LUDLOW TOWERS. February p. The Parish Magazine of St Laurence Ludlow

Transcription

1 LUDLOW TOWERS The Parish Magazine of St Laurence Ludlow February p

2 LUDLOW ST LAURENCE PARISH OFFICE 2 College Street, Ludlow, Shropshire. SY8 1AN Telephone: office@stlaurences.org.uk website: The office is open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between am and pm. Parish Office Shop Manager Amanda Davidson Church Administrator Church Executive Manager Shaun Ward Parish Finance Manager Michael Hunt St John s parish office Grace Johnson Ashford Group office Clare Bicker-Caarten Bromfield Group office Grace Johnson CLERGY (Days off in italics) Rector Revd Kelvin Price Tue Assistant Priest Revd Prebendary Ann Barge Wed Parish Chaplain (StL) Revd Canon Jeffry Wilcox NORMAL SUNDAY SERVICES St Laurence 8.00am Holy Communion BCP 9.30am Parish Eucharist Sung Eucharist once a month 11.30am 2nd and 4th Sundays Choral Matins 3.30pm 1st and 3rd Sundays Choral Evensong (No 3rd service on the 5th Sunday of the month) St John 9.30am 1st & 3rd Sundays Holy Communion 2nd & 4th Sundays Lay-led Worship St Giles 11.15am 1st Sunday Family Service 2nd & 4th Sundays Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer 2

3 CONTENTS Regular Services 4 Ludlow Alpha 5 Oldest Bible comes back to the UK 6 Clergy letter - Revd Kelvin Price 7 Letter from Dean Michael 8 Life & Ludlow 9 From the Registers and What s on at St Laurence s in February 10 Lent Sermon Series 10 Introducing - Chris Deaves 11 Books for Lent 12 Women s World Day of Prayer and Notes from St John s 13 Fairtrade Fortnight 14 Messy Church 15 PCC meeting summary - December Christian Aid 17 Molly s Game - film review 18 St Valentine s Day 19 Ludlow - Langwasser Partnership 20 Taylor Report on Sustainability of Churches and Cathedra 21 Ludlow CTAL Food Bank 21 Conservation Trust for St Laurence s 22 Spot the hidden books of the bible quiz - answers 23 Dates for your Diary - Snowdrop Teas, Edge Chamber Choir concert, 24 Children s Page 25 Magazine deadline dates and guidelines 26 Contact list - St Laurence s and St John s 27 3

4 PATTERN OF REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES AT ST LAURENCE S Monday Morning Prayer Rector s teatime (not on 12, 19 or 26 Feb) Evening Prayer Bells Practice Tuesday Morning Prayer Evening Prayer Handbells Practice Wednesday Toddler Group Holy Communion Thursday Morning Prayer Open Prayer Group (4th Thurs only) Evening Prayer Little Trebs Singing Group Practice for Junior Choristers Choir Practice Friday Holy Communion Toddler Group Compline Saturday Guided tours of church Sunday Holy Communion Parish Eucharist Matins (2nd and 4th Sundays) or Evensong (1st and 3rd Sundays 4

5 Alpha Course is coming to Ludlow Starting in mid-february we are planning to run a weekly Alpha course. This course is a way of exploring, questioning and increasing our faith and we welcome as many as possible to join in this exciting adventure led by the Church Leaders of Ludlow. Please do look at our web site for more information In the meantime we would like to share this prayer with you: Loving God You leave no stone unturned in seeking out those who are lost, And you call us to share in your mission, To make disciples of all people. We thank you that you have called your servants in this town To work together in that task through the Ludlow Alpha Course. Bless, we pray, all that is offered in your name in this course, through the power of your Spirit, That we may rejoice in its fruitfulness. Help us to invite and welcome all whom you are calling, Accompanying them on their journey to meet Jesus Christ as Friend, Lord and Saviour And witnessing by our love for them, for one another and for Him. We ask in his name and for his sake Amen. You can now book onto the Ludlow Alpha course! 5 The course starts week commencing Monday 12th February 2018 Go to: Click on When and Where ; Choose which day would suit you; Click on register ; Choose the number of places you are booking; Click on Check Out ; Type in your personal details; Click on Complete registration After that you are booked in on your preferred date! If you do not have access to the internet call in at the parish office between 10 and 12am any weekday except Thursday and one of the receptionists will help you book your place. Leaders of five Ludlow Churches have joined together to launch Alpha in Kelvin Price (CofE). Andrew Summers (Living Waters), Kim Stilwell (Methodist), Tim Coles (Elim), Simon Lambourne (Baptist) are running Alpha together at two venues in Ludlow

