C o n t a c t
The Parish Magazine
March 25th - The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”
Luke 1:30
1st - St David
Dates for your diary
The pattern for Services each week is shown on the back cover .
Bishop of Menevia, Patron of Wales, c.601 - see page 21
2nd - The Next Sunday Before Lent
Readings: 2 Cor 3:12-4:2 Lk 9:28-36(37-43a)
4th - Shrove Tuesday
5th - Ash Wednesday
Communion Service at 10:00am. NB - No Thursday service this week.
6th - World Book Day
A worldwide celebration of books and reading - www.worldbookday.com
7th - World Day of Prayer
Held annually on the first Friday in March - www.wwdp.org.uk
9th The First Sunday of Lent
Readings: Rom 10:8b-13 Lk 4:1-13
9th - Marie Curie National Day Of Reflection.
A day for communities to come together to reflect, remember and support one another. - https://dayofreflection.org.uk/ - see page 9
15th - Red Nose Day
16th - The Second Sunday of Lent
Readings: Phil 3:17-4:1 Lk 13:31-35
17th - St Patrick Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460 - see page 28
19th - St Joseph of Nazareth
20th - Spring Equinox
21st - Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, Reformation Martyr, 1556
21st - World Poetry Day
This year’s theme highlights poetry’s transformative role in promoting peace, creativity, and inclusion.
23rd - The Third Sunday of Lent
Readings: 1 Cor 10:1-13 Lk 13:1-9
25th - The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary
29th - Posy Making in the Cantelupe Centre at 10.00am.
30th - Mothering Sunday - see pages 21 & 25
Readings: 2 Cor 5:16-21 Lk 15:1-3,11b-32
30th - British Summertime commences Clocks are turned forward 1 hour at 1.00am.
Is it time you remembered ‘eureka!’?
The Revd Dr Roger Roberts, formerly senior pastor of International Baptist Church, Brussels, considers the beginnings of discipleship…
As Lent 2025 gets underway, do you suspect that your Christian commitment is not all it could be? If so, you are not alone. As one American church leader sadly put it: “In America the church is 3,000 miles wide – and one inch deep.”
But Jesus is still calling us to be His disciples, NOT His well-wishers – from a safe distance! So how does one start as a disciple, exactly? It can be helpful to remember the story of John and Andrew in the first chapter of St John.
Firstly, John and Andrew were simply getting on with daily life when their teacher, John the Baptist, introduced them to Jesus. They hadn’t been out looking for Him – but when they met Him, they were deeply affected. Andrew excitedly reported: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). His statement is true, but the more you read of the story, the more you’ll realize that it was Jesus who found them. He is after YOU, too! If you encounter God, it is no accident that your paths have crossed.
The English poet Francis Thompson was a derelict living under a bridge until a Christian benefactor took him into his home. One of the poems Francis Thompson later wrote was ‘The Hound of Heaven’, which described God as the one who sought him down through his wayward, “labyrinthine ways.” He was, like us, running from God, who all the time was leading him to an encounter with Himself.
Secondly, there is the eureka! factor in Andrew and John’s story. This expression, from the Greek eurisko, is said to have been exclaimed around the year 200 BC by the Greek mathematician Archimedes when he discovered a way to determine the purity of gold. Andrew used this same expression in vs 41, when he told his brother he had found Jesus Christ. “I’ve found Him! Eureka!”
This Lent, you can be sure that Jesus is certainly looking for you, and if your response has ever been: ‘I’ve found Him! Eureka!” – then you, like Andrew, have become a disciple, a Christian. Maybe you began to follow Jesus a long time ago, but your obedience has been “on hold.” You haven’t been faithful in worship, in reading the Bible. You haven’t even been a part of a local church.
Well, Lent 2025 is an ideal time to re-discover the joy of eureka! again.
Whisper it softly, but many of us prefer instant coffee
In this age of exotic coffee making machines, there are still a good 39% of us in Britain who reach for the instant coffee – and even prefer it.
In fact, a 2024 Kantar report has found that seven million of us happily drink instant coffee two or three times each day.
Nescafe Gold Blend is the UK’s leading instant coffee brand, with 4.3 million of us buying it in 2023. James Chiavarini, patron of the Italian restaurant Il Portico says: “Gold Blend is weak and sweet, and I can drink it all day without the risk of a stomach ulcer.”
It’s That Time Of Year Again
Yes, it’s the time of year again as we approach the end of the inancial year that we make our annual request for donations towards the cost of producing “Contact”. As you know, whether you see a copy ofthe magazine in print or on-line, it is providedfreeofcharge.
That does not mean there are not costs involved in producing it. Many of the articles, puzzles, pictures etc. are obtained from Parish Pump, an on-line resourceforchurchmagazineeditorswhichhavetobepaidforeachyear.Then there are material costs for the printed copies, such as paper and ink each month,andalsointernetchargesforthewebsiteversiontoo.
Other articles and photographs are submitted locally by church members andfriends andarefreely given butit’s to offsetthecosts thatareinvolved in compilingthemagazinethatwemakeourannualappeal fordonations.Wedo of course also receive donations to the church from local businesses and we acknowledge their support by including adverts in the magazine. We’d encourage all of readers of the magazine to support these businesses where andwheneverpossibleinreturn.
We greatly appreciate all donations, however big all small. As the saying goes“Everylittlehelps.”ChequesshouldbemadepayabletoStMary’sPCCand cashcontributionscanbemadetoanyof icerofthechurch.Thankyouforyour continuedsupport.
