‘From the Vicarage’ February 2021

‘My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’

That famous quote is of course from Forrest Gump in the eponymous film from 1994 (yes it really is 27 years old this year!) and it is true, life is full of surprises and often doesn’t pan out the way we would expect. I certainly get that sense as I look at the over-wintering broad bean plants that I sowed in November. All the books say that if you sow the right variety the fledgling plants will survive the frosts and produce a bumper and pest-free crop in the Spring. Well, this chocolate from the box has been rather a disappointment (a bit like pulling out the only toffee in a tin of lovely soft-centred chocolates) because the plants seem to have been decimated by the recent frosts.

Life rarely turns out as we expect. Maybe in a way God doesn’t always ‘turn out’ or act as we expect, and that is certainly something we might be feeling at the moment as we enter yet another phase in this dreadful pandemic. As you will read later in the magazine, it has been a hard decision whether to maintain services in church or close on grounds of safety and move entirely online. God though is a ‘God of Surprises’ as in the title of Gerard W. Hughes’ wonderfully spiritual book. There is almost a paradox in the title in that whilst we may feel in the midst of this pandemic and of grief, suffering, confusion that God is a God of Surprises whose nature confounds and surprises us, the very opposite is true. God is entirely predictable, constant, unchanging and eternal because the true surprise is God is found in the grief, suffering, confusion and messiness of life. As Hughes says in the preface to the second edition of his book… ‘we can knead the yeast (of the Kingdom of God) into the messy everyday events of our lives to work its transforming power.’

In other words, whatever the chocolate is we draw out the box, at heart it will always have God, and that is the true surprise.

In the love that unites us Every Blessing Andy The Revd Andy Muckle Worship in Church An update 21st January 2021

So as ever, as fast as I write something, the situation changes! Which echoes the sentiment of my ‘From the Vicarage’ article this month!

Early in January the Bishop wrote to all Incumbents and Churchwardens to advise us that the decision whether to remain open or for churches to close was delegated to the individual parishes. The Standing Committee met (virtually of course!) and we discussed at length what was the right thing to do in terms of safety, physical, spiritual and mental well-being for the whole church community, given that cases in the local area were rising. At that point we decided to stay open but with increased risk mitigation measures and reduced capacity. However, we would review the position in two weeks.

This we did and we discussed what was the right thing to do in terms of your safety and especially with the national and local situation not seemingly to be improving in terms of cases and deaths. We were also very mindful that the majority of churches have now closed to public worship. I am so grateful for the diligence and support of the Standing Committee in approaching these discussions with openness and honesty.

This was an incredibly hard decision because we believe our risk assessment and Covid-safety in church is good and as robust as we can make it. However, we hold everyone’s safety as a paramount concern and are extremely conscious of our responsibility to keep everyone as safe as possible. So reluctantly but unanimously we have decided to suspend public worship in church. We will review the situation at the end of the national lockdown.

To that end I have written to Bishop Karen, which by doing so gave the authority to dispense with B14 (requirement to hold a service of Holy Communion in church on a Sunday and Principal Holy Day).

My dear friends, I realise that this news will have been extremely disappointing to you all. Some of you have quite rightly been shielding and watching online, but many others of you have rejoiced in the opportunity to worship in church, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your forbearance with all the rules and regulations as we have tried to keep our church building open.

Now though, we move completely online again, and not in some form of retreat mode, but walking forwards on the way of the cross, and not alone either, but together as one body of Christ. To that end I hope many of you will be able to join on Facebook on a Sunday at 10am and on Thursday mornings at 9am on Zoom, and with the other services that will be taking place on Facebook and Zoom. I will, as before, send out details of how we can worship in these days. However, we worship though, through the power of the internet or in the quiet of our hearts, I believe we are united in the Holy Spirit and in prayer.

Before the Standing Committee met, I prayed a prayer that gave me a sense of strength and peace. I hope it does the same for you.

