Area Dean
The Rev Canon Myrtle Morrison For emergencies only 028 4372 2439
The Magazine of the Church of Ireland Parishes of
Clonallon & Warrenpoint with Kilbroney in the Diocese of Down and Dromore
Clonallon and Warrenpoint Facebook https://www.facebook.com/warrenpointcoi/
Kilbroney Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KilbroneyParishChurchRostrevor/
What do you do on a Sunday morning?
I imagine that many of you will remember “the old days” when there was Sunday School before Church, then Church, followed by Sunday dinner and the afternoon Sunday School. If there was time, the family went on a walk before tea and the evening service. As you got to High School age that led into Youth Fellowship. A “day of rest” maybe it wasn’t … but spending time with God and fellow believers was the focus of the day.
How times are different now! Yet our need for God and for fellowship with one another hasn’t changed. I recall as a teenager the late Rev Dr Alan Flavelle teaching us about the importance of joining regularly in fellowship. He described a burning fire with hot coals and then imagined with us a piece of that fuel being removed and set on the hearth. “What would happen to it” was his question to us. To keep our faith alive, to “Fan the Flame” we need to meet with other believers to encourage one another.
The Apostle Paul reflected on the teaching that the church is like a human body. (1 Corinthians 12) Each part of the body has an important role to play. Each one of us is needed to help the church be an effective witness to Jesus Christ, who is head of the church. As our parishes enter this new era with the Rev Andy Hay and Mr Nevin and Mrs Lorraine Anderson let’s move forward with a fresh vision of what God can do in Clonallon, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint, and the surrounding district. If you’ve got out of the habit of joining in fellowship then the major festivals or special services are often the easiest way to come back and slip in almost unnoticed!
Kilbroney Parish and Clonallon have Harvest Services on the 13th October at 11.30 am and 3.00 pm. Both places would welcome armfuls of garden flowers and produce to enhance the buildings for that so if you have any “stuff” please leave it at the churches on the 12th!
May we experience God blessing in these days of celebration and Remembrance.
Here is the annual reminder of the end of British Summer Time on Sunday, 27th October.
Wishing you God’s richest blessings,
The Pointer Editor.
3/11
Lectors
10/11 Emma Cooper
It was announced on Sunday, 21st September, that the Rev Andy Hay has been appointed as Priest-in-Charge of our parishes, and Mr Nevin and Mrs Lorraine Anderson to begin a Pioneer Ministry in Clonallon and Warrenpoint. (dates of introduction to be announced later). Please pray for them, and us, as we begin this new journey together. Remember too Andy’s wife Jackie and their wee girls, Maddie and Emmy. Harvest Thanksgiving Rostrevor Presbyterian Church
Sunday 6th October 7.00 pm
s at 7.00 pm
A series of classes for younger folk have been arranged to suit the various timetables. Older folk who wish to present themselves for confirmation should speak to Elizabeth and separate preparation will be provided. All parishioners of Clonallon and Warrenpoint with Kilbroney are invited/encouraged to attend the service of confirmation to support all candidates. Please put the date in your diary!
Church Services
6th October
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
and Healing with Holy Communion Kilbroney 13th October
Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Communion Warrenpoint
20th October
Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity
27th October
Fifth Sunday before Advent
3rd November
Fourth Sunday before Advent
Saints (transferred)
Clonallon and Warrenpoint use the Harvest Service as an opportunity to share our bounty with the local community. Gifts of food, both fresh and preserved, will be on display in Clonallon Church on Sunday 13th October and then offered as free food at Warrenpoint Church on 14th. Please give generously and ensure that all foodstuff is fresh, undamaged, and well within “best before” dates.
Bishops’ Appeal envelopes for your financial gifts will be available throughout October.
The Church of Ireland is committed to ensuring all children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm.
Lay Canon, Mrs Myrtle Kerr, has been appointed as a Parish Visitor for our churches. If you are aware of someone in need of a pastoral visit please give it in writing or by email to Rev Elizabeth, Rev Mellissa or the Rev Karl, and this will then be forwarded to Myrtle.
Lectionary Year B
With the beginning of the darker winter evening, the monthly Wholeness and Healing Service is moving to 11.30 am in Kilbroney. BCP page 457 with Holy Communion from page 443.
Individuals who would like prayer and anointing are invited to move to the side chapel after the dismissal. Refreshments will be served as normal in the Parish Room at the end of the service. Folk who have not been able to attend the service are also invited to come around 12.30 pm.
Sunday Explorers
11.30 am each Sunday
All children welcome! If you’re new to the Rostrevor area … this would be a good place for young folk to meet.
Kilbroney Parish Room
Parish Prayer Time
10.00 am in the Parish Room Kilbroney
Each Wednesday
Everyone Welcome
Crafters on Wednesdays
Crafting (or chatting) in the Parish Room 11.00 am to 1.00 pm.
All levels of Crafters welcome. Tea, coffee, a biscuit and craic are obligatory! All are welcome
Warrenpoint Parish Church Open Church
From 11.00 am until Noon
Each Wednesday
Everyone is welcome to drop in for a bit of quiet.
Tower Bells and Handbells on Thursdays
Tower bells 6.45 to 7.30 pm
Handbells 7.30 to 9.00 pm
If you’re interested in joining this ministry please speak to Liz Farnan (handbells) or Kenny Roberts (tower bells).
Refreshments in Kilbroney
Tea, Coffee and Juice are now served from the hatch in the Parish Room after the morning service.
1st Sunday each month Wholeness
and Healing
11.30 am in Kilbroney Parish Church
Prayer and anointing with oil will be offered in the Side Chapel after the main service. Folk from the community and other churches are welcome to arrive from 12.30 pm onwards and make their way to the Side Chapel. As always, no questions will be asked as we pray for you using the words from the service God alone knows your needs.
3rd Sunday in each month Compline
7.00 pm in Kilbroney Parish Church
Everyone is welcome to join us for this traditional evening service.
