PARISH LIFE M Agazine

PARISH LIFE M agazine

JUNE 2020 50p

2 Reflections from Lowther Park

I read two differing articles recently about how use of technology has transformed the way we communicate, which can be seen as either a blessing or a curse. The first was inChurch Times by a Residentiary Canon of Winchester Cathedral under the heading “Like it or not, online services are here to stay”. The writer argues that growing familiarity with technology such as Zoom, Skype and Facebook Live, with their diverse offering of songs, chatting prayer requests, reflections and instant news sharing have turned “Sunday gatherings normally hidden in buildings into easily accessible church sample packs”. Church has suddenly become extremely competitive– by using technology, you can access your own church, neighbouring churches, churches elsewhere in the country, even anywhere in the world. Consumers i.e. congregations now have an inexhaustible stock of resources from which to select whereby they can experience a broad width of liturgical practice and relational engagement as never before - and they don’t even need to leave the comfort of their house to do so but can watch while breakfasting or even still in their pyjamas. And they also have greater control – they don’t need to turn a deaf ear to the sermon, just mute the speaker at the appropriate time! He goes on to argue that “the joyous bounce back to church after lockdown is eased is unlikely to last - those who have found God in digital church may prefer to keep him that way which means churches will need to find creative new ways of combining the physical with the virtual.” And he suggests it’s not beyond credibility that in the future we may be introducing our services with the words “and for those of you watching at home…..”

3 The second was a post-Easter letter from Bishop James to clergy entitled “Human Contact”. While not decrying the benefits offered by modern technology, alarm bells began to ring for James when hearing suggestions that this could herald a bright new future “in which almost everything is done digitally as we stay at home and let our computers take the strain”. No more need for visits or meetings, no risk of spreading germs by face to face contact, no more threat to the environment. But alarm bells in particular that this ignores the most fundamental feature of being human: relationships. We are all made‘ in the image of God’; God is relational and the whole of the Bible is about relationships of one sort or another. As a Church, face to face contact and physical presence remain central to our mission and ministry. Like many, James has taken part in a huge number of conversations by phone, Zoom and Whatsapp over the past few weeks but says one thing in particular has struck him– an overwhelming longing for the time when we can ‘re-connect’, not just on some mechanical device, but in person.

Whilst conceding that broadcast worship and live-streamed services are much better than nothing, James concludes that“ they are not the same as gathering together round the Lord’s table for Communion. Waving at parents, children, grand-children and friends on a screen is great: but it can’t compare with giving them a physical hug”. I wonder – where do you stand on these two contrasting viewpoints? I know where I stand. In the space of 48 hours either side of drafting these thoughts, I chatted to Norman exercising around the perimeter of his garden; visited Mori to collect her freewill envelopes and admire the 1,500 piece jigsaw she is embarked on in her conservatory; spoke to Eleanor heading into town to collect her prescription; caught up with Rachel and Chris taking a break from potting plants by enjoying coffee and cake on their driveway; took the newspapers to Lilian and Tommy and had a quick natter to them; enjoyed a brief catch up with Michael on his daily walk; saw

4 Ian shopping at Morrisons; took some stuff to Dot’s where John and Ann had also called and we were able to talk together; and even had a catch up with staff at Hayes and Parkinson when taking some cheques in.In all cases, I hasten to add, observing social distancing rules!

