June - July 2018 Price 50P
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June - July 2018 Price 50p A CHRISTIAN COMMENT - OF SORTS ! h dear! I’ve done But there was nothing! No their diary! And what was Osomething that I haven’t space. No blank columns. No worse, I realised that, unless done before – as far as I know. white paper. No gaps. No you were absolutely desperate I have missed a deadline. Not comments. Nothing! I flicked to read a Christian Comment, for this magazine, I hasten to through the pages. It all looked you would never have known add, (Oh no! we are far too on pretty much the same. And that it was missing! top of things, here in the Exe then I noticed something! My Valley!) but for another space had been filled! And of course, that’s exactly publication I occasionally get what happens, isn’t it? So asked to write for. And I many of us intend to make a completely forgot about it. I bit of space for God in our lives, just didn’t see it in my diary! In but stuff happens and the fact, I am not even sure that I NO TIME space that we have tried to put it there, in the first place. I carve out gets filled with didn’t even have so much as a FOR GOD ?? things. Necessary things. twinge of alarm as the deadline Things that take time. Things date came and went. that fill every available bit of space, so that there are no And then, of course I realised! Outrageously, my space had gaps left to think, pray, been filled! The place where I worship and wonder. Well, I sulked round the supermarket was supposed to have waxed hopefully with Summer and bought a copy of the lyrical, pointing the population approaching, there will be the newspaper I was supposed to towards spiritual truth and opportunity to find the gaps have contributed to. I half enlightenment, towards a God and make time for all sorts of expected to see a snide, who loves them and cares for lovely things, but especially barbed headline wagging its them and Jesus his son who important, some space for God. finger at me on the front page. died for them, that space had But there was nothing. been filled by something else! I went through the remaining May the Son shine on us all! Things like supermarkets, pages, wondering if there recipes, and cars, allowing would be a half page spread of extra space for yet more letters Steph ABSOLUTELY NOTHING or from people who comment on ‘THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A something every single week, CHRISTIAN COMMENT IN THIS people who presumably have Please read additional SPACE IF ONLY THE RECTOR the common sense to put the information from Steph on OF THE EXE VALLEY HAD publication deadline date in PULLED HER FINGER OUT...’ Pages 3 and 19 Copy Deadline for August / September 2018 issue Monday 9 July 2018 TODAY June / July 2018 THE EXE VALLEY CHURCHWARDEN CHILDREN’S MISSION COMMUNITY CONTACT DETAILS GROUPS Calverleigh, Cruwys Calverleigh EXE VALLEY TODDLERS Morchard, Loxbeare, Aubrey Goldsworthy 01884 255248 (For under 5ives) Oakford, Rackenford, [email protected] Friday mornings during Term-time Jackie Herniman 01884 255814 Stoodleigh, Templeton, [email protected] at Calverleigh Village Hall Washfield and Withleigh 10 am - 12 noon Cruwys Morchard Diana Vincent 01363 860227 Toys, snacks, songs and more !! [email protected] For more information contact Sarah Cruwys 01884 860287 Liz Heywood on 01884 881583 RECTOR [email protected] You can also find us on Facebook Loxbeare The Rectory, Withleigh, Ron Tidball 01884 881362 Tiverton, EX16 8JQ [email protected] EDITORIAL Jean Heard 01884 881400 Tel: 01884 250417 [email protected] Email : Steph@ Oakford At last the sun is shining and the exevalleymissioncommunity.org Wendy Boynton 01398 351383 temperature is rising. Everything is [email protected] growing amazingly quickly now, to make Dawn Williams 01398 324035 up for lost time, and our garden looks like a jungle !! Still, green’s an OK colour !! PERSONAL ASSISTANT [email protected] Stephen Hirst Rackenford How wonderful to have the pot-holes down Mary Cann 01884 881696 C/O The Rectory from the Rackenford Road into Washfield [email protected] transformed into a wonderful smooth road. Tel: 01884 250417 Stoodleigh Maybe they’ll do the road going the other Email: office@ Margaret Cuningham 01398 351252 way down past Hatswell next !! exevalleymissioncommunity.org [email protected] Peter Broadbent 01398 351374 It has been renewal time for our NON STIPENDIARY MINISTER [email protected] Advertisers and we would like to thank them for their continued support and to Templeton welcome several new adverts. We could East Sidborough, Loxbeare, Jan Heptinstall 01884 255399 not survive without you all. [email protected] Tiverton EX16 8DA. William Withers 01884 253030 It is also “Brown Envelope” time again. [email protected] Tel: 01884 256302 These bring in much needed income and [email protected] Washfield your contributions are greatly valued Jeanne Jones 01884 254306 Whether you come to Church or not, we READER [email protected] hope that you find it interesting to know what has been going on in our nine Withleigh Parishes and also make use of the adverts. The Paddock, Brenda Tucker 01884 252431 We haven’t increased the price for two [email protected] years and 50p would seem like good value. 