December 2020 - January 2021

News from the churches

St Luke’s Church of & Hest Bank United Reformed Church

The Message of Christ for this Covid Christmas

www.stlukes-slynewithhest.co.uk www.nlancsurc.org.uk

1 HEST BANK

Home & Garden Services

Painting and decorating Lawn mowing Hedge trimming Power washing Guttering, etc, etc

Local, reliable and friendly service Tim Wilkinson 07989 962 399 01524 822 482

Note from the Editor Thanks to everyone for their contributions.

This is the last issue I am producing so for any contributions in the future, at this stage please contact Revd Susan Seed. Steve

2 MESSAGE FROM ST LUKE’S Revd SUSAN

CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED??

Recent postings on Facebook have compared Boris Johnson to Oliver Cromwell saying that they have both effectively abolished Christmas. Before Cromwell came to power, Christmas was one of the most impor- tant dates in the calendar, both as a religious festival and as an important holiday period. During the twelve days of Christmas, churches and other buildings were decorated and church services were widely attended. Gifts were exchanged at New Year, and Christmas boxes were distribut- ed to servants, tradesmen and the poor. Food was consumed in large amounts, and the rich and poor alike indulged in dancing, singing, games and plays. Then in 1644 it was all stopped because Christmas was banned!

3 Christmas then, as now, was a time of both long-cherished rituals and excessive social behaviour. From the mid-1500s, objections to suppos- edly frivolous additions to the religious calendar, like Christmas, were voiced by Puritan leaders. They saw Christmas as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs and encouraged immoral activities, to the 'great dishonour of God'. The discontent felt within the Puritan commu- nity towards festivals led to the enactment of forceful legislation. In January 1645, Parliament produced a new Directory for Public Worship that made clear that festival days, including Christmas, were not to be celebrated but spent in respectful contemplation.

At the time of writing this, we are experiencing a second lockdown and we have little idea of what restrictions will still be in place by Christmas. One thing is certain, Christmas will be very different this year. However, despite everything, Christmas is NOT cancelled! We can still celebrate the birth of the Christ child, God Incarnate, and hear again the message of love, joy and peace that the birth of Jesus brings to us all. Jesus was God incarnate, in that He was God in the flesh and came to live among us. This means that Jesus knew what it means to suffer and experienced all the emotions that we do and understands the struggles that we are all going through at this difficult and challenging time.

I have been amazed at the imagination and flexibility that people have shown to find new ways of doing things since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. I am sure that this will also be so for finding innovative and memorable ways of celebrating Christmas this year. Yes there will be sadness that if we can't have large gatherings of family and friends. This year we will probably have to celebrate in more personal and intimate ways, but this doesn't mean that we can't still have fun! It may also be that as we celebrate in new ways we may also think more about what Christmas is really about.

4 5 6 St Luke's - Church Update

Christmas Services and events

Due to the pandemic many of our usual Christmas services and events will be happening in a different way. At the time of writing we do not know what the government guidelines will be for Worship in the Church building during Advent and Christmas. Please keep a look out on the Church Website and Facebook page for details of events which may include a Virtual Christingle and Carol Service. We also hope to have the Church building open on Christmas Eve afternoon so that children can come and see the crib.

The Church is here for you!

Every week the Churches pray for different streets in Slyne with Hest. Wherever you live, please get in contact with Revd Susan if you have any pray requests for specific people, places or situations. (Details are kept confidential).

Contact Revd Susan Seed. Tel 01524 822128 Email: [email protected]

Resources for Children

St Luke's Virtual Sunday school St Luke's have produced a weekly Sunday School which is available on YouTube.

Go and meet the 'Virtual Vicar' and find out how you can join in with the crafty activities. To find the channel, type 'St Lukes Church Slyne with Hest' into the search bar of YouTube.

7 BiblePodlets: https://www.bdeducation.org.uk/podcasts/bible-podlets/ Bible Podlets is a Bible study and discussion podcast for primary aged children to do with adults. Each episode has fun games/activities, an engaging Bible reading in the form of a news story and deep discussion with places to pause and talk together about the topic.

Faith at Home #faithathome resources can be found at: https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-action/faith-home

Mother Theresa "It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving."

Bing Crosby “Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it white.”

Charles Dickens "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

Bob Hope "My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others."

