July in the year of the Lord Jesus 2010

Dear Friends

“I shall never see you again,” said my Granny to friends taking the £10 ticket down under. Probably I was around 8 or 9 at the time when she said it. Australia was an ocean liner voyage of almost a month and phone calls in those days involved the Singapore relay station. Without a phone at home it meant a trip to the phone box with piles of coins and Buttons A and B. Flights, yes but at a cost few and not direct. The alternative was waiting on an airmail letter.  Without webcams email or skype in those days it was definitely a farewell.

I was reminded of those distant days when someone was telling me of a long weekend trip to New York and now, as I am in the process of arranging the visit of my friend from Madras who is due to arrive on 19^th July the world is not so far away.  Daniel Chelladurai has visited Uckfield before and is again to be the guest of the Church here, this time with his son in law Easter. Daniel is a Priest in the Church of South India, the first United Church in modern times founded in 1947.Those who remember his previous visit will recall his warm and generous smile and the way in which he was able to speak of the worldwide church of which we are part. He will take part in lots of Church activities and will speak in Church as well as celebrating the Eucharist for us.

On the last occasion he was here it so happened that the Bishop of Hokkaido came to Uckfield with a group of people from Japan to honour the memory of John Batchelor who had served in the Church in Japan for many years. In welcoming the Bishop and his group from Hokkaido I spoke at John Batchelor’s memorial in the Churchyard and as they laid flowers Daniel stepped forward and greeted them in Japanese which caused something of a stir. Surely a reminder in itself that the Church is linked in Christ all around the world.

Following my sabbatical visit to India in 1995 I have visited India on many occasions and was privileged to take part in Daniel’s daughter’s wedding to Easter. When last here Daniel was with me taking Holy Communion to David and Lill Funnell in Manor Way. Lill had been busy knitting for the new baby, Ben. This time with Ben now 9 photographs of his journey of life will no doubt be shared and we share again in the sacrament of the Lord’s love

So that although the miles separate us what unites us is that friendship in Christ which has endured through the years.

 Thinking again of my Granny’s sad but true statement “I shall never see you again” when long distance travel was a luxury or a one way ticket to a new life in Australia I thought of her and her own holidays which were usually on the Isle of Wight. Year after year she would say now remember young Brian on the Isle of Wight they have Cowes you can’t milk and Ryde where you walk. Time for forty winks she’d say, nodding off listening to the Band while I wanted to be on the beach or at the ice cream stall!  Now, years later with all the accessibility of worldwide travel I’m still travelling on but somehow forty winks seems somewhat appealing!

May God bless your journey of life

Yet, still journeying on

Brian Wilcox

The Service in Thanksgiving for the Mothers Union in Uckfield will be held in Holy Cross on Thursday 1^st July at 3pm. In addition to welcoming members of other branches we shall joined by the Diocesan President, The Chaplain The Revd Peter Clark and by the Revd Margaret Constable one of the MU Trustees.

The Sisters invite you to share in the celebration of St Margaret’s Day in Church for a Eucharist at 2.15pm on Saturday 17^th July and then to tea at the Convent