6 This CartoonChurch.com cartoon by Dave Walker originally appeared in the Church Times. oldest Bible comes back to the UK The world s oldest surviving complete Latin Bible returns to the UK this autumn. It left these shores for Rome 1302 years ago, when monks in the northeast of England sent it as a gift to Pope Gregory II. The Codex Amiatinus was one of only three produced at the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow: one has since been lost; and the other survives in fragments. It was kept safe for centuries at the Abbey of the Saviour in Monte Amiata, in Tuscany. Then in the 18 th century it was sent to the Biblioteca 6 Medicea Laurenziana, in Florence. The Bible will be on display alongside the Lindisfarne Gospels and the St Cuthbert Gospel, the earliest intact European book, when the at the British Library s Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition opens in October. The Bible is 12 inches thick, and weighs 35kg. It contains both Old and New Testaments, and was written on 1030 leaves made from the skins of at least 515 sheep. It has been called one of the greatest treasures of Anglo-Saxon times.

7 IS LENT ALL ABOUT GIVING UP? February is a welcome sign that winter is almost over. As the month progresses the long dark days recede and the promise of spring approaches, with a hint of better things ahead. February marks a transition from the deadness of winter towards the newness of spring. Lent this year begins on 14 February, St Valentine's Day, so half of the month is taken up by Lent. Lent is what is traditionally understood as a penitential season. For Christians it is a time to reflect and amend our lives. For many, this has become associated with giving up of some kind of pleasure. However, I would like to suggest trying something more productive, especially if that something is more imaginative and possibly outward-looking, towards others rather than focused on ourselves. In doing so we become undoubtedly closer to God, but also to the community and world in which we live. Doing something for others seems to be far more positive. St Augustine prayed, Lord you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. Glimpses of this rest can be found in serving others, just as Jesus served those whom he encountered. Lent is a chance to take action in a way that will enrich and transform our lives and the lives of others. That action may be endeavouring to do a new thing or it may be returning to something familiar that needs rekindling. Amending our lives doesn t have to be miserable. The challenge is to create space and time in our busy lives to read, reflect and pray, while also doing something new with others. The 'giving up' is then the laying aside of one thing to make space for something better. An organisation called 40 Acts offers one creative approach to making this Lent more positive. The organisation sends you an every day during Lent, with suggestions for you to perform an act of generosity. Each suggestion comes with three levels of challenge, with the option of an act that costs financially nothing, an act that has a small financial cost or an act that is much more sacrificially challenging towards our generosity. It also offers challenges that families with children can do together. You can find the organisation at 40acts.org.uk As we look forward to the breaking of the dawn of spring let us do so in a way that allows humanity, like nature, to begin to flourish. Enjoy Lent! Yours in Christ, 40acts.org.uk Kelvin 7

8 Marking the end of the GREAT WAR The sad litany continues as we move into 2018, we re recalling the last year of the Great War and its influence in our country. At Hereford Cathedral, there will be several special observances starting with Poppies: Weeping Window the cascade of thousands of ceramic poppies by Paul Cummins, artist, and Tom Piper, designer, originally at HM Tower of London in This dramatic installation will be a major feature of cathedral life 14 March 29 April and we hope that many from the diocese will want to come and see and engage with - it. Those who have seen the installation elsewhere speak of its power to move and challenge; we hope you will find it so a reminder of the many lives given in sacrifice for truth and justice and peace. Later, in April, we will have the unveiling of a plaque commemorating 8 little girls who died in a fire at the Garrick Theatre, Hereford, in April They had been performing to raise funds for the troops at the Front and, as the curtain fell, fire broke out, with devastating results - reminder that the war effort took its toll not only on those on active service, but also on innocents on the Home Front. In September, the cathedral will unveil a new plaque honouring soldier Allan Leonard Lewis, the only Herefordshireborn recipient of the Victoria Cross. Lewis was killed in September 1918, aged 23. HM King George V presented the Victoria Cross to his parents at Buckingham Palace in April For all its horror, the War inspired huge acts of courage and valour. By the end of the year, will we be exhausted by all these observances? Will the constant reminders of the horrors of the Great War numb us to its terrible reality? My hope and prayer is that it will not quite the opposite these last four years of remembrance will have alerted us to stories, facts, tragedy, heroism, sorrow, which will help in making us a more understanding society, determined all the more to work for all that is good and true. One of the results of the Great War was a new willingness and indeed thirst, to pray for the souls of the departed. Till then, the Church of England had been rather muted in any suggestion that its members might actually pray for those who had died. The Great War, with its huge number of deaths, changed all that. People needed to pray for their departed loved ones they needed to be able to make some 8

