Parish Magazine February 2009

The Ven. David Garnett The Vicarage, Edensor, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PH Tel: 01246 582130 (Church website - www.stpetersedensor.org) February 2009 Dear Friends Sometimes we waken up in the night. Something is on our mind. And our worries always seem worst in the middle of the night! I often think February can be like that. Christmas and New Year celebrations are over and the sunshine seems a long way off. Mercifully it is the shortest month of the year. Apart from our own personal worries there are also international and national concerns, e.g. the fighting in the Middle East, the plight of Africa and the world economic recession. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs or are fearful of losing them. Many people have said to me they are hoping the new president of the USA will make a difference and bring a lessening of tensions between the east and the west. Let us pray for this and for all politicians. A man was looking at an epitaph in a cemetery, which read, “Here lies an honest man and a politician”. “Shame”, the man muttered to himself: “two people in the same grave”! But, we do need honesty and good religion in our leaders and politicians. I suggest that it has been an absence of honesty and religion that lies behind the present economic recession. Desmond Tutu has said that the God of the Bible is a political God. “This is a moral universe, which means that despite all the evidence to the contrary, there is no way that evil and injustice and oppression and lies can have the last word. God is a God who cares about right and wrong. God cares about justice and injustice. God is in charge.” Though I do sometimes wish God could make it a little more obvious! Could it be because as Tutu said, “the world is going to have to learn the fundamental lesson that we are made for harmony, for interdependence. If we are ever to truly prosper, it will only be together”? It is God’s will that all humankind should be delivered from injustice, hunger and other forms of atrocities. From societies which are marked by economic exploitation, political oppression and often false religious legitimation for it.

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The Ten Commandments and the radical legislation of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) were designed to prevent such a world. The God of the Bible is political in the broadest sense of the word. For politics is about the proper shaping of society, marked by freedom, social justice, wellbeing, peace and wholeness. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me”. You can’t have politics without God. And you can’t have God without politics! So let us pray for our leaders and politicians and if needs be challenge them. And remember, it is better to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. A prayer

Lead us from death to life from falsehood to truth Lead us from despair to hope from fear to trust Lead us from hate to love from war to peace.

Yours ever, David ASH WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 9.30 am HOLY COMMUNION

Useful Telephone Numbers St. Anne’s Wardens:Treasurer:St. Peter’s Wardens:Treasurer:-

Rupert Turner Vernon Mather Gloria Sherwood

01629 732794 01629 732317 01629 732983

Elizabeth Bradshaw 01246 582421 Duncan Gordon 01629 734099 Mark Titterton 01246 582245 e-mail: [email protected]

St. Peter’s Church 100 Club December 2008 1st prize £30 no. 45 Marjorie Bowness 2nd prize £20 vacant number £45 + £20 = £65 to Church funds this month There are still a few vacant numbers available. 2

DATES TO NOTE 10 Feb 14 Feb 18 Feb

23 Feb

BEELEY WI Monthly Meeting 7.30pm Village Hall 18th Century Rural Life – talk by David Spencer SKIP: - Baslow Council Houses 7.45-8.15 Nether End Car Park 8.20-10.45 CHATSWORTH WI monthly meeting 7.30pm in the Cavendish Annexe “Penny Bun” Kath & Geoff Deighton ‘ Humorous songs & poems’ competition – a handmade Valentine Card flowers & parcel – Mrs Wilkinson teas – Mrs Beauchamp/Mrs Newbould vote of thanks – Mrs Wilkinson Beeley Parish Council Meeting – 7.30pm in the Village Hall Members of the public welcome to attend

CHURCHYARD RECORDS UPDATE 2008 Once again we are pleased to report that the records for Edensor churchyard have been updated. There was not quite so much to do this year. Our thanks go to Pat Eades, Margaret Jackson and Anne Williams for their continued help. We would also like to thank David Eades for his help with the computer work. He has further agreed to take over the computing work in the future, for which we are most grateful. Margaret Thomas & Christine Bemrose

THE COUNTESS and EARL OF DEVONSHIRE [Edensor & Chatsworth] CHARITY Young persons between school leaving age and under 25 years of age who are resident in the Parishes of Edensor & Chatsworth may apply for financial assistance towards the cost of preparing for entry into a profession, trade or calling. This may include provision for further education. Applications are invited with immediate effect. applications is Monday 16th March 2009.

The closing date for

All grants are at the discretion of the Trustees and Application Forms for grants can be obtained from the clerk: Mr I T Else Estate Office Edensor Tel: 01246 565300 Email: - [email protected] 3

Reader feedback Parish Magazines Following on from the article on parish magazines, Tom Symonds, previous vicar of Edensor, discovered that the first Edensor magazine was produced in 1917 by the then vicar the Reverend Ellison. He set a press up in the laundry of the Old Vicarage, and printed it himself. He was at Edensor for only a short time. His son Gerald Ellison became Bishop of London.

