The Godrevy Light - Godrevy Team Ministry
Transcription
The Godrevy Light - Godrevy Team Ministry
St.Elwyn St.Erth The Godrevy Light Together Everyone Achieves More Issue 67 Gwinear June 2015 Gwithian Phillack The vocation of the priest is to be a prophet that reminds people of the light within them, to reassure them that they are loved. We are to intensify and strengthen what is already there. Dear All, Ministering love. One of the most vital duties of a pastor is ministering to the sick. I don’t only mean taking the Blessed Sacrament to the housebound, that’s also important. A priest visiting is also special, and is regarded as such by the sick person. There is a raw and physical reality about a God who became human flesh. When fragile people are before us, often heavy eyed and hopeless, the first action of Jesus would be to reach out to hold them tenderly, to grasp their hands. Many elderly folk are unable to remember when someone last held their hands. By virtue of his ordination a man is Jesus visiting. One should always wear one’s badge of office, the dog collar. Here in Hayle I regularly visit the old people in one of the homes, just as I have done over the fifty one years in the parishes where I’ve been the pastor. Let’s be honest, I don’t always feel like going, but the joy far outweighs the effort. Go has designed our bodies to be looked at, held, and to be enveloped with tenderness. We all, whether old or young have open wounds that require healing. Life damages us. It never ceases to encourage me how people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's can remember the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm. I’m also conscious that they may also recall the familiar stories in the Gospels. God’s Holy Spirit can reach us in ways that far transcend our ailments and weaknesses. Jesus fully lived in his body. He embraced young and old, placing his hands on sinners, offering no resistance to the head of the Beloved Disciple on his breast or to the sensation of Mary Magdalen’s hair on his naked feet. He washed the weary and dusty feet of his disciples. Even Judas Iscariot kissed him before 2 handing him over to the soldiers to be killed. At the Eucharist the body of the Man Jesus is transformed into our bodies and ours into his. We experience the flow of his wineblood within, merging with our very being, at a deep level of mutual surrender and transformation. JUNE POEM I found the following poem in “‘The Sun, Dancing’ – Christian verse” compiled by Charles Causley: FRESCOES IN AN OLD CHURCH Six centuries now have gone Since, one by one, These stones were laid, And in air’s vacancy This beauty made. Pope John Paul II described our need of God in the Eucharist as physical as the need of food and water. Our desire for intimacy with God is instinctive and physical. In a manner beyond our understanding the Eucharist is God with skin on. It’s God’s embrace. They who thus reared them Their long rest have won; Ours now this heritage – To guard, preserve, delight in, brood upon; And in these transitory fragments scan The immortal longing in the soul of Man. Walter de la Mare. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth, and we beheld His Glory, Glory as of the onlybegotten Son from the Father.” (John 1:14) The poem speaks about the five wonderful churches in our team. It’s a tough job to take proper care of ‘our heritage’ BUT it is also a great honour. Father Malcolm C.B. 3 PHILLACK IN JUNE Phillack Church Hall Bookings All future bookings for the Church Hall can be made by ringing 01736 759558. Gentlemen – your attention please! This is just to give you advance notice about the next Men’s Breakfasts. These will be held on the following Saturdays at Wall Methodist Church Hall: ST. IVES PRAISE CHOIR CONCERT On Thursday, 18 June, there will be a Concert at 7.30 p.m. in Phillack Church by St. Ives Praise Choir. Entrance £5.00. This will be followed by a barbecue (for a donation only). 18 July & 17 October The July speaker will be Samuel, talking about his experiences of living in five countries based on the symbols on his archdeacon’s cope. The October speaker will be Esther Pollard from the Diocesan Office, who will explain to us just how diocesan finances work in the present climate. Do put these dates in your diary. Why not plan to bring along a f r i e n d ?he will get a FREE breakfast!! HAYLE CELEBRATION DAY Phillack Church will have a stall at the Celebration Day along King George V Walk on Sunday, 28 June. PHILLACK IN JULY ‘GWITHIAN’ COFFEE MORNING Phillack congregation will have a Coffee Morning on Saturday, 18 July, at 7 Penmare Court, Copperhouse, from 10.30. This will be to help Gwithian raise funds for their Flower Festival in August. 