9 response and to feel that lives, so cruelly cut short, were continuing in God s presence. Today, we pray, quite naturally, for our departed loved ones and how right that is. Heaven and Earth are so often very close and the gap that separates us, very thin. Perhaps, from these four years of observance will come a new desire to pray and especially to realise afresh that, in our prayer, for the living and the departed, we are brought to the very thresholds of Heaven. Michael Tavinor Dean of Hereford LIFE & LUDLOW Our Life & Ludlow adult learning programme continues in February and March with what promises to be a series of fascinating lectures. 9 On 8 February the Revd Canon Chris Walsh, Parish Priest at the Catholic Parish of St Peter, Ludlow, will speak on the topic Separate Tables? Divergence and Convergence in Worship. His lecture will explore how it is that after centuries in which Protestant and Catholic reformers embedded their theological differences in divergent forms of worship, a remarkable and exciting convergence has now become possible. Then on 22 February the Revd Dr Dan Inman, Diocesan Director of Ordinands for the Diocese of Chichester, will be looking at how technology is transforming how people are religious and what this means for the future of the Church and ecumenism. The title of his lecture is Technology, Reformation and the Future of the Church. The 2017/18 programme concludes with a series of four lectures on 1, 8, 15 & 22 March when the Very Revd Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford, will be selecting bishops and deans from four successive centuries, placing them in their historical and theological context, and asking what each may be saying to the church of today. The series title is Hereford s Rogues Gallery. Full details and the booking form for these lectures can be downloaded from the website lifeandlearning. Copies of the programme can also be obtained from the display by the church door or by contacting Barry Forrester on Barry Forrester

10 FROM THE REGISTERS FUNERALS 4 January Rhoda Hicks (interment of ashes) 28 January Bob Keyse (interment of ashes) 30 January Violet Marsh WHAT S ON AT ST LAURENCE S IN FEBRUARY Date Time Event Details 1 Feb 3.30pm Lucton School Christingle 3 Feb 4pm Wedding - Joshua von Sasse & Harriet Collings 4 Feb 11.30am Baptism - Amelie Hiles 7 Feb 7.30pm 10am-12.30pm 10 Feb 7.30pm 19 Feb 7.30pm Conservation Trust Pilgrims and Pilgrimage Lecture - Cycling to Rome Symposium - Mediaeval Pilgrimage in the Welsh Marches Concert - Edge Chamber Choir Conservation Trust Pilgrims and Pilgrimage Lecture - The Road to Healing and Wellbeing 21 Feb 11am Moor Park school visit 22 Feb 10.30am Open prayer group 27 Feb 5.30pm Evensong with Academia Musica LENT SERMON SERIES - CONVENANTS When people hear the word covenant in church, they have tended to think in terms of finance. But there is a much more important meaning of covenant which runs through the Bible. Indeed the word Testament which we use to label the two parts of the Bible is really the same word. Kelvin has asked me to preach a short series of sermons on 10 the first three Sundays in Lent (18 and 25 Feb and 4 March). I have chosen to look at the Old Testament readings on those days, which talk about the covenants God made with Noah, Abram (yes, spelt like that) and Moses. I invite you to come and explore with me what they have to say to us today. Andrew Body

