Our Church
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Welcome to our website for Holy Cross Church with St Saviours in Uckfield together with St Michael’s at Little Horsted and St Margaret’s at Isfield. Our Churches were formally linked in the 1970’s and work together in faith and fellowship. Having visited our site we hope that you will be encouraged and inspired by what you see here and that you too will want to be part of the Mission of Christ’s Church. |
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October in the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2017
Dear All,
When I was a child, I always had an enormous pumpkin outside my bedroom window on my birthday. The reason? I was born on 31st of October, the Eve of All Saints, All Hallows Eve, better known these days as Halloween.
Yes, it’s a good day for a Rector’s birthday, isn’t it?
When I was a child, ‘though, in the 1960’s, Halloween wasn’t a big deal, really. Yes, I had my hollowed out pumpkin which was fun, but there was no real “trick or treat”-ing or dressing up or spooky stuff to speak of. It’s all something that grew up in the 1970’s and 80’s in England, largely an import from America. I was in New York once, about 12 years ago on Halloween and was staggered at the amount of decoration and seasonal involvement in shops, schools and houses not to mention the enormous parade through the streets.
What do I think of it all, now? Well, on one hand, I don’t want to be a miserable, grumpy old Vicar, pouring cold water on children’s fun & festivity: but I do feel real reservations about it all. On one level, yes it is all just harmless playing and a bit of spooky silliness: but on another level, it’s a domestication of the malevolent, a “softening up” of our perceptions of evil, and I feel uncomfortable with it all to say the least.
So I no longer have a pumpkin, I have a “No Trick or Treat, please” poster in the window (you can download them from the Police), and the front door remains closed (despite the occasional flour bombing!). I am so glad that Little Horsted imaginatively have reclaimed the season with the pumpkin Festival and we must support and encourage what is an amazingly creative event; should the rest of us do something positive too, maybe have an “All Saints” Party, or “Festival of Light”....... Any thoughts, anyone?
Anyway, watch this space!
Love Fr. John
October 2017 Nature Notes
Nature Notes
Continuing with the seasonal theme of change, as I write this we are heading for the autumn equinox when day-length equals night-length the world over. In the northern hemisphere we progress to shorter days, but south of the equator, it is the nights that get shorter – lucky them!
Meanwhile, the planet is experiencing equinox weather with high winds, heavy rain, floods, landslides and all sorts of turmoil. Oceanographers have measured the temperature of the oceans getting warmer. This leads to more evaporation of the seas and loading of water vapour in the atmosphere. This has the effect of energising the movement of air and results in the wind and rain extremes we have experienced. This has consequences for wildlife as well as humans. Migrating birds can get blown off course and end up in strange places. For example, I went for a walk along the Cuckmere Valley recently and saw an American Baird’s sandpiper on the wrong side of the Atlantic, busily hunting small invertebrates along the waterline of a meander. There were also many winchats aggregating before venturing forth across the English Channel to France and on to Africa. I was also blessed to see two peregrine falcons and three ravens annoying each other in the sky. The ravens eventually flew off into Friston Forest.
Continuing with the seasonal theme of change, as I write this we are heading for the autumn equinox when day-length equals night-length the world over. In the northern hemisphere we progress to shorter days, but south of the equator, it is the nights that get shorter – lucky them!
Meanwhile, the planet is experiencing equinox weather with high winds, heavy rain, floods, landslides and all sorts of turmoil. Oceanographers have measured the temperature of the oceans getting warmer. This leads to more evaporation of the seas and loading of water vapour in the atmosphere. This has the effect of energising the movement of air and results in the wind and rain extremes we have experienced. This has consequences for wildlife as well as humans. Migrating birds can get blown off course and end up in strange places. For example, I went for a walk along the Cuckmere Valley recently and saw an American Baird’s sandpiper on the wrong side of the Atlantic, busily hunting small invertebrates along the waterline of a meander. There were also many winchats aggregating before venturing forth across the English Channel to France and on to Africa. I was also blessed to see two peregrine falcons and three ravens annoying each other in the sky. The ravens eventually flew off into Friston Forest.
The Induction of The Reverend John Wall
The Induction of Reverend John Wall at The Church of the Holy Cross
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On Wednesday 21st September 2016 a congregation of well over two hundred people witnessed the Licensing of Reverend John Wall as Priest-in-Charge of The Church of the Holy Cross and St. Saviour’s, Uckfield; St.Michael, and All Angels, Little Horsted and St.Margaret of Antioch, Isfield by The Bishop of Lewes The Right Reverend Richard Jackson with the Induction by The Archdeacon of Hastings The Venerable Edward Dowler. For photographs taken by Ron Hill of the induction evening click here. |
Holy Cross Bells
The Bells
All the bells were purchased from the Whitechapel foundry of William Mears and bear the company’s name, the date 1779, and inscriptions.
In 1779 the original six bells were installed with two treble bells added in 1785.