Castleford Team Parish Parish Magazine - March 2016 The churches of: All Saints, Church Street, Castleford, All Saints, Lumley Street, Hightown; St Michael & All Angels, St Michaels Close, Smawthorne and St Paul the Apostle, Pontefract Road, Glasshoughton.
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CLERGY Rector: Fr. Michael Wood, 01977 518127 The Rectory, 15 Barnes Road, Castleford WF10 5AA rector@castlefordteamparish.org.uk Team Vicar: Fr. Mark Watkins, vicar@castlefordteamparish.org.uk
01977 511659
Asst. Curate: Fr. Kevin Greaves, 01977 512404 The Vicarage, Churchfield Lane, Glasshoughton WF10 4BP curate@castlefordteamparish.org.uk Polish Priest: Fr. Gregory Ruszczynski, revgreg@email.com
07596 422507
Lay Pastoral Minister: Mrs Lynda Maw
01977 518078
Parish Office: (Enquiries for Baptisms) Saturdays at 10.00-10.30am at All Saint’s Church, Castleford. Editor, Magazine & Pew Sheets (including Diary Dates): Andrew Goyns,
01924 898593 magazine@castlefordteamparish.org.uk
March 2016
THE RECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” so sings Andy Williams in his “seasonal song” but does he mean what I might be meaning at the moment? We are heading towards Passiontide, Holy Week and Easter. People say in a well-meaning sort of way that Christmas is wonderful and that it is our busy time of year and the honest answer to that is no. However, you can’t really say that without sounding as though you are nit-picking. Christmas is wonderful but not quite so wonderful and the weeks running up to Christmas aren’t a patch on the days before Easter. It is said that if ever you want something doing you should ask a busy person because it is usually people who are busy who have the time to do things whereas people who are not busy often don’t have time. As we move towards Holy Week and Easter we are asked to be busy. We are asked to be busy physically but also to be busy spiritually as well. Easter is the very heart beat of the life of the church. Of all faiths it is Christianity which is the most hopeful and that life and hope comes to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is with that in mind I ask that you come and be busy with us during this Holy Week and Easter. It is those who put the most in at this time of year who feel as though they receive the most. With my love and prayers at this most wonderful time of the year.
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LETTER FROM ST JAMES THE LEAST OF ALL Happily, the Church of England still retains some singular parish clergy. Take the parish of St James-the-Least in the rural county of C- for example. Here the elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar, Eustace, continues his correspondence to Darren, his nephew, a low-church curate recently ordained‌
ON HOW TO RUN A CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING The Rectory St. James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren Clearly, the sight of your Vicar running out of the room half way through your last church council meeting, saying he should have stayed as a traffic warden, where he was universally liked, has unnerved you. It would have unnerved me too, since a universally popular traffic warden is an exceptional creature. But perhaps it is necessary to give you some advice for the day when you do chair your first church council meeting. 1. Consider every agenda issue carefully beforehand and decide what you would like to do. Then, at the meeting, consult widely, listen to every opinion, weigh all the arguments, and then do precisely what you had decided before the meeting ever took place. 2. Never, ever, let council members discuss hymns, which avoids getting blood on the carpets. (continued on page 9) 8
March 2016 (continued from page 8) 3. Arrange the seating in rows, all facing the front, so that everyone has to respond directly to you. The last thing you want is for council members to be able to discuss matters freely with one another. 4. Start smoking a pipe. At those times when you are faced with an issue when you really are unsure of how to respond, taking out your pipe, dismantling it, searching for a pipe cleaner, squinting down the stem to see if it is clean, mopping out the goo in the bowl, searching for your tobacco pouch, filling the pipe, tamping it down, asking if you can borrow matches and attempting to light it several times over, will give you more than sufficient time to formulate a reply. Once you have perfected the routine, the silence will have been so protracted, that most of the committee will have long forgotten what the question was anyway. 5. If someone is talking too long, consult your diary, noisily and obsessively, about next month’s appointments, or write a note to a committee member who is at the back of the room and get it passed to him. The speaker should soon get the message. These are the simpler techniques of committee management. The advanced procedures must wait until you are strong enough to bear them. Your loving uncle, Eustace