11 INTRODUCING Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background? My name is Chris Deaves and I was born in a village outside Dorchester which is not unlike Ludlow. We have lived in Knowbury for the last 30 years (nearly!). I recently retired from working in large-scale IT systems and architecture design. I am a chartered engineer and I have a first-class degree in astrophysics from London University (and I still have a telescope). What do you do at St Laurence's? Initially I volunteered to put the church archive into good order. All the paper in the church and parish office has been looked at and indexed and much more material found, for instance the original drawings for the Comper banner. There is more material at both the Hereford and Shropshire Records Offices that needs looking at. We are still working on the history of the frontals and other items. A good understanding of the history of the fabric is an essential part of fund raising for large-scale work in the Vision project, which is where my efforts are now concentrated. I also provide technical input as required, being trained in that direction. How do you like to spend your spare time (if you have any)? Teaching beekeeping; I was a trustee and chair of the teaching committee of the British Beekeeping Association for six years and still stay involved. Which is your most memorable holiday experience? China more layers than a prize-winning onion. Is there one feature of St Laurence's which is special for you? The space and the ways it can be used. What has been the best thing to happen since you ve in the role? The best thing was getting the heating system to work properly. The controls are very clever but complex. We have the original watercolours of the first system pipework, which is still in use. Over three years we have accumulated hourly data about temperatures in various parts of the building (and outside) to help us understand the best and most cost-effective way to heat the building. What do you find most satisfying about volunteering at St Laurence's? Finding a future for the building that respects its past and brings more value to Ludlow. What might someone be surprised to know about you? I really was a rocket scientist once. 11

12 Reflections for Lent 2018 by Gillian Cooper, CHP, 4.99 Reflections for Lent is designed to enhance your spiritual journey through the forty days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (14 February - 31 March 2018). Covering Monday to Saturday each week, it offers reflections on readings from the Common Worship Lectionary, written by some of today's leading spiritual and theological writers. It is ideal for individuals and groups seeking Lectionary-based reflections for use during Lent and Holy Week, or for anyone wishing to try Reflections for Daily Prayer before committing to a year's worth of material. It also features a simple form of morning and night prayer and a guide to keeping a good Lent. In Company with Christ - Through Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter to Pentecost by Benedicta Ward, Canterbury Press, 8.50 Sister Benedicta Ward, a church historian, guides us through the history of Christian procession. Over centuries of practice, the rituals and traditions of pilgrimage have evolved. Using the Holy Days of Palm Sunday, 12 Good Friday, and Easter as her signposts, Sr Ward takes us through time. Among our stops is ancient Palestine, where we explore the writings of the 4th Spanish nun, Egeria. Leaving Jerusalem, we cross time and arrive in the rituals of medieval English monasticism. Finally, we end where we began, with a journey into the Trinity. By taking part in this historical procession, we find a clear line of continuity between ancient and medieval times, and our own modernity. The Art of Lent: A Painting A Day From Ash Wednesday To Easter by Sister Wendy Beckett, SPCK 9.99 This delightful book describes and interprets a series of paintings for each day of Lent. Artists often address subjects that our culture seeks to avoid, and Sister Wendy's brilliant and perceptive reflections will help you to read these paintings with a more discerning eye, and encounter deeper levels of spiritual meaning than may at first appear.

13 Women s World Day of Prayer The ecumenical service this year has been written by the women of Suriname, and women from a multitude of countries around the globe will participate. Suriname, the smallest country in South America, is situated on the north-east coast between French Guiana and Guyana, with Brazil to the south. Suriname has the most ethnically diverse population in the region and the economy is largely dependent on the mining and export of bauxite. Do join us for this unique annual service that unites women around the world, from sunrise to sunset. Jane Robinson NOTES FROM ST JOHN S PARISH CHURCH Bishop s Mission Order In January Bishop Richard issued the BMO, a form of agreement whereby St John s PCC and Living Waters Fellowship can work together in developing St John s church building, its maintenance, its patterns of use and its role and mission in the community. This has been a legal step in a process of negotiation which over the last three years and has examined the implications of partnership from various angles. Having established this agreed legal basis for partnership, the on-going process of development will be mediated by Bishop Alistair. The next stage of joint mission will focus on three projects, bereavement support, young families and community outreach over a trial period of eighteen months. Wayne Davies, as intergenerational missioner, will be working on a plan to set these in motion. We pray that the joint 13 working, which has been marked by ecumenical goodwill and vision, will succeed in its aims, bringing further vitality and relevance to Christian life in the area. Intergenerational Missioner The service of commissioning for Wayne Davies, led by Bishop Richard, will have taken place at St John s on 28 January, with representation from across the ecumenical spectrum, (and cake, at the express request of the rector). Having worked in Ludlow for over a year now, Wayne is a familiar and welcome presence in St John s, Living Waters and in other Ludlow churches. It is good to know that he, Sarah and the family are settling into their new home in Ludlow and the community. We pray that God s guidance for Wayne in the very demanding work with which he has been charged. John French

