November letter
November 1, 2007 by Dan
A fiftieth anniversary is a notable occasion and this month on St. Andrew’s Day, 30th November, St. Andrew’s celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the reconsecration of the newly restored church. Many still recall that memorable service, held in the presence of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, at which the Bishop of Exeter was accompanied by the Bishop of Liverpool (former vicar Clifford Martin) as well as the Bishops of Plymouth, Crediton and other civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries, and the congregation sang with conviction, “The Church’s one Foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.”
Over the last fifty years we have not stood still. From the installation of the Piper windows in the 1960s to the setting up of the church shop in the 90s, the building has gently adapted to the opportunities of the day. Services are very different too. Looking back at the order of service for the reconsecration in 1957, it seems to come from a different world in its language, liturgy and even typeface. Those were the days of mattins and evensong, looked back to with great affection by many in our congregation and very different from the powerpoint projection and band at our services today.
To mark the anniversary we shall be holding two events to which all members of the congregation are warmly invited. On Friday, 30th November there will be a choral evensong at 7.00 pm followed by a St. Andrew’s Day party at 8.00 pm, with music, food and a quiz. Then at 10.00 am on Sunday, 2nd December, the Bishop of Exeter will lead a special service for Resurgam 50, to be followed by a celebration lunch in the Duke of Cornwall Hotel (for which tickets have to be purchased).
Anniversaries are occasions for reflection and, in our case, this gives the opportunity to look back with gratitude to God’s blessing on the life of our church over so many years. Different events will stand out for different people. Particular individuals have contributed in enormous ways to the various aspects of our church life, from flowers and bell-ringing to youth work and mission. All of us feel small and transient in the face of the thousand years of history and worship that have taken place on the site of our church building.
But anniversaries are also a spur not to just look back with gratitude but to look forward with hope, as Paul does in that great prayer that opens his letter to the Ephesians. Having listed the ways in which God has “ blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” he looks forward to “ the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” Thanksgiving for the past and hope for the future go naturally together. Because of God’s past goodness, we can trust him for the future. Not many of us will be here for Resurgam 100, and who can guess what the shape of the Christian church will be by the middle of this century, but I have no doubt that the congregation will continue to sing with equal confidence that ‘the Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.