder, care, and gentle hope. Join us tis season †
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Our talented poet, Deborah, from St John's shares a reflection from Autumn I beleaves
It is delightful observing through the window this invisible veil seeing the wind play itself out it and I delighting the Autumn light and the abun-dance of leaves Deborah Sheppard December gathers pace quickly. The lights brighten, the streets fill, and every moment seems to ask something of us. In the midst of this swirl, the soul begins to ache for quiet. Stillness becomes a rare gift. At the Magdalen Fellowship of Healing and Prayer, that gift is offered with care. Here, December is not only busy, it is sacred. Here, the heart is invited to rest. We will gather each week for prayer and fellowship, seeking peace rather than pressure. Simple moments. Deep attention. Space to breathe again. Our highlight will be a candlelit evening meditation, shaped by the tenderness and mystery of Christmas. Soft light, long shadows, and silence that speaks. It is a setting where the mind clears, the spirit lifts, and the presence of God becomes almost tangible. Contemplative prayer holds its own quiet intelligence. It teaches us to listen, not react. It draws us into wisdom rather than urgency. As Thomas Merton wrote, “Silence is the language of God, and all else is poor translation.” In stillness, the truth of that settles beautifully. We begin to perceive grace not as an idea but as a living atmosphere. Whether you are seasoned in contemplation or simply curious, the Magdalen Fellowship welcomes you. Come with joy. Come with fatigue. Come with longing. Let this December be more than busy. Let it be luminous. Join us, and discover the peace that waits beneath the noise, patient and profound. Your Magdalen Fellowship Christmas peace :  The Advent wreath is said to have originated in Germany in the sixteenth century. However, the forerunner of the wreath, as we recognise it today, was invented in 1839 by a Lutheran pastor who worked with the poor in Hamburg, Germany. Children at the mission school he worked in would ask, each day of Advent, if it was nearly Christmas; prompting the pastor to decorate a large cartwheel with twenty-four small red candles and four large white ones. He lit one red candle on each successive day from Monday to Saturday, and one white candle on each successive Sunday during the period of advent; helping the children to see for themselves when Christmas was approaching. The custom grew amongst Protestant churches in Germany, and gradually a smaller wreath with five candles evolved. It took almost another hundred years for the custom to spread to the Roman Catholic church and the wider world. The circular wreath symbolises the infinite, unending love of God. Wreaths are mainly made of evergreen foliage which represents the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ. The four candles (still traditionally red in most UK churches, but can be violet and rose to correspond with the liturgical colours) represent the four weeks of Advent, and symbolise the light of God coming into the world by the birth of Jesus. However, each candle specifically symbolises hope, peace, joy and love, as each is lit throughout the four weeks of Advent. A fifth white candle known as the ‘Christ candle’ symbolises the arrival of Christmastide and is first lit on Christmas Eve, the beginning of Christmastide, and may be lit throughout the Christmas season as well as during Epiphanytide.  On Thursday afternoon, a group of aspiring artists have been under the direction of the talented Lori Hanson (Oil Painter) Caroline was so inspired by Lori, the classes, Monet and her new gift of crying she travelled to Scotland. She writes "With fabulous patient teaching from Lori, a group of us turned a blank canvas into a Monet! This inspired me to visit the National Art Gallery of Scotland to look at more of Monet's paintings " From our wonderful Lay Minister Carol-ann Howe We spent a day in Naples this June, before heading quickly to the more scenic Amalfi Coast. Naples has beautiful bones but is run down, drowning in litter and swarming with scooters- not the most glamorous of the Italian cities. Gritty might be a nice word. But on one dark back street a centuries old tradition continues, with the manufacture of presepi. These are nativity scenes ranging in size from miniatures to sit on a table to filling whole basements (photo of the basement one below), and tourists can see the craftsmen working away in their shops on their creations even in the heat of June. The magic of the presepi is the detail found within, these nativity scenes often depict entire villages going about their work, women doing their laundry, each item of clothing tiny and perfect, functioning water mills, the baker making tiny ciabattas, and nowadays may even include celebrity figurines, mostly footballers it seems, standing next to the goatherder and his animals. While looking at a presepi what does not jump out at you at first glance is the nativity itself. The baby in the manger is often hidden away in a tiny stable, lost behind the greengrocer’s shop and the family eating lunch. It is almost an aside, the baby, his parents, and sometimes the Magi and some tiny animals, it is rarely in the centre, and in the photo below, it is not one of the parts that is lit. We have to search for it, the sacred is hidden behind the everyday and the profane. But it is there, within the beautiful chaos of everyday village life, the divine is there. Heaven on earth, quietly changing the world while the world (and Maradona) rush around without noticing it. It isn’t easy to find that baby in the manger within the distractions and bustle, but it is worth the effort.   
We give heartfelt thanks to Reverend Paul, who has lovingly shepherded St John’s during our time without a resident priest. Many will remember him as our vicar in the late 1980s — and how fitting it has been that, all these years later, he returned once more to walk beside us in this season of waiting.
Through his gentle leadership, faithful preaching, and steadfast care, Reverend Paul has reminded us that the Church is never truly without a shepherd — for Christ himself is the Good Shepherd who guides us all. Yet, how blessed we have been to have Reverend Paul’s steady presence reflecting that divine care among us. As we look ahead with hope to the next chapter in our parish life, we give thanks for all he has given — his wisdom, humour, and prayerful devotion. Though today marks his final Sunday in this season of ministry with us, we rejoice that he will still be part of our wider family, stepping in when needed. “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” — Jeremiah 3:15 Thank you, Reverend Paul — for guiding, teaching, and loving this community so well. Greetings! I realise that this newsletter goes to far more people than just the congregations of St John's and Holy Innocents, so as the new House for Duty Priest, I thought it might be worth starting by saying a bit about myself and Jenny, and also what that role title means.
