February 2025 Magazine

We As always thanks to all who have contacted us and sent us comments and articles for inclusion. Please keep in touch and send us things.

  

Pauline & Bob - co-editors..   

Updated  2nd February 2025

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Dear friends,

January 2025 was a very busy month in China, because this year – the year of Snakes - the Chinese New Year’s Day fell last month, specifically on the 29^th.  Not just January, because these New Year celebrations begin long before the particular day. The Chinese New Year lasts for some forty-five days.  The preparation for New Year includes traditional rituals: such as, seven days before, a special type of porridge (called Babao) being made with eight different types of nuts, beans, dried fruits and rice. All Buddhist and Taoist temples distribute this porridge to their visitors on this day. The following day is for cleaning, that is to say, the house should be cleaned in order to get rid not only of dust, but also of bad luck; three days before that comes the day when the family deity delivers its heaven court report about everyone in the family with which he has been residing, and so a stick of malt barley sweet is offered to the deity to sweeten him up, and also to stick his lips together in order to prevent him from making a bad report. On the eve of the New Year itself, besides cooking a celebration meal for the whole family, two door deities must be stick on the outside the front gate, adorned with a long red sign bearing auspicious verses on each side. Equally, bad spirits must be cast out, and a welcome extended to the god of wealth.   Finally, the fireworks announce the New Year’s arrival, and with this comes a typical New Year's dish - Chinese dumplings are served, and the whole family gather around the table, eating, drinking, listening to the fireworks, and wishing each other a prosper year.  On New Year’s Day itself people first pay their respects to their ancestors, then visit each other with greetings. It is the custom that the elderly or senior members of the household give money in red envelopes to their juniors. There is also an order of visiting: who should be visited first, so on so forth, down to the fifteenth day of January. That day brings the festival of Yuanxiao, which involves a type of sticky rice ball with various sweet fillings, and a public display of lanterns (so it also called the Lantern festival).  Thus is the Chinese New Year season concluded. 

 

The reason why I describe these New Year celebration customs is that I want to show you that Chinese culture, even though without an overtly religious foundation, is still full of symbolism.  For example, even most families make their own porridge on the day, yet many would specially travel to temples to receive them. For it is believed that temples are places where Buddha and the deities live, so that food from there would confer special ‘spiritual energy’. Though most Chinese families no longer have family shrines, many still follow the customary ritual, and even the younger generations pay their respects to their ancestors, and seek an ancestral blessing.  It is interesting that in an officially atheistic country, people queue from the early hours on New Year’s Day outside temples all over China in order to burn the first incense of the year that is said to bring good luck and a divine blessing.

 

What these rituals show is that in a society where it is not permitted to use obviously religious language in order to articulate spiritual experience and deep longings, still the religious concept of god as we understand it is made manifest in symbols. 

People's conduct is monitored by the family god, who is going up to make a report each year, so that rewards and punishments are reckoned to come down with him when he returns from above; and, equally, the evil spirit is driven off by fireworks, whilst door gods prevent all evil and harm from entering the home; and colourful lanterns are the signs of the bright future of the coming year. There is a strong desire that people's hopes may be carried to the heavenly court by the smoke of the incense and that the higher power may grant their wishes.

No human being is able to live their life without God, even though they do not recognize Him as such, for all need something other than ourselves and outside ourselves to give meaning to their lives.  In Christianity, the Son of God is made incarnate as Jesus the Nazareth, who manifests the invisible God visibly and brings us to our God.  The birth of Jesus brought Heaven down to earth, and divinity to humanity, so that God lived as man and man can be lifted up to Heaven.  Unlike the Chinese people, who take their idols, obscure deities into their life in the uncertain hope that they might be blessed and protected for doing so, we Christians believe that God sent His Son to transform human life, and to lead us back to Paradise.   It is through Jesus Christ and His salvation that life acquires meaning – for this is eternal life; and it is in Jesus Christ that human life is lifted with hope whilst facing difficulties, in the sure and certain knowledge of the Resurrection. For Jesus always walks with us. Come, let us walk with Him.

 Rev Norma Rao

Former head of M15 to lead search for new Archbishop of Canterbury

 

The Prime Minister has appointed The Lord Evans of Weardale KCB DL to chair the new Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury.

 

The Crown Nominations Commission is the C of E committee that will nominate the candidate to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Welby completed his duties on 6th January.

 

Jonathan Evans has been a Crossbench member of the House of Lords since 2014. Until October 2023 he was Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. He is currently Chair of the HALO Trust, the anti-landmine charity, and of the Public Interest Committee at KPMG UK. He is a former Director-General of the Security Service, MI5. He is an active and communicant member of his local parish church.

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Parish Pump Contributors

Lester Amann is a Londoner and has been a member of his local Anglican church in Ilford, Essex for 40 years. During this time he has undertaken numerous responsibilities including PCC member and church warden. For many years he regularly played the piano in the music group for services and is also a trumpet player. His work as editor of the monthly church magazine for 20 years came to an end in 2020 due to the pandemic. He was a Clinical Nurse Teacher, now retired.

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             February Diary Page

Holy Communion service each Sunday at 9.00am (Said BCP service)

 

Sung Eucharist each Sunday at 10.00am      (Common Worship)

 

Holy Communion each Tuesday at 10.00am  (Said BCP service)

 

Said Evening Prayer each Sunday at 6.30pm.