Ladies Guild
Thursday, 24th October at 7.00 pm
The topic is: Quirky bottles with Karen Harding.
Members are asked to bring a bottle and £2 to cover materials for decorating your bottle.
Ladies Bible Study
Tuesday 8th October at 10.45 am in the vestry Warrenpoint Church.
Badminton
Warrenpoint Parish Hall
Mondays from 5.30 pm and Thursdays 5.30 pm until 7.30 pm
Join the WhatsApp group for updates.
Standing Orders
It is helpful if parishioners use standing orders for their free will offerings. Details of how to do this may be obtained from the church treasurers.
Mr Stewart Nash—Kilbroney
Dr David Gaw—Warrenpoint & Clonallon
“It’s a long way to Bright from the Mournes” should be in a song but Tipperary narrowly proved further away. An hour on Google maps to my destination- wee buns!
Well, a BBQ and a Celebration Service for 250 years of Sunday School in Church of Ireland awaited.
Then I hit the traffic for ‘Eats and Beats’ in Newcastle at about the wrong side of the Outdoor Pool. Suddenly the tune slipped to “We got a long way to go and a short time to get there” as Google quickly chimed that the traffic was unusually heavy but reassured me, I could still make it to Bright for five.
All motored on at a steady rate into the deep Down countryside, till I had to run the gauntlet on a one lane road that I am sure was a stage in Rally Ireland in the eighties, without the grass breaking through the tarmac in the middle. It was the longest three quarters of a mile I put in, praying I wouldn’t meet anything. However, it wasn’t too long before I rolled up to Bright Church with a smile on my lips, glad to be on time and in one piece.
If you have never made it to Bright Church, it is worth the visit. The scenery is breathtaking with a vista of the sea, fields and the Mountains of Mourne from a different angle to what you are familiar with.
This beautiful stained-glass window was the backdrop to a very enjoyable celebration about the 250th anniversary of Sunday School in Church of Ireland. The first having taken place in 1770 in Bright by Robert Raikes in an effort to provide an informal education setting for children who at that time often worked throughout the week. And over the years as children’s education improved, the tradition changed and grew to the teaching of discipleship to Jesus that we know today. With lovely guitar accompaniment on the hymns, the sermon was given by Bishop David on the importance of Children’s Ministry in the Diocese relating it to Mark 10:13-16. Encouraging us that out of the 111 churches 75 had Sunday Schools and that great joy was to be had knowing that one church that hadn’t had a Sunday School in 15 years found itself starting again. His main point was how important it was that each church should prioritise Children’s Ministry so to fulfil our roles in passing on the faith.
After prayers, led by Millie, the Children’s Development officer, who preached in Kilbroney Parish Church earlier in the year, the service was brought to a close and it was time to Google the way home.
Did I forget to mention the BBQ? Well, it was overflowing with burgers, hotdogs and unending glasses of pink lemonade but who really could not like a church that thought they should rename their porch the ‘Dessert Room.’
A Pastoral Letter from the Bishops whose dioceses cover Northern Ireland.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
“Jesus replied ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these commandments”. (Matthew 22:36-40)
centuries is now implicit in the language, laws and practice of secular society. Thus, to threaten or deny the fundamental dignity and equality of each human being, regardless of their race, creed or citizenship status, is unequivocally sub-Christian.
This Pastoral Letter comes in response to the recent street protests, rise of hate crime and intimidation, and deliberate spreading of fear around topics of racial diversity and immigration. Christians have specific obligations to society in general and also to those from different countries and cultures who share our neighbourhoods.
We enjoy an incalculable blessing by living in a free society in which we have many opportunities to contribute to our collective well-being. As citizens we have a responsibility to deepen democratic culture, not to divide it. This requires working for the common good, using the many ways open to us to work with civility and courtesy for a better life for all, most especially for the next generation.
The Christian attitude to society is based on the fundamental belief in the sanctity of every human life and the inherent dignity of every human person; all are made in the image and likeness of God. It was CS Lewis who said that, next to the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the holiest thing we will encounter in our everyday lives is another human individual.
It is often forgotten that this outlook (on which the very principle of “universal human rights” depends) has its origins in the thought world of the Hebrew Scriptures and was embodied in the life of Jesus Christ. It was first fully articulated by the Apostle Paul and much of what the Church has believed for
In fact, Christians have the advantage of having been given explicit teaching and principles on our responsibilities to our fellow humans. This teaching finds its clearest and most compelling expression in the Parable of the Good Samaritan and its eternal embodiment in the life, voluntary sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is no coincidence that that parable was told by Jesus in answer to a direct question: “Who is my neighbour?”
Our Lord and his Apostles never intended that the Church which he founded and of which he is the head should be a group of people who were withdrawn from society, owing obligations only to fellow believers. On the contrary, the little communities of believers who constituted the early Church were to be the places where the highest form of civic responsibility was to be learned and practised. For the follower of Christ, the needs of others are to be prioritised over our own needs. Church was to be a place where each person was treasured, where people would share with others the unconditional love and acceptance that they had known through Christ: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, men and women. The clearest summary of that are words with which you will all be familiar and which are repeated each time we celebrate the Eucharist:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength and your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets”.
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.
Among the many virtues which can by nurtured by constant reflection on this foundational teaching is to make Christians alive to the times when people in civic or public life are using language that demeans or diminishes human beings, or when they are telling lies about what human beings (or indeed God) are actually like. This should especially be the case when public debate is focused on creating fear and scapegoats. People sitting in our pews on Sundays, living in our localities or serving in our communities who come from different cultures and countries, or who are simply people of colour, should never have to wonder are they people whose presence adds richness or diversity to our communities or are they someone else’s ‘legitimate concern’.
It is in that spirit that we wish to reassure people from other cultures or countries or simply people of colour who may hear or read this Pastoral Letter that we appreciate your presence and the grace which you bring to us.
