HotPott Summer 2021 by Pott Shrigley Parish Magazine

£1 Summer 2021

Pott Shrigley’s Church & Parish Magazine

David’s Deliberations Dear friends, ‘Build Back Better’ is a phrase which was coined near the start of the pandemic crisis, recognising that a time would come when the emergency firefighting would be past and the task of repairing the damage would begin. It expressed the hope that some good, at least, might come out of all the loss and disruption. That early firefighting is sometimes known as the ‘Response’ phase. We had to do whatever was necessary to meet the challenges of the virus, and quickly found ourselves accepting changes of which, only weeks earlier, we would not have dreamt. In the church, too, the closing down of services, keeping apart from others – and replacing these things with a significant online presence – was a response which was more radical, and more swiftly implemented, than we could have imagined.

Our services, as we meet under lessening restrictions, rightly have a note of celebration and joy about them; but I hope that those who join us (in person, or online) also feel that they can come and bring their sorrow, hurt and confusion into God’s presence. I also hope that this will be a period within which those who have lost touch with the church over the past year can gradually feel able to reconnect. But, in due course, comes that ‘Rebuilding’ phase, and it does seem that this is finally upon us: as a society, of course – but also as a church. Back in 2019, and into 2020, at St Christopher’s we were talking a lot about ‘building the church’: in the aftermath of our decision not to build a physical extension, we resolved to put our energies instead into ‘building’ the spiritual life of our church. Our plans to deepen this vision via a year of listening to one another and to God were cut short by the events of 2020 but I believe that our current opportunity to ‘build back better’ will provide a new way for God to do that building work amongst us.

David Swales

When the worst of a crisis has passed, the next phase is sometimes dubbed ‘Recovery’. In many ways we are still working through this. Many are facing up to loss, grief and pain; my prayer is that, as they do, they may find God’s hope, healing and peace.

In light of that exciting prospect, I would like to offer everyone at Pott Church a word of

This Edition Pg

Content

David’s Deliberations

David's Private World

Condolences to the Greenhough family…

Tearfund BIG QUIZ NIGHT 2021

God encourages us through His Word: a Reflection on Zechariah

Who? Me??

Top this for a Speeding Ticket

Power of the Sea

Your Vote Your Council

Once an Organist…

Missionary Matters

Mouse Makes

Coffee Break

Suffering Church

The Children of Pott School enjoy their Bibles…

Recipe: Rhubard and Custard Cake

Services

Summer 2021

continued →

HotPott - Summer 2021

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encouragement, and one of challenge: 1. We can feel a bit daunted by all the practical tasks which it takes to (re)build a full and active life as a church, rather like that couple on TV who have taken on an old property as a ‘do-er upper’! The encouraging news, though, is that we aren’t the builders – God is! He has promised, ‘I will build My Church’. 2. But God calls us to work with Him. If we are to move forward, to ‘build back better’, it will involve each one of us hearing His call to take our part in the work of His Church. From cleaning to coffee making, from children’s work to gardening, singing to bellringing, and much more, we all have a part to play: it’s God’s Church – but it’s also your church. After a long period of inactivity, it will not always be easy to rally ourselves in response to that call; but, without your part played to the full,

the church will be diminished, the rebuilding unfinished. To help us reflect through the summer we will have a series called ‘I will build My Church’ – four fortnightly sermons to help us think about (re)building with God (see our ‘Services’ page). Your friend and vicar, David PS You will also see on the ‘Services’ page that on the alternate Sundays through the summer, we will have a parallel series running. This is particularly mindful of engaging our younger members, and is a series on ‘Animals in the Bible’. Better still, this series will be launched with a ‘Blessing of Animals and Pets’ service – our outdoor July Family Service on the 18th!

David's Private World

Now we know what he gets up to in his ‘time off’… Page 4

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Condolences to the Greenhough family… We were very sorry to hear that Irene Greenhough, whose husband Geoffrey was vicar at St Christopher’s in the 1980s and 1990s, died recently after a long period of illness and frailty. Our thoughts and prayers are with Geoffrey and the whole Greenhough family following the loss of Irene, who gave

such great service to St Christopher’s, not only as a lay reader, but also by providing, in her unobtrusive way, much pastoral support to many members of the church family. We hope to bring a fuller tribute to Irene in a future edition of HotPott.

Save the Date: the Tearfund BIG QUIZ NIGHT 2021 Many readers of HotPott will be familiar with the fun and frolics we’ve enjoyed for a few years past on a Saturday night in darkest November. Well – on Saturday 20th November 2021 the Tearfund BIG QUIZ is back!

Kath Matheson Last year St Christopher’s contributed 12 teams and £655 to help transform the lives of people living in poverty; across the UK 17,432 people joined in and since 2018 a grand total of over £675,000 has been raised. In 2020 the focus was on Malawi, where sustainable

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farming is helping lift people out of poverty. So, book 20th November into your diary, and join us; no need to be good at quizzes – it would be good if someone could join the Matheson household at the bottom of the heap this year! More details will follow later – as for everything in current times, how we do the quiz is COVID dependent: there’s the option to hold it either online or in-person – or a mixture of both, with some people meeting in-person and others joining virtually. So – no excuses! We’ll see you there, either in the real or the virtual world!