 

BIBLE STUDY (via ZOOM) EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 7pm DURING TERM TIME.

 

PRAYER MEETING FIRST MONDAY IN THE MONTH 7pm IN CHURCH

  

SATURDAY 1^st

Church / Churchyard tidy  9.30 – 12.00

 

Sunday 2^nd  

CANDLEMAS

9am                Holy Communion

10am              Parish Communion

6.30pm           Evening Prayer

 

Tuesday 4th

10am              Holy Communion

 

Sunday 9^th

FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

9am                Holy Communion

10am              Parish Communion

6.30pm           Evening Prayer

 

Tuesday 11^th

10am              Holy Communion

 

Wednesday 12^th

Coffee Morning  10am – 11.30am

 

Sunday 16^th

THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

9am                Holy Communion

10am              Parish Communion

6.30pm           Evening Prayer

 

Tuesday 18^th

10am              Holy Communion

 

Sunday 23^rd

SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

9am                Holy Communion

10am              Parish Communion

6.30pm           Evening Prayer

 

Tuesday 25^th

10am              Holy Communion

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York Minster Passes

The passes to go around York Minster in 2025 are now avaiable to Parishoners from either the Vicar or Brian Livingstone.

Of course all normal services at the Minster can be attended free of charge.  If there are other services taking place ie weddings or funerals etc then the passes cannot be used.

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Love the children

 

The original St Valentine gave love in the form of compassion for some needy children.

 

That sort of love is still needed today, as UNICEF says that about 1 billion children worldwide are currently facing ‘multidimensional poverty.’  That means they lack necessities like food, water, shelter, education and health care.

 

No one can get their minds around the needs of one billion children, but most of us could do something to help at least one child in need.

 

With World Vision’s Sponsor a Child campaign, you can choose how much to give. It could be as little as £5 a month. It could be as much as £26.

 

Whatever you can give, you will be joining an “incredible community” of child sponsors who, like you, simply want to give the most vulnerable children a brighter future.

 

To learn more, visit:  https://www.worldvision.org.uk/sponsor-a-child/

The new trend of clapping in church

 

Some people are beginning to clap in church, if they are pleased with something.

 

For tired vicars and timid curates, having a sermon greeted with warm clapping might be an encouragement, if also a complete surprise.

 

But the applauding of sermons, or applause at the end of services, also reveals a dark side: churchgoing has now declined to such a degree in the UK, that even the knowledge of ‘how to behave’ in church is fading.

 

That leaves some people unaware that in the UK, aside from a few ‘mega churches’ where American style singing, dancing and clapping is the norm, applause is not something we ‘do’ in church.

 

As one vicar puts it: “I think it has to do with cultural expectations. People are less and less familiar with acts of worship directed to God. Instead, they have a sense of a performance.”

 

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Aspects of Romantic Love

 

God obviously approves of romance – after all, putting Adam and Eve alone together in the Garden of Eden was His idea. And romance has been around ever since.

 

The history of the Israelites began with three great romances: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Rachel.  The on-going history of Israel was deeply affected by later romances: Esther and King Xerxes, David’s love affair with Bathsheba, and Solomon’s marriage to hundreds of foreign wives. There is even an entire book in the Old Testament devoted to the love of a man and woman: the Song of Solomon!

 

When we reach the New Testament, we find real love between Joseph and Mary (even when Joseph thought Mary had been faithless, he did not want to harm her).  St Paul, though himself a bachelor, nevertheless spent a lot of time urging Christians to love and be kind and faithful and considerate to their spouses.  He even wrote 1 Corinthians 13 – the great love chapter that is read at millions of weddings worldwide 2000 years later.

 

Down the centuries ever since, romantic love has been critical in shaping history (Antony and Cleopatra), in shaping cultural ideals (King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table). Some of our favourite stories are built on romance : Puccini’s Tosca, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

 

Romance remains as prominent now as it ever was, added to which we have films, television and drama all flying the romantic flag. Wherever we look, whatever we do, romance continues to permeate every aspect of life.

 

People make amazing sacrifices for love.  They defy their family, forsake their culture, turn their back on wealth and position, to be with their loved one. People give their loved ones amazing gifts. Surely the most extravagant was the gift of the Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in India for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

 

Romance is still alive and well in Britain – last year we sent about 25 million Valentines to our beloved ones.

 

And what of the future?   Well, just as the Bible begins with a love story, so it ends with one.  And you are involved!  For actually the greatest Love Story of all time is that between God and His people.

 

Christ is described in Revelation as our heavenly Bridegroom,  and the Church is His beloved Bride. He has given us the most expensive present of all – Himself.  And, just as in all the best romances, the story will end with the bride and groom getting together at last, so at the End of Time, Christ will return for His Bride.

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Christmas and Easter congregations swell as C of E sees third year of growth

 

Attendance at Christmas services leapt by 20 per cent in 2023, and the number of worshippers at Easter was up 8.6 per cent, as Church of England congregations experienced a third year of growth, the latest statistics show.

 

The number of regular worshippers edged above a million in 2023 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Statistics for Mission 2023 report.

Overall attendance remains below 2019 levels, but the report shows numbers recovering towards the pre-pandemic trend.

