The Godrevy Light - Godrevy Team Ministry

St Elwyn
St Erth
The Godrevy Light
Together Everyone Achieves More
Issue 79
July 2016
This month’s focus is
OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
Gwinear
Gwithian
Phillack
living where they had settled
around the Persian Empire. After
the death of Esther’s parents,
she was raised by Mordecai, an
older cousin (Esther 2:7), who
served in the Persian ruler’s
palace. The author of the book of
Esther is unknown, though some
attribute the work to Mordecai.
RECTOR’S RAMBLINGS
My Favourite Old
Testament Character:
Esther
The story of Esther reads like a
film plot, with a beautiful queen
risking her life to prevent
genocide. Did you know that
Esther is mentioned more times
in the Bible than any other
woman, and the book bearing
her name does not mention God
even once?
The story of Esther takes place in
the Persian Empire during the
reign of Ahasuerus, known more
familiarly to us by the Greek form
of his name, Xerxes I. He was
the son of Darius the Great and
reigned from 486-465 B.C. He
ruled over a vast empire that
extended from India to Ethiopia
(Esther 1:1).
I like the Book of Esther because
it tells a compelling story –
dramatic and exciting, with
clearly-defined
heroes
and
villains. It also reveals deep and
abiding spiritual truths about
God’s power to deliver us from
danger and oppression, even
when despotic rulers plan to do
evil to God’s people. Though
God’s name doesn’t appear in
the entire story, nonetheless,
God’s
presence,
and
the
deliverance of His people, is
clearly
felt
and
implied
throughout the story.
Esther was a descendant of the
tribe of Benjamin, which had
been part of the kingdom of
Judah. Her ancestors were
among the Jews who had been
carried captive to Babylon nearly
100 years earlier. There were
many Jews who didn’t return to
Jerusalem when it became
possible, preferring to continue
Chapter 1 sets the scene in the
Persian court. The king was
offended when his wife Vashti
refused to appear before him
when he ordered her to do so.
There was a great feast taking
place at the time, and they were
all merry with wine (Esther 1:1011). When the queen didn’t
appear, the king, egged on by his
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Chapter 3 introduces us to
Haman, the villain in the story,
who
became
second
in
command in the empire. He was
an arrogant man, and he
demanded that everyone bow
down to him. Everyone did,
except Mordecai (verse 2). This
so incensed Haman that he
succeeded in getting the king to
issue an edict that all the Jews in
the land should be destroyed
(verses 8-15).
advisers, removed her as his
queen. They then advised him to
seek out a new queen by
searching for the most beautiful
virgins in the land. Then the king
would select one to become his
queen.
Chapter 2 introduces one of the
women
taken
for
this
competition, a beautiful Jewish
girl named Hadassah. Her name
was changed to Esther when she
was brought to the king’s court.
Esther received favour from
everyone
who
saw
her,
especially the king (verses 1517). The king selected Esther to
be his new queen, but Mordecai
counselled her to not reveal the
fact that she was a Jew, because
Jews were still held in some
suspicion throughout the Persian
Empire.
In Chapter 4 Mordecai implored
Esther to intervene on behalf of
her people or they would all be
killed. Esther reminded Mordecai
that anyone who came before the
king without being called, even
the queen, would be subject to
death. The only exception to this
would be if the king extended
mercy by holding out the golden
sceptre (verses 10-12).
Shortly after she became queen,
a seemingly unrelated incident is
recorded in Esther 2:21-23. Two
men plotted to kill the king, but
Mordecai became aware of the
plot and had Esther reveal it to
the king. The two men were
hanged, and the incident was
recorded in the king’s personal
history. This incident turns out to
have a great deal to do with the
rest of the story.
Mordecai then uttered the most
famous line from the book when
he said, “For if you remain
completely silent at this time,
relief and deliverance will arise
for the Jews from another
place, but you and your
father’s house will perish. Yet
who knows whether you have
come to the kingdom for such
a time as this?” (4:14)
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Esther then agreed to risk her life
for her people. She asked
Mordecai to have her people fast
for her success, and she put her
life on the line by going to the
king for help (verses 15-16).
