Three Parishes Newsletter August & September 2018

Transcription

1 Saltford, Corston and Newton St Loe Three Parishes Newsletter August & September 2018 Dear Friends, Love one another, as I have loved you Within the last three months, the idea of Christian love has been at the heart of two major national events in our country. In his Royal Wedding sermon in May, the American Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry urged us to discover the way of sacrificial redemptive love which changes lives and can change this world. Later, in June, at St Bartholomew s Hospital in London, at a service to celebrate the 70 th anniversary of the National Health Service, the congregation listened to a reading of the well-known Good Samaritan story. Afterwards, in her sermon, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, made clear her belief that this Gospel vision of love and compassion for all, regardless of age or race or religion, is at the heart of the work of the NHS. There is a poignant reminder of her thinking high above the main entrance doorway of the NHS Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases on Upper Borough Walls in Bath. If you look up, you will see, carved into the triangular Bath stone pediment, the figure of the Good Samaritan stooping by a donkey to care for a Jewish traveller he had never met before, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. This Christian vision of love is the most excellent way of which Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13. It is neither love between friends or the love we feel for members of our family or romantic or sexual love. It is love, agape as understood by the early Christians, which comes from within us and is not a response to the love of others. It is love without any expectation of love in return. It is perfectly shown by Jesus death for us on the cross. None of us are worthy of this kind of love and yet God loved us. And now we are called to show this kind of love for one another, including our fellow Christians in our church communities. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3.16) St Paul tells us what this love is like in 1 Corinthians Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Robin Dixon

2 Information regarding the Three Parishes Magazine Copydate for the next newsletter will be 10 th September at the latest. Please deliver all copy to the Parish Office. If you produce it on a computer, it would be a great help if you would please it to: scnbenefice@gmail.com Should you no longer wish to receive any further correspondence please UNSUBSCRIBE to the newsletter by ing hgriffiths@blueyonder.co.uk and you will be removed from our database. Thank you for your support The Three Parishes Editorial Team What on earth does Being Holy mean? Or put another way, what does it mean to be holy on earth? Talking about holiness makes most of us feel uncomfortable. Only God is holy, yet God calls us to be holy because He is holy. So what s going on? To be holy is to be separate, different and special.like God is. So in what ways should we be different? The word should is a problem. I hope that it always rings alarm bells in our minds and in our hearts because it so easily becomes ought and we know how easy it is to tell people what they ought to do! In Jesus parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee said, I thank you that I am not like other men. He went on to explain how he measured his success in being different by doing the things he ought to do and not doing the things he ought not to do. We remember Jesus was not impressed by that Pharisee s measure of what holiness means. He said, God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and reality..and not in a response to a set of things we ought to do or ought not to do. St Mary s Prayer Meetings throughout September Tuesday 4 th September, 24 Anson Close at 7.30pm. Hosted and led by Jackie & Julian Balsdon Wednesday 19 th September, 433 Bath Road at 7pm. Hosted and led by Pam Faulkner Please note there will not be any prayer meetings throughout August All are welcome

3 Grab a Coffee across the Benefice during August & September The Coffee Shop held in All Saints Church, Corston will be open on the following dates: Tuesday 7 th August, Tuesday 4 th September & Wednesday 19 th September. Coffee is served from 10.30am. Don t forget there is also a Coffee Shop which meets every Friday from 10am in Hinton Close Day Centre. Corston Soup & Pudding Lunches Come & join us on Wednesday 12 th September for our Soup & Pudding Lunch at Corston Village Hall 12-1pm. A great selection of seasonal soups and puddings available. The next Messy Church event for families across the benefice is on Sunday 2 nd September at 4pm in St Mary s Church Hall. All are welcome Messy Play our community Toddler Group meets on Mondays 9.30 to during term times in St Mary s Church hall. It is a lovely group of Mums, Grandmas, their toddlers and sometimes a Dad or two. We need help from Sept getting the toys out, making snacks, reading a story or singing some songs and tidying away at the end. If you can help a little or a lot, or if you would like to co-ordinate Messy Play, we would love to hear from you. For more information please contact Liz in the office on or Karen on Thank you. John Wesley is quoted as saying, 'Do all you can, by all the means you can, in all the you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. Wanted A local family are looking for a three bedroom house to rent in Saltford or Corston. If you can help, please contact the parish office. Thank you