 

Overall weekly attendance at Church of England churches rose to 693,000 in 2023, from 663,000 in 2022, an increase of 4.5 per cent. Meanwhile the number of children attending weekly increased from 90,000 in 2022 to 95,000 (up 4.9 per cent in a year).

 

The Church of England’s overall ‘worshipping community’ rose to 1,007,000 in 2023, from 982,000 the previous year. Just under two million people (1,961,000) attended services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2023, up from 1,636,000 in 2022.

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 By David Pickup

You can count on me  

 

“Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-21)

 

I cannot count in church. I do not know why, but I cannot.

 

I mean that, when I am at the front and leading a service, I try to add up how many people there are in the congregation. We are supposed to do this and enter the figures in the church register, but I find it difficult. I usually give up and hope a warden has counted them. Do you include the leader and the organist? Well, yes, to increase the figures!

 

I am not sure why counting in church is a problem, as people do not move around. Yes, it is sometimes difficult to see heads in pews, but it should be easy. I start on one side and go to the back and then up the other side but then I get lost and have to start again. Sometimes the congregation see me looking from one to another and nodding gently to myself.

 

Numbers are important of course, but I am in two minds. Sometimes there are only a few and I think the pressure is off me, but it is disappointing, working hard to prepare a service and then not have many there. Often it seems that the congregation try a trick on me – and wait until the very last minute to rush in!

 

Numbers are important, but the most important figures are two and three. The most important relationships are between partners or a child and their parents. There is the same idea in the Bible.

 

The Church of England’s Order for Evening Prayer puts it like this:

 

“Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests”.

 

I always like to pause between saying out loud the words two and three, which is good because I can just about count up to three!

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Should the Churches agree on a common date for Easter?

 

That is the question for the leaders of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, as this year (2025) marks the 1700^th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.

 

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople believes that 2025 is a ‘golden opportunity’ for Catholic and Orthodox believers to finally agree on a joint date for Easter, because this year also brings a ‘fortunate alignment’ of the Easter dates of both churches.

 

“It is indeed regrettable that 1700 years later, we are still debating this issue,” he says.

 

Any agreement would only pertain to the date of Easter’s celebration. It would not involve any joint liturgical practices.  Those would require ecclesial communion between the churches, something which does not yet exist.

 

In 2016 the Archbishop of Canterbury held talks with Coptic Pope Tawadros II in Cairo, when he hoped that a unified date for Easter might be achieved within ten years. He commented that, for the C of E, either the second or third Sunday in April would be acceptable.

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The Revd Dr Jo White considers the visual impact of church buildings.

Reflecting Faith: Church Buildings.

 

We have been thinking about different aspects of church buildings. But what about ‘the whole thing’? – the impression you have when you first see a church building?

Most of us have visited many church buildings, either to worship or as a tourist:  to enjoy the splendour, the colours, the style and the architecture, with or without necessarily a time of prayer or worship.

There are some amazingly staggering designs around the world – one only has to think of the complex and intricate stone carving of Gaudi’s catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain (due to be completed next year!) and then compare that to the sleekness of the Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland.

How about the grandeur of St Peter’s in Rome, full of baroque gold and rich colours? Or what about St Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow – now a museum  but topped with amazingly coloured onion domes?

Just looking at the outside of a building tells you a lot about what it is likely to be like inside, the purpose of the building and the style of worship to expect there.

It’s not just about the condition of the fabric, or the tidiness of the grounds but rather the architecture itself.

When we see a contemporary modern building, we will expect the worship to match it: whether that is Protestant, Catholic or any other denomination.

This month

If you were designing a brand-new church building today, what would you put into it and therefore what would the exterior look like? What would you want on the outside, to express your faith? Would you include any specific Christian symbols, or be more all-encompassing?

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Canon Paul Hardingham continues a new series which will run until 2025.

 

What’s the Big Idea? – An Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament: Job

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February 13th         Modomnoc and the bees of Ireland

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How do you keep your life going in the right direction?

 

‘Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be …successful.’  Joshua 1.8

 

Any flying instructor will tell you that periodically all aeroplanes need to be ‘trimmed’ or ‘balanced in flight’. After flying through storms and hitting air pockets, the plane’s instruments need to be readjusted. That’s true of our attitudes too. The air currents of life can ‘knock you out of line’ and keep you from reaching your destiny.  ‘Unexpected weather’ like sickness, unemployment, divorce, death and disappointment can drive you off course.

 

In other words, your attitude needs to be constantly checked and adjusted.  Have you checked yours lately? What are you encountering that calls for an attitude change? How are you handling it? Are you adjusting or resisting? So long as you live, you’ll always need to be ‘trimmed and balanced’.

 

The most important thing that affects your attitude in life is your faith, and that grows only as you live in God’s Word. That’s why God told Joshua to read the Word, speak the Word and obey the Word if he wanted to succeed.

 

Try the 3 x 5 Technique! Each week, write out one faith building scripture on a 3 x 5 card. Carry it with you wherever you go and memorise it. In one year, you’ll know 52 new scriptures, and more importantly, your attitudes will be in line with God’s Word, your faith will be strengthened, and your life will keep moving in the right direction.