We wish also to thank all clergy and parishioners who have been working very hard on the ground, and often in challenging circumstances or even in a hostile environment, to care for all their neighbours. You are people who have been called after his name and in your acts of love and courage have been faithful witnesses to his name and a blessing to your communities.
What can we do in our everyday lives to put the teaching of the Parable of the Good Samaritan into effect?
• Most obviously we must include people from different backgrounds in the life and witness of our parishes; there is much we can learn from them.
• It is also best to ‘think local’ and be aware of people’s heightened concerns at this time. A little note of encouragement and friendliness might be less alarming than a knock on the door.
• Where people are obviously fearful, even of leaving the house, stand with them visibly and, if necessary courageously.
• The Irish Council of Churches of which the Church of Ireland was a founder member, has recently published a Handbook entitled ‘From Every Nation’ on these matters and which would be a very useful long-term resource.
• The Diocese of Down and Dromore has also published a booklet, which takes its title from the words of the Parable of the Good Samaritan ‘Go and do likewise’.
There will of course be other ways of helping that you will be aware of in your local circumstances and we would encourage you to be creative and sensitive in whatever you decide to do to witness to the relentless love of God for all who are made in His image.
In
Christ
+John Armagh
+Andrew Derry and Raphoe
+David Down and Dromore
+Ian Clogher
+George Connor
A cowboy rode into town and stopped for a drink at a saloon. Unfortunately, the locals had a habit of picking on strangers. When he finished his drink he discovered that his horse had been stolen. He went back inside, shot a shot into the ceiling and shouted, “Which one of you stole my horse?” no one answered.
Alright, I’m gonna have another beer, and if my horse ain’t back outside by the time I finish, I’m gonna have to do what I dun in Texas! And I don’t like to have to do what I dun in Texas!
Some of the locals shifted restlessly.
The man, true to his word, had another beer, walked outside, and his horse had been returned to the post. He saddled up and started to ride out of town. The bartender wandered out of the bar and asked, “Say partner, before you go … what happened in Texas?”
The cowboy turned back and said, “I had to walk home.”
The Church of Ireland Gazette, September 2024, has a two page article about Water Drops.
Ronnie and Maggie describe how Water Drops works among rural and remote communities in Kajiado, southern Kenya, to provide safe and clean drinking water. They identify the three main problems faced by these communities: 1) water is often far away; 2) the available water may be contaminated; 3) there is an insufficient quantity for the needs of those who use it.
Water Drops was established in 2020 alongside the Bishop of Kajiado, Rt Rev Gaddiel Lenini. In this semi desert area Bishop Gaddiel says that Water Drops helps in his ministry as he deals with the spiritual and physical needs of the people he serves.
The best source of water comes from the rain, so we should catch it, store it, and use it. We build water storage tanks. Collecting water from a nearby roof if available, or concreting a hillside slope and catching the water into underground tanks, drawing off the water through a syphon system.
Each place has a Water Management Committee, elected by the local people, and they are given training in the management and maintenance of their water storage to ensure a good water supply into the future.
A Note from the Area Dean
Firstly, may I congratulate you on the appointment of Revd. Andy Hay. I am sure you are looking forward to a new season of ministry in the parishes. It’s a new and exciting chapter and it gives everyone an opportunity to reassess their commitment to God and the church family in Clonallon, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor.
This is a new beginning for Revd. Hay and his family, but it is also a fresh start for everyone in the parishes. If you are a faithful member attending every week –perhaps now is a good time to reassess your giving. When was the last time you prayerfully reviewed your giving to building God’s kingdom? When did you last prayerfully increase your giving in line with inflation? Faithful generous giving is part of our worship and service to God. We have a generous God who has blessed us abundantly. We are blessed beyond all measure. Our giving is a very small way of saying thank you. At Harvest time we reflect on God’s faithfulness to us and through our generous giving we help to sustain ministry for the future so that our churches can continue to be a source of blessing in our communities.
Perhaps you only attend occasionally, now is a great time to commit to attending on a more regular basis and offering to help, so that your gifts, skills, and talents could help strengthen the existing congregations and again help build the kingdom of God in the area. Your church needs you.
Perhaps you haven’t been to church for a while, now is the time to come back so that it can be a fresh start for everyone. You can be assured of a very warm welcome. You have a very important part to play in your local church as you share your gifts and talents for the greater good.
Carpe Diem, means seize the day, seize the opportunity of this new appointment, support it with your prayers, your giving and your effort and God will richly bless you as you seek together to build God’s kingdom in such a beautiful part of the world.
2 Corinthians 9: 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God lovesacheerful giver.
Rev Myrtle Morrison
The Ladies Guild recommenced on Thursday the 26th September. There was a good turnout of members for our first meeting of the new term.
Once again we have been saddened by the passing of Elaine Cousins last week. Elaine was a faithful
Before the Meeting the members observed a minute's silence for Sadie who passed away in July and for the very recent passing of Elaine.
After the announcements, the Meeting opened by the reading of Psalm 100 and prayer.
Dorothy then welcomed Lynda Quinn who hails from Kilkeel, was a Parish Worker in Christ Church Kilkeel and is now a Pastoral Worker with the Lecale Area Mission Partnership, which is a mission grouping of 14 small Churches in the Downpatrick area.
Lynda introduced her talk with a game of 'The Price is Right'. Lynda brought 10 different items to guess the price. As what happened in the TV Show many moons ago, we were given three options. So there was much deliberation as we priced the various items. Well, nobody got all ten correct. Elfie came in with 8; Myrtle had 6 and Denise, Mary and Claire had 5. So they all chose an item from the table as a prize.
