St Anne’s Church St Paul’s & St Augustine’s Worship Centre June 2021 60p Who’s Who in the Benefice Priest in Charge: Rev. Liz Wilson Tel: 07591 697380 e-mail: [email protected] Readers: Margaret Gillespie 284 8684 [email protected] Deaconess: Jan Gough: Tel: 0116 332 6617 . E-Mail: [email protected] St. Anne’s St. Paul’s & St. Augustine’s Churchwarden: Churchwardens: Alan Headley 0116 2858316 Sharon Bird 07914118648 [email protected] [email protected] Eunice Lowe 0116 2852317 Mary Lord 0116 285 5168 [email protected] [email protected] PCC Secretary: PCC Secretary: Justin Webber Sharon Bird 07914118648 [email protected] [email protected] PCC Treasurer: PCC Treasurer: Jonathan Varley 0116 285 8519 Dave King 07800746121 [email protected] [email protected] Hall Booking Team: Hall Booking Secretary: St Anne’s Hall Booking 07405 924 330 Dave King 07800746121 [email protected] For more information go to the web site at www.stanneschurchleicester.wordpress.com or www.stpaulswithstaugustineschurchleicester.com 2 Pastoral Letter Page 4 Services for June Page 5 Gardening with God Page 6 Readings for June Page 7 Pram Club Page 8 The Blessed Trinity Page 9 Sidespersons Rota Page 10 Sudoku Page 10 Puzzle Page 11 High Days and Holy Days Page 12 My Favourite Hymns Page 13 Greetings from St James the Least Page 14 Parable of the Month Page 15 Friday Coffee Morning Page 16 Please Help Page 16 St Paul and St Augustine’s Summer Fayre Page 17 Western Park Open Gardens Page 18 How to Fill in a Form Page 19 Smile Lines Page 20 Puzzle Answers Page 21 Cartoons Page 22 St Anne’s Mothers Union Page 23 He Gave us Eyes to See Them Page 24 Deadlines Page 25 Finding the Magazine on the Website Page 25 God in the Sciences Page 26 Christians and the Bubonic Plague in London Page 27 We Could Make so much More of Cathedral Tours Page 28 The Feast of Corpus Christi Page 29 Classifieds Pages 30-31 PASTORAL LETTER Dear Friends I want to begin my letter with a poem. An ode to the table top sales Sun, rain or wind, the punters are returning, to the table top sale. After a summer of closure, and a winter of regret, the regulars are back to see what bargains they can find, at the table top sale. Bread baskets of brick-a-brack, win-every-time tombola, the unfolding and refolding of clothes, and free cups of tea help to make a table top sale. This is how the Kingdom of God is built, friendships renewed and five books for a pound at our table top sale. I am not sure if the St Paul’s and St Augustine’s table top sale have been immortalised in poetry before. But if not it was about time! Last month, on a very rainy Saturday it was a joy and a relief to attend our first table top sale since before Christmas. These events are an important missional event for St Paul’s as they are warmly anticipated by the wider community and raise funds for both the church and a monthly nominated charity. The next table top will be on Saturday 12 June, followed by a rummage sale on Saturday 26 June. What has been interesting to observe, as we have begun to emerge out of pandemic lockdown is where the energy has been at both St Paul and St Augustine’s and St Anne’s Church. While I was a theological college we studied a practice called Missio Dei, which literally means the mission of God. At its most basic it means looking at where God is already at work in the world and joining in. Thus is has been interesting to see what activities have been first to restart (other than worship) at both of my churches. Where God is already at work in the congregations, with no prompting from the Vicar! As we continue to enjoy post pandemic freedoms, I do want to just add a note of caution. After 15 months of being stuck in our own homes it is going to take a while to get used to each other again. Our physical, mental and spiritual health has had a battering and we need time to heal. So please do not feel that you have to rush into anything (let alone hunting for bargains at the next table top sale). Some of the things we used to do as churches will not be part of the ‘new normal’, and it is OK to let them fade away. As it says in Psalm 91; ‘he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithful- ness is a shield and buckler.’ God will keep faith with us, even if we need to spend a bit longer hiding under his wings. Rev’d Liz Wilson. 