Encouraging A Growing Faith

These are exciting times at St Edward‟s and ideas are springing up all over the place about how to develop our faith and life.

Chris Elliott and Mark Russell-Smith recently shared some ideas with the Preaching Team about possible ways of developing our under- standing of faith and the Bible in particular.

The Basic Idea “As we believe the Bible to be normative for Christian life in general, we hope to devise ways of enabling Scripture to address, critique and keep the life of St Edwards refreshed. Because we live in an ever-changing culture and society, Christians need regular exposure to the Biblical texts in a variety of ways, where the Scriptures are in „conversation‟ with us as individuals and Church.”

How Do We Achieve This? There are lots of possibilities. Here are a few suggestions. Please feel free to add others. Whether they see the light of day depends on whether enough people come forward to lead and to take part. We‟ll put up a big poster in the porch, in March, where you can sign up to register your inter- est – or let me know directly, or via Alison in the parish office.

Short Courses For example, 5 Saturday mornings in the Autumn; 5 Sunday tea-times/ evenings or lunchtimes in the Spring. Basic or in-depth Bible teaching; looking at themes and issues; ethics/ politics/work/mission – you suggest whatever! And some perhaps linked to look at a Sermon Series in more depth.

Starter Groups - To ask any questions under the sun.

2 Book Groups/Film Groups and/or discussing talks downloaded from favourite preachers on the internet. These could be at any time of the day; in homes or church; occasional or regular. Perhaps a group could meet before or after Friday lunches?

Small Groups – meeting as at present; using their own choice of mate- rial, such as Courses (which require no previous Bible knowl- edge).

Planning This would require a leadership team to oversee it and plan some parts of it well ahead, so you can decide what, if anything, is for you in all of this. We also would like to be aware of other similar opportunities available elsewhere in the vicinity.

Last Word to Chris and Mark “In presenting this for consideration, nowhere do we envisage a sterile exercise, devoid of heart-felt engagement with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When people gather to study the Word of God, there should be a liveli- ness of encounter naturally issuing in worship, fellowship, prayer and action. Studying the Bible together in depth enables those so engaged to know God better and live more rounded human lives.”

Martin

3 FROM OUR ARCHIVES III. The mysterious burial plot

We walk past it so often, but take very little notice – if we do give it a passing glance, it is often accompanied by a brief moment of puzzlement, or disbelief. Why on earth should there be a solitary grave between the War Memorial and the Community Hall? And who would choose to be bur- ied there? More to the point: how did they ever get permission? Looking more closely, there is an inscription at the base of the cross on the side facing the path, which records a Matthew Alexander Eason Wil- kinson, born in 1813, deceased 1878. On looking at the inscription on the other side, we find reference to Louisa Laetitia Wilkinson, (1823-1889). No obvious clues there then. More intriguing still are the two small grave- stones lying flat in the plot, adjacent to the me- morial cross. No inscriptions are visible on these now, but because they are all in this unique plot, we might think they are all members of the same family, possibly all dying in the 19th century, after the demolition of the old church which stood on the War Memorial site (after St Edward‟s was built in 1847-9) and before the Hall was erected (1905).

As there was no cemetery in Dringhouses prior to 1927, burials had to be in York Ceme- tery or adjacent parishes such as Bishop- thorpe. So how did this particular family come to be buried here? There had been ear- lier burials in the old church of St Helen: members of the Barlow family who had been Lords of the Manor, responsible for the build- ing of the old church. Some of their memorial stones can still be seen inside the present church. Perhaps this is our first clue?

5 It was in 1851 that the manor had passed to the Wilkinson family by mar- riage: The Barlow heiress, Frances (who had St Edward‟s built in memory of her first husband) had been a widow for four years before marrying the eminent Manchester physician Matthew Alexander Eason Wilkinson and, according to the law of the time, the estate passed to him. A newspaper report in the York Herald on 3rd August 1878 solves the mystery. It records the funeral of Dr Eason Wilkinson, “the distinguished Manchester physician” who was “interred in a vault where his first wife was buried in 1852”. Frances had died only a few months after their mar- riage and one of the flat stones is her memorial. Dr Wilkinson later mar- ried Louisa Laetitia Walker, who would survive him by another eleven years. Their first son, Roger, sadly died in 1859 when he was only two years old, the other flat stone being his memorial. There is also an in- triguing stained glass reference to this little boy in one of our nave win- dows. Perhaps you might be able to find it? The very detailed newspaper report of Dr Wilkinson‟s funeral tells us that although he had continued to live in Manchester, he had owned considerable property in this area and was highly respected. In fact, eight Dringhouses tenants carried the pol- ished oak coffin with brass furnishings to the grave, and “a goodly company of villag- ers” were there to witness the event. This grave plot thus links the early patrons of the church (the Barlows) with the later manorial family (the Wilkinsons) and its location between the old church and the new one is therefore most appropriate. Dorothy Reed

