Pause for Thought - November 2025
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1: 3-5)
I carry a fond childhood memory of reciting the poem ‘Remember, remember the 5th November, gunpowder, treason and plot’, in the lead up to the excitement of bonfire night, toffee apples and sparklers!
In the Church calendar, November is a month for remembering, not Guy Fawkes, but ‘All Souls’, a day we remember and name before God and one another those we have loved but see no longer, those whose lives have informed ours and whose legacies we carry, committing to hold precious their memories. A week later, in both the church and national calendar on Remembrance Sunday and on Armistice Day, we hold 2 minutes silence and lay wreaths as we honour and remember those who sacrificed their life for others in times of war and conflict. This national remembrance brings communities together, as we affirm together ‘we will remember them’ and commit to seeking peace.
St Paul, writing to the church in Philippians shares his commitment, both to them and to following the teaching of Christ. He had been the first among the persecutors of the early Christians, but an encounter with the Risen Christ changed his entire perspective and gave him a testimony so powerful that he made it his life’s work to spread the Good News of the Gospel. And so, in his impassioned letter he talks of his “straining forward to what lies ahead, to press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” This must be our life’s work too, not forgetting those who have gone before us, but honouring them. Learning from their legacies and striving to make the world a better place for future generations. Not forgetting who we are, yet striving to become more Christ like. Not forgetting our tradition, or our roots, but remembering that we have a culturally relevant yet timeless message of God’s grace to share.
November brings the church’s year to an end as we celebrate Christ the King on the fourth Sunday, before moving into the new year that begins with Advent on the fifth Sunday. It is naturally a time to look back and remember, as well as a time to look forward, something that we also do in our AGMs this month. And in our looking back we give thanks, to God and to one another, for all that we have shared together.
Paul began his letter to the Philippians with beautiful words “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now”. May we too commit to remembering one another in prayer as we work together to remember all that God has done for us in Jesus Christ, and anticipate all that He will continue to do in the years ahead.
Revd Alison Hudson
Priest-in-Charge