Lambeth Palace Library opens virtual doors A new-look website has just been launched that will help Lambeth Palace Library share even more of its 1,000 years of history. The outstanding collections of Lambeth Palace Library, the historic library and record office of the Archbishops of Canterbury and the principal repository of the history of the Church of England, are now more accessible with the launch of the Library's newly redesigned website which can be found at: www.lambethpalacelibrary.org Approximately 20,000 visitors per month currently visit the website, and Library staff hope the revamp will see this number increase. The Library is housed within the grounds of Lambeth Palace and is open to the public, full details can be found on the website.

Free resource for delving deeper into the Bible released by Bible Society Christians can now reconnect with the Bible using a resource based on an ancient Scripture reading method – Lectio Divina.

Available as a free download from Bible Society’s website, the booklet takes the reader through Mark’s Gospel week by week for a whole year. It puts Bible verses in the context they were written and, to help the reader understand Lectio Divina also encourages personal and prayerful reflection on the passage.

Lectio Divina (Latin for ‘spiritual reading’) follows a four-step approach - reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. The resource was released by Bible Society to encourage Christians to reconnect with God through the Bible’s life-changing message.

The booklet is available free as a download from www.biblesociety.org.uk/lectio

Rice A man who had been dating a girl for a number of years took her out to a Chinese restaurant. As they studied the menu he asked: “How would you like your rice, fried or boiled?” She looked at him sadly. “Thrown.” 4

Wake up to the Bible David Winter, former Head of Religious Broadcasting for the BBC, now a retired priest in the Oxford Diocese ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known’ (1:18).

There’s one in just about every home on a shelf behind the TV, or up in Grannie’s room. It’s normally only got out when a crossword clue needs to be solved, or someone’s got a question wrong on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ It may be the world’s best-selling book, but if it is, it’s the world’s least read best-seller. Even regular churchgoers tend to keep it for Sundays, not for the rough and tumble of everyday life.

See the Bible like that and many of the problems people raise about it are answered. Yes, there’s a lot of violence and bloodshed. There are some fairly crazy ideas at times about what men and women thought God wanted them to do. But there is also the thrill of the search and the wonder of discovery - above all, the amazing idea that the One who made us, loves us.

And that’s a pity, because for Christians the Bible is the primary key to understanding ourselves, the world we live in, and our Creator. It is the story of our search for God, and his search for us. Slowly, painfully, and with dawning clarity the picture emerges.

Perhaps the time has come to rescue that copy of the Bible from the bookshelf and take it seriously enough to read it. There are many helps for those who want to start reading the Bible regularly, including daily readings and notes. But the main thing is the intention. Many people will say that they’d like to find out what’s in the Bible ‘one day’. Well, if it is what it claims to be - the key to the search for truth - then it would be a tragedy to have it in our homes and not even bother to find out what it says. Perhaps ‘one day’ is now?

First one tribe, then a nation, record in its pages their experience of God. They don’t always get it right, but it’s an honest search and God rewards it. Because, while people were searching for God, he was searching for them. That’s the Bible’s story, which reaches its amazing climax in the coming of Jesus, the Son of God. As John’s Gospel puts it, ‘No one has Smile…. Manner of speaking

“Are your father and your mother in?” asked the vicar when the small boy opened the door. “They was in,” said the youngster. “But they is out.” “'They was in. They is out. ' Where’s your grammar, young man?” “She’s gone upstairs, for a nap.” 5