GarthNewton(Editor).
A Lent Reflection
by Canon Paul Hardingham
Somebody asked a Christian friend why he was eating doughnuts, when he had given them up for Lent! He answered, ‘At the bakers I told God, that if He wanted me to buy doughnuts, He should provide a parking space in front. On the eighth time around, there it was!’ Rather than seeing Lent simply as a time to give things up, let’s use it intentionally for self-examination, reading Scripture, penitence, fasting and prayer.
At Jesus’ baptism, God’s voice says, ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:22). The Holy Spirit then leads Jesus into the wilderness, where we find Him coming to terms with who He is. Satan’s temptations challenge Jesus in key three areas of His identity: His divine sonship, political power and Messianic role (Luke 4: 1-13). It is as though Jesus was looking into the mirror at Himself to discern what kind of Saviour He should be.
For us, Lent is an opportunity to hold up a mirror to ourselves and ask the question, ‘who am I? It’s a season of honest encounter with who we are, what we’ve done, and how we should live. What will we see when we hold up the mirror to ourselves? Keeping Lent, the 40 days running up to Easter, could mean taking time to read Scripture, studying a Christian book or spending five minutes each day in silence! We might fast by missing one or two meals, refraining from TV, alcohol, social media, or scrolling on our phones. All of these can help us to give more attention to God in our lives.
Whatever we do, Lent is a season for self-reflection, as we put ourselves in a position to receive afresh the forgiveness and healing that God offers.
Prayer for March 2025
by Daphne Kitching
Dear Lord,
In this month when Lent begins, we remember the difficult journey Jesus made to the cross, to take upon Himself our sins and the sins of the whole world, to bring us the hope of eternal life by His resurrection.
Lord, we bring to You our own journeys through our daily lives. We bring our disappointments, our bewilderment, our pain, as well as our happy times. We thank You that You are with us in and through all of it.
We thank you that the message of Christmas is the message of Lent and the message of every day – You, our God, are with us always, giving us hope and life, because of Jesus.
Thank You that He made that journey for us, and all we have to do is trust in Him. Help us to do that and to share His good news with others, especially those in distress. We pray in His name. Amen.
From The Archives
Some church members may remember Mr Jeffrey James Hollis from West Hallam who was active in St Mary's back in the 1970s and 80s when the minister was Rev. Arthur C. Robertson.
Mr. Hollis sadly passed away in 2018 and his son kindly passed on many books and documents he found whilst clearing out his father's house.
For our dip into the archives this month, here is a page from a booklet produced for Lent in 1981 which is still appropriate today as we approach Lent.
Throughout the month of March, the end life charity Marie Curie will once again be holding their annual flagship fundraiser, the Great Daffodil Appeal.
There’s only one chance to give someone the best possible end of life.
And one chance for you to help fund care that makes that possible. Care that protects someone’s dignity – instead of leaving them to die alone or in avoidable pain. This Great Daffodil Appeal is that chance.
Every five minutes, someone dies without the support they need. But by donating and wearing your daffodil this March, you can change that – and help Marie Curie Nurses bring expert end of life care when there’s no cure, whatever the illness.
Money raised also funds the charity’s free support line and webchat which is available to anyone with an illness they’re likely to die from and those close to them. It offers practical and emotional support on everything from managing symptoms and navigating care to financial information, including how to get help with energy bills and bereavement support.
Whether it’s taking part in a fundraising challenge, organising an event including bake sales, charity walks or concerts or volunteering your time to collect donations, every penny will help Marie Curie deliver quality care to those who need it most.
The Great Daffodil Appeal only happens once a year. This is your chance to make it count.
For information and to donate visit: Mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil
‘God
in the Arts’
by the Revd Michael Burgess, this time looking at ‘The Potato Planters’ by Jean-Francois Millet
‘Enter
my rest’
At this time of the year, we are planning our gardens for the Spring and Summer ahead. The book of Genesis opens with a glorious account of God’s work of creation, and it also tells us that God rested on the seventh day.
We all need to find that balance of work and rest, of activity and slowing down in our lives. And we are not always good at that because our world seems to be in the fast lane. We rush everywhere, we rush out of habit, and we rush because everyone around us is rushing.
This month’s painting, ‘The Potato Planters’ by Jean–Francois Millet, a 19th century French artist, portrays two peasants at work. They don’t seem to be rushing, but Millet has certainly portrayed the hard toil of their work, digging in the earth from sunrise to sunset to eke out a living. Millet was the son of a farm labourer and many of his paintings convey the severe realism of peasant life. We can sympathise with the couple working on the land, and our eyes focus on them as they dominate the canvas.
But in the corner under the shade of a tree there is a donkey and a sleeping child. The donkey knows only too well the reality of toil and work, but here he is resting, enjoying the peace and the shade. Andy Merrifield, an American philosopher, has just published an account of his travels with a donkey, Gribouille. As they journey together, the donkey teaches him the value of patience, the importance of going slowly through the world, and the preciousness of tender friendship between humans and animals. They are all caught up in the little donkey in this painting.
The man and woman in the foreground may reflect our own lives with the duties, the expectations and the demands called of us at work. Take time to focus on the donkey, enjoying his rest. Take time this Spring and Summer to find relaxation and recreation. The world may carry on spinning around us, but we can stand apart, and enter into the rest that God enjoyed after His work of creation.
Modern Art
A local artist had been commissioned to paint scenes around the parish. He was showing them off to the vicar.
