www.solebayteamministry.co.uk FREE Blythburgh Reydon Sotherton South Cove JUNE HEAR 2020 & Southwold U ggeshallSOLE Walberswick Wangford pages 1 Includes children’s(centre) Granny’s NHS Cake by Marina Interacting during lockdown. Two members of St Margaret’s congregation (Susan Evan-Jones and Sheila Harvey) have a chat after a Sunday Zoom service during lockdown. Judas tree (Cercis) native of eastern Mediterranean. Legend has it that it is the tree which Judas hanged himself. St Edmund’s with a Rainbow The Union Flag flying over St Margaret’s Church in May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day 2 MAGAZINE LETTER Let’s hope We’ve all been learning to do things differently. The way we shop, the way we communicate, our use of transport, the way we do church, and that’s just the beginning. It’s taken a lot of thought and reinvention. I’m guessing that the changes haven’t all been bad (that’s certainly the case for me) and we’ve learned to adapt. Like the old salts this coast is known for, we’ve trimmed our sails according to the shifting winds. It’s what we do. We’ve had to use our imaginations. And fortunately, it’s a key component of our very being. It’s at the very heart of what it means to be human. And it’s involved in almost every decision we make. Christians trace this back to our defining myth, the creation story in the book of Genesis, where God says: “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.” If God is able to create this universe from nothing, then it takes one hugely significant faculty – imagination. God had to imagine that there could be something rather than nothing. And humans are made to reflect this creative, imaginative God – we’re makers, inventors. But imagination has other important dimensions. For example, in order to form relationships and work together we need to imagine what our partners, our children our neighbours are thinking and feeling. This has been vital in the wonderful upswell of mutual support we’ve seen. And, crucially, our imagination gives us the ability to shape the future. It’s rooted in that huge, open-ended question: “What would happen if?” This is the key to our ability to develop, organise and plan. If you want a new road system, if you’re designing a garden, if you’re picking a school for your child . whenever you do anything which has consequences, your imagination comes into play. Also – and this is of huge importance right now – our ability to hope is absolutely embedded in the imagination. Imagination is to be alive to possibilities. When I was growing up there were certain fixtures that I thought would never change: apartheid in Africa, for example, the Berlin Wall. But people hoped, and worked and planned, and the future changed. We’re pretty sure that coronavirus is going to be with us in some form for a very long time. There’s no going back to ‘normal’. We can’t go back – we can only go forward. In a radio broadcast in April, the Rector of St Martin’s in the Fields, Dr Sam Wells, said that we hope that “our failures are no longer the end of a story but the beginning of a better story.” He went on to say that we our experience gives us “a once in a century invitation to imagine something richer, truer and deeper than normal ever was. This isn’t a time 3 for looking back, but for imagining the future and starting to live that future now.” Like I said at the top, this will affect the way we shop, the way we communicate, our use of transport, the way we do church. How we support one another. We can’t squander this chance, we can’t simply leave it up to the members of SAGE or the government. Instead, let’s ask ourselves the question” “What would happen if. .” Let’s hope. Malcolm The Revd Malcolm Doney is a writer, broadcaster and priest who lives in Blythburgh • Books • Brochures MikeSouthwold Press Ltd. • Business Cards • Community This is an amended advertPRINTER to replaceS the existing one, if I haven’t already sent it to you. Newspapers Sally • Compliment Slips We stock a wide range of Card, Paper & Envelopes • Funeral Service Sheets to sell direct to businesses and the general public. • Greeting Cards We also publish two community newspapers The • Headed Stationery Southwold Gazette and The Aldeburgh Gazette. • Ink Pads & Stamps • Invoices OPEN: 9am-1pm • Labels 2pm-5pm Monday - • Menus Friday • Posters & Leaflets • Restaurant Pads UNIT 3A, GLOBAL COURT, REYDON BUSINESS PARK • Spiral Binding Tel: 01502 723361 [email protected] • Wedding Stationery www.southwoldpress.co.uk • & much more ... 