February 2016 Parish Magazine
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THE PARISH MAGAZINE OF ST PETER’S, EDGMOND WITH ST CHAD’S, KYNNERSLEY AND ST LAWRENCE PRESTON WEALD MOORS including VILLAGE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016 Visit us at www.stpeterschurchedgmond.org and www.edgmondparishcouncil.co.uk 1 RECTOR (usual day off: Monday) The Revd Prebendary Edward Ward, Edgmond Rectory 820217 RESIDENT MINISTER (part time; usual day off: Saturday) The Revd David Stokes-Harrison, Tibberton Rectory 551117 LICENSED READER Paul Benton 603071 CHURCHWARDENS John Ingram, Lovatt Cottage, 5 Turners Lane, Edgmond 810337 Chris Taylor, Provost’s House, High Street, Edgmond 810880 PCC SECRETARY Jane Gill 811201 TREASURER AND STEWARDSHIP RECORDER Rodney Bunyan 810957 ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER Dr Colin Brown 550164 TOWER CAPTAIN and RINGING MASTER Edric Broom 825851 TOWER SECRETARY Paul Lewis 820135 PUBLICITY c/o Penny Westgate 812920 MOTHERS’ UNION Margaret Matthews 825976 MAGAZINE EDITOR Sara Taylor, Provost’s House, Edgmond, TF10 8JY 810880 Email: [email protected] MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Chris Taylor, Provost’s House, Edgmond, TF10 8JY 810880 Email: [email protected] MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION Penny Hughes 07964 030621 2 Dear Friends, It is claimed that religion is in decline these days, or that it has collapsed completely apart from a few fuddy-duddies who practice it. But I don’t think that it has ever gone away. It is still there but perhaps in a different form which we may not have recognized. Certainly there was a time when new ideologies, such as communism, atheism, and humanism were supposed to have taken the place of religion. But these theories have failed to produce the wonderful future they had promised and people turned away from them. Perhaps in Western materialistic Europe people did not return to the traditional churches, but elsewhere church attendance is booming. People are better educated and are encouraged to think for themselves on all matters, but it sometimes seems to me that when it comes to religion people do not use their God- given gifts of reasoning, critical questioning and intelligence, which they use in all other matters. Their religious beliefs appear to be stuck in the infant class, and they quite rightly reject all the childish notions, ideas and images of that age. They do not allow their beliefs to mature, to investigate, to doubt and to question what Christianity says. Consequently they believe that when they rejected childish ideas then they have rejected all religion, which of course they have not. Bertrand Russell, the great philosopher, once said that “people do not want the truth, they want certainty”. And this is most definitely true in religion. Every religion has certain fundamental truths, but we have to discover the truth of them for ourselves. To say that something is true simply because it is in the bible, is an argument that does not hold any water. For instance, you must consider the historical, the cultural circumstances when it was first written and any re-editing it may have undergone, and what is the reasoning, the thought behind the words on the page, and is it an accurate translation. All these must be considered, which is why you must always have some form of commentary when reading the bible. While people might not in surveys describe themselves as members of a particular religion or denomination, they frequently describe themselves as spiritual. Now here is a word with umpteen meanings. It can mean a belief in the realm of the spirit, that there is something beyond and above human nature, something ethereal, something holy and sacred. And this is religious whilst not belonging to a particular belief system. There is a very great tradition of Christian spirituality which deepens a Christian’s experience of God. There are many great classics of spirituality which will help religious people to deepen their spiritual lives. As Lent approaches (it begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10th) perhaps it is the time for all of us to begin to study a little more deeply what we believe, why we believe it and why we reject certain beliefs; and also seize the opportunity to delve into the deep pool of Christian spirituality and mysticism. May God bless you. Your Priest and Friend, Edward Ward 3 SERVICES IN THE FEBRUARY DATE EDGMOND KYNNERSLEY PRESTON Thursday 4th 9.30 am Holy Communion SUNDAY 7th 7.45 am 10.30 am 9.00 am Next before Lent Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion 10.30 am Family Communion Wednesday 10th 9.30 am Ash Wednesday Holy Communion with Ashing 7.00 pm Holy Communion with Ashing Thursday 11th 9.30 am Holy Communion SUNDAY 14th 7.45 am 10.30 am 10.15 am Lent 1 Holy Communion Holy Communion Family Service 10.30 am Sung Eucharist 4.30 pm Healing Service Thursday 18th 9.30 am Holy Communion 8.30 pm Compline SUNDAY 21st 7.45 am 10.30 am 9.00 am Lent 2 Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion 10.30 am Family Communion 3.30 pm Holy Communion Thursday 25th 9.30 am Holy Communion SUNDAY 28th 7.45 am 10. 