Welcome to the Parish of Farnham Rector Writes | April 2012 There is something very special about sunrises and sunsets. Farnham sunsets at this time of the year are spec-tacular, tricky though if you are driving along West Street towards Coxbridge roundabout, as there is a real danger of being completely blinded. Sunrises are equally spectacular on Easter morning. At the Dawn Liturgy we all hold our breath and hope that the east window (the Pugin one) will be transformed into a blaze of glory. So many of the marvels of the natural world reflect profound theological truths – sunset, darkness and death giving way to sunrise, the coming of light and res-urrection. Not that we are animists, we do not worship the sun or nature, but like so many other wonders of nature they remind us and help us to understand the nature of God. Holy Week and Easter are the supreme illustrations of the very nature of God. A God who is Love and who is Lord of death and life, of darkness and light. The paradox is that we live in a world of light and dark, that is how God has created it. One day, Jesus told us, in the fullness of time and with God’s grace, all will be light. At the end of this month, Angela and I will be riding off into the sunset and the parish will be looking forward to a new sunrise, with a new incumbent to lead it into a new chapter of its life. It has been a real privilege serving in this very spe-cial parish. We have been greatly blessed and have had many happy and ful-filling years here. I hope that every aspect of the parish’s life will be richly blessed and that the Christian roots which have been in Farnham for so many centuries will grow even deeper and stronger.

Andrew Tuck, Rector