14 St Laurence has been a Fairtrade Church since This year Ludlow Fair Trade Town Group is celebrating 15 years since Ludlow was awarded Fairtrade Town status at the end of We ll have events and activities throughout the year as well as in Fairtrade Fortnight. A flavour of the events being run during the Fortnight: Traidcraft Spring Mini Fair - 10 March Schools Day 8 March three-week long Fairtrade Food and Craft stall at St Laurence s Church Traidcraft s Big Brew Morning businesses in Ludlow selling Fairtrade products will be advertising the fact in their windows and making the products easily identifiable by a sticker on their shelves. There ll be more details of these and other events available in the next magazine and on noticeboards. For more information and Church Resources visit: 14

15 Will you open more doors to FAirtRadE? FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS WE WERE TAUGHT TO SERVE, TO BE WORKERS. NOW WITH FAIRTRADE, WE ARE ENTREPRENEURS. Before joining Fairtrade we didn t see any benefits, development or profit. The price we used to receive per box wasn t enough to cover our costs and for 17 years the price didn t change. Since starting with Fairtrade it s made a megarevolution in our lives. Marcial Quintero - a member of Coobana, a Fairtrade banana Co-operative in Panama. There s never been a more important time to stand with producers through Fairtrade to protect the progress you ve achieved and to welcome more producers in to Fairtrade. This Fairtrade Fortnight, stand with producers like Marcial to close the door on exploitation, and welcome more people in to Fairtrade. Penelope A Bridstrup It s a scandalous reality that millions of farmers and workers are being ripped off despite working hard to provide the products we love. Unfairness in global trade is rooted in centuries of exploitation. Yet across the globe, millions of hardworking producers like Marcial are unravelling this legacy. They re fighting for a fair deal, supported by Fairtrade, earning their way out of poverty and transforming their communities. Together we re stronger, and more people choosing, sharing and shouting about Fairtrade in the UK means more power to producers like Marcial to break the stranglehold of poverty prices. Messy Church The first meeting of the year will be on the third Sunday in February (18th) at 2.30 in Ludlow Elim Church (in Smithfield Car Park). This will be shorter than previously with crafts from pm, followed by the celebration and afternoon tea finishing about The theme will be 'Good Neighbours'. For the next meeting after that we are planning for the third Sunday in April (the 15th), theme and location yet to be decided. All are welcome to participate and/or help. Sue Thomas and Sandi Burley 15

16 PCC MEETING 18 DECEMBER 2018 Summary of main points 9 members of the PCC attended Rector s report: positive feedback on 17 December congregational meeting; Bishop's Mission Order signed to authorise partnership between St John's and Living Waters; post of house-forduty priest for St John's to be readvertised in February; Ludlow Alpha course in February attracting interest from diocese and Holy Trinity Brompton as first ecumenical course Fabric: storm damage repairs completed; wooden wall plate in tower roof heavily damaged by historical water ingress to be repaired, funded by Conservation Trust; fire alarm installation completed Staffing: agreed to appoint a lead receptionist for Parish Office, 4 hours per week Policies: Mission Action Plan, Church Development Plan, Theology and Liturgy, Communications referred for updating before consideration Fund-raising 2018: discussed proposals for expanded Mediaeval Bazaar, inaugural beer festival, coach tours, concession-style café on 1-2 days per week Committees: received reports from Standing, Arts@StLaurence's, Life & Learning, Liturgy & Worship, Parish Events, and Vision Date of next meeting: 26 February 2018 A copy of the two latest confirmed PCC minutes is available on the PCC noticeboard above the pigeonholes at the back of the church. All confirmed minutes can be viewed in the parish office. Downsizing the PCC 16