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March 2016 CROSSWORD Across 1 Made from the fruit of the vine, symbol of the blood of Christ (4) 3 ‘You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on — — ’ (Joshua 8:4) (3,5) 8 Seep (4) 9 Celebrated by Jesus on the night of his betrayal (Luke 22:15) (8) 11 One of the supposed sites of Christ’s burial place in Jerusalem (6,4) 14 ‘A city on a hill — be hidden’ (Matthew 5:14) (6) 15 He inherited Elijah’s mantle (2 Kings 2:12–13) (6) 17 Where Jesus prayed ‘Not as I will, but as you will’ (Matthew 26:36, 39) (10) 20 ‘Only in his home town and in his — — is a prophet without honour’ (Matthew 13:57) (3,5) 21 Sail (anag.) (4) 22 How Jesus was punished before his crucifixion (Matthew 27:26) (8) 23 Eye sore (4) Down 1 Can’t grow (anag.) (5,3) 2 A servant girl to Peter, ‘You also were with that — , Jesus’ (Mark 14:67) (8) 4 Well-being (Proverbs 3:8) (6) 5 Pentecostal denomination, — of God (10) 6 One of the ‘obvious’ acts of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:19, 21) (4) 7 ‘I preached that they should repent and — to God’ (Acts 26:20) (4) 10 ‘ — — , the world will not see me any more, but you will see me’ (John 14:19) (6,4) 12 He betrayed Jesus: Judas — (Luke 6:16) (8) 13 Jesus to Peter: ‘ — — of my sheep’ (John 21:16) (4,4) 16 The centurion said, ‘Surely this man was — — of God’ (Mark 15:39) (3,3) 18 Baked bread (Mark 8:14) (4) 19 ‘Blessing and honour, glory and power, be — Him’ (Handel’s Messiah) (4)
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March 2016 PUZZLES WORDSEARCH
Love and serve one another On Maundy Thursday we recall the final command that Jesus gave to his disciples before his death. After the Last Supper, He rose and washed his disciples’ feet. This was astonishing for a ‘teacher’ to do, but He had a firm purpose in mind: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” His disciples were to love through service, not domination, of one another. In Latin, the opening phrase of this sentence is ‘mandatum novum do vobis’. The word ‘mundy’ is thus a corruption of the Latin ‘mandatum’ (or command). The ‘washing of the feet’ ceremony was an important part of the medieval church’s liturgy, symbolising the humility of the clergy, in obedience to the example of Christ. Maundy, Thursday, Final, Command, Jesus, Disciples, Death, Last, Supper, Washed, Feet, Astonishing, Purpose, Teacher, As, Loved, You, Must, One, Another, Service, Domination, Latin, Ceremony, Medieval, Humility, Obedience
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March 2016 The world at its worst and the world at its best At the very time Christians celebrate the great Easter Festival commemorating Christ’s victory over evil, we are confronted by news of death, barbarity and terror across the world. Unless we choose to live in fantasyland, we must look for the connection between the daily news and the Bible. First, Jesus Christ did not escape death. Nor did He promise His followers a trouble-free world. Actually they themselves can expect an above average share of suffering. Secondly, we believe that Christ’s death was no accident. The Crucifixion was a calculated risk: God’s costly and unexpected intervention in human affairs. The Christian claim that God’s Son was put to death is deeply offensive to religious groups who cannot believe that a remote and all-powerful deity to whom human beings should yield has Himself submitted to our brutality. Yet it is in this way that God perseveres with his creation without violating it. Thirdly, Christ’s way of sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation is God’s ultimate offer to the human race. We are going to learn it, if necessary the hard way, however long it takes. The first reaction of the people who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ was of fear. Incredulity, too, but fear. In the last book of the Bible, an encounter with the Risen Christ is described like this: “I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters…….. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” (continued on page 15) 14
March 2016 (continued from page 14) That is the natural response to a heavenly vision. Only then can we hear the words spoken by this terrifying figure: “Do not be afraid: I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of death and the world of the dead.” God’s rule over the world – the world at its worst and the world at its best – was reasserted at the first Easter. This is no domestic, ecclesiastical event. It is God’s glorious yet solemn challenge to his rebellious creation: the grip of evil and death is terminally weakened. Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! (The Ven. John Barton considers Easter in light of the evil in the world)
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READINGS FOR MARCH 6th March