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God encourages us through His Word, a Reflection on Zechariah

Zechariah was a prophet living in Jerusalem almost 70 years after the nation of Israel had been enslaved in Babylon. He was among the first of his people to return to their desolate homeland. The Jewish people who had survived were returning in small numbers. Their temple lay in ruins and things looked bleak. They didn’t have much of anything and were Building the temple especially short of hope. It is into this situation that Zechariah speaks. God gave him a series of messages to help motivate and encourage the people to both rebuild the temple and look for the fulfilment of God’s promises. Zechariah points to the coming of Jesus. The Messiah will come, says Zechariah, as Saviour, Judge, and ultimately, as the righteous King ruling His people from Jerusalem. He will punish the people for their sins, yes, but afterwards He will come to them – if they are obedient. Zechariah’s book brims over with the hope (meaning the certainty) that God would remember His promises to His people, even after all the time they had spent in captivity. Things may look hopeless now, Zechariah said (in a nutshell) but God is faithful and He will bring things right in the end. Although they had been scattered, God had not forgotten His promises and was still Page 6

willing to help them if they were willing to walk in His ways. Deuteronomy 7 says: ‘Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations’. Through His word, God continually encourages, and He is utterly faithful. The God who never changes always keeps His promises. No matter what we do or how unfaithful we may be, He is true. We can trust the One who sees all but still loves us unconditionally. Just as He encouraged the people of Israel through Zechariah’s messages, so God encourages us today through His Word: just as relevant to today’s world as it was when Zechariah was around. So get/keep reading! The above reflection was written by Elizabth Spiers and supplied by the Association of Church Editors. So thank you to them.

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Who? Me?? St Christopher’s, like all churches, relies on its lovely members to volunteer for all the multifarious tasks that need to be done to keep it running as the vibrant community it is.

Duncan Matheson We are so blessed to have many members of the congregation who help out in a variety of ways, and several do lots of jobs: if no one did more than one task, our congregation would not be large enough to fill all the rotas. There are church wardens and sidesmen (8.30 and 10.45); home group leaders; organists, musicians, bellringers and a singing group; prayer leaders and lesson readers; a technical team that is surpassed by no other; teams to run youth church, junior church, praise and play; there are deanery synod members and PCC members, and many have leadership roles at St Christopher’s too – building maintenance, finance, weddings, health & safety and safeguarding for example.

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There are those who lock the church at night and those who open it again in the morning; there are church cleaners, brass cleaners, tea and coffee makers, flower arrangers and flower

contributors, puppeteers, guardians of the altar linen, communion supplies and candles; a team to maintain the churchyard, a team to produce HotPott and a church website manager. There are rotas in place for many of these jobs and the more who volunteer for them the less frequent and less onerous the jobs become. Please look carefully at the list of tasks, and even more carefully for those tasks I have omitted, and consider helping in one or more area. If you would like to volunteer, please contact one of the wardens (or me) who will then put you in touch with the relevant rota organiser.

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Top this for a speeding ticket…

Two traffic patrol officers from North Berwick, east of Edinburgh, were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road.

Back came the reply in true laconic RAF style: ‘Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete our file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to your ‘hostile radar equipment’ and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, the Sidewinder air-toground missiles aboard the fully armed aircraft had also locked on to the target. Fortunately, the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the missile status alert intelligently and was able to override the automatic system before the missile was launched.’

One of the officers used a hand-held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300mph. The machine then stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it. The radar had, in fact, locked onto a NATO Tornado fighter jet over the North Sea, which was engaged in a low flying exercise over the Borders district. Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint to the RAF liaison office.

Thanks to Peter de Bourcier for sending this in. Original source unknown, but thank you!

The church warden was in a hurry to inform the congregation that their minister had recovered from an illness, so he put the following notice outside the church: God is good. The vicar is better. ***

A small boy stunned his parents when he began to empty his pockets of coins. Finally his mother asked him where he had got all that money. “At church,” the boy replied nonchalantly. “They have bowls of it there.” Page 8

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Power of the Sea

Mystical-like tower, pink glossy cloud swallowing the watch tower whole. Waves crashing, Slowly rising to melt the pinnacle of the tower.

The door is now ripped off its hinges water flooding through into the heart of the structure, first floor gone second floor gone third floor gone. The tower now sleeps in a lonely journey across the seven seas leaving behind one souvenir. The island of where it perched.

This poem was one of several written by children in Class Two at Pott Shrigley School recently. The children were inspired by a photo of an old lighthouse being demolished by the waves. Oliver Lloyd in Year Six wrote this one in just 10 minutes.

