"Glorious glass, stunning wood carving and astonishing fabric work in the hangings and in particular the Jubilee curtains. Best of all was our guide. He was passionate and knowledgeable he deserves a wall plaque and a gong of some sort for his service to the church. He brought such joy to a very wet day!"

Alan Jones

"Nantwich, Cheshire, St Mary. A cathedral-like building in the heart of this market town. Mainly 14th century structure. Amazingly few monuments of note but lots of good stained glass, misericords, roof bosses and stone carvings. Highlight for me was the Harry Clarke glass in the south aisle as his work in Anglican churches is rare."

Mazhar Abbas

"✨ A Thirst Quenched in Fellowship

This church has quenched my thirst. I’ve been traveling since December 2024, and now, in October 2025, being in countries where English isn’t spoken, I ached to hear a sermon in my own language. To sit among churchgoers who ask how I’m doing in words that sound like home was a comfort mere words can not express.

Here, after the Sunday service, it is typical for a small group to gather for coffee, tea, and cookies, and I revel in that community of calm, spirit-filled elders who seem entirely unaware of how important they are—not just to me, but to their whole community.

⸻

🕯 A Beacon in the Quiet

The congregation isn’t massive here—not like in Cambridge, where revival is stirring—but perhaps that makes their presence even more meaningful. Those who show up shine all the brighter, a beacon to their town and to the world. It moves me to look among them and realize most don’t even see the weight of their quiet contribution to humanity simply by being present.

⸻

🌿 Family in Christ

While I’ve been here, I experienced a deeply personal revelation through Ancestry.com. I discovered that I had never truly known who my birth father was. In the middle of that moment, the church rector here stepped in with a calm that could only come from God. He reminded me who my true family is in Christ. He gave me solid guidance and the peace that passes understanding. What he offered wasn’t just comfort—it was spiritual grounding that will carry me into my future with ever more faith.

⸻

🙌 The Power of Showing Up

And he was there because of people like you—faithful lay people who simply show up. When you show up, He shows up. So please, keep showing up. Not just for yourself, but for the community. The smaller the group, the greater each presence becomes. If even one person leaves, the absence is felt. For example, even during my short visit I noticed that Jennifer wasn’t sitting next to her husband last Sunday, so I said a prayer for her and for him - just in case!

We often think of ourselves as insignificant. But I pray this be a reminder: you matter. Your presence is a gift. When you wake up on Sunday morning and don’t feel like coming, when you can’t quite see the reason why—remember that even if the reason isn’t obvious to you, your presence may be a lifeline to someone else. Even when no one says a word about it, your being there matters.

⸻

✝️ A Final Prayer

I pray each and every one of us will never forget just how much our presence matters.

I also pray that travelers passing through will stop here too, to fill their lamps with oil—and tip a little of that oil into the lamps of their brothers and sisters—right here at St. Mary’s Church.

I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be well, everyone. ❤️

PS -

A special thanks to Ray for sharing much about the history of the church that had been flavored with humor throughout! 🙏"

#truth