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a pioneer of the hospice care movement, said „People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.‟

6 Prayers for those affected by flooding Taken from the Church of Website

We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body or situation; we especially remember those enduring the flooding and its aftermath. Comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings and hardships, and please bring good out of all their afflictions. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

God of all goodness and love,

in whom we can trust in every time of need:

be close to all who live in fear and distress

at this time of flooding in our land.

We pray for wisdom and strength for all who seek to help,

and that through this emergency,

people and communities may be drawn more closely together

in service to one another;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Adapted from a Prayer by Christian Aid] 7 8 The Parish Church of St Bartholomew As I sit in the warmth and watch John shovel snow from our paths, I thought I would write about our little hide- away in the Dales. The village of West Witton (Population 300) is our chill-out escape. A wonderful small village set deep in the Dales. We are looking out onto Pennhill Beacons, which is now covered in snow, a glorious sight this sunny winter morning.

Spending time here, we have been warmly welcomed into the church community. This Parish Church is dedicated to St Bartholomew. The original church was of Saxon origin and its existence is recorded in the Domsday Book (1086). When restoring the church in 1875 a Saxon cross was found in the chancel walls, which is now preserved in the ves- try wall. It is thought to have belonged to Bishop Cedd who died in 644 AD. The early Saxon church was followed on the same site by a Norman church around 1100 AD of which only the tower and north wall remain. Restoration and building in 1836 gives us now this pleasant quiet place of worship. As we walk into the Church, there is a very small font inside by the main door, thus reminding us that as well as entering into the church building we enter into the church family by our baptism. The lectern with its open bible has a wrought iron candlestick and candle which when lit, signifies to us „Jesus is the light of the World‟. The east window is described as having a Tractarian influence, (we had to look that one up!) but it does display many Saints and symbols of the Christian faith. As the Saints‟ names are in Latin we cannot tell you who they are! On display in the church are two bells of great antiquity. With the ex- ception of the tenor bell at Bedale church, these are the only pre- bells in the district.

9 The Lady Vicar, Sue Whitehead who has recently retired after many years of looking after our spiritual needs along with six other churches in the Dales is a very busy mobile lady. The church is now in „Interregnum‟ (we had to look this up as well) until an appointment is made.

Services are held fortnightly with the 9.30 am service having on average 20 people in the congregation. We were warmly welcomed to the church and area. The very first service we attended was dedicated to St Bartholomew, St Bart‟s day, 30 people attended and the local farmer played the organ, evidently, he milked his cows before he came. The name BARTLE is thought to come from ancient times, and probably was derived from „A fertility rite‟, he may also have been a robber and rogue. The village carries out ‘THE BURNING OF BARTLE’, every year, late Au- gust, a tradition that goes back to ancient times. It is still very popular to this day and many people come from far-and-wide to watch the annual event. An effigy, like that of Guy Fawkes, is paraded around the village, the lo- cals shout and jeer at him, and chant a doggerel verse,

At Pennhill Crag, he tore his rags, At Hunters Thorn, he blew his horn, At Capplebank Stee, he brake his knee, At Grassgill Beck he brake his neck,

At Waddhams End he could not fend, At Grassgill End we make his end, Shout boys, Shout.

The evening ends with a bonfire where Bartle is burnt. Also accompanied by a BBQ, beer drinking and everyone having a wonderful time. Another excuse to go to West Witton! Chris and John Dowell 10

THE ROSE, THE THISTLE, THE HAY AND THE LIBRARY

The Rose and the Thistle

The Thistle was James IV of Scotland, a man of many mistresses. One of them, Margaret Drummond, he secretly married, so the rumour goes.

The Scottish nobles wanted James to marry The Rose, the daughter of Henry VII of England to forge an alliance between the two countries.

Margaret and two of her sisters conveniently died of poisoning. Murder most foul, cried some. Dodgy Haggis, said others (there were no refrigerators around in 1501). One daughter survived who is the link with the rest of this story. Perhaps she chose the vegetarian option.

