26/08/2026
At Holy Communion the Rector directed the congregation’s attention to our newly-restored misericord. After four years, finally it has been possible to engage suitable contractors to restore this fifteenth-century treasure.
At the time, services involved long periods of standing and these seats could be folded up to allow the congregation to perch. Often carved intricately on the underside, the investigation is now starting into whose coat of arms this might be. They are known as ‘misericords’ meaning ‘mercy seats’.
The Rector also called to mind the soul of Dolly Parton, the American Country singer who died yesterday. Though her faith was expressed, in some ways, quite differently from the forms of Christianity we know in Sandwich, we can all recognise her enormous joy and hope in the Resurrection. In the comments you can find her song ‘He’s Alive’ - a joyful expression of faith from the perspective of an initially desperately despondent St Peter on Easter morning. It was this faith that led to Dolly Parton’s extraordinary charitable work - giving away more than 300 million books to children, and many, many millions of dollars to other causes, including finding a vaccine for COVID-19.
For two millennia the Christian faith has inspired people across innumerable cultures - whether commissioning a misericord and chanting Psalms solemnly, or curing diseases and singing uproariously. Today it continues to inspire us in Sandwich in so many different ways.