Artist: That is the inside of your church on a Sunday morning.
Vicar: I don’t see me in the pulpit.
Artist: That’s because you had finished preaching.
Vicar: But where is the congregation?
Artist: They’ve gone home for Sunday lunch.
Picture credit: Jean-François Millet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
'God in the Sciences’
by Dr Ruth Bancewicz, (Faraday Institute for Science & Religion in Cambridge)
A bucket of tadpoles: Springtime, curiosity, and the Theology of Science
When I was nearly three, I knocked a bucket of tadpoles all over the patio. Those unfortunate creatures must have been collected to educate my brother and I on where frogs came from, but a toddler can’t just stand by and watch. Can I see up close? Or maybe I was ‘helpfully’ moving it to another place. I just remember doing something I shouldn’t have done, and tadpoles on the ground. I was sad that I wouldn’t get to see those creatures grow up.
I might have been great at destroying things when I was a child (my family would probably say I still am), but I absolutely love watching living things up close. The more I learn, the more my sense of wonder grows. For a tadpole to become a frog, large sections of its gut, salivary glands and muscles must die, as well as the gills. The cells in those tissues are programmed to curl up and disintegrate, and are swallowed up by a specialised kind of white blood cell. Legs grow from small sacs of cells on the tadpole’s body, and one of my textbooks says that ‘The nervous system is also remodelled’ - which I suspect is a bit of an understatement.
This knowledge removes a little of the mystery of how a tadpole turns into a frog, but there is plenty more to discover. These few details also reveal the cleverness of the process. Metamorphosis is surprisingly common in the animal kingdom. How is that an efficient way to grow up, or is efficiency not the most important thing for an animal?
Scientists are essentially grown-ups who are still very much in touch with their inner two-year-old self. They refuse to stop asking questions, even when finding an answer becomes decidedly more awkward than opening a textbook.
Many scientists are people of faith, and this also drives their questioning. They believe that God created a world that was very good, that the purpose of all Creation is to praise Him, we are made in Gods image, and that we are tasked with looking after Creation. So Christians, of all people, should be enjoying and investigating our surroundings. These are the bones of a Theology of Science which serves some of us very well, and keeps us looking into things like buckets of frogs – that is, until a two-year-old comes and knocks them over.
Observations for Lent
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. - Anon
Adversity does not make us frail; it only shows us how frail we are. - Anon Fight truth decay - study the Bible daily. - Anon
If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns. - Anon
It was:
ALL IN THE MONTH OF MARCH
¨ 250 years ago, on 23rd March 1775 that Patrick Henry, a Founding Father of the United States, gave a famous speech. - see page 14
¨ 175 years ago, on 5th March 1850 that the Britannia Bridge linking Anglesey and mainland Wales across the Menai Strait was officially opened. Designed and built by railway engineer Robert Stephenson, it had to be replaced after a disastrous fire in 1970.
¨ 150 years ago, on 7th March 1875 that the French composer Maurice Ravel was born. Best known for Bolero.
¨ 125 years ago, on 28th March 1900 that the British archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the ancient city of Knossos, capital of the Minoan civilisation, in Heraklion, Crete. Knossos is regarded as the oldest city in Europe. It was abandoned (unknown reasons) more than 3,000 years ago.
¨ 100 years ago, on 21st March 1925 that Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh was officially opened.
¨ 90 years ago, on 16th March 1935 that driving tests were first introduced in Britain. On 19th March, a 30 mph speed limit in built-up areas was introduced.
¨ 80 years ago, on 24th March 1945 that the USA, Britain and Canada carried out the largest single-day airborne landing operation in history in Germany.
¨ 70 years ago, on 11th March 1955 that Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish bacteriologist died. - see page 14
¨ 60 years ago, on 8th March 1965 that the first US troops arrived in Vietnam. This marked the beginning of the USA’s main involvement in the war.
¨ Also 60 years ago, on 18th March 1965 that Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov became the first person ever to make a spacewalk.
¨ 50 years ago, on 26th March 1975 that the Biological Weapons Convention came into effect banning production and stockpiling of biological weapons.
¨ 40 years ago, on 3rd March 1985 that British miners voted to return to work after a year-long strike over pit closures and job losses.
¨ 30 years ago, on 2nd March 1995 that the ‘rogue trader’ Nick Leeson was arrested for his role in the collapse of Barings, Britain’s oldest merchant bank.
¨ Also 30 years ago, on 26th March 1995 that the Schengen Treaty came into effect in the E.U. eliminating internal border controls.
¨ 20 years ago, on 10th March 2005, comedian Dave Allen died. - see page 15
¨ 10 years ago, on 12th March 2015 that Terry Pratchett, British fantasy novelist best known for his Discworld series, died of Alzheimer’s, aged 66.
¨ Also 10 years ago, on 24th March 2015 that the Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed in the French alps, killing all 150 people on board. An investigation found that the co-pilot had deliberately caused the crash after his doctor had declared him unfit to fly due to suicidal tendencies.
Liberty or death! by Tim Lenton
250 years ago, on 23rd March 1775, Patrick Henry, a Founding Father of the United States, gave a famous speech at the Second Virginia Convention. He called for America’s independence from Britain, saying “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Henry’s widely praised oratory persuaded the convention, which included future US presidents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, and they voted to put the colony “into a posture of defence”. The American Revolutionary War began less than a month later.