Who should be outside waiting to
see the king that morning but evil
Haman, who was plotting to kill
Mordecai! So when the king
called Haman to come in, the two
men had totally opposite plans in
mind.
Chapter 5 tells us that the king
not only held out the golden
sceptre to save her life, he also
said that he would grant anything
she asked of him, even to half
the kingdom (verses 2-3). She
invited the king and Haman to a
banquet that day. At that
banquet, she told the king that
she would inform him of her
desire at another banquet the
next day, and she again asked
that Haman should be invited to
hear her request (verses 7-8).
The king asked Haman what
should be done to someone the
king wanted to honour. Of
course, in his pride, Haman
thought the king was talking
about him. So he said that such a
person should be treated like
royalty and honoured by a high
official announcing, “Thus shall
it be done to the man whom
the king delights to honour!”
(verse 9).
Imagine Haman’s surprise when
the king assigned him to honour
his archenemy Mordecai (verse
10-12)!
Chapter 6 brings back to our
attention the incident of the
conspiracy to kill the king in
chapter 2. The king was unable
to sleep that night and asked for
his history to be read to him. It
seems he just “happened” to
hear the part about the plot to
take his life and how Mordecai
had saved his life.
Chapter 7 recounts the events of
the second banquet that Esther
had requested, where she would
make known what she wanted
from the king.
She revealed the plot to destroy
her and her people, and then
dramatically
named
the
mastermind:
“This
wicked
Haman!” (verse 6).
He asked what had been done to
reward Mordecai. His servants
replied that nothing had been
done.
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The king was so shocked and
incensed by this turn of events
that he had to leave the room to
calm down. But when he
returned, he saw “Haman had
fallen across the couch where
Esther was”, pleading with her
to spare his life (verses 7-8). The
king accused Haman of trying to
assault his wife, the queen, and
he ordered Haman to be hanged
on the very gallows that Haman
had built to kill Mordecai (verse
10).
woman of principle, who was
willing to put the lives of others
ahead of even her own life. She
was an outstanding example of
serving others, even under the
most stressful circumstances.
Jesus said, “Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay
down one’s life for his friends”
(John 15:13).
Most of the time our lives may be
pretty routine, but all of us have a
few defining moments when we
may be called on to put godly
principle above personal benefit;
Esther shows all of us the way,
and we can be inspired by her
example.
Chapters 8 to 10 tell us of the
rejoicing of the Jews for their
deliverance and the celebration
that was set on the 14th day of
the month Adar to commemorate
this great event. It has been
celebrated by the Jews ever
since as a great day of
deliverance and is known as the
Feast of Purim. Purim derives its
name from the word pur,
meaning lot, as in the casting of
lots. Haman had cast lots to find
the best day to destroy the Jews
(3:7).
With love to you all
Sharon
Esther’s is clearly a story of
God’s
intervention
and
deliverance; it is also an inspiring
story about a remarkable woman
who was willing to risk her life to
save her people. She was a
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accomplished
when
he
committed suicide by bringing
down the house and murdering
3,000 men and women of the
Philistines. His calling involved
him in a never-ending struggle to
accommodate his life to the
powerful destiny thrust upon him
by the “God” he worshipped.
FATHER MALCOLM
WRITES
My Favourite Old
Testament Character:
Samson
Samson,
Delilah
and
the
Philistines is a tale of love,
betrayal, suicide and murder. It is
a magnificent saga, and has
been the subject of novels, films,
paintings and grand opera. Being
an opera lover, it was the lovely
music by Saint-Saens that
attracted me initially to the
tragedy of the story as related in
the Book of Judges. Largely
imaginative, it is powerfully
thought-provoking. There is no
one interpretation and we must
work out what it means for each
of us.