Lynda then brought us a challenge on how to step into and build on a daily lifestyle of worship. She gave us an example of Mary's song, The Magnificat (Luke 1 v 46-55). Mary glorified the Lord and she rejoiced in God her Saviour. Glorified, the Greek word Μεγαλύνει 'magalona' - to magnify, make great, enlarge. The magnifying glass enlarges what we see and helps us to
focus. What is our focus? Well, it is where our heart is. We must be careful where our focus is placed, it can easily push aside our call to worship, magnify and bring glory to God.
Mary would have had many thoughts and fears for the future; there were things she didn't understand but she magnified and rejoiced. (Luke 1 v 47) She also remembered all the good things the Lord had done (Luke 1 v 49) and then after Jesus was born there was the wonder of it all (Luke 2 v 19). Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Lynda concluded, in this new season in the Ladies Guild, and in our Churches, let us with God's help choose to magnify the Lord in all our thoughts, words and deeds. Amen.
Our Meeting ended with a nice cup of tea, fruit loaf and biscuits. A big thank you to Lorraine, who has now taken over the tea arrangements.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Membership Fees of £20 for the new term now due.
Our next Meeting is 24th OCTOBER. A week earlier because of Hallowe’en. The topic is 'quirky bottles' by Karen Harding. Members were reminded to bring a bottle and £2.00 for the art material.
Looking ahead to November. This will be our Christmas Dinner in Warrenpoint Golf Club. The date is 28th November at 5.30 pm. The cost is £28 and that includes the tip. Menus will be available at the October Meeting.
That's it for now, don't forget all ladies are welcome in the Guild. You will be most welcome. If you haven't been before, no problem, feel free to come along taste and see what the Guild is about.
Looking forward to seeing you on the 24th October at 7.00 pm in the Parish Room Kilbroney Church.
Love, God Bless and take care Dorothy Major Xx
Tuesday 8th October at 10.45 am in the Vestry Warrenpoint Church.
Kilbroney Handbellers return to regular practices this season was all the more enhanced by two pilgrims on the Saint Patrick’s Way. The gentlemen from Houston, Texas felt called into Saint Bronach’s upon hearing the tower bells ring and were admiring the beautiful church interiors when I asked them to join us for handbell practice, particularly as we were few in number.
The gentlemen preferred to sit and listen at first and we had an enjoyable game of ‘name that tune!’ In time they each took bells and joined in ringing a new arrangement, the theme of the movie ‘Jurassic Park.’
We also rehearsed the Harvest hymn, ‘We plough the fields and scatter’ and the gentlemen took it in turn to sing along the verses from the hymn book. Their visit was highly entertaining for both parties, indeed we remarked they were like a comedy duo, the banter was flying and they really gave the team a welcome boost.
At one point they jokingly asked if we‘d play in Houston to which we enthusiastically asked if they were offering to host us and get us a gig; we’d even wear cowboy hats to ring!
As ever, the handbell team has a busy season ahead;
A request to play for Seaview Nursery pupils and their parents in Warrenpoint tbc.
27th September Mid autumn Chuseok Dinner at An Cuan.
13th October Harvest Thanksgiving in Kilbroney.
17th October A talk on the three resting places in Rostrevor.
16th November coffee morning in Thomas Street Methodist Hall Portadown, proceeds to Mandeville Unit Craigavon.
7Th December Carrick Primary School Christmas Fair.
15th December Kilbroney Nine Lessons and Carols.
We are always looking for new members, young or old. We rehearse on Thursdays at 7.30 pm in Kilbroney Parish Church.
Just turn up or contact Liz 07807172893.
'When people can be 'present' in God's premises, who knows what outreach it can lead to? ' When our doors are open, people will come in.
Liz Farnan
Saint Bronach’s Rotas
We always struggle to fill our flower rota throughout the year. Even if you cannot devote the time, or feel you can't arrange flowers please check the rota on the noticeboard at the back of the church. If you see a gap please consider donating flowers for that date instead, and write that down. You might like to choose a date close to your birthday or a special anniversary. Flowers from your garden or home grown are especially good (more globally sustainable than imported cut flowers). There may be volunteers who can arrange your flowers for you, or offer you assistance if you wish to learn. Did you know, there are Peacock butterflies which have successfully bred in Kilbroney Church which you may occasionally spot fluttering in the rafters? They would not have survived without a fresh supply of flowers!
Could you help us with hospitality? Likewise there are gaps in the cleaning and coffee rotas Please consider putting your name down for those, or asking to join a team to learn the ropes. Liz Farnan
“As Christians we have a particular responsibility to campaign, advocate, respond, give and walk alongside the most vulnerable in our world – which is what Bishops’ Appeal is all about.”
• Educate the Church at home about the needs and concerns of people in the less developed world and the causes of poverty;
• Encourage Church members to examine the reasons for the problems facing the less fortunate in the world and to consider what we can do to change conditions;
• Reach out in God’s name to those who need our help;
• Encourage informed prayer and prayerful action aimed at strengthening the poor; and
• Raise the funds needed to allow Bishops’ Appeal to support development projects and alleviate the suffering caused by disasters, both natural and man-made.
Mrs Hilary McClay, Educational Advisor to Bishops’ Appeal, will be with us on 13th October for the Harvest Services both in Kilbroney at 11.30 am and in Clonallon at 3.00 pm
For over 20 years Hilary worked in community development in Northern Ireland, supporting local churches to engage with issues of poverty and deprivation as part of their Christian mission and outreach. She has also visited several countries where extreme poverty and climate change has had such a severe impact on the lives of people and has seen what churches in countries such as Ethiopia and Nepal are doing and how the support of agencies working on the ground such as CMS Ireland and Tearfund makes such a difference.
For more information check out the Bishops’ Appeal website:
bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org
Right Place Right Time
There I was … sitting outside Kilbroney Church just thinking about which way to travel home to Kilkeel when, in the rear view mirror, I spotted a couple who were having their photograph taken with the church as a backdrop.
