Cranham Village Magazine With Cranham Parish and Benefice News and Information Inside this Month: A Cranham Character - page 11 Lockdown with PSALMS - page 15 Garden Society - page 18 Saints, Snakes and Spirits - page 20 Cranham Common News - page 22 Any views and opinions expressed in the Cranham Magazine are attributable only to individual contributors Advertisements in this magazine do not imply recommendation 1 Church & Benefice Rector: Rev’d Janet Turville 01452 245526 [email protected] Associate Priest and Revd. Andrew Leach 07564 448692 Benefice Administrator: Church Wardens: Mr. Keith Ardron 01452 617648 [email protected] Linda de Cossart 07778 215801 [email protected] Organist: Mrs. Beryl Berry 01452 813200 Four Chimneys, Cranham Hon Treasurer: Mrs. Helen Daltry, Broadridge House, 01452 863011 Cranham, Gloucester. GL4 8HF PCC Secretary: Nicki Clapton 07824 812384 Bakers Piece, Cranham [email protected] Benefice Office: Lychgate Rooms, Painswick 01452 814795 [email protected] Cranham Church of England Primary School Headteacher: Rebecca Slater 01452 812660 [email protected] Magazine & General Magazine editors: Sue & Ian Shaw 01452 814839 [email protected] Church articles: Sue & Ian Shaw 01452 814839 [email protected] Magazine layout: Tony Walker 07796 175622 [email protected] Magazine Sue Stick 01452 813407 Distribution: [email protected] Village Hall Nicki Clapton 07824 812384 Bookings: [email protected] Community Police: Police Community Support Officer Tel: 101 PCSO9073 Deb Collicott [email protected] Cotswold Warden: Shelagh Dempsey [email protected] Neighbourhood Simon Jarvis [email protected] 07811 263075 Warden: https://bit.ly/2Z13gxY 2 A Letter from The Clergy As I write this we are once more in 'lockdown' and we have time once again to reflect on these strange, testing and worrying times. Could we have imagined this time last year that a pandemic would affect the whole world, and that as a result travel would be forbidden for much of the year? We would never have thought that even in Gloucestershire we would not be able to have people visiting or even coming into our homes. How strange it all is. This has caused me to reflect on the power of memory and the importance of remembering, i.e. not forgetting. How we remember and cherish the good, exciting and important people and memories of the past. Indeed, we feed on them for the hope to go forward again to the familiar, or what we call the 'normal' ways of being in our homes and communities. Writing this, I am also aware we are also creating memories of this the strangest of years both at home and abroad. Around us we are aware of so much that has changed, yet we see great examples within our parishes where people look out for one another and exercise costly care for the vulnerable and those most in need. There is, of course, another meaning for remember, it is the opposite of dismember. To re-member is to put things together again after being dismembered or broken apart. How we yearn to re-member our world as we knew it before the pandemic, not least in being able to see family, friends and neighbours in the social way we used to do whether at home, or school, or church or the pub or further afield. From the media - local, national and international - we are aware of great suffering, but also great sacrifice and commitment by many on the front line medically and those who continue to work, at great cost to themselves, to make sure there is food in our shops as well as those emergency workers and those monitoring water, gas and electricity. I am mindful too of those who seek to comfort the bereaved in whatever ways are possible these days. It is a very tough time for many. There will be many challenges ahead as we, in our own differing ways, seek to re-member our communities and nations when this crisis is over. How grateful we are for our scientists and others for the vaccines and treatments that give us all hope. We continue to hold them in our hearts and prayers. By the time you read this it will be February when, although it is still wintertime, there will already be signs of new life and hope around us. There will be snowdrops, daffodils and lighter mornings and evenings! Hopeful signs indeed. Every year this is the time of Lent - the 'lengthening' of each day. Continued on page 4 3 A letter from the clergy - from page 3 The six week period we call Lent is a great gift modelled on the six weeks Jesus was in 'lockdown' in the Judean wilderness preparing for his ministry to bring us help, hope and wholeness to humanity. By the time Easter arrives it will be Spring with increasing signs of new life everywhere! How grateful we are for this. I wish us all a good six weeks of Lent 2021 when I hope we will ponder on the two meanings of 'remember' and how important they are for us and for our world today. May we too with St. Paul seek 'to know Christ and the power of his resurrection' and to know that surely it is His presence deep within us now, that gives us hope and courage as we move forward out of this pandemic and come out into a new life with its new opportunities, to face the challenges that will embrace us on the other side of this extraordinary and painful year. There will be much to do at so many levels. May we be ready to do as much as we are able to help re-member the world that is entrusted to us. Michael Irving All articles or enquiries with regards to the Cranham Magazine should be emailed to: All general articles: [email protected] All church articles: [email protected] Advertising enquiries: [email protected] Distribution enquiries : [email protected] www.beaconbenefice.org.uk 4 CHURCH NEWS - February 2021 As all the churches in the Benefice are closed while the lockdown lasts so the February service list is not yet available. However when services start again they will be listed in the Beacon News and the Church website so please do check these. Church Flowers 7th & 14th February Volunteers needed - Please contact Nicole 21st & 28th February LENT No flowers Church Cleaning 6th February Carole Tringham 13th February Sylvia Ardron 20th February Sue Stick 27th February Sarah Taylor 6th March Nita Bradnum Fix my Street website to report potholes and fly tipping etc https://www.fixmystreet.com Cranham Parish Council website lots of info including the minutes of meetings https://cranhampc.org.uk/ 5 Sunday Worship for those at Home 10.30am Zoom Morning Prayer, message Rev’d Janet for a link 9.00am Live worship on the Church of England website https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online 10.15am Gloucester Cathedral Sunday Eucharist https://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/worship/services/services-live- stream/ 8.10am Radio 4 Sunday Worship 1.15pm BBC1 Songs of Praise Weekday Worship 9.30am Thursday weekly via Zoom from Sheepscombe Morning Prayer If you would like to join in or would like a copy of the service sheet please email Karen Riding [email protected]. Weekday Worship for those at Home 9.45am Daily Service - Radio 4 (Long Wave) 3.30pm Wednesday Choral Evensong - Radio 3 https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily- prayer Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044. 6 Message from Bishop Robert For so many it is quite clear that this, lockdown 3, is the hardest. In part I suspect this is because we are approaching a year since the beginning of the pandemic and know the reality of living with the restrictions on our lives and our freedoms and just how tiring this is. I suspect also, this time it is because there is the promise of something better with the roll out of the vaccine, but even while it is happening around us we are being told, very clearly, with the pressure on our hospitals, with so many ill and indeed dying, we must wait, keep to the guidance, maintain distancing, and live with the social and economic implications for a bit longer. The future looks better and indeed is here in the vaccine, but it is also not yet. It’s really tough. As Christians we are in many ways used to living with this paradox. Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom, God’s reign is one of justice, mercy and peace, and yet this also is not yet. We are to be Kingdom people, people of deep hope and confidence in the power of God made visible in the love of Christ yet engaged in the reality life. Life in all its fullness is to be lived in the midst of the mess of life into which Jesus Christ is born, and lives, and dies, and rises, conquering the darkness. Its OK therefore for us to acknowledge to ourselves and others how hard this time is, recognising that doing so also sets us free to look with expectancy to what is to be and then to live well, abundantly, now. I therefore suggest we have a vitally important role to play as Christians gathered in the church for our nation and world, to weep with God’s people, to encourage each other, to run the race.