4 COMMUNITY TEA TREAT Sunday 26 July. 2.30 – 5.30 p.m. Cornish Dancing and Cornish Musicians. Venue and full details to be announced. The English style of ringing is unique and that is why many foreign visitors from the nearby camp sites often turn up at Phillack Tower to discover how the beautiful sound of the bells is achieved. PHILLACK IN AUGUST The big question is ‘How much longer will the bells be rung?’ The answer is ‘Not long unless young people take an interest!’ CREAM TEAS AND DISPLAY OF JUGS Cream Teas will be served on Wednesday and Thursday, 5 & 6 August, at the Church Hall from 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.. Come enjoy delicious home-made food in good company. A wonderful fellowship! opportunity We consider anyone under 70 as young, by the way! C.B e for IN MEMORIUM ? With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started. !! THE NEXT FRIDAY, 15TH MAY Phillack ringers were in the tower the following Friday this time at the request of The Hayle Twinning Association. At the time of writing we have 37 Bretons in Hayle enjoying Cornish hospitality from the twinning association. Mike talked about ringing – which he loves to do – and then we rang a peal for the visitors AND Anglo-French relations! 5 HAYLE V-DAY IS COMING! PHILLACK CHURCH MICE 46 Hayle V-Day will honour all those Hayle Heroes, who volunteer in the Community. This will form part of National Volunteers’ Week. The date will be Saturday, 6 June. Many of you have already signed up for the Hayle Register of Volunteers. A few days before 6 June Hayle V-Day tabards with logos designed by local school children will be on display at selected outlets and will be available free of charge for all those who generously give of their time to help with a vast array of activities in the community. There will also be stands around town, where people can make themselves available to hep with voluntary activities.If you would like to know more, please contact me: [email protected] LEONARDO DE PHILLACK ‘Look at that!’ said Philip Phillack to Mother Mouse. ‘It’s a painting by… someone called Leonardo da Vinci. Gosh! Isn’t it brilliant?’ ‘Yes! He was one of the greatest artists in the whole human world. We don’t have painters in the mouse world.’ And this started Philip’s mind buzzing with thoughts such as, I can write words so I could draw and paint, I’ve got ideas so I could think of things to do. He smiled to himself and decided there and then that he would become a mouse artist amongst other things, of course. When he whispered what he wanted to do to his mother she smiled. ‘Look in ‘The Children’s Corner’ at the back of the church and you’ll find quite a lot of what you want there.’ And he did. There were coloured pencils and colouring sticks and plenty of paper. ‘Oh! My!’ he whispered. ‘What are you going to draw and colour?’ asked his mother. 01736 756669. 6 ‘Something outside and I shall give it to you as a present at teatime.’ Luckily for Philip his brother Charlie was having a rumbustious time catching spider’s in Davis Philp’s organ pipes so he got out unnoticed. It was a lovely June day outside and Copperhouse Pool sparkled and flashed for an onshore breeze was blowing and making the water dance. Philip scratched his grey fur with his left front paw and wondered what to choose as the subject for the first mouse artistic masterpiece ever to be created. ‘I could draw the birds but they won’t stay still. I could draw clouds in the blue sky but there aren’t any clouds. I could draw… gravestones? But they are a bit grave aren’t they? I could draw… Copperhouse Pool but it’s too shimmery… the light won’t stay still. I could draw?’ ‘Have you decided what to draw yet Philip?’ asked his father who had heard from Mother Mouse that they now had an artist in the family. ‘No! Everything keeps moving about even the pool and I can’t make up my mind,’ he said rather sadly. ‘Well! Do you have a good imagination?’ asked Father Mouse. ‘Oh! Yes! I think so,’ replied Philip. ‘Then who made all of this?’ his father asked and he opened his front paws to take in all the lovely view from outside the church porch. Philip frowned and then he smiled and said ‘God.’ ‘Then draw and colour in a picture of God for your mother,’ and with that Father Phillack went in out of the hot sun. ‘Oh!’ said Philip and he frowned again. ‘Shall I draw and colour an old man in the sky? Or a king on his golden throne? Or a great warrior with a sword? Or a professor who knows everything? Or a beautiful sunset? Or a thunderstorm?’ Philip frowned again then he picked up his pencil and drew a simple picture of a poor young man hanging on a wooden cross. ‘That’s God,’ he said humbly and he knew it was the truth. ‘The gift of Himself to the world.’ C.B. 7 THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY In Phillack Tower there are lots of photographs and memorabilia of and about bell ringing in years gone by. One is a copy of a notice in The West Briton for the 50th Anniversary of VE Day in 1995. It reads: ‘The bells of Phillack Church, Hayle rang out on Monday evening to commemorate the 50th anniversary of V.E. Day. Taking part were 3 ringers, Raymond Ratcliff, Giles Cook and Michael Smaldon, all of whom rang the same bells 50 years ago on V.E. Day. During the two minutes silence they remembered two members Verdun Thomas and Jack Coombes, fellow ringers, who lost their lives in World War Two.’ Well, the present tower captain Mike Smaldon was at Phillack Tower on Friday 8th May to lead the ringers in the peal for the 70th anniversary. What an amazing achievement! There were several church members present to witness the event plus a camera from Spotlight South West. If you were lucky, then you will have seen and heard the peal being rung on Spotlight that night plus a small part of an interview given by Mike afterwards. And this was not the end of it all! Donna Burrell rang Mike from Radio Cornwall at 7.45am on Sunday 10th May, as pre-arranged, and had a very interesting and enjoyable chat with him before he went off to ring – as usual – at Phillack before the morning service. DING DONG! What a man! C.B. LOVING FOUR WAYS There are four different kind of love: Erotic or sexual love; Friendship – love between equals, loyalty; Affection (in families); Agape - self-giving unconditional love Can you work out which kind of love is demonstrated in the two stories below? Answers on a postcard ……. Story 1 Bill and Steve were discussing the possibility of love. "I thought I was in love three times," Bill said. "Thought?" Steve asked. "What do you mean?" "Three years ago, I cared very deeply for a woman who wanted 8 nothing to do with me," Bill said. "Wasn't that love?" Steve asked. “No, that was obsession," Bill explained. "Then two years ago, I cared very deeply for an attractive woman who didn't understand me." "Wasn't that love?" asked Steve. "No, that was lust," Bill replied. "And just last year, I met a woman while I was on a cruise. She was gorgeous, intelligent, a great conversationalist and had a super sense of humour. Everywhere I followed her on that ship I would get a very strange sensation in the pit of my stomach." "Well, wasn't that love," asked Steve. "No. That was sea sickness!" Bill replied. Story 1 A clergyman was walking down a country lane, when he saw a young farmer struggling to load hay back on to a cart after it had fallen off. "You look hot, my son," said the cleric, "why don't you rest for a moment, and I'll give you a hand." "No thanks," said the young man. "My father wouldn't like it." "Don't be stupid," said the clergyman. "Everyone is entitled to a break. Come and have a drink of water." Again the young man protested that his father would be upset. Losing his patience, the clergyman said, "Your father must be a real slave driver. Tell me where I can find him and I'll give him a piece of my mind!" "Well," stammered the young farmer, "he's under this load of hay." e ASCENSION AND AUTHORITY I want to begin with the question: How does authority function in the Church of Jesus Christ? or more properly, how should authority function in the Church of Jesus Christ? Ascension Day is as important to the life of the Church as Christmas or Easter. It is actually one of the six holy days where attendance at Holy Communion is mandatory for Anglicans as it is for Roman Catholics. It is a sad reflection on the Church and its current standing in Society that Ascension Day is no 9 ☛ longer celebrated as a holiday. Yet even few Christians observe it: there were 16 people at St. Elwyn’s this week to celebrate the Ascension! It is so important that it forms part of both the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds: “Father, knows best” is a travesty of the true relationship between the priest and the people in a parish. But the same is true of any leadership role in the Church – a warden, for example. I have known wardens, who have ruled the other members of the congregation. They have made sure that only those things happen, which they want. In other words it is all about self. However, leadership in the Church is quite different from leadership as it is exercised in secular organisations: the WI, Bowling/Tennis/Rugby Club, Rotary or any other secular organisation. he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The right hand of God figuratively means, the place of importance, power and influence next to God the Father; so in essence Ascension is about who has authority not just in Church but in the world. As Good Friday is about sacrifice and Easter is about power, so Ascension is about authority. So how should authority in the Church be exercised and who should wield that authority? One of the very important lessons I learned early on in ministry was the saying “Once a deacon, always a deacon”. A deacon is a servant. (διάκονος – diakonos) Every priest is – first and foremost - a deacon, because he/ she has first been ordained deacon; so every priest is primarily a servant. The dictum The Church of Jesus Christ is not a democracy. Synodical government was introduced into the Church of England in 1969; but is that any different from democratically elected governments? 