MAY 2019 50P 1 SERVICES ALL SAINTS’ Sundays EAST CLEVEDON 8.00 A.M
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Diocese of Bath and Wells THE UNITED BENEFICE OF EAST CLEVEDON www.eastclevedonchurches.co.uk MAY 2019 50P 1 SERVICES ALL SAINTS’ Sundays EAST CLEVEDON 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion 10.30 a.m. Parish Communion (Sunday Club in the Parish Rooms) 10.30 a.m. Family Communion (1st) Sundays ST MARY’S, WALTON 10.00 a.m. Sung Eucharist Wednesdays 10.00 am Holy Communion Sundays ST PAUL’S, 11.15 a.m. Morning Service (1st) WALTON-IN-GORDANO 11.15 a.m. Holy Communion (2nd & 4th) 11.15 a.m. Morning Prayer (3rd & 5th) ST PETER & ST PAUL Sundays WESTON-IN-GORDANO 10.00 am Family Communion (1st & 3rd) 6.00 pm Choral Evensong (2nd & 4th) 6.00 pm Holy Communion (5th) Wednesdays 9.30 am Holy Communion WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE? Cost £6.00 per year. Would you like (please tick box) to pick up your magazine from church have¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ it delivered to your door (no charge for delivery) Name………………………………………………………………………….. Address……………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………… ………………………… Tel No……………………………………………………… Please hand this slip to a Churchwarden or send to: The Parish Office, The Rectory, All Saints’ Lane, Clevedon, BS21 6AU. 2 FIRST WORD…from The Rector I can hear it on the radio now. Sitting in my new kitchen, fresh ordained in 1991, John Betjeman’s “Summoned by Bells” was serialised each day for a week. As it did so a peal of bells sounded and the poem began. It immediately places me in a time and moment. His musical voice narrating the famous blank verse autobiography is loved by many. “Safe were those evenings of the pre-war world when firelight shone on green linoleum; I heard the church bells hollowing out the sky, deep beyond deep, like never-ending stars, and turned to Archibald, my safe old bear, whose woollen eyes looked sad or glad at me…” Not sure if everyone in Slough had quite the same view – “friendly bombs” and all that. The sound of the bells formed part of Betjeman’s world as they have done over many centuries for anyone living near a church. In medieval London, for instance, the city would have been awash with sound as each parish rang for service and the Angelus in the evening. Indeed, the ringing of rounds in parish churches is a particularly English thing and blends to make a comfortable vision together with the green hedged fields, country lanes and ladies (and gentlemen) in brogues cycling to Evensong. Long may it continue! But bells aren’t what they used to be. By which I mean we don’t communicate by bells in quite the same way as we did. As late as the 1940s the church bells were stood ready, silent, to be rung in case of invasion. But now we choose the “notification” on the phone. By such means millions of people can be contacted almost at once. The huge crowds gathered in London recently for the People’s Vote march and for the Extinction Rebellion protests weren’t summoned by bells. The teenager of the moment, Greta Thunberg, just 16 years old, autistic and famous and who has the ear of the powerful on climate change, has rallied the young not by bells. But communicate still they most certainly do. I am heartened that so very often couples wanting to be married in church almost always want the bells to ring. Why? Because the bells capture the joyful mood and they happily and traditionally publish the new marriage to all who can hear in a way other communications cannot. And the half-muffle on Good Friday captures the sadness too. And if bells communicate anything, then they communicate church – a church which says, “still here”. 3 A reminder of just how significant a church can be was demonstrated on the 15th April, as the great Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris was burning. As the roof blazed and the bell tower was under threat, the question was asked again, “what does this place mean to us?” What does it say? Why, when we never go to church, should this place mean so much to us? So what does a church, ringing its bells, mean to us? What does it say? What does it signify? Do we want it any more? Are we summoned by bells? What would we lose if our churches were removed? In Paris, within a very secular state, the answer seems to be a lot, even a billion euros within a few hours. That’s a lot of meaning. Let it be clear. Buildings are not more important than people. When Simeon finds the infant Jesus in the Temple, it is the baby and not the architecture that fulfils God’s solemn promise. But buildings, particularly church buildings, are