Harpley, My Life is my Message." Mahatma Gandhi
Rector: Revd Josh Whitall
MARCH 2026
Dear Friends,
For a few brief weeks snowdrops have quietly carpeted our churchyards and hedgerows, brave and bright against the grey of winter. Now, almost unnoticed, it seems they are making way for daffodils — bold splashes of yellow that seem to trumpet the arrival of spring. There is something deeply fitting about this gentle turning of the seasons as we enter Lent. Just as winter gives way to spring, so Lent invites us into a season of preparation — not bleakness for its own sake, but the patient, hopeful work of new life stirring beneath the surface.
Many of you enjoyed the Lambing Day at Abbey Farm in East Walton, a wonderful celebration of new life that drew together families from across our villages. There is something profoundly joyful about standing in a barn filled with the soft bleating of newborn lambs, watching children’s faces light up as they encounter life just hours old. It is messy, noisy, and utterly hopeful. At The Rectory too, the first lambs have started to arrive, and there is that familiar mixture of anticipation and interrupted sleep – yet each fragile arrival feels like a quiet proclamation: life is stronger than the cold; the light is brighter than the dark; new beginnings are always possible.
Lent mirrors this pattern. It is a season when we take stock, clear away what has grown cluttered, and make space for God to work afresh in us. Like the snowdrops, much of that work may be hidden or like the daffodils, some of it may burst into visible change. But whether quiet or loud it always leads us towards Easter — towards resurrection and hope.
You would be most welcome to join us in church during this season — whether for a quiet midweek service, Sunday worship, or simply a moment of stillness and prayer. Come and be part of this journey from winter into spring, from reflection into joy, from Lent into Easter hope.
God bless you all,
The Revd Joshua Whitnall, Rector
rectorggmbenefice@gmail.com 01485 750075