He was unable to grasp the
tragic role into which he had
been cast, and was a divided
individual; born a stranger, even
to
his
parents,
and
misunderstood. Despite being
the strongman of popular myth,
he constantly yearned to win the
affections of his parents, and
love in general. The whole of his
existence was the quest for love
that he was never to know. His
God was largely a projection of
the early Hebrew tribes.
Samson wasn’t the strongman
commonly supposed by the
average person. The book of
Judges presents him as a failure
given to whoring and sexual
exploits. The Bible is littered with
characters that are seriously
flawed. King Saul, King David
and his son King Solomon were
far from perfect. Samson could
be said to head the list. Yet for all
that,
his
destiny
was
His passionate love affair with
Delilah, and her ultimate betrayal
when she cut off his hair – the
source of his strength – moves
us to pity. One thinks of Judas
Iscariot in the Gospels, who
betrayed Jesus. Delilah was cut
from the same cloth as Judas.
There are few other Bible stories
with so much passion, action,
fireworks and raw emotion. The
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battle with the lion, the 300
burning foxes, the women he
bedded and the one woman that
he loved, are great drama. His
betrayal by the women in his life,
from his mother to Delilah, and in
the end his murderous suicide,
when he collapsed the house
down on himself and 3,000
Philistines, is a superb climax.
One could almost say he was the
first suicide bomber.
My Favourite Old
Testament Character:
Ruth
Ruth was a destitute widow. She
joined
God’s
people
and
gleanedin the grain fields, which
was the custom in those days.
Ruth eventually married Boaz,
the owner of the fields.
She probably went into those
fields with no hope, but she
restored her life and put her trust
in God – as we hope to do –
building our lives with God’s
blessing to help us. A key verse
from the Book of Ruth is: “I will
go wherever you go and live
where you live. Your people
will be my people and your
God will be my God.”
Margaret Stapleton
“And Samson said, ‘Let me die
with the Philistines.’ And he
bent with all his might so that
the temple fell on the lords and
all the people who were in it.
So the dead whom he killed at
his death were more than
those whom he killed in his
life…thus he had judged Israel
twenty years.“ (Judges 16:2831)
Fr Malcolm
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meet when they come through
the lych-gate of Phillack Church.
“My goodness me, what a
wonderful place the ladies have
made,” said Father Mouse. “Yes!
And it’s the ladies doing the
things, as usual,” added Mother
Mouse, and she smiled sweetly
at the three males in her family.
THANK YOU, LADIES!
“I knew you would say that,”’
said Philip and Charlie’s father. “I
am merely telling you the truth,”
she replied. “Well, I can’t stand
here in the church porch, looking
at the flowers. I have work to do
at home.” And with that, Mother
Mouse scurried back into the
church. “I’d better go and see if I
can help,” said Father Mouse. “I
won’t be able to, but the thought
is there.”
When anybody enters though the
lych-gate at Phillack Church. they
cannot help but be impressed by
the gorgeous shapes, smells and
colours that greet them from the
new-made garden. As the young
church mouse Philip Phillack
says: “It’s like the Garden of
Eden…” Thank you, ladies, it and
you are wonderful! So here is a
story about your garden…
However, before going into
church he turned to the boys and
said: “If you venture down into
the new garden, be very careful
and don’t go eating anything.
Flowers are meant to be enjoyed
with the eyes and nose not the
tummy!” Charlie and Philip
nodded, and then they scurried
off across the grass and into the
sweet smelling world of gaudy
flowers. “Wow!’” said Charlie. “It’s
like going into a different world.”
PHILLACK CHURCH
MICE
Episode 57:
In the Garden of Eden
The July sun shone down on the
colourful garden that visitors
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“It is,” replied Philip. “It’s like the
Garden of Eden – that’s what it is
like, Charlie. We could be back
with old Adam.”
you two,” said Father Mouse.”‘I
hope the ache in your tums will
teach you to obey. If the humans
would only obey what God has
told them not to do, they would
not get into the awful pickles they
always seem to be in.” And
Mother Mouse nodded in
agreement whilst her boys could
only moan.