From UCB The Word for Today 

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February Crossword

  

Across

8 Interrogated (Acts 12) (5-8)

9 ‘Burn it in a wood fire on the — heap’ (Leviticus 4) (3)

10 Tobit, Judith, Baruch and the books of Esdras and the Maccabees are part of it (9)

11 Science fiction (abbrev.) (3-2)

13 Clay pit (anag.) (7)

16 Went to (John 4) (7)

19 ‘To — your bodies as living sacrifices’ (Romans 12) (5)

22 ‘On — — let them escape’ (Psalm 56) (2,7)

24 Royal Automobile Club (1,1,1)

25 How the book of Ezekiel refers to God more than 200 times (Ezekiel 2) (9,4)

 

Down

1 Seas (Proverbs 8) (6)

2 One of the sons of Eli the priest, killed in battle (1 Samuel 4) (6)

3 Specialist in the study of the Muslim religion (8)

4 ‘But — him as if he were your father’ (1 Timothy 5) (6)

5 One of Esau’s grandsons (Genesis 36) (4)

6 Taking a chance (colloq.) (2,4)

7  ‘ — salt to — your offerings’ (Leviticus 2) (3,3)

12 Confederation of British Industry (1,1,1)

14 ‘They are always — to harm me’ (Psalm 56) (8)

15 The crowd’s reaction to Jesus bringing back to life a widow’s son in Nain (Luke 7) (3)

16 Disappear (Psalm 104) (6)

17 How Jeremiah was likely to die if he wasn’t rescued (Jeremiah 38) (6)

18 What the prophets do to a wall, with whitewash (Ezekiel 13) (4,2)

20 Made by a plough (Job 39) (6)

21 Noah was relieved when the flood waters continued to — (Genesis 8) (6)

23 Jesus gave the Twelve the power and authority to do this to diseases (Luke 9) (4)

January Answers

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      February Anagrams

 

SEA FISH

Rearrange these letters to form the names of 12 kinds of edible sea fish to be found in the waters round the British Isles. Answers may consist of one or two words. 

 

  1.     CELMAKER    2.     CHOKDAD    3.     LOVED ROSE    4.     CLOKPAL    5.     A BUILTH    6.     RAP CHILD    7.     SAME BEAR

 

8.     I W NIGHT   9.     DARN RUG    10.   LONG REECE    11.   S A S BASE

 

Compiled by Peter Warren

           January Anagram Answers     

HERBS AND SPICES: Answers

 

 1.     SPEARMINT    2.     CINNAMON    3.     SUMMER SAVORY    4.     CARDAMOM    5.     LEMON BALM    6.     TURMERIC

 

7.     FENUGREEK    8.     MUSTARD SEED    9.     BAY LEAVES    10.   CORIANDER    11.   CURRY POWDER    12.   WINTER SAVORY

 

13.   ROSEMARY    14.   FLAT PARSLEY

 

Winner   Wyn Hirst

 Send your answers with your name to  the editors. 

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February Sudoku

January Answer

Winner  

 Canon Paul Hardingham considers true love..

Love in Action!

 

‘Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.’ (1 John 3:18).

 

The writer Gary Chapman describes how love can be expressed in 5 different ‘languages’: words of encouragement, quality time, gifts, acts of service and touch. Do you have a preferred language of love? As we think about St Valentine during this month, let’s consider how God’s love language is expressed in the word agape. This is exclusively found in the New Testament and is uniquely defined by Jesus: ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.’ (1 John 3:16). Jesus’ giving of His life on the cross provides the model for how we can demonstrate God’s love in our relationships with others.

 

It is self-giving: are we ready to put the other person first, as Jesus did when He died for us in our place. Are we generous with our time, words, money and service, whatever the cost?

 

It takes the initiative: are we ready to show love to those who don’t deserve it or who we find hard to love? Do we have eyes of compassion to see their needs and a heart to love and serve them?

 

It is intentional: are we ready to get close to those in need around us, irrespective of the time we have or how we feel?

 

The story is told of Jesus asking a little child, ‘how much do you love me?’ The child replied ‘lots and lots and lots!’ Then they asked Jesus how much He loved them. Jesus stretched out His arms wide and said ‘I love you this much’, as they nailed Him to a cross.

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By the Revd Dr Herbert McGonigle, formerly principal of the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester

 

Prayers of the Bible:  Praying in your Discouragements 

 

‘Moses said to the Lord, “…I am not able to carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me…”’ Numbers 11:10-15. 

 

Moses prayed this prayer in a day of dark depression and discouragement.  The opening verses of the chapter relate how divine punishment fell on the people of Israel because they complained about almost everything.  Moses prayed and the punishment stopped but not the people’s complaints. They wanted meat to eat.

 

For years they had been sustained by manna from heaven, but now they longed for the fish, cucumbers and melons they had eaten in Egypt (vv.5,6).  They forget how the Lord had delivered them from Pharaoh’s bondage.  Now they preferred Egyptian food, and the slavery that went with it, to the goodness of the Lord and His provision for them.

 

Moses was beside himself with despair. Would these ungrateful people never stop complaining? Then the Lord’s anger threatened the people again (v.10). Moses was caught in the middle.  On one side of him the people complained, and on the other side God’s wrath was about to fall. Moses couldn’t go on.