O Holy Spirit, Giver of light and life, impart to us thoughts higher than our own thoughts, and prayers better than our own prayers, and powers beyond own powers, that we may spend and be spent in the ways of love and goodness, after the perfect image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thank you for your support and love, it is always much appreciated. Pray for each other, love one another and stay safe With my love and prayers as always God Bless Andy

Lectionary Readings for February 2021

Sunday 7th February 2nd Sunday before Lent Colossians 1:15-20 John 1:1-14

Sunday 14th February Sunday next before Lent 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9

Wednesday 17th Feb Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58:1-12 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6 or John 8:1-11

Sunday 21st February 1st Sunday of Lent 1 Peter 3:18-end Mark 1:9-15

Sunday 28th February 2nd Sunday of Lent Romans 4:13-end Mark 8:31-end

‘Living in Love and Faith’ Lent 2021

Despite the restrictions we will be having a Sunday Lent Study Course and this year we will be engaging with the material ‘Living in Love and Faith’ (LLF).

You might wonder what is Living in Love and Faith? The LLF Co-ordinating group write this:

The is keenly aware that issues of gender and sexuality are intrinsic to people’s experience; their sense of identity; their lives and the loving relationships that shape and sustain them. We also know that the life and mission of our Church – and of the worldwide Anglican Communion – are affected by the deep, and sometimes painful, disagreements among us which have been debated and discussed on many occasions over the years.

These divisions have come into sharper focus because of society’s changing perspectives, especially in relation to lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex people. The Church wants to understand what it means to follow Christ in love and faith given the questions about human identity and the variety of patterns of relationship emerging in our society, including marriage, civil partnership, cohabitation, celibacy and friendship.

The LLF project is led by the Bishops of the Church of England because of their particular responsibility for upholding and teaching the Christian faith. However, the production of the resources has involved a large and diverse group of people. These include the members of the LLF Coordinating Group, chaired by the Bishop of Coventry, and the members of the four working groups focusing on the Bible, theology, history and the social and biological sciences. In addition, a much larger and even more diverse group of people have contributed to the resources by sharing their stories.

The LLF course explore these matters by studying what the Bible, theology, history and the social and biological sciences have to say, and by telling the real-life stories of followers of Christ with diverse experiences and convictions.

Personally, I think as Christians we have a duty to engage with this material in an open, honest and loving way where we share our own thoughts yet are open to each other’s perspectives and experiences and hold all these views in love and faith. With the current restrictions we have no choice but to hold the Lent Course via the Zoom platform and the course will be held on five Sundays at 4pm on Zoom (lasting for about an hour) and the schedule is below:

Sunday 21st February 4pm Learning together 28th February 4pm Identity 7th March 4pm Relationships 21st March 4pm Sex 28th March 4pm Life together

Each session is a mixture of video, Bible Study and discussion. If you are unable to access Zoom. I would encourage you to try and read the material which can be downloaded free from https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/living-love-and- faith/living-love-and-faith-book

There is no doubt that engaging with such material may bring some degree of anxiety as we discuss difficult issues where we hold deep-seated and personal viewpoints. The LLF group had produced some Pastoral Principles which they ask us to hold as we engage with the material. They ask us to:

These are really good to hold as we begin this journey together, but more than anything the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God will all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. If we hold that love before us as we engage with this material, I think it will be life-giving and life changing as we take a further step down the road of living in love and faith together.

If you have any questions, then as ever, please do get in touch with me. With love and prayers God Bless! Andy THE BIRDS AND BEES

Here is some good news: all new major roads will have wildflower-friendly verges that could boost our numbers of birds and bees.

Highway England has said that vibrant road verges will be created as standard on new roads over 300 miles in England, using low nutrient soils which will be seeded with wildflowers or left to grow naturally.

A staggering 97 per cent of our meadows have been destroyed since the Thirties, due to modern agriculture. This means that the 238,000 hectares of road verges across the UK could become a vital habitat for pollinators.

The Government has pledged to build 4,000 miles of new road by 2025.