4 All Saints Church Corston invites you to save the date! Sunday 16 th September 2018 Corston Harvest Festival with Harvest Lunch for all the village. Coffee served from 10.30am. Service starts at 11.15am, followed by lunch. Sunday 23 rd September 2018 John Betjamin - An afternoon of music and readings. Sunday 30 th September 2018 Celebrating 70 years of the NHS Afternoon Tea from 4.30pm, followed by A Reflective Service with Prayers for Healing at 6pm Sunday 28 th October 2018 Afternoon Tea from 4.30pm, followed by A Time to Remember Service at 6pm. This service is an opportunity for us to remember all those we love but are no longer with us. Names will be mentioned and there will be an opportunity to light a candle in their memory. Sunday 4 th November 2018 All Saints Church Patronal Festival Sunday 11 th November 2018 Remembrance Day An Act of Remembrance at 5.45pm followed by a service called Ringing for Peace, to celebrate the 100 th Anniversary of the end of WW1

5 A Message from Bishop Ruth Dear Brothers and Sisters, Exploring Faith As I write this I am home alone whilst my husband, Howard, is sailing around the coast of Britain in the footsteps (or should that be the wake?) of the Celtic Saints. He is immersing himself in how the story of Jesus was brought to Britain all those years ago and taking the opportunity to see how life is lived in those coastal communities today. He is sharing in conversations about what faith in Jesus means for us in My travels are rather more local than Howard s but I encounter the same desire to see what it means to be a Christian in Britain today. One of the themes that often emerges is that people want to become more confident in their own faith before they try to share that faith with others. I am saddened by the suggestion that one legacy of centuries of clericalism is that lay people do not believe themselves to be authorised to communicate their faith. Lay people are already living out their faith in their churches and communities without that, the church wouldn t exist! But many of us (and this is true for people who are ordained as well as lay people) are not confident and want to know more and understand our faith better. It s wonderful to know that so many of our churches have home groups, Bible studies and other activities to help, but I also want to commend two courses that the diocese offers and which have new sessions beginning in September. They both have exploring in their title for good reason: even though this exploring is more armchair than coastal adventure. Exploring Christianity is for those wanting to learn more about the Christian faith and the Bible and past attendees have found it has really enriched their understanding of their faith and given them greater confidence. Exploring Spirituality is more experiential and focuses on different ways of prayer, allowing people to connect with God using a range of Christian traditions, many of which even those who have been church goers for decades, may be surprised to discover. It maybe that one of these courses is just what you are looking for, or maybe you can think of someone in your church who you could encourage to set sail. We cannot promise a smooth voyage but in the Bible we have an amazing guidebook and in prayer a solid compass to help you along the way. The Right Reverend Ruth Worsley Bishop of Taunton

6 Christian Aid Week 2018 Apologies for the slight delay in reporting back to you all about this year s Christian Aid Week house-to-house collection. It has taken some time to collect in and count money from all three parishes in the Benefice. It is now done and I m pleased to say that was raised from Saltford, Newton St Loe and Corston. That is an impressive total and I send thanks to everyone who took part. This year, fewer streets were covered in Saltford so the sum raised was somewhat lower than in However, the weather was fine from 13 th 19 th May, which made collecting easier and I had comments from several collectors telling me that they enjoyed themselves and I m sure that Christian Aid will be delighted to receive the proceeds. Later this year, on 9 th September 2018, we will be welcoming Samuel Williams from Christian Aid to speak at the 9.30am service at St Mary s. I know that a number of the congregation were inspired when Fiona Daborn spoke to us last year about the work that Christian Aid does so I hope many of you will look forward to hearing Samuel in September. Thank-you again! Julia Norris What s the difference between a labyrinth and a maze? This was the question Daile asked the children at the Prayer Workshops at Saltford School in early June. Most children remembered that a maze has lots of paths, many of which have a dead end, but a labyrinth has only one path which leads to the centre. Some children realized that there are similarities, in that walking a labyrinth or a maze gives us time to relax and think but you can t get lost in a labyrinth! Daile had spoken to the whole school on the Monday to introduce the labyrinth and pupils came, class by class, through the week, to the large grassed area, next to the school s Quiet Garden, where we had laid out a huge fabric labyrinth. Whilst some of the children engaged in relaxing activities in the Quiet garden, others walked the labyrinth in small groups, before swapping over. In the busy world of lessons, homework, phones, i-pads and games etc, it took a while for them to relax, let go of the stresses and strains of life and walk slowly, in silence to the centre of the labyrinth, where they could sit for a while, before slowly making their way back out again. Daile explained that the walk itself could be a prayer, that the process of walking the labyrinth gives time to be with God, to relax, think, listen to the birds, feel the breeze, or to mull over a problem or worry. The children were asked to think about how they felt before their walk and notice if they felt different afterwards. They were encouraged to walk on their own, not in pairs or a bunched up group and with no interaction or talking! Most of them found that really hard, but we could visibly see that they were calmer afterwards. Their teachers noticed it too and want to use what the children had experienced, as well making more use of their Quiet garden.

