Rector’s Letter

It has been a wonderfully busy summer here at St Michael and All Angels our being involved in lots of children’s work through our community project and in our wider church life. Over the last couple of months, we have celebrated eight Baptisms. That is eight families gathering around the font, carrying their newest, most precious arrivals into our historic church, trusting us with one of the most important moments of their lives. Whenever I meet with parents to prepare for these services, I love to ask them: Why? What is it that brings them to our doors in a society that so often tells us we don’t need faith anymore? The answers are always deeply revealing. Many speak of a longing for community—a desire for their child to be anchored in something bigger than themselves. Others talk about guidance, hoping the church will help their children learn the right things to do in life. And then, there is one reason that always catches my attention: protection. I find that fascinating. Beneath the bravado of modern life, there is an instinctual vulnerability in parenting. We want to wrap our children in something safe, shielding them from the anxieties of the world.

Our response to all of this—the search for community, a moral compass, or a spiritual shield—is to point to the font as a profound sign of God’s deep, relentless love for us. Baptism isn’t a magical charm; it is a visible, water-soaked declaration of a love so radical that the Creator of the universe was willing to be born into the mess of this world for our sake, and to walk all the way to the cross for us. My greatest hope is that every family who crosses our threshold experiences at least a small glint of that astonishing love in the warmth of the welcome we give them. This season has been particularly special because our new Curate, Reverend Sue, has been shadowing me during our August services. In the coming months, she will step up to the joy of conducting her own first Baptisms. Having Sue alongside me has been a brilliant catalyst. Seeing the service through her fresh eyes has prompted me to think anew: how do we take this beautiful starting point and encourage these families to develop afuller relationship with Christ? How do we invite them beyond the font and into a lifelong journey of righteousness—which simply means living in a right, vibrant relationship with God? We don’t want Baptism to be the end of the story, but the very first chapter of a life lived in the light. Jesus understood this deep, instinctual draw better than anyone. When others tried to hold the crowds back, he offered radical inclusion, saying:

Let the little children come to me, do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the
Kingdom of God belongs. Mark 10:14

Loving God, we give you thanks for every child brought to the waters of Baptism. Bless them, their parents, and their Godparents, that they may know the profound depth of your love and protection. And bless all of us in this community, that we might continuously grow deeper in our relationship with you, becoming reflections of your welcome to everyone we meet. Amen.

With my prayers and very best wishes.