from the March 2010 magazine

This was from Rev Graham Osborne, Rector of the United Benefice of Leatherhead and Mickleham

The Rectory, Leatherhead
The Rector, Graham Osborne, writes

What a privilege it is to be the Rector of Mickleham. I have worshipped with you and enjoyed time with you – even sweetened by sugared almonds – and, while I have met a number of you already, I look forward to sharing with even more of you the celebrations at the Thanksgiving service on 28th February and the delights of the APCM on 21st March.

I have just had the pleasure of preaching at the Box Hill Day service with the more senior students from Box Hill School filling the church. Sporting my sprig of box, I processed into a packed church with David, accompanied by Mark Eagers. Each time I visit St Michael’s, I am delighted by yet another addition to the refurbished vestry area, and continue to be richly blessed by the quality and beauty of the work that has been done to restore the church – the new lighting system, the ceiling bosses, the sound system, the catering space ...

David was kind enough to introduce me as his ‘boss’, which sharpened the interest of not a few! It is a rare privilege to work alongside a priest colleague with such a wealth of experience and such a big heart. It is also quite a challenge to construct a sermon for such a diverse congregation, a number of whom have very different cultural backgrounds to that of a peaceful, beautiful Surrey village.

We had two readings from the Bible – Matthew’s account of the Final Judgement with the separation of the sheep and goats, and Luke’s story of the Good Samaritan. I took as my theme ‘Living by the book’ and tried to place the stories we had heard in a modern context – with the Good Arsenal fan doing his good deed for a Chelsea fan after a match at Stamford Bridge. One of the most powerful books that talks of the need for ‘culturalisation’ of the fundamental message of Jesus’ teaching is Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent Donovan, the account of his time as a missionary with the Masai in East Africa. If you have not seen this before, I do urge you to read it. My basic message to the school was that we are called – by most of the Good Books of the world faiths – to live by ‘doing as we would be done by’ (the Hebrew Golden Rule) … and The Water Babies got a mention too.

In the season of Lent we have an opportunity to reflect on how we live our lives and how we might seek to change things we are unhappy with. We may be locked into unhealthy patterns of behaviour, we may be unhappy with the balance of our lives, we may be striving to re-make them in some way.

Lent gives us the chance to slow down, to reflect and to try something different. Traditionally a time of fasting – giving up alcohol or chocolate are perennial favourites – Lent also give us the opportunity to take up something. It might be more (or some) Bible study, more (or some) time at the gym, macramé, origami, Morris Dancing – something (anything) to mark our desire to live more Christ-like lives. It is a golden opportunity, please take advantage of it.

May I wish you a fruitful Lent and, in due time, a Happy Easter.
Graham Osborne