30 am 9.00 am Lent 3 Holy Communion Family Service Holy Communion 10.30 am Sung Eucharist 4 SIX PARISHES 2016 DATE TIBBERTON GREAT BOLAS WATERS UPTON Thursday 4th SUNDAY 7th 10.30 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Next before Lent Family Service Morning Prayer Holy Communion Wednesday 10th Ash Wednesday Thursday 11th SUNDAY 14th 9.00 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Lent 1 Holy Communion Holy Communion Said Communion Thursday 18th SUNDAY 21st 10.30 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Lent 2 Morning Prayer Holy Communion Holy Communion Thursday 25th SUNDAY 28th 9 . 00 am 10.30 am 9.15 am Lent 3 Holy Communion Holy Communion Holy Communion 5 FROM THE REGISTERS HOLY BAPTISM 15th November at St Chad’s, Kynnersley – Kit Stanley Dobson, son of Jack and Georgina Edge. 29th November at St John the Baptist, Great Bolas – Henry George, son of Alastair and Katie Heath. 29th November at St John the Baptist, Great Bolas – Thomas Ford, son of James and Jennifer Heath. CREMATIONS 18th December at Telford Crematorium – Alfred James (Jim) Wilson. BURIAL OF ASHES 14th December at St Michael’s, Waters Upton – Peter Batho. FROM THE EDITOR The first front cover of this new year focuses on some seasonal activites. Top left is a photo of preparations for a previous Plough Sunday Service in the Soil Hall at Harper Adams University. Edgmond’s Plough Sunday Service this year takes place on Sunday 24th January and we hope you haven’t missed it! Below that is a lovely picture of snowdrops to remind you of the walks which continue through February at Caynton House Farm – for details see page 11. Pictured bottom left in Edgmond’s recreational field car park are Police Community Support Officers from the local Safer Neighbourhood Team who do such a good job for us – on the right is PCSO Andy Protheroe whose latest contribution to our Parish Warden’s report can be found on page 10. Finally, the drawing of Edgmond Methodist Church on the right relates to an important notice which you can read on page 14. I hope you enjoy our front cover pictures which attempt to reflect aspects of life in our community – please do continue to snap whatever is going on and send me the photos. The next edition of the Parish Magazine and Village News will cover the month of March 2016 and the deadline for contributions is Sunday, 7th February. I would be very grateful if you can deliver your contributions in good time to me at the address on the inside front cover – or you can email them to me at [email protected]. And I’m always delighted to receive your photos (preferably by email) not just for the front cover, but also to illustrate your articles and contributions inside. Don’t forget that you can also read this magazine online on both the village and church websites (addresses on the front cover). 6 JIM WILSON The Chapel at Telford Crematorium was full with family, friends and former customers who had come to pay their respects to Jim Wilson, a well-known shopkeeper and character both in Newport and Edgmond. Jim’s parents had moved from Birmingham in the early 1920’s to take over a tobacconist and confectionery shop in the High Street, Newport. They lived over the shop and it was there that Jim was born in 1925. As his parents worked 12 hours a day, six days a week, Jim as a young boy was allowed to roam around Newport as long as he was back in time for meals, and so he became well-known in the many shops and workshops there. He was educated at the co-educational junior department at Newport High School and then at Adams Grammar School. He was very interested in science and technology, and his hobbies included making radios and model planes, and in later life he built the family’s first television set. In 1941 he left school to begin a manager-training course in Woolworth’s, a decision which infuriated the Headmaster who thought that Jim had made this decision just to annoy him! Jim met Jan when her family moved to Newport when her father was appointed to HMS Godwit at Childs Ercall, where he trained pilots in night time flying. Jim decided that he should join up, and he aimed to impress Jan’s father by joining the Fleet Air Arm. His first posting was to Butlin’s at Skegness, and ironically this was the only time he ever came under enemy fire.