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The Fourth Sunday of Lent (Ro) MOTHERING SUNDAY Exodus: 2: 1-10 Psalm : 34: 11-20 2 Corinthians: 1: 3-7 Luke: 2: 33-35;
13th March
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The Fifth Sunday of Lent (P) Isaiah: 43: 16-21 Psalm: 126: Philippians: 3: 4b-14 John: 12: 1-8;
20th March
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PALM SUNDAY (R) Isaiah: 50: 4-9a Psalm: 118: 1-2,, 19-29 Philippians: 2: 5-11 Luke: 19: 28-40;
24th March
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MAUNDY THURSDAY (W) Exodus: 12: 1-14 Psalm: 116: 1, 10-17 1 Corinthians: 11: 23-26 John: 13: 1-17, 31b-35;
25th March
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GOOD FRIDAY (-) Isaiah: 52: 13—53: 12 Psalm: 22: Hebrews: 10: 16-25 John: 18: 1– 19: 42
26th March
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HOLY SATURDAY - VIGIL MASS (W) See service sheet on day
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READINGS FOR MARCH (CONTINUED) 27th March
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EASTER DAY (W) Acts: 10: 34-43 Psalm: 118: 1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians: 15: 19-26 John: 20: 1-18.
CALENDAR FOR MARCH Saturday 5th
10.30am to 12 noon Brunch for Mothers organised by Karen Richardson (If you would like to go please call her) - 07887 391423.
Sunday 13th
4.30pm-6.30pm Confirmation Candidates “Meet the Bishop”. An invitation to all those being confirmed to meet with Bishop Tony at the Cathedral in Wakefield.
Wednesday 16th
7pm Mass with Stations of the Cross followed by PCC Meeting at Hightown.
Saturday 19th
10am to 12 noon Coffee Morning with Bacon (and Sausage) sandwiches available. ADVANCE NOTICE
Monday 18th April - Annual Parochial General Meeting at St Paul’s 7pm
See advert on page 6 for details of our Holy Week Services.
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‘HE GAVE US EYES TO SEE THEM’ RAILINGS AND KNEELERS (from Parish Pump an article by Rev Michael Burgess looking at specific parts of the church) This month we visit St Nicholas’ Church, Compton in Surrey. It is a very fine building with an unusual double sanctuary on two floors at the east end. Our eyes look up to see a gallery and an altar, and then at ground level is another altar surrounded by a glorious Norman arch with Jacobean railings and kneelers. As we enter this church, we realise with T S Eliot in ‘Little Gidding’ that we are here ‘to kneel where prayer has been valid.’ With the liturgical reform of the last century, it is customary in many churches to stand to receive Holy Communion. Sitting and standing seem the norms now for worship in spite of all the beautifully embroidered kneelers that many churches boast. But open the Book of Common Prayer, and there is a multitude of rubrics on kneeling whenever people gather for services. It is a posture that takes us back to those vivid images of Jesus praying on his knees in St Luke’s Gospel, Peter kneeling to pray in Lydda, and the people kneeling on the beach with Paul in Acts 21. The Psalmist invites us to kneel before the Lord our Maker, and Paul wrote to the Philippians, ‘At the name of Jesus every knee should bend.’ As we kneel at the Jacobean railings of St Nicholas, Compton or in our own churches, we are heirs to that tradition. Cranmer in the Prayer Book said that kneeling was a sign of gratitude for benefits received. But it is more than that. Buildings like Compton church bring us to our knees quite naturally as we gaze and wonder at the beauty and majesty of the building. Kneeling is a sign of reverence and adoration of the God who inspired such architecture of old and who feeds us now in the sacraments. (continued on page 17) 18
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A photograph of the inside of St Nicholas Church, Compton. 19
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CHURCH PUBLISHES 2014 ATTENDANCE STATISTICS New Church of England statistics show that just under one million people attend services each week. The survey, carried out over four weeks in October 2014, found 980,000 people attending church each week, with 830,000 adults and 150,000 children. The statistics also show that 2.4 million attended a Church of England Church at Christmas in 2014 and 1.3 million people attended a service at Easter. Additionally, 2.2 million people attended special Advent services for the congregation and local community, whilst 2.6 million attended special Advent services for civic organisations and schools. The statistics also highlight the other services carried out by the Church of England on a regular basis. In 2014 the Church carried out just under 1,000 weddings, 2,000 baptisms, and almost 3,000 funerals every week of the year. Some 12% of births during 2014 were marked by a Church of England infant baptism or thanksgiving service whilst 31% of deaths were marked by a Church of England funeral. As a whole the figures represent a continuing trend which has shown a 12% decrease in attendance over the past decade, with an average decline of just over 1% a year. Speaking on the publication of the statistics, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt. Revd. Graham James, said: “As part of a prayerful and considered response to these trends, the Church is embarking upon the biggest renewal and reform process in over 150 years focusing our resources on prayer, evangelism, discipleship, vocations, leadership & training. (continued on page 21) 20