7 Afterwards Daile asked them what they had thought about my grandad who died two weeks ago, that I argue with my sister and I shouldn t, my poorly dog. Most of them said they felt different after walking the labyrinth I was excited, but I calmed down, I thought it would be boring but it wasn t, I enjoyed it, I felt happy, I was anxious and felt more peaceful after, I was angry & my foot hurt, when I came off it wasn t hurting. One pupil said I felt blue before I started like a crashing wave and when I came out of the labyrinth I felt brown like a peaceful big bear! Someone said the ground was hard on their feet (the children walked the labyrinth with their shoes off) and Daile said life can be hard and the ground will be rocky and uncomfortable at times. One of the activities in the Quiet garden was a finger labyrinth, on an A4 sheet, which was to be traced with the non-dominant hand, as this takes more concentration, uses a different part of the brain and so is more effective in calming down. Every class had a larger paper labyrinth, on which each child coloured in dots representing family members, friends or situations they wanted to think or pray about. This was then laminated to be used in the classroom and kept as a reminder. Walking the labyrinth was a profound experience for many, a wonderful privilege to have been part of and it was fascinating to witness the effect on the children. As helpers, we recognized the value of and need for young people to have time out, opportunity to express their thoughts, cares or joys, as well as time to be still and just be. We thank Saltford School for getting involved in this experience and as St. Mary s, value the opportunity to continue to build our relationship with staff and children. Our children are amazing and should be nourished and encouraged to be who they are, created and loved by God. Judy Penny and Rachel Taylor Harvest Celebrations Why not come and celebrate Harvest with us. There are three services for you to choose from across the benefice Sunday 9 th September 11.15am at Holy Trinity, NSL Sunday 16 th September 11.15am at All Saints, Corston Sunday 23 rd September 9.30am at St Mary s, Saltford Everyone is welcome

8 St Mary s Church Visitors Book

9 St Mary s has been open during the day for just over two years and we would like to say a big thank you to all who have joined a team of volunteers enabling this to happen. We share with you some comments from the visitors book which reflect the appreciation of those who come to enjoy and find peace in our beautiful church. Caroline and Martin (Don & Joyce Wilshire s daughter) This church of St Mary s remains a very special place to us both. Andrew Baker (formally of 56 High Street) now living in Miami proposed to Javia Robb in St Mary s and she said Yes. Thanks to Daile and Bernard for arranging this. Philip & Alice Evans - The memorial folder is interesting as my family lived in Saltford in the 19 th Century and a couple of gravestones are listed. Thank you it s a beautiful church so lovely that it is open. Lyn Ford - lovely to see the font where my Great Great Grandmother Henrietta Pringle was baptised in lovely church. Sophie from Henleaze, Berlin and Leipzig has 3 entries: First time I entered a church and felt like crying from happiness. (See entry in the Visitors Book) I did come back. (See entry in the Visitors Book) I keep coming back to this place to find peace and the Warrior in the window reminds me of the bravery that is sometimes needed to fulfil dreams and going one s own way. Additionally I have to think of the fallen soldiers, especially of WW1 after listening to recitals of poetry by Sassoon and other poets on BBB Radio 3. Jane D, Llanelli, South Wales - In memory of Ivor and Betty Pearsall Copies from the book and other interesting entries are given below but the book itself is well worth a read. If anyone feels able to join our team to continue keeping St Mary s open, they would be most welcome especially to cover holidays etc. Please phone Sally on Dot Angus and Sally Smee

10

11 Holy Trinity Church Activities Update 8 th September - The Church will be open for SOMERSET CHURCHES RIDE AND STRIDE visit website for more details somersetchurchestrust@gmail.com 9 th September Harvest 11.15am followed by a BRING & SHARE LUNCH at Church. As in recent years, the harvest gifts will be donated to First Steps Nursery, Twerton. 10 th September May Day Meeting in the Church at 7.30pm. This will be an important meeting because not only will 2018 May Day be reviewed but the future organisation of the event must be discussed as this autumn Wendy will retire from her role as MD of MDay. The PCC thanks Wendy for making everything "happen on the day", also Celia & Hugh Gay for their hard work in setting up a safe environment for cars & visitors and Nick Mould, at the Old Rectory for allowing use of the building and grounds. The Benefice of Saltford, Corston and Newton St Loe A Safe and Welcoming Church for All The Benefice of Saltford, Corston and Newton is committed to making the Church a safe and welcoming place for all through the implementation of our Safeguarding and Safe Recruitment Guidelines. If you have any safeguarding concerns regarding children, young people or vulnerable adults, please contact Revd Daile Wilshere or Mrs Sue Dixon, our Safeguarding Officer on The Benefice Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policy has been updated and outlines our commitment to the welcome, care, and protection of all in our Church community. A copy is available for all to read in each of the Churches The Parish Office St Mary s Church Hall, High Street, Saltford, BS31 3EL Tel: scnbenefice@gmail.com Rector: Revd Daile Wilshere dailewilshere@live.co.uk Tel:

12 August Services September Services