July 2020 MONTHLY MAGAZINE MARSTON MAGNA AND RIMPTON 1 THE PARISHES OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, MARSTON MAGNA and RIMPTON www.marstonmagnachurch.org.uk RECTOR. Revd. Barbara Stanton [email protected] Tel: 850745 The Rectory, Camel Street, Marston Magna, BA22 8DD (To whom all enquiries should be made) EDITOR: Samuel David Crabb [email protected] Tel: 850274 Wickham Farm, Marston Magna RIMPTON CONTACT Nicola Benbow, Ash House, Rimpton [email protected] Tel: 850434 MARSTON MAGNA CONTACT Molly Crabb, Wickham Farm, Marston Magna [email protected] Tel: 850274 RIMPTON: Normally every Sunday 10.45am, with Holy Communion on 1st Sunday each month. Morning Worship and Morning Prayer on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The 3rd Sunday Communion is either at Rimpton or Marston. MARSTON MAGNA: Normally every Sunday 9.30 am, with Parish Communion on the 1st Sunday each month, and Morning Prayer on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The 3rd Sunday Communion is at either Marston Magna or Rimpton. CHURCH OFFICERS RIMPTON MARSTON MAGNA CHURCH WARDENS Mrs H. J. Stephens, Home Farm Cottage 851860 Mrs M L Crabb, Wickham Farm Tel: 850274 Mr J Tricker (Acting) Lessenden 850922 Mr K N Field, 2 Homefield Court Tel: 850705 TREASURERS Mrs Pam Hopkins, Ash Cottage, Marston Magna 850949 Mr Hugh Privett, The Manor Tel: 850294 P.C.C. SECRETARIES Mrs. M Green, Lark Rise, Woodhouse Lane 01963 220943 Mrs B Field, 2 Homefield Court Tel: 850705 ORGANISTS Mr Stephen Suttle, 4 Cooper's Barns, MM 850167 Mr Hugh Privett, The Manor Tel: 850294 CAPTAIN of BELL-RINGERS Mrs Caroline Baillie, Ginaville Tel: 850128 CHURCH ROTAS MARSTON MAGNA Flower/Church Cleaning Sidesmen/Readers Mrs M L Crabb, Wickham Farm Tel: 850274 Mr. Richard Venning Park Farm Tel: 851104 RIMPTON Flower Rota/Brass Cleaning Church Cleaning Mrs M Le Hardy Tel: 850212 Mrs Green Tel: 01963 220943 THIS MAGAZINE IS DELIVERED FREE OF CHARGE TO EVERY HOUSE IN THE TWO PARISHES AND IS PUBLISHED ON THE FIRST DAY OF EACH MONTH. MATERIAL SHOULD BE SENT TO THE RIMPTON AND MARSTON MAGNA CONTACTS NOT LATER THAN THE 20TH OF EACH MONTH. IT IS PRINTED ON THE 26th MONTHLY. VOLUNTARY DONATIONS TOWARDS PRODUCTION COSTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME THE MAGAZINE IS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT marstonmagnaparish.co.uk AND AT rimpton.net 2 THE RECTORY July 2020 Dear All Some welcome news on the relaxing on lockdown for Churches is on the horizon for July. Decisions to open or not, rest with individual churches and the rules can be found to be prohibitive. Cleaning, risk assessment, signage, insurance etc. It appears that a short form of service will be possible for Rimpton and Marston Magna as from 12th July, but we have scant detail at present. However, the Church Porch continues to be a beacon of hope in its decoration and it is possible to sit in the porch for private prayer overlooking the beautifully kept Churchyard. In view of six people allowed to meet in gardens, we have started Study Groups in both Marston/Rimpton and Mudford fortnightly on Wednesdays on the subject of time in the Bible. Do contact me if you are interested in coming as other groups to accommodate numbers of six can be arranged. After Rimpton's meeting last Wednesday, I cycled to the Churchyard and went into the Memorial Garden. Going under the archway I was smitten by the most beautiful scent. Looking up I found it was honeysuckle. Marston Magna are continuing to open the Church doors to enable books etc.to be taken on Wednesdays and Sundays 11-4 while the Church itself remains closed. Mudford are open on Sundays 12-4pm for private prayer. Small funerals and weddings will be able to be held, numbers depending on space for social distancing but no singing or organ music. I am missing the Thursday night clapping seeing others and especially the wonderful staff from Fir Villa. However, with meeting people in gardens I am getting around the Benefice on my red bike. As rules relax it is even more important to remember - Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives. Wells Cathedral is open, and Bishop Peter is going on a prayer pilgrimage, just taking water, food and hand sanitising gel with him, returning home each night. He is also doing the reflection for Sunday 21st June on racism and discrimination. To read or see this go to Wells Cathedral Website. By the time this Newsletter comes out it could be all change. Maybe even the possibility of short services. You never know. Morning and Evening Prayer continue to be said by myself in the study at 9am and 6pm.Sundays I keep to the usual time of service at 9.30 usually