a gift and not a problem. A church stands to remind us of the presence of God, a rumour of God, and therefore of an aspiration that life is dignified beyond the brokenness that we so often witness. It also silently represents a community, for over the centuries countless numbers will have shared their lives within and around its walls and the church still embodies something of the values of a community at its best. The church is also a sanctuary, a holy space, set apart for a particular reason and where prayers may be said so that however faltering our faith may be we still have a place of holiness and sanctuary which is ours. God is our birth-right and our churches remind us of our shared inheritance. Shared inheritance. Perhaps it’s above all about this. For millennia these places have borne witness to the values, hopes, faith and lives of countless people. Although muted, although widely ignored or misunderstood, a church standing in its parish does so still and remains a precious gift to us all which is still appreciated and needed. The Archbishops asked every church to ring a bell on Maundy Thursday at 7.00pm to recognise not just the fire in Paris but to reflect our shared values, humanity and faith, the bells communicating beyond the barriers of language, borders and politics. In our benefice we were glad to do so and hope we can continue to be summoned by bells for generations to come. Fr Noël Copy for the June Magazine by Monday 20th May 2019 The magazine is in church on Sunday 2nd June 2019 4 MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP Finding the best in the world It’s Somerset day on Saturday 11th May. It is an opportunity to profile some of the delights of our county and develop relationships across our communities. It is on this day that we remember Alfred (a failed ‘Bake Off’ contestant?) taking on the Vikings from the Somerset marshes and winning, thus spawning a ‘make Somerset great again’ moment. Now, don’t get me wrong this isn’t about us in Somerset trying to prove we are better than anyone else. We have seen plenty in recent days which has sought to divide rather than unite us as a country. Rather, this is an opportunity to value the uniqueness of some of our wonderful people, places and possibilities here in Somerset and across the diocese. I do hope you will join in! See www.somersetday.com for more details. And surely that is what the Church should be about too. Celebrating all that is good, joyful and abundant in us. It reminds me of those words from Philippians 4:8… ‘Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’ It is so easy to get caught up with negatives, with the glass half empty syndrome, with stuff that brings us down rather than building us up. I wonder if we might make this month one where we encourage ourselves and others to find the best in the world and people around us. Live life in all its fullness! (John 10:10) Rt Rev Ruth Worsley Bishop of Taunton A BIG THANK YOU to everybody who gave Easter eggs and financial donations towards the Sisters of the Church Easter Appeal. It is very much appreciated. 5 Relaxation, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy time to talk, unwind, understand, solve and resolve Fiona Slade – DipSFH, HPD, ASFH, DipNCH, CNHC Clinical Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, enhanced DBS 01275 810200 [email protected] healthandhypnotherapy.co.uk 21A Somerset Square, Nailsea. BS48 1RQ 118 Redland Road, Bristol. BS6 6QT 26 Old Church Road, Clevedon. BS21 6LY other locations by arrangement Talking therapies really do help resolve so many things. Hypnotherapy is highly effective at putting solutions into practice and achieving personal, sports or business goals. STEPPING STONES ‘Living with Loss’ Drop in support in times of change . Have you had a bereavement or other significant change in life? Would you like to meet others in a similar situation? You are welcome to come along to: OPEN DOOR - DROP IN 2 - 4 pm fourth Friday each month at St Mary’s Church Hall Next meeting 24th May Tea always available! Members of the team are able to give information and one-to-one support if wished. The drop in sessions are confidential and the privacy of those attending is respected. Further information: Angela 01275 871247 6 CHURCH IN SPAIN Hello everyone, it is two years since I wrote re my adopted church in Spain within the Southern Costa Blanca/Murcia region. Then I had shared an open air housegroup day followed by communion in an open air chapel - truly wonderful! Well now last year we had three special events plus one sad funeral, that of Margaret (who was the wife of Fr Terence our assistant priest).