SCREWTAPE’S CHRISTMAS LETTER MY FOLLOW THE STAR (WITH APOLOGIES TO C. S. LEWIS) GOOD NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF EXETER | december 2019 MOMENT GRASS ROOTS Tanya Hockley-Still Inside: shares her faith story LAUNCH and how she keeps Find out about this fantastic Christmas meaningful new resource for people wanting to learn more about Jesus. The Rt Rev’d Nick McKinnel, Bishop of Plymouth SHINING LIKE STARS My dear Wormwood, “Liz so deserves this medal, she’s The Company of St Boniface has Get them so obsessed with their Christmas helped hundreds like us. It’s just been introduced by Bishop Robert You have made a spectacular job of Brexit. Well parties that they forget the hungry and lonely. the little things that Liz does that to recognise the unsung heroes of done! Who would have thought that a proud and And ensure that patients are so tired and stressed touches the heart of people. She’s Devon’s church communities, the civilized country could be in such a mess. Families by Christmas Day that tempers are short and old our driving force and without people who have gone above and are divided, politicians scorned, the whole nation is feuds re-emerge. her we wouldn’t be where we are beyond to live out their Christian frustrated, anxious and despairing. Keep up this today, none of us.” faith in their local communities or diabolically good work. Sentimentality helps too. Make them think “it’s Christine Hole says when she overseas. all for the children.” Ensure that church services and her husband were in debt Bishop Robert said he was Brian and Jane Inwood for their But a word of caution. Christmas approaches and are bathed in nostalgia, with obscure readings that they were saved from taking their delighted to have been “deluged” vital role in the Diocese of Exeter’s the Enemy and his people will be talking of peace no-one understands. own lives by the advice and prayer with nominations for people from link with the Diocese of Thika in and goodwill. This must be fought at all costs. offered to them by Liz Camp, one across Devon. Kenya. Make every effect to deflect attention away from His Infernal Majesty has no answer to the of the first people to be admitted During his sermon he said Barbara Wintersgill for shaping the baby born in a manger. Replace him with a fat, angel’s message of glad tidings of great joy, of the into the new Company of St the recipients were like “prisms, the way religious education is bearded man dressed in red. Patients seem to find Saviour born in Bethlehem. We cannot refute the Boniface. refracting God’s light into different taught in schools at a national him much easier to believe in. extraordinary humility of the Son of God entering Liz was nominated by her vicar colours by serving faithfully in a level. their humanity, the Word made flesh. We see how at Exeter Network Church for variety of different ways across Shirley-Ann Williams for decades On all accounts keep them spending money, lives are transformed by the grace of God that has starting-up a Christian’s Against Devon.” of work on the General Synod and and preferably more than they can afford. dawned upon the world. Poverty (CAP) centre there and As well as Liz, the other medal at a diocese level. Materialism is the anaesthetic of faith. Bright successfully helping “hundreds” of recipients were: Ron and Linda Wheeler for their lights, tempting TV commercials and celebrity So do your best to hide these truths in mulled people out of debt. Morag Lobley, from Black integral role in helping reshape endorsements should do the trick. wine and mince pies, and have a miserable Christine said when Liz and her Torrington, for her work with Emmanuel Church in Plymouth. Christmas. colleague first came to see her and children and young people. Malcolm Pomeroy, who has her husband: “They didn’t judge been a volunteer at the Cathedral Your affectionate uncle, us, they didn’t expect anything of in a variety of roles since 1976. Screwtape us, they just listened. Malcolm spoke for many of “The peace and the calmness the others when he said he was that came into our flat after that… “thrilled” to have been chosen for they didn’t judge us for trying to the award. commit suicide, they didn’t judge Nominations for next year’s EXETER.ANGLICAN.ORG us for being in debt… it’s been awards will be opened early in amazing.” 2020. @CofEDevon Diocese of Exeter cofedevon EXETER.ANGLICAN.ORG @CofEDevon Diocese of Exeter cofedevon LAUNCHING GRASS ROOTS RECONCILIATION TANYA Serving with joy… Exeter is one of five dioceses piloting a new course about HOCKLEY-STILL reconciliation. The Difference course has come from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s new Tanya is the vicar of St Mark’s Exeter. Reconciling Leaders Network. It Having grown up in Plymouth she served explores what it means to follow her curacy in Eastbourne before returning Jesus in the face of conflict. to her Devon roots. Recently over 30 church leaders from across the South West came She tells the Magazine about the moment to Exeter to be trained in how she realised Jesus was real, and how she to run the course, with a view to will be focussing on Him this Christmas. rolling it out at churches across the region. To sign-up or find out more go to: The Church of England is running a Christmas An exciting new resource using so that they might understand a https://difference.rln.global/ campaign called “Follow the Star” encouraging people Advent and Christmas are a busy time for church comic-book illustrations set in bit more about who he was, and to “follow the star into church this Christmas”. What leaders – how do you stay focused on its true Devon to help people explore where they could find the was your ‘Follow the Star’ moment when you decided meaning? Christian faith has been developed Kingdom he talked about so often. to follow Jesus? It is difficult among all of the busyness. I find the by Jon Curtis, Diocese of Exeter We can also use these steps like so When I was 15 I was walking down the hill to school hymns and carols help. When some of my favourites Lay Discipleship Advisor. many people before us have in Plymouth, and I realised that everything the Bible come up, I just focus on the words. Some of them Grass Roots is a collection of done.” said about Jesus was true. In the same moment I are so beautiful that they always bring home the true ideas and activities aimed at The resource is available as a realised that if it was true, it was the most important meaning of Christmas for me. The beauty and joy of Christians and people interested in magazine, an audiobook, a power thing in life, and I had to start to follow Jesus. Christmas can be overwhelming, and I try to focus on learning more about the life point, a PDF file, and in video that. lessons that Jesus offered in the format. It is designed to be used PILGRIMAGE TO What would you say to encourage people to Follow Bible. individually, in a group, as part of a WORLD FAMOUS the Star into church this Christmas? What is your best idea for an all age Christmas It’s been illustrated by Si Smith, church series, or in a combination PASSION PLAY I would say try it. We all know the basics of the activity? whose previous work includes of all three. Christmas story, but just ask God to show Himself to In my last parish the vicar was brilliant at coming up Raised In Leeds, and How To You can find more information There is still space to join you this Christmas. He will. The light-bulb moment I with ideas.The best one I saw was the nativity story Disappear Completely. here: https://exeter.anglican.org/ a pilgrimage from Exeter to just described was after I had asked God to show me if told with words cleverly swapped for well-known Jon Curtis said: “Jesus spent ministry/grass-roots/ Oberammergau to see the world he was real. sweets. For example, the wise men became “smarties”. much of his life showing his friends Or contact Jon Curtis: famous passion play in May 2020. Whenever the name of a sweet was said the children and those he met stepping stones [email protected] The play has been performed every Which character do you relate to most in the had to put their hands up to say they had noticed, 10 years since 1634. Bishop Martin Christmas story? and then he would give them a pack of the sweets in Shaw and his wife will be leading Probably one of the shepherds. Just going about question. The children loved it! the trip, which will include a visit STAR OF WONDER their normal business, watching the sheep, when to Munich and one of Germany’s Throughout December Exeter Cathedral will be taking part in the Church suddenly they see angels come down from heaven. Tell us about your Christmas Day best-known shrines. The cost is of England’s Follow the Star campaign with a giant 4ft star on the exterior Bam! Their lives will never be the same again. I will probably get up around 8am (having taken £1,229. For all enquiries email of the Cathedral.