Angela and James Todd
Being of a somewhat nosey nature I hopped out, well, “clambered” would be a better word, and spoke to them, asking if they’d like to see inside. The only information I gleaned was that they were visiting from Australia. They responded enthusiastically so I opened up and only then discovered that the couple had been married in Saint Bronach’s fifty years ago! They were so glad to get inside and many pictures were taken! Angela had grown up in Killowen.
When Shelagh heard of their visit she turned up the entry in the Record of Marriages. They emigrated a few months after their wedding.
After a good look around Angela and James went off looking for a coffee … but that might have been a hopeless search as it was a Monday! At least they had copies of The Pointer to keep them occupied and hopefully they will now join all those who read the magazine on the Facebook page.
Our very best wishes go to them as they settle back home.
Elizabeth Hanna
Sermon 15th September 2024
Proverbs 1; 20-33, Psalm 19, James 3 ; 1-12, Mark 8; 27-38
Our scripture readings set for today all speak of knowledge and wisdom and please forgive me if while I preach I jump back and forward between them. Sometimes when I preach I have a series of questions that lead you to the truth that I believe God wishes you to grasp from his Word.
Today I want to do it the other way round and give you the answer first. The answer or the truth that I believe God’s word is leading us to today is that you should actively seek knowledge and wisdom and that knowledge and wisdom is not a thing; it is a person. And that person is God the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament reading from Proverbs chapter 1 promotes and exults knowledge and wisdom. The writer of Proverbs refers to wisdom as “she”. It is she who laments and rebukes those who do not seek knowledge and wisdom.
Proverbs 1:22
How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
Do you detect in those words the love and care of God. A God who wants what is best for us, a God who yearns to guide, counsel and protect.
Jesus said, John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
It all sounds so straight forward but Wisdom warns us in the reading from Proverbs 32:For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33:but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.
Wisdom also seeks to reassure:
Proverbs 2:1
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2:turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3:and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4:and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5:then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6:For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
5:then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
The Psalmist writes in Psalms 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
We can in creation and nature see something of God. The balance which he maintains in nature is so obvious to anyone who really looks. The fact that we exist so precariously on the crust of a spinning molten ball is surely proof to anyone of the existence of the Divine. The miracle of birth, who can look at a newborn baby and conclude we are all just a result of random probability and the adaption to our surroundings.
In the epistle reading set for today which is found in James chapter 3, James speaks of wisdom in the context of being wise in what we say.
James 3:5
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6:The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7:All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8:but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9:With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10:Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18:Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven
James refers to the wisdom that comes from God. There is also so-called earthly wisdom, shrewdness, being street wise, which is manipulative, James also talks about it in James 3:15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16:For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
So, what we should seek is Godly wisdom and knowledge about God. That is what will give our lives the correct perspective. Not looking inwards at self but rather outwards at that which will benefit all. It is in looking outwards, caring about others, loving others that we can really begin to understand God, we can begin to experience and know God.
As we get to know God we begin to recognise his word and his guidance. We experience his prompting but sometimes with knowledge we can then try and run ahead of God.
God’s work is done in God’s time, in God’s way and not to our programme. He is the one who is in control, and yes we can get frustrated that he does not do the things we want him to do quicker or indeed the way we want them done.
Let me give you an example of how with a little knowledge we can misunderstand God’s timing and his ways.
In the reading from the gospel according to Mark we hear how Peter knew and understood clearly that Jesus was the Christ. However, Peter’s understanding of who the Christ was and what he was going to do was different from Jesus.
Peter’s view was that the Christ, the Messiah, was the traditional Jewish figure who would come and save Israel, kick out all the invaders and return Israel to the way it was in the days of David and Solomon.
Mark 8:31
Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32:He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33:But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter had a little knowledge but not enough to grasp what God was about to do even though Jesus told him plainly.
So, beware of the danger that with the little we know we can expand it and distort it to mean something that it was not meant to mean at all.
Now you have been told by God through his Holy Word and his ministers why Jesus walked this world in the flesh, why he died on the Cross of Calvary, why he rose again, why he ascended into heaven and why God the Holy Spirit the counsellor is here.
You have been told why and if you do not know why then no doubt I and others will again be telling you why each Sunday if you keep coming to Church. You have the knowledge, but it is up to you if you act on it.
It is up to you to act if you want to live your life to the full in this world and in the world to come.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father please grant us the wisdom we need to see you for who you really are, to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer and to seek the guidance and prompting of your Holy Spirit. Protect us from being blinkered and enticed by the fleeting distractions of this world and allow us to grasp that which is eternal. For we ask it in the name of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Rev Karl Teggarty
A driver was struggling to find a parking space at the shopping centre. “Lord,” the driver prayed. “I can’t stand this. If you open a space up for me, I promise I’ll go to church every Sunday, give my tithes, and quit gossiping”
Suddenly, the clouds parted and the sun shone down on an empty parking spot. Without hesitation, the relieved driver said, “Never mind Lord, I found one!”
Rostrevor’s Final Resting Places.
For Pauline and Shelagh, graveyards are not mere resting places but open books that reveal tales of past lives lived. Each stone that is inscribed, or in some cases not, there is a testament of respect and love of those left behind. It's a reminder that every life has a story. Whilst some are easier to tell than others, part of it is recognising their trials, their achievements and honouring their memories especially some of those who have been lost.
A talk on Rostrevor's three cemeteries including speaker Mr Hilary McGrath, will take place on Thursday 17th October at 7.00 pm sharp. Details on the poster opposite.
Here is an example of what’s to come on the night
The BALDING and MORTON story in Knotty Ash Cemetery.
Their fourth child was a girl, and they called her Mary Elizabeth, she was born on the 17th March 1883.
The baby’s parents were John and Mary Anne Morton of Ballymoney, Rostrevor and were members of Kilbroney Parish Church. John, who was employed as a coachman in that year, and his wife Mary Anne, now had four children all baptised in KPC Ellen, John Jnr, Phoebe and Mary Elizabeth.