The Library

The Drummonds were landowners in Perthshire and one of their numbers, David Drummond, the 3rd Lord Madertie, took particular interest in some of the people in his care. He founded a school and a lending library at Innerpeffray near a remote ferry crossing on the River Earn south of Crieff, giving 400 books, a huge and valuable collection sometime towards the end of the 17th century. Only one problem… there was nowhere to keep them.

(Vicar of Dringhouses….. who followed the sign to see where it led).

19 The Hay

Robert Hay, our hero, was born in 1711, the second son of a Scottish Tory politician related to the Drummonds. Robert's dad, thanks to the patronage of his father-in-law, the 1st Earl of Oxford, had a high profile career, becoming a Baron. In one of his better-off moments he bought Brodsworth Hall in which became his family home. That was before he invested rather too heavily in "The South Sea Bubble".

Robert went to where he was "noticed by the Queen". He went on to Christchurch College, Oxford, was ordained in 1736, becoming a Royal Chaplain, Prebend of Westminster and, in 1748 the year he was married, .

In 1761 he became Bishop of , preached at the coronation of George III and then became . Quite a year.

At the time Palace was a bit of a ruin, so he ruled his diocese from Brodsworth while the palace was being improved "according to the best Gothic Style". He also rebuilt the parish church in Bishopthorpe and is buried beneath the altar.

He was a patron of the arts and engaged Sir to paint his portrait. He maintained the most magnificent traditions of Episcopal entertainment and, according to , was a "sensible, worldly man, but much addicted to his bottle".

The Hay and the Library

In 1711, the year of Robert's birth, Innerpeffray and the charity to upkeep the library (known as The Mortification) passed from the Drummonds to the Hays, with the proviso that the responsibility should be held by the second son in each generation (i.e. Robert).

20 He seems to have taken personal interest in the library from 1739 when he assumed the name and set in motion the process to build a new library for the collection, a project which took 25 years to complete. He also sired six sons to do his bit for posterity.

To Visit

From Crieff follow a sign to "the oldest library in Scotland" on the road to Auchterarder. When you think you have gone too far, turn right onto a single-track (Roman) road, with passing places, past a chicken farm towards the river. Park near the old school, walk past the 13thC chapel to the library and a very warm welcome, because visitors are few and far between.

The collection has recently been augmented by a bequest from an American lady, including several 1st Editions of the poetry of Robert Burns.

You'll be able to handle and examine rare 17thC books, including some tiny miniatures, and listen to the legends passed on and elaborated upon by word of mouth.

Robert Hay Drummond is all but forgotten in his beloved Yorkshire but remembered with pride and gratitude in this quiet corner of Scotland where a copy of his portrait surveys his handiwork, a library to bear comparison with 's own.

With grateful acknowledgment to "Robert Hay Drummond" by J K Forster 2013, an imprint of The Library of Innerpeffray. (www.innerpeffray.co.uk)

21 Martin Baldock Judi Dench supports the Community Hall Project!

Dame Judi Dench was educated at the Mount School so knows this part of York well. She has sent a donation for our project and a letter wish- ing us well with our plans. Isn‟t that brilliant?! She‟s not alone. We‟re receiving donations all the time from people eager to support the provision of a fit-for-purpose community venue in Dring- houses for future generations.

Many people have been asking about progress with our Community Hall project, so here‟s an update. The electricity supply to the site and the Vicarage has been a challenge to sort out but we are now making progress. We had an excellent meet- ing with Mark Tabert, our architect, mid-January and he now wants firm decisions about finer points of detail to make sure that when we go to tender we have the design we want. The small group doing this is nick- named „the nitty-gritty‟ group. Prayers for God to be at the centre of this project and for His guidance are vital. So please keep up this essen- tial part of the project which we can all be involved with no matter how young or old.

The timing of the building is still uncertain. There are still several pieces of this jigsaw to be put in place so we may even have to delay starting to build until 2015. We want to get all aspects right before appointing a builder but we are also keenly aware that everyone is eager to get started as soon as possible.

In the meantime, more grants have been applied for. Again your prayers for a successful outcome to this time-consuming process are invaluable. So, although it looks as if not much is happening, in fact a great deal is moving forward behind the scenes. The steering group in particular have put in many hours of work on this project over recent months. Fundrais- ers have been at work too as well as grant appliers. Huge thanks to all of these and also to the prayers. 22 Also a date for your diary. Valentine‟s day in 2015 is on a Saturday and the Marriott Hotel will be hosting a Charity Ball in aid of our project. So a great excuse to get dolled up in your best bib and tucker. Sue Baldock, On behalf of the Steering Group for the Project

The Community Hall Steering Group would like to ask members of the congregation for help in approaching the business community in the York area. Many employers have programmes for donating to charities and often favour local causes. Sometimes an employee is able to nominate a particular cause or at least has knowledge of who to approach and this can considerably increase the chances for success. If your employer has such a scheme or if you have ideas about how to approach your employer to support the Hall project please let us know. Contact David Lapish or any member of the Community Hall team. You can send an email to David or leave a note via the office or have a chat after a Sunday morning service. Thank You from David and the steering group.