MU theme for 2021 – “Rebuilding Hope and Confidence”

A year ago we had great plans for the year and could not have imagined the consequences of the Covid pandemic and that we would still be facing such problems today. We have adapted to new ways and been forced to keep up with technology, allowing us to remain connected and to hold our AGM via Zoom last month. This went well despite technical difficulties on the night (Zoom overload?) and members made the decision to start holding our monthly meetings on Zoom. Our Committee remains the same, apart from Michael taking over the role of Treasurer from Mary K as she is standing down after many years, and has our heartfelt thanks for the sterling work she has done in keeping the books straight and filling in the forms each year. Eileen also agreed to continue as our Secretary, and has earned our thanks for helping me to keep the emails flowing which have allowed us to keep connected and up to date with things that have been going on in the Diocese and wider MU.

It has been difficult finding anything to write about each month as activities have been curtailed, but with spring in the offing and as the snowdrops appear in our garden (yes, we have had some out since early January), and as the days get longer and the vaccine programme gets rolled out, I can feel my spirits lifting. Talking about the vaccine, one of my brothers -in-law amused me the other day by his thoughts on who should receive the vaccine first in an orchestra.

‘The pianist as a key worker. Ah, but you don’t know if the violinist has been pulling a few strings and someone is harping on about being kept in the frame, whilst those at the back are drumming up support. Others are blowing their own trumpets. The recorders are doing notes and the bell ringers are going to appeal. But I would keep an eye on the conductor because he knows the score!

Corny, but I hope it brought a smile to your face!

Dates for your diary Saturday 6th February – MU Wave of Prayer at 2.30pm via our church Zoom link. Other deanery members are being invited to join us. This will be our February meeting. Monday 15th March – Lent Communion at 7pm via Zoom – Revd. Andy.

As things stand, and with ever changing regulations, we are not able to plan much in advance but will start to get a programme together and can look forward with faith and hope, and continue to take care, support and love one another. Elizabeth

Geraldine Cole (01202 870635) [email protected] Rosemary Dunning (01202 871616) [email protected] Julie Hardman (01202 894881) [email protected]

Amazingly we have lots to report on the fundraising for our committee over the Christmas period prior to this current lockdown 3.

We held two Christmas stalls at The Allendale Centre, Wimborne, Friday “Minster Market” on the 4th December and 18th December with a Christmas array of produce and gifts. We raised £273.25 for both combined stalls.

A Christingle Service was held in Church (raising £87.77) and also St Mary’s School collected coins in their Christingle Candles which raised £229.85. Special thanks to Rev’d Andy for organising the Christingles this year during very difficult times.

The Christmas collections at Church, together with half of the donations given for the Parish Christmas card, amounted to £353.00 which our committee are most grateful to have received.

The Children’s Society Christmas cards were ordered to the value of £175.75. Thank you for your support in ordering and buying them.

Ending this article with a message received from The Chief Executive of the Children’s Society, Mr Mark Russell,

“This year (2020) the incredible lifeline your kindness gives young people has never been more important. Covid-19 has turned all our lives upside down, but it has hit young people especially hard. They’ve been disconnected from their friends and their education, and those who have it the toughest of all have often been cut off from the essential support they rely on. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to rise to the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced this year. You’ve helped us to stay in touch with young people in lockdown by providing them with the technology to access therapy sessions and mental health support when they’re struggling. Because of you, children in poverty had food to eat and clean clothes to wear – and those who’ve been trapped with their abusers have been able to reach us and get help. It’s no exaggeration to say that the lifeline you’ve enabled us to provide has saved children’s lives……..”

With love and thanks and please stay safe Geraldine Cole/Rosemary Dunning/Julie Hardman

A prayer for the work of The Children’s Society The Rt Revd Libby Lane Bishop of Derby and Vice-chair of Trustees The Children’s Society.

