View from the Rectory A few years ago, as a solar eclipse approached, planetarium March 2015 directors sent out warnings to the general public reminding people not to look directly into the sun. The planetarium received an indignant letter from a local resident. She said that if an eclipse was so dangerous, they never should have decided to hold one and ought to cancel it. On March 20 th we have an opportunity to witness a solar eclipse in the Kennet Valley and no doubt there will be some like this lady who will respond to the inevitable influx of people with disapproval – hopefully NOT writing letters to the National Trust asking them to cancel the event. It will be a decade before we witness another one and taken as I am by all naturally occurring phenomena, this will be something I will greet with excitement. I remember where we were the last time – on Dartmoor, sitting with a couple of thousand others, picnic, coffee flask, Husband and Dog in tow. The cars lined the route across the moor, parked nose to tail between Bovey Tracey and Widcombe -in -the -Moor. A hundred or more climbed the Tors behind us and the air was full of excitement, tinged with apprehension - for even 20 th Century beings are not unaffected by extraordinary displays in creation, no matter how much we protest its ‘old hat’. Upper Kennet Churches Notice Board Silence descended on the moor as the sky darkened and the Baptism day moved to night with startling swiftness. The birds were Joseph Beverley Winterbourne Bassett 1 February stilled, their song absent, and voices died away. Then in the Georgia McCombe Broad Hinton 13 February distance we saw burst after burst of coloured fireworks, tracking the darkness along the coast line. As darkness fell Weddings there was a deliberate injection of light. With it came joy, Stephanie Ladd & Broad Hinton 13 February with it came the voices, and the darkness was transformed Matthew McCombe into something wondrous and beautiful. It is impossible not to be moved by such events and reminded In March Amy Williams and Greg Williams will be getting married at East Kennett and we remember them in our that in the midst of even the strangest and difficult of times prayers: we will find joy, hope and glory. Sometimes we have to have courage and take deliberate action to bring light into dark Funeral places - the fireworks of hope, if you like, that transform the Simon Down West Overton 24 January darkness. For those of us who are following the Pilgrim path Kathleen Neighbour Avebury 2 February Stephanie Shaughnessy West Overton 10 February through lent we know we will have to encounter the suffering Chad Pearson Avebury 17 February of the Cross before the dawn of Easter Day. But this darkness Lewes Addison West Overton 24 February is a place of profound action, where The Light of the World was active in His suffering in entering into the defeat of evil Burial of Ashes and death for all time for ALL people. And Love conquered Mike Hudson Broad Hinton 28 February all. When we witness this eclipse on the 20 th I wonder if each one You are invited to join us for an of us could deliberately bring a firework of hope in the form EQUALITY VIGIL of a loving thought or prayer for the world, for a loved one, th for a place close to our hearts, for our community, for SATURDAY MARCH 14 2015 someone bereft, or wounded. Would YOU have will to use this extraordinary occurrence as an opportunity to light up the 10 – 12 Noon world with an expression of pure hope and joy? Would you come and join us at St James Avebury at 9am for a Taize outside the Jubilee Rooms service for the peace of the world? I wonder….. or will you Marlborough High Street be amongst those who will be too busy writing indignant This event is supported by letters…. Marlborough Poverty Action Group Maria Shepherdson Marlborough Quakers, Transition Marlborough And Marlborough Churches Together www.upperkennetnews.co.uk UPPER KENNET CHURCHES SERVICES St Nicholas St Michael & Christ Church St James St Mary St Katherine & St Peter ad FYFIELD All Angels EAST AVEBURY Magdalene St Peter Vincula WEST KENNETT WINTERBOURNE WINTERBOURNE BROAD OVERTON MONKTON BASSETT HINTON 1 March 8.00 am 10.00 am 11.15 am 9.45 am Lent 2 Prayer Book Informal Holy Holy Env week 9 Communion Service Communion Communion 8 March Lent 3 10.30 AM— BENEFICE SERVICE COMMUNION — AVEBURY Env week 10 15 March 11.00 am 8.00 am 10.00 am 4.00 pm 9.45 am Mothering Mothering Prayer Mothering Mothering Mothering Sunday Sunday Book Sunday Sunday