Studland Parish News October 2021 St Nicholas Church Studland See the Parish News in full colour – www.studlandchurch.com Note from the editor… As I compile this month’s edition, I am filled with such a sense of community spirit. It is a pleasure to read all the submissions about what is happening in the village this Autumn. There is simply so much going on, we are really spoiled for choice. I am sure you will find the same as you read through the pages, and I hope to see you at some of the events. With all the harvesting going on this month, I thought the Blessing of the Month below was appropriate as we gather together on different occasions to reap what has been sown. It is great that we are able to do this again, thinking back to last year. Also, you will find a piece on St Luke on Page 21, which I felt was also very fitting, especially as we are privileged to have a group of medical staff showing us another side of their skills in the Old harry bar on October 16th. As the nights draw in, a lot of people struggle with their energy levels, so this array of things to do is a great way to boost our energy and look after our wellbeing. If you know someone who struggles with the change of season, why not invite them out and help give them a boost. Sharon Westman, Editor Gratefulness “Small grateful acts every day can uplift us, make a difference for others, and help change the world.” Blessing of the month You bless us with Kitchen Noises – with the sound of chopping, the rumbling from washing pots and pans, the clinking of silverware, the clang of glass on glass, the whistling of the kettle, and all the homely rattle and clatter produced by preparing food and washing dishes. May we drink deeply from the blessing of being in a community that rings in these sounds and makes all whom we meet feel a bit more at home in the world. November edition submission deadline is: 9am October 20th [email protected] / 01929 450358 Late contributions cannot be guaranteed. ***Looking ahead, as ever we have tight deadlines for the JANUARY edition, so please note the deadline in December (for January) will be 9AM SUNDAY DECEMBER 10TH please plan your submissions accordingly. *** 2 Swanage and Studland Team Ministry Team Rector The Very Revd John Mann The Rectory, 12 Church Hill, Swanage, BH19 1HU Tel. 01929 422916 Email: [email protected] Team Office Tel. 01929 421117 Email: [email protected] St Nicholas Church, Studland Resident Priest Rev’d Tony Higgins The Old School House, School Lane, Studland BH19 3AJ Tel. 01929 450691 Email: [email protected] Church Wardens Barbara Matthews Old Harry, The Glebe, Studland BH19 3AS Tel. 01929 450218 Email: [email protected] Mr Eric Stobart Knapwynd, School Lane, Studland BH19 3AJ Tel: 01929 450222 Email: [email protected] Hon. Treasurer Mr Andrew Goodwin St Nicholas Church Hall, Church Road, Studland, BH19 3AT Email: [email protected] Hon. Secretary Mrs Carol Wadley 34 Jubilee Road, Swanage, BH19 2SF 01929 424388 [email protected] 3 Rota of Sides Persons and Readers for St Nicholas Church October 2021 Service Presiding Sides Person Readers Readings Sun 03/10/21 Rev Tony Tricia Moore Barbara Psalm 26 Trinity 16 Higgins Matthews 1 Tim. 6.6-10 10.00am Eric Stobart Matthew HARVEST 6.25-33 FESTIVAL Morning Prayer Harvest Zoom Rev Tony 6.30pm Higgins Sun 10/10/21 Rev Tony Carol Wadley Lesley Cocks Psalms 90: Trinity 17 Higgins Audrey 12-17 10.00am Farrell Heb. 4: 12-16 HC + Baptism Mark 10: 17- 31 Sun 17/10/21 Rev Tony Robin Hilton Susie Marsh Psalm 91: 9- Trinity 18 Higgins Diana 16 10.00am Edmonds Heb. 5: 1-10 HC Mark 10: 35- 45 Zoom Service Rev Tony 6.30pm Higgins Sun 24/10/21 Rev Tony David/Sally Jane Psalm 126 Trinity 19 Edmonds Hogsflesh Hawkesworth Heb. 7: 23-28 10.00am David Mark: 10: 46- Morning Prayer Hogsflesh 52 Sun 31/10/21 Rev Tony Eric/Ginny Tricia Moore Psalm 24: 1-6 All Saints Day Higgins Stobart Barbara Rev. 21: 1-6 HC Matthews John 11: 32- 44 Please swap if you cannot do any of these dates. Please contact Barbara Matthews on 01929 450218 or email: [email protected] if any problems. 