in the garden. Last Sunday had to be the dining room because of the rain. The cat, Dorcas, decided to join me. Please contact me with anyone, or anything that you would like me to include in prayers. Also, if you would like to receive our Sunday Service via e-mail. St. James and St. John's of Yeovil and the Cathedral continue to stream their services. To end I have been trying to use a little more time to read more seriously, including a biography of Willian Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury during the Second World War. While I know how important he was and how he died fairly young before the end of the war, having, it was said, worn himself out, I did not really know much about him. I do now and I like this bit written on the Lambeth Conference of 1930. (I think It has had to be postponed this year. A once every ten years event) In these worrying times it seems appropriate. “While we deliberate, He reigns; when we decide wisely, He reigns; When we decide foolishly, He reigns; when we serve Him in humble loyalty, He reigns; when we serve Him self-assertively, He reigns; When we rebel and seek to withhold our service, He reigns-The Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was , and which is to come, the Almighty.” With my love and prayers for you all in this Benefice and for an end to this pandemic Revd. Barbara 01935 850745 [email protected]. CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN MUDFORD A Café every Thursday morning, starting at 10 am to 12 noon in the Village Hall. This is now suspended. A service every Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Not until further notice. CHURCH OF ST. JAMES, CHILTON CANTELO. A Café the first Saturday morning every month, from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon in the church. This is suspended. A Service the second Sunday every month, starting at 9.30 a.m. Not until further notice. ST MARY THE VIRGIN, RIMPTON - June 2020 There will be no services at Rimpton Church until further notice. HS Friday Cafe at Marston Magna Village Hall Following the Government’s recommendation that social gatherings be restricted it has been decided to suspend the Village Café until further notice. Thank you for all your past support and look forward to seeing you in the not too distant future. Beryl and Kenneth Field 3 CALENDAR OF SERVICES July 2020 SUNDAY 5th July GREEN FOURTH AFTER TRINITY MARSTON MAGNA No Service Reader: Sidesman: RIMPTON No Service. Reader: SUNDAY 12th July GREEN FIFTH AFTER TRINITY MARSTON MAGNA 9.30 am – a short service Reader: Sidesman: RIMPTON 10.45 am – a short service Reader: SUNDAY 19th July GREEN SIXTH AFTER TRINITY MARSTON MAGNA 9.30 am - TBA Reader: Sidesman: RIMPTON 10.45 am - TBA Reader SUNDAY 26th July GREEN SEVEN AFTER TRINITY MARSTON MAGNA 9.30 am - TBA Reader: Sidesman: RIMPTON 10.45 am - TBA Readers: MARSTON MAGNA Church Cleaning Church Flowers Locking Up JULY 2020 High Altar CHURCH WILL BE LOCKED TBA TBA NONE TBA RIMPTON Church Cleaning Church Flowers Locking Up July 2020 CHURCH WILL BE LOCKED High Altar TBA TBA NONE TBA STUDY GROUPS Marston/Rimpton Home Group The Group will not be meeting now. Hopefully, they will meet again soon, please contact Richard Gardner on 850127 for advice and help on this. HS 4 Letter from the Right Reverend Peter certainly the driest May in Rimpton since 1991, Hancock, Bishop of Bath and Wells when my records began. For Parish Newsletters – July 2020 May rainfall totalled just 5.5 mms (¼ inch), with a Building a sustainable and hopeful future little rain on 4 of the first 5 days. After that there were 28 successive days with no measurable rain. This One impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is there was a record; the previous driest spell had been 27 is now a lot of talk about the need to change and days during July-August 1995. to re-imagine society, in order to build a sustainable and hopeful future. This is to be This May was the second driest month I have ever welcomed. However, change is something that we recorded, beaten only by April 2007 with a tiny 3 always have to live with. The Greek philosopher, mms (1/8 inch) and a tenth of the May average of Heraclitus, writing some 500 years before Christ, 57 mms (2 ¼ inches). was a great proponent of this. He is known for saying: ‘There is nothing permanent except The previous driest May I have recorded was 1991 change’ and that you cannot step into the same with 10.5 mms (½ inch) and the wettest 2007 with river twice. By this he meant that just as the river 108 mms (4 ¼ inches). flows so that you cannot touch the same water twice, so no two situations are exactly the same Ricky Gibbs.