There has been much discussion over the exact words used by Henry. It was eighteen years after his death in 1799 that his biographer, William Wurt, included his speech among many other recollections and reconstructions from elderly witnesses.
Central to the start of the war was the Gunpowder Incident, when Henry led his militia to Williamsburg to recover gunpowder confiscated by the then governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, who after paying £330 retreated to a naval vessel, which effectively ended British control of the colony. Henry himself became the first governor of the newly independent state in July 1776.
Many Christians in the future USA had viewed the Church of England as a dangerous enemy of American freedom, and part of the “tyranny” foisted on them. However, the colonists were strongly Christian and supported a congregationalist type of worship, often led by Methodists.
The 1783 Treaty of Paris gave legal standing to the independence and sovereignty of the United States, ending the war.
A tribute to Alexander Fleming by Tim Lenton
Seventy years ago, on 11th March 1955, the Scottish bacteriologist Sir Alexander Fleming died. He was joint winner with Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for discovering penicillin.
Fleming was not the tidiest researcher, and his discovery of penicillin came about more or less by accident, as he said himself. He regarded his earlier discovery of lysozyme, a mildly antiseptic enzyme which is present in body fluids, as his best scientific work.
The discovery of penicillin was much more significant in practical terms, but for some years he was unable to persuade fellow-experts of its importance – another example of the scientific consensus being wrong. In the end Chain and Florey were vital to its success, having discovered a method of turning penicillin into a practical, useful treatment.
Fleming came from a Presbyterian background but was described as “not particularly religious”. He served through the First World War in the Royal Army Medical Corps, working in battlefield hospitals in France, where he observed that closed wound treatment often had adverse effects.
He was a member of the rifle club at his medical school, St Mary’s, which led to his joining the research department there.
The discovery of penicillin and its subsequent development as a prescription drug marked the start of modern antibiotics. Fleming was knighted in 1944. In 1999 he was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most important people in the 20th
century, and three years later as one of the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll. He was also voted third greatest Scot in 2009.
When he heard that penicillin production had been patented in the US in 1944, he was furious that his discovery, given free, should become a profit-making monopoly in another country.
Remembering Dave Allen by Tim Lenton
Twenty years ago, on 10th March 2005, Irish comedian Dave Allen died – in his sleep, of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.
Allen – real name David Tynan O'Mahony – was best known for his observational comedy, but provoked indignation – sometimes outrage – by highlighting religious and political hypocrisy.
O’Mahony was well connected: his father was managing editor of The Irish Times, and his mother and aunt were both well-known writers. But his father died when he was 12, and the family moved to England, where his agent eventually persuaded him to change his name “because no-one in the UK could pronounce O’Mahony correctly”. The comedian agreed because he thought a name starting with A would get him to the top of agents’ lists.
Before that he had been educated at the Catholic University School in Dublin, where he developed a disrespect for the disciplinary methods of the Roman Catholic Church. Later this extended to the Church of England: he was known for mocking their exercise of power rather than their beliefs, but he was certainly a sceptic, calling himself “a practising atheist – thank God”.
Although Allen became well known in many parts of the world, including Australia, it wasn’t always a smooth path: he worked at one time in a toy shop in Sheffield and as a door-to-door salesman of draught excluders. But although he was also an actor, he became best known for his stand-up (or rather sit-down) routines involving a stool, a cigarette and a glass.
He said he was always bothered by the misuse of power, and in his native Ireland he was particularly controversial, both among some southern Catholics and Paisleyite Protestants. It may not have helped that he ended his act with the words “Goodnight, thank you, and may your God go with you.”
Praying with the prayers of the Bible
by the Revd Dr
Herbert McGonigle,
formerly principal of the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester Praying the Prayer of Forgiveness: Numbers 12:13, ‘O God, heal her, I pray.’
These six words are Moses’ prayer for his sister Miriam. They tell us a lot about Moses and a lot about prayer.
For some time Miriam and her brother Aaron had been simmering with anger against Moses. They protested that he had married a Cushite woman (v.1), but the real cause of their animosity was jealousy. ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ (v.2). Don’t we have a ministry as well? Hasn’t God also spoken through us? Why does everyone look to Moses? Why are we overlooked?
Jealousy is a powerful and deadly emotion. God had given ministries and honour to Miriam (Exod. 15:20,21) and Aaron had become the chief priest (Num. 3:1-3), but neither of them were satisfied with that. It looks as if Miriam fomented and took the lead in criticising Moses. Suddenly the Lord intervened (v.4). He called Moses, Aaron and Miriam together and defended His servant Moses. Moses is faithful in all my house! (v.7)
Whereas the Lord had often spoken to other prophets in dreams and visions, He speaks to Moses ‘mouth to mouth’ (v.8). How dare Aaron and Miriam question Moses whom the Lord called ‘my servant’ (v.8). Having so strongly defended Moses and rebuked his critics, the Lord departed and then the divine judgement fell. Suddenly Miriam, the leader of the conspiracy, was struck down with the dreaded leprosy.
Aaron immediately cried out to Moses, confessing his own and his sister’s sin and foolishness (vv. 11,12). Then Moses demonstrated why the Lord honoured him so highly. He expressed no anger, no vindictiveness, no spirit of ‘settling scores’ against his brother and sister. In spite of their antagonism and jealousy, Moses loved them both and ‘cried to the Lord’ on behalf of Miriam.