Whilst it is undoubtedly great to “see” so many on Sunday – modern technology really does have its place - how much more satisfying it was to meet and chat to all these people face to face, albeit briefly Like Bishop James (and I am sure many of you too) I eagerly await the day when we can actually meet, and not just talk, together again. Every blessing Ashley

5 Heartache and Hope Sermon on VE Day The end of every war is cause for gratitude. Though we live many years after the end of the Second World War, we benefit from its end and we acknowledge that this weekend. It is right for us to be grateful to those who gave so much for this victory, just as it was right, after over 5 long years of war, for there to be that public expression of joy 75 years ago. People were not just rejoicing at the end of the war: they looked forward to a new era, not merely turning back the clock to the pre-war situation but to something different. I don’t know if our Micah reading was used then, but it would have been very fitting:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and people will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. Micah 4.1-4

The NHS, the welfare state, the massive house building programme that followed, the creation of the UN (however imperfectly it may operate), the new relationships that developed across the European nations (again far from perfect – but for the first time in history there has been 75 years without any major conflict between them) all owe much to the hopes and 6 aspirations at the end of the war. That is not the whole story. War is a messy business. It inevitably brings heartache. Joy at the end of end of war is never undiluted. My godmother, who served in the WAAF, lived another 70 years but the scars of her brother’s death in the war never left her. The poignancy of Unmentioned in Despatches says something very important. Unmentioned in Despatches Some of them never come home to fanfares, they dump their kit-bags down at the door, kiss their wives and let their children wrestle them down to the kitchen floor, switch the telly on, pour out a whiskey, search for the local football score.

Some of them skip the quayside welcome, dodge the bunting and cannonade, make their landfall in silent harbours,

nod to the coastguard, but evade the searchlight of public scrutiny like those engaged in the smuggling trade.

Some of them land at lonely airfields

far removed from the celebration, hang their flying gear in a locker, cadge a lift to the railway station,

make for home and take for granted the short-lived thanks of a grateful nation.

Some of them miss the royal salute, the victory parade along the Mall, the fly-past, the ships in formation passing the cheering crowds on the harbour wall. Remembered only by friends and relatives, ……some of them never come home at all. Poet: Peter Wyton 7 We might add also the recognition that while there are times when war is the only option, those we fight are also God’s children, our brothers and sisters. There is grief for them as well as for our own. It seems to me that our current experience of Covid 19 means that many of us resonate more with this VE anniversary today than we would otherwise have done. In the middle of this pandemic our two readings have a particular pertinence. Like those before VE Day, we long for a time when the threat posed will be ended and we can once more be relaxed in the company of others; when we can meet safely with family and friends again. When that time comes there will be great joy and relief. But there will also be poignancy – life will not be the same as before, there will be no simple return to life just as it was in February. Some people will be missing, others will be scarred, jobs will have gone, lives will have been changed dramatically. We will all have a ‘new normal’ to discover and explore: if this is to be linked with Micah it must include the challenge of addressing the inequalities within our own country (there is clear evidence that the death rates and general impact from Covid 19 are significantly higher in the poorest areas of our society). It must also address the inequalities across the world: (here, at least, the government can fund furlough: across much of the world that is quite impossible: we are greatly blessed by the amazing quality of our NHS, the health services in so much of the world are pitifully inadequate.). The start of Christian Aid Week today is a helpful reminder of the enormous needs that exist not just here but in many other parts of world. When we talk of changes in society, probably we can only imagine very small steps, minor variations on what we have already experienced. Micah invites us look for a far greater transformation: he talks of a society where war is abolished (there is no more need for Sandhurst!), where all can live without fear in peace and security and with enough. What he says turns things upside down. He describes Jerusalem (Zion) as a 8 great mountain which will be the centre of focus. In reality Zion was very small, a mere 2,400 feet above sea level, nothing in comparison with the 9,200 feet of Mount Hermon, just to the north of Israel: it is rather like suggesting that instead of everyone wanting to climb Scafell Pike, they make for Kendal Castle! What an enormous change. There is no way in which we can create it by ourselves and yet God will not create it without us playing our part. He says to us, ‘This is my ultimate plan. Will you share this vision with others, as Micah did? As many who served in the Second World War did? Better still, will you join me in working for it?!’

