The NIB Neatishead, Irstead and Barton Turf Parish Magazine THE BENEFICE OF St BENEDICT The Parishes of Ashmanhaugh, Barton Turf, Beeston St Lawrence, Horning, Irstead and Neatishead Rector: The Rev’d David Smith 01692 630216 [email protected] From your Parish Priest The television panel game ‘Call My Bluff’ hinges on three panelists each giving a definition of a word. Only one gives the correct definition – the other two must bluff, and make up a definition, presumably because the words are usually so obscure that they wouldn’t know the correct meaning anyway. The opposing team then has to guess who was correct and who was bluffing. You might think that the Bible would be the best place to find a definition of God, but even the Bible stories about God can sometimes be confusing. It can seem as though you are trying to find the right definition among several apparently conflicting versions. – just like ‘Call My Bluff’. Definition No 1. Early in the Bible, God talks directly to Abraham. He comes across as perhaps a bit dictatorial - he who must be obeyed. Abraham is told to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a test of obedience. This must have seemed rather fickle and confusing to Abraham, since Isaac was God’s special gift to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. God was demanding and testing, but eventually generous. However, we do see God as trustworthy, he makes a covenant and keeps it. Definition No 2. In the New Testament, Jesus tells the parable Vine and the Vine-dresser. This is part of Jesus’ farewell to his friends after the Last Supper. He talks at length of God as father, as a gentle and caring daddy. He cares for his children, but also correcting and pruning them to encourage growth and maturity. Cutting back the dead wood sometimes, in the hope of new growth, but also demanding a return – that we will be fruitful. Definition No 3. Even later, there’s the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. Here God is seen at a distance, working gently through a guiding angel. This is a gentle God, seeing potential, helping it to be developed, working through the Holy Spirit and inspiring individuals, but very much at arm’s length. So: a demanding God who expects obedience; a firm but fair parent encouraging growth; a distant but gentle God seeking to develop potential. Can we choose? No - this is not ‘Call My Bluff’ – there is no right, or indeed wrong answer. We do not have an ‘EITHER/OR’ God. We have an ‘AND’ God. God is all of this: demanding, confusing, testing, generous, gentle, guiding, parental, expectant - and more. God can be difficult to comprehend sometimes. Although we are made in his image, we cannot be all things to all people. On the other hand, God can be and is all things to all people, and is with us always. With every blessing, David ISSUE NO: 495 JULY 2019 Barton and Irstead Churches Fete May I thank all those who contributed in any way to make the fete such a success this year. The weather was kind to us with a glorious afternoon. May I particularly thank all those who worked so hard setting up and taking down everything. I believe that the taking down was done in record time. My thanks also to all the stall holders, the customers and particularly to Jeanie Peel for allowing us once again to use her beautiful garden. Barbara Pilcher This year unlike last year we were very fortunate with the weather which was sunny all day. Attendance was slightly down on last year but all the stalls seemed to be as busy as usual. At the time of writing the income from the event stands at £2585. Very many thanks, not only to all those who attended but also to all those involved with the setting up, manning the stalls and clearing up afterwards. This involves many months and hours of planning and a lot of hard work. Once again a big thank you to Jeanie and her family for the use of the beautiful gardens of Barton Hall. Brian Thompson, Treasurer, Barton Turf PCC Cake and Bottle stalls: May we thank you all for your kind donations to the Cake and Bottle stalls. Without your generosity neither stall would be as successful as they are. A special thank you to all those who attended the Fete for the first time on moving to Barton and Irstead for giving so generously. Gail and David Murrells St Michael and All Angels, Barton Turf I have thanked everyone elsewhere in the magazine for all that they did to make the fete such a success. A good deal of hard work done by all. Our July coffee morning will be on Saturday 20th July from 10am until 12noon. Coffee and scones as usual as well as produce stall and book stall. We are always happy to receive produce for the produce stall, whether baked items or fresh items from the garden. I hope you will join us for a coffee and a chat. A reminder that I am still looking for baptism gowns, wedding gowns and items connected with baptisms, weddings and funerals for our Hatch, Match and Dispatch display in the church from Thursday 8th August to Sunday the 11th. Entry will be free and there will be refreshments available. Put the date in your diary and bring friends and family along. If you have any items that you can loan us for the exhibition do please get in touch with me on 536132. Barbara Pilcher Musical Evening at St Michael’s Church, Irstead, Saturday 20th July at 7.30pm Come and enjoy a summer musical evening featuring Fran Dockerty, Vincent Kendrick, Ed King and Chris Walls, playing jazz/blues/country in the beautiful setting of Irstead Church. Tickets £8 in advance, are available from the White House Stores/Horning Post Office and include interval wine and canapés. Tickets purchased on the evening will be £10. We hope you will be able to join us. Claire Penstone-Smith Neatishead Church Plant Sale Despite it being a really cold and wet day the plant sale was a great success, and we made a record sum of £811. As well as being a success financially I felt it was a good community event, and for that I would like to thank everyone for coming. Without you it would be nothing. My thanks go to those who helped in whatever way, to everyone who took the time to pot plants up for us, and last but no means least to Chris and Julie Walls for allowing us to use their garden, which was lovely as usual despite the rain. Hopefully it will be better next year! Jane Fowle St Benet’s coffee morning On a lovely sunny day but with depleted numbers due to the Three Rivers Race £88 was raised towards the upkeep of the church. The 6th July coffee morning will be held IN THE CHURCH to mark the start of a week of Celebration with flower displays, art exhibition, a model of The Abbey, etc. Do come and enjoy coffee there and meet friends and make new ones. The church will be open all week and serving refreshments from 10am to 5pm. Gillian Jeckells 2 Christian Aid Ecumenical Service £667 was raised on Sunday 12th May, which will go towards helping the mothers in Sierra Leone who need a midwife’s care. Thanks to all who gave so generously. Sue Gibbons, Co-ordinator Flower Festival, St Swithin’s Church, Ashmanhaugh 20th/21st July 10am-4pm Do come and admire the wonderful displays of flowers in St Swithin’s church and enjoy the amenities at the Preston Rooms. There will be a raffle, sale of local artist cards and plant stall too. Teas, coffees, homemade cakes and light lunches available in the Preston Rooms. Ground coffee and cake £2.50, lunches £4.50. Refills of coffee and tea free of charge! Some of the flower displays may be available for purchase at the end of the weekend. Ashmanhaugh Light Railway will also be open on Saturday only 10.30-12.30pm and 2-3.30pm, so plenty of fun for the children too. Drinks and biscuits are available at the railway. Parking is free. And entry to Flower Festival is free too (please make a donation if you can). Parking is available at the ALR, and near the Preston Rooms. Please come and support our village and the church at this lovely local event. Anne Mulhall St Benet’s Abbey Annual Ecumenical Service - Sunday 4th August at 3.30pm Everyone is most welcome to join us on this special occasion when we will, in addition to the other events planned, celebrate in worship the spiritual significance of St Benet’s Abbey today and in the period since its foundation 1000 years ago. The Preacher this year will be The Rt Revd Dr Alan Winton, Bishop of Thetford, acting Bishop of Norwich and Abbot of St Benet’s. Visitors are advised that parking is in fields and therefore on an uneven surface. Only cars carrying demonstrably disabled passengers will be allowed onto the Abbey site. Directions to the Abbey site: By road - Off the A1062 at Johnsons Street, Ludham, signposted St Benet’s. By water - Just downstream from Ant mouth on the River Bure. On foot - Along the Three Rivers Way from either Ludham or Horning. Alternatively enjoy a trip on the ‘Southern Comfort’ to the Abbey site departing from and returning to Horning Green.