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16 The Parish Magazine — February 2026 Please mention The Parish Magazine when responding to advertisementsFOR UPCOMING EVENTS VISIT WWW. SONNINGGC.CO.UK/WHATS-ONSunday Lunch at Sonning Golf ClubDelicious fo od and excellentservice makes Sonning Golf Clubthe perfect place to bring familyand friends.Non members welcomet hJoin us for Mothering Sunday Lunch on 15 MarchTo book or for more information contact our Events Team on0118 969 3332 office@sonninggc.co.ukNow servicing Electric and Hybrid vehiclesMOT • Servicing • Air Conditioning • DiagnosticsFree Local Collection and Delivery Service • Courtesy Car0118 944 1808hicksmotandservicecentre.co.ukHicks MOT and Service Centre, 15 Headley Road, Woodley, Berks, RG5 4JB
PARISH NOTICEBOARD — 8The Parish Magazine — February 2026 17By Rev Roy Shaw, a retired, active priest in the Diocese of York where he is a spiritual directorI recently saw an excerpt from thefilm ‘2001 A Space Odyssey’, and hadto remind myself that it was releasedin the early summer of 1968.I was so enthralled and mystifiedby the film that I saw it twice thatyear, and it’s still staggering in itsrealisation.No computer-generated imageryback then; it was all shot with realisticmodels of spaceships, slow-spinningspace-stations, lunar bases and starscapesagainst the blackness of space.PAINSTAKINGIt recreated all the stuff needed tomake people believe that what theysaw on the screen was credible as avision of what, in 1968, lay 30 yearsahead. Painstaking, detailed and exactcamera work obviously played a bigpart as well.One critic has even said that thescenes in the space station and thespace ships, especially of the humanspiloting or guiding those machines,The Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, who was Bishop of Readingfrom 2004 - 2010, and is now the Archbishop of York, hasagain called for the Church of England to provide morepastoral care and compassion for the estimated 200,000Gypsies, Travellers and Roma living in the UK.Seven years have passed since Stephen Cottrell firstintroduced a debate calling for more pastoral care andcompassion for the estimated 200,000 Gypsies, Travellersand Roma living in the UK when he encouraged churchesacross the country to 'act positively in support of GypsiesTravellers and Roma.'On that day, General Synod passed a resolution whichincluded asking all the dioceses to appoint chaplains forthe people concerned.look more credible than anythingNASA put out.‘2001’ still takes my breath awaynearly 60 years later. It looks soconvincing!Now, here’s the confession bit; Ihaven’t really grasped the ending,when Dave — the astronaut we havefollowed throughout the film —reaches out to embrace the future as astar-child.At least, I think that’s what theending is about, but I still havequestions.STAGGERINGAll this has parallels with ourfaith, at least for some of us.Christian faith offers us a vision,and a staggering one at that.We can embrace the future withhope, even though we have no clearsense of the ending beyond ourearthly pilgrimage.We are given some clues in theScriptures and the words of Jesus,Ozgur Guvenc, Dreamstime.combut much of it is hidden from us.As we live out our faith,committing our ways to God eachday, I trust we have discovered it is acredible faith that keeps us keepingon through the yearly cycle ofChristmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter,Pentecost, and Advent.‘God is with us’, ‘God is for us’, ‘Godis in us’, ‘God is near us’.All these truths, experienced dayby day, are staggering, and take alifetime to digest.We don’t know all the answers,but we have enough to go on to trustGod in the here and now.Are there films, tv series, books,maybe a magazine article, whichhave cast some light on your pilgrimpath?Which of them has helpedyou follow God with moreunderstanding?What comes to mind?Give thanks for all the ways Godleads you on the daily path.Archbishop of York calls for a travellers welcomeSo far 12 of the 42 dioceses have appointed chaplains,although more dioceses are said to be looking to appointthem, and in 2023 GRTFC (Gypsy, Roma and TravellerFriendly Churches) initiative was launched to supportchurches that are willing to build bridges, providehospitality and to include travellers in the regular life oftheir church.The Archbishop of York has become one of their patrons.He says: 'I’m excited to see the developing work of Gypsy RomaTraveller Friendly Churches. My prayer is that every Churchbecomes a place where people from these communities arewelcomed.'For information about GRTFC can be found at:https://sanctuaryplaces.co.uk/friendly-churches/
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The Parish Magazine February 2026

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