2nd February - The Presentation of Christ in the Temple/ Candlemas In bygone centuries, Christians said World, and early Christians developed their last farewells to the Christmas the tradition of lighting many candles season on Candlemas, 2 February. in celebration of this day. The Church This is exactly 40 days after Christmas also fell into the custom of blessing Day itself. the year’s supply of candles for the church on this day - hence the name, In New Testament times 40 days old Candlemas. was an important age for a baby boy: it was when they made their first The story of how Candlemas began ‘public appearance’. Mary, like all can be found in Luke 2:22-40. good Jewish mothers, went to the Simeon’s great declaration of faith and Temple with Jesus, her first male child recognition of who Jesus was is of - to “present him to the Lord”. At the course found in the Nunc Dimittis, same time, she, as a new mother, was which is embedded in the Office of ‘purified’. Thus we have the Festival Evening Prayer in the West. But in of the Presentation of Christ in the medieval times, the Nunc Dimittis was Temple. mostly used just on this day, during the distribution of candles before the So where does the Candlemas bit Eucharist. Only gradually did it win a come in? Jesus is described in the place in the daily prayer life of the New Testament as the Light of the Church. 25th February - Ash Wednesday Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. 2:8, 30:19; Isaiah 58:5; Jeremiah 6:26; But why 'Ash' Wednesday? The Jonah 3:6) reason has to do with getting things right between you and God, and the In the very early Christian Church, the tradition goes right back to the Old yearly 'class' of penitents had ashes Testament. sprinkled over them at the beginning of Lent. They were turning to God for In the Old Testament, the Israelites the first time, and mourning their sins. often sinned. When they finally came But soon many other Christians to their senses, and saw their evil ways wanted to take part in the custom, and as God saw them, they could do to do so at the very start of Lent. They nothing but repent in sorrow. They heeded Joel's call to 'rend your hearts mourned for the damage and evil they and not your garments' (Joel 2:12-19). had done. As part of this repentance, Ash Wednesday became known as they covered their heads with ashes. either the 'beginning of the fast' or ‘the For the Israelites, putting ashes on day of the ashes’. your head, and even rending your clothes, was an outward sign of their The collect for today goes back to the heart-felt repentance and Prayer Book, and stresses the acknowledgement of sin. (See penitential character of the day. It Genesis 18:27; 2 Samuel 13:19; Job encourages us with the reminder of the 6

Today, throughout the Church of England, receiving the mark of ashes on one’s forehead is optional. Certainly the mark of ashes on the forehead reminds people of their mortality: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return..." (Genesis 3:19)

readiness of God to forgive us and to renew us. The Bible readings for today are often Joel 2:1-2, 12 – 18, Matthew 6: 1-6,16 – 21 and Paul’s moving catalogue of suffering, "as having nothing and yet possessing everything." (2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10)

The late medieval custom was to burn the branches used on Palm Sunday in the previous year in order to create the ashes for today.

The actual custom of 'ashing' was abolished at the Reformation, though the old name for the day remained.

The Collect for Ash Wednesday Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: create and make in us new and contrite hearts

that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen

Here to Worship (Daphne Kitching) (bearing in mind Mt 4:10) First church member I didn’t like the hymns much, Or those modern tunes, did you? And as for Common Worship – Give me 1662.

Second church member This worship is so boring, Rigid, staid, un-free, Old hymns, old prayers, old everything, So un-cool, so un-me

Both members together We really love you Father God, And want to learn to love you more, So, please, will you remind us Who this Act of Worship’s for? As this month we remember the birth of Charles Darwin If a watch proves the existence of a watchmaker but the universe does not prove the existence of a great architect, then I consent to be called a fool. – Francois M Voltaire No philosophical theory which I have yet come across is a radical improvement on the words of Genesis, that ‘in the beginning God made heaven and earth.’ – C S Lewis Modern evolutionary secularism provides no foundation for valuing human life. - R C Sproul 7

A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations’ International Year of the Child. This series of articles will highlight some of the children and young people we meet in the Bible. Ishmael & Isaac: The story of these two half-brothers is found very early in the Bible, in Genesis 17 and 21. Abraham was their father but while Isaac was Sarah’s, Abraham’s wife’s, son, Ishmael was the son of Sarah’s maid, Hagar. God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have children but after many years they were still childless. Sarah than suggested that Abraham should have children by her maid Hagar and as soon as Hagar was pregnant, the trouble started. Sarah was jealous of Hagar and forced Abraham to send her away. God protected Hagar and told her to return to Abraham’s house. There her son Ishmael was born and God promised that he would be the progenitor of a great nation (17:20). Some years later Abraham had a son by Sarah, Isaac, and the tensions in Abraham’s home became unbearable. Ishmael mocked Isaac, and Sarah again demanded that Hagar and her son should be sent away. God provided for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness and renewed his promise that Ishmael would be the father of a mighty nation. Ishmael and Isaac were to have significant destinies. Ishmael became the father of the Arab nations while Isaac became the father of the nation of Israel. Down the long centuries, and at the present time, the conflict between Jews and Arabs is a constant reminder of how it all began. Abraham and Sarah failed to wait for God’s promise to be realised and so Hagar and Ishmael enter the story. The two half-brothers grew up in a home full of tension, bitterness and hatred – and sadly, the legacy continues to this day. Dr Herbert McGonigle is Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology and Church History in Nazarene Theological College, Didsbury, Manchester.