2 Kensington Court, Paul Iliff 01884 253473 Washfield,Tiverton,EX16 9QU [email protected] Jenny and Geoff Tel: 01884 253463 [email protected] MAGAZINE EDITORS Keepers Cottage, Lower Washfield, Tiverton, EX16 9PF Tel: 01884 254402 [email protected] ADVERTISEMENTS As above - using email address [email protected] 2 TODAY June / July 2018 O Divine Master, grant that I may not The June issue included a brief history of Steph Reflexe … so much seek to be consoled, St Mary’s, Calverleigh, from its origin in as to console; 1337 through its state of being ‘miserable have just come back from a few days to be understood as to understand; and neglected’ in 1855 and its Victorian Iaway, in Assisi. I have never been to be loved as to love. restoration. before. It is, allegedly, one of those ‘thin’ For it is in giving that we receive; places, where the distance between it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; The future of Rackenford’s Church Room heaven and earth is so slim it is virtually and it is in dying that we are born to was in doubt, and was to be discussed at non-existent - or so people believe. eternal life. an open meeting in mid-July. Percy Stone retired after 27 years as sexton. And I can see why. Assisi is truly a Steph beautiful place; the art work, the ‘Stoodleigh Beacon’ focussed on our architecture, and the surrounding feelings of need of security. The fate of landscape. However, I think the thing that FROM THE ARCHIVES Nos. 1 & 2 Church Cottages was to be struck me most was the people. There decided by a vote by parishioners. was an extraordinary gathering of people, ‘TODAY’ 50 years ago from all over the world, young and old, June and July, 1968 Loxbeare was to lose the old yew tree the sick and the healthy, the religious and which was beginning to damage the the curious, the certain and the doubtful. church tower. The streets were full of pilgrim groups, ev. Herniman’s lead articles, continued in controversial vein, that walking together, singing, ‘Alleluia’, R £55 was raised by members of the in June castigating the government for praising God unashamedly and openly as Withleigh choir, through an eight mile selling arms to Nigeria, where there was they walked from one holy place to walk, to buy psalters and build up a fund a genocide in progress, and to which we another. for choir robes. were, therefore, party. In the July issue he focussed on the ‘automatic right’ to I couldn’t help pondering what a huge Washfield M.U. members were off to impact Francis, his cousin Clare and their university education which was producing graduates qualified in theory, Arlington Court for their coach outing, at companions must have had on their city. a cost of 7/6d (37½p) each! What reckless youths they were! I expect but who had no understanding of the some of the older generation thought they practicalities of real world. were barking! Yet their wholehearted Paul Iliff obedience to follow Jesus Christ has The sale of Withleigh ‘church sheep’ in been a lasting example to many people, Tiverton Market had raised £150, and throughout the world. thanks were expressed to farmers and organisers. I hope to be that dedicated - although I NATURE NOTES expect I like shoes, fine dining and Oakford were having problems with dogs comfort far too much. However, I have scratching over and fouling the e were recently encouraged to review found myself saying and singing along churchyard. Wthe list of endangered species in with St Francis: Britain and it was with mixed feelings that Holidays at Home ran from Sunday 28 one saw that so many were in Devon. Lord, make me an instrument July to Wednesday 7 August, generally at Anyway, I came across Bastard Balm, of your peace, Calverleigh, but beginning with a Group and it made me think of the naming of Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Service on 28 July at Stoodleigh. On things and to wonder at the ancient where there is injury, pardon; Sunday 4 August, there were activities in creative, who decided to name it this or where there is doubt, faith; all of the parishes.