The little mice had a wonderful
time exploring and playing hideand-seek, so that the time
whooshed by. “I’m hungry,”
announced Charlie. “We’d better
go home then,” said Philip. “No!
It’s fun here. I want to stay.” Then
a voice nearby: “Those daisies at
the bottom of the garden are
camomile plants and the humans
eat and drink them – so why
don’t you?”
CB
********************************
Nine year old Joe, was asked by
his mother what he had learned
in Sunday school. "Well, Mum,
our teacher told us how God sent
Moses behind enemy lines on a
rescue mission to lead the
Israelites out of Egypt.
The boys looked around and saw
a field mouse grinning at them.
“Go on!” he said. “But we were
told…” began Philip. “Yes! Let’s
do it,” said Charlie. “Come on don’t be a cowardy custard.” And
they did. They nibbled away at
the camomile until they were no
longer hungry.
“When he got to the Red Sea, he
had his engineers build a
pontoon bridge and all the people
walked across safely. Then he
used his walkie-talkie to radio
headquarters for reinforcements.
They sent bombers to blow up
the bridge and all the Israelites
were saved.”
But when they got home, they
both had stomach ache and
Philip, being a truthful mouse,
admitted to what they had done.
""Now, Joe, is that really what
your teacher taught you?" his
mother asked. "Well, no, Mum.
But if I told it the way the teacher
did, you'd never believe it!"
“Just like old Adam and his wife
Eve. They could not do as they
were told and suffered the
consequences – and so have
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Method:
A RECIPE FOR JULY
Coronation Chicken
Place chicken in a saucepan with
a tight-fitting lid, cover with water
and add spring onions, garlic,
salt and peppercorns. Bring to
the boil and simmer for 30
minutes, turning chicken once.
Cover and switch off heat. Leave
for one hour, then remove
chicken, allow to cool completely,
and tear into rough pieces.
With apricots in season this
month, we thought we'd
dust off this old favourite.
Ingredients:
1.5kg/4lb free-range chicken
4 spring onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
1 tbsp sea salt
10 whole black peppercorns
For the sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée
85ml/3fl oz red wine
150ml/¼pint water
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Caster sugar
2 slices lemon
Squeeze of lemon juice
425ml/15fl oz good-quality
mayonnaise
2 tbsp apricot purée (made by
blending 4-5 stoned, dried
apricots with 3 tbsp water)
3 tbsp whipped cream
To serve:
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
Cooked basmati rice
Meanwhile, for the sauce, heat
oil in a pan over a medium heat.
Add onion and cook gently for 34 minutes. Add curry powder and
cook for 2 minutes, stirring well.
Add tomato purée, wine, water
and bay leaf. Bring to the boil.
Season, add sugar, lemon slices
and lemon juice. Reduce heat
and simmer, uncovered, for 5-10
minutes.
Strain sauce through a fine
meshed sieve and set aside to
cool. Gradually fold in
mayonnaise and apricot puree,
adding more lemon juice as
necessary.
Fold in whipped cream. Arrange
chicken portions on a large
platter, pour sauce over the top,
sprinkle with coriander and serve
immediately with rice.
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Guernsey and Jersey, having on
board upwards of 500 passengers;
and although the weather, which
was unusually rough for the
season of the year, prevented
numbers more from going, and
induced many to land at Penzance,
a considerable number proceeded
for the Islands, pleased with the
excursion so far as it had gone,
and delighted with the enlivening
strains of a band of music provided
for the occasion.
JULY POEM
Happiness
Here is what Rumi, the 13th
century Persian poet, wrote about
happiness:
There’s a hidden sweetness
In the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the soundbox is stuffed full
Of anything,
No music…
When you’re full of food and
drink,
Satan sits…
Where your spirit should be.