8 Safety Guidance for your Christmas Crib

The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the way we conduct our lives, with many new rules and restrictions governing our health and safety. One area of concern is your Christmas Crib. Although there are several weeks to go before Christmas, you will need to start planning now. You will need to begin with a thorough risk assessment to ensure your Crib is COVID-secure. Here is some further guidance:

1. A maximum of 4 shepherds only are permitted in the Crib. 2. Shepherds must wear facemasks (unless exempt) and strictly observe social distancing (2m or 1m+ with mitigations). 3. Jesus, Mary and Joseph form a family bubble and thus may be placed together. 4. The ox and the ass need Declaration of Non-Contamination Certifi- cates, obtainable from the Department of Agriculture. 5. The Three Wise Men, since they come from a non Schengen Area, will be subject to a 14-day quarantine, whether or not they have tested negative for Covid. 6. The straw, moss, palm branches and other decorations must be disin- fected, with hands washed for 20 seconds after handling. 7. Angels flying over the Crib are now forbidden, owing to the aerosol effect produced by the batting of wings. 8. Shepherds are permitted provided they are not more than 70 years old or suffering from underlying medical conditions or in another vulnerable category. 9. The inn, along with other businesses in the hospitality sector, is closed until further notice. 10. For 2020 only, a Pontius Pilate should be added to the Crib to ex- plain to authorised participants the protocols for washing and sanitisation of hands.

[Taken from a Diocesan newsletter]

9 Grandad, what did you do during the ….?

I suppose it’s a bit of age showing, but the last word used to be “war”, but now it will be “pandemic”.

We’ve all had our own way of coping with the forced isolations - telephone calls, either voice or occasionally video, Skype (usually for those far away), or the now obligatory meetings on Zoom or Facebook. But what about the things you do to pass the time in between? How have you spent your time?

I took up watercolours some years ago when I retired and recently, although I’m not really very good (I must go back to Jean’s classes again), I’ve been putting paint to paper again. The other week I was sitting musing over what to visually destroy next, and got to thinking about how social distancing was changing things. Cathrine spent a lot of time during the first lockdown making cards and sending them to her contacts, so I thought I should do something similar but use my watercolour skills(?).

How would the Nativity have looked under social distancing rules? Only one angel, one shepherd, one sheep, one king, and Mary and Joseph in a bubble, but keeping each other at a distance. A bit like this , perhaps -

10 From here on, of course, it was all downhill. What else would be affected by Social Distancing? The most obvious thing would be Christmas Dinner - which we could share with the family by Zoom

My mind started to run riot. Other things sprang to mind - Postmen using paper planes to socially distance deliver Christmas cards, Santa doing socially distanced air-drops to deliver Christmas presents, socially distancing party hats, and other crazy ideas including how Santa’s toy workshop could operate.

I knew my sanity had not deserted me when John Lewis sent a link to their Christmas video which included two neighbours doing a socially distanced cracker pull - something I had sketched out two weeks earlier!

A Happy (hopefully not too socially distanced) Christmas From Alan, Jocelyn and Cathrine Hipple 12 Secretary: Mrs. Val Gill Tel: 824089 Treasurer: Mr. J. C. Fox Tel: 822779

Serving Elders: Mesdames J. Fox, V.Gill, B. Mills, L. Etherington, H. Byrom, Helen Bennett

Freewill Offering Sec: Mr D. Ruddick Tel: 824243 Newsletter Rep: Mrs Lena Etherington Tel: 824287 Flower Rota: Mrs B. Mills Tel: 822984 Reform Magazine: Mrs J. Fox Tel: 822779 Church Transport: Mr and Mrs C. Fox Tel: 822779

Benefice and URC Christmas Carol Service on Zoom Sunday December 20th at 6.30 pm A special service of readings and carols to celebrate Christmas. To get the log on details please email Revd Susan at [email protected]

Please contact Revd Susan if you would like to volunteer to do one of the readings. We can all sing along at home!

