April 2020 in This Issue: Easter Reading What’S Happening – and Not!
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April 2020 In this issue: Easter reading What’s happening – and not! Published by the Five Alive Church 1 The Five Alive Parish In this issue THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PARISH OF FLADBURY, HILL & MOOR From the Editor................................2 Recycling.........................................27 WYRE PIDDLE, CROPTHORNE AND CHARLTON From The Rectory.....................4 Sport & Leisure......................28 - 29 Parish Priest Revd Sarah Dangerfield 861669 Around the Villages...................8 - 16 Charities..........................................29 [email protected] Further Afield.................................17 Parish Councils...............................30 Sarah tries to keep Friday as her day off Calendar.........................................18 Village Hall Bookings.......................30 Associate Priests Revd Gary Noyes 01905 841563 Services Announcement..........20 - 21 Library Van, Post Office..................30 [email protected] Revd Emma Goldby 01905 840752 WI............................................22 - 23 Advertisements.......................31 - 40 [email protected] Schools.....................................24 - 25 Non-Stipendiary Priest Revd Nancy Murray-Peters 553286 [email protected] From the Editor.... Parish Admin. & PCC Secretary Carole Oliver 860389 [email protected] The good news is that we have a Five Alive Printing and Delivery Manager. Mick Parish Wardens Meredith Debenham 446276 (Michael) Neilan of Fladbury has agreed to be our link with the printers. Thank Celia Willis 861348 you Mick! Mick has already been in touch with them who, as I write, are fully Church Wardens functioning. If there are any queries about printing and delivery, please contact St John the Evangelist, Charlton Helen Fowler 860331 Mick on telephone 01386 861905 or email [email protected] St Michael’s, Cropthorne Peter Harris 860509 The bad news is that some of the events mentioned in this month’s magazine St John the Baptist, Fladbury Martin Ounsted 860363 may not happen because of Coronavirus. New information is received and St Thomas’, Lower Moor Carol Martin 860982 decisions are made, locally and nationally, on a daily basis so many things may Carol Oldfield 860479 have changed after we have gone to press. If anyone is unsure of what is St Anne’s, Wyre Piddle Liz Gardner 554985 happening, please ring people listed on the inside of the front cover, including Wendy Malkinson 556102 me on 860531, who will try and put you in the right direction. Bell-Ringers The deadline for the May Five Alive is Wednesday 15 April and the editor is Lynne Fladbury bell-tower Patrick Palmer 860492 Cropthorne bell-tower Rob Sadler 860723 Cameron. Please email articles and information to [email protected] or phone Lynne on 07785 571332. She will welcome short interesting articles Parish Contacts about living in isolation, tips for survival, suggestions for solo games or a joke or Bookkeeper Maggie Grove 860039 too. Pastoral Care Co-ordinator Celia Willis 861348 Environmental Issues Jane Bugg 860531 We welcome comments, suggestions and offers of help in producing the Five ATLAS Muriel Mitchell 860614 Alive. Please contact Lynne by phone or email [email protected] or me Parish Treasurer Peter Gardner 554985 by phone or email [email protected] Giving to the Church John Allsop 861442 Finally, at this difficult time, I thank all the contributors, the compiler John Grove Safeguarding Representative Jean Ounsted 860363 of Cropthorne, the printers in Willersey and the deliverers around our villages. Five-Alive (Parish Magazine) [email protected] We hope you, the readers, find it helpful and enjoyable. Love Jane X Diary & Admin Jane Bugg 860531 Compiler John Grove 860039 Advertising Maggie Grove 860039 Please send submissions for the April magazine by Sunday 15 March to [email protected] [email protected] or phone the editor 3 4 Registered Charity 1127405 From The Rectory Dusty Old Book -Take a Look! Recently I read the Nasa report on climate change. It says climate change is It happened, proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia. Gasses, At the dawning of a new day in the quiet of a garden, such as carbon dioxide and methane contribute to the greenhouse effect resulting On a mountain in Galilee, in oceans warming, glaciers melting, sea levels rising, ocean acidification and global As they sat at table, temperature rise. On a walk in the country, Sharing an evening meal, Climate change is affecting all people in the world, biblical proportions of rainfall has impacted on us locally and across the country. Families have been rescued By the sea shore at daybreak, from flooded houses, animals moved