Extended Online Version www.StWilfridsParish.com #TheParishThisMonth... Bluebells on Brayton Barff. Picture by Hilary Putman Good work Mike and Linda! Colourful pots at Fernbank Court A colourful Lis! www.StWilfridsParish.com 2 Extended Online Version Welcome to the June 2020 edition of Connected. This month we focus on the 75th of Prayer to help build hope & Wilfrid’s, but only to subscribers. anniversary of the end of the confidence in the world. It is easy to subscribe on the war in Europe that occurred on Yvonne Green reflects on Easter website, so why not use this 8th May. The celebrations were in lock-down, and in particular method of staying up-to-date most welcome; everyone did not playing the organ, and we also on news in the Parish? It is of what they could under the lock- hear from Fred the spider who course free. down and I think that the event lives beneath the keyboards at St In normal times printed copies was wonderfully colourful. Francis. of Connected delivered to your Once again The Directory is I report on the VE celebrations door cost £5 a year (£4 for missing, but fingers crossed that and the excellent generosity pensioners) by subscription, or we might start to see events of Christine Sample and The you can pick up a copy for 75p being planned again shortly. Fox pub in supplying lunches in Brayton Post Office or from Jackie Jackman provides the Dear for people in lock-down. I any of the Churches mentioned Friends ‘walking with God’ text this also report on the Saint Day within these pages. Subscriptions month, and Tony Service updates of William of York that also run from June each year. You us on the Methodist Circuit. occurred on the 8th May. may also download Connected Once again Tony has helpfully let Finally I report on the on-line free from the St Wilfrid’s me have some additional poems services that have been created website www.StWilfridsParish. and prayers to help fill the pages, by a small dedicated team at com. Contributions are always and very welcome they are too. I St Wilfrid’s in response to the gratefully received, by the 11th of particularly like Edith Stell’s poem Covid virus. the month please. about the Rainbow (page 8). The Brayton Parish Website Barbara Richardson writes about (www.StWilfridsParish.com) John Clarke the Mothers’ Union’s support sends out notices of Services 01757 708646 to NHS staff, and the MU Wave and events in St Francis and St [email protected] Inside This Month Parish Pictures .............................................. 2 Domestic Abuse ......................................... 16 Dear Friends ................................................. 4 Custodian of the Organ ........................... 17 Methodist News ........................................... 6 Parish Notices.............................................18 The Rainbow ................................................. 8 St Wilf’s Online .......................................... 19 Mothers’ Union ............................................ 9 Methodist Clergy .......................................20 YouTube Services .......................................10 From the Registers ....................................20 VE Celebrations ......................................... 12 St Wilfrid’s Clergy...................................... 21 If Jesus had Never Come ......................... 14 St Francis’ Clergy ....................................... 21 William of York ..........................................15 Cover picture by Jan Tetley Extended Online Version 3 www.StWilfridsParish.com Dear Friends My friend just emailed me. activities like playing with friends from university, to suggest a few. Anything exciting happening? Yes, etc? There are so many scenarios, These kinds of events usually I replied. I’ve just put three pieces far too many to mention here, leave us looking into the future, in the jigsaw, (it’s a very difficult some extremely traumatic. Life but we’re uncertain what that one) and I’ve washed the kitchen probably isn’t ever going to be the future will be. We are left in a floor! And my green bin has been same again for any one of us since space between two ‘happenings’. emptied. No excuse now not to covid19 became a fact of life. Theologians call this liminal space. do more gardening. A friend of mine sometimes Liminal comes from the Latin Like many other people who says she doesn’t know how I ‘limin’ or ‘limen’ which simply have had to cancel a holiday, can believe in a God who allows means threshold. (I only know I’ve had to cancel my holiday to suffering, especially if it involves this through reading about it, I’m Wales where I stay with friends children - that if he’s almighty, not a Latin scholar!) and where I usually celebrate why doesn’t he intervene. Because of covid19 many my birthday. Now it feels like a Rather than almighty, I see God of us will have this feeling of holiday when I drive to friends as all-vulnerable because of his uncertainty at the moment, I in Kellington about once a week love for us. God will be hurting know I have; we’re standing at either to take over some food right now. Which leads me on the threshold of something new for them that I’ve included in a but we’re not there yet, we don’t delivery, or, if I’ve not been able “A friend of mine know how long it will take to get to book a slot, to pick up what there, and we don’t know what they’ve ordered for me! They sometimes says it’ll be like when we finally arrive. are on complete isolation at the Our destination is frequently moment, shielding I think it’s she doesn’t know being called the ‘new normal’. called; hence I get my regular This could be seen as something holiday drive! how I can believe exciting, or as something to fear. Tonight, being Thursday, I’ll Try exciting! be going out to the gate to in a God who Now then, this is where I find applaud, with my neighbours, the idea of liminal or threshold the wonderful, courageous work allows suffering, space so comforting and even of all the carers, NHS staff, exciting, because it’s within this supermarket staff, and the many especially if space in our lives that God can others, who are all putting their work with us even more so than own safety at risk for the sake it involves usual, while we are feeling less of others. A sense of humour is self-sufficient. good, but standing alongside my children... Entering this space isn’t neighbours applauding (always something we normally seek out, observing social distancing!) puts because it’s suffering that usually things in perspective, once a to something I’ve been learning takes us there. But God is always week at the very least. about recently, firstly through waiting for us, and here where As it’s been repeatedly said reading about it and then through our defences are down his love is that these are strange times. I’m some recent experience of it. even more available for us to take fortunate in that I’m used to living It’s something which I’ve found hold of, be comforted by, and led on my own, so lock-down isn’t both enlightening and helpful at by. much of a problem. There are this time and I hope you’ll find the It may be that it is only in many though, who are finding it same, so bear with me! retrospect that we suddenly increasingly difficult. How do you We must all have experienced realise that God was there and keep young children occupied life changing events during our working with us all the time. This for weeks on end, especially if lives; loss of a job, a devastating reminds me of the well known they’re too young to understand diagnosis, death of a loved one, story/poem ‘Footprints in the why they can’t do the usual the birth of a child, graduating Sand’. In case you don’t know it www.StWilfridsParish.com 4 Extended Online Version - two sets of footprints - we are world will we unlock to? We as ‘new normal’ is to be fuelled by walking with God on the sand individuals are in this threshold the generosity, courage and love - then there is only one set of space at the moment, but so also which we’ve seen so much of in footprints which turn out not to the last few weeks and months. be ours, as we had thought, but are God’s at the times when he is “Just one last God bless, carrying us. I hope you don’t think this thing for you letter has turned into a sermon, Jackie Jackman but I so wanted to share with you to think about. something which I have recently understood a little better through What kind of the very fact of the current situation. It’s been to me very world will we helpful, a comfort, and a great challenge. There is also much unlock to? more to it than I’ve had time to delve into here, so perhaps one is our community, the country, day.... and the rest of the world. God Just one last thing for you is at work in all these spaces, but to think about. What kind of he needs our partnership if the Now that’s what I call a packed lunch! Extended Online Version 5 www.StWilfridsParish.com Methodist News A few days ago, I turned the calendar page in my office room from April to May and thought again about the passage of time this year. It’s good to see the days lengthening. You can get up during the hours of rest and find daylight streaming in through the windows. It’s getting much later in the evening before curtains have to be closed.