Disruptive God, in Jesus you confront the misuse and abuse of power, welcoming the least and the youngest and placing a child at the heart of your Kingdom. Bless the children and young people of this generation, and by your Holy Spirit, protect, restore and encourage those disadvantaged by poverty, abuse and neglect. Inspire and guide the Children’s Society to be brave, ambitious, supportive and trusted in all its work, and to listen, support and act, so that no child should feel alone. Give us all the grace to be transformed, seeking your kingdom in generous service, and following the example of Jesus, holy and humble, our hope and salvation. Amen

Finding your Hidden Treasure Take a Little Word

In the thirteenth of our instalments from Ben O’Rourke’s book ‘Finding your hidden treasure’ he talks about using short words or phrases to take us into the inward journey to our own hearts…or as I might describe it…finding the earworm! Saturday Mediation is at 10am on the second Saturday of the month and is currently taking place on the Zoom platform. If you would like details of how to join the Meditation group, please get in touch with me. In the love that unites us Every Blessing Andy

Ben O’Rourke writes:

The fourteenth century writer of the book The Cloud of unknowing suggests that in prayer you can reach out to God in a single word. ‘Take a little word, of one syllable. The shorter the better. Maybe a word like “God” or “love.” Fix this word in your heart, so that whatever happens it will not go away. This word is your protection, whether you are at peace or disturbed. With this word you beat on the cloud that stands between you and God. With this word you beat down any other thoughts that assail you. Stay with your word, and you will find that all other thoughts will not trouble you for long.’

The tradition of using one simple word or phrase in this way goes back to a contemporary of Augustine’s John Cassian. The former Rowan Williams recalls that someone once wrote that the deepest problem in prayer is often not the absence of God but the absence of me. I’m not actually there. My mind is everywhere. So, he suggests taking a few deep breaths and use some simple words like “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy.”

These familiar words and rhythms matter, they are phrases that stick and if you let them, sit in your mind. Rowan Williams says ‘That’s a beginning of being there. And when you are there God can relate to you. God cannot speak to you if you are not actually there.’

From ‘Finding your hidden treasure’ by Benignus O’Rourke (Darton, Longman & Todd, 2010)

FROM THE According to ancient tradition (!) the probationer choristers of the Cathedral celebrate Shrove Tuesday by cooking pancakes in the Deanery kitchen. Boys, girls, and staff members crowd around as lemons are squeezed, sugar is scattered, and pancakes are flipped. Some are caught and some are not: the presence of two Deanery tortoises in the corner of the room is always a significant distraction. Above the din I try to explain how once upon a time this was the day when all the household’s butter and eggs were used up in readiness for the Lenten fast. Pancakes eaten, we troop out into the back garden for a more solemn but no less fascinating ritual. The stacks of palm crosses collected from the congregation in previous weeks are thrown into a fire, and the probs are told about the ashing that will take place in the Cathedral the following day. Appetite and curiosity satisfied, the children return to school. None of that will happen this year. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday fall within the earliest dates envisaged for the ending of our current lockdown, and it seems inconceivable that we will be able to observe Lent – or, for that matter, Holy Week and Easter – in anything like the manner to which we were once accustomed. Like the butter and the eggs, like the probationers’ pancakes, our routines, our traditions, our habits are being devoured by a pandemic which seems to go on and on. And, we might ask, when all these have been devoured, what is left? The answer is: the ash. The gritty, resilient, irreducible residue that clings to the bottom of the barbeque when the palm crosses have been burnt and the flames have died down. It’s this gritty, resilient, irreducible residue that we daub on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. Ash is what remains when everything else has been taken away. It makes you think. Ash which cannot be destroyed; ash which endures. This year of all years, could there be any more potent symbol of God’s gritty, resilient, irreducible love for us?

GOD IN THE SCIENCES Dr. Ruth Bancewicz; Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge.

Hope for 2021: Celebrating the now and future creation

I find that watching buds swelling on trees and plants during the winter months gives me a tremendous sense of hope. We may all need some need extra hope for 2021, after the events of 2020. By the time you read this a number of us may have been fortunate enough to receive a COVID vaccine, but all of us will probably still be under various kinds of restrictions. After creation’s winter shut- down, the sight of tiny flowers poking out of brown earth may be more important than ever.

Getting outdoors during daylight hours, enjoying green spaces and getting some fresh air and exercise are great ways to keep ourselves healthy at any time of year. A psychologist colleague wrote, “Attending to the details of nature can also inspire awe, which has been linked to positive mood and increased life satisfaction.” I expect it is this sense of awe that makes it easier for many of us to connect with God outdoors.

