Saltash Area Newsletter DISCOVERING GOD’S KINGDOM – GROWING THE CHURCH July / August 2021 www.saltashteamministry.org It’s Pointless COMING UP Breakfast Baps Linda, my late wife, was a game- him and said that HM the Queen St Nicholas & St Faith show fanatic. Any programme which (their President) would be present Church Rooms required using the brain, she was on the occasion of his visit and had Saturdays 7, 21 Aug 10am to 1pm there. Not so me. I watch only two asked if they could play Pointless. game-shows, Only Connect and The other evening one of the Pointless (the second mainly because questions was, ‘What is the name of it precedes the early evening national the second part of the Bible?’ It was news), and at certain times when I included in a selection of questions join in my answers are correct. Even in which all the answers began with if I do not manage the correct answer ‘New’. The competitor gave the right What better way to at least I am learning, I hope. answer, ‘New Testament.’ We later spend a Saturday morning than having a cooked breakfast? Cream Teas Come along and enjoy a delicious cream tea with friends. St Michael’s Church Saturday 24 July Noon to 2pm For those of you who do not know discovered that of the one hundred the show Pointless, tune in at 5.15 pm asked only forty-three were right. on any week day evening and it will This reminded me of some words SS Nicholas and Faith Church Rooms save me having to explain it in detail. about her school days that Jennie Saturdays 14, 28 Aug Simply, one hundred people are asked Hogan wrote in her book This is My 2pm to 4.30pm a question prior to the programme Body, ‘Religious studies were two (and given one hundred seconds to years of colouring in and petty ethical answer) while the competitors have to enquiry of “issues” related to the Hoe Public guess how many were correct. It is a three of the four Gospels.’ (p113). Mayflower Service popular show with a wide following. We have heard a great deal about 11 July 2021 The other day Alexander Armstrong, education during the pandemic from the question master, was telling how the professionals and the politicians he was invited to the Sandringham as well as scholars right cross the Women’s’ Institute to speak. Prior to spectrum of the subject. On occasions CANCELLED his visit the Hon Secretary telephoned they have agreed and on other occasions JUL / AUG SERVICES have taken divergent views. In intractable problems with school the case of the professionals and level provision.” (14 May 2021). Sunday 4 July / 1 August the politicians, economics has In the Saltash Cluster we are St Stephen-by-Saltash played a part and in the case of the blessed with having two Church 9.30am Holy Communion scholars, on the whole, the lack of schools which have a long tradition St Michael, Landrake 9.30am All AgeService provisions and/or opportunity. of providing a good secular St Nicholas & St Faith, Saltash Of course, religious education education based upon religious 11am Holy Communion in many establishments has principles that has also played St Mary, Botus Fleming taken a back seat, in many cases a sustainable presence in our 11a m All AgeService again due to economics or to the community. For this, much thanks Sunday 11 July / 8 August lack of interest in sections of the must go to the heads and staff who St Stephen-by-Saltash community (although in recent deserve our prayerful support. 9.30am Holy Communion years in some There is a St Michael, Landrake areas the tendency to 9.30am Holy Communion interest in leave religious St Nicholas & St Faith, Saltash the academic education to 11.15am Holy Communion subject has the academics St Mary, Botus Fleming 11.15a m Holy Communion increased). – schools, Recently colleges, Sunday 18 July / 15 August the weekly Sunday St Stephen-by-Saltash opportunity to Schools. Not 9.30am Holy Communion 6.30 pm Evensong learn in Sunday so! Religious St Michael, Landrake School has largely disappeared from education should not be left to 9.30am Holy Communion the Church as a whole. A drastic others. It is something to which St Nicholas & St Faith, Saltash change from the medieval times for, we all should be committed 11a m Holy Communion as A Tindal Hart remind us in A and involved. It has its basis St Mary, Botus Fleming Curate’s Lot, ‘The ordinary parish in the family, in the day to day 11.15a m All Age Service priest was expected, if possible, St Erney, Landrake relationships with each other 11.15a m Holy Communion to keep a school and teach any and within community co- promising boy what he himself knew existence. It should be adapted Sunday 25 July / 22 August free of any charge beyond anything and expressed in technology, in St Stephen-by-Saltash 9.30am Holy Communion which the parents themselves were words, art, videos and films. St Michael, Landrake voluntary prepared to him.’ So, let us not cease from 9.30am Holy Communion In the same week as I read the supporting all our local schools. Let St Nicholas & St Faith, Saltash above, the Church Times ran a report us, also, continue in prayer that the 11am Holy Communion of Ofsted which concluded that, faith may be spread still through St Mary, Botus Fleming ‘Teachers are implanting unhelpful the education of the young, as well 11.15a m Holy Communion misconceptions about religion as ourselves, and the activity of Sunday 29 August and are failing to prepare pupils those who are called to ‘Teach’. St Nicholas & St Faith, Saltash for a muli-religous society….’ The Education and Wisdom, we 10am Joint Service report, a review of literature related need both at the present time. to RE, highlights “chronic and Father Brian Insurance: If you are taking out or have a buildings/contents insurance due for renewal, get a quote from Eccesiastical (https://ecclesiastical.com/individuals/home-insurance/trust130/), and see if you can help our churches get £130 for any policy that is taken out. Page 2 Prayer of the Month The Rt Revd Graham James, Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Truro After 20 years as Bishop of Norwich I All the answers are London returned to my native county of Cornwall Underground Stations. to retire in 2019. My wife Julie and I live in Truro, and the transition has been For example: A king of trees? good. Lockdown has meant that we have Answer – Royal Oak walked a lot more than for years, and we 1. Rabbits would be at home here? seem to be more in touch with the changing seasons than ever before. No 2. Famous school at the BBC? more Synods or meetings of the House of 3. Anyone for Tennis? Bishops! Much better to be outdoors. And it’s reminded me how our church calendar 4. The Station between the reflects the seasons too. forehead and the ear? August 1st is Lammas Day, although 5. Yuppies and Rangers live here it is hardly observed at all in the Church of England today. Lammas Day – Loaf Mass Day – is found in the Book of Common Prayer. It was when a loaf 6. A small road with a tollgate? baked with flour from newly harvested corn was brought into church and 7. Wellies, hat and duffel coat? blessed. When Robert Hawker, the eccentric Vicar of Morwenstow, invented Harvest Thanksgiving in 1843, it caught on rapidly. So now we give thanks 8. Traps a stream? for the completion of the harvest. And the focus is no longer on bread alone. 9. Where you might learn to yodel? A friend of mine took up bread-making in a serious way when she retired, not using a machine but doing so by traditional methods. She did this as 10. Where 007 might live? an aid to meditation and prayer, as well as producing something tastier Answers on page 7 than in the shops. The most fascinating thing about bread-making, so she tells me, is to see the yeast, an unattractive lump or even dried particles, suddenly growing before your eyes once given sugar, warmth and liquid. No wonder Jesus used the image of yeast for the way the Kingdom of God grows. As she makes her bread my friend also thinks of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who gives himself as bread for the life of the world (John 6.51). It’s a way of integrating prayer with everyday activity. I keep promising myself I will do this too. It will surprise my wife when it happens! A big thank you to all who supported My prayer is a poem, written by David Adam, which I’ve used sometimes our Bacon Buttie Morning at SSNF on 12 June, our first event after when breaking bread at home communions. It’s a beautiful way of reminding many months of not being able to us that when we touch bread we are approaching the Bread of Life too. do anything. A total of £160 was raised. Thank you everyone, not Be gentle when you touch bread. only to those who supported the Let it not lie uncared for – unwanted event, but to all who helped in any So often bread is taken for granted. way to make the event a successful There is so much beauty in bread one, especially as social distancing Beauty of sun and soil, beauty of honest toil had to be observed.