March 2016 (Continued from page 20) “We do not expect that trend to change imminently or immediately over the next few years due to demographics. We lose approximately 1% of our churchgoers to death each year. Given the age profile of the CofE, the next few years will continue to have downward pressure as people die or become housebound and unable to attend church. “As a Church we are unashamedly committed to following the teachings of Jesus Christ in our worship of God, discipleship and service to the poor and the marginalised. Our confidence, resilience and service is rooted in Jesus. “The story is not one of inevitable decline. During 2013-14 some dioceses continued to increase their attendance. In the past 12 months alone there are examples of growth and new churches across the country.”
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HIGH DAYS & HOLY DAYS IN MARCH 1
David, Bishop of Menevia, Patron of Wales, c.601
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Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, Missionary, 672
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Perpetua, Felicity and their Companions, Martyrs at Carthage, 203
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Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln, 1910 Felix, Bishop, Apostle to the East Angles, 647 Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, Priest, Poet, 1929
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Patrick, Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460
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Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, Teacher, 386
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JOSEPH OF NAZARETH
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PALM SUNDAY
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MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
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TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
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WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
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MAUNDY THURSDAY
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GOOD FRIDAY
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HOLY SATURDAY
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EASTER DAY
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MONDAY OF EASTER WEEK
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TUESDAY OF EASTER WEEK
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WEDNESDAY OF EASTER WEEK
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THURSDAY OF EASTER WEEK
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March 2016 GOOD FRIDAY JESUS AND THE THIEVES ON THE CROSS Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:32-43) emphasises the mocking of the crowd, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’ (35,37,39). In their view a Messiah does not hang on a cross and suffer. In considering the two men who was crucified with Jesus, we are also confronted with the issue of how Jesus secures salvation for us. The words of one of those crucified with Jesus reflected the crowd’s taunts: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.’ He highlights the question of Jesus’ identity: how can He save others, when He cannot save himself from death? He failed to see that the cross itself was the means of salvation. So - what kind of Messiah was Jesus? The other criminal’s response in his last moments is a moving expression of faith. When challenging the other man, he spoke of the utter injustice of the crucifixion: ‘this man has done nothing wrong.’ He perceived the truth that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. In a wonderful picture of grace, ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom’, the second thief confessed his guilt and secured Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy. In reply, Jesus promised the man life from the moment of death; ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ Jesus used the picture of a walled garden to help the man understand his promise of protection and security in God’s love and acceptance eternally. Each one of us has to choose how we react to Jesus on the cross. Do we want him to ‘remember’ us when He comes into his kingdom, or not? If you were to die tonight, how confident would you be of going to be with Jesus? ‘For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.’ (1 Peter 3:18). 23
