Our Resource Is the Gospel, and Our Aim Is Simple;
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Bolingbroke Deanery GG rraappeeVViinnee APRIL 2014 ISSUE 454 Our Resource is the Gospel, and our aim is simple; “To secure a growing, worshipping, celebrating, proclaiming and caring Christian presence in each community of our Deanery.” 50p 1 Bishop’s Letter As I write, many of you will currently be attending Lent groups as part of the Diocesan Lent course this year, entitled ‘Faith at Work’. ‘Faith at Work’ is a clever title: it encapsulates our calling to live out our faith in whatever context we find ourselves – at work, home, school, church, etc. – and it also reminds us that faith itself is constantly ‘at work’ within us. As we go through life, each one of us is living out our calling to be a disciple of Jesus wherever God has set us. Thus our faith is informed by our life’s journey. But the converse is also true: that journey as the people of God is informed by our faith, and so we can truly say that our faith is ‘at work’ within us. While this holds true throughout our lives, Easter brings it into sharp relief. The desolation of Good Friday and the absolute finality that it suggests are so enormous that they can leave us feeling cut off and adrift. A fissure is created, a gap opened up between what we thought we knew to be true and the place in which we now find ourselves. It is when that kind of disjuncture happens that our faith really gets to work within us as we ask the questions about where the journey of faith is taking us, and what it is asking of each one of us. No other event in the Christian story asks this of us in the demanding way that we encounter in the raw power of the Easter story – and no other event shows the extent of God’s love for us as the gift of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. May God bless you and all those you love this Eastertide. +Christopher Lincoln: Cover photograph:- The Altar on the northern shore of Lake Galilee 2 HOLY WEEK 2014 Monday Hareby 6.30pm Evening Prayer Tuesday Cathedral 11.00am Chrism Mass Ashby By Partney 6.30pm Evening Prayer Wednesday St James Spilsby 10.30am Eucharist St Mary Hundleby 6.30pm Compline St Thomas the 7.30pm Eucharist Martyr Hagnaby Eucharist of Last Holy Thursday St Luke Stickney 7.00pm Supper Garden Service St James Spilsby 9.00pm & Vigil Good Friday Sausthorpe 10.00am Morning Prayer Spilsby Procession from UNITED Franklin Statue 11.45am PROCESSION via town to St Of WITNESS James Church St James Spilsby 1.15pm Liturgy St Helen East Keal 3.00pm Reflection St Benedict 6.00pm Tenebrae Candlesby Good Friday St Mary Hundleby 7.00pm Reflections Make Easter HOLY SATURDAY St James Spilsby 10.00am Garden St Jude New Leake 6.00pm Easter Vigil St Helen West Keal 8.00pm New Fire First Eucharist St James Spilsby 10.00pm of Easter South Ormsby 5.30am Dawn Service Rectory 3 A Pilgrimage To The Holy Land March 2014 Korazim (Korazin or Korazon) was a prosperous village at the time of Jesus’s ministry in Galilee. It is a little way inland in the hills, but still close to the North Western shores of the lake. It is near to Capernaum, a village where Jesus spent a lot of time, and in close proximity to the supposed sites of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes and the Mount of the Beatitudes. In Luke 10:1-16 we read of Jesus cursing the villages of Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum because they did not welcome his teaching: “Woe to you Korazin! Woe to you Bethsaida!… But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgement than for you.” The village was deserted following an earthquake, but the impressive, black, basalt stone remains of the village and its temple, remain an authentic site where we can truly tread in Christ’s footsteps. My wife Jane and I have visited Korazin four times over a number of years and the quiet, undisturbed, hillside setting possess a peace, tranquillity and beauty that always touches our hearts. I wrote this poem following our visit to Korazin on March 6th this year as part of our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 4 Korazin / Korazon Korizon, a place apart, Nestled in the folded hills, Hidden from the water’s view, In Galilee I find you still. Deserted now, the people gone, No sound of laughter, bustle, talk. Community of still, dark stones Is all I see as round I walk. But stones shout out, to me at least, And share their burden, history. We only know them for the curse, Because they spurned his ministry. Now, here, amongst the basalt bones Where once life prospered warts and