 

His frustration broke out in petulant questions to the Lord. ‘Why are you dealing so severely with me?’  ‘Why do you lay this burden on me?’ ‘Did I conceive these people?’  ‘Why am I a nursing mother to them?’  ‘Am I responsible for getting them to Egypt?’  ‘How can I provide meat for so many?’  ‘Lord, this burden is too great for me.’  ‘I’d rather die now than go on like this’ (see vv.11-15).

 

Moses was depressed, irritable and resentful. He poured it all out before the Lord. It was a prayer born of frustration and anger. He was angry with his ungrateful congregation, and he was angry with God. Why did the Lord leave it all to him?  After all, it was God’s plan to bring the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. Moses had only gone along with it because God commanded him. But now it was all too much. Worn out with listening to the people’s whining and not sure of what God would do next, Moses had had enough. He blamed the Lord for giving him a burden he couldn’t carry, and he wanted to die.

 

But God answered Moses graciously! He understood the frustration, the petulance, the lack of faith and the rebellious spirit that blamed God for it all. He provided Moses with seventy elders who eased the burden of leadership (vv.16, 17). He sent an east wind that brought quails into the camp and provided meat for them (vv.31, 32). In grace and mercy God ‘overlooked’ the faults of Moses and sent him help and refreshment.

 

In our deepest disappointments, God understands. In our frustrations, God is merciful.  When we lash out at circumstances and even at God Himself, He does not answer in kind. In our deepest discouragement, His love and grace and understanding are with us still.

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Danger ahead for Britain’s canals

 

Our historic canals are in danger of disappearing.

 

Caught in a ‘perfect storm’ of extreme weather events and funding cuts, the canals could be facing irreparable damage to huge stretches of their waterways. The Canal and River Trust (CRT) warns that even the historic sections of the Grand Union Canal and the scenic Oxford Canal are at risk.

 

Now the CRT, which is responsible for the upkeep of the country’s historic canal network, has launched a major fundraising campaign. Millions of pounds are needed for a programme of replacing ageing lock gates and repairing tunnels and bridges.

 

The problem is huge because our canal network, dating back to the 1760s, runs for a whopping 2,000 miles, providing a haven for wildlife as well as thousands of jobs along its routes.

 

But major storms caused almost £10 million of additional repairs to the network in just the past 18 months alone. This included a major landslip involving 4,000 tons of mud on the Oxford Canal, which severed one of the busiest and oldest canals in the country. Then parts of the Grand Union Canal bank and towpath near Leicester collapsed, needing £500,000 of repairs. Elsewhere, dams were breached and other canals flooded.

 

Meanwhile, the CRT says the money it receives from DEFRA is set to fall by more than £300 million from 2027.

 

Yet CRT points out: “Britain’s ageing canals are a national treasure. They have been re-purposed for modern society for leisure, recreation and for their wildlife, supporting thousands of jobs and the economy and saving the NHS more than £1 billion annually because of the health and wellbeing benefits they bring to millions of people.”

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/

What you have in common with a woodcarving

 

Woodcarving isn’t as straightforward as it seems. You don’t begin with a block of wood; you begin with a piece of paper. The first step is to draw a plan of what you want to carve, and only when you’ve got that right do you start to shape your piece of wood.

 

The carver then works his block with his plan alongside it. He cuts those bits of wood away that he doesn’t want, and shapes what’s left until it ever more closely resembles that original plan.

 

Only when the design on the wood and the paper plan are identical has the carver finished his job. He’s then made exactly what he’d hoped for, while working all along from that original plan.

 

It’s the same for our lives. God is the master carpenter. He has a unique plan for each one of us, which is a blueprint of what He hopes we will become.

 

As we go through life, God shapes us, cutting away those bits of us that He doesn’t want and which would spoil what He hopes we’ll come to look like. He then gradually moulds what’s left until we look ever more like that original blueprint. Only when the two are identical will God’s work be over.

 

But there’s one big difference between a human being and a block of wood. A block of wood sits impassively on the carver’s bench while he works at it. The wood cannot help the process along and has no idea what’s happening to it.

 

God very much hopes that we’ll help Him in the process of being moulded and shaped into His pattern. That’s why we read the Bible and worship and pray: to find out just what His plan is for each one of us. Only when we have some idea of what He wants us to be can we help Him in the process.

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Editor:     The Revd Dr Gary Bowness continues his tongue-in-cheek letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’…

 

The Rectory

St James the Least of All

My dear Nephew Darren

I was quite happy to see the young person from your church whom you are encouraging to get ordained – even though we did not entirely see eye to eye.

When I answered the door to someone dressed in T-shirt, jeans and trainers, I naturally assumed he was the gardener; it was only after I had given him the wheelbarrow and shown him where the spades were, that I found out who he really was. His assurance that this is how Jesus would dress, were He to visit in person again, jarred somewhat. I think that a three-piece suit and stout pair of brogues would be far more likely. We agreed to differ.

I was interested to hear that he was a church musician. Wanting to know if he sang tenor or bass, or even played the organ, he told me that he was the drummer in the worship band and provided backing vocals. I felt obliged to comment that I was not sure how that would fit in with Mattins, but he told me that he had never heard of that Service and only attended Mega Rock Praise. Since I suspected it would not have been written by Cranmer, we moved on.

I had hoped we may have been on safer ground when I asked him whether he preferred early perpendicular or Victorian gothic, but as he had apparently only ever worshipped in your converted cinema, he was unable to offer any opinion. His reaction to my offer to show him round our late Norman church, prompted him to tell me that he believed all churches should be closed and people should gather in each other’s homes, like the early Christians.