It will be seen from an
advertisement in another column,
that the spirited proprietors of this
steamer, at the request of their
numerous friends, intend affording
an opportunity of a visit to the
French coast, on the 26th of
August next, by making a trip to
Havre and Rouen, when it is
presumed, that the delightful
season of the year, coupled with
the beautiful scenery upon the
banks of the river Seine, and the
fact that Paris is within four and a
half hours run by railway, will be an
inducement to all who possibly
can, to avail themselves of so
presentable a voyage.
Feel like slimming? I do, and am!
CB
***********************************
A TRIP BACK IN TIME
The following newspaper report
can be found in the Cornwall
section of the Genuki website. It
describes an excursion which took
place 173 years ago this month:
The West Briton, July 28, 1843
Those were the days? On thinking,
perhaps not!
THE "BRILLIANT" STEAM
PACKET
On Saturday morning last, this
steamer sailed from Hayle to
CB
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NEWS
A BIG THANK-YOU FROM ANNETTE …
Dear Everyone
I am writing to send everyone within the team of five churches a really big
thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all the prayers, letters, cards,
plants, flowers, texts. telephone calls. offers of help and visits I have
received whilst I have been ill.
They have cheered and given me strength to recover, and I feel now
probably as well as I will ever be. I am slowly, like a snail, getting well and
back into the swing of things, and I am also grateful that I do not have to
rush. I have written this as an open letter to all so that I did not leave any
one out.
... AND ANOTHER ONE
To Children’s Society box holders
I apologise if I did not manage to collect and count your box, which was
owing to my illness. To those of you that I managed to collect from, a very
big thank you. You raised £211.57 which will, as you know, help the
Children’s Society to continue their work with children
Annette Claridge
*****************************************************************************
The deadline for the August issue of Godrevy Light is Monday 15th July.
Please email copy to: [email protected].
The magazine is now focusing on a different theme each month. The
focus for August is WOMEN OF FAITH. If you have anything you would
like to submit on this theme, you are very welcome.
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WHAT’S ON IN JULY
St Erth Church Songs of Praise
Sunday 3rd July, 3pm
This service will take place in the Well Field, and
will be followed by refreshments.
Godrevy Team Anniversary and 25th Anniversary of Rev’d
Martyn Trembath’s Ordination Sunday 10th July, 11am
A Team Service at St Erth Church will be followed by lunch at the Old
Quay House at 1.30pm, which will be a carvery, followed by roulade,
cheesecake or pavlova. The cost is £15. Please book with your
churchwarden by 3rd July, giving your choice of dessert.
‘*****************************************************************************
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Everyone is invited to the AGM
of the Gwinear Gwithian Sustainable Community Fund
on Wednesday 13th July at 7pm at Gwithian Church Hall
For more information, visit www.ggscf.org.uk
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Sunday Services in July
3rd
Phillack
Gwithian
Gwinear
St
Elwyn
St Erth
Eucharist
9.15am
Morning
Prayer
11am
Eucharist
11am;
Evensong
6pm
Eucharist
9.30am
Eucharist
8am and
9.30am
10th
Joint Service at St Erth for team anniversary and 25th anniversary
of Revd Martyn Trembath’s ordination
11am
17th
Family
Service
9.15am
Family
Service
11am
24th
Eucharist
9.15am
BCP Holy
Communion
11am
31st
Eucharist
9.15am
BCP Holy
Communion
11am
Eucharist
11am;
Evensong
6pm
Eucharist
11am
Eucharist
9.30am
Eucharist
8am and
9.30am
Eucharist
9.30am
Eucharist
11am
Eucharist
9.30am
Eucharist
8am and
9.30am;
Evensong
6pm
Eucharist
8am and
9.30am;
Evensong
6pm
Team Contacts
Team Rector: The Reverend Sharon Clifton: 01736 756377
Team Priest: The Reverend Patricia Murley: 01736 754386
Associate Priest: The Reverend Sharon Chalcraft: 01736 350779
Team Administrator: Liz Norbury: 01736 756377
Office opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday 2pm to 5.30pm
Wednesday 9.30am to 5.30pm, Friday 9am to 11am
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