13 A MESSAGE FROM THE URC

It has been a long and difficult year for all of us, and has highlighted underlying problems of loneliness within our communities. We long for the time when both our churches can extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to enter our doors. In the meantime we will zoom, and phone one another, and chat to all those we just happen to meet when out for a walk. Those chats are so appreciated. It’s amazing what a big difference such a small thing as a smile and “good morning” can do. I have been doing a lot more reading and listening to radio than I normally do. I have learnt about the lives of bumblebees, and how penguins survive in Antarctica, and how to grow lemons in Italy-you need the climate. Currently I am reading the biography of archbishop Desmond Tutu. What an inspiring man he is, and so full of compassion. At one point in the book an old Kikuyu proverb is quoted “No matter how long the night is, the day is sure to come”. It seems to speak to us in lockdown, and we look forward to the day when we can meet freely. One of my favourite radio programmes is “The Life Scientific”. It consists of the physicist, Jim Al- Khalili, interviewing a scientist about his or her life and work. It’s fascinating that some of these scientists did not do well at school, but came to academic life later, and achieved great things. The subject of one of these programmes that I really enjoyed was Richard Wiseman, a psychologist who had made a special study of luck. He wondered why some people regarded themselves as “lucky”, whilst others as “unlucky”. He distinguished this from “chance”. If you bet on a horse, whether you win or not is mere chance, but “luck” is something different. He illustrated this by an experiment in which he asked people to imagine they were in a bank, just quietly stood in a queue waiting for their turn with the cashier. In comes a bank robber and fires a shot. It hits you in the arm. What is your immediate reaction?

14 Those who regarded themselves as lucky would say “Phew, I’m lucky it wasn’t my heart,” whereas those who regarded themselves as un- lucky would say “What rotten luck to have been here at the time the bank robber appeared.” Interesting. But what he went on to say was that his research showed that you could train people to feel lucky and thus more content with life. His suggestion was to think of something last thing at night that you have been thankful for that day. It reminds me of the seemingly old ladies at Sunday School (only old to my child’s eyes) telling us to count our blessings, not advice we were thrilled to receive. It is a perfectly valid feeling to feel sad and hard done to at times, and a good moan to a kind friend can make us feel better, and shouldn’t send us on a guilt trip, but sometimes, amidst gloom, something happens to interrupt the day and make us smile. It may be a robin alighting on a branch beside us, tipping its head on one side and chirruping. It may be the sight of the tiniest of newly hatched ducklings on the canal, or the soft blue/grey light on the water of the Bay with the hills of the Lakes behind, or perhaps a ‘phone call from a grandchild, or the sound of children at play. These little things can make us feel blessed, and we thank God for them, and go on our way with a spring in our step and a lighter heart. Today I shall thank God for a video I watched of some children dancing. They were so full of joy it was wonderful to see them. May you all find a happy moment in each day.

15 Health question Hidden away in an obscure corner of the NHS website is the advice that we should all take a vitamin D supplement between the months of September and March, as there is not enough sunlight to induce our skin to make the vitamin as it does in summer. This advice seems not to be widely known. It is knowledge that has been lost over the years. Our mothers and grandmothers knew that we needed the vitamin. As a child in the 1950s I was given my daily sunshine yellow capsule of cod liver oil. I don’t know why this advice is not more widely publicised. It should be, and particularly at the moment as we know that vitamin D is not just for our bones, but helps the immune system as well.

Val

URC Church News

We have held three social events on zoom. We have done quizzes, listened to music, chatted, and watched comedy clips together. We are grateful to David for his IT and screen sharing skills for all the zoom activities. Our last social event was a "Desert Island Discs" evening when Daleen, a Lanca- shire minister was interviewed. She shared memories of grow- ing up in South Africa in the 1980s and coming to England in 1999. We all enjoyed listening to what she had to say and her varied choice of music. We have sad news. We offer our condolences to Rose Dyson, whose husband, Cedric died recently.

16 All our events recently have been on zoom, but we have managed three face to face sessions of the Body and Soul exercise group in the hall before the current lockdown. Members of the group were so pleased to see one another and our instructor, Pam, modified the exercises so that we could maintain social distancing. The new hall is a lovely building, and so easy to adjust to being covid secure with plenty of ventilation and easy access to the main area, with separate exit. We were disappointed to have to stop, but the zoom sessions have been fun and we have been able to keep going. We are about to launch into a new dance routine, but remaining seated is always an option. For login details if you would like to join in phone Val on 824089

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree." – Roy L. Smith

"Love the giver more than the gift." – Brigham Young

17 URC Activities and Services Currently all URC activities are online via zoom, but there are some tentative plans for face to face activity when rules permit.

Sunday worship is held at 10.30am on zoom. All are welcome to join in. Worship will be led by the following ministers or church members

DECEMBER Sun.6th. December. Rev. Yolande Burns

Sun. 13th December , Rev. Lis Mullen

Sunday 20th December, church members, possibly face to face in the hall, when it would be 9.30am. -this is to be confirmed. Christmas Day 10am. church members. Sunday 27th December Rev. Irene John, our local serving minister.