11 I saw on the diocesan Website a description of synodical government, which goes like this: ‘The Diocesan Synod is a democratically elected body which has an important role in deciding the strategic direction of a diocese.’ It has also been compared to the British parliamentary system. It may appear to be so, but it is not, and should not be a democracy. The Church is essentially a theocracy. That is, it is ruled by God: Jesus Christ is the head (see Ephesians 5. 23: Christ is the Head of the Church, his Body, of which he is the Saviour). This is why the disciples/apostles prayed for guidance whom to find to take the place of Judas. They did not have nomination forms; they did not cast votes (those in favour/ against). They prayed and the lot fell on Matthias. your Parish? John wrote in his first letter: ‘If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater,’ (1 John 5.9). In other words, God should be very much part of an election or discernment process. He, not us, is the one who should be making the final decision. So where does the authority lie in the Church? The answer has to be: with Jesus as the Head of the Church. How is that authority exercised? Through his teaching and our relationship with him in prayer. All of us – every single person in this Church – is accountable/ answerable to him in whatever decisions are made individually or corporately. What principles did you use in electing people to positions on the PCC? How did you involve the Holy Spirit in this? In Acts chapter 1 as the early disciples of Jesus went about finding someone to replace Judas as an apostle, there were four elements: reference to Scripture, nominations, prayer, casting of lots. Now just think back to your APCM: how much prayer went into nominations and voting? How much prayer and reference to Scripture generally go into elections and decision-making in e GWINEAR FETE Saturday 4 July in the gardens of the old Vicarage (behind the church) commencing at 2pm. There are stalls - cakes, tombola, bric a brac, books, side shows and cream teas. There will also be a Fun Dog Show! 12 SUMMER FAYRE ST.ERTH CHURCH Saturday June 20th at 2:30pm In the Methodist Hall Various stalls, raffle and refreshments. OLD SCHOOL If anyone would like to book the use of the church, please contact Margaret Stockton, 01736 756007, email [email protected]. CHRISTIAN AID 2015 Thanks to everyone who came to the supper, gave raffle prizes or donated money. We enjoyed a pleasant evening. Once the Old School Room roof is repaired, then the hall will once again be available for a wide range of village and family events. £ 276.00 was raised from the supper, £198.00 in church donations & £107.6 from the proceeds of the Farmer’s Market last Saturday, thanks to our Methodist friends. CHURCH PEWS FOR SALE: Subject to approved faculty, some of the pews from St Erth Church will be available for sale, prior to work commencing on the Old School Roof in mid March. Choir Concert. Thanks to Praze Hayle & Chippenham male voice choirs, £ 333.62 was donated after a very enjoyable evening, including a couple of jazz solos on saxophone and clarinet. Very many thanks for their generosity and talents. If anyone is interested in purchasing any of the pews, please contact Barbara Read, tel. 01736 758233. 13 dove è la pasta ? . The Choirs together in St.Erth Church COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY PRACTITIONER PILATES CLASSES Lelant Village Hall Mondays 9.30am (intermediate) and11am (beginners) Julia Woodhams Tuesdays - 6pm (intermediate) and 7.30pm (beginners) REFLEXOLOGY AROMATHERAPY MASSAGE Fridays -9.30am (fitness Pilates) and 11am (beginners) For more information, contact Kim - 07751552313 or 01209 831755 Call for appointment 01736 754660 or 07960 181497 PLEASE NOTE Copy for the AUGUST issue by email There will no July issue [email protected] Due to Holiday Copy for August by or to the Parish Office, Clergy or Churchwardens 26 July please By 26 July please I go to print on 28th July 15 Sunday Services in June Phillack 7th Gwithian Gwinear St.Elwyn St. Erth H Com Trinity 1 9.15.am Matins 11am H.Com H Com. 11 am 9.30 am E/song 6.0 pm H Com 8am & 9.30 am No E/song 14th H Com. 11am H Com. 8 am H. Com. 9.30 am H Com. 8am & 9.30 am E/song 6.0 pm Morning Prayer 11 am H.Com 11.0am H Com. E/song 6.0pm 9.30 am H Com 8am & 9.30 am No E/song H Com. 11am H Com. 11 am H Com. 9.30 am H Com. 8am & 9.30 am E/song 6.0 pm Trinity 2 H Com. 9.15 am 11.0am Chapel 21st Morning Trinity 3 Prayer 9.15am 28th H.Com Trinity 4 9.15am MINISTRY TEAM CONTACT DETAILS Rector: Reverend Sharon Clifton 01736 756377 [email protected] Team Priest: Reverend Patricia Murley 01736 754386 Office now in the rectory – opening hours Monday & Thursday 11.30am – 12.30pm [email protected] What’s on in the Team Notices: Elaine Farrell 07504 181 292 [email protected] 16