The Benefice of the Piddle Valley, Hilton, Cheselbourne and Melcombe Horsey Storm over the lake Eularia Clarke (1914-1970) The Methodist Modern Art Collection Sunday the 21st June - Trinity 3 (Proper 7) (Readings: Psalm 107.23-32; Job 38.1-11; 2 Corinthians 6.1-13; Mark 4.35-41) Cheselbourne 9.30am Family Eucharist (CW) Hilton 11.00am Morning Prayer (BCP) Piddletrenthide 1.00pm to 4.00pm Piddletrenthide with Plush Village Fete (at The Manor House) Alton Pancras 6.00pm Evening Prayer (BCP)
From the Incumbent 1 We are back again to The Methodist Modern Art Collection this week. As before, artist Franics Hoyland comments on Eularia Clarke s oil painting, Storm over the lake. His comments continue from comments on another of her pictures, The Five Thousand. But what did Eularia Clarke see or experience here? It was clearly pretty horrific and if she hadn't told us we would probably think of war or some terrible personal tragedy - but it was only teaching. That only would sound pretty hollow to most teachers because they know what teaching is like, especially with a class of rowdy boys. Yes, I'm afraid it does ring true. This time she managed to face painting Our Lord - probably because she needed him so much, as she stresses the substantial union of his divinity and humanity by a beautifully glowing halo. We can see how effective his power is by looking at the patch of water under his hand, the waves which are menacing and vast, elsewhere have become well behaved ripples and they reflect an upside down dove which again symbolises the Spirit moving on the face of the waters so the unity of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The breaking waves slant at an angle of about thirty degrees from left to right down the picture and this angle is repeated by the direction of the furled sails. If we compare the treatment of space with that in the Feeding of the Five Thousand we can see a great similarity for we are above the action but not in a central position as before. The thighs and feet of Christ share the direction of the waves; the drop of his right shoulder twists his head until it is at right angles to their general direction, but then his right arm turns until it is parallel with the waves again. It is here that the waves are quiet. Something has turned the laws of nature round! The ship of this subject has been thought of as a symbol of the church, in which case she seems to be in a bad way. But the calm has already started to spread and eventually all will be well. Eularia's vision was extreme, she sees our predicament as almost hopeless since quite a lot of the crew seem to be drowning - in fact some of her faces are as frightening as the most depressed heads painted by Lowry, but there in the bottom left hand corner is the visible action of Grace. The free gift which of God's friendship, we could never earn, that brings us peace. All we have to do is to accept it. I find that when an artist tells me the truth about pain, I am more inclined to believe then that when they spake of consolation and faith - Eularia is such an artist. [Francis Hoyland] 2 Normal Sunday services are resumed next week after the reduced timetable which has been in place while I have been on holiday. I am very grateful to The Revd Hugh Willis who has very kindly covered the eucharists last Sunday and today. Hugh lives in retirement at Charminster and is an old friend of the benefice. When I say in retirement, I mean only from his secular working life since he is very popular and much in demand on Sundays when most weeks he is taking services somewhere around Dorset!
3 This Sunday the 21st June, sees the culmination of a huge effort over many years by the Crossways parish. Many of the parishes in this benefice have contributed financially and through prayer to their long running project to build a new church/worship centre. This morning Bishop Nicholas has come to dedicate the new centre to St Aldhelm. It may be found on the campus of Frome Valley First Schooll. This afternoon the new building will be open for anyone who wishes to go and view, enjoy tea and cake and share in the joy of the folk of Crossway that their dream has at last been realised. 4 The fundraising activities of our parishes continue next Saturday the 27th June when the Dave Bowen Jazz Quintet plays at Alton Pancras at 7.30pm in aid of Alton Pancras church. Alton Pancras and Melcombe Horsey vie for the title of the smallest of the parishes within our benefice. According to the 2011 census, Melcombe Horsey wins with a population of 141 as against Alton Pancras 170 but there is not much in it. It is remarkable how these two parishes punch so far above their weight in delivering fun community events. Watch out for Melcombe Horsey s Cream Teas on the Green later in the year - probably on Saturday the 8th August. Dave Bowen must be the doyen of local jazz musicians. He plays clarinet and saxophone and is joined by Mike Botterill (guitar), Tony Pope (keyboard), Jerry Ryall (double bass) and Dougie Cooper (drums). Their programme includes swing, blues, standards and bossa nova. Tickets at 8 (to include refreshments) are available from Piddletrenthide Post Office, Buckland Newton Stores or Frances Mallett (01300 348439). 5 Advance notice of another musical event, this time at All Saints, Piddletrenthide. John Hudson and Friends will give a concert on Friday the 10th July (not the 17th July as mentioned in error in a previous publication) at 7.30pm. The Friends include Camilla Foster Mitchell, Elizabeth Sweetnam, Jon Chambers, Amity Hill, Emily Atkins, Laura Sharley, Simon Green, Brad Butterworth and children from Piddle Valley First School. Tickets - at 10 adult / 6 child to include canapés - are available from Piddletrenthide Post Office or Janet Keen (01300 348851). Do visit our Benefice website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the relevant icon
Services and notices for the coming week Tuesday the 23rd June No Morning Office (Daily Prayer) Wednesday the 24th June 8.00am Morning Office (Daily Prayer) Hilton Thursday the 25th June 9.30am Morning Prayer (BCP) Piddlehinton Saturday the 27th June 2.00pm Wedding of Stephen Packer Piddlehinton and Myriam Kouba 7.30pm Jazz concert (Dave Bowen) Alton Pancras Sunday the 28 th June - Trinity 4 (Proper 8) (Readings: Psalm 30; Wisdom 1.13-15, 2.23-24; 2 Corinthians 8.7-15; Mark 5.21-43) Cheselbourne 8.30am Holy Communion (BCP) Alton Pancras 9.30am Family Eucharist (CW) Melcombe Horsey 10.30am Stepping Stones (at the Old Brewery Hall) 2.00pm Holy Baptism (Joey Stickland) Hilton 6.00pm Evening Prayer (BCP) Piddlehinton 6.00pm Evening Prayer (BCP) (with Lambourn choir) Collects and Readings for this Sunday Collect Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. or
God our Saviour, look on this wounded world in pity and in power; and help us to hold fast to your promises of peace won for us by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Post Communion O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Job 38.1-11 The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8 Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb? - when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, 11 and said, Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped? 2 Corinthians 6.1-13 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see - we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 11 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. 12 There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. 13 In return - I speak as to children - open wide your hearts also. Mark 4.35-41 When evening had come, Jesus said to them, Let us go across to the other side. 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace! Be still! Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Psalm 107.23-32