Michael Hunter

View of Kendal from the Castle

9 PC QUIZ ANSWERS The answers to all the questions are two words, the first beginning with P and the second with C 1} Holy Trinity is the Parish Church of Kendal 2) The partner of Dudley Moore Peter Cook 3) The Poor Clairs are impoverished Nuns 4) A former Dr Who Peter Capaldi 5) Website to get best utility pricesPrice Comparison 6) A zebra crossing is a type of Pedestrian Crossing 7) A more advanced No 6 is Pelican Crossing 8) An even more advanced No 6 is Puffin Crossing 9) A No 6 for use by horse riders is Pegasus Crossing 10) Dead in the middle Plumb Centre 11) Main candidate Prime Contender 12) Vegetable snack that comes in various flavoursPotato Crisp 13) Principle boy in pant land Prince Charming 14) Tall lanky former footballer Peter Crouch 15) Eastern Rug Persian Carpet 16) Magic moment singer Perry Como 17) We are all trying to cut our Power consumption to cut global warming 18) Portion Control is one way of dieting 19) Offence so small it’s not worth reportingPetty Crime 20) Waterway between North & South America Panama Canal 21) Early computer storage device Punched Card 22) Bach wrote one, Passion Choral 23) A brand of dog food Pedigree Chum 24) Is married to John Alderson Pauline Collins 25) Children’s section of a zoo Pets Corner 26) National political party of WalesPlaid Cymru 27) Internal computer connectionsPrinted Circuit 28) Caught short? Then you need a Public Convenience 29) Over zealously not overstepping the mark, Politically Correct 30) Takeaway drinks carton Paper / Plastic/ Polystryene Cup 31) Not in the army or police Private citizen 32) Padre for the incarcerated Prison Chaplain 33) These days we all want cars with low Petrol Consumption 34) You don’t want one of these passed on to you Poison Chalice

10 35) Contains Crime scene Police Cordon 36) Popular fish based starterPrawn Cocktail 37) A drink made from the roasted and ground beanlike seeds of a tropical shrub Percolated Coffee 38) Type of Oriental cooking Peking cuisine 39) Public announcement Press conference 40) Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance 41) Annual performances at the Albert Hall Promenade Concerts 42) Star of many a scary filmPeter Cushing 43) Most homes have this electronic device Personal Computer 44) A new one used every Easter Paschal Candle 45) Cost of leaving your car Parking Charge 46) Italian form of pressed curds of milk Parmesan Cheese 47) Often stolen from officesPaper Clips 48) Governing body who meet standing up Privy Council 49) Canned fruit Pineapple Chunks 50) Posh railway coach Pullman Carriage 51) Ssh don’t listen, this is a Private Conversation 52) Genesis drummer Phil Collins 53) Rugby is a Physical Contact sport 54) Minty soft drinkPeppermint Cordial 55) Container for drawing instruments Pencil Case 56) Australia started out as a Penal Colony 57) Post impressionist French painter Paul Cezanne 58) Decomposed vegetable matter used in horticulturePeat Compost 59) English comedy actor, once starred with Tony Hancock Patrick Cargill 60) Baby Chinese bear Panda Cub 61) Hayfever sufferers bewarePollen Count 62) Lima is the Peruvian Capital 63) Position of actor’s aide Prompt corner 64) French Haute Couture House Pierre Cardin 65) Build a new road? It will have to go for Public Consultation 66) A line 4 ft in front of and parallel to the wicketPopping Crease 67) Piffling amount of moneyPetty Cash 68) Friesian Piebald Cow 69) Armoured vehicle Personnel carrier 70) Running after a processed treePaper Chase 71) Catalan cellist Pablo Casals

