Clipping
St Andrew's Church, Wissett holds a Clipping Service every year on Shrove Tuesday, giving everyone in the village the chance to show their affection for the ancient building.
The word 'clipping' comes from the Old English word 'yclept' which means 'to embrace'. Clipping may well have its origins in Pagan times but was taken over by the Christian Church and was known from the Reformation until it was denounced by the puritans. The tradition was revived by the Victorians.
The ceremony was first held in Wissett in 1998 when St Andrew's was infested with death watch beetle. The wider community were very fond and proud of the church and so they were invited to the first Clipping service to show their care for the building, give a donation and enjoy a pancake supper afterwards. Since then the Clipping Service on Shrove Tuesday has been a firm fixture in the calendar of Wissett, along with pancakes afterwards. People feel they can attend the service to show they care without being judged for not being a regular worshiper.
The service starts with the words: e new life
me for lambing and a time for culling, ere is a time for the barn, a time for e field and a time for the market, d a time for God. Indeed, all times e his.”
er the last hymn and on cue, two mall lambs from a local farm arrive to blessed, with prayers said for the der farming community. Afterwards ere was a dinner of homemade epherd’s pie.
Ray Prince Long Whatton
For resources for these three and other services visit
www.arthurrank
centre.org.uk
'How awesome is this place' to which the response is: 'This is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.' Prayers are offered to thank God for this house of prayer, and that all who seek God in this place may find him. The congregation process out of the Church for the act of Clipping. Everyone links hands to completely encircle the church,
embracing it as a symbol of affection and singing: 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise him all creatures here below, Praise him above, angelic host, Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost’.
Claire Kiddy Wissett, Suffolk
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
17
worship
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