We have now travelled through the month of November which marks the season of remembering all who have gone before us.  For some of us, this has been a particularly poignant time as we have lost loved ones during the year, and we have been confronted with the reality of our mortality.  It can be difficult to come to terms with the finite nature of life and we inevitably push that unwelcome thought to the back of our minds.  Yet the seasonal changes around us in nature helpfully remind us that we have to pass through the dark period of winter to come through to the possibilities of new life next spring.

We have also reached the end of another church year: a year which has been doubly challenging because of the restrictions and painful curbs of Covid.  And yet, as churches we have grown in resilience and creativity, undoubtedly spurred on by the constraints of the pandemic.  As a result we have discovered unexpected new opportunities and different ways of ‘doing church’.  This growth came out of the bleakness of being unable to continue in our normal way.  Next Sunday will be Advent Sunday, and for those of us who follow the church lectionary (or calendar of Bible readings), we shall move into a new church year.  There will be a sense of expectation and waiting in the time leading up to Christmas, and the anticipation of something new and exciting will build for us during the next month.  This time last year we had to abandon most of our Christmas services, but perhaps that barrenness will help us to appreciate this year’s opportunities all the more.

In St Mary’s Church, we have another reason for anticipation as we look forward to our arts festival which will take place during 2022.  Festival 200 next year will celebrate 200 years since our Grade I listed church was pronounced complete in its re-built Classical style – an iconic design of building which is immensely different to most other parish churches in this country.  Festival 200 will be an opportunity for us to experience new activities in our leisure time, and to enjoy over 50 events which will range from showcasing atmospheric music to meeting local authors, as well as talks on religious icons, climbing the Matterhorn and driving through the Norwegian mountains and fjords.  You can find out more about Festival 200 in the colourful brochure which is now available (or on our website), and when you acquire your new diary for 2022, I hope you will put some of the dates into it straightaway.

We may feel exhausted and drained by the challenges of 2021, and we may have a sense of loss at the opportunities which failed to materialise, as well as the people we were unable to visit or indeed may never see again.  But because we have supported each other through the bleak times, we have grown into a stronger community as a result.  I pray that Festival 200 will be all the more enjoyable as a shared celebration because of the dark times which came first.

Sarah Bourne, Chaplain for the Arts – 24^th Nov 2021           sarahbourne@banburystmary.org.uk