11 72)Secure holding place for your own protectionPadded Cell 73) Carbonated soft drinkPepsi Cola 74) Pallid hues Pastel Colours 75) Found in the cosmetic departmentPerfume Counter 76) Pineapple / rum cocktail Pina Colada 77) Garish American car Pink Cadillac 78) The fruits of our labour Pay Cheque 79) Metal money Pound Coin 80) Previous generation businessParent Company 81) Builder not publicly owned Private Contractor 82) Lack of electricity Power Cut 83) Law enforcement vehicle Police Car / Panda Car 84) Female singer of the 1960’s Petula Clark 85) Needed for wayward children Parental Control 86) Manufactured dairy product Processed Cheese 87) Floral name of a fictional spyPink Carnation 88) A south coast football club Portsmouth City 89) Split whether it’s amicable or not Part Company 90) Thoracically challenged Pigeon Chested 91) Rodent containment Pest Controller 92) Specialist dough maker Pastry Chef / Cook 93) Members only associationPrivate Club 94) Best steak Prime Cut 95) Newspaper memoirs Press Cuttings 96) Costs reduced Price Cut 97) Tastes nicer than Senacot! Plain Chocolate 98) Table seating position indicatorsPlace Cards 99) Ongoing desire to expel air from lungs Persistent Cough 100) If you have answered all of these questions correctly then you will have got one hundred Per Cent

And the winners are….Michael and Linda with a score of 97! Thanks to all who submitted entries and thanks very much to Ian Fishwick for providing this challenging quiz to exercise our brains!

12 13 COVID-19 AND STAY ALERT The recent pandemic has tested everyone and normal life patterns have been turned upside down. The lockdown has also forced us to appreciate areas of our life and culture that we simply take for granted. Frontline workers in different vocations have given their all, and some their lives, for which we shall be eternally grateful. But what have we learned as Christians from this awful pandemic? The latest government slogan calls the nation to‘ STAY ALERT.’ In that connection, one thought that struck me recently concerns a forgotten spiritual discipline. It is called the practice of self-examination. Public health organisations advise us to regularly examine our bodies and check whether or not we have any unusual lumps. If something is discovered we are to seek medical help as quickly as possible. We are reminded as Christians that it is equally important to STAY ALERT by practising self-examination in our daily lives. This important practice is part of our ecclesiastical inheritance. Many in the Catholic tradition still recommend self-examination as an important part of the spiritual life. Something else that is often forgotten is that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the Protestant sector, self- examination was widely recommended. Cranmer was one who regularly examined his life in the light of the 10 commandments and for that reason included the Commandments in the Book of Common Prayer. However, today self-examination is a much neglected practice. This is why I am recommending this spiritual discipline as a relevant practice. Self-examination isn’t an easy discipline but it is a necessary one. We are very good at examining other people’s motives, often at the expense of seeing ourselves in our own true light. C S Lewis said, ‘For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.’

14 Thankfully, the practice doesn’t stop with bad news. It goes on to speak of the forgiveness that can be obtained as a result of who Jesus is and what he accomplished at the cross. Self-examination is a discipline and isn’t designed to drive us to despair but is meant to lead us to having confidence in a gracious Saviour. It leads to forgiveness and freedom. Examinations take place in schools, hospitals, the business world and in a great many areas of our society. It is, therefore, good for us to self- examine before a Sunday service, particularly before Holy Communion and before mixing with all whom we meet at church. It is especially significant in Lent and Advent to stay alert by practising self-examination.

If we never examine ourselves the danger is that we will no longer be shocked by our own failures. And we will also be tempted to be prejudiced in our own failure. You know what I mean by that: “It’s not me but it’s her or him; they are to blame!” John Bunyan famous for his work entitledPilgrim ’s Progress, said: ‘Look into your heart, as in a book, and see if you can read the same.’

There isn’t a fixed method for self-examination, but I set out below some general principles: - set time aside - pray for God’s Spirit to help - start with a Bible reading, a Psalm (penitential) or Common Worship Daily Prayer

- ask what your reading says about God’s character and purposes

and about the opportunities and temptations you face today

- examine your motives and conduct for that day

- be honest with yourself

- repent of failures and attitudes

- do not navel-gaze but look to our gracious God

15 I finish with this prayer from Common Worship (adapted):

Lord God, I have sinned against you; I have done evil in your sight. I am sorry and repent, in particular of ...... ? Have mercy on me according to your love. Wash away my wrongdoing and cleanse me from sin. Renew a right spirit within me and restore me to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Amen

Maybe as a parish we should constantly review our efforts to STAY ALERT.

