Newsletter of St Laurence Parish Church, Frodsham For week commencing Sunday 6th June 2021 – First Sunday after Trinity, Year B “To know God and to make God known” Vicar: Rev Elaine Atack – [email protected] Website: https://slfchurch.org/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/saintells/ This Week June 6th 08.00 Said Holy Communion – please book 2 Corinthians 4. 13 - 5.1; Trinity 1 10.00 Holy Communion – please book Mark 3. 20-35 Monday Church closed Tuesday 10.00-15.00 Church open for private prayer Wednesday Church closed (Heating Maintenance) Thursday 10.00-15.00 Church open for private prayer Friday, Saturday Church closed June 13th 08.00 Said Holy Communion – please book (see below) Trinity 2 10.00 Holy Communion – please book (see below) Weekly Notice from Rev Elaine PRAYER WALL: You might like to write a prayer and light a virtual candle on our Prayer Wall which you will find on our website: https://slfchurch.org/prayerwall If you would like to do this but are unable to access the website, then please either phone me or write it down and post it to me at the Vicarage and it will be added for you. Remember that we can pray anywhere and that God is with us wherever we are. Please keep safe and well - and keep in touch with each other – and do please let me know if there is anything you feel I need to be made aware of. Thank you. SERVICES WILL CONTINUE ONLINE AND CD AS AT PRESENT. Please contact Rev Elaine or Andrew and Wendy Rudd if you, or anyone you know would like to receive our weekly service on a CD. The current website link is: https://slfchurch.org/trinity-sunday-on SERVICES IN CHURCH: there will be a service of Holy Communion at 8am and 10am each Sunday as we ease out of Lockdown. We will continue to follow Government and Church of England guidelines as we are not “out of the woods” yet. Face masks must be used in Church. Also, as you are aware seating in church has been re-arranged to comply with social distancing requirements, reducing numbers who can attend. To help us manage this – please contact Joanna Ayliffe: email: [email protected] by each Friday Prayers Our prayers for those who are sick: If you know of anyone whom you feel needs our prayers – please ask permission from them or their family and then pass their name to Rev Elaine: [email protected] Please pray for – Those who are sick Those who have died Those whose anniversary of death falls at this time Letter Dear Friends, On this first Sunday after Trinity we are back to what we call “Ordinary time” in our church calendar and the liturgical colour reverts to green. This could be symbolised as our “growing” time – a time to learn and reflect. In our Gospel reading – we find that Jesus has been drawing the crowds who are eager to hear his teaching – yet his popularity causes unrest as people feel uneasy or even jealous of his talents, humility and natural way with his followers. No one actually disputes the powerful reality of Jesus’ miracles. The issue is how they respond to his ministry. As Jesus’ identity as God’s Messiah emerges, his earthly family want to contain him and the religious authorities want to destroy him. Yet, the ministry of Jesus is not madness or evil – quite the contrary. This is the arrival of the kingdom of God – which if we allow it, is liberating. It invites us to be courageous for the greater good – to seek something more than our own desires. Mary, his mother recognised this: He’s my Son (Mark 3. 31) He’s my Son and he hurts me so. What else can I do for him? I’ve fed him, clothed him, Listened to him. And believed in him. I’ve protected him as best as I can. Guided him, supported him in his work encouraged him to find love even when everyone, even his followers, frowned on such a thing. They were frightened of losing him. How could they? “You are all my brothers, and my sisters, and my mother.” Hurtful, but truthful stinging words of love. I caught a woman’s eye in the crowd. Another Mary, with a reputation amongst men. But I don’t care; she saw my pain – had seen much pain of her own. And she smiled at me, softening his words. Her look made me understand them. And the look she gave my son Helped me understand something else too. I can dream, can’t I? (Alma Fritchley) Our challenge is to respond to the person of Jesus, and - by the grace of God - have the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, so that others might also be enabled and inspired by the power of his love. With love and blessings, Elaine Notices CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Cynthia Lawson who has just become a Great Grandmother to baby Alice Josie born on May 31st – first child for her grandson Josh and his wife Charlotte. CLIMATE ACTION FRODSHAM (CAF) is inviting local people to come to a zoom event on Wednesday 9th June. This is for people who have not previously been involved with CAF, but who might like to be involved in local initiatives which tackle the Climate Emergency and which move us towards living sustainably on Planet Earth. People who are already on the CAF mailing list are also welcome to attend, of course! Ideas for green community projects will be put forward and the CAF committee is inviting people to become involved in a project that interests them - we need more people, or these projects cannot take place. 2 Library of things (we`ll explain!) Travel to work "Home energy efficiency" & "Frodsham Community Energy?" Low Carbon Restaurant competition Electric Vehicle Car Club and `Shared use of a electric vehicle` `Influence your Club` The "Great Big Green Week" Do come and listen to the ideas, but please note that attending this event does not oblige you to sign up for a project! Climate Action Frodsham. Exploring and developing green community projects. Come and join us! June 9th. This is the link for registration https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkdeyvqj4oGNz2shtZQIIqlukxdOe7Jkm7 The meeting starts at 7:30pm, but you could join us a few minutes before then, if you wish. If you have any questions, you could phone Ruth Basden FOODBANK Donations can be made at Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco and also to Frodsham distribution centre at Guide HQ, Ship Street between 1 and 3 pm on Fridays (excluding Bank Holidays). Current needs are: Tinned fruit, Sponge puddings, Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner. To find out about obtaining a voucher, opening times of distribution centres or how to donate financially online, please visit the website – runcorndistrict.foodbank.org.uk DONATIONS TO CHURCH If you would like to contribute to St Laurence, our Bank Account details are as follows: ST LAURENCE FRODSHAM PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL Sort Code: 09-01-55 Account No: 42559803. Alternatively, you can use our online donations page: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/371c0c8f-ea13-4763-9688-e0de77dd8475 Thank you. News from Church Members THE WANDERING CHORISTERS Today the 26th May we wandered off to Delamere Forest. We parked in the new carpark where there is a great newly built cafe, information centre and bike hire, set in a large landscaped area. It was a warm sunny day and we set off heading towards the station but took a left turn over the railway bridge and left again which took us past Go Ape which is an outdoor tree climbing adventure and not for the faint hearted, and something I experienced myself 14 years ago. Looking up at the height of it now makes me wonder how on earth I did it. We decided to walk around the man made lake. After walking for three quarters of an hour we found a wooden seat overlooking the lake and decided to stop here to have our picnic lunch. It’s so refreshing to sit in the peace and quiet and listen to the different bird sounds. We always catch up on family news and today was no exception. We chatted for some time before resumiing our walk. Somewhere along the way we took a wrong turn so rather than backtrack we thought it best to walk the rest of the way on the main footpath as we didn’t want to lose our way again as we needed to get back to Frodsham for 3pm. Eventually we reached the carpark in good time so we had a cup of tea from the teashop before departing for home. My daughter bought me a wonderful book for Christmas called ‘The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse’. Read it if you can, here is one of the sayings taken from it. "When have you been at your strongest?” asked the boy."When I dared to show my weakness. Asking for help isn’t giving up" said the horse, "its refusing to give up". God bless Jeanie and Barbara x 3 From The Church of England New Bishops of Birkenhead and Stockport announced The Venerable Julie Conalty, currently Archdeacon of Tonbridge, will be the next Bishop of Birkenhead, and the Revd Canon Sam Corley, currently Rector of Leeds Minster, will be the next Bishop of Stockport, Downing Street has announced. Bishop-designate Julie said: “Being nominated to be the next Bishop of Birkenhead is a huge privilege.