Where are your grown up children? Did your children grow up, move out, and then – move right back home again? If so, your family is not unusual. Young adults in their 20s in Britain are twice as likely to move back home to live with their parents as those elsewhere in Europe, according to a recent study. Among 20 to 24 year-olds, 58 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women now live with their parents, according to the Office for National Statistics. The high cost of housing and the continuing economic crisis are key factors in this. So your new job gives you lots of freedom? Absolutely. I get here any time I want before 8am, and leave just when I please after 5pm 8

ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD -famous conversions in the history of the Christian Church St Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) is generally recognised as one of the greatest thinkers, theologians and bishops the Church has ever had. Not to be confused with the later Augustine of Canterbury, Augustine was born in Thagaste (modern Algiers) in North Africa and brought up in a home where his mother Monica was a devout Christian. His father was a pagan for most of his life. Augustine was a bright boy who did excellently at his local school and then went on to advanced studies in the great Christian centre, Carthage. It was there, however, as an enquiring teenager that he fell in with worldly companions and began to sample forbidden fruit. He lived with a girl by whom he had a son, much to his mother’s grief. During these years, he confessed later, he was captivated by the love of learning, the lusts of the flesh and pride in his academic success. Later he moved to Rome, then to a professorship in Milan. There he began to attend the cathedral where Bishop Ambrose was the preacher. His mother Monica followed him to Italy and continued to pray constantly for her son’s conversion. When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus he said that the moving of the Spirit is like the wind and we don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. Monica hoped that Ambrose’s preaching would be the means of Augustine’s conversion and certainly Augustine greatly admired Ambrose and found him a godly man and his intellectual equal. But the wind of the Spirit blew from an unexpected quarter. On an August Sunday in 386AD Augustine was visiting a friend’s home in Milan. In his Confessions, his later-written autobiography, he tells us that as he walked in the garden that Sunday he heard the sound of children’s voices as they played games in a neighbour’s garden. He thought he heard the words tolle legge, tolle legge, which meant ‘Take up and read.’ He walked into the summerhouse, picked up a Latin Bible and it fell open at Romans 13:12. ‘The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.’ Augustine believed and in that moment he was converted to a living, vital faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour. There was no light shining from heaven or the audible voice of God as in Paul’s experience but it was Augustine’s Damascus Road. The wind of the Spirit transformed the proud and ambitious academic and in the years to come he would emerge as the greatest Father and theologian of the Early Church. Dr Herbert McGonigle is Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology and Church History in Nazarene Theological College, Didsbury, Manchester.

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What are people like in your street? Have you ever noticed that people often find what they look for in other people? Gary Bowness tells the following ‘parable’.... A family was having to move house because of the husband's job. They'd been living in London and were moving into our area. After much searching, they found just the right house for them.

After much searching, they found just the right house for them. On their last visit to make final arrangements, they asked the estate agent who was selling the house, what people were like around here. Since they'd never lived in these parts before, they wanted to know what to expect.

On their visit to make final arrangements, they asked the estate agent who was selling the house what people were like around here. Since they'd never lived in these parts before, they wanted to know what to expect.

The estate agent paused and asked: ‘What are people like where you live now?’ The family answered: ‘They're wonderful; we'll be so sorry to leave our neighbours, everyone looks out for one another, you can always rely on people to help when needed. There is a real community spirit.’

The estate agent paused, and then asked: ‘What are people like where you live now?’ They answered: ‘They're awful; no one seems to want to help anyone else, no one will stop for a chat. You can't rely on people, they're rotten neighbours. We'll be glad to leave.’

The estate agent said: ‘Well in that case I’ve got good news for you. The people around here are exactly like that, too. ‘

The estate agent said: ‘Sadly, they're exactly like that here, too.’ And when the new family moved in, sure enough, they found that it was true. No one helped them, everyone kept themselves to themselves, and there was no community spirit. They were as lonely as they'd been in London.

And when the second family moved into the same road as the first family, they found that it was true. The neighbours were lovely, people were welcoming and kind and reliable. The new family were so happy to have moved there. Jesus said: "As you judge others, so you will yourselves be judged and whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt to you."

By chance, another family also had to move house from London to the same road up here only a few weeks later.

So - what are people like in your neighbourhood? A thought for Valentine’s Day The Christian is supposed to love his neighbour, and since his wife is his nearest neighbour, she should be his deepest love. – Martin Luther 10

What is Cursillo? by Norman Pacey , editor of the York Diocese Cursillo movement newsletter.

Cursillo is a way of bringing Christians together and equipping them more fully, sensitively and creatively for their life with Christ in the world.

the whole weekend and beyond. There is a 24/7 vigil round the world of people praying for the participants and staff on the weekend. On the Saturday, the evening meal is a banquet when there is a chance to dress up and relax. Then the evening reaches a prayerful climax in a Service of Light.

It all began in the 1940s in Majorca. This Spanