February 2019 at the Plough, Wangford at 7Pm
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www.solebayteamministry.co.uk FREE Blythburgh Reydon Sotherton South Cove February HEAR 2019 & Southwold Uggeshall SOLE Walberswick Wangford 1 St, Mary’s Crib Service Uggeshall Christingle Service at St Margaret’s Saint Edmund’s Day Crib Service at Ray Simmons St Margaret’s ‘Joy to the World’ Southwold Switch On 2 MAGAZINE LETTER Dear Friends Jesus asked the disciples of John the Baptist, “What are you looking for?” (John 1 verse 38) Their awkward reply suggests that they were not really sure. I write as the season of Epiphany dawns with the story of the wise men that we find in Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 2 verses 1-12. I wonder what they were looking for as they searched the night sky looking for signs, portents and meaning. Humans have always been drawn to look up, to look outward and to imagine things that are beyond our comprehension. What are we looking for? Why did NASA send a spacecraft the size of a grand piano to travel for 13 years at 32,000 mph to take a photo of a rock that has drifted in space undisturbed for four billion years? The first pictures of Ultima Thule, which were published on 2nd January, caused great excitement. Equally bewildering I heard on the radio that 80 satellites, each the size of a shoebox have been launched into space in order to give scientists the capacity to monitor the well being of every tree on the planet. (I’m sure I heard this right!). What are we looking for as we explore the heavens? Professor Stephen Hawking held the view that we needed to find a new planet upon which to live because we soon will have exhausted this one. Others point to the benefits that space travel has brought to everyday life. Sat Nav., the mobile phone and loft insulation, for example. The wise men in Matthew’s story were just the same as us. They were excited by the possibilities of learning. They wanted to understand their place in the universe and push back the boundaries of science. Their imaginations were fired by the boundless possibilities of human capacity. Matthew’s point is that all that they longed for in the depths of their hearts was answered by their encounter with the Christ child in Bethlehem. “What are you looking for?” asks Jesus. He invited John’s uncertain disciples to spend some time with him, and in him they found all that they were looking for. What are you looking for in 2019? Simon 3 WICKER BASKETS Tel. No. 01502 722370 4 4 5 SOLE BAY TEAM NEWS Ash Wednesday 6th March Bishop’s Pilgrimage In recent years our Bishops have begun an annual pilgrimage walking through the Diocese during Lent. On their pilgrimage they have visited church communities, schools, farms, businesses and homes, seeing how the Christian faith connects with, and makes sense of, all the fullness of human life in Suffolk. Ash Wednesday in 2019 falls on Wednesday 6th March. Bishops Martin and Mike are going to start their 2019 pilgrimage on Southwold Pier. There will be a service of Ashing and Holy Communion at 9.00am to which everyone is welcome. If the weather is poor, the service will be in the pier restaurant. Then after a short photocall, the Pilgrimage will start around 10.15am and go via St Mary’s, Reydon to St Peter and St Paul, Wangford where there will be a stop for a bring-your-own lunch. At about 1.30pm the Bishops will leave Wangford, and walk via St Mary's Uggeshall and St Margaret's Stoven to St Peter's, Redisham. They expect to arrive around 4.30pm and will hold a short service of Evening Prayer. The Bishops warmly welcome people to join them for the opening service (around 60 - 80 people have attended in previous years) and to accompany them on all or part of the day's walk. News and views from around the Community . CHRISTIAN UNITY SERVICE FRIDAY 25th JANUARY AT 11.00AM Christians Together are arranging the service of Christian Unity at St Margaret, Reydon at 11.00am on Friday 25th January. The service will be followed by a shared lunch of bread and homemade soup. All welcome. *** PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND: MAY 2020 You are invited to join Reverend Alan and Canon Simon on a 10 day pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine from Monday 25th May - Wednesday 3rd June 2020. Among the many highlights, we will visit the place of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, the place of his death and resurrection in Jerusalem, the River Jordan and the Galilee where most of Jesus’ ministry took place and also the Dead Sea and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The price of £2095 per person includes return flights from London Luton to Tel Aviv, accommodation in good quality hotels in twin bedded rooms on a half board basis, fully guided sightseeing tour with an English speaking guide, in a fully air conditioned coach, all entrance fees and gratuities. A meeting will take place on Wednesday 6th February at 7pm in St Margaret’s Reydon for people interested in the tour. Please be aware places are limited. Please ask for a brochure and booking form or more information from Reverend Alan or Canon Simon. 