Clive R Duxbury

Prayer of an African schoolgirl O great Chief, light a candle in my heart, that I may see what is inside and sweep the rubbish from my dwelling place. Amen

16 HOW HAVE WE BEEN USING ZOOM?

Have you ever stopped to wonder just how much we are using Zoom at KPC? During these difficult days Zoom has been invaluable for hosting meetings and keeping us all in touch as much as possible. Most of us have experienced this through participation in our Sunday morning services but here are some of the other church groups which have met via Zoom in these past weeks – The Ministry Team, who usually meet every 4/6 weeks The Churchwardens, Norma and Ashley on the 1st Monday of each month (grandly entitled the COBR meeting!) PCC Standing and Finance committee

The Churchwardens monthly prayer breakfasts (not sure what they are doing to replace the customary Union Jack fry up mind you!) The Parish Hall and Kirkland Trustees House groups and Prayer groups And a number of other ad hoc meetings too And so the continual round of meetings at KPC, so important to the life of our parish, goes on with or without face to face contact, and is likely to do so for some considerable time to come. Ashley

17 Revising the Prayer Chain Since 2016 there has been a ‘prayer chain’ at KPC, whereby people rang one of two numbers and explained for whom and for what they wanted us to pray. The first names and the situations were then passed by phone through a group of people committed to this form of prayer. After an overdue review (all done at a social distance of course), a new model is now coming into use: There is a short introduction on the KPC website home page. This gives two numbers, one that can be rung and one for messages or texts. People will now just give or leave a first name, as we believe that God knows their needs anyway and this allows for complete confidentiality. These names are then passed on either as before by phone or put on a WhatsApp group. Members of this ministry are committed simply to holding the people before God. I am most grateful for all those who have been involved over the last few years and are now bowing out and to those who have now joined the scheme. Especially in this difficult time of distancing and fear, this is something we can offer as a church to people both outside and within - for themselves, families or friends. If you feel that you could get involved in this ministry, then please contact me through the church office; all you need is a phone, traditional or ‘smart’. We believe it is an honour to be able to pray for others and would love it if more joined us doing so. Dick Forsyth

Some men came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them…………..When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son your sins are forgiven.’ Mark 2.3 and 5

KENDAL PRAYER

Would you like us to pray for you or for someone you are concerned about?

We believe God knows and cares about the needs of all people so you don’t need to give us any details of the situation.

Please text the first name(s) of those you’d like us to pray for - or leave a voicemail message - on 07942 617718 ...or if you would prefer to speak to someone, call Margaret on 01539 720243

A group of people spread across our church will be glad to pray for all whose names are sent to us.

19 ON THE RAILS We are grateful to Howard Smith for offering to write a series of articles called ‘On the Rails’ for the magazine. Howard, a retired clergyman, and his wife Ann joined us a couple of years ago after moving from Northallerton. They normally attend the 9.30 service and Howard also acts as a welcomer. ‘On the Rails’ is an exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins, as viewed through the eyes of a train enthusiast. We begin with Sloth: 1989 Settle & Sloth They say that there are actually some people who don't like riding on trains, and who would not give the time of day to being steam-hauled over the Settle-Carlisle line. Well, there's no accounting for taste! But for anyone with cinder-in-the-eye nostalgia there is nothing finer than the pound north up the Midland Long Drag behind that most human of machines – the steam locomotive.

