A real and loving faith

Last week, Richard Jackson, Bishop of Lewes, embarked on a five day pilgrimage from Iden, East Sussex to Chichester Cathedral.
Reverend Thomas RobsonReverend Thomas Robson
Reverend Thomas Robson

Along the way he visited 49 parishes to hear what was going on in the life of the churches and to pray together.

For the first three days he travelled between the parishes by bike. You can see some of his exploits on social media if you search the hashtag #bikingbishop

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Speaking to Bishop Richard en route, he was delighted with the enthusiasm and diversity he encountered.

All of us who live in Sussex know how richly different are the villages, towns, cities and countryside we enjoy. From coastal harbours and tourist destinations, to agricultural farmland and expanding cities.

All of these were included in the pilgrimage which concluded with a huge celebration event at Chichester Cathedral on Sunday evening.

Hundreds of people from all across Sussex came to pray as part of the Archbishop of Canterbury's invitation to global prayer.

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At each stop, a candle was lit and on Sunday they were lit together at the beacon event in the cathedral. A sign of the prayer that goes on across our county, for our county.

On Saturday, many people were captivated by the address of Bishop Curry at the royal wedding. His passion and enthusiasm shone through as he spoke with conviction about love.

Throughout the churches across Sussex, in the Church of England and other denominations, there is a message of love and a heart for all those who live here. The presentation and style may differ from the exuberance of Bishop Curry, but the passion and desire to seek the good of all is just as real.

On the diocese website and through social media, you can see the photos of these groups of faithful people asking God to bring his love, mercy and joy to our communities across our county.

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That desire emerged strongly from Bishop Richard’s pilgrimage and the invitation is there for us all to discover the joy of God's kingdom and the gift of his Holy Spirit for ourselves.

Faith Matters News:

The Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, has congratulated the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding.

"The diocese of Chichester is delighted that Her Majesty the Queen has given the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry and Meghan, his new wife.

"Their unself-conscious and caring attention for those who are so often overlooked, veterans, young people from every walk of life, and those who live with mental illness, will be a great example and encouragement to us.

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"We assure them of our very best wishes for the future and that they will have a special place in our hearts, here in Sussex."

Church Fete Season:

Across Sussex, bunting is being stitched, scones are being baked and the cobwebs are getting dusted off the splat the rat. That can only mean one thing, church fete season is rapidly approaching.

Look out for events going on in your community, but why not see if there's a way you can get involved? Often you find a small team is taking on a big task and they'd love to have some fresh ideas for making the most of these traditional community-building events.

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