Helping ourselves and others to thrive is a good start to 2021, but it is also vital to have hope for the future. The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by an animal virus jumping into the human population. Diseases like this are not ‘natural disasters’, but are almost certainly caused by environmental destruction and poor farming practices - either from greed or the desperation born of poverty. Part of the answer to the current crisis is for us to care for all of Creation, both human and everything else, with God’s help.

Our ultimate hope is in God’s promise that He will bring about a new heavens and new earth. We can look forward to the day when Creation will be fully redeemed and liberated from evil. The Greek word used to describe the new creation is the same as that used to describe someone who becomes a Christian, whose humanity is restored and renewed. There will be continuity between the old and new earth as it is cleansed and purified, surpassing and perfecting what has gone before. There will also be some discontinuity, as there will be no more suffering or death.

So, one source of hope for 2021 is that we can enjoy both caring for and meeting God in Creation. But the parts of Creation that we find most beautiful, giving us a sense of awe and helping us to worship, are also a reminder that there is something much better to come.

How can I worship? My dear sisters and brothers

Whilst we cannot meet in church, I hope we can stay connected in worship and prayer through the internet and of course in our phone calls and emails.

There will be a Sunday service streamed live at 10am on Facebook (of course technology willing!) https://www.facebook.com/stmaryswestmoors As ever, a reminder that you do not need a Facebook account to watch the service.

On Wednesday mornings at 9am whilst the church is closed, I will be praying Morning Prayer on Zoom (the daily office of Morning Prayer from Common Worship). It would be lovely to have others join me on Zoom. You will not need any books or anything, all the words will be put on the screen.

On Thursday mornings at 9am we will continue to have Thursday@9 on Zoom where we explore the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday. This is very gentle, and no experience is required!

Both the Zoom services are on the common church Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85483452226 Meeting ID: 854 8345 2226

For those who find technology a little more problematic, there is always the Archbishop of Canterbury’s telephone line Daily Hope which offers daily reflections, music and services. All this is free and the number is 0800 804 8044

Paul says in his letter to the Romans, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. There will be times when the internet fails, our courage wavers or our strength weakens. Times when we feel disconnected and alone from our sisters and brothers in Christ. In those times, we can take a moment’s silence and offer ourselves to God, without words and without expectation, but knowing that the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf.

I hope that will be some comfort to you as it is to me. Pray for each other, love one another and stay safe With my love and prayers God Bless! Andy HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATION Canon Paul Hardingham

“I can resist everything but temptation” (Oscar Wilde). During Lent we remember Jesus’ experience in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), when ‘He was led by the Spirit.. to be tempted by the devil.’ (1). Temptation is a test of obedience, whether we do things our way or God’s way. After 40 days of fasting Jesus was tired, hungry and vulnerable. Like Him, the Devil will attack us at our most vulnerable moments, especially during this pandemic.

The first temptation was to turn stones into bread: Jesus’ ministry was not about meeting His own needs, but being nourished by God’s Word. ‘We do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Deuteronomy 8:3). Like Jesus, we are called to make God our priority and trust Him completely.

The second temptation was to put God to the test: Jumping off the Temple pinnacle would have been a dramatic way for Jesus to gain popularity, but this is not God’s way! ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ (Deuteronomy 6:16). We too need to learn this lesson!

The third temptation was to worship Satan: Finally, the devil took Jesus to a mountain to offer Him worldly power. In contrast, His calling as Messiah was marked by suffering and honouring God. ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’ (Deuteronomy 6:13). This is often our experience in living for God.

Jesus stands with us in our temptations. As we claim the promises of Scripture, we will find strength in the power of the Spirit and the victory of the Cross.

‘If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!’ (Corrie Ten Boom).

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BEWARE HAND SANITISER!

Don’t let vulnerable members of your family accidentally poison themselves with hand sanitiser. It can kill them.

Poisonings from swallowing alcohol- based hand sanitiser have more than doubled in the past year, to nearly 400. Doctors from the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford urge that more needs to be done to protect children, the elderly or anyone with mental health issues, from mistaking the sanitiser for a drink.

