Rector’s RAMBLINGS!

In May we got to witness history in the making. Not many of us around today
are old enough to vividly remember the coronation of Her Late Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II, and those of you that do are extremely lucky to be able to say that you
have seen two coronations and the way in which the monarchy has changed over
the generations. The coronation of King Charles III marks the beginning of a new
era for our country and society. During the coronation weekend, we were encouraged to mark the occasion by giving back to our community and engaging with projects that help clean up our village and create something we are proud of.

Across our Benefice (the villages of Eastry, Woodnesborough, Staple, Tilmanstone
and Northbourne) there will be opportunities to do litter picking, gardening, graveyard
cleaning and planting trees as part of village projects throughout this month. As
part of this, I will try my best to get around the different churches offering
encouragement with these projects and lending a hand where I can (after I finish
litter picking in my local village).

I believe that it says a lot about our new King that, in a weekend of pomp and
ceremony, his first request to the people of our wonderful nation is to go out and
give back to your community in whatever way you can. It shows us that the message
that King Charles has been speaking throughout his time as the Prince of Wales
remains close to his heart; that change happens not when a government does things
but when communities come together to make a difference. King Charles has been
passionate about environmental issues long before the rest of the world caught on
that our climates were changing and that we were responsible for the damage being
done, so it seems fitting that we as a community should mark his coronation with
some much-needed community clearing. Perhaps this ‘clearing’ is not only in the
physical world, but also inwardly, as we clear away the cobwebs of things that hold
us back and begin this new era filled with hope; hope for a cleaner village, hope for
a cleaner future and hope to make our villages somewhere we can continue to be
proud to call home.

So, when you think about how you marked the coronation this month, and how you
gave back to your community, if you feel you weren’t able to volunteer at the time,
it is not too late. I encourage you to find out what projects are going on in your village
and see how you can get involved. Let us honour our new King through small but
important actions. Wishing you every blessing,

Rev. Andrew Brown