17 CHRISTIAN AID I write this on New Years Eve, so feel like Janus as I review our activities in 2017 and look forward to Christian Aid is its people worldwide - those of us who are comfortably off, the fieldworkers worldwide and the communities they work with. There are two main arms to Christian Aid s work: emergency relief - response in kind, money and labour following a 'natural' disaster ongoing development work such as helping communities to be selfsupporting The money raised by Christian Aid s 2014 and 2015 appeals was doubled thanks to the UK Aid Match funded initiative, and gift aid. In 2014 it was used to run maternity health care programmes in Kenya and Malawi aimed at reducing a scandal of our time' - every day around 830 women die preventable deaths in pregnancy and childbirth, 99% of them in developing countries. It renovated rundown health facilities, set up clinics in remote areas, donated medical equipment, trained nurses and provided ambulances. In 2015 it was used to train 500 volunteers to treat five children a day in a Nigerian state with particularly high infant mortality. By the end of 2017 there should be 1400 trained volunteers, based in very hard-to-reach areas where there is an urgent need to reduce malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia in children under 5. Our donations have provided material for the volunteers such as medicines for malaria, oral hydration salts, antibiotics and paracetamol. Thank you for all your work for and support of Christian Aid in Around 13,089 was raised in Ludlow, most of it from the Big Four : Lent lunches 1,252; Christian Aid Week 9,063; coffee morning 738; and December street collection including Living Nativity 900. The remainder came from donations from individuals and groups. Let us work hard and pray hard that in 2018 we may continue to support its work, help given to everyone in need, regardless of race, gender or religion. Lent lunches start on Friday 16 February - very soon! Please attend one or more of these events for home made soups, bread and cheese, plus excellent company. All the teams work very hard to ensure an enjoyable lunch while not losing sight of its raison d'être. St Laurence's hosts the lunch on 2 March. Please support our 'cordon bleu' team. Claire Wilcox

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19 14 FEBRUARY - St Valentine s Day There are two confusing things about this day of romance and anonymous love-cards strewn with lace, cupids and ribbon: firstly, there seem to have been two different Valentines in the 4th century - one, a priest martyred on the Flaminian Way, under the emperor Claudius; the other, a bishop of Terni martyred at Rome. And neither seems to have had any clear connection with lovers or courting couples. So why has Valentine become the patron saint of romantic love? By Chaucer s time the link was assumed to be because on these saints day -14 February - the birds are supposed to pair. Or perhaps the custom of seeking a partner on St Valentine s Day is a surviving scrap of the old Roman Lupercalia festival, which took place in the middle of February. One of the Roman gods honoured during this Festival was Pan, the god of nature. Another was Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. During the Lupercalia it was a popular custom for young men to draw the name of a young unmarried woman from a namebox. The two would then be partners or sweethearts during the time of the celebrations. Even modern Valentine decorations bear an ancient symbol of love - Roman cupids with their bows and love-arrows. There are no churches in England dedicated to Valentine, but since 1835 his relics have been claimed by the Carmelite church in Dublin. 19 The very first Valentine card The Roman Emperor Claudius II needed soldiers. He suspected that marriage made men want to stay at home with their wives, instead of fighting wars, so he outlawed marriage. A kind-hearted young priest named Valentine felt sorry for all the couples who wanted to marry, but couldn t. So secretly he married as many couples as he could - until the Emperor found out and condemned him to death. While he was in prison awaiting execution, Valentine showed love and compassion to everyone around him, including his jailer. The jailer had a young daughter who was blind but, through Valentine s prayers, she was healed. Just before his death in Rome on 14 February, he wrote her a farewell message signed From your Valentine. So the very first Valentine card was not between lovers, but between a priest about to die, and a little girl, healed through his prayers.

20 Partnership between St Laurence Ludlow AND Paul Gerhardt Kirche in Langwasser The Link officially started in Earlier foundations were laid by Marga Kiesel and Averil Norton who had been good friends with a dream for reconciliation between people of Britain and Germany. Marga died a few years ago and Averil in March 2015; both were committed to reconciliation as a continuing work. Their determination, drive, prayer and faithfulness made the Link possible. There were exchanges of visits, largely facilitated through our choir and the Paul Gerhardt brass band. Later there were tours with Hans- Willi s bus including visits to Ludlow. Pfarrer Hans-Willi Büttner was the pastor of Paul Gerhardt Kirche, our link parish. A small group from Ludlow went to his farewell service with Bishop Michael representing the Diocese of Hereford. This was because the Link had grown into a full diocesan link with Nuremberg. Active committees are 20 facilitating parish and school links, clergy and curate visits. Two young clergy, Claudia and Stephanie, served in the Leominster Team and we have just bid farewell to Pfarrerin Brigitte Malik who had been on a placement here in Ludlow. A joint Luther Pilgrimage in autumn 2016 and a musical event in January remembering the Christmas Truce are a productive working together. Early in 2015 we attended the Institution of Pfarrer Jörg Gunsenheimer in Langwasser. Pfarrer Gunsenheimer and I had a positive conversation about the Link. There is still need for reconciliation, the dream of Marga and Averil needs to carry on. Averil made two matching banners; one is in Paul Gerhardt Kirche and one has just been re-hung on the south wall of St Laurence, a visual sign of our Partnership. To meet and plan for the future, Kelvin, our Rector, accompanied by Andrea and Colin Weston (both in the choir), Sheila and John French (Parish of St John), Shaun Ward, Juergen and Penelope Bridstrup (St Laurence) all led by Bishop Michael (Chair of Hereford Nuremberg Link) are flying over on 26th February to meet Pfarrer Joerg Gunsenheimer and his people. Please pray for us. Juergen Bridstrup, priest (retired) Convenor, Ludlow Langwasser Link Group

