Notes from Morland Vicarage Church News & Local Events JAM: Jesus and Me for pre-school children and parents. “I don’t believe it!” In a way, that catchphrase of Victor Meldrew’s has become a kind of anthem for our generation. We have had so many false dawns, things that promised so much only to disappoint. So it’s hard to believe or to hope. Safer, perhaps, to put on the armour of cynicism.It sounds plausible to think Morland: Monday 16th April at 9.30am that if we just don’t believe in the first place, we won’t be disappointed – a logic I’ve applied to years of Crosby: Monday 23rd April at 9.45am watching the Scottish rugby and English cricket. The only trouble is that it doesn’t w ork. It just leaves us Morland Home Group perpetually disappointed. And strangely, despite all the setbacks life can throw at us, human beings have The group will meet on 17th April at 2.00p.m. at 31, Jackson Cro .and on 1st of May at a remarkable capacity for hope. Against all reason, against all adversity, ‘hope springs eternal in the 2.00p.m. at Upper Orchard, Morland. All are welcome. For more details ring human breast’, as Alexander Pope observed. 10931714455. And the Resurrection of Jesus must be one of the most unbelievable events that human beings have ever been asked to take seriously. It goes against everything we know about life and death – and we do know Morland & Newby WI quite a lot. Surely it was just the wild imaginings of a more gullible age, a story that grew like Chinese THURSDAY 12TH APRIL 7.30 whispers, from the mundane to the fanciful? Surely it’s just a story for children and crackpots? Well, MORLAND VILLAGE HALL from the perspective of a more cynical age, it would be tempting to th ink so, but what is remarkable is that OPEN MEETING even reading the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection what strikes you most is the “I don’t believe it!” ALLANA HUGHES who is a highly qualified architect will give a talk about reaction of the disciples. They were not a more gullible generation – rather the reverse. They too had her work with THE WAR MEMORIAL TRUST which works for the protecon and conservaon of war memorials in the UK experienced many false dawns, many setbacks and it is clear that by the time of Jesus’ arrest they had ALL WELCOME abandoned hope. It looked like the same old story going predictably from bright beginning to disastrous end. They too knew quite a lot about life and death and it is clear that they saw Jesus’ death as the end, Thrimby Coffee Evening final, irrevocable, ‘abandon hope all ye who enter here’. And yet the Resurrection surprised them with 7.30 pm on Wednesday 4th April 2018, at Low Hall, by kind invitaon of Liz McQuillen hope, in a way they hardly dared believe, yet could not deny. Even though each of them would face death for claiming it, the one thing they wanted to tell the world was “I didn’t believe it either, but it’s true – and Heather Gardner. All welcome. Jesus is alive and I’ve seen it.” Interestingly, scientists recently have begun to believe too – in aliens, something that was previously the Crosby Ravensworth and Maulds Meaburn WI reserve of children and crackpots. Of course, they’re not talking about little green men or UFOs, but We would like to welcome you all to rather, by looking out at the vastness of creation, they’ve come to believe that life is a vast, unstoppable KITTY BROWN BOUTIQUE FASHION SHOW force, that the universe simply teems with it. Like hope, life keeps bursting out, despite all attempts to obliterate it. In that context, perhaps what we’re observing in the Resurrection of the Son of God is a Thursday APRIL 12th in Maulds Meaburn Village Institute greater reality bursting in on our little world. A reality that says that God is present, with an inexhaustible It will begin at 7.30 and the entry charge is £4. supply of life and hope, despite everything the world might do to try to destroy it. Look inwards and all There will be a bar,raffle and light refreshments you’ll see is the many reasons to abandon hope, but look outwards, into the deep things of God, and what you’ll see is God’s unstoppable capacity to give life and hope. In the early pages of the Bible, the people Bolton House group of Israel are rescued from Slavery and, as they are about to enter the Promised Land, God gives them a choice: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your April 26. 