September 2026

Dear Friends

In recent years the period in the church calendar from 1st September to 4th October has become a season dedicated to the worship of God as Creator and Sustainer of all life – the giver of the gift of our stunning planet, ourselves and all life on it. Please do join us for our Harvest Thanksgiving Service this year which will be on Sunday 13th September at St. Mary’s, Bishopstone at 10.30am.

But the beautiful, glorious weather this summer has come with a deeper more troubling message. Never before have issues around food security, environment and climate seemed so viscerally urgent as they do this year, following the devasting floods, record breaking heat and wild fires across the world. After hundreds of thousands of years of stable, benign climatic conditions around the earth in which human civilisations and culture has been able to flourish, we are now engaged in a rapid destabilisation of the complex weather patterns connected to the carbon cycle in our atmosphere. So far, we have only experienced about 1.4C of warming above pre-industrial levels but we are heading for 2.8C and more in the near future. What then and how should we respond? Clearly, we cannot spend every day in a state of eco anxiety about something we as individuals cannot solve single handedly. We have a life to live and things to do and it would not be good for our mental health or wellbeing. But, equally clearly, it is an area that needs urgent attention and action, today, not tomorrow! So somehow, it seems to me, we must resist the collective shrug of the shoulders that talks weakly in our media about our warming climate and how are we going to adapt to it, and face firmly what is coming down the line, while actions to lessen the extreme severity of those inevitable consequences, are still possible. A window which is closing.

To this end I am organising a showing of the 50minute film “A Nation Emergency Briefing” at the Bishopstone Village Hall on Tuesday evening 22nd September from 7pm. On 27 November 2025, leading experts set out the evidence on the climate and nature crisis in a formal briefing to national decision-makers.

This film presents a summary of their findings and you would have thought, would be greatly in the public interest for us all to know! But apparently not. Has this summary been aired on national TV? No! I am troubled and mystified by this. But it doesn’t stop us meeting and considering what we currently know and sharing and discussing together our reaction to this and exploring any actions we might like to take in response. I therefore cordially extend to everyone one of you an invitation to a showing and discussion of the short film “The National Emergency Briefing” at Bishopstone Village Hall on 22nd September from 7pm (Free entry). I look forward to meeting many of you there.

After all that you may need some hope so here is a trailer for our Autumn Course this year entitled “Hope Explored.” The sessions are being held at the Village Inn in Liddington on Monday evenings 21st, 28th September and 5th October from 7pm – 9pm. Over three sessions, Hope Explored presents the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and provides an opportunity to discover how he fulfils three great longings we all experience: the longing for hope, peace, and purpose. The structure of each session is simple: a film in two parts, a discussion based on the film and a chance to explore Luke’s gospel. These evenings are for everyone who has a longing for hope, peace and purpose in their lives, regardless of whether you have been a Christian for years or you are not even sure whether there is a God or not? All welcome. If you would like to know more or sign up for the course, which is free, please contact Steve at stevedpaynter@gmail.com or on 01793296870.

Thank you to everyone who has filled in a Community Engagement questionnaire. Much appreciated. Results will be available at our Open Church drop-in with refreshments at St. Andrew’s on Sunday 27th September between 3-5pm.

Revd, Steve Paynter
Stevedpaynter@gmail.com
01793 296870

Prayer:

Living and blessed Lord, who in the abundance of your love established this green world; and furnished it so richly that in it, life might flourish in a myriad manifestations of beauty.
Enable us so to put aside all reckless exploitation if its resources, that, in new humbleness and generosity of heart, we might recover the fertile garden of your holy dream from which the whole world will be fed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.