Five fun things to do during boring sermons (Not that we have boring sermons at St Christopher's!) 1 Pass a note to the organist asking whether he/she plays requests. 2 See if a yawn really is contagious. 3 Slap your neighbour. See if they turn the other cheek. If not, raise your hand and tell the minister. 4 Try to take the handbag of the lady in front of you by putting your toe through the handle. 5 If all else fails, look up at the ceiling, point, and scream. *** Church notices that didn’t quite come out right…. The preacher for Sunday next will be found hanging on the notice board in the porch. The minister is going on holiday next Saturday. Could all missionary boxes be handed into the vicarage by Friday evening, at the latest. Ladies, when you have emptied the teapot, please stand upside down in the sink. There will be a procession in the grounds of the monastery next Sunday afternoon. If it rains in the afternoon, the procession will take place in the morning. HotPott - Summer 2021

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Your Vote Your Council

Appointment of officers

Chair: Cllr. Wray was nominated by Cllr. Boulton, and seconded by Cllr. Goodman. He accepted the post but asked the council to actively seek a replacement holder of this office. Vice Chair: Cllr. Basford was nominated by Cllr. Wray, and seconded by Cllr. Greenwood. He accepted the post. Responsible Financial Officer: Joyce Burton was nominated by Cllr. Wray and seconded by Cllr. Basford. She accepted the post. Highways Updates, completed work or new issues which have arisen since the last meeting noted below. Work not yet completed listed under ‘Pending’. New/Updated/Completed • Accident on Shrigley Road just north of Spuley Lane junction reported to Highways. Thanks received. Claim to be pursued. • Fingerpost at junction of Street Lane and London Road. Cllr. Wray reported that Cllr. Smith, who was handling the matter, has died. Action: The clerk will contact Adlington PC to offer the council’s condolences. Also, she will ask who is overseeing this issue now. • Road surface of Long Lane between Nab Quarry and Shrigley Road. Action: As only the right hand side of the road has been resurfaced, the clerk will ask if there are plans to fill in the potholes on the left. • Traffic Lights near Cedar Lodge. The clerk received the following information as a result of her continuing discussions with the Cheshire East Manager responsible: ‘The scheme is in the first stage of development where we undertake advance ecology surveys, Page 10

permits to work in the river through the Environment Agency and options to reinstate support to the highway. This will be followed by the design of the solutions and then construction on site. I cannot provide you with a date we will be on site for as this will be dictated by what we understand from the initial surveys and level of design. I appreciate the traffic lights are an inconvenience and we ask residents to be patient whilst the scheme is developed. The scheme is a priority to be delivered this year and is fully funded. This will not be slipping and many of the tasks we undertake before our initial design site visit are complete.’ • Stones are missing from the base of the wall at the side of the bridge on Bakestonedale; to be assessed in regular safety inspections. This appears on this year’s schedule of work. Pending • Proposed changes to gritting routes. • Remedial resurfacing of Shrigley Road from Green Close to the aqueduct. • Project 1421 (PACP list) Modifications to the ‘Chevron Bend’ near Shrigley Hall. • Blocked gully at the junction of Long Lane and Shrigley Road – subsequently emptied. • Double yellow lines on Pott Hall bend: deferred. Poynton Area Community Partnership (PACP) Minutes of the meeting on 26th May are published on the parish council website. • Cllr. Boulton reported on an interesting talk entitled ‘The 12th Man’ about the need to set up first aid training for men’s mental health. Like physical illness, mental illness can affect anybody and, just like a physical HotPott - Summer 2021

illness, it is important to seek support. There are lots of resources and support available: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/ health-matters/health-conditions/mentalhealth/mental-health.aspx The ‘12th Man’ campaign provides mental health first aid training to trades and interest groups to encourage men to ‘Be The 12th Man’ for their friends, family and colleagues: https://12th-man.org.uk/

Planning

• Rose Queen Festival The recent application by Peter Kennedy for financial support for the Rose Queen Festival was refused for not meeting the criteria. The clerk will write to the PACP pointing out the difficulties in meeting the changed criteria, which used to have the emphasis firmly placed on community events. The parish council agreed unanimously to make a donation of £250 to part fund the toilets in support of the Rose Queen event. Any profits made from the event will be divided between the church and the village hall. A summary of the accounts will be made available to the council.

20/2413M Proposed Poynton Relief Road Modification of Condition 41 of the decision notice.

Footpaths: Jackson Brow Steps The clerk will contact the Peak & Northern Footpaths Society to ask if it is now possible for them to inspect the steps and check whether the received estimate is acceptable for both their repair and the installation of a wooden rail. Any other business Septic tank regulations: Cllr. Goodman reported there are new regulations in place regarding, among other things, the proximity of discharge from septic tanks, which most properties in Pott have, to local water courses. The issue often comes to light when a non-compliant property is put up for sale. Cllr. Basford asked the clerk to find out when the gullies are scheduled to be emptied as many of them are full. HotPott - Summer 2021

Application: 21/1251M Nab Quarry, Long Lane, Pott Shrigley Resubmission for the regularisation of warehouse storage buildings and demolition of existing shed and replacement with two storey office building. Pending:

NP/CEC/0720/0690 Pott Hall Farm, SK10 5RT Sub-division of dwelling to form two dwelling units - amended plans but no decision. 21/1283M Separate application for warehouse for MRI Polytech, Long Lane, Pott Shrigley 20/4535M Nab Quarry, Long Lane Proposed extension to side elevation of existing warehouse. 19/3715M Normans Hall Farm, SK10 5SE Extensions to approved Units 1 and 2 to form two two-storey dwellings, and increased parking to Unit 3 (Amendment to application ref. 18/4950M). 20/4189M near Wood Lane, Adlington. Creation of glamping site. 21/0256M Needygate, SK10 5SG Change of use of existing garage to holiday let and Inclusion of open lean-to extension and external alterations to existing garage doorway to form walling and window. 21/1309M Brookbank Farm, SK12 1UE Subdivision of existing single dwelling house to form two independent dwelling houses and associated works. Next meeting The next meeting will take place at 8pm on 5th July 2021 in the village hall.