Everything is on a grand and austere scale as befits the majesty of the Pennine landscape. Embankments, cuttings, bridges, tunnels and viaducts – all magnificent. A triumph of engineering – and a costly triumph at that, as the line passes the graveyard of the navvies. Then there is the sound and sight of the loco at work, pounding hard up the unremitting gradient dragging its weight behind – those hundreds of enthusiasts with sandwich or tin in one hand, and camera or recording device in the other. Round the curve the engine moves, smoke blasting skywards, embankment sides echoing back the hard-working sound. Superb and indomitable. One mile to Ribblehead and a few more to Blea Moor, and all who can get near a window are there; and the instruction on the door about not leaning

20 out goes unheeded. Ribblehead – now single track with severe speed restriction. How are the mighty fallen! This magnificent viaduct which used to carry the Thames-Clyde express working at speed towards St. Enoch or St. Pancras now crossed gingerly at snail's pace.

The capital sin it puts you in mind of is SLOTH. Years of 'couldn't care less' and 'can't be bothered' have made the very existence of this line questionable. What a contrast to the efforts of the builders! What a contrast to the zeal of the locomotive and its crew! SLOTH – sin of cobwebs and rust and rot, of decaying stone and weeds on the trackbed. We can see the neglect by railway management, but what about this sin in our own lives – where we've stopped trying in our home, at work, in our relationships and with God? How soon before being laid back becomes laid to rest; before the slow dull crawl becomes a stop? It needn't be like this. Renewal is possible if we can be roused from apathy. It has happened since 1989 to this very line. The restriction over, the engine works again up to Blea Moor and Ais Gill to find its relief in the valley of Eden. So, fellow Christians– jackets off, sleeves rolled up, firebox open and start shovelling. We need that head of steam. This train is bound for glory! Howard Smith

Thank you very much to all who have contributed to this magazine. We would love to include your articles, notices, funny stories etc in future magazines. Do let us know if you would like any help or advice with articles.

Please email items to [email protected] - we need to receive them by 15th of the month before publication.

Stephen Lockwood and Sue Charnley, Editors

21 THE BIBLE COURSE The Bible is a big and complicated book to read and for many it can be difficult to know where to start. Maybe you’ve been part of a Bible study group and want to build your confidence so you can study the Bible on your own, or maybe you need help connecting together the bits you’ve been reading. The Bible Course is a great resource, whether you are familiar with the Bible or just starting out. It is an 8 session course helping you to explore the world’s best selling book and is produced by the Bible Society. • The Bible Course helps you see how the books of the Bible are part of one big story. • Using a unique storyline, The Bible Course will show you how key events, books and characters fit together. • The video teaching, course guide and daily readings will help you grow in confidence as you read the Bible for yourself. It acts as a great follow-on resource for those who have done introductory courses like Alpha and Christianity Explored. Interested? Then Mat Ineson (vicar of Crosscrake) is going to be leading this weekly course over an 8 week period via Zoom beginning on Tuesday 2nd June and finishing on July 28th . All materials will be provided and there is no cost. You will need a computer or tablet with camera and audio, and an internet connection to take part in this course. A typical session includes: • Welcome from the Course host • 15 minute teaching video • 25 minute discussion time in small groups • 15 minute teaching video • 10 minute personal reflection • Daily readings between sessions There is a course ‘manual’ which will be emailed out to you when you join. If you want to join others in exploring the Bible then please get in touch with Mat on [email protected] or 07398 252715 More information can be found here https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/ explore-the-bible/the-bible-course/ Do contact Mat if you have questions.

22 Domestic Abuse Support during COVID 19

If you are at risk or experiencing abuse help and support is av ailable.

For more information contact: Springfield 9am – 5pm 07415 431103 07415 432357 01539 726171 [email protected]

Victim support mon-fri 9am -6pm 0300 3030 157

Police non-emergencies 101 em ergencies 999

National domestic abuse helpline (24hrs) 0808 2000247

Please g et in touch – you are not alone

Hymn Emoji Challenge Answers

23 Kendal’s oldest building, one of England’s widest churches.