21 Care for your own church Don t look to the government for so much help. That is the message of an independent review which considered the Church s reliance on government funding with regard to the upkeep of its church buildings. The review instead calls for a cultural shift, where communities contribute to their church s upkeep. The Taylor Report was commissioned in 2016 to report to the Chancellor and Culture Secretary. It recommends that from 2020, the Government provide 66 million a year, compared with the recent exceptional hike of 2014 and 2016, when it was 90 million. The report says: Long term, it is the view of the Panel that the Church of England should aspire to reach a position where its buildings can, as far as is possible, be financed sustainably with reduced reliance on government funding. It goes on: The long-term survival of Church of England church buildings requires a change in the way many communities regard these buildings. We need to create a cultural shift in attitudes towards church buildings such that communities realise they are resources they can use, and congregations have the confidence to share space and where appropriate, to ask for a fair income.. The report also said that the main theme emerging from the thousands of churches who responded to the review was the huge care that people feel for these buildings. Parish Pump Ludlow CTAL FOOD BANK The final quarter of 2017 brought the year to a close. Disappointingly, the 2017 year total of food parcels at 206 was 25% up on 2016, which was the lowest annual total in recent years. The recent monthly total has levelled off at c 20 per month and has, broadly, remained static over the last seven months. Yet again, it is disappointing to report that the main reason given for the need for food parcels is the slow response to payments due under the Benefits system. This reason alone 21 accounted for well over a quarter of recipients. The food parcels operation is well managed and supported. It is due to the efforts, unpaid, of volunteers that this excellent free service is provided to meet the needs of those who meet the criteria for eligibility. We are, as always, grateful for their considerable contribution. It is to be hoped that the number of parcels required this year will once again continue the decline achieved since the peak in March Tony Cant

22 Conservation Trust for ST Laurence 2018 Year of Pilgrimage Each lecture costs 7 for Palmers and 8 for non-palmers. Tickets are available from the Ludlow Assembly Rooms, 1 Mill Street, Ludlow SY8 1AZ , or at ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/eventscalendar-page/ The Palmers Pilgrims and Pilgrimage 2018 lecture series continues with: Cycling to Rome 7 February Last year Dr Edward Condry, Bishop of Ramsbury, cycled from Canterbury to Rome. What can a modern pilgrim learn while cycling to Rome? The Road to Healing and Wellbeing 19 February Dr Margaret Whipp, Oxford University Hospitals and an avid pilgrim, will draw upon her experiences to explore pilgrimage and healing. The Singing Pilgrim 17 April Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle, Precentor of Wells (and former Hereford Cathedral chorister) explores the relationship of music and pilgrimage through the ages. Saints and Sinners 8 May 2018 Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford Cathedral, concludes the lecture series with insights into how a modern pilgrim might find sacred place and sacred places. A brochure describing all the lectures in the series is available in St Laurence s church. 22 The 2018 Year of Pilgrimage will also feature an art exhibition and will culminate on the weekend of May 2018 with a modern pilgrimage to Hereford Cathedral on foot, by bicycle or by coach. For details visit Medieval Pilgrimage in the Welsh Marches The Ludlow Palmers are joining the Mortimer History Society in presenting a half-day symposium on Medieval Pilgrimage in the Welsh Marches to be held in the morning of Saturday 10 February 2018 at St Laurence s church The Medieval Pilgrimage Experience - Dr Kathryn Hurlock, Manchester Metropolitan University Pilgrims Progress: Cures, Cults and Canonisation in the later Middle Ages - Dr Harriett Webster, University of Wales Trinity St David Tickets are 8 for Ludlow Palmers and members of the Mortimer History Society, 12 for others. Full details and tickets are available from the Mortimer History Society: index.php/medieval-pilgrimage

