The Vicar's Letter (written by Reverend Coralie McCluskey, Vicar of St Mary's Church in Eaton Bray) has been appearing in the villages Focus magazine since March 2011
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Vicar's Letter

June 2012

Reverend Coralie McCluskey, vicar of the Church of St Mary The Virgin, Eaton Bray with Edlesborough.

June is busting out all over or so the song says. I really hope it does because June 2012 promises to be a busy and exciting month in our villages. Warm sunny days and refreshing showers overnight will help to ensure a glorious Open Gardens Sunday, three happy brides at St Mary's, a joyful Jubilee Tea Party, a successful Beer Festival, fun Jubilee family celebrations on Edlesborough Green, a great Dagnall Street Party and finally a Grand Hog Roast for the East Anglian Air Ambulance to name but a few of the events this month. What a social whirl!

There is much to be thankful for in our own families and communities yet so much that we take for granted and especially when we take the time to think about the awful things happening in other parts of the world. Hunger, poverty, homelessness, conflict and corruption continue to blight many innocent lives. As I write this the news headlines highlight the dangerous escalation of violence in Syria with 55 people killed in an explosion in Damascus. The most difficult thing for me is trying to understand why people carry out these atrocities. In this instance, as always, one side blames the other.

The Syrian government condemned the blasts as the work of terrorists, painting opposition rebels as deliberate violators of the UN-brokered ceasefire. The principal target was the so-called "Palestine Military Branch" where many of the regime's enemies have allegedly been interrogated and tortured. On the other hand the Syrian opposition denied categorically that they were behind the blasts, accusing the regime instead of carrying them out on their own people in order to discredit the opposition and gain sympathy from the UN monitors now in town. Is there to be no end to the violence?

What can we do?

We can make the most of the events that are on during June and enjoy time with family, friends and neighbours.

We can smile at one another and say hello rather than avoiding eye contact.

We can pray for those who are having a difficult time, those who are ill, bereaved, lonely, hungry or homeless.

We can enjoy ourselves and all that is good in our communities and be thankful.

A Christian Aid Prayer
May the God who breathes life into the broken,
who exposes our divisions and our pride,
whose tenderness is the strength of the poor,
bless us and charge us with power
to live as community in our world
in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Coralie

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About the Vicar's Letter

The Vicar's Letter has been appearing in the villages Focus magazine since August 2002.

The Rev. Peter Graham also used to publish The Vicar's Letter in the parish magazine of 1964. Please see the area for these.