Dear friends,
Summer for our Benefice Churches began most gloriously in song, as Denston hosted the vocal group Voces8 who are enjoying a great year of deserved acclaim and success.
Not only did they sing for our Concert but also for our Morning Worship, which bought to my mind the power of song to bring together communities whatever their need, whether to relax or entertain, whether to reflect spiritual presence in worship, or whether to console in time of challenge.
Song can tell our story in ways that transform our spoken word so as to more fully express the emotion of the telling. Music will feature at commemorations of 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War, and at St Margaret Stradishall's 11am morning worship 3rd August, we will receive service issue St John's Gospels which offered strength to so many who were to lose their lives and helped inspire vision for the future in the care of those bereaved and those who returned. Our Remembrance service at St Mary Lidgate, 10am 9th November will feature a local folk song telling the story of the village through that great trial and loss.
This summer our Diocese tells the story of our first 100 years. And it is a song, specially written for our centenary year, which most fully expresses our Diocesan vision for growth, secured from our daily prayer, 'Your will be done, Your kingdom come'. A Song arranged for traditional choir, congregational singing and worship band, being heard in our Cathedral and Parishes throughout the Diocese. Our benefice choir led our congregational singing as Bishop David visited St Margaret Stradishall for our Confirmation service, where two young members of our fellowship gave testimony to their faith. Our Diocese holds a day of song at Ipswich Regent Theatre 6th July, 3pm for Songs of Praise and 7pm for Worship, perhaps you would like to book your place and join us? Bishop David writes of this great theatre venue 'you yourselves are the stars of our story, and we together will be the people who take God's good story for Suffolk forward into the future'. Indeed at the close of our Centenary year our Deanery Songs of Praise will again hear the words of our centenary song ‘Steer our path and be our vision all our life-time through’. Here we will be singing favourite hymns of the last hundred years, taking strength in our gathering and inspiration in seeking God's vision for us in our song. I do hope you will have opportunity to sing with us of our hope and vision, that we may see in our generation something of God's Kingdom come.
Yours in Christ
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