JANUARY - to be arranged.

If you would like to join in any of these services, phone Val on 824089 to make arrangements to receive login details.

Other activities are as follows. Some of them are arranged by our local missional partnership group of seven local churches: Hest Bank, Bolton le Sands, Halton, Sefton Road, , Forton, .

All are on zoom.

18 Advent prayers. These begin on Tuesday 1st Dec. at 10am, and will be held weekly for 4 Tuesdays. They will be led by Audrey Shaw from Bolton le Sands.

Advent Bible study. These begin on Thursday 3rd December at 7pm for 3 Thursdays and will be led by Rev. Irene John, our local partnership minister.

Body and Soul exercise group meet on zoom on Thursday afternoon at 3pm [see separate item on page 15].

It is hoped to hold a special social event on zoom on Friday 18th December, at 7.30pm, with carols and poems. “Bring” your own wine and mince pies, and have a good sing.

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." – Calvin Coolidge

19 Food donations There is still a box in the porch of the Church to put food donations in for the Food Bank: Urgently needed food items are: · fruit Juice · Long Life milk · Sugar · Instant mash potato · sponge puddings · Wrapped biscuits · Coffee · Pasta sauce · Soap and shower gel · Loo roll · Toothbrushes and toothpaste · Tinned meat · Tinned vegetables and fruit The food bank have currently got plenty of: · Beans · Pasta

Monetary donations can be made to food bank via their website. Revd Susan is able to make referrals to the food bank if anyone is in need.

URC BOOK GROUP The groups meetings remain cancelled for the time being. We will review plans in September.

If you would like more information please contact Helen Byrom on 822916.

20 Reverse Advent Calendar

This is a way to collect food and special items for families living in poverty around Morecambe Bay to give them a treat at Christmas time - see details below. Cards are available from the Church Porch. Please contact Revd Susan if you need help getting your collection of donations to the Food Bank.

21 Please only ring between 7pm—9pm if possible

“Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” - Oren Arnold

22 Ashtrees Pharmacy

Market Street, Carnforth, LA5 9JU

Tel: 01524 727877 Fax: 01524 730421

Email: [email protected]

7 Days - Late Night - Early Morning

Monday to Friday: 7am - 11pm

Saturday: 8am - 6.30pm Sunday: 8am - 6pm Adjacent Parking Free prescription delivery service, from your Doctor’s surgery to your home.

Halton Pharmacy

110 High Road, Halton, Lancaster, LA2 6PU

Tel: 01524 812149 Fax: 01524 812168

Email: [email protected]

Monday to Friday: 9am - 5.30pm

Saturday: Closed Customer Parking for Easy Access

23 Registers

The following Funerals have taken place at St Luke's Church since the last Magazine:

12th August - Mollie Dixon 19th August - Mary Lees 15th October - Margaret Dawson 3rd November - William Stewart

The following Funerals have been conducted by Revd Susan at a Crematorium:

23rd July - Dorothy Bannon 18th September - Betty Thomas 25th November - Sheila Brotherton

“Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.” ~ Henry Van Dyke

24 Friday nights - ZOOM night!!

We have continued to meet weekly since April but on Zoom. We have a regular small group and are able to do a variety of games, activities and discussions often using video.

This last week for example we discussed the topic of time and looked at Chronos - or sequential time and Kairos- a more specific time when something happened. For example Joseph had a Kairos moment when he was thrown in a pit and his whole life changed. We reflected on our Kairos moments and that we need to perhaps write them down so we remember what happened and what changed or what we learnt. Some of the teenagers recognise that the Mexico house builds could be a Kairos moment. This was postponed in April 2020 and Urban Saints have felt they cannot plan for 2021. We have decided to try and plan a house build trip to Moldova next summer with Amor directly. Here is the web link so please have a read and pray about it. https://www.amoreurope.org/amor-europe-building-expeditions

In the next few weeks we hope to have a few different activities with the support of two students from Capernwray.

I was reminded in the last month about the history of Urban Saints (as was Crusaders) as the organisation has been working with teens for 120 years now. The old motto was Hebrews 12 v 2. In these difficult times verse 1 is important as it reminds us to look at history and how God has been with this people and then v 2 reminds us to keep our eyes fixed in him. have a read.

If you want to know more about Urban Saints here is the link https://www.urbansaints.org Andy 01524 409111

25 Mothers Union

ST. LUKE'S CAROL. GIFT AND CHRISTMAS TREE SERVICE SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER at 10.00am.