He prayed one of the shortest prayers found in the Bible. ‘O God, heal her, I pray’ (v.13). He was grieved and full of compassion to see his sister so terribly afflicted. The prayer was prompted by the love that forgives, the love that overlooks what others have done to us, the love that wants God’s best for them. And only God’s grace can make us like that. The prayer is so short, so simple, so direct, so personal. ‘O God, heal her, I pray.’
And God heard and answered. As a warning to others who might challenge Moses’ authority, Miriam was quarantined for seven days, then fully healed and restored (vv.14, 15). How does this incident help us in our prayer life?
First, true prayer is born in compassion. The lips express the deep feelings of the heart.
Second, God will not hear our prayers if our hearts are not right with him and with one another. While we cherish resentments and grudges, our praying is powerless.
Third, while there are many times when prayer needs to be persistent, there are also times when it is a simple, deep cry from the heart.
What’s the Big Idea?
An Introduction to the Books of the Bible: Psalms
Canon Paul Hardingham continues the series on the books of the Bible.
‘The Psalms have a unique place in the Bible, because most of the Scripture speaks to us, while the Psalms speak for us’ (Athanasius of Alexandria).
The Book of Psalms contains 150 prayers or songs of praise, the majority (73) attributed to David, although some were composed later. They were mostly composed for liturgical worship. There are songs of praise, in which people joyfully express praise for God’s work of creation and sustaining (e.g. 135 & 136). In others, the psalmist recounts a desperate situation and gives thanks for God’s answer to his prayers (e.g. 30 & 116).
There are a significant number of psalms of lament, both individual (e.g. 3-7; 22) and communal (e.g. 44), which begin with a cry for help. Some express deliverance from sin (51 & 130), or point to the certainty that the Lord has heard their prayer (7, but contrast 88). The theme of trust is central in many psalms (23, 62 & 91).
The ‘royal psalms’ (e.g. 20, 21 & 72) point to the promised Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus. There are also psalms teaching wisdom (e.g. 37, 49); ‘torah’ psalms, focussing on the law of the Lord (e.g. 1, 19 & 119), and psalms which celebrate the history of Israel and God’s faithfulness (e.g. 78, 105 & 106).
The psalms can help us in our own prayers, by providing us with models to follow, as they express our own deepest feelings as we approach God: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul’ (Psalm 23:1-3).
Why you love your mother
Gratitude is a large part of Mothering Sunday. So, this month why not spend a few moments thinking back, and ask yourself this: What quality or wisdom did your mother bestow on you in childhood, for which you are most grateful now?
Bearing fruit takes time
The nine fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. We don’t strive for the fruits of the Spirit, rather we plant ourselves in good soil, allow ourselves to be fed by the Holy Spirit, keep taking in nourishment, turn to face the light of Christ and these fruits will develop and grow in our lives.
Can you tell whether a tree is an apple tree or a pear tree? Not easily when they are in blossom, but very easily when they bear fruit. Bearing fruit takes time and a lot of planting, preparation, nurture and growth.
March is the time of year when gardeners begin to plant seeds ready for summer, but patience is needed – the seeds will take a while to germinate, and the gardener needs to write the names of seeds on labels and not forget which are fruit, flowers and vegetables. The seeds need to be in the dark, or the light, or the warmth or the cool, depending at what stage of life they are at.
So too, is God with us. God writes our names on His heart; God knows what fruit we can bring forth. God nurtures us and gives us light to grow. But first, we need to be planted and that can be scary.
Maybe you are feeling in a cold dark place this March, maybe it feels as if you’ve been buried, maybe you’ve got a weight above you and you can’t see the way out. Just think that maybe you’ve been buried because you’ve been planted.
With patience there will be warmth and light, be like a seed, trust God, and begin to grow out of the darkness towards God’s marvellous light. We won’t see fruit immediately; we have to be nourished and mature and ripen. Patience will be given to us, fruit of the seed of the Holy Spirit.
Although we still hear of people suffering with covid it is no longer headline news and phrases like “wash your hands”, “stay at home” and “lockdown” are rarely heard these days.
Nigel Beeton, a recently retired senior radiologist, wrote this poem thinking about the time spent back at the hospital in January 2021, helping colleagues.
Together
In the year nineteen seventy-one
They heard the church bells ring
That wedding day was so much fun! They promised they would cling Together they would always stay Till death will come to part their way.
In the year nineteen eighty-one For ten years they’d been wed
Two daughters and a strapping son
And still they often said Together they would always stay Till death will come to part their way.
In the year nineteen ninety-one
Their children nearly grown!
Yes, troubles go and troubles come
But they had always shown Together they would always stay Till death will come to part their way.
In the year two thousand and one
Their lifelong odyssey
Had brought to them their first grandson
But everyone could see Together they would always stay Till death will come to part their way.
In the year twenty-eleven Retirement came at last Grandchildren – now they counted seven The family grows fast! Together they would always stay Till death will come to part their way.
In the year twenty twenty-one
Their Golden Wedding day. But celebrations? There were none A Care home said that they Together couldn’t always stay For Covid came come to part their way.
With both Mothering Sunday and the Annunciation this month, we offer the following on motherhood....
Mother’s Way (Luke 2:19,51) by Daphne Kitching
You treasure those things, Keep them safe in your heart, Where did the years go?
Everything still so fresh… The birth, those moments alone, Your first looking Into each other’s love.
And the visitors
With their wonder and wisdom, With their gifts and their gazing, Everything still so fresh
Then the growing years, Baby into boy, Into man, Into joys and sorrows, Into life away from your helping, Yet you alone hold His history in your head.
