Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 113:1–3
These verses were shared with me by my sister-in-law on the eve of my Institution service on the evening of Monday 20th July at St Mary’s, Easton. They have stayed with me. The image of the rising and setting sun is a wonderful reminder that, as one season draws to a close in one parish, a new season begins for all of us together here in the Itchen Valley. Through every transition, the name of the Lord remains constant. He holds both places in His hands, and it is He who will sustain and resource us in all that lies ahead.
Before anything else, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has stewarded the life and ministry of our four churches so faithfully and wisely throughout the interregnum. Your commitment and care have been a great blessing.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the Institution service such a joyful and memorable occasion. I know just how much planning, organisation, and effort went into it.
We are very much looking forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks and months. We hope there will be many opportunities to get to know one another, to worship together, and to discover all that God has in store for us as we begin this new chapter in the life of our parish.
With every blessing,
David
please click on the image below to see a slideshow of photographs kindly take by James Greig of the evening
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