23 HIDDEN BOOKS OF THE BIBLE Well done to those who spotted all 24 books of the Bible hidden in the text we published last month. Just in case you missed one or two, here are the answers. This is a most remarkable puzzle, which was found in a seat pocket by a man on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied throughout. One man has worked on it while fishing from his boat; another studied it while strumming his banjo. Elaine Vinets mentioned it in her column. One woman judges the job to be so involving that she brews a pot of tea to calm her nerves. There will be some names that are easily spotted that's a fact. Some folks will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the books' names are not always capitalised. At best, you may finish it in a few hours; but the truth is, from answers received, we must admit that it usually takes a few days to see some of them at the worst. Perhaps something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have. Those able to find them all will hear great lamentations from those who cannot. One revelation may help: some books e.g. Timothy and Samuel occur without their numbers. Punctuation or spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete. Remember, there are twenty-four names lurking somewhere in this passage. 23

24 Snowdrop Teas Saturday -Sunday February Teas and homemade cakes St Peter s Church, Stanton Lacy The Edge Chamber Choir presents A celebration of choral music in film and television Saturday 10 February at 7.30pm St Laurence s Church Tickets 12 (under 18s free) from Ludlow Assembly Rooms or on the door Open Garden Pitchford Cottage, Culmington Monday 2 April 2 5pm Entry free Teas/refreshments Donations to Corvedale Benefice 24

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26 Thank you to all our contributors. PLEASE SEND ALL COPY FOR THE MARCH TOWERS TO THE PARISH OFFICE BY TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY The deadline for submission of material will normally fall in the first week of the month preceding the month of issue. There is no guarantee that all material received by that date will be included in the next issue. Material arriving after the deadline will not be included. Please send articles by to office@stlaurences.org.uk We are happy to receive contributions and suggestions for inclusion in the magazine. Please limit items to no more 600 words. Editor s Note Opinions expressed in contributed articles in this magazine are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the position or opinions of the PCC or the Editorial Committee. Towers Editorial Committee The current members of the Towers editorial committee are: John Burley Lesley Gosbee-Harper Lesley Harling (Editor) If you would like to join us please contact the editor. LARGE PRINT Copies in large print are available from the St Laurence Parish Office

27 CONTACT US LUDLOW ST LAURENCE Parish Office 2 College Street, Ludlow SY8 1AN Churchwardens Val Hardwick, Sparchford Cottage, Culmington SY8 2DE Jim Hooper, 37 Beech Close, Ludlow SY8 2PD Deputy Churchwarden Michael Davies, 5 Hosyers Almshouses, College St PCC Secretary Lesley Harling, Ottie s Lodge, Steventon Electoral Roll Officer Dick Franks 7 Angel Bank, Bitterley, Ludlow Bible Reading F ship Penelope Bridstrup, 4 The Vineyard, Lower Broad St Children s Church c/o Parish Office Communion Rota Fay Carson, Fairfield, Linney, Ludlow Conservation Trust Rory Chase, c/o Parish Office Custodian Matthew Lenthall c/o Parish Office Director of Music Shaun Ward, c/o Parish Office Flowers Mary Loewenthal, 58 Julian Road, Ludlow Parish Safeguarding Officer Angela Aycliffe, c/o Parish Office Pastoral Links c/o Parish Office Sidesmen s Rota (8am) Barbara Burns, 8 Poyner Road, Ludlow Sidesmen s Rota (other) Fay Carson, Fairfield, Linney, Ludlow Stewards Rota Fay Carson, Fairfield, Linney, Ludlow St Laurence s Shop Amanda Davidson, c/o Parish Office Tower Captain Tony Greatrex, Church House, Bell Lane, Orleton Tower Floodlighting Forms at St Laurence s Shop Towers Editor Lesley Harling, Ottie s Lodge, Steventon LUDLOW ST JOHN Church Wardens Mrs Sheila French, 4 Coach House Fields, Livesey Rd Dr Brian Childs, 12 Vashon Close, Ludlow Treasurer Mr Peter Phelps, Hill Crest, Gravel Hill, Ludlow Secretary Mr John French, 4 Coach House Fields, Livesey Road Electoral Roll Mr John French, 4 Coach House Fields, Livesey Road Organist Mr Colin Reeves

28 Parish of Ludlow Saint Laurence Registered Charity No