I was born in Hull but, from the age of five, was brought up in Lymm, Cheshire, just south west of Manchester. After leaving school at sixteen and working for Barclays Bank for three years, I returned to education, ending up at Warwick University, studying Philosophy and Sociology. While there, I met Jenny and we got married in September 1982 at St Just-in- Roseland, Cornwall, near the farm where Jenny grew up. While at Warwick, both Jenny and I returned to the Christian faith in which we had grown up and it wasn't long before I started exploring the possibility of ordination. In 1984, I began training at Ridley Hall Cambridge and was ordained in Durham Cathedral in 1987. After six years in the Durham Diocese (South Shields and Newton Aycliffe), and with our sons Ed and George, we moved south when I was appointed Chaplain of Ripon and York St John and Minor Canon at Ripon Cathedral. After further posts at Bedale, Leeming and Thornton Watlass, and St Edmund's Roundhay in Leeds, we moved to St Columba's by the Castle, Edinburgh in 2016 from where I "retired" last October. Jenny also "retired" the same time. Over the years, she has worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school and with adults with learning difficulties, though in the main she has been a mother and home maker. We have always worked together as a team in our approach to ministry and, while in Leeds, Jenny was licensed as Reader. Her ministry has been expressed predominantly in preaching, community and environmental engagement. After retiring we moved to Gloucestershire to be nearer to our sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren (who live near Watford and in Southampton). We imagined that we would never ever move again. and yet after nine months, through a strange sequence of events, it became blindingly obvious that we were being called to come back north, to take up this post. "House for Duty" is a role without a stipend but, in return for Sundays and two days a week, we are provided with a house and things like council tax, water rates, repairs etc taken care of. The main challenge of the role is going to be learning how to do ministry on a part time basis when my DNA, laid down over many years, is to do it full-time. However the gift of this role is to allow us to be part of a wonderful, inclusive, hospitable, caring and prayerful community, in a lovely parish, on the edge of a city we are very fond of, in an area of natural beauty that we love dearly. The gift also allows me time to reconnect with friends from the past spread across the region; to be a four-time grandparent (albeit with more travelling); to continue to work on my second murder mystery novel; and just to take things a bit easier as anno domini hurry by. Jenny and I are delighted to be back in North Yorkshire and are so grateful to the Diocese for their work on the house (which was in need of quite a bit of TLC) and to the people of the two churches for their warm and generous welcome. I would like to end by echoing words from Dag Hammarskjöld, one time Secretary General of the United Nations: "For all that has been "Thanks!"; to all that will be "Yes!" David
Lucy, Amy and Caroline went to the beautiful village of Lastingham on Sunday 26th October for Evensong, followed by a delicious afternoon tea and then listened to The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, deliver this year’s Lastingham Lecture on the life and legacy of St Cedd and how his example can teach the Church today about discipleship and mission. Speaking in the church at Lastingham, where St Cedd founded a monastery and is buried, the Archbishop reflected on Cedd’s ministry across Lindisfarne, Bradwell-on-Sea, Lastingham and Whitby. He used Cedd’s example to show how the early English Church grew through communities that grounded people in their Christian faith and inspired them to share it with others. "The monastery at Lindisfarne was not a place of retreat from the world, but a place of formation and sending,” said Archbishop Stephen. “Cedd learned there how to live the Christian life and how to share it with others — and that same calling belongs to every Christian today.” The Archbishop connected Cedd’s story with the challenges and opportunities facing the Church of England today. He spoke about the need for every church to be a school of discipleship, encouraging a renewed focus on formation, storytelling and pilgrimage as ways of sharing the Christian faith. Archbishop Stephen contributed three reflections exploring Cedd’s example to a series exploring English saints and places of pilgrimage expected to appear in the Church of England’s Everyday Faith app and print next year. One way this vision is being carried forward is through Faith in the North, a movement emerging from conversations across the Northern Province of the Church of England. Faith in the North seeks to encourage and support discipleship and prayer, to help Christians share their stories of faith and help enable growth in church planting and revitalisation, hoping to see 3,000 New Worshipping Communities across the North. Faith in the North is offering free resources for individuals, churches and schools to help them explore the Lord’s Prayer, pilgrimage, heritage and baptism over the next three years. “Cedd reminds us that to bring people to Jesus is to bring them into community,” he said. “The Church is the body of Christ — a place where we learn to live, serve, and love together for the sake of the world.” Archbishop Stephen commended St Cedd’s example of faith, humility and mission: “In every age, the Church is called to live the same story — to know and follow Jesus, to form communities of love and service, and to be sent out in his name.” *Extract from the Archbishop of York's' social media.
🌿 The Prayer Tree at St John’s In the heart of our church stands something new, simple, beautiful, and full of hope — our Prayer Tree. Each ribbon tied to its branches represents a prayer — a whisper of thanks, a cry for help, a name held in love. Some are for the world, some for family, some for the quiet longings of our own hearts. Together they form a living tapestry of faith, a visible reminder that God listens, and that we are never alone. Everyone is welcome to take a moment, pause, and add their own prayer. Simply take a ribbon from the basket, offer your prayer silently or aloud, and tie your ribbon to the tree. Whether your prayer is for healing, peace, gratitude, or guidance, it becomes part of something larger — the shared prayer life of our community. As the winter sun descends, the ribbons move gently in the light — a symbol of the Spirit moving among us, carrying our prayers beyond words. Come and see. Come and pray. Our Prayer Tree is always there — waiting quietly, ready to hold whatever is on your heart.  |
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