4 The Team Rev’d Writes… What the curate did this summer: Like probably most of you, it had been a very long time since I had actually gone away on a real holiday, switched off, left the house, and drove off somewhere far from home. So, after a year and half of ‘holidays-stuck-at-home’ (or staycation as they say), it was such a treat to pack my bags, my tent, and sleeping bag, and set off to meet a few friends in field somewhere up north. Usually at the end of August I would be attending a huge Christian art and activism gathering called Greenbelt Festival. This year, we didn’t much hope it would be going ahead, but we were still treated to a much smaller scale gathering, and without the usual hundreds of line-ups. One thing I had forgotten however, is how bitterly cold the nights can get in the countryside even in summer. Thankfully, vegan food trucks and endless cups of coffee, and quite a few G&Ts, kept us going. We were blessed with dry weather throughout, sitting outside the now famous ‘Jesus Arms’ pub, popped up in the middle of the field. Our hearts were warmed up by delightful and hilarious poetry and singing from Harry Baker and Chris (check them out they are utterly brilliant! www.harryandchris.com). Our inner activists were ignited by the famous Grace Petrie and her protest songs (check her out too, she too is utterly brilliant! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2DEs2mKd4Ct0FlcTiAjUA). All in all, it was such a brilliant time of gathering with beautiful folks from around the country. Seeing friends, I hadn’t seen face to face since before the pandemic. But mostly this warm fuzzy feeling you get when God’s people are gathered to show their love to God by loving and affirming each other. All this best summed up by the dad in the tent next to us, Robin Message, who read us his poem as we were packing our tents away. (Check his webpage for more of his poems www.justlyspoken.wordpress.com) Rev'd Solveig Sonet They don’t lock the toilet roll holders at Greenbelt The caravan of love is just a guy who loves the festival and offered up his caravan No wristbands are checked Even southerners converse with strangers We are Greenbelt The whole field is our communion table The whole weekend our service of Thanksgiving, of community, of inclusion and justice and peace and love We sound like a bunch of unwashed hippies in a field And, to be fair, some of us are But there are bishops and pilgrims 5 Goths, poets Activists, penitents Church-goers of all stripes And those left with stripes of spiritual abuse on their backs They don’t lock the toilet roll holders at Greenbelt They don’t lock you up in a Bible either You might hear something other than a middle class, straight, cis, white man’s interpretation of it. This is our place to think, to question, to believe To doubt And to hope the stronger for it So, ignore those who call us heretics Who question our orthodoxy, our theology Who question us for questioning all that should be questioned Who question if Greenbelt is even Christian anymore God is here In the smile of a stranger, the tears of a friend God is here In a long devotion and a passing conversation God is here And certainly meets us in this bright field¹ They don’t lock the toilet roll holders at Greenbelt This is a retreat, a sanctuary From churches where questions of belief and identity Become pointed This is a school, a trade show A party political broadcast For the kingdom of God And as the music starts up again They might call us Faithless But this is my church This is where I heal my hurts For tonight God is a DJ Mixing labour-supporting folk music With Palestinian protest songs And soft acoustic guitars Played over her children. 6 St Nicholas Parish News Harvest has many connotations for us in Studland. We see the local farm bringing in their crops and gardeners celebrating their yields. Even the squirrel in our picture is benefitting from the Sunflowers growing in my neighbour’s garden. For us at St Nicholas we have benefitted from increased congregations as both the morning services and the Zoom services have flourished. In addition, St Nicholas has enjoyed being able to celebrate 9 weddings this year and the list for next year is significant with 12 weddings already booked. We are very grateful to all who help at weddings and especially Barbara our Church warden who carries much of the administration. Iain and Susie who have multi tasked being verger on alternate occasions together with David acting as bell ringer. We have also been able to have the choir return to lead our singing. The restrictions for Covid have resulted in a number of Baptisms being delayed and we hope by the end of the year to have Baptised at least 12 children.