Sunday Env week 11 Service Communion Service Service Service 22 March 6.00 pm 10.00 am 11.15 am Lent 5 Holy Communion Env week 12 Evening Prayer for Passion Morning Sunday Prayer 29 March Palm Sunday 10.30 AM— PALM SUNDAY BENEFICE SERVICE – COMMUNION — WEST OVERTON Env week 13 Wednesday Communion Services will take place at 10.00 am at 9, The Beeches, Winterbourne Monkton. Clergy will attend on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. We can also provide home communion any time for those that are housebound. Please contact the Benefice Office - (01672 861786) or one of the Lay Pastoral Assistants to request this. (Claire Stiles – 01793 731620 or Graham Kitchen – 01672 861349.) Readings for month Sunday 1 st March – Purple Sunday 22 nd March – Purple Lent 2 Lent 5 Genesis 17. 1 – 7, 15 – 16 Jeremiah 31. 31 – 34 Psalm 22. 23 – end Psalm 51. 1 – 13 or 119. 9 – 16 Romans 4. 13 – end Hebrews 5. 5 – 10 Mark 8. 31 - end John 12. 20 – 33 Sunday 8th March – Purple Sunday 29 th March – Red Lent 3 Palm Sunday Exodus 20. 1 – 17 Mark 11. 1 – 11 Psalm 19 [or 19. 7 – end] or John 12. 12 – 16 1 Corinthians 1. 18 – 25 Psalm 118. 1 – 2, 19 – end John 2. 13 – 22 or 118. 19 – 24 Sunday 15 th March – Purple Sunday 5 th April – Gold or White Mothering Sunday Easter Day Exodus 2. 1 – 10 or Isaiah 25. 6 – 9 1 Samuel 1. 20 – end Acts 10. 34 – 43 Psalm 34. 11 – 20 or 127. 1 – 4 John 20. 1 – 18 2 Corinthians 1. 3 – 7 or Colossians 3. or Mark 16. 1 - 8 12 – 17 Luke 2. 33 – 35 or John 19. 25b – 27 www.upperkennetnews.co.uk 2 rd The 33 Marlborough Brandt Lent Lecture MONKTON LENT LUNCH Baroness Cox MONDAY 9 (Founder, Director of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust MARCH (HART)) “The Pain and the Passion – The There will be a Lent lunch of soup, bread and cheese at Meadow Privilege of Making a Difference” Cottage, Winterbourne Monkton on Mon 9 March available from 12 noon until 2.30pm. Please do drop Thursday 5 March 8.00pm, Memorial Hall, Marlborough College in for a bowl of soup and a chat. (by kind permission of the Master) Donations towards Prospect House Baroness Cox writes “the focus of my talk is our work with HART (Savernake appeal) and Monkton supporting partners on frontlines of faith and freedom, who always inspire us church. Further information and offers of help to Penny 01672 with their indomitable courage, resilience and resourcefulness...we provide 539158 [email protected] . aid and advocacy for the unreached, unhelped and unheard.” Disabled parking available. Admission Free but there will be a gift aided retiring collection on behalf of the work of HART and the Marlborough Brandt Group BRIC A BRAC MONKTON STALL ‘ Touch Wood’ Monkton will be running a bric a A fun and interactive look at brac stall (in aid of the church) at the biblical roots of everyday the Avebury Spring Fayre on Sat 28 March. If you have any small items, clichés and sayings unused Christmas presents, etc. please donate to: Penny 01672 539158. Kennet Valley St James Church Avebury th Lottery Club 7.30 – 9pm Thursday March 12 2015 February Winning numbers Refreshments from 7pm £100 Number 9 Mike Morrissy £75 Number 17 Samantha France th £50 Number 65 Anne Robinson NB please note this date has CHANGED from March 5 as previously advertised! If you would like to join the lottery, please pick up an application form from any You are invited to join us for an church, or ring David Snape on 01672 861267 or email EQUALITY VIGIL [email protected] TH SATURDAY MARCH 14 2015 Another way to support our 10 – 12 Noon churches at West Overton, Fyfield and East Kennett outside the Jubilee Rooms Marlborough High Street This event is supported by Marlborough Poverty Action Group Marlborough Quakers, Transition Marlborough And Marlborough Churches Together www.upperkennetnews.co.uk 3 Thursday Nights are Steak Nights 2 STEAKS & WINE from £30 ~~~ Ladies Lunch 2 crs meal including wine MARCH at THE BELL £17 Wednesday 18th March 1pm 01672 861099 Charity Quiz Night Mothering Sunday Sunday 1st March 15th March Bookings now being taken 8pm start £1 per person Bath Road West Overton SN8 1QD www.thebellwestoverton.co.uk Avebury & District W.I. Craft Group The Craft Group holds a meeting on the afternoon of the first Wednesday of every month at the Social Centre, Avebury from 2 - 4pm. All are welcome. You do not need to be a W.I. member to attend. The cost is £3 per session. There are quilting courses and a variety of other crafts. For further details call Margaret on 539184 or Julie on 539072.