In a last despairing attempt to find common ground I asked him if he had ever preached. He was slightly apologetic to admit that he had done so very rarely, as he found it took such a long time to write an hour-long sermon. When I mentioned that I did not think I had ever exceeded eight minutes in my entire life, he gave me such a look of withering astonishment that with heroic Christian charity, I did not beat him over the head with the Bible he was carrying.

Your loving uncle,

 

Eustace

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Rome bracing to welcome 60 million visitors this year

 

If you like peace and quiet, it is best to avoid Rome this year.

 

For 2025 is a Jubilee Year for the city, and tens of millions of visitors worldwide are expected to converge on Rome. In all, a staggering 60 million are expected.

 

As Pope Francis has recently explained: “Once again, Rome will welcome pilgrims from across the globe, as it did in 1300 during the first Church Jubilee.” Many religious and cultural events on the theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ are planned.

 

The Pope foresees that this year Rome will be a “place of hospitality, a melting pot of diversity and dialogue, a multicultural hub where the world’s colours come together like a mosaic. Rome can embody an eternal spirit, rooted in its glorious past yet committed to building a future without barriers, discrimination or mistrust.”

 

The Jubilee tradition harks back to Old Testament Jewish practices. The modern tradition of Jubilee began with Pope Boniface VIII. It was seen as a time of grace, “offering freedom to those imprisoned by sin, resignation, and despair.”

 

The 2025 Jubilee coincides with the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, as well as a rare common celebration of Easter by all the Churches.

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In praise of the humble egg

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National Nest Box Week – 14^th to 21^st February

 

Where can family-minded birds raise their young these days? As our gardens and parklands become smaller and tidier, too many natural nest sites – such as holes in trees, old buildings and unkempt hedgerows – are rapidly disappearing

 

No wonder that our sparrows, greenfinches and swifts are in precipitous decline, and that one in four of our UK bird species are now under serious threat.

 

This makes it more important than ever to care for our remaining birds. By feeding, providing water and putting up nest boxes we can give them a safe space to raise their chicks.

 

The National Nest Box Week initiative encourages bird conservation across the UK, and it’s easy to get involved, whether you’re a teacher, part of a local wildlife group, or just wanting to boost the bird numbers in your own garden.

 

Visit:  https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/birds/national-nest-box-week-how-to-help-birds-in-your-garden

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Tim Lenton looks back on an exceptionally bitter winter.

 

That Big Freeze of 1955

 

Seventy years ago, from early February 1955 and well into March, a Big Freeze took place in Britain. Deep snow and freezing temperatures caused havoc, with many places cut off. The RAF dropped food and medical supplies to affected areas, while thousands of sheep died from exposure.

 

Although the winters of 1947 and 1963 have attracted more publicity, 1955 saw severe weather in most parts of Britain, as well as in other parts of Europe and North America.

 

Snow fell in many areas of the UK from 11^th February onwards, with night frosts gradually worsening and blizzards developing over the north of Scotland, where the RAF scrambled to do several rescues: in Caithness the response by emergency services was known as Operation Snowdrop. An exhausting search for a postman from Thurso, who went missing in the deep snow, eventually led to his being found at a remote farm where he had sought refuge.

 

Several snowploughs were stranded, and the heavy snow spread gradually south, reaching as far as the Scillies and the Channel Islands. In North Norfolk there were 10ft drifts on the coast road, and Lancashire had its worst storm for 14 years. Devon, Cornwall and the Peak District had similar experiences.

 

More than 70 roads in Britain were blocked by snow, according to the Automobile Association, and hundreds of vehicles were abandoned in snowdrifts. Many parts of the country were cut off from essential supplies, and rail travel was disrupted. Church attendance was also hit, of course

.

Temperatures in some places fell below 28F (-3C) – the lowest for 30 years, and February’s record UK minimum was set. That year also experienced the last May snowfall of the century, but despite all that, there was plenty of sunshine, and as a total contrast, there was a drought and a heatwave the following summer.

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by Tim Lenton

 

The world of P G Wodehouse

 

Fifty years ago, on 14^th February 1975, P G Wodehouse died. The well-loved British-born comic novelist, short story writer, lyricist and playwright who lived his later life in Long Island, USA is best known as the creator of Jeeves.

 

He was always a prolific writer, publishing more than 90 books, 450 plays, 200 short stories and much else between 1902 and 1974. He had an unusual first few years, being brought up by relative strangers in England while his parents lived in Hong Kong. He later went to Dulwich College, with which he formed a close attachment.

 

Wodehouse’s genius was primarily in his writing; in person he was described as “dull,” and was certainly very shy. Baptised an Anglican, he had an agnostic outlook: Evelyn Waugh once said that Christianity didn’t really apply in his work because he – or his characters – had never left the Garden of Eden. He wrote sympathetically about “pious but fallible” curates, vicars and bishops, and his work revealed an unexpectedly deep knowledge of Scripture.

 

Born in Guildford, he moved to France for tax reasons in 1934 and was later taken prisoner by the advancing Germans in 1940. After his eventual release he made the naïve mistake of making five broadcasts on German radio to the USA, which had not yet entered the war. The broadcasts were humorous and apolitical, but they provoked some anger in Britain, to which he never returned.