4 SERVICES FOR JUNE 2021 Please Note: Services in our buildings may change at short notice due to Covid 19 Thursday 3 June (Corpus Christi) 9.30am Eucharist, St Paul and St Augustine’s Sunday 6 June (1st Sunday after Trinity) 9.30am Eucharist, St Anne’s 11.00am Eucharist, St Paul and St Augustine’s 11.00am Benefice Telephone Church, Tel. 033 3113 3356, Room no. 72775483#, Pin no. 1459# 6.00pm Evensong led by Leicester University Chamber Choir Saturday 12 June Open Garden’s Children’s Trail available for families (no Children’s Church) Sunday 13 May (2nd Sunday after Trinity) 9.30am Service of the Word, St Anne’s 11.00am Communion by Extension, St Paul and St Augustine’s 11.00am Benefice Telephone Church, Tel. 033 3113 3356, Room no. 72775483#, Pin no. 1459# 5.00pm Open Garden Songs of Praise, St Anne’s Sunday 20 June (3rd Sunday after Trinity) 9.30am Eucharist, St Anne’s 11.00am Eucharist, St Paul and St Augustine’s 11.00am Benefice Telephone Church, Tel. 033 3113 3356, Room no. 72775483#, Pin no. 1459# Saturday 22 May 1.00pm Wedding, St Anne’s 4.00pm Children’s Church, St Anne’s Hall Sunday 27 May (4th Sunday after Trinity) 9.30am Eucharist, St Anne’s 11.00am Eucharist, St Paul and St Augustine’s 11.00am Benefice Telephone Church, Tel. 033 3113 3356, Room no. 72775483#, Pin no. 1459# Daily on Facebook (subject to availability) 9.30am Morning Prayer Tuesday on Zoom 2pm and 7pm, Bible Study Wednesdays 9.30am Eucharist or Morning Prayer, St Anne’s 4.00pm Trinity Meditation, St Paul and St Augustine’s Gardening with God This month will see the welcome return of Western Park Open Gardens (12 and 13 June, 2-5pm) in aid of St Anne’s Church, Project Hive and the local Neighbourhood Watch. I am looking forward to being able to nose around some of the gardens in the neighbourhood and show off the amazing work that has been taking place in the church yard at St Anne’s. This year the vicarage garden will NOT be part of the Open Garden’s trail. Although I enjoy gardening when I am doing it, it takes me a long time to get around to it. In the meant time the weeds are having a field day! Yet, I often feel closest to God when I am outside and have finally gotten my tools out. For many Christians they feel closest to God when they are pottering around the garden. Creation is sometimes called ‘God’s second book’ and is a visible reminder of God’s generosity, power and beauty. But perhaps this closeness to God also has something to do with the process of gardening itself. In the hand-on, getting soil under the fingernails, waiting and watching, planting, watering and weeding, harvesting of the fruit and veg practicality of it. Two poems for reflection The kiss of the sun for a pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God’s Heart in the garden, Than anywhere else on earth. Dorothy Frances Gurney The best place to seek God is in a garden You can dig for him there. George Bernard Shaw What is it about Gurney or Shaw’s words that touches your heart? Surprises you? Or resonates in your mind? Read Psalm 92: 12-15 Read the above psalm several times slowly. Think about how it might apply to your life. Talk to God or Jesus about your thoughts, feelings, questions or situation. Garden with God Seedlings or Weeding Either transplant a seedling that you have grown very S-L-O-W-L-Y. As you put the seedling into its new pot, pay attention to the process. What did it feel like to do this activity slowly instead at your usual pace? What did you notice? What did you feel? Or do some weeding S-L-O-W-L-Y. Imagine Jesus kneeling beside you as you turn the soil over, gently loosen the roots and remove the plant. Another poem Your family need the seeds called ‘you matter’. Your friends need the seeds called ‘compassion’. Your community need the seeds called ‘hope’. Now is the time for planting, for courteous daily watering, for compost of encouragement, and forgiveness-fertiliser, dug in with the respect and reverence due the growing soul as it reached for the light of the Son. Now is the time for planting the seeds of love. Sue Pickering A Prayer Lord, as you send rain and flowers even to the wilderness, renew us by your Holy Spirit, help us to sow good seed in time of adversity and to live to rejoice in your good harvest of all creation; through Jesus Christ out Lord, Amen.