You treasure those things, Keep them safe in your heart, Of course you do… You are his mother.
St David’s Day by Megan Carter
Remembering a monk of long ago On 1st March – St David’s Day
A preacher who was greatly revered Who lived his life in a simple way. He was made the Patron Saint of Wales
Daffodils on that day abound, Leeks are an option, but flowers preferred, And Welsh cakes in many a kitchen are found.
“Always be joyful and keep the faith” A message St David continues to give “And remember to do the little things” A profound but simple way to live.
Small Talk By The Riverbank
by David Pickup, a solicitor
“… The next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. - Acts 16:11-15
One of the great things about going to church on Sundays is the chance to chat with people.
Of course, there are some topics on which you need to tread lightly, especially when you meet someone for the first time. For example - their beliefs in religion and politics.
For this reason, I have known people in my congregation for years and still have no idea about which party they support or who they vote for. (I presume they believe in God, because they keep coming to church.)
Why are some subjects so loaded with potential trouble?
The reason is that the answers can be divisive. They will put you in one camp or another. I met a visitor from America recently and wondered if I should bring up politics. This was just before the inauguration of President Trump. Fortunately, the American brought it up, and was quite open, and we were able to discuss it without worry about giving offence.
So – people chat in church. And according to these verses, they have been doing that for 2,000 years – since St Paul began to start churches.
I like this particular conversation between two strangers, St Paul and Lydia. I expect politics and religion were not easy topics for small talk even then. Talking to a stranger was risking being misunderstood. It was a casual chat, but Paul skilfully used the contact to lead Lydia to faith in Christ. She became the first convert in Greece, which of course meant she was the first Christian in a church in Europe.
One good thing about Christianity, is that it is about breaking down barriers, not building them up.
With Lent In Mind
I'm giving up eating chocolate for a month. Oh, wait, sorry, bad punctuation. I meant, I'm giving up. Eating chocolate for a month.
Lenten Contrition
During the middle of the tenth century the Bishop of Exeter, Leofric, presented a collection of prayers to his cathedral. The author is unknown, but the meditations present an insight into the Anglo-Saxon Christian spirit. Here is one considering Lent.
Give me, O Lord, patience and sense of purpose in each of the things which you send to beset me. You know the many wicked deeds which burden my heart. But out of compassion you set aside all blame and receive me as your own. Please protect me through the dangers and confusion of my transient life on earth, ensuring that in all things I strive for eternal life in heaven.
I know that I am very slow to make amends for my sins, despite the many favours you grant me. Fix my trust, my timid hopes, upon yourself, so that I may stand on a secure foundation. Lift up my thoughts with your wisdom.
Stand by me, Lord, and hold me upright when the gales of sin blow round me. And when the dark stormy night of wickedness closes in on me, guide my steps. My soul is already battered by the temptations to which I have submitted. My spirit is crushed by the weight of past misdeeds. My mind is stained by the memory of the evil in which I have participated. Throughout my life you have been unfailingly generous to me, although I have deserved only punishment.
Ah Lord, you are the only remedy. Let my suffering bring me true contrition, that I may receive your forgiveness, and so be made fit for the everlasting joy of heaven.
WORDSEARCH
Patron Saints, Mothering Sunday, Annunciation, Lent
Leeks for St David’s Day (patron saint of Wales), daffodils for the rest of the month: March brings us Spring. St Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland, is remembered with parades. Mum’s are celebrated with more daffodils on Mothering Sunday (often called Mother’s Day) and Sunday lunch ‘out’. March brings us the Annunciation, when the angel first appeared to Mary to tell her of her coming pregnancy. Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord, the Magnificat, is recorded only in Luke's Gospel. March is the month of Lent, of fasting, prayer and preparation for Easter.
Leeks
Day
Wales
Daffodils
Spring
Patrick
Ireland
Parades
Mum
Mother
Sunday
Lunch
Angel
Mary
Pregnancy
Magnificat
Lent
Fasting
Prayer
Preparation
Solution on Page 34
Sometimes it is wise to retreat
Lent is supposed to prepare us for Easter, but making time for spiritual reflection in our busy lives can be hard. One solution is to take a short retreat, at one of the many retreat houses or centres around the country.
It has been said that “Retreats are for ordinary people at any time in their life. There are no expectations of you when you’re there and you don't need to be a churchgoer.” Just step back, relax in quiet and calm, and allow yourself some time to reflect and grow in your relationship with God.
Jesus Himself started the idea, when He invited his disciples to "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6: 31). His disciples needed to be alone with Him then, and they still need to be alone with Him today.
Retreat houses offer a warm welcome, and many are set in beautiful buildings with gardens. Most offer overnight accommodation and wholesome, home cooked food. Just visit: https://www.retreats.org.uk
Jesus and His mother
by Lester Amann
When Jesus was at a Galilean wedding (John 2:1-11), He was there with His disciples and Mary, His mum. During the celebrations, unknown to the groom, the wine ran out. Mary was quick to spot the problem. She knew this could be an embarrassing moment for the groom if people couldn’t have a drink, and the married couple would face ridicule and shame.
So, Mary asked her Son for help. Although we know that Jesus responded by turning water into wine, she didn’t know this was going to happen. At that time Jesus had not performed a miracle! Whatever she thought, Mary simply showed concern and trusted Jesus to do the right thing.
