Remembrance Sunday 2022 will be one to remember for the future: in many parts of the country it was the warmest on record and here in the Itchen Valley we were blessed with blue skies all day—such that, for the first time in their history, the Royal British Legion held their AGM out of doors (just outside the Cricketers in Easton).

I am so grateful for Tim Clapp and James Young for their leading the Acts of Remembrance in Itchen Abbas and Easton. I myself had the joy of being in Avington for the first part of the morning: walking from the 08.30am Holy Communion service up the road to the War Memorial, where some 40 of the village’s residents (including Valentina from Ukraine) were gathered to hear Henry Adams call out the names of the Fallen and to see his children laying the wreath at the foot of the Memorial (which has recently been cleaned and given some new railings).

And then on to Martyr Worthy. Again, many thanks to James Young for leading the Royal British Legion (on behalf of Rear Admiral John Lang) and directing their march down to the church, where around 80 people were gathered.

In our prayers and in the sermon we were very conscious that during these last 12 months we have been buffeted by so many storms—in our national and international life. So I do hope the sermon recording here (focused on the words of Isaiah 40 and Psalm 46) might be a source of real comfort to you: indeed “God is our refuge, a very present help in trouble” (Psa. 46:1).

Unfortunately the recording below is in 2 parts.

With love and prayers

Revd Peter