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The following is the monthly letter from the Rector of Cranleigh,
Rev'd Canon Nigel Nicholson, as it appears in the July 2010
edition of St Nicolas Cranleigh Parish Church Magazine:

Taking a funeral last month of a dear lady who lost her husband four years previously, and remembering her character and her kindness, I was deeply aware of the fact that they had celebrated 64 years of marriage before he died. That was certainly quite a feat, as not many marriages go beyond a Diamond Jubilee. In my marriage preparation classes I have what is euphemistically referred to as a 'compatibility test', which gives us room for discussion about issues and practical arrangements which affect any couple in their married life. Some years ago I was asked to give the speech at a Golden Wedding Anniversary and I said Yes, so long as they completed this marriage test. They kindly obliged, and, as was subsequently disclosed, they agreed on all twelve points! This has remained a wonderful example of how people grow together through marriage in an extraordinary way, understanding each other's thoughts, dreams and hopes.

This led me to think how important it is to stop and take stock of the passing of the years, and how good it is, especially in marriage, to have some form of celebration, whether for Silver, Golden or Diamond Jubilee. Nobody who sets out on these adventures of faith can really imagine what they will be like in twenty-five or fifty years, and a celebration is something to savour, hopefully surrounded by children and grandchildren. I always encourage people to come to church in a simple and celebratory fashion and give thanks to God that throughout all the vicissitudes of life they have kept their promises to each other. But does this need to focus only on marriage? I do believe that we should celebrate every aspect of the passing of the years, whether personally or nationally. I think it is lovely that people celebrate the '0's' birthdays and give thanks to God with friends and family. As one grows older, these moments become stepping stones and we can more easily relate to the events that have taken place, as the children grow up around us.

So, birthdays and anniversaries should be commemorated for lots of reasons. At the moment people are thinking about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, which will take place in 2012. She is rapidly becoming the longest serving monarch of our country. To have lived in the second Elizabethan age is something to be proud of. This year I am in the process of celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the foundation of the Army Cadets, and with them other uniformed youth organisations. It is through these occasions that we realise how good our young people are. An anniversary like this helps to remove our often biased and ill-informed comments about the youth of today.

July is a great time for celebrations and the marking of birthdays and anniversaries, and like the Christian year, when we celebrate the great days of Christmas and Easter, why not do the same in your own lives? Look forward to something highly celebratory and give thanks to God for that achievement.

Nigel Nicholson