At first Jesus seems to respond to His mum with a rebuke. This dilemma was not His concern. Even so, Mary says to the servants “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus instructs the servants to fill six large stone jars with water. A sample is taken, and it has become the best wine to conclude the festivities. Jesus had met a human need and prevented a ruined wedding day.
The servants obeyed Jesus and a miracle followed. Later, through His ministry, many people obeyed Jesus and their response brought healing or some other beneficial change.
In this story, only Mary, the servants and the disciples were aware of this miracle. It was not a public spectacle such as Jesus feeding 5000 people with a handful of bread and fish. We too should be alert to what God is doing amongst us while others are oblivious of a divine hand.
“Do whatever He tells you” Mary said. What wise words! When we do this our lives will be transformed. It took a mother to know the right thing to say in a troubled situation. Mary knew Jesus would not let her down. So must we.
With Mothering Sunday in mind:
A mother can touch a whole generation just by loving her own child well. - Anon
‘Lend me your ears’: a phrase used by Mark Anthony, and ever since then, by the mothers of millions of young children. - Anon
HEADLINES
How do we find the next Archbishop of Canterbury?
It is not a simple process. And now Stephen Knott, The Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments, has written to members of General Synod to confirm expected timings for the process of nominating the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
**
House of Bishops decides to ‘update’ Synod in July, but without any vote
The House of Bishops met recently to review updates from the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) working groups, presented by Bishop Martyn Snow. After considered reflection on the complexity of the proposed changes, the Bishops agreed that it was unlikely all elements of the proposals will be sufficiently developed in time for Synod to make a decision in July.
**
Church of England launches Flourishing Leaders Framework
The C of E has launched what it calls “a bold new vision” for its Education sector, the Flourishing Leaders Programmes. The Programmes will aim to provide “a bold, hope-filled vision for flourishing children, educators, and school communities.”
**
Bishop of Goma calls on Christians
to pray for peace
Amid the ongoing violent conflict between M23 rebels and Congolese forces in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], Martin Gordon, the Bishop of Goma and Church Mission Society (CMS) mission partner, has shared ‘The Goma Call for Peace’. He urges the international community to act immediately and decisively for peace in Eastern DRC. **
Comment on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme announcement
The Bishop of Bristol, Viv Faull, and the Bishop of Ramsbury, Andrew Rumsey, who are the Church of England's joint lead bishops on church buildings, have welcomed the recent announcement of the 12-month extension to the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.
**
Top of the World Watch List for 2025
Where in the world is it most dangerous to be a Christian? The answer is found in the recently published World Watch List. It is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. This year it is North Korea. Again.
More details about each of the above News items and more can be found online at https://stmarysilkeston.co.uk/ on the Latest News page.
2025 – time for a new Church Electoral Roll
This is the year when EVERYONE gets dumped off the Electoral Roll – and needs to make a definite decision to come back on again.
It happens in the Church of England every six years. Whereas for five years, the Electoral Roll is revised annually our Electoral Roll Officer, in this sixth year, the roll is dissolved, and we must all re-apply and re-commit ourselves.
That’s the quick way of explaining it. If you want a detailed and clear legal break down of how exactly it works, you can find it at: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/legalresources/church-representation-rules
If you manage to wade through all the details of the process, and understand them, it will leave you with admiration for the person in your church who has been brave enough to become the Electoral Roll Officer!
The Gulf of Mexico? Or America?
As well as Greenland and the Panama Canal (and perhaps Canada), President Trump wants the Gulf of Mexico. On his very first afternoon in office, he ordered that the name be changed to the Gulf of America.
Apparently American Presidents can do these things. And so, the US Board on Geographic Names was given 30 days to change the gulf’s name on all official maps throughout the US. Some navigation apps, including Google Maps, were under pressure to change it immediately.
Trump’s reason for changing, he says, is that the ocean basin is “ours” and that the US does “most of the work there”.
But President Trump cannot dictate what other countries call the gulf, as it is an international body of water, with coastlines in the US, Mexico and Cuba. And Mexico and Cuba have no plans to follow Trump’s lead.
With that in mind, Britain has politely declined to change the name. In the UK, it will remain the Gulf of Mexico, unless and until Trump’s new name for it gains “widespread usage” in English.
March 17
th
- St Patrick –
Beloved Apostle to Ireland
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. If you’ve ever been in New York on St Patrick’s Day, you’d think he was the patron saint of New York as well... the flamboyant parade is full of American/Irish razzmatazz.
It’s all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th century humble Christian who became in time both bishop and apostle of Ireland. Patrick was born the son of a town councillor in the west of England, between the Severn and the Clyde. But as a young man he was captured by Irish pirates, kidnapped to Ireland, and reduced to slavery. He was made to tend his master’s herds.
Desolate and despairing, Patrick turned to prayer. He found God was there for him, even in such desperate circumstances. He spent much time in prayer, and his faith grew and deepened, in contrast to his earlier years, when he “knew not the true God”.
Then, after six gruelling, lonely years he was told in a dream he would soon go to his own country. He either escaped or was freed, made his way to a port 200 miles away and eventually persuaded some sailors to take him with them away from Ireland.
After various adventures in other lands, including near-starvation, Patrick landed on English soil at last, and returned to his family. But he was much changed. He had enjoyed his life of plenty before; now he wanted to devote the rest of his life to Christ. Patrick received some form of training for the priesthood, but not the higher education he really wanted.