 

Wodehouse took US citizenship in 1955, while retaining his British one. He had always loved America, and his biographers suggested that this “exile” may have benefited his writing, helping him to go on describing an idealised England, rather than the harsher reality of the post-war years.

 

He died in Southampton, Long Island, New York, a month after he was made a Knight in the Order of the British Empire (KBE).

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Middle aged? Don’t skip breakfast!

 

If you skip breakfast in your middle age, it can make you fatter and unhealthy.

 

Instead, a recent study advises that having a well-balanced breakfast helps manage daily calorie intake and lower cholesterol, BMI and waist size. Breakfast “serves the critical role of breaking the extended fasting period from sleep.”

 

NHS guidelines recommend 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men. Breakfast should account for a quarter of this: 500 calories for women and 625 calories for men.

 

The study was carried out at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Barcelona. It

disregarded the ‘full English’ breakfast as being too full of saturated fat levels. Instead, it recommends cereals, protein, a healthy fat source, fruits and vegetables.

No place to park

 

It is often hard to find a parking space. So, a lot of us are taking chances – and getting caught.

 

As a nation we were handed six million penalty charge notices in 2023 alone, according to recent research by Confused.com, the insurance comparison website.

 

With 42.3 million driving licences on issue, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), this suggests that one in seven drivers received a fine for parking offences in 2023.

 

Rhydian Jones, a spokesman for Confused.com, said: “If you’re unsure whether you can park in a space or not, don’t take the risk, even if it’s only for a few minutes.”

 

Parking charge notices handed out by local councils can cost up to £100 for parking

infringements, although according to Confused.com the average parking fine is £47.

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That marmalade colour in cats

 

It has been a mystery for cat lovers everywhere: what makes some cats ginger?

 

Now – after 60 years of searching – scientists have good news. They have finally found the chunk of DNA that is responsible. The so-called Garfield gene is Arhgap36.

 

Arhgap36 has been hiding away on the X chromosome, of which males have one copy while females have two. When the Arghap36 gene is present on a cat’s X chromosome, it forces the pigment-making cells in the skin to produce more pheomelanin, leading to the orange morph.

 

It seems that if a male inherits this gene from either parent, he will be Garfield-ginger, while a female will usually turn calico or tortoiseshell.

 

This may sound simple, but it took two teams of scientists, one at Stanford University in the US and one at Kyushu University in Japan, to find the Garfield gene independently, thereby solving a 60-year mystery.

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Book Review

Prayer Book of Days – With Saints Through the Ages
By Gregory Cameron, Canterbury Press, £12.99

Popular author and illustrator Gregory Cameron offers 31 daily prayers from the treasury of Christian spirituality through the centuries.

The prayers included are from some giants of the faith – Augustine, Patrick, Benedict, Julian of Norwich, Francis of Assisi, Clare – and also lesser known figures right up to recent times. Each daily section includes an original icon-style illustration, a prayer, the story that lies behind it and a reflection on its significance in history and for faith today.

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All in the month of February

It was:

125 years ago, on 27^th Feb 1900 that the Labour Party was founded in the UK.

90 years ago, on 22^nd Feb 1935 that US President Franklin D Roosevelt banned aircraft from flying over the White House – because the noise kept him awake at night. The ban remains in place today, but mainly now for security reasons.

Also 90 years ago, on 26^th Feb 1935 that British radio engineer Robert Warson-Watt demonstrated a working radar system for the first time, in Daventry.

80 years ago, during Feb 1945 that Anne Frank died. The young Dutch Jewish diarist and Holocaust victim died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 15, probably from typhus.

75 years ago, on 8^th Feb 1950 that the world’s first payment by credit card took place. The founders of Diners Club (now Diners Club International) used it to pay their restaurant bill at Majero’s Cabin Grill in New York City.

70 years ago, from 24^th Feb 1955 to March that Britain’s Big Freeze took place. Deep snow and freezing temperatures caused havoc, with many places cut off. The RAF dropped food and medical supplies to affected areas, while thousands of sheep died from exposure.

65 years ago, on 8^th Feb 1960 that the Hollywood Walk of Fame was established in Hollywood. It consists of more than 2,700 stars embedded in the pavement, that bear the names of notable figures from the entertainment industry.

Also 65 years ago, on 8^th Feb 1960 that Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

50 years ago, on 11^th Feb 1975 that Margaret Thatcher became the first female leader of the Conservative Party. She became Britain’s first female Prime Minister in 1979.

Also 50 years ago, on 14^th Feb 1975 that P G Wodehouse died. This well-loved British-born American comic novelist, short story writer, lyricist and playwright is best known as the creator of Jeeves.

Also 40 years ago, on 16^th Feb 1985 that the Islamic militant group and political party Hezbollah was founded in Lebanon.

Also 30 years ago, on 23^rd Feb 1995 that James Herriot, veterinary surgeon and best-selling author, died. Best known for his autobiographical book All Creature Great and Small, which was adapted into a popular TV series.

Also 20 years ago, on 10^th Feb 2005 that Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles announced their engagement. They were married on 9^th April 2005.

Also 20 years ago, on 14th Feb 2005 that YouTube, the online video-sharing service, was founded. It was purchased by Google in 2006.