Tragedy struck however, 8 months later after her birth, when her 50 year old father passed away on the 11th November 1883. John Morton was laid to rest in Knotty Ash. The family of five members continued to live in Ballymoney, Rostrevor.
Ellen and Phoebe were both married in KPC with Mary Elizabeth aged 30 following suit. She and Arthur Balding age 27 married in Kilbroney Parish Church on the 6th October 1913. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev Drury, and their Witnesses were Edwin George Love and Bertha Balding.
Above: Register of John’s death 1883
Below: Register of Arthur and Mary Elizabeth’s marriage 1913
Arthur William was born in Carlow on the 16th August 1886. His parents were John and Frances Balding. Arthur had 4 sisters Harriet, Christina, Martha, and Bertha. In the 1901 census – Frances & 3 children were living in Carlow. Arthur is aged 14 (his father died 7 years prior) is at school.
In the 1911 census Arthur is aged 24 with his profession recorded as an electrician. He was employed by the Railway service and is boarding with the McCauley family in Goragh, outside Newry where there is a railway station called Goragh Wood.
In autumn of 1913, Arthur and Mary Elizabeth are married and are both members of Kilbroney Parish Church. In April 1915, their first baby is due to be born. However, Arthur had ‘signed up’ in September 1914, for WW1 duties and became a sapper with the Royal Engineers (No 15197). He is sent to France.
The late Rostrevor writer, Fergus Hanna continues the story in ‘Rostrevor Times’.
‘The reality of the horrors of war was becoming evident to everyone in this area and while the troops on the front were suffering horribly, those on the home front did not escape unscathed. A particularly sad story relates to the Balding Family. The husband Arthur left Rostrevor in late 1914 for the front in France. He left behind a beautiful young wife heavily pregnant at the time of his departure and like lovers everywhere they promised their separation would be but a brief one.
In April 1915 Mrs Balding gave birth to their first child, but it wasn’t an easy delivery for her, and when complications arose, her health deteriorated rapidly. Two weeks after the child was born poor Mrs Balding passed away. Her family were grief stricken and now their greatest concern was in notifying Arthur who never knew he had become a father, and now had lost his loving wife. The funeral arrangements were delayed for almost a week for Arthur’s unit was in the thick of action somewhere and couldn’t be contacted, so the solemn funeral procession carrying Mrs Balding’s remains to Knotty Ash Cemetery moved slowly through the village of Rostrevor, and the eerie silence which prevailed throughout was broken only by the tearful breakdowns of some of those who appreciated the heartbreak of the Balding family.’
Church records show that their infant, Mary Bertha Balding was born 2nd April 1915 and baptised on the 25th April 1915.
Arthur Balding returned from war. He rebuilt his life returning to work for the Great Northern Railway and living for a time in Portadown and in Finaghy. Arthur retired in 1956. Proni records show however, that Arthur remarried. Frances became his widow when he died on 10th January 1964 aged 78.
Arthur Balding was laid to rest on the 12th January 1964, plot c/101 in Knotty Ash Cemetery, with his first wife Mary Elizabeth. Recorded in 1973, from Knotty Ash burial records; Mrs Balding Londonderry, August.
Shelagh Roberts
In dire need of a beauty makeover, I went to my salon with a fashion magazine photo of a gorgeous, young, lustrous-haired model. I showed the stylist the trendy new cut I wanted and settled into the chair as he began humming a catchy tune and got to work on my thin, untidy hair. I was delighted by his cheerful attitude until I recognized the melody. It was the theme from "Mission: Impossible."
A local minister had been summoned to the bedside of a woman, from another tradition, who was quite ill. As he arrived he met the little daughter of the woman and said to her, "I'm very glad your mother remembered me in her illness. Is your minister out of town?" "No," answered the child. "He's at home, but we thought it might be something contagious, and we didn't want to expose him to it."
Generous God,
Harvest Prayers
At this harvest time we thank you for all the good things you give us. As we thank you for our food, we remember all those who do not have enough for even one proper meal each day. Lord, bless all those who suffer because of the greed of others. We pray for the homeless, and those who depend on the charity of others. We pray for the work of foodbanks, providing food for those in need.
Help us to share the harvests of the world more fairly, so everyone can be fed and there will be no more starvation.
Lord of the harvest: hear our prayer.
At this harvest time, we thank you for the hard work of all those who grow, protect and prepare our food; for the shopkeepers, the transport delivery drivers, the processors and the farmers. Bless all those, Lord, who do not earn a fair day’s pay for their hard work, both at home and in other countries. Help us to want to buy local produce and fairly traded goods wherever we can so that everyone can work with dignity and there will be no more poverty.
Lord of the harvest: hear our prayer.
At this harvest time, we thank you for the world we see around us; for the flowers, the trees and the animals. Bless all those who care for them, Lord, help us to protect your creation by being careful about how we use your resources, so that there will be clean water, clean air and plenty of wild birds, mammals and insects to maintain the ecological balance of our countryside.
Lord of the harvest: hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all that is good in your creation and all who bring in the harvest of the sea and the land. We are conscious of so much that we get wrong. So we give thanks too, for your grace and patience with us, when we fail to look after your world.
Help us to change so that we too become a new creation walking in the light of your gospel.
Lord of the harvest: hear our prayer.
At this harvest time, we ask for your blessing on our families, friends and neighbours, and on those who are sick.
We remember those who have been gathered in to your presence, whose work here is done. Help us to recognise the interdependence of all of life and the importance of just relations and community. Help us become good stewards of all you give us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Brian the CAMELEPHANTELOPELICANARY
The Rev Elizabeth and Mrs Liz Farnan took the Kilbroney Integrated School Assembly at the end of September. Theme: God made us who we are.
