Christmas 1969
19 - CHRISTMAS - 69
Dear Friends,
The Vicarage, Blackmore,
Essex.
Last year's Christmas Letter
concluded with a post-script making it easy for recipients to remove themselves
from our mailing list. It is a source of encouragement a pleasure to record
that only a few have dropped out from total of nearly five hundred, and many
wrote to ensure the they would continue to hear from us.
Reading again last year's
letter leaves me with the impression that, in a number of areas, we seem to
have little that is new to report. However, behind the scenes there is
continuing activity. As regards the church, the organ was rebuilt and is giving
great service and pleasure. No further work has been done in the church but we
are so to carry out modifications to, and renewal of, fabric and furnishing
which will add greatly to the charm and useful ness of our church. The
celebrated wooden bell-tower is been further restored during the next stage of
repairs.
Parish activities continue to
thrive. The community has its Choral Society, Drama Group, Women's Institute,
Social Committee and Sixty-Plus Club, in all of which members of the church
take part and bring their influence to bear. The monthly Family Service and the
monthly combined service of Evening Prayer and Baptism fill the church. The
fortnightly Bible Study continues profitably and there is a marked advance in
our outreach to the young. The group of keen young couples mentioned in last
year's letter, have met had marked success in home meetings for Bible study but
are strengthening the Baptist and Anglican churches with their active
membership. They plan to build up the churches youth work within the framework
of the Covenanter Movement. We have also started Guides and Brownies and hope
that Scouts and Cubs will follow.
Highlight of the year now
drawing to a close was the Flower Festival held over the second week-end in
August. The Saturday was our Parish Gift Day and the Sunday our Patronal
Festival. St. Laurence, to whom our church is dedicated, was a deacon in the
church in Rome and was martyred during the third century. If the legend
concerning him is true he was a man who counted his treasure in souls won for
Christ and not in silver or gold. Our ancient church makes an ideal setting for
a flower festival and this year's effort seemed to surpass previous festivals.
It was so much more than a moving display of beautiful flowers and foliage,
people were moved to a spirit of grateful worship and they came in their
hundreds from within and without the parish. On each day Choral Evensong was
followed by a music recital of impressive quality.
As regards the Anglican Church
in this country and union with the Methodists, the will of the majority seems
not so much to be no but not yet or, not in this way. We are now committed to
Synodical Government and this is to be welcomed as tending to a greater lay
participation. The 4 policy of a service of naming and blessing for the babes
of those parents who desire their children to mark their entry into Christ's
Church by baptism upon their own decision to become Christians, is getting
slowly off the ground. Old traditions die hard.
Coming back to ourselves and
the situation in the Vicarage, Miss Pamplin still brightens our home with her
cheerful and practical presence. We anticipate that she will move to another
sphere of service in the Nursing Profession before the year's end. The improved
state of Hilda's health left Miss Pamplin free to take a post as ward sister in
a nearby hospital, at the beginning of March. She has continued to reside with
us and has been a tower of strength when off duty.
A year ago our doctor thought
Hilda had reached the end of the road as far as her earthly pilgrimage was
concerned but thanks to careful nursing and a strong constitution she has made
a wonderful come-back. The lesser half! is greatl blessed both in the home and
in the parish. It is good to feel oneself supported in one's work for our
wonderful Lord by such splendid helpers as our congregation provides. I am sure
we feel ourselves to be, as Scripture puts it, "Fellow workers together
with God".
To conclude this letter, may I
share a few thoughts concerning our present situation and future prospects as
Christians, for Christ came to secure our best interests in respect of both.
Our present must be causing thousands to reflect upon the future. Fundamentally
man does not change. As always, he is born, he dies, he works, he plays, he
love he hates, he rejoices, he sorrows. Man is ever learning and ever
forgetting. He creates new situations and discovers new skills and in the
process makes old the previous situations and forgets the skills they produced.
Surely no situation has arisen before like that of this generation. Automation,
the computer, space exploration and the uncovering of the deeps with television
to bring these modern wonders to the eyes and ears of Jr. Everyman. Inevitably
there must be concern for the future and speculation as to what it holds.
Is man of a stature
spiritually and morally to carry such responsibilities? Will he overreach
himself? Is there a danger that he could be a carrier of earth disease or that
he could expose himself to hazards beyond his power to cure? Is privileged man
cocooning himself with specialized foods, specialized medicines, hygiene,
central heating, powered travel so that the withdrawal of these would leave him
resistless to the conditions under which the underprivileged manage to support
their existence. Have we been blowing a big beautiful and many-hued bubble
which could burst or are we on the way to other and more remarkable situations?
In our situation are we really living, with the prospect of a fuller life?
We are about to commemorate
the birth of Jesus Christ who said, "I came that they may have life and
have it abundantly". The Bible states, "He who has the Son has life;
he who has not the Son of God has not life". Life has its source and
continuance in God who communicates it through his son, Jesus Christ, by the
Holy Spirit. It is this life principle vivifying the spirit that makes a man a
Christian. It relates to the present situation and the future prospect. This
life has resources within itself that infuse the being with vigour, overcome
the frailties to which man is heir, sustain his confidence through every
vicissitude and keep bright his hope of life's extension beyond the grave
where, the Bible says, "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart
conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him". The Christian
should be able to say - this I know, this I believe, this life I have. May this
be your rich and all sufficient experience throughout the year to come.
Please accept this as a
personal and grateful acknowledgement of a letter or greeting from you if I
have not been able to write before. It has been a joy to have seen and had
fellowship with friends from home and overseas during 1969. We rejoice in the
ties that bind. God grant you joy and blessing this Christmastide and
throughout 1970.
With affectionate greetings
Hilda and Montague H. Knott.
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