HERSTMONCEUX AND WARTLING PARISH NEWS July 2020 50p This Month Reverend Richard writes the letter from the Rectory; Rev Peter’s Green Page; Melinda’s Famous Hymns column covers " What a Friend we have in Jesus ", plus the regular columns and news from around the parishes 1 From the Rectory Dear Parishioners, We live at a time when hope is generally low as everybody’s’ life has been affected by the world wide pandemic it’s multiple related issues and also things like the Brexit uncertainty!! In 1939 King George in his Christmas message spoke words of peace to calm our nation. He reminded them of the only true King, the One who can provide true peace and real rest in troubled times then. As he concluded his message of encouragement, he read the preamble of a poem that had been brought to his attention by his young daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Princess Elizabeth was only thirteen years old at the time. The poem that she brought to her father’s attention was written by British poet Minnie Louise Haskins (1875-1957). Published in 1908 and was titled God Knows. Here is the full poem which can help us as well in this time of uncertainty and grief, when we all need to find a good and secure anchorage with a sure hope for the future. God Knows And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” So heart be still: What need our little life Our human life to know, If God hath comprehension? In all the dizzy strife Of things both high and low, God hideth His intention. God knows. His will is best. The stretch of years Which wind ahead, so dim To our imperfect vision, 3 Are clear to God. Our fears Are premature; In Him, All time hath full provision. Then rest: until God moves to lift the veil From our impatient eyes, When, as the sweeter features Of Life’s stern face we hail, Fair beyond all surmise God’s thought around His creatures Our mind shall fill. We are here reminded that one day what we have gone through in our lives will all make sense and holding onto God in such dark times will be shown to have been truly wise. In the Bible St Paul gives us another reason to have hope when we experience severe hardships and trials in life. He said. “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”.(2Cor 4v16ff). This is a hope that many people can miss out on, but it fits well with a quote from another well-known poet Emily Dickinson who wrote ”We turn not older with years but newer every day”. If you and I start and then continue to put our hand in the hand of God, He will bring good out of all our hard times, and part of that good will be him working in our lives making us renewed and more the people we should be, people fit for His glory in the future. Hopes like these can help not only us through any situation, but they can also be passed on in order to help others too in their struggles. God Bless Richard Steven 4 Prayer of the Month A prayer for July. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith, Where there is despair, hope, Where there is darkness, light, Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, not so much to be understood as to understand, not so much to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we awake to eternal life. Amen (St. Francis of Assisi 1182-1226) Important notice regarding All Saints and St Mary Magdalene Churches June 15th 2020. It was a great pleasure opening our two lovely medieval churches for individuals to visit once again today. Please make use of them for private prayer. Here a few important changes to inform you regarding visiting our churches: 1. They should be open seven days a week from around 9am to 5pm. 2. We have restricted the area people are to use in the buildings for ease of cleaning each day. 3. We have provided sanitising wand wash for all to use. 4. We ask you all to write your name, the date and a contact number or address if you visit the church on the sheet provided. So that we will be able to trace people if an outbreak of the Covid Virus requires it. 5. We will also close the buildings for a safe period if health reasons require this. If you have any enquiries regarding the Churches please talk with: Rev. Richard Steven 01323 833124. Mrs Pam Kendall 01323 833079 (Herstmonceux) Mr David Harding 01323 832150 (Wartling). 5 Cassie Harris Sue, Ros and Kathy (Cassie’s daughters) would like to thank everyone in the village and surrounding areas who have sent their condolences, the huge amount of cards, messages and shared lovely memories of mum. Due to the coronavirus restrictions and risks there could only be a private funeral service for close family. Sue, Ros and Kathy would also like to thank the large number of people who came out on Thursday 11th June to pay their respects and say goodbye to Cassie as she passed through Bodle Street, up Victoria Road and through Herstmonceux village. Sue, Ros and Kathy would like to let people know that their Mum’s ashes will be laid to rest with their dad, Sam Saunders, who passed away in 1985 and is buried in the churchyard at Herstmonceux All Saints Church. They are planning a memorial church service and celebration of her life when they can, and it is safe to do so. If you would like to share your stories and photographs for this occasion, please contact one of her daughters. The Bulls Head Receives CAMRA Award Congratulations to the Bulls Head Boreham Street for receiving the CAMRA award for best pub in the South East of England Hopefully Mike Corefield will write in next month's magazine about this success. Richard Steven 6 Rev Peter’s Green Page “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) In the 1970s, many, including me, thought that we in the UK were on the brink of taking the small gate and narrow road. ‘The Good Life,’ (inspired by John Seymour’s work ‘The complete book of Self Sufficiency’) was top viewing. Green Living and Green Politics became mainstream. The children’s TV programme ‘The Wombles’ was all about recycling the rubbish, or, as the series theme said, “Making good use of the things that we find, things that the everyday folks leave behind.” Then came cheap oil, cheap products, and an addiction to them both. Environmentalist became derided by many as Tree Hugging Luddites and even PM Cameron referred to environmental concerns as “Green c**p.” Both the possibility and opportunity for change was available, but the gate was not entered and so the road was not taken. Pope Francis said these words in his Earth Day Address. "There is a Spanish saying that is very clear about this, It goes: 'God always forgives; we humans sometimes forgive, and sometimes not; the earth never forgives.' The earth does not forgive: if we have despoiled the earth, its response will be very ugly.” Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity's combined demand for resources, in a given year, exceeds what the Earth can regenerate in that same year. In 2019 the world's date was July the 29th. However, each country has a different consumption of God’s provision, and so has a different individual date. For the US it would be in March and for Cuba, it would be in December. We are destroying our own home, and in whose interest is that, I wonder? Rev Peter 7 Recipes to Try Recipe taken from the Herstmonceux Guide’s Cookbook. Weight Watchers Soup. 1 onion 1clove of garlic 2 carrots 1 parsnip 1 swede(small) Fresh herbs Nb. Any fresh vegetables are suitable Chop up the vegetables into bite sized pieces. Chop the herbs, save some for decoration. Place vegetables and herbs in a saucepan and add 3 pints of water. Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer until the vegetables are soft, season with salt and black pepper.