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Once an Organist…

Everyone knows Mary, fount of all knowledge Pott Shrigley, who with husband Ivan does so much to support our church family. Not so many know she started to play the organ at Pott at such a tender age, or that it would prove a dangerous occupation…

Someone at church once said to me that during my time as organist I must have lots of stories to tell, and I suppose I have, and that I should share some of these stories. Not being one for writing articles, even though English and everything that goes with it was one of my best subjects at school, I have never written these tales down but following Kath’s recent plea for more HotPott articles, I thought I would have a go.

Mary Currell I started playing the organ at St. Christopher’s when I was 11 years old; this was intended to last only a few weeks until a permanent organist was appointed, but in the end I’ve been sitting on that seat for many years! I even managed to get into the local paper, only because Mr. Clifford Rathbone, one of our church wardens (I think) at the time and a past editor of Macclesfield Times and Courier (as it was called then), felt that I must have been the youngest organist in the area, something we were never sure of, but in any event he said he was still putting it in his

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paper.

It all began one Sunday morning: as I arrived to take my place in the choir stalls as a junior chorister, the vicar came up to ask me if I could possibly manage to accompany the hymns on the organ that morning as he was without an organist. You can imagine my shock – I was only used to playing a piano. However, I went up to the balcony where the pipe organ was sited in those days, sat on the organ seat with organ pipes towering above me, organ stops and buttons either side of me, a pedal board underneath that my legs wouldn’t even reach and faced with not only one keyboard but two! I felt very nervous and didn’t know what to do. Luckily the vicar knew a little bit about the organ so he pulled out a few stops, pressed a few buttons and we made some noise. He even found a stop that would put in some bass to compensate my not being able to reach the pedals; it didn’t sound bad and we managed to get through the service. As the weeks went by with no permanent organist in sight, my Mum noticed, as mums do, that I seemed to be taking an interest in playing the organ, so thought perhaps it might be a good idea if I had organ rather than piano lessons, so this is what happened. A teacher, who was also a church organist in Macclesfield, trained me in the basic points of organ playing,

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but more importantly to me he spent a lot of time explaining how to accompany the singing of canticles and psalms: we used them a lot in those days and I was finding this quite difficult. After a couple of years tuition my teacher retired, and not being able to find another one, my lessons came to an abrupt end: I had to go it alone but as things were it looked, for the moment at least, that I was going to be the St Christopher’s organist. On a few occasions the pipe organ broke down, so I had to resort to using the harmonium which sat in the church below. That was OK, but this harmonium had seen better days and I had to ensure there was enough wind in the bellows for it to operate as otherwise, when I started to play, nothing happened. The harmonium’s two pedals operated in a similar way to those on a treadle sewing machine, but because it was very old it was necessary, during the service, to keep giving it a little boost by pedalling away to keep the wind there: otherwise, you would come unstuck when it came time for a hymn! Although a bit of a pain, the harmonium had one advantage: as it was a little out of tune and very squeaky due to its age, any wrong notes I played went quite unnoticed! As you can imagine, this instrument was quite tiring on the legs, but it was an experience and, in a way, quite funny. When playing for a wedding up there on the balcony, it was a bit of a hit and miss situation knowing when the bride had arrived downstairs. My cue to begin playing the ‘Bridal March’ was someone banging hard on the door at the bottom of the stairs; not a fool proof plan, and one day the inevitable happened: I was playing for a wedding (Annie Kirk and Hubert Dalzell’s I think), eagerly awaiting Annie’s arrival, when the bang on the door came. I started to play when suddenly one of the ushers dashed up, telling me to stop as the bride hadn’t arrived; very apologetically he explained that the choir boys had been larking about in the vestry below, as they tended to do, when one accidentally fell onto the door causing the bang. To prevent a repeat performance, soon afterwards a light was fitted to the organ to indicate the arrival of the bride! HotPott - Summer 2021

And then there was my famous (I’m told) experience with a bell rope. In those days St Christopher’s had just three bells, and the bellringers stood on the balcony, just behind the organ seat, to ring them. I had always been told to be very careful to avoid the bell ropes, which curl round on the floor in one part of the ringing cycle, when getting onto the organ seat. However, at John and Rita Barrow’s wedding, something extremely scary happened: I accidentally put my foot on the rope and as it went back up, I went with it. It all happened so quickly; I landed back on the organ seat, hurting my head and back. Thankfully there were no serious injuries, just lots of bruises and a very embarrassed organist! Needless to say, I did manage to carry on and play for the wedding. I laugh about it now, but it could have had very serious consequences. I understand Duncan has shared my catastrophe with his bellringing team; you’d think it was enough to frighten the life out of any bellringer, but it doesn’t seem to deter them so it must be the way you tell it Duncan! It’s a cautionary tale: all feet in a belfry should be firmly on the floor when the bells are ringing! Editor. After being the only organist for ages, playing through all my teenage years and beyond, I wanted a break, so St Christopher’s advertised for an organist. Subsequently, we had several organists and in-between I was called back to help; I played on a rota with some of them if they wanted to spread the load. I have been ‘back on the job’ for several years now, but this time I am not on my own as there are three of us. David, Andy and I enjoy sharing the workload, taking turns and working well together. I sometimes think that after all these years playing the organ it might be time for me to hang up my hat. Would I miss it? Yes, I think I probably would, so perhaps I’ll just carry on for a little while longer… if I’m allowed to, of course! As a previous vicar said to me years ago when I mentioned retiring: ‘Once an organist, always an organist’ – so perhaps he was right!

