I am sure like me you have days which are etched in the memory. One such day for me is Saturday 1st July 1995 when I was ordained a deacon in Salisbury Cathedral. My family had travelled down from York-shire for the service in a mini bus with a poster in the window which read “We are with Glenn and so is God!”. It was a most marvellous occasion and there were well over 1,000 people in the cathedral along with 12 of us being ordained. Before the service we had gathered in the Bishop’s chapel and sat around in a circle for us swear two particular oaths. The registrar was present to make sure everything was done according to Canon law and to make sure each of us actually swore the two allegiances – one to the Bishop and one to Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs and successors.

The Oath of Allegiance was introduced in the 1580s at a period of national crisis, when there was a succession of political plots to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. Some clergy in the Church of England were involved in these schemes therefore this Oath was introduced to prevent clergy from undermining the crown and also the Church – can you believe it!

Looking back to that afternoon in July 1995, I never had any qualms about swearing allegiance to our Queen. She has shown over the past 70 years of public life her clear sense of vocation to serve ‘with her whole heart’ and in doing so has served God and all the people with humility and good character. For Christians this is fully seen in the kingship of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve.

As a nation will shall be celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee over four days from Thursday 2nd June until Sunday 5th June when there are various national events taking place as well as several across the village of Stanley. At St Peter’s we shall be holding a special service of thanksgiving at 10am on Sunday 5th June to which you are most warmly invited. In the meantime as we approach the Queen’s Platinum celebration I leave you with this prayer for your own personal devotions.

Gracious God, we give you thanks for the reign of your servant Elizabeth our Queen, and for the example of loving and faithful service which she has shown among us. Help us to follow her example of dedication and to commit our lives to you and to one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev Glenn Coggins, Vicar of the United Benefice of Stanley, Outwood and Wrenthorpe and Alverthorpe.

Dear Friends,          

I am sure like me it was a joy to hear the news that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and  Anoosheh Ashoori had been released from Iran after several years of captivity. It was wonderful to see photos of  Nazanin holding her daughter and being reunited with her husband Richard who had fought tirelessly since her capture for her release. Sadly this was a brief moment of light on the world stage on what has been a very difficult and painful month as we have witnessed the invasion of Ukraine. Who would have thought that on mainland Europe in the 21st century such horrors would be on our doorstep?

Many years ago I went to hear Terry Waite speak about his 1,763 days held in captivity by Hezbollah.  There were some lighter moments in his talk such as when he asked for English books to read, he was  finally handed one by a kind guard with the title ‘A Mother’s Guide to Breast-feeding’ – not exactly what he had in mind but it was a start.  He talked about what had supported him in those dark days and one was the thought that people were remembering him in their daily prayers.  He also would save a morsel of bread and some water and have a holy communion service in his cell – he could remember the entire service and that gave him comfort as it brought home the presence of Jesus in his midst and the wider church family.  One very surprising comment was that when he was  finally given a copy of the Bible, he expected its words to offer him great comfort but it also reminded him of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’. The Bible is a very real and honest book that brings home the pain and sadness of how we have turned our backs on God and gone our own way.

Thankfully it also tells the story of God’s redeeming love in action throughout history calling us home to be part of his family. The extent of God’s love is seen primarily in the life and ministry of Jesus and the events of Holy Week. On Good Friday we stand at the foot of the cross and pause in deep sadness as Jesus is crucified and all hope is lost for those early disciples.  The wonderful news of course is that  Jesus dying on the cross is not the end of the story, rather three days later Jesus is resurrected and offers new life to those who put their trust in him. There’s no limit the God’s love for us – we just need to accept that he loves us and to share in our lives – the miracle of Easter.

As we journey into the events of Holy Week, let us continue to pray for those affected by the war in Ukraine and look at ways we can help those caught up in this terrible tragedy. May they know we are there for them in solidarity and that hope, love and joy of the resurrected Christ will in time replace the darkness and pain of their Good Friday experience.  

Rev Glenn Coggins, Vicar of  the United Benefice of Stanley, Outwood and Wrenthorpe and Alverthorpe.

One of the things I have missed over the past couple of years has been the occasional trip to a campsite and then a walk in the local area. In the past, my son Sam and I have enjoyed the challenge of getting all the kit ready and then driving off on a camping adventure. Camping involves facing the challenges of the weather, the ground conditions, making sure you have remembered everything, and having an unsettled night’s sleep.  Alongside this though it is invigorating to be out of the nice protective vicarage, wonderful bed and the ease of switching on the kettle. One really enjoys being closer to nature and taking in the fresh air and viewing the night sky.  Alongside this it is lovely to chat to those who are camping close by and hear about their lives and love of camping. Finally there’s nothing better to return home and have a night’s sleep in one’s own bed.

As we draw closer to hearing again the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, the beginning of John’s gospel literally reads that God came and pitched his tent amongst us; that the creator of all that we see and experience in this wonderful universe sent his son Jesus to be born and live a human life with all its joys and sorrows for a mere 33 years. Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to come down and share in our lives and in doing so pointed us to his Father and our Father. It’s no wonder that it ‘good news’ is at the heart of Christmas when God took the initiative, sent his son Jesus to live a human life and  through his life, death and resurrection offers us a glimpse of heaven and abundant life.

Several years ago I came upon this which tries to shed light on what it must have been like for Jesus to swap heaven and live on earth…..

The Greatest Love Story ever told….

Like your landlord becoming your lodger
Like your managing director up before you for an interview
Like Beethoven queuing up for a ticket to his own concert
Like a headmaster getting the cane
Like a good architect living in a slum built by a rival
Like Picasso painting by numbers
God lived among us.

So dear friends, as we face another unsettling Christmas, take heart in the good news that God is with us in the midst of life.  No matter how dark and challenging life gets, Jesus is the light of the world and through him God offers us comfort, strength and hope. Perhaps this Christmas make room for Jesus in your heart.

Take care, stay safe and God Bless this Christmas time and into 2022    

Glenn