But by 435, well educated or not, Patrick was badly needed. Palladius’ mission to the Irish had failed, and so the Pope sent Patrick back to the land of his slavery. He set up his see at Armagh, and worked principally in the north. He urged the Irish to greater spirituality, set up a school, and made several missionary journeys.
Patrick’s writings are the first literature certainly identified from the British Church. They reveal sincere simplicity and a deep pastoral care. He wanted to abolish paganism, idolatry, and was ready for imprisonment or death in the following of Christ.
Patrick remains the most popular of the Irish saints. The principal cathedral of New York is dedicated to him, as, of course, is the Anglican cathedral of Dublin.
An observation on our Christian pilgrimage…
As we get older, the adult in us carries the wounds of the child we once were, and this child needs to find healing and security if we are to become mature Christians.
Lucy Peppiatt
Christ Church Cathedral Dublin
Miscellaneous Observations On Life
A recession is a period when people do without the things their parents never had.
A punctual person is patient, because he gets that way waiting for those who are not punctual.
The most efficient labour-saving device is still money. Your influence on other people is negative or positive – never neutral. Anon
Editor: Revd Dr Gary Bowness’ tongue-in-cheek letter from Uncle Eustace, the elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar to his nephew Darren, a low-church curate recently ordained, is “On the absurdity of a vicar ever retiring”
My dear Nephew Darren
Beware of being invited by bishops to drop round for a chat. My first mistake was to answer the phone when he rang; what are answerphones for, but to avoid having to talk to anyone - ever. My second mistake was not to be able to think of a meeting I had to attend - preferably on another planet - on the day he suggested.
I therefore found myself in his study this morning, waiting for the point of the meeting while we negotiated the obligatory five minutes discussing the weather and his summer holiday in France. I made it quite clear that I had been far too busy to swan off to foreign parts – although I suspect the implication of what I said passed him by.
We then got to the point. He was toying with the thought of my retirement and linking us with the adjoining parish of St Agatha’s. I patiently explained, using simple words and speaking slowly for his benefit, that at 85 and with 40 years at St James the Least of All behind me, I was just getting into my stride and that the vicar of St Agatha’s, a stripling at 63, had nowhere near enough experience to organise the hymn list, let alone two parishes. This, too, seemed to drift somewhere above his head.
He had clearly done his homework. There were already plans for my Queen Anne rectory to be sold and my five acres of garden be turned into a housing estate. This news would be received by our parishioners with as much equanimity as if they were told that Buckingham Palace was to be converted into a sports centre.
The matter, I was told, was confidential – which meant that I only relayed the news to one parishioner at a time. By the end of the day everyone in the village knew, and a counter attack was being planned. Inevitably, the most outraged were those who never attend church. People do so love having a church not to go to. Congregations have soared, gardeners are being brought in to tidy the rectory grounds, and the church council is now well attended. The latter is a mixed blessing, as I always think that the time to get worried is when people start to turn up to meetings.
It may surprise our bishop, but the threat of a merger has been the greatest impetus to mission outreach we’ve had in years. Retirement indeed! I’m sure Zadok was never asked about his pension plans..
Your loving uncle, Eustace.
The congregation
A minister was considering a move to a busy town-centre church, and wanted to know what the congregation were like, and especially the church council. So, he rang the minister who had just retired from that church.
The retiring minister hesitated a moment and then replied: “Some of them are wise; some are otherwise.”
WORDSEARCH SOLUTION
How to stay safe this Spring
1) Avoid riding in automobiles. They are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2) Do not stay home. 17% of all accidents occur in the home.
3) Avoid walking on streets or pavements. 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
4) Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water. 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
5) Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals. BUT:
You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!
A Bible study is safe, too. In fact, the percentage of deaths during Bible study is not even .001%...
So, attend church, and read your Bible - IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
And Finally …. Wedding dress
When my sister got married, she asked to wear my mother's wedding dress. The day she tried it on, Mother's eyes welled with tears. "You're not losing a daughter," I reminded her in time-honoured fashion. "You're gaining a son." "Oh, forget about that!" she said with a sob. "I used to fit into that dress!"
St Mary’s Church, Ilkeston
Who’s Who
Priest In Charge:
Revd. Andrew Baguley
St. Mary’s Vicarage, 63B Manners Road, Ilkeston. DE7 5HB
email: revandrew@baguley.net
Tel: 07421 053654
Churchwarden & Verger:
Sue Attenborough
Tel: 0115 930 4140
Churchwarden
Carol Gregson
email: cj.alexgreg@outlook.com
Tel: 07427 444260
Bell Ringing
Contact: Richard Barnett
Tel: 07803 121703
email: richard@rappec.co.uk
Friends of St Mary’s Churchyard
Working Party at 10am on the last Saturday of each month from March to October
Cantelupe Centre:
Tel: 0115 932 1329
cantelupecentre@btconnect.com
Associate Priests
Our thanks go to
Revd. Helen Bridger and Revd. Dr Francis Bridger who assist by leading services at St Mary’s on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month as well as services at either St Mary’s or St John’s on the 5th Sundays and also at the midweek services.
Services
The monthly service pattern is as follows:
Sundays:
8:00 am Traditional Communion, 10:00 am Family Communion
Children’s Club
2nd & 4th Sundays: during 10:00 am service.
Thursdays: 10:00 am Communion Service in St Peter’s Chapel.
Please see the website for the latest updates
Contact Magazine: Editor - Garth Newton magazine@stmarysilkeston.co.uk Website: www.stmarysilkeston.co.uk