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Missionary Matters No prayer letter from Johnny and Ann McClean in Thailand, but quite a lot to be gathered from their Facebook group page.

John Ryley The COVID pandemic continues to accelerate in Southeast Asia. In Thailand 34 cases were reported on April 1st, this then jumped to 2,000 per day, and on May 17th they had 9,635 cases; Thailand’s neighbours, Malaysia and Vietnam, have both seen surges with a new more infectious variant. Very few people in Thailand have been vaccinated so far, but the government plans to vaccinate the 69 million Thais first, then start vaccinating the four to five million resident foreigners in August. Several members of the New City Fellowship Church, which the McClean’s attend, have been severely affected by COVID – either by having the disease itself, or through the loss of income that has resulted from unemployment. Lek (a church member and the McClean’s house-help) and her family are having to self-isolate; her two daughters and son-in-law are all unemployed and her married daughter is heavily pregnant. Please pray for these people and for others in the church in similar dire straits; the church is doing its best to support struggling members

Bangkok; SIM Page 14

and also their pastor Pramote and his family. At the New City Fellowship Church Johnny and Pramote are doing a series on the Minor Prophets, having an overview of one book each week. Pray for them as they take the services online, and for church members to be able to access the services. Johnny has been teaching an online Langham Preaching Workshop on the Old Testament and Apocalyptic literature for two hours twice a week; please pray that the 31 participants are finding this helpful. All education is online! Ann is teaching virtually, and children Matthew, Bethan and Joshua are learning virtually – Matthew from university in Belfast. Zoom fatigue is setting in! Please pray for Joshua who has IGCSE exams, Bethan who has International Baccalaureate exams - and for Ann who has exam invigilation and a lot of marking! The McCleans are particularly concerned currently about the Afghan refugees they assist. Enough money was raised from supporters to pay for bail for A and K who are in the International Detention Centre, and are getting help from a Thai human rights lawyer, Jub, but at the last moment they both contracted COVID, and have to remain in detention until they recover and test negative. The good news is that A and his wife S’s application for refugee status, made through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been accepted by Australia – as has their other Afghan friend Q’s application. Continue to pray for Q, that he may soon come to faith as he studies scripture with Johnny, that K may find a country willing to give him asylum, and that they all may actually be able to leave for Australia or wherever soon. Gospel City Church, the second church plant HotPott - Summer 2021

of the City to City Bangkok outreach, has just had its second meeting; pray for them as they reach out to the Ari area of Bangkok with the Gospel. A new Brazilian missionary called Tiago has just arrived with his wife and three children. Pray for them as they struggle to learn to speak Thai - one of the hardest languages in the world. At the time of writing, Megumi and Helen Fazakerley are booked to fly back to Malawi on June 24th. They have been making the The Fazakerleys most of their final few weeks, visiting their wholeheartedly the ethos and future direction son Joshua and his girlfriend Nadine in of EBCoM (Editor’s words). At the same time, London and seeing Helen’s dad, now living with her sister and her family in the Midlands. we get an impression that SIM (Service in Mission) Malawi may be going through some Although the lockdown scuppered most of kind of transition process, both as a team and their home assignment plans, Megume and in terms of its ministry vision. Helen managed to visit their original sending church in Millom, Cumbria for an open air We believe today, as we did in 1993 when we service, followed by lunch with Helen’s other were first sent out, that God has called us to sister who still lives there. His mission in Malawi. And we have always thought of our commitment to God's mission The Fazakerley’s shared some of their thoughts on their future in their recent prayer was for life, until either when we are no longer needed/wanted or when we are no longer letter: able. But, we are beginning to wonder if the ‘Some of you asked how we feel about time might be coming sooner than anticipated returning to Malawi. Our feelings are mixed as when one of those conditions is met. We are, always, but perhaps more so this time round. consequently, starting to develop a vision for We don't know exactly what we are moving our retirement.’ to. We heard that EBCoM (Evangelical Bible College of Malawi) has reopened, but our understanding is that nothing much has “Your magazine changed except that the staff are almost needs you.” completely new. To us, it doesn't seem good t if the college has resumed to pursue the n’ Do get same course of development as before the r fo last crisis. Megumi still has the option to continue teaching on the same Certificate course for the sake of those students who Please send your contributions to want to prepare for their ministries but magazine@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk do not have good alternatives to study no later than midnight on..... elsewhere, especially in their language. With this option, he may teach full-time Sunday, 18th August teaching hours, but as a visiting lecturer www.pottshrigleychurch.org.uk rather than as a permanent staff member, because of the inability to embrace HotPott - Summer 2021