4 ALL COPY FOR HEART AND SOLE MAGAZINE, PLEASE USE EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] 12 13 TEAM NEWS How Much Longer One of the more controversial parts of the lockdown has been the closure of churches. As the first steps are being taken to ease the extent of lockdown when might churches reopen? According to the most recent advice from the House of Bishops, and following Government guidance, some gradual reopening of churches might be possible during June and July. This depends upon the reduction in infection rates from coronavirus continuing to fall. If and when churches do reopen there will inevitably be conditions that have to be met, such as providing hand washing facilities, and maintaining social distancing. Other restrictions may prohibit singing and the use of hymn books and service booklets. So it seems likely that full normality might still be some way away. However we can pray that some level of reopening might be possible soon. The Church of England website has regular updates as the situation unfolds. Simon 5 The Way Under our Feet – a spirituality of walking By Graham B Usher, SPCK, £9.99 Walking is one of the simplest things we do as humans. It’s how most of us experience life. In The Way Under Our Feet, Graham Usher conveys how exhilarating it is to walk into the depths of our humanity. We become more ready to recognise the needs as well as the joys of others; we sift our thoughts; we seek to heal our battered world; and we glory in the beauty of nature in the company of God. Mothers’ Union offers range of resources The Mothers’ Union has made a very practical response to the coronavirus. As their website explains, “We know that our work and experience in re-building communities and supporting family life is going to be more important than ever once the threat of COVID-19 subsides. Our members will be some of the first in line to support those around them.” In the meantime, MU has drawn together a range of resources to “help nurture our members and their friends and neighbours through this challenging time.” The resources will “help combat feelings of loneliness, to nourish faith and to help you continue to feel connected to your friends and community.” These include: rainbows, prayer cards, prayer resources, puzzles resources, and Bible study resources. More info at: https:// www.mothersunion.org 6 PARISH NEWS HOLY TRINITY BLYTHBURGH CHURCH LANE, IP19 9PL Coffee after church Many of Holy Trinity’s church family have been taking advantage of the Zoom services produced by the Sole Bay team. But we realised that there was a vital ingredient missing: we were no longer able to mingle informally and chat over coffee and tea. So, we’ve now set up an after-church coffee session on Zoom at 10.30 every Sunday. For about 40 mins we share news and enjoy each other’s company. It’s not the real thing, but it helps. If you’d like to join us, email Blythburgh’s Church Warden Meryl Doney: [email protected] Zoom good night Holy Trinity is hosting its own Zoom service once a week: the short (20 minutes or so) service of night prayer, Compline. It’s held every Thursday at 8.30pm, which gives you enough time to eat a meal and also clap for the NHS. If you’d like to join us, email Jenny Allen at [email protected] Weekly updates We’re sending weekly notes about services, links to enable participation, and other news to the extended Blythburgh church family. If you’d like to receive these, please contact Jenny at the email address above. Take a virtual journey Although we weren’t able to put on the exhibition of Mark Cazalet’s remarkable set of paintings, Stations on a Journey, they are now online, complete with commentary so you can make your own virtual pilgrimage with these 15 powerful pictures, which follow Jesus’ journey to the cross – but the events are located in intriguing London settings. Go to: https://www.holytrinityblythburgh.org.uk/stations-on-a- journey/ Music to your ears If you’ve been missing choral evensong, one of the features of Holy Trinity, Blythburgh, you can find recordings of a number of earlier services on our website. Go to: https://www.holytrinityblythburgh.org.uk/services/#evensong Malcolm Doney Laughter Lines Parishioner to vicar: I really like your virtual Sunday services. Vicar: What is it you like about them? Parishioner: Hmm, it’s your sermons. They’re just long enough to make a cup of coffee! Bob Mole 7 Don’t overdo the exercise During this period of staying so much at home, how much exercise is good? According to immunologists, regular bouts of moderate-intensity exercise can help build our resistance to infection.