Also 20 years ago, on 16^th Feb 2005 that the Kyoto Protocol came into effect. The international treaty obliges industrialised nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

10 years ago, on 27^th Feb 2015 that Leonard Nimroy, actor and film director, died. Best known for his role as Spock in the Star Trek films and TV series.

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Smile Lines

Hearing

A tiny lady was the guest preacher. A few minutes into her sermon, she paused and said: “Can you all hear me at the back?”  A kind voice replied: “We can hear you fine. But sadly, we can’t quite see you.”

**

Church service

An auntie took her very young niece to church. When they returned home, her parents asked how it had gone. The little girl replied: “Well, the minister prayed, and I prayed.  The minister sang, and I sang. The minister speaked, and auntie brought me home.”

**

Visit

The new vicar was doing the rounds to meet his parishioners.  At one house where he knocked, a woman inside called out: “Is that you, Angel?”

The vicar hesitated, and then replied: “No, but I’m from the same department.”

**

 

Bishop

A vicar was expecting his Bishop to come for lunch. He told his small son to be very polite to the visitor, and to address him as ‘My Lord.’  As they all sat down, the bishop smiled at the little boy and asked him how old he was. The little boy gulped and said: “My God, I’m seven.”

**

Cow and choir

From a Cambridgeshire local newspaper in January 1900: ‘WANTED – a steady respectable man who is able to look after a garden, milk a cow, and sing in the church choir.”

 **

Chocolate

A lovely heart-shaped box of chocolates was received on Valentine’s Day by a young student from her new boyfriend. On the enclosed card was the inscription: ‘To Helen, with all my allowance.’

**

Experience

“Dad,” asked little Ted, “what does ‘a man’s better half’ mean?”

“Usually,” his father said, “she means exactly what she says.”

**

Wedding dress

 When my sister Andrea 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!”

**

Lion

A Sunday school teacher was telling her youngsters about Daniel and the Lion’s Den. To illustrate the lesson, she drew a picture of Daniel standing, brave and confident, with a group of lions around him. Suddenly, one little girl started to cry. The teacher said, “Don’t cry.  Daniel is going to survive.”

Snuffling back the tears the girl replied: “That’s not what I’m crying about. That little lion, over in the corner, isn’t going to get anything to eat.”

**

Boots

My young daughter needed new boots. When her friend arrived one morning in a lovely pair of new boots, I asked where she had got them. “At the store,” she answered.   “Which one?” I asked patiently.    She looked confused, and then down at her boots. “Both of them,” was her reply.

**

Father

My family was at the dinner table when my five-year-old daughter startled us all by announcing to my three-year-old son: “Dad is not your real father.” My son hotly denied this.

“No, he’s not,” she insisted. “God is your heavenly father.” Then pointing to my husband,  she added: “That’s only our homely father!”

**

Car-ride

A teenager who had just received her provisional licence offered to drive her parents to church. After a hair-raising ride, they finally reached their destination. The mother got out of the car and said in a quiet but fervent voice: “Thank you!”

“Anytime,” her daughter replied.

As the woman slammed the car door she said, “I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to God.”

**

No news

A traveller was marooned in a small town because of a landslide caused by heavy rain.  It fell in torrents for three days. Looking out of the window of the restaurant, he finally remarked to the waitress: “This is like the flood.”

“The what?”

“The flood. Surely you have heard about the great flood and Noah and the Ark?”

“Sorry, sir,” she replied. “The internet’s been down for three days.”

**

Daddy

Policeman to the vicar, found pacing outside the vicarage at three o’clock in the morning: “What are you doing here?”

Man: “I forgot my key, officer, and I’m waiting for my children to come home and let me in.”

**

 

Those notices which didn’t come out quite right…

Notice in health food shop window: Closed due to illness.

Spotted in a safari park: Elephants, please stay in your car.

In a Laundromat: Automatic Washing Machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

This coming Sunday our special service will be gin at 11:00am.

When parking on the north side of the church, please remember to park on an angel.

Jean will be leading a weight-management course on Wednesday nights. She’s used the programme herself and has been growing like crazy!

Volunteers are needed to spit up food for distribution.

This evening at 7:00pm there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

The King’s Bras will present a concert at our church this evening at 6:00pm.

**

The Great Outdoors

These are actual comments left on US Forest Service registration comment cards by backpackers:

“A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.”

“Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.”

“Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.”

“Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.”

“Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals.”

“Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.”

“Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.”

“Please pave the trails so they can be ploughed of snow in the winter.”

“The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.”

“Need more signs to keep area pristine.”

“A McDonald’s would be nice at the trail head.”

“Too many rocks in the mountains.”

**

Taste

A woman wasn’t feeling well and went to A&E.  The nurse asked her: “Have you experienced a sudden loss of taste?”

“No,” admitted the woman sadly. “I’ve always dressed this way.”

**

More than cheese

Our choir had worked hard to raise money for new gowns. To celebrate our achievement, we decided to hold a special concert. The invites went out, and we were surprised at the amused reaction of our church members. Then we reread the invitation. We had invited them to a ‘Concert with Cheese and Wince.’

**

Blessed are they who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.

Cleaning house with children at home is a lot like snow blowing during a blizzard.

Marriage has three states: cooing, wedding, and billing.

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The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of St Mary's, it's clergy, the Church of England

or the Editors.