The story was about a camel, called Brian, who, in a dream, wanted to have big ears like an elephant, slender legs like an antelope, an attractive mouth like a pelican and a sweet singing voice like a canary. He made lots of wishes and changes but in the end he was just a ridiculous animal who was no longer suited to desert conditions. God had made him perfect in the beginning. We sang this song about God making us just as we are. You can find some versions of the song on YouTube.
He gave me eyes so I could see the wonders of the world, without my eyes I could not see the other boys and girls.
He gave me ears so I could hear the wind and rain and sea. I’ve got to tell it to the world: he made me.
He gave me lips so I could speak and say what’s in my mind. Without my lips I could not speak a single word or line.
He made my mind so I could think, and choose what I should be. I’ve got to tell it to the world: he made me.
He gave me hands so I could touch, and hold a thousand things. I need my hands to help me write, to help me fetch and bring.
These feet he made so I could run, he meant me to be free. I’ve got to tell it to the world: he made me.
Alan Edward Pinnock 1973
Churches I have known – Saint Lawrence, Isle of Wight
My father then accepted an invitation to become rector of Saint Lawrence just west of Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Just like his first (and previous living), just the one parish. My parents moved in 1967 to a rectory overlooking the English Channel. Saint Catherine’s Point and lighthouse were 2 miles or so to the west.
Here there were two churches.
The little old church: Records show the church existed, probably as a manorial chapel, before 1201. It was once the smallest church in England until 11 feet of chancel were added in 1842.
This church was where Elizabeth and I were married by my father – the bridal party walked through the rectory garden to get to the church!
The church was full for our wedding – 42 people including the rector and the Ventnor librarian who played the harmonium!!
Then on the main road to Ventnor was the big church – Victorian and younger than Saint Bronach’s, Kilbroney Parish Church.
Towards the end of my dad’s tenure, he understood that the Ventnor Heart Hospital, which had lain unused for some years, was to be demolished and along with it the chapel which also ‘housed’ some Pre-Raphaelite stained glass.
My dad learned that the Queen Mother had been patron of the hospital and, he not only asked for a contribution towards saving the stained glass, but also asked if she would come to the service of dedication which happened in May 1975. Also at the service was Earl Louis Mountbatten who was at that time Governor of the Isle of Wight.
The stained glass figures are now in the centre lights of three south nave windows; left is Saint Peter the Apostle, right is Saint John the Evangelist, both by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and centre, Saint Luke the Physician by Ford Madox Brown. The windows are mainly made by William Morris and Co. William Morris was also a Pre-Raphaelite artist as well as a maker of stained glass windows.
Saint Luke the Physician
Saint Peter
Saint John
To the north wall of the nave a light-box was affixed. It contains three pre-Raphaelite stained glass window panels, two by William Morris and one by Ford Madox Brown, which had also been ‘rescued’ from the Chapel of the Royal National Hospital, Ventnor.
Some 50 years later, the village church is part of a team.
Copied from the website:
The Parish of Saint Lawrence holds regular services throughout the month mainly in the beautiful Parish Church (2nd,3rd and 4th Sundays at 11.00 am) and the Old 12th century Church ( 1st Sunday at 5.30 pm).
Services: [as given on stlawrenceiow.co.uk website]
1st Sunday: Holy Communion 9.00 am Parish Church
2nd Sunday: 11.00 am Lay-led morning worship Parish Church
3rd Sunday: 11.00 am Holy Communion Parish Church
4th Sunday: 5:30 pm Lay-led evensong Old Church, Seven Sisters Road
5th Sunday: there is a rotation of services at 10.00 am. (see noticeboard for specific details).
Edward Woolley
Three scenes of healing
The Church of Saint Lawrence built 1878.
The Twelfth Century Church. The old Church of Saint Lawrence.
Engraving by Richard Godfrey of Long Acre, c. 1780.
Wir pflügen und wir streuen
We plough the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land; but it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand: he sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.
Chorus
All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above, then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all his love.
He only is the maker of all things near and far; he paints the wayside flower, he lights the evening star; the winds and waves obey him, by him the birds are fed; much more to us, his children, he gives our daily bread.
We thank you, then, O Father, for all things bright and good, the seed-time and the harvest, our life, our health, and food. Accept the gifts we offer, for all your love imparts, and that which you most welcome, our humble, thankful hearts.
Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)
Translated by Jane Montgomery Campbell (1817-1879)
Matthias Claudius was born in a rectory as the fourth child of the pastor Matthias Claudius (1703–1774) in Reinfeld (Holstein). His father's ancestors were pastors in Süderlügum for over a hundred years. The original family name "Clausen" was Latinized and thus became "Claudius".
After his confirmation, when he was fifteen years old, he attended the Latin school in Plön with his brother Josias, who was only one year older. In April 1759 he enrolled, again together with Josias, at the University of Jena to study theology. He did not like specialist theology, and he did not feel up to the health requirements of a pastor. He switched to law and cameralology. In Jena, he became a member of the German Society, which sought to promote the German language literature and poetry. He fell ill with smallpox , but recovered; his brother Josias, who had cared for him, died of smallpox in 1760.
In 1777 Matthias Claudius had become ill and returned to Christianity after leaving it in his 20s. During his illness he wrote a number of poems. In 1782, a friend invited him over for dinner and asked him to bring one of the Christian poems he had written. Claudius wrote seventeen verses of "Wir pflügen und wir streuen" based on Psalm 144 for this occasion .
Jane was born in Paddington. Her father was perpetual curate of Saint James’ Church, Paddington, London, and rector of Little Steeping, Lincolnshire.
After her early years in London, where she taught singing in her father’s parish school in Paddington, she moved to Bovey Tracey near Newton Abbot, and remained there until her death from a tragic carriage accident on Dartmoor.
As well as a musical enthusiast, she was a gifted linguist and German scholar. She did not make a strict translation from the original German Wir pflügen und wir streuen, but ensured retention of the hymn's original focus of giving thanks to God for the harvest.
As a protest against some modern farming methods and planning legislation John Betjeman wrote this parody of the popular harvest hymn.
