St Michael the Archangel Dundry Parish Magazine March 2016
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St Michael the Archangel Dundry Parish Magazine March 2016 50p CONTACT INFORMATION Rector Revd. Charles Roberts The Rectory, Tunbridge Close, Chew Magna, BS40 8SU 01275 332199 [email protected] the rector’s day off is normally wednesday Associate Priests Revd. Sandra Lovern (Thursday-Sunday) - 01275 332657 revd. lovern is the first point of contact for matters relating to dundry Revd. Victor Barley - 01275 331086 Readers Dr Pamela Harman - 01275 332893 Mrs Margaret Masding - 01275 835342 Parish Administrator Pam Foley (Thursday and Friday) - 01275 331061 Churchwardens Jane Lyons - 0117 964 1338 James Le Grys - 0117 964 5730 Magazine Submissions and Advertising [email protected] WEB PAGES Lakeside Group - www.lakesidegroup.org.uk Village - www.dundry.org.uk THE SACRED HEART ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH OF THE CHEW VALLEY Priest: Father Michael Healy - 01275 792627 [email protected] Deacon: Rev. Mark Forge - 01275 472 391 [email protected] www.sacredheartchew.info SUNDAY MASS 9.00 AM Please look on notice board outside church for other times or any alterations Rector’s Letter My dear friends, It seems very strange to be writing this letter barely one week in to Lent, when my focus for this edition should be firmly on Easter and the Resurrection! It is inevitable when we have an ‘early’ Easter celebration, but we have much still to cover before we reach the end of March and that great festival. We have the Women’s World Day of Prayer (4th March), Mothering Sunday (6th March), Palm Sunday (20th March), Holy Week and finally Easter Day (27th March). Add to that our weekly Lent discussion groups, and the month looks a busy one. Easter is of course the pinnacle celebration of the Christian Church. While the ‘world’ takes Christmas as its centre-piece, the Church rightly defends Easter as its highlight – maybe we should encourage Christmas eggs, and Easter presents! At its heart is the word ‘resurrection’, the fact of Jesus’ rising to life after three days from the dead. While this is extraordinary enough, we can lose sight of what it means, because this is not just a ‘one-off’ moment in history, it is an announcement about the future of the world. So what does it mean for you? Definitions vary, but one caught my eye recently as it described a belief in the “possibility of being raised from the dead”. That’s a bit like saying you believe in the possibility of God. It is certainly a start, but it is well short of the whole truth. Jesus had to be raised from the dead so that his followers understood that God’s plan to save the world was not just a pipedream, but was actually something real and permanent. His rising opened the way for all his followers, those who confess the name of Jesus Christ, to follow suit, to be raised like him. Not perhaps in that initial human form again – that was to help the disciples grasp the concept – but in a new way. The difficulty for the post-modern thinker is how to interpret that so that it makes sense. We don’t know what it will be like – how can we? But that after all is why we talk about ‘faith’. What we do know is that Jesus made promises to his disciples that where he was going to be, they would be with him, and that is a very compelling image. So we celebrate Easter in the knowledge that we have taken the promises of Jesus on board, and that we believe ultimately that “where he is, there we will be also” (Jn 14:3). It’s not called the Easter Shout for nothing! Christ is Risen – He is Risen indeed! We will be saying (‘shouting!’) that at the end of the month on Easter Day. Let’s do so with real conviction and make sure the promises of Easter are not just a possibility, but a true reality. Happy Easter – Yours in Christ, Charles Roberts Annual Parochial Church Meetings Make a note of your local APCM and have your say! Sunday 3rd April 12.00noon Chew Stoke Thursday 7th April 7.30pm Dundry Thursday 14th April 7.30pm Norton Malreward Monday 18th April 7.00pm Stanton Drew Sunday 24th April 6.30pm Nempnett Thrubwell (after Evensong) Monday 25th April 7.30pm Chew Magna Chew Magna Filling Station There will be no meeting of the Chew Magna Filling Station in March due to the date of Easter. We resume as usual on the 28th April for more worship and teaching. Make a note in your diary. Lent Group Meetings This year the focus for our meetings will be the Psalms. These ancient writings still speak into contemporary society and its issues today