Suffolk Heights Benefice News

Welcome

Welcome to the Suffolk Heights Benefice News website created to complement the monthly community magazine, serving the six parishes of our benefice, Suffolk Heights. Here you will find information on the parish churches of Chedburgh, Chevington, Depden, Hargrave, Hawkedon and Rede along with details of upcoming events, services and the latest news.

Find out how you can contribute to the life of your parish and Suffolk Heights. Contact details for each can be found on the Contact Us page.

From the Rectory

The World Climate Conference in Glasgow in November will hopefully focus the minds of policy makers and our leaders to bring in such changes that our necessary to protect the environment for future generations. As President Obama once said, we are the first generation to acknowledge the problem, and the last who can do anything about it. But it would be quite wrong to just leave it to ’others’ to bring about such changes. We all have a part to play. Even if our contribution seems insignificant, cumulatively small changes will transform the whole.

It is almost forty years since the Anglican Church adopted the five ‘Marks of Mission’, one of which is to ‘safeguard creation and sustain and renew the earth’. In 1989 the Orthodox Church proclaimed 1st September as a day of prayer for creation (World Day of Prayer for Creation, or Creation Day). This was embraced by the other major Christian European churches in 2001 and by Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015. During the Season of Creation, which runs each year from September 1st to October 4th, St Francis of Assisi Day, Christians around the globe are invited to pray and care for creation.

Closely linked with our reflection during this Season of Creation are our Harvest Celebrations. We still need to produce food in our ever-changing world, but the emerging influence of climate change is making this more challenging. The stability of seasons can no longer be taken as a given, and consequently, markets have become more volatile.

As we have become increasingly aware of the urgency to care for creation, our stewardship entrusted to us by God comes into focus. But we are more than stewards. We are ‘priests of creation’ - that is, intercessors between the whole of creation and the Creator. Creation Time offers us the opportunity for our prayerful response to the ecological crisis and also challenge us into action, not only during this season but throughout the year. For it is ‘creation’ that lies at the heart of every Eucharistic Thanksgiving as we give praise and thanks to God as our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

What small change can you make to your life so that future generations enjoy the richness of creation?

Every blessing

Rev Dr Simon Hill

Today's Prayer

Listen to or read the Prayer for the Day and join in with others saying these words each day.

Today's Prayer

Information

Services

RAF Chedburgh

For the moment we plan that the services as shown in the calendar below will go ahead as planned. Further details along with guidelines on Covid protocols, can be found here:

Our Services

RAF Chedburgh

Over the past few months there has been ditch clearance around Chedburgh resulting in some site clearance of the RAF accommodation area, known as Site 5. Ian Leggett has been investigating..

Find Out More Here

Clare Deanery

From car repairs and plumbers to catering and ironing, find your local business here.

See directory

Clare Deanery

Suffolk Heights Benefice belongs to Clare Deanery. You can find out more information about the Deanery using the link below.

Clare Deanery