10.30am descendants may live”. The Resurrection of Jesus places the same choice before us. We can choose to focus on all the reasons not to believe, not to hope. That will save us from looking gullible, but it won’t save us from disappointment. It will merely perpetuate it. It’s aroad to creeping death. Or we can Please support our advertisers: choose life. We can dare to hope. When we choose that path and, despite all reason, against all they cover a large part of the cost of printing this magazine . adversity, we will find God’s gift of life and hope bursting from every pore in the universe and we will know that ‘hope springs eternal.’ Happy Easter. Stewarti ii Stations of the Cross Annual Parochial Church Meetings Our Annual Meetings are your chance to hear what the church has been up to and to ex- The Stations of the Cross will be available during Holy Week in press your views and ideas for the year ahead as well as to elect our PCCs. St Lawrence, Crosby Ravensworth . Parish Date Time Venue The artwork for the stations is being created by the children from Crosby Ravensworth CE Primary School and will include Askham/Lowther 15/04/2018 12.15 pm St Peter’s Church reflections and interactive prayer stations. Bolton 16/04/2018 7.30 pm All Saints’ Church Drop in at any time from 11.00am on Tuesday 26 March to 7.30pm on Saturday 31 March Cliburn 23/04/2018 7.30 pm Cliburn Village Hall Clifton/ 17/04/2018 7.30 pm St Cuthbert, Clifton Brougham Spring Weddings Crosby Ravens- 24/04/2018 7.30 pm Upper Room, CR Village Hall worth The Wedding season is upon us again! This Spring there will be a number of Thrimby 23/04/2018 6.30 pm St Mary’s, Little Strickland weddings across our parishes. You might want to come & cheer on the happy Morland 19/04/2018 7.30 pm Morland Village Hall couples, or just lock them in until the pay up!!! Date Time Couple Venue Gt Strickland 18/04/2018 7.30 pm Gt Strickland Village Hall 28/04/18 12.00 Ryan Blenkinship & Katie Hoggarth Crosby Ravenswort h 26/05/18 1.00 Warwick Bell & Sophie Irving Askham 02/06/18 1.00 William Walker & Lucie-Faye Wilson Askham From our Registers 21/06/18 1.00 Youl Mawene & Amber Taylor Askham The funeral of June Grieves-Smith took place at St Lawrence, Morland on 29/06/18 1.00 Ashley Herbert & Elizabeth Bland Clifton Monday 5th March followed by a committal at Carlisle Crematorium. iii iv Local parish and community websites Askham & Helton — www.askhamandhelton.co.uk Holy Week & Easter 2018 Bolton — www.boltonvillage.org.uk Brougham — www.broughamparishcouncil.com Cliburn — www.cliburnparish.org “Getting into the Story” Clifton — www.cliftonpc.org.uk Join us on an amazing spiritual journey led by Bishop James Bell getting Crosby Ravensworth — www.crosbyravensworthparish.org.uk into the story of Jesus’ journey to death and life. Great Strickland — www.greatstricklandparishcouncil.co.uk Palm Sunday, 25 March: Askham. Suitable for families . Meet for Morland — www.morlandparishcouncil.org Donkey procession at Village Hall (10.30). Service in Church from 11.00. Shared lunch in Church after service (drop off food in church Morning Prayer in Holy Week from 10.15). There will be a short service of Morning Prayer throughout Holy Week. Monday 26 March: Taize service, St Mary Thrimby (Little Strickland), Open to all: 7.30pm In St Michael, Lowther: Monday 26 – Wednesday 28 March, 10.00 – Tuesday 27 March: Compline, St Cuthbert Cliburn , 7.30pm 10.30am Wednesday 28 March: Celtic Evening Prayer, All Saints Bolton , 7.30pm In St Lawrence, Morland: Monday 26 – Friday 30 March, 9.15 – 9.45am Maundy Thursday 29 March: Holy Communion, St Barnabas Great (except Tuesday 27th, when we will be at Lowther). Strickland , 7.30pm Good Friday, 30 March: Vigil at the Cross, St Lawrence Morland , 12.00- Appleby Filling Station Meetings 3.00 – join and leave if you wish at each hour. at the Appleby Hub (Centre 67) Holy Saturday, 31 March: Easter Vigil with Holy Communion, St Lawrence Crosby Ravensworth , 7.30pm – Celebrate the Resurrection. Thursday, 12 th April 2018 Rev Kristy Pattimore Bring something to make a loud noise at the moment of resurrection! Thursday, 17 th May 2018 Rev Stewart Fyfe Suitable for families . (Please note 3 rd Thursday and change of time) Easter Sunday, 1 April : 7.30 for 7.50pm Everyone welcome for Christian fellowship and worship ____________________________________________________________ 7.00am Service of Light , Millennium Stone, Eamont Bridge. Christian Enquiry Course Followed by Holy Communion services across the benefice. Please see This is open to anyone who have been inspired by the Moving Mountain Mission, or for those who would like to know more about the Christian faith centre pages for details.