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PILGRIMAGE OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK The Archbishop of York is continuing on his Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing across the Diocese of York, which is due to finish in May 2016. Archbishop Sentamu said, “My prayers have led me to this pilgrimage. St Paulinus, St Aidan, St Cuthbert and St Hilda of Whitby in their time shared the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of the North. Praying for those who come to know Christ is a great privilege and a joy. “During this pilgrimage, I would like to encourage everyone I meet to commit themselves afresh to try praying, be open to encountering Jesus Christ, pray for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and receive the gift of the joy provided by Jesus Christ – and be thankful. Pray with me, and join me on the road!” Archbishop Sentamu began his Pilgrimage at Whitby last December and has since journeyed through Guisborough, Middlesbrough, Stokesley, Mowbray and Northern Ryedale. His Pilgrimage will finish in York Minster on Trinity Sunday (22 May 2016). For the opportunities to walk with the Archbishop, and share in his journey, please visit: www.pilgrimage.archbishopofyork.org
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QUIZ FOR EASTER This March the Church looks back to Good Friday and Easter. And so our quiz this month is based on Matthew 27. 1 Who planned to have Jesus executed? 2 To whom did they go for help to ‘catch’ him? 3 What did they give in return for Jesus? 4 What did they do with Jesus? 5 What did Judas do then? 6 What did the governor ask Jesus? 7 What was the name of the other prisoner? 8 Why did Pilate wash his hands? 9 Who helped Jesus carry his cross? 10 What was the written charge? 11 When did darkness come over the land? 12 What did Jesus cry to God? Answers on page 26
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BISHOP OF LEEDS SPEAKS IN HOUSE OF LORDS ON FLOOD MANAGEMENT Bishop Nick Baines led a recent debate in the House of Lords on the government’s long-term strategy for flood management. He asked how Her Majesty’s Government intended to review their long-term strategy for flood management, particularly in rural areas that do not qualify for large-scale flood defences “It is important to note the destructiveness of recent flooding, given that the news agenda moves on very quickly and communities that found themselves at the heart of a sympathetic nation quickly feel themselves to be forgotten. For some of the communities in my own diocese the recent floods come in the wake (almost literally) of other occurrences in recent years, and for them the need for longer-term and more joined-up measures is obvious.”
QUIZ ANSWERS (FROM PAGE 25) 1 All the chief priests and elders 2 Judas 3 30 pieces of silver 4 Bound him and handed him to Pilate the govenor. 5 Threw the money into the temple and hanged himself. 6 Are you the king of the Jews? 7 Barabbas 8 To proclaim that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood 9 Simon of Cyrene 10 This is Jesus, the King of the Jews 11 From noon until three 12 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 26
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PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD
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SUDOKU SOLUTIONS EASY
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March 2016 PARISH OFFICERS PCC Secretary: Mrs Mavis Whitehead 01977 550529 PCC Treasurer, Stewardship & Gift Aid Secretary: Mr Andrew Goyns 01924 898593 Gift Day Secretary: Mrs Dawn Heyworth 01977 514515 Mr Arnold Randall 01977 278611 Safeguarding Officer: Family & Children’s Worker Mrs Karen Richardson 01977 552524 CHURCHWARDENS David Field, Castleford: 01977 707120 Mavis Whitehead, St Paul’s 01977 550529 Pauline Morris, St Michaels 01977 668790 Ian Fletcher, Hightown 01977 550139
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DEPUTY CHURCHWARDENS
Hilary Wilkes, Castleford: Karen Ferrier, St Paul’s: Emma J Lisle, St Michael’s Susan Fletcher, Hightown
SERVICES All Saints’ Castleford SUNDAY Mass (Said)
8.00am
Sung Mass (except last in month)
9.30am
Tuesday Mass (Said)
7.00pm
Saturday Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary
9.30am
All Saints’ Hightown SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
10.45am
Wednesday Mass (Said)
7.00pm
Saint Michael and All Angels SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
10.45am
Thursday Mass (Said)
10.00am
Saint Paul’s, Glasshoughton SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
9.30am
Wednesday Mass (Said)
10.00am
LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: Combined Parish Mass at 10.00am - ( see diary section for venue ) FOR MAJOR SAINTS’ DAYS IN ALL CHURCHES