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Coffee Break ACROSS 1 Sent out three times on a reconnaissance mission from Noah’s ark (Genesis 8:8–12) (4) 3 ‘The vilest — who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives’ (8) 9 Described by the 19thcentury MP Sir Wilfred Lawson as ‘the Devil in solution’ (7) 10 ‘Whoever — his life for my sake will find it’ (Matthew 10:39) (5) 11 King of Gezer (Joshua 10:33) (5) 12 Gideon’s home town (Judges 6:11) (6) 14 The area under the jurisdiction of a primate, for example, Canterbury, York (13) 17 To him God promised that David would be king (1 Chronicles 11:3) (6) 19 A descendant of Aaron who was not allowed to offer food to God (Leviticus 21:20) (5) 22 ‘If any of you — wisdom, he should ask God’ (James 1:5) (5) 23 I gain me (anag.) (7) 24 Relating to the armed forces (1 Chronicles 5:18) (8) 25 Title given to 2 Down (abbrev.) (4) DOWN 1 Greek coins (Acts 19:19) (8) 2 Church of England incumbent (5) 4 What Epaphroditus was to Paul (Philippians 2:25) (6-7) 5 Mother of David’s sixth son (2 Samuel 3:5) (5) HotPott - Summer 2021

6 ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in — ’ (2 Corinthians 4:8) (7) 7 It destroys treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19) (4) 8 It threatened Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:35) (3,3) 13 Well-known Reference Bible that espoused dispensationalism (8) 15 Where the choir sits in a parish church (7) 16 Real do (anag.) (6) 18 ‘Martha, Martha... you are worried and — about many things’ (Luke 10:41) (5) 20 ‘One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day — ’ (Romans 14:5) (5) 21 A place with twelve springs and 70 palm trees where the Israelites camped (Exodus 5:27) (4) Page 17

The Suffering Church The church in India has been hassled for years by the Hindu nationalists, but now deaths from COVID are causing significant problems. A pastor in Gujarat state told Barnabas Fund that a friend he had studied with for four years as they trained for ministry had died prematurely as a result of COVID, leaving behind not only a grieving family but also a congregation bereft of spiritual and pastoral care – just at the time when India is being shaken by its worst emergency in living memory. There are deaths in every church and deaths in every family, often bringing destitution in their wake as breadwinners pass away, leaving their dependents hungry and helpless. The highly infectious delta variant has overwhelmed India, and is now compounded by the previously rare ‘black fungus’ (mucormycosis), a disease with a 50% mortality rate, which is infecting many who have apparently recovered from COVID. Over 2,000 pastors in India have already died of Covid, and of course many times more Christians. Crippling financial burdens are added to sickness, fear and bereavement as families who have lost their income struggle to pay for medical care; many have sold their possessions to raise the necessary money for essential treatment for loved ones. All of it is causing immense trauma and mental ill health. Christian hospitals across India are desperately struggling to cope in this

Cremations in India; dw Page 18

Christians in Nepal without pastors; barnabas

unprecedented situation. The problems have crossed the border into neighbouring Nepal too, where there are around one million Christians and some 8,000 churches. Barnabas Fund are appealing for gifts to help the church in India. Persecution of Christians in rural areas remains a persistent issue in India: in Odisha State when a practising Christian gentleman from the Koya tribe died, his family and other Koya villagers, who are largely animists, forcibly took money from his Christian widow, coerced her by both physical violence and threats of further harm into re-joining their community (effectively forcing her to re-convert), and conducted her husband’s funeral in the traditional, non-Christian way. ‘Today, I have no other way and so accepted their custom,’ the widow told her pastor, ‘But I will not leave the Lord Jesus. I will come back again.’ Prior to his death and following his conversion to Christianity, this lady’s husband had faced opposition from his community who had confiscated parts of his land and sought to obstruct his work on what remained. The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) recorded 327 instances of discrimination and targeted violence against Christians in 2020, including five murders, at least six churches burnt or destroyed and 26 HotPott - Summer 2021

Church destroyed in Odisha; barnabas

incidents of social boycotting. This, the EFI stated in January 2021, was ‘by no means an exhaustive list … Christians, especially in rural areas of several states across the country, were victims of violence and, had their congregational prayers disturbed and places of worship attacked’. Things have not improved: in May 2021 a crowd of around 150 Hindu extremists attacked and destroyed a church building which was being constructed in the village of Bodoguda, also in Odisha State. In Bhutan a Christian couple, whose daughter recently died, were chased from their home and land by their fellow villagers and are now homeless. Government officials have told them that they can only be provided with food and accommodation if they agree to say Buddhist prayers and take part in meditation. Christians from neighbouring

Thimphu, capital of Bhutan; world watch monitor HotPott - Summer 2021

villages are trying to support the couple, but they themselves are the victims of poverty and oppression. Bhutan is an officially Buddhist country, with almost 75% of the population practising Buddhism and almost 23% Hinduism, the Christian community representing only a tiny percentage of the population. The constitution of Bhutan officially guarantees freedom of religion and outlaws religiously motivated discrimination but Christians are often considered second-class citizens and routinely denied government aid and jobs. Churches are barred from owning property, conducting evangelism, or importing Bibles and Christian literature from abroad. Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population and has seen a rise in hardline Islamic ideology in recent years. A generation ago, Christians - who form around 15% of the population - and Muslims lived peaceably as equals in accordance with the national doctrine of Pancasila. Now police have uncovered an Islamist terrorist plot to attack several churches and assassinate a leading church minister in the country’s Christian-majority province of Papua; police made at least ten arrests across southern Papua on 28 May 2021. The suspects are believed to be connected to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which has links to the Islamic State (IS) group of terrorist organisations. JAD terrorists have been planning to bomb