from grazing fields and farmland devastated The Risen Christ appeared to them, by water. the solitary woman, a few friends, Coronavirus is nearly at pandemic stage. Shelves in supermarkets are emptying, eleven disciples, especially of toilet paper. Football games are suspended, schools, colleges and universities are under threat of closure and hospitals are preparing for large intakes And he said, “Do not be afraid”, “Believe, it is I – your friend”, “Peace be with of patients. you”. Well, in the midst of all this I had to smile because recently I read an article that Staggering isn’t it? Jesus appears in such everyday places; the sort of places you said the Bible was stuck in history and had nothing to say in today’s world, and I know, and I hope you have the occasion to enjoy – a talk over a kitchen especially about climate change. To be fair climate change wasn’t an issue in the table, a meal with friends, dawn breaking in on a garden, a trip to the sea or Iron Age or even when the New Testament was written 2000 years ago. Well, that mountains. In some ways nothing very special at all, except that Jesus will be maybe is true, but the truth of it is, is the Bible has a lot to say. God spoke words there with us, whether we are part of a crowd or on our own. He is wanting us of wisdom back then and those words are just as important today. Throughout to hear him say “Believe, it is I, your friend – things have changed because I live the Bible God shows us just how much He cares for all He created, humankind, – let me show you”. animals, land and the environment. God tells us to look after the trees and not to cut them down (Dt 20:19, 21:19), to care for his land, look after his animals, and Jesus came to the them on that first Easter with Good News. He brought words He tells us to eat more green plants (Genesis 1:11-13, 29-30) (This would cut down of hope and, by his presence he showed them how “his” life, death and on methane emissions). resurrection changed things for ever. He told them to share this Good News, As I write this every news channel on TV gives updates on coronavirus. I listen and and by “their” lives to bring new hope and change to the world around them. watch as we are told how we should wash our hands thoroughly. In schools small The Risen Christ still meets us in all places today. He comes with the same children are being taught to sing ‘happy birthday to you’ twice over when they greeting as he gave everyone that first Easter “Believe, it is I – your friend. Peace wash their hands, and I smile, because washing our hands thoroughly is not new, be with you”. He brings the same invitation “Let me show you how when you the Bible (stuck back in history) quite clearly tells us how important it is to wash trust and follow me, “your” life and the world will change”, and he gives us the our hands regularly (Mk 7:3-4). same commission “Go, and tell others that I live”. And so, in these difficult and challenging times if we took a moment to open the May every blessing of Easter hope, joy and peace be with you. Bible ‘that has nothing to say’ to us today, we will discover that God is our helper, our comforter and our faithful friend, and He most certainly has a lot to say to us Sarah today to help us to ‘wash our hands’ and care for His good creation and one another. Sue Hiscocks (Reader in training). 5 6 Diocesan Prayers you may like to say at home “Open Conversations about the Future of our Church” in these troubled times In December I wrote of Bishop John’s invitation to join an “Open Conversation” about the Future of our Church. Well, over 1,000 people did! The very large God of wisdom, numbers required us to at times have parallel events in different venues. Over guide this and all nations at this time, 5,000 pieces of input during the conversations and 2,000 comments afterwards help those who shape national policies, have been noted. You can read a summary of the feedback on the Diocesan strengthen the work of doctors, nurses and medical researchers, website - https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/open-conversations-feedback The that through their skill and insights many will be restored to health, feedback is grouped in themes; ministry, the role of clergy, church leadership grant rest to all worried by the financial consequences, (voluntary and paid), church buildings, Church for under 40’s, and how we pay bless local communities the world over for ministry (the local vicar). that our neighbourhoods may be places of trust and friendship The follow-up conversations planned for April and May have been suspended where all are known and cared for; due to Covid 19. At the time of writing, we wait for the Diocese to advise when through Jesus Christ our Lord. and how we can engage with the next stage of conversations.