Dear Lord I pray you watch over the refurbishment of the community centre and bless all those overseeing the plans, so all in our community can enjoy and benefit from a place of peace and safety

Amen. Dear God, Please guide and be with all those who have lovingly given their time and money to make this project possible. Amen. Dear God, I pray that the new community centre brings happiness and joy to all who enter. Amen.

Please bless this space that it can serve the community in diverse and meaningful ways.

23 Christian Aid Plant Sale and Refreshment Days, Thursday, 8 May and Friday, 9 May, 2014.

It is early February and I am writing this article to intro- duce the forthcoming Plant Sales in May. The absence of snow and frost creating the magical filigree patterns over the landscape, is causing confusion in nature and in me too. I am still waiting for Winter and pray that by the end of March Nature will be back on track!

To all keen gardeners, please remember the plant sale while you are working in your garden and pot up seedlings, cuttings and spare plants when you divide large perennials. Nectar rich plants encourage insects, bees and butterflies which are essential for good pollination and making honey. Donations of plants for the sale and cakes for refreshments will be very welcome.

If you can help with the Plant Sales and Refreshments please sign up (List at the back of Church after Easter), for Wednesday, 7 May Col- lecting plants from our house 7.30pm, setting up and receiving plants at the Hall from 8pm) Thursday, 8 May Sales and Catering Help required from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Friday, 9 May Sales and Catering Help required from 9.30am to 3.30pm Friday, 9 May From 3.30pm Pack Away Plants and Transport to David and Jenny Simpson's house.

Contact Jenny and David at church in the S pigeon hole. Thank you for supporting Christian Aid's work with projects helping God's needy children throughout the world.

David and Jenny Simpson

28 Go Into All the World

The focus of our Monday evening meetings in Lent this year will be the Christian Church across the world. Each meeting starts at 7.30pm and finishes around 9pm, with refreshments halfway through.

On March 10th: Heather Elliott will introduce us to COMPASSION, a Christian charity which facilitates child sponsorship across the world. Heather has a particular interest in Uganda. Emma Bagnall will speak about life with the ROUGHSHOD theatre com- pany with whom she spent a year touring Britain, before joining us in September 2013.

On March 17th: Mark Russell-Smith and friends will introduce us to the Church of the Province of Kenya. One of his guests will be Rev Lukas Njenga who is chaplain at the University of York St John.

On March 24th: The title is “The Middle East: Heartlands of the Faith.” Philip Cousins will be our speaker. He and Janet have lived and worked in Ethiopia and Egypt and they keep an active interest in those places.

On March 31st: Helen Dawe will give us a first-hand report of her recent visit back to Zimbabwe, where she spent 2012.

On April 7th: Martin Lawson, recently re- turned from Tunisia, will give us another angle on life as a Christian in a country which is pre- dominantly of a different faith.

31 The Monday programme will be augmented on Sundays by: The Gideons, on March 9th, at 6.30pm. A Kenyan Communion led by Mark Russell-Smith, on March 16th, at 6.30pm. Rebecca Cornish speaking about Accomplish Children‟s Trust, on March 23rd, at 10am. Zoe Baldock speaking about Open Doors, on March 30th, at 10am.

It‟s also possible that others will pop up and tell us of other areas and their experiences, at other times!

Thanks to Andrew Pearse who put much of this programme together and has recently “Gone into a different part of the world” as House-for Duty Priest in the Knaresborough Team Ministry.

Martin

'Sing-a-long with the Sixties'

Thursday, March 13 from 2pm in the Community Hall. Come and join in Singing some of the popular songs of the 1960's. It should be great fun! En- trance fee £3 includes tea and cake.

If you would like to be involved in making this a success please contact Jenny or David in person at church or leave a note in the church pigeon hole S. Proceeds for the Community Hall Refurbishment Fund.

Thank you very much for your support David and Jenny Simpson

32 Quote sourced from ‘The Friendship Book’ A thought for each day 2014 33