Bibles provided by Barnabas Fund, Papua, Indonesia; barnabas continued → Page 19

churches in the region; a police spokesman reported: ‘They intended to commit suicide bombings at several churches.’ One suspect revealed, when questioned, that suicide bombers had twice attempted to kill one of Papua’s most senior church leaders; he survived because he was out of town on both the occasions. JAD operates throughout Indonesia: on Palm Sunday 19 people were injured when two JAD suicide bombers detonated their bombs outside a church on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi; the toll would have been worse if a security guard had not prevented the bombers’ motorbike from entering the church gates. JAD is suspected of other suicide attacks on three churches on the Indonesian island of Java in 2018; 13 people died and 40 were wounded. In May 2021 another group with links to IS killed four Christian farmers working in a coffee plantation in Central Sulawesi.

HotPott - Summer 2021

Catholic cathedral on Sulawesi attacked on Palm Sunday, Indonesia; agenzia fides

Please pray for all those persecuted and otherwise disadvantaged for their Christian faith, and for all those organisations such as Barnabas Fund and Open Doors, who seek to provide support and relief to those affected. Barnabas Fund is acknowledged, with thanks, as the source of the above information.

Page 21

The Children of Pott School enjoy their Bibles… Pott Shrigley Church School Reception and Year 3 children were thrilled to be presented with their Bibles by Reverend David at St. Christopher’s Church, Pott Shrigley on 19th May.

This happens annually as a gift from the church to the children and is always a lovely celebration. We’d like to extend our thanks to Reverend David and the church community, it was wonderful to be able to hold the presentation in St. Christopher’s.

Finn loves the calligraphy HotPott - Summer 2021

Page 23

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Page 26

HotPott - Summer 2021

Recipe of the Month

Rhubarb (or should that be Roobarb) and Custard Cake We had our first ‘face to face’ home group meeting in Sheila and David’s garden on June 7th, the first ‘in person’ home fellowship since who knows when. I made a cake, and it needed to be a good one. Rhubarb came to mind, but what if we could go one better and add some custard? I found a recipe on the trusted BBC Food website.

Lydia Dentith It was a lovely evening, and the rhubarb and custard cake went down a treat, served with yogurt as it was more of a pudding cake. Mary said this was much nicer than meeting online and we weren’t short of things to say as we hadn’t met for so long.

We reminisced about the cartoon characters Roobarb and Custard with their catchy theme tune, and that led to thinking about Skippy, and Casey Jones. David knew all the words to the ‘Cannon Ball Express’. Mike mentioned Muffin the Mule and Sue, Bagpuss. David and Sheila had a pair of redstarts nesting near the house and Simon and Judy were enchanted. Sheila guided us through Psalms as the nearby chickens arranged the ‘pecking order’ for the night and then we finished with prayers and a sunset. You were right Mary, it’s certainly better than Zoom. HotPott - Summer 2021

Here’s how you do it: First make Barney's Roasted Rhubarb Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Rinse 400g rhubarb and shake off excess water. Trim the ends, then cut into little-finger-size pieces. Put in a shallow dish or a baking tray, tip over 50g caster sugar, toss together, then shuffle rhubarb so it’s in a single layer. Cover with foil, then roast for 15 mins. Remove foil. Give everything a little shake, roast for 5 mins more or until tender and the juices are syrupy. Carefully drain off the juices before you let it cool. Then proceed to make the Roobarb and Custard Cake Ingredients: 1 quantity Barney’s roasted rhubarb 250g butter softened, plus extra for greasing 150g pot ready-made custard (not the chilled kind; I used Ambrosia) 250g self raising flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 250g golden caster sugar Icing sugar, for dusting Method: Butter and line a 23cm loose bottomed or springform cake tin. Heat oven to 180oC/fan 160oC/gas 4. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the custard in a bowl. Beat the rest of the custard together with the butter, flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and sugar until creamy and smooth. Spoon one third of the mix into the tin, add some of the rhubarb, then dot with a third more cake mix and spread it out as well as you can. Top with some more rhubarb, then Page 27

Page 28

HotPott - Summer 2021

spoon over the remaining cake mix, leaving it in rough mounds and dips rather than being too neat about it. Scatter the rest of the rhubarb over the batter, then dot the remaining custard over. Bake for 40 mins until risen and golden, then cover with foil and bake for 15-20 mins more. It’s ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool in the tin, then dredge with icing sugar when cool. Recipe taken from Good Food magazine, May 2009; acknowledged with thanks. This cake/pudding looks particularly tasty. Surprised no one mentioned The Magic Roundabout though… Dougal, Brian, Florence, Ermintrude et al. What fun times. CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Prayers

Readers

4th July

Pam Cooke

Richard Chasty

11th July

Mathesons

Jon Weston

18th July

Children and Young People

25th July

Sandy Milsom

Carole Taylor

1st August

Lynne Bowden

Jean Ferguson

8th August

Chris Day

Clare Chasty

15th August

Anne Murphy

Sue Akerman

22nd August

Gartons

Ian Malyan

29th August

Paul Bowden

Nicky Hughan

5th September

Celia Fraser

David Gem

Thinking about advertising in this magazine?