2021 BY ANOTHER ROAD Bishop Karen Gorham ‘They left for their own country by another road.’ Matthew 2:12b I wonder what happened to the wise men. How were their lives shaped from that day when they left Bethlehem and returned to their own country by another road? How did seeing the longed for Messiah change the rest of their lives? It was really encouraging in the Autumn to engage with clergy and laity from across the diocese to look back at what church life had been like in 2020. This time last year we would never have imagined or believed how the year would turn out, and yet amidst all the tragedy, the fear, the anxiety, the challenge, there have been many signs of hope, new life, creativity, energy, of discovering new ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Our calling now is to go forward into this New Year, in the light of 2020, by another road. To take that which has been good, new and energising into our future, not just as the church, but also as individuals. What may this look like? Well, for me my first three and a half years in this role meant spending a great deal of time indoors and in the car. My challenge therefore going forward is to consider how I continue to reduce my mileage and create space to take time to enjoy God’s creation. It is about deciding how I utilise the many benefits of Zoom without spending most of the week in front of a screen. It is about continuing to bring clergy and County leaders together around common topics whilst paying attention to the needs of the local church. January 2021 will also be like no other January we have ever had. Whilst still taking care, with the possibility of being vaccinated by the summer, our resolutions can be about the life post-Covid we wish to retain and the new possibilities we need to grasp. So, what will returning by another road mean for you? The Wise Men knew to avoid returning the way they had come. We need to learn that lesson too because the year 2020 will have taught us nothing if we go back the same way. +Karen

TO MAKE YOU SMILE . . .

Miscellaneous observations on modern life

As any member of a committee will tell you, after all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done.

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink lager all day.

If I wanted to hear the pitter-patter of little feet, I’d put shoes on my cat.

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

‘Most cars on our roads have only one occupant, usually the driver.’ (BBC reporter)

I really don’t mind getting older, but my body is taking it badly.

I thought getting old would take longer.

Cleaning is just putting stuff in less obvious places.

A THOUSAND TIMES THANK YOU A lovely letter from the Headteacher at St Mary’s School received recently:

Dear Reverend Andy

I am writing to you and your parishioners to offer our sincere thanks for the many generous donations received here at St Mary’s School. Before Christmas we were able to extend much needed help to several families who were facing financial difficulty. I have no doubt that your kind donations made all the difference at such an important time in the children’s lives.

Since our school has been forced to restrict access to pupils and families, many more children are accessing their learning from home. In some families, our pupils may find that they do not have either an internet enabled device or if the family has more than one child, then it is often the youngest children who find themselves missing out as older siblings are given priority. Your generous donations have meant that we can purchase additional devices to support those learners through this hiatus. This has been crucial as St Mary’s, like many other schools, are still waiting to receive their allocated laptops from the Department for Education.

We have regular discussions with our pupils about how we all belong to the St Mary’s ‘Family’, indeed we recently adopted the value of ‘Family’ as one of our principle school values. It is incredibly humbling for me, as their Headteacher, to feel the generosity and warmth coming from the wider St Mary’s family. However remote we currently are from each other, you will each and everyone be always in our thoughts and our prayers.

God bless and on behalf of the entire St Mary’s Family, thank you.

Warmest regards

Roy Sewell

Headteacher St Mary’s CE First School & Nursery West Moors

‘Believe in better…be more AWESOME – for anything is possible with God’

DESCRIBE WHAT LOVE IS

J R Miller (1840-1912) was considered by many to be the most gifted devotional writer of his generation. His book ‘In Green Pastures’ was much loved. Here is J R Miller’s paraphrase of the famous ‘love’ passage in 1 Corinthians 13:

Love thinks no evil. It does not suspect unkindness in kindly deeds. It does not imagine an enemy in every friend. It does not fear insincerity in sincere professions of esteem. It does not impugn others’ motives nor discount their acts.

On the other hand, it overlooks foibles and hides the multitude of faults that belong to every human being, even to those who are the holiest and the best. Love believes in the good that is in people and tries to think of them always at their best, not at their worst.

