Ladock News, December 2024 & January 2025
A Christmas Message from Reverend Caroline
“Do not be afraid! I bring you good news!”
Angels are fearsome beings: we like to pretty them up and make them look more presentable, but they have a nasty habit of surprising the unsuspecting person and then delivering hard news! It takes a bit of time to work out whether or not it is good!
It is easy to categorise the birth of God’s son as a children’s story or a fairy tale, but the birth of Jesus was just as real as both yours and my birth. The Census of those times has not withstood the test of time, however, there are documented records that talk about “Jesus called the Messiah” and the incredible things that he taught and did. He was a real and live person, just as we each are.
The story of Jesus’s birth has been romanticised; we conveniently ‘forget’ the gruesome and jealous acts of Herod the then king. We ignore the hardship of walking great distances when heavily pregnant, the stress of finding nowhere to sleep, the worry about finances and being out of work -these are all very real difficulties that were experienced by Jesus’ family and by us today. We know about stress and travelling to our families for Christmas, the stress of making sure everything is ready. Jesus’s family would have experienced the same stress, but their family did not have room to put them up, and so they found themselves with no place to stay.
Different parts of the Christmas story will resonate with different people and possibly at different stages of life as well. As we contemplate the true meaning of Christmas let us consider those who are around us and, seek to be good news to them helping to ease a little bit of stress and worry that they carry. Please do pop into your local church or attend one of the services, we will be pleased to see you, we will make you welcome, and if we can ease some of your worry, even if just for a short time we will try.
Grace and peace, Reverend Caroline
Our planned services and other events in December, the Christmas period and January are:
1 December: Holy Communion 11.00 am with Choir
7 December: Christmas Coffee Morning at Ladock Community Hall 10.00 – 12.00. Coffee & cake, books, gifts, crafts and more….
8 December: Holy Communion, 11.00 am
15 -22 December: Christmas Tree Festival. Theme, Christmas films. Entrance is free, doors open 10.00 daily.
15 December: Carol Service 6.00 pm, followed by mulled wine, mince pies and draw. Collection in aid of St Petroc’s Society.
22 December: Crib Service 11.00 am.
22 December: Evensong 6.00 pm
24 December, Christmas Eve: Midnight Mass 11.30 pm
25 December, Christmas Day: Family communion 11.00 am
29 December: Team Together@10 Service at Probus, 10.00 am. No service at Ladock.
5 January, Epiphany and Ladock Feast: Holy Communion 11.00 am, followed by bring and share lunch.
12 January: Holy Communion 11.00 am
19 January: Holy Communion 11.00 am
26 January: Holy Communion 11.00 am
26 January: Evensong, 6.00 pm
There will be a short service of Morning Prayer every Tuesday at 9.00 am, with the exception of 24 December.
The Church is open for private prayer every day, including weekends.
Please note that full details of online services and other events are on our website, www.ladockchurch.org.uk. Ladock Church is also on Facebook.
Remembrance Sunday, 10 November
The largest congregation for some years gathered at the War Memorial just before 11.00 am to witness the traditional Act of Remembrance, the laying of wreaths by RAF veteran Tom Smith on behalf of the PCC, Councillor Helen Campbell for the Parish Council, Iain Butler for the Ladock Players, as well as by Vanessa Morcom, representing the family of R C Caff, one of the Fallen. This was followed by the reading of the Roll of Honour by the Churchwarden, Jeremy Sharp. Tom Smith read the Citation and his daughter Elizabeth read the reply. The end of the two-minute silence was marked by the tolling of a bell. A short service in Church was conducted by the Reverend Caroline Hubbard, her first in the Benefice since her licensing. The collection of just under £180 will be passed to the military charity, SSFA.
