Red Bridge in Praise of Peanut Butter One Quirky Change of Life Under Coivd-19 Is That for Some Reason, We Are Eating More Peanut Butter
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St Luke St Gregory the Great St John the Baptist Newton Poppleford Harpford (BCP) Colaton Raleigh "Normal" Sunday services are unlikely to be happening for some while yet. A Sunday service on 'Zoom' is held at 10.00am each Sunday mainly for the congregations of Mark's 'patch' – the parishes of Newton Poppleford, Harpford, Colaton Raleigh and Tipton St John with Venn Ottery – though anyone with internet access is welcome to join in. Email Mark Ward to receive the link to join in. Mark is following this each Sunday with a simple said service in St Luke's Church, Newton Poppleford at 11.00am. Of course, this will have to follow the safety rules – hand sanitising on entry and exit, social distancing and wearing of face covering. No singing is permitted, so it won't be 'returning to normal' At present, chairs are set out at 2 metre distancing, so there is only space for some 20 people (depending on how many come as couples or family groups). You'll be welcomed if you do come, but please obey any instructions from the steward, and don't be disappointed if there is not enough room to fit you in safely. Colaton Raleigh Church is open for private prayer a couple of mornings a week – Tuesdays from 10.00am to 1.00pm, and Fridays from 2.00pm to 5.00pm – please respect the safety and distancing rules. the simple said service in St Luke's Church will start at 10.55am and there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial outside Harpford Church at 10.55am Please be aware of Social Distancing and that you will be standing on a public highway. St Luke's Church website is at www.newtonpopplefordchurch.org.uk The Vicar is the Reverend Mark Ward on 01395 568390, [email protected] also at www.facebook.com/revmarkward. Please respect the Vicar's day off which is Tuesday. Rector for Otter Vale Mission Community is currently vacant, – contact parish office 01404 812062 St Luke St Gregory the Great St John the Baptist Church Contacts Newton Poppleford Harpford Colaton Raleigh Churchwardens Haylor Lass 568786 Brian Bartlett 568718 Nick Higgins 568074 Jaclynn Baker 567665 John Russell 579986 Alan Hulse 567064 Funerals Admin Sandra Duffin 567665 Hon. Secretary vacancy Jane Bartlett 568718 Susan Tyrrell 568166 Hon Treasurer John Slade 567152 Hendrik Vollers Brian Turnbull 567339 Capt. of Ringers Bob Pearce 568628 David Pester 446043 Safeguarding Jaclynn Baker 576895 Mark Ward 568390 Mark Ward 568390 Prayer Coordinator Audrey Callis 568742 Musical Director Flower team organiser Flower co-ordinator Ruth Lass 568786 Lorraine Frost 567521 Gill Townshend 567460 Holy Baptism, Holy Matrimony, Funerals, Sick Communions at all three Churches Please get in touch with one of the churchwardens who will liaise with the Team clergy. November 2020 Parish Magazine NP, H & CR people dying in the UK now is just over seventy-nine for men and about eighty-three for women. OVEMBER is the time for remembrance. It includes Remembrance Sunday and We all know this, of course, and yet it N Remembrance Day itself on the sometimes seems as though, as a society, we eleventh but also All Souls’ Day, which is an have colluded with the myth that, if we give occasion for remembering all those who have enough funding to the NHS, and if we get social died. care right, and if we fight disease, somehow we will avoid death all together. If we were asked, Remembering loved-ones who have now died is none of us would actually say this, and yet bittersweet. It can be emotionally painful but when someone wants to talk about their own also therapeutic. Loss is hard, but if we try to death, they are told, “Don’t talk like that. run away from our memories and pretend that You’re not going to die.” Worse still, we place we are fine (we’re always “fine” aren’t we?) the sick and dying in solitary confinement and they will catch up with us eventually. It is better deny them the opportunity to prepare to die to face reality than live in unreality. well. Remembering those who have died, though, If our sole aim to keep ourselves and everyone faces us with another reality that many people else alive for as long as possible, the idea of would rather not think about. Remembrance is dying well is nonsense. But let me finish by a reminder that we are mortal. One day our offering you an alternative, a way of facing souls will be commemorated. mortality with hope and even excitement. The uncomfortable, inconvenient truth is that all At the heart of the gospel is resurrection. of us are aging, and none of us goes on for