It looks, too, at the possibilities that are in people, what they may become through divine love and grace, and not merely at what they now are. It is wonderful how seeing through love’s eyes changes the whole face of earthly life, transfiguring it. If the heart be filled with suspicion, distrust, and doubt of people, the world grows very ugly. But love sees brightness, beauty and hope everywhere.

GOD IN THE ARTS - Rev’d Michael Burgess

Forty days and forty nights

On the 17th of this month, we enter the season of Lent: those 40 days when we follow Jesus into the wilderness and prepare ourselves to celebrate His Easter victory. In the last century an artist called Stanley Spencer planned to create a series of 40 paintings, each depicting a day in the wilderness. In the end he completed nine, one of which is this month’s painting from 1939: ‘Christ in the Wilderness – Scorpions.’ It is currently held in a private collection.

Stanley Spencer lived and worked in the village of Cookham in Berkshire. The village and the local countryside were the setting for many of his paintings, and the village’s inhabitants his models. Through their everyday life he was trying to glimpse and convey the transcendent. ‘Angels and dirt’ he called it: the divine seen in the ordinary. So, in a painting of Christ carrying His cross, Jesus has the face of the local grocer.

Another villager modelled for this Jesus in the wilderness: a strong, hefty, broad figure. This is a great contrast to the Christ of stained-glass windows who often seems too good to be part of our world. Here is real life: a large man filling the canvas with his head, his hands and his feet. This figure of Jesus comes as a shock: a very human model, ordinary with nothing handsome or special about him, apart from his tunic which seems to sprawl and undulate like the hills around. Here is a Jesus born into this world and one with this world.

There are two focal points in the painting – the neat, little scorpion and the massive, unkempt head contemplating each other. One is life in all its hefty reality; the other a tiny creature able to squeeze that life out by one swift flick of its tail.

Jesus is shown in the wilderness pondering the life and ministry called of Him by God – a life and ministry that will take Him from the countryside into the towns and villages and take Him also to the death of Good Friday. Will He find the strength and renewal to embrace that ministry during His time in the desert? During Lent as we follow Jesus, we seek to live for God. That may mean dying to all that separates us from God.

He has a ministry, a calling for each of us. As we contemplate that calling in this season of Lent, we may find it is a calling that leads us through these 40 days to life and Easter life – we may find it a journey that calls us to die to self to find our God. FROM THE SIDELINES at ST MARY’S Paul Middleton, Karen Clark Church Wardens Louise Collins, Stuart Stebbing Assistant Wardens

As I write these Sidelines we remain in a national lockdown and the end date remains unknown. Therefore, church life also remains changeable to reflect this and worship continues to be different. These difficult times continue and it is never easy weighing up the decision about whether it is safe to keep the Church open. I want to reassure you that the Standing Committee meets (virtually) regularly to review the risks and to review also the current government and Church of England requirements. Everyone has been working so hard to keep the Church sanitised and clean between services with sitting socially distanced 2 metres apart in bubbles and entering and exiting as asked. This is much appreciated. However, given the vulnerability of some of our congregation; through age and health, and the new variant of COVID-19 and the greater ease of spread – the difficult decision has been made that the Church will close. Instead services will now be online. We appreciate that not everyone is able to access the services online and as soon as it is safe and permitted to reopen the Church the Standing Committee will do so. In the meantime this month sees the commencement of Lent with Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday the 16th of February and Ash Wednesday follows on the 17th of February. Should anything change regarding lockdown please check the regular communications from Rev’d Andy for Lent study and services that may be permitted subject to any national restrictions. If you are not currently receiving the pew sheets and would like to then please let Rev’d Andy know. With this comes other community news about St Mary’s First School and the Town Council to help us all remain connected whilst we stay safe at home. Present circumstances are not easy for anyone. Even if you live on your own you are not alone and through our faith you know that God is with us. There are lots of people ready to help in the community too so please try not to worry and do reach out if you need help. The lighter evenings are coming, the bulbs are bursting up through the ground and the green shoots of spring are forming. So too we have the hope of the vaccinations being rolled out and I know some of you have already had your first dose. This too, like spring, brings us the hope of reuniting in the months ahead. In the meantime, please keep safe at home.

Paul Middleton