5 Email the Editor forfor furtherfurther details:details: TONYTONY BROWN BROWN [email protected] FUNERAL FUNERAL SERVICE SERVICESS OwnersOwners of of the the GreenwoodGreenwood Burial Burial Ground, Ground, FarnhamFarnham Pre-ArrangedPre-Arranged Funerals Funerals available available 2424 HOUR HOUR SERVICE SERVICE email: [email protected] ProudlyProudly independent independent familyfamily run run business business AllAll funerals funerals conducted conducted personally personally byby Martin Martin or or Ben Ben Brown Brown TheThe Funeral Funeral Parlour, Parlour, New New C Cut,ut, SSaxmundham,axmundham, I P17IP17 1 1EHEH Tel:Tel: 01728 01728 603108603108 EEmail:mail: [email protected] [email protected] www.tonybrownfuneralservices.co.ukwww.tonybrownfuneralservices.co.uk 66 66 7 7 PARISH NEWS HOLY TRINI T Y BLY th BURG H CHUR C H LANE , IP19 9PL Christmas cheer Holy Trinity became a definite centre of attraction over the Christmas period. We had a record-breaking attendance of 190 at the Festival of Lessons and Carols, with close to 40 at the Crib Service, 90 plus for Midnight Mass and over 80 on Christmas morning. Also, congregations (and the villagers we sang carols to, door-to-door) were hugely generous, meaning that we’ll be able divide around £1,500 between our two nominated Christmas charities: Embrace the Middle East, and the Lowestoft based Community Access Trust’s Thin Ice project. Book launch Just before Christmas, Blythburgh’s resident volunteer priest Malcolm Doney hosted a reception at the church to launch his new book Lifelines: Notes on life & love, faith & doubt, co-authored with Martin Wroe and published by Unbound. Malcolm says thank you to all who came, and to Southwold Books who sold copies on the night. Guided tours good start In the autumn of last year we announced that local resident Colin Huggins was offering a free, general interest tour of the church every Thursday at 11am. Colin reports that he started the tours on 11th October and since then has taken a total of 27 people around the church. He says: “These were mainly people passing by around 11am who took up the offer when I told them a tour was available, but included four people who had seen the tours mentioned in Heart & Sole.” We agree that this is a very good start, given the time of year, and are very grateful to Colin for providing this welcome service. If you fancy a tour, there’s no need to book, you simply turn up in the church porch. Children are welcome, but they must be accompanied by an adult throughout the tour. If you’d like to know more, call or text Colin on 07508888460. 7 FOR A CONSCIENTIOUS RELIABLE SERVICE 25 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE 8 8 9 PARISH NEWS (...continued) ST. MARGARE T ’S CH UR ch , REYDON WANGFORD ROAD , IP18 6PB Christmas 2018 Christmas began early in Reydon this year with us having our Christingle on The Feast of Christ the King. We had a large congregation with many children present and, in the 50th year of The Children’s Society starting Christingle celebrations in this country, it was especially enjoyable. A special thanks to the Feast team for their organisation and for making the Christingles the day before. It was a joy to welcome Reydon Primary School to the church for their two Carol Services. Rev Alan told the children the story of The Sleepy Shepherd by Bishop Stephen Cottrell. Each class performed a carol they had been preparing. Our Christmas services went very well and were attended by many people. Over 120 people came to the Carol Service on the 23rd December and a special thanks to St Edmund’s choristers for augmenting the choir. Midnight Mass was also very well attended and the earlier time of 11pm seems to now have been fully accepted. A smaller congregation celebrated our service on Christmas Day and then we had a very full church for our Team Service on 30th December. Reverend Alan Perry Feast On Christmas Eve, at our wonderful ‘Crib Service’, we welcomed many children and adults to celebrate the birth of our Saviour; it really was a joyful time. With the help of a ‘Bible Society’ script, the ‘Feast’ team created a truly amazing and funny story, taking the congregation on an adventure to help the Mouse Detective discover the name of the baby born in a stable.