We spray the fields and scatter the poison on the ground so that no wicked wild flowers upon our farm be found. We like whatever helps us to line our purse with pence; the twenty-four-hour broiler-house and neat electric fence.
All concrete sheds around us and Jaguars in the yard, the telly lounge and deep-freeze are ours from working hard.
We fire the fields for harvest, the hedges swell the flame, the oak trees and the cottages from which our fathers came. We give no compensation, the earth is ours today, and if we lose on arable, the bungalows will pay.
John Betjeman
Matthias Claudius
Jane Montgomery Campbell
Dead as a doornail: while this expression may be even older, its first known use can be dated to 1350. There’s a reference to it in a translation by William Langland of the French poem Guillaume de Palerne: “For but ich haue bote of mi bale I am ded as dorenayl.”
Langland also used the expression in the much more famous poem The vision of William concerning Piers Plowman, 1370-90: Fey withouten fait is febelore þen nouȝt, And ded as a dore-nayl.
[Faith without works is feebler than nothing, and dead as a doornail.]
Shakespeare gave these lines to the rebel leader Jack Cade in King Henry VI, Part 2, 1592: Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more.
Mark 10:13-16
INDIGNANT DISCIPLES
CHILDREN BRINGING WHOEVER STERNLY RECEIVE KINGDOM BLESSED BELONGS PEOPLE LITTLE TRULY TOUCH THESE SPOKE ORDER NEVER MIGHT JESUS HANDS ENTER WILL WHEN WERE TOOK THIS THEM THAT TELL SUCH STOP SAID
NRSV MARK LAID DOES COME ARMS YOU WAS SAW NOT LET HIM GOD FOR BUT UP OF
Dickens was among the celebrated authors who liked the phrase and made a point of musing on it in A Christmas Carol Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country’s done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
In medieval times only nails were available to be used by carpenters to hold wood together, especially for doors. It was common practice, especially on large things such as medieval doors, that after a nail was hammered through the wood it would be flattened on the other side to stop it from loosening over time (clenching). Once this was done, the nails (which were often reused because they were expensive) would be considered
A Girl with Watering Can
by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1876
100 cm (39 in) × 73 cm (29 in) in National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.
‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’
This painting by Renoir exemplifies the mature impressionist style of the 1870s. While impressionist landscapes are often painted quickly and ‘in the moment,’ portraits like the one of the little girl here exhibit more detail and control. The vibrant colours are characteristic of Renoir, reflecting the freshness and radiance of the impressionist palette. Unlike his landscapes, the brushstrokes in this portrait are more even and controlled, giving the painting a rich, more detailed texture. We don’t know the identity of the girl, but she was likely a local child Renoir found appealing for his work. Her curly blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, red ribbon, rosy cheeks, and smiling red lips make this painting exceptionally charming and lively.
The overall innocence of this painting speaks to us profoundly. This same innocence is what Jesus addresses in Matthew 18. He emphasizes the great value of a child in the eyes of God. When children are born they desire only to be loved, protected, cared for, and taught. Similarly, God, as our loving parent, cares for us, loves us, protects us and teaches us - if we will allow that to happen.
Jesus challenges conventional ideas of status calling his followers to have childlike innocence where we 'allow' God to love us. What is certain is that God loves us, 100%. There is no doubt about that, but we are the ones who doubt and hesitate.
Jesus was calling on his disciples to become child-like not childish; child-like in the sense of having child-like trust in a loving Father.
Additionally, the parable of the lost sheep reveals God’s boundless love and concern for every individual. It reassures us that no one is insignificant or beyond reach, and that God rejoices in the return of those who have strayed. The message is clear: to welcome and care for the “little ones” whether children or those considered least in society is to embrace Christ himself.
Rev Patrick van der Vorst Christian Art, Clergy House, Westminster Cathedral
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them,
"Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."
And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Care for Creation
António Guterres (United Nations Secretary-General) has said that we’re at ‘Code red for humanity: the alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk.’ How are we to respond to these climate concerns?
The world belongs to God:
‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’ (Psalm 24:1). The world is not ours, but God’s! We are called to share in care for God’s world: ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ (Genesis 1:28). We represent God by governing with the same self-giving generosity that we see in his creation of the earth. This challenges our consumer mindset, that sees the earth’s resources as both limitless and existing simply for our needs. For example, the fashion industry uses as much carbon per minute, as a car emits going six times round the world! How can we make a difference in our world?
We belong to Christ:
We also belong to the one who’s plan is: ‘to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.’ (Ephesians 1:10). We can look forward to the time when God will create a new heaven and a new earth and make everything new. Meanwhile, we are called to serve as he serves, caring for the earth and our fellow humans, by living simply, recycling, conserving energy and choosing reusable options.
In terms of our world, there is no plan B! God gave us only one planet!
Canon Paul Hardingham
Boss: You got your hair cut on company time?
Employee: It grew on company time.
Boss: Not all that hair!
Employee: I didn't get it all cut.
Dentist: Your teeth are stained, do you smoke or drink coffee?
Me: I drink it; I didn’t know smoking it was an option.
Office of Terce: 9.20
Eucharist: 11.30
Office of None: 14.15 (Weekdays) / 14.30 (Sunday)
Office of Vespers: 17.30 (Weekdays) / 17.00 (Weekends)
Office of Vigils: 20.30
The shop at Holy Cross Abbey has a wide variety of products, many of which make excellent gifts for special occasions (or to treat yourself)!
Just bought a head of lettuce. Should I throw it away now or in two weeks like I usually do.
A couple purchased an old home in Northern New York State from two elderly sisters. Winter was fast approaching and there was little insulation, but the couple figured: "If they could live here all those years, so can we!" One November night the temperature plunged below zero and the interior walls were covered with frost. The new owners called the sisters to ask how they had kept the house warm. Turns out, they always went to Florida for the winter.
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