The Ladyday Service

The Ladyday service with the Deanery Mothers’ Union was yesterday.

Ladyday is the also called ‘The Annunciation’, for it’s the day when the Angel Gabriel informed Mary (hence ‘Lady’ day) that she was to become pregnant with Jesus. Must have happened extremely quickly after that – count the months and you’ll see what I mean!

In the Church of England, the country is divided into geographical areas roughly corresponding to English counties, called ‘Dioceses’. Every diocese is subdivided into geographical areas corresponding to nothing, called ‘Deaneries’. every Deanery is subdivided into areas roughly corresponding to villages, called ‘parishes.’ Each parish used to have its own priest, but nowadays parishes are grouped together into ‘benefices’. There are six active parishes and two parishes with redundant churches in my benefice and altogether, seven benefices with thirty two parishes in this deanery.

Back to the Mothers’ Union – a worldwide Anglican organisation dedicated to promoting and strengthening family life.

The deanery members met yesterday for their Ladyday service – there were about fifty, including two men (who make interesting mothers.)

I preached the sermon about the rape of Tamar and its consequences – Absalom’s insurgence against his father David, resulting in Absalom’s death – and they loved it! I guess they don’t get too much of the shocking material from the Bible in the normal course of events.

Today I’m taking assembly with nine to eleven year olds, so I shall tell them a story about Prince Agadir  and see what they make of that!

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