We warmly welcome children of all ages to join us.

Donated gifts are requested for the elderly (9 LADIES and 4 GENTLEMEN)

PLEASE WRAP AND LABEL GIFTS FOR GENDER.

LANCASTER HOMELESS ACTION will receive a CHRISTMAS TREE and have requested CLOTHES ONLY, SPECIFICALLY:

MENS JEANS BOXER SHORTS SOCKS AND GLOVES BACKPACKS SHAVING GEAR SLEEPING BAGS BOOTS & TRAINERS

PLEASE PLACE ANY ITEMS YOU HAVE IN THE BOX PROVIDED AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH

THANK YOU

26 Sadly our next meetings have been cancelled. When the situation is clear we will arrange these again.

Further information from Emma Cafferty or Revd Helen Leathard

An Easy Way to Raise Funds

With so much ordering now moved on-line to reduce peoples movements, this is an even better time to try to support this fund-raising activity.

St Luke’s church has its own account where most major retail- ers will give a donation to us when you make a purchase from them Via the internet. Sign up today at

https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/stlukesslynewithhest/

For further details or help with setting up you registration please contact Jonathan on 824029.

27 All service times are provisional and dependant on government guidelines at the time.

Please check the church website:

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11646

Services can also be found on the Church Facebook page See details on next page. December

6th Second Sunday of Advent 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Family Worship 9th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 13th Third Sunday of Advent 10.00 am Holy Communion with Gift and Tree Service 16th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 20th Fourth Sunday in Advent 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Family Worship 6.30 pm Carol Service (on Zoom) 23rd Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer

24th Christmas Eve 11.30 pm Midnight Holy Communion 25th Christmas Day 10.00 am Family Worship

27th First Sunday of Christmas 10.00 am Holy Communion

Please note there is no Morning prayer on 30th Dec

28 January

3rd Second Sunday of Christmas 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Family Worship 6th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 10th Baptism of Christ 10.00 am Holy Communion 13th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 17th Second of Epiphany 8.00 am Holy Communion 10.00 am Family Worship 6.30 pm Cafe Church (on Zoom) 20th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 24th Third of Epiphany 10.00 am Family Communion 27th Wednesday 9.00 am Morning Prayer 31st Fourth of Epiphany 10.00 am TBA

The Church will be open for Private prayer between 9am and 4 pm on Wednesdays and Sundays Live streamed services:

Services are live streamed onto Facebook as follows: Sunday 10 am - Morning Service - 2nd and 4th Sundays St Wilfrid's, 1st and 3rd Sundays St Luke's Slyne. Cafe Church - 3rd Sunday, 6.30 pm on Zoom (Email Revd Susan for the link)

Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 7.30 pm - Evening Prayer or Compline - St Luke's

Tuesday - 9am - Morning Prayer - St Wilfrid's

Wednesday - 9am - Morning Prayer - St Luke's

The services will be shared onto all the Benefice Facebook pages and the Sunday service is also available on YouTube - search: 'St Lukes Church Slyne with Hest

29 Who’s who in St Luke’s Slyne With Hest

RECTOR Revd Susan Mary Seed 822128

Associate Priests Rev’d Helen Leathard 849495 Rev’d Pauline Nixon 07511 935860

Readers Martin Wakelin 07740 933463 Churchwarden Andrew Worgan 07901 522443 [email protected] Assistant Churchwardens Maureen Shackleton 823018 Emma Cafferty 824596 PCC secretary TBC PCC treasurer Nicola Carruthers 824053 Bible reading notes Dawn Hayhurst 824118 Electoral roll TBC Gift aid secretary & FWO recorder Alan Hipple 823328 School Head Teacher Paul Bowden 823505 MU enrolling/sec Maureen Shackleton 823018 Altar flowers Carol Shortland 822913 Magazine adverts Jonathan Dixon 824029 Magazine Editor TBC Magazine distribution TBC Christian Aid Rep TBC Church Army Martin Wakelin 07740 933463 Children’s Society Julie Mitchell 389344 Laura Mitchell 846560 Sunday School rep Jill Turton 831683 Church Hall enquiries David Ruddick Church cleaning rota Jocelyn Hipple 823328 Transport assistance Contact Churchwardens Child Welfare Officer Andy Craven 409111

All copyrights & articles etc., from any source, acknowledged. Any views expressed are those of the article writer and, unless otherwise stated, not the PCC or editor.

30