as much as they did in Old Testament times when they were first written. “Why do the wicked prosper? Where is God when we suffer?” We will be led by John Bell from the Iona Community, the Chaplain to the House of Commons, the Principal of Wesley House, a Bishop and a Friar. This short course is bound to stimulate discussion, so do take advantage of a meeting near you. Meetings will take place at Chew Magna Rectory (alternating with Sacred Heart) on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm (for just 90 minutes); at Church Farm, Chew Stoke on the same Tuesday afternoons starting at 2.30pm; and at The Old School House, Norton Malreward on Mondays at 7.30pm. The final sessions will be on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th March respectively. Choose a time or venue that suits you and join the debate. Letter from Bishop Ruth Bishop Peter reminded us last month of the hope we have in the God of promises as we look to uncertain futures. We can trust God to remain faithful and immoveable whatever our circumstances. Easter has always been a moveable feast although the Archbishop is now taking soundings from other church leaders to see whether we can ‘fix a date’ for Easter. I wonder how easy that will be! We are now part way through Lent and the first Sunday of this March is Mothering Sunday which is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This was traditionally the day when people would gather to worship, to ‘rejoice’ (‘laetare’), at their ‘mother’ church, a large local church or often the Cathedral. As this practice developed so those in service would have the opportunity for a short holiday, to return to their homes, to their mothers, often bringing small presents or gifts. It was a welcome moment of festivity in the season of abstinence and austerity. A sign of things to come… However for some of us, Mothering Sunday can be the most painful day of the year as we remember the loss of a loving parent, whether known or not; or the bereavement of never having been able to be a parent oneself; or the death of a child we have loved and longed for. It can mean that some find it too difficult to be in church that week. Perhaps as we approach Good Friday it gives us a small insight of what it might mean to have been Mary watching her Son die on that cross. So how about a different take on Mothering Sunday this year? We might focus on remembering those who have ‘given birth’ to us by inspiring our faith or where we ourselves have played a part in someone else’s discovery of Jesus as a friend and Saviour. Who might you remember, give thanks for and pray for? + Ruth Taunton Women’s World Day of Prayer This will take place on Friday 4th March at 11am in Dundry Baptist Chapel followed by refreshments. The women of Cuba have thoughtfully devised the service this year . All Welcome Tel Jane Lyons 0117 964 1338 for further information. Backwell Concert Backwell Ladies Choir will be singing a lighthearted Concert in the Backwell W.I. Hall on Thursday 17th March at 3pm. The proceeds will go towards Dundry Church Roof Repairs. Tickets £5 - includes a light tea. Tel. Jane Lyons 0117 964 1338 or Jean Pateman 01275 472078 for tickets. Church update Great news! The masonry work and all the outside work to the outside of the main roof of the church will be finished early this month. The original rainwater hoppers and decorations have been sent to a foundry in Huddersfield for specialist renovation work. This is slightly more expensive than getting new ones but it was felt that it was worth preserving the original details. However it isn’t cost effective to repair the downpipes so these will be replaced with new. This month the working group is meeting with Bonnie, our Architect, to discuss the next roofing phase and also the projects we can start in the summer months inside the church without disturbing the bats. Perhaps there are some of you who may be able to assist with these projects but more about that next month. We need to continue fundraising to pay for the jobs to be done inside the church. Most of the grants we have received simply cover the roofing works. The slate signing last month was very DONATE TO successful, despite the dreadful ST MICHAEL’S weather conditions over that weekend. Thanks very much to all those who supported us. There will be another opportunity to sign a slate for the next Visit roofing phase later in the year. www.justgiving.com/ Our next event is on Saturday 9th stmpccd April when there is a Quiz night at the Carpenter’s Tavern starting at 8pm.