March 2021 Issue 5
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MARCH 2021 ISSUE 5 The Benefice of St Germans THE MINISTRY TEAM with Antony and Sheviock Rector: Revd Canon Lynn Parker Tel: 01503 230676 Sunday Services Email: [email protected] 7th Mar, Lent 3 10am Sunday Worship on Zoom Curate: th Revd Laura Bushell Hawke 14 Mar, Lent 4 / Mothering Sunday Tel: 01752 851187 10am Sunday Worship on Zoom Email: [email protected] 21st Mar, Lent 5 / Start of Passiontide 10am Sunday Worship on Zoom Licensed Lay Ministers: Matt Frost Susan Irving 28th Mar, Holy Week / Palm Sunday Richard Laugharne 10am Sunday Worship on Zoom Margaret Sylvester-Thorne David Watters All Services will be online until further notice. Local Worship Leader: Steve Guffick ____________________ SAFEGUARDING Daily Services on Zoom: Any safeguarding concerns Monday 7pm should be passed to the Tuesday 10am Safeguarding Officer via the Vicarage: Wednesday 10am 01503 230676 Thursday 7pm Lent Course Friday 10am The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is: Saturday 7pm Sarah Acraman Email: [email protected] for the Zoom links 01872 374351 1 MARCH 2021 ISSUE 5 Introducing….. Margaret Sylvester-Thorne – Reader (LLM) Greetings from your Reader from Hessenford – I am trying to dredge my memory for distant events from my long life. I have just applied for my Permission to Officiate as a Reader – that will tell some of you how old I am, as those over a significant age have to convince the parish/benefice incumbent and PCC that they consider the Reader useful and able l to continue in ministry in the parish. Thankfully for my self- esteem Lynn and the St German’s PCC have agreed to me carrying on for a few more years. A brief background: Born Bristol; lived there, and in Bearsden near Glasgow, and then Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire until I was married. 1975-8 Prestwick, Ayrshire 1979-90. Hartley Wintney, Hampshire 1990-2009 at Fontainebleau south of Paris; retired to Cornwall in 2009 University –BA Modern History, Durham Career – 1973-78 Air Traffic Control at Heathrow Airport and Oceanic Centre, Prestwick, Ayrshire. Family – Nigel, husband (Air Traffic Controller and Head of RT Simulation Projects ATC Research and Development Eurocontrol centre at Bretigny sur Orge). Three children and five grandchildren Faith My life walking with God has been gentle and continuous – no great Damascus Road revelations, just a growing awareness of my need for him in all aspects of my life and an increasing wish to serve him to the best of my ability. My parents were not church goers, but I was Christened as a baby as was the custom in those days, and I took myself off to church in my teens, and continued my walk with God at University. There was a lull during my working years as shift work and night duties did not lend themselves to regular Sundays off, and family commitments and an old-fashioned church which was not the place for families during the children’s early years. My involvement in church life took off again when we went to France and I joined the worshipping community of the Eglise Anglicane de Fontainebleau, an Anglican chaplaincy being planted locally from St Michaels’ Church in Paris. It was an amazing time of new church growth, a wonderful church family led by an excellent chaplain and his wife. Over the years I become increasingly involved in the administration of the chaplaincy, being church warden for a number of years, Lay Chair of the PCC, and President of the Association which was the required legal body in France. I worked through several long Interregnums and appointments of new priests, and left the church in 2009 in, we thought at the time, the good hands of another new priest. When we came to Hessenford in 2009 I joined the new St Germans Group Parish. After a year, the vicar suggested Reader Ministry. I was licensed in 2013 and it has been my joy and privilege to try to serve God and the parish since then. Thank you for the love, support and friendship you haves shown me since I came to Cornwall. I love our church life and family, our communities and the amazing scenery of moor, woods and sea - I wouldn’t live anywhere else…… 2 MARCH 2021 ISSUE 5 Vicar’s letter We are creatures of habit – old and young alike. We don't like change. We hang onto the things we know, the things that remain the same. We love the fact that Jesus is “the same yesterday, today and forever”. We want that anchor of certainty in our lives. But the amazing thing about the living, risen, ascended and glorified Jesus was that he loves change! He changed from heaven to earth when he was born at Bethlehem. He changed lives through his teaching and power whilst on earth. He changed from life to death and then on to life eternal. He changed creation by pouring out his spirit on all who believe. And when we come to know him, he delights in changing us into his likeness. So that when we face times of change – new home, new school, new job or more unwelcome times of change like redundancy, illness, or retirement - we can be assured that his unchanging love of change will inspire, comfort and equip us if we will go forward in faith – and not just look back as to how things used to be. We cannot grow without changing; we cannot reach out and embrace all that is happening in the 21st century by hanging on too tightly to the past. We are on our lentern journey at the moment, preparing ourselves for that great celebration in the Christian calendar that is Easter. The first Easter changed the world - wouldn’t it be good if this Easter we ourselves were changed in some way – perhaps in the way we look at life, worship, church, prayer or family. The Covid restrictions and lockdowns have given us time, and in many ways have been the catalyst to look at what needs changing. And being open to change and experiencing new things in our lives, is to be more like Jesus. So, I pray that our lentern journey will start in one place – but will change us and lead us to a better place – a place that is nearer to being like Christ in our outlook. Take this opportunity, and use the “purple envelopes” I sent out, or an appropriate Lent book, or your bible, or just yourself - and in prayer and reflection use this time to see what changes you might need to make, to walk more closely with God. Yours in Christ Canon Lynn 3 MARCH 2021 ISSUE 5 Following on from our very useful prayer course that we have had online on a Thursday evening I saw this article in my UCB daily readings and thought it to be very apt. Canon Lynn Have you prayed about it? 20 FEBRUARY 2021 ‘We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.’ 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT God hasn’t made prayer difficult or complicated, but really simple. The truth is, many of us pray more often than we know. And we have a more effective and successful prayer life than we realise. The trouble is, we don’t always recognise when we’re praying. That’s because we’ve got the wrong idea about it. We’ve been taught that prayer requires a specific environment like church, or a prescribed posture like kneeling, or a particular form of words like ‘Thee’ and ‘Thou’, and that we must strictly adhere to certain religious rituals. No, prayer is simply talking to God, then being still and allowing Him to talk to you. You can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything, by just directing your thoughts, spoken and unspoken, towards God. Paul writes, ‘We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.’ Imagine that all of God’s blessings and benefits are stored in a giant warehouse in the invisible realm; things like forgiveness, strength, wisdom, guidance, favour, and resources. Through prayer you enter God’s warehouse of blessings, and by faith you receive them and bring them back into your life. The Bible says you have not because you ask not (see James 4:2). So, whatever you need today, pray and ask God for it – believing that He will give it to you. Jesus said, ‘If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted’ (John 15:7 NLT). So, have you prayed about it? 4 MARCH 2021 ISSUE 5 Cross of St Piran Recipients Announced – Congratulations to Jenny Bushrod As well as being an excellent Churchwarden for St Mary’s Sheviock and an efficient project manager for recent church refurbishments, Jenny Bushrod was nominated for the work she has undertaken during the covid-19 pandemic. Every week from the first lockdown, she has written a letter to everyone on the church electoral roll, keeping them up-to-date with services and information around the parish. She has done this in an excellent and pastoral manner, her wording being very mindful of deaths within the parish and other issues going on. As well as emailing out this letter every week, she has ensured that the contents were passed onto those without email by telephone. This has been a significant undertaking and has ensured the unity of the congregation. As well as this she also devised a plan of seating in the church (with fixed pews) that would enable an optimum amount of people into the church for services whilst maintaining social distancing.