all, The curse has gone, time has forgiven, I stand in thought beside a wall. If He could walk amongst your stones, Where once he felt your hardened heart, Would the peace that I feel now Welcome him, make him a part? And where’s the well-spring of your peace That now you share with all who come? Could it be that Christ himself Has come to stay at Korizon? Peter Staves March 7th 2014 5 STATIONS OF THE CROSS th 4 April - OLEM th 11 April - St James’ Church COMPLINE nd th th 2 /9 /16 April - St Mary’s Hundleby, 6,.30pm MASS th 9 April - All Saints Toynton, 7.30pm th 16 April - St Thomas the Martyr Hagnaby, 7.30pm Easter 2014 So many thoughts flood my mind as we approach another Easter. As I attended yet another Church Annual meeting I know how blessed I am to be surround by such an amazing group of people who give so much love in all that is done not just for a past but for a living way of life that allows God to work in the world he loves so much. To see that also in the various parts of the Holy Land in the crowded places as well as in the deserted ones to feel that even with all the powerful forces that try to divide us the simple wooden cross still wins the way of love. So many memories but among them is the narrow streets of the old city of Jerusalem, walking the “Via del a Rosa” along the shops and stalls, the smells and noise as Jesus would have done. 100 years ago the world was working itself up to war and we are entering a more uncertain and dangerous period too. Yet all your generosity over the last few months for the Philippines and Syria shows that there is a better way. As we prepare to start a new phase in the life of our Mother Church St James Spilsby after the reordering and of our Parishes with the new United Benefice and Team Ministry I know that we have only just begun and pray for the strength to carry on as Jesus did offering what he had and beyond hope bringing new life to all. With the birth of a new granddaughter Georgia I know that life is so full of the new life of Easter that the only way is to follow on. Every Blessing for Easter and beyond Fr Peter 6 The Parish Foundation Course. Discovering our faith, discovering God's call. It is my intention to run the Parish foundation course in the Bolingbroke Deanery starting after Easter. The course is designed to help people discover more about their Christian faith and how that relates to ourselves, our church and our society; and whilst doing so allow people to reflect upon their life's story, to reflect upon their Christian journey, and to discover God's unique call in their life. I hope to hold meetings at my own house where people can be seated comfortably in the warm and where there is the opportunity to break off for coffee and biscuits. The course has a booklet for each person which has a small amount of preparatory reading before each session followed by group work which will consist of discussion and paired work with time for reflection and prayer. There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss your opinions and share personal experiences. The parish foundation course is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with like-minded people and learn more about the Christian faith, but the course can also lead to lay ministry and lay leadership within the church should you discover that God calls you in this direction. The course runs over 15 sessions which will be run weekly following the school term times and will take breaks for holidays. Should you be interested in taking part in this wonderful opportunity I would ask you to make contact with myself on 01790 753553. I look forward to hearing from you. Father Martin. St Andrew St Andrew Little Steeping Halton Holegate Second Sunday at 6 Healing Service th th 13 April 20 April 6.00pm 6.00pm ALL WELCOME ALL WELCOME 7 READINGS AT THE EUCHARIST Principal Service Sunday 6th April 5th Sunday of Lent (Purple or Lent array) First Reading Ezekiel 37.1-14 Psalm/Canticle Psalm 130 Second Reading Romans 8.6-11 Gospel John 11.1-45 Sunday 13th April Palm Sunday (Red) Liturgy of the Palms: Liturgy of the Passion: First Reading Matthew 21.1-11 Isaiah 50.4-9a Psalm/Canticle Psalm 118.1-2, 19-end Psalm 31.9-16 [or118.19-24] [or31.9-18] Second Reading Philippians 2.5-11 Gospel Matthew 26.14-end of 27 or 27.11-54 Sunday 20th April Easter Day (Gold or White) First Reading Acts 10.34-43 or Jeremiah 31.1-6 Psalm/Canticle Psalm 118.1-2, 14-24 [or118.14-24] Second Reading Colossians 3.1-4 or Acts 10.34-43 Gospel John 20.1-18 or Matthew 28.1-10 The reading from Acts must be used as either the first or second reading.