For commercial or private advertising, please contact us for free advice and very reasonable rates: magazine@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk HotPott - Summer 2021

Page 29

Services 4th July. 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Holy Communion

2 Corinthians 12.2–10 Mark 6.1–13

David Swales

Morning Prayer Morning Worship

Ephesians 3.14–21 John 6.1–21

David Swales

11th July. 8.30am 10.45am

18th July. Blessing of Pets and Animals 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Family Service

Genesis 1.24-17,29-31; David Swales 2.19-20a Anne Murphy & David Swales

25th July. 'I will build My Church' 1: Spiritual Building Blocks 8.30am 10.45am

Holy Communion Morning Worship

Matthew 16.13-20 1 Peter 2.1-12

David Swales

1st August. Animals in the Bible, 1: The Lamb 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Morning Worship

John 1.29-39a

David Swales

8th August. 'I will build My Church' 2: Body Building 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Morning Worship

1 Corinthians 12.12-13,27-31 Acts 6.1-6

David Swales

15th August. Animals in the Bible, 2: The Lion 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Morning Worship

Isaiah 63.17-25

David Swales

22nd August. 'I will build My Church' 3: You Called? 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Morning Worship

John 15.1-8,16 Ephesians 4.1-15

David Swales

29th August. Animals in the Bible, 3: The Donkey 8.30am 10.45am

Holy Communion Morning Worship

Numbers 22.21-34

David Swales

5th September. 'I will build My Church' 4: Looking to the lights 8.30am 10.45am

Morning Prayer Holy Communion

1 Thessalonians 1.1-10; 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11

David Swales

•

If you would like to attend any of our services in person, please let Duncan Matheson know.

•

All 10:45am services will be streamed live - visit our website for direct links.

•

See page 29 for a rota for prayers and readers.

•

A recording of each live-streamed service will be available from the services page of the church website: http://www.pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

Page 30

HotPott - Summer 2021

Page 31

Directory Priest-in-charge:

Rev. David Swales, The Vicarage, Spuley Lane, SK10 5RS

575846

vicar@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk Readers:

Dr John Ryley (Reader Emeritus), 2 Wych Lane, Adlington, SK10 4NB

829595

Parish Assistant:

Gillian Mosley, 129 St Austell Avenue, Macclesfield, SK10 3NY

829819

Churchwardens:

Andy Phillips, 26 Hurst Lane, Bollington, SK10 5LP

07881 358976

andyphillips@totalise.co.uk David Gem, Ridge Hall Farm, Ridge Hill, Sutton, Macclesfield, SK11 0LU

01260 252287

davidgem@gmail.com Verger:

Situation Vacant

PCC Secretary:

Chris Day pccsecretary@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

PCC Treasurer:

Peter Kennedy, kennedyp@tuckerssolicitors.com

Gift Aid & Planned Giving:

Sally Winstanley, 3 Green Close Cottages, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SG

07850 740335

Organists:

Mary Currell, 61 Crossfield Road, Bollington, SK10 5EA

574545

sjwinstanley.ps@gmail.com 573735

marycurrell61@btinternet.com David Garton, davidgarton2020@gmail.com

573492

Andy Phillips, as above

07881 358976

Weekly Bulletin:

David Gem, as above

01260 252287

Electoral Roll and Safeguarding officer:

Kath Matheson, Church View Cottage, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SA

Tower Captain:

Duncan Matheson, Church View Cottage, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SA

574983

kmmpott@yahoo.co.uk 574983

dmmpott@yahoo.co.uk Pastoral Care Team:

Kim Swales, The Vicarage, Spuley Lane, SK10 5RS

575846

Church Guild:

Georgina Wray, 14 Paladin Place, Bank Close, Macclesfield, SK11 7HE

615547

georginawray@btinternet.com Children’s Ministry:

Anne Murphy, 14 Silver Street, Bollington, SK10 5QL

575768

annemurphy1214@gmail.com Praise and Play:

Situation Vacant

Parish Council Clerk:

Joyce Burton, pottclerk@btinternet.com

Wedding Coordinator:

Pam Cooke, weddings@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

Head Teacher:

Joanne Bromley, Pott Shrigley Church School, SK10 5RT

573260

head@pottshrigley.cheshire.sch.uk Website:

Tess Phillips, 26 Hurst Lane, Bollington, SK10 5LP

PCC Members:

Dr John Ryley, Duncan Matheson, Sally Winstanley, Peter Kennedy, Jean Ferguson, Andy Phillips, Pam Cooke, Ian Clarke, Mary Currell, Mike Akerman, Rebecca Roth-Biester Sheila Garton, David Garton, David Gem, Anne Murphy, Kath Matheson, Chris Day, Reg Ferguson.

info@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

(please prefix numbers with 01625)

This directory was updated on 20th May 2021. Please give corrections and additions to magazine@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk