We publish a Parish Magazine 4 times a year and in each Magazine there is a letter from Jonathan Smith, the Vicar at St John's. Here is the Summer 2005 letter:
Some of you will be surprised to discover that I am writing this article and not Jonathan. Our Vicar is on sabbatical and has delegated the task to me.
We shall be celebrating our Patronal Festival on Sunday 26th June (St John the Baptist day is actually 24th June). Patronal Festivals offer us a unique opportunity to stop and reflect on the past, present and future.
It is a time to thank God for the vision of those who, nearly a hundred years ago, saw the need for a permanent parish church for Southdown. Over the years others have recognised the need to add the Sacristry, Lady Chapel and, recently, the West Porch. Since our last Festival, we have seen the completion of the refurbishment and the overhaul of the organ. Undoubtedly, the church is beautiful.
There is much to be thankful for, but of course the life blood of the church is not the building but the people who worship there and the community which our church serves.
A Patronal Festival also bids us reflect on the life of the saint whose name we bear. According to St Luke, John the Baptist was marked as different from birth, not least because his parents broke with tradition and did not name him after his father. He is described as the messenger sent to prepare the way for Jesus. We are told that the hand of the Lord was upon him.
John was a man who responded to the task entrusted to him with dedication and resolve. He spoke out against wrong-doing, even though this led to his arrest, imprisonment and martyrdom.
As we celebrate St John's Day, let us thank God for those who have served the church in the past. Let us celebrate our life as it is today. May we be inspired by the example of John the Baptist as we dedicate ourselves for the year ahead.