ever. Everything Christians believe and live for stands The shocking statistic that we rarely hear on the or falls with the resurrection of Jesus. If he died news is that the death rate in the United and did not rise again, Christians are deluded Kingdom is one-hundred percent. And it is the fools. But if Jesus did rise again, that changes same story in every other country. everything. Life expectancy, on the other hand, is not the Would you choose any of these three options? same everywhere. Past generations in our Living for ever whilst getting older and older; country did not live as long as we do now, and going to heaven as you are when you die and even today life expectancy in many parts of the living for ever; or becoming a disembodied world is lower than it is in the wealthy parts of spirit and floating around for ever. Western Europe and North America. I would do anything to avoid any of these We use the word ‘expectancy’, but what do we nightmares. But none of those scenarios is actually expect? The first few chapters of the Christian. The Christian hope is that we will die Bible include people with lifespans of hundreds and be resurrected with new, immortal bodies of years. But when we come to the time just to live for ever in a renewed earth and heaven. before Noah and the famous flood, the Lord So instead of worrying about life expectancy, God says: we can live with an expectation of life! “My Spirit will not contend with humans for ever, for they are mortal; their days will be a Yours expectantly, Mark hundred and twenty years.” [Genesis 6.3 NIV] A hundred and twenty years sounds pretty good, but the point is that we are mortal. However many years we have, they are finite. Years later a psalm attributed to Moses says: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures... [Ps 90] Even though this psalm was written thousands of years ago, it is remarkably accurate: the average (mean for the mathematicians) age of Parish Magazine NP, H & CR November 2020 The School having had its half-term holiday (and Halloween), starts up again Definitely into winter time, on 2nd November. The Headteacher and staff have spent much time and with the clocks gone back, effort making all sorts of arrangements to provide a safe and hygienic dark at tea-time and needing environment – and continue to need the support of pupils & parents to make the heating on, but there's it all work. still plenty of autumn colours The Tennis courts are open subject to social distancing and not sharing – in the garden or out and equipment – see full report later in this issue. about in lovely Devon. Young People's football training is back on the Playing Field on Saturday mornings. The Wednesday Wanderers are back – see reports later in this issue. The Otter valley Association (OVA) has restarted countryside walks in a limited way – only six people suitably distanced on any walk. See their website www.ova.org.uk for the latest details, with a November listing on a later page The programme of talks for winter evenings is in abeyance. The Village Halls at Harpford, Newton Poppleford and Colaton Raleigh and the NP Playing Fields Pavilion remain closed. These halls are maintained by volunteers and the required deep cleaning between users less than 72hours We may not have the village apart make it impracticable to restore the wide range of village clubs and fireworks to admire, but the societies at present. stars on a dark clear night Probus Club was looking to have monthly meetings for the rest of this year, can be stunning! but the rule-of-six, particularly for older people, has scrapped this idea. The idea of giving its monthly talks by Zoom is being worked on Most music and theatre performances, have already abandoned plans for the rest of this year and will review in January/February .... Whether the village pantomimes will take place next February will await events, second waves, rule changes, etc over the next few months. News of a few events on the next page. The Parish Council has information on its website: Respect those who fought for th www.newtonpopplefordpc.co.uk you on the 11 - just 2 mins. If you hear of any other clubs or organisations starting up again, even in Advent – the start of the th a small way, do let me know. It's encouraging good news for sharing in church's year – on Sun 29 this magazine. Haylor Lass 01395 568786 vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Welcome WE are pleased to welcome all new residents to the villages. We wish you every happiness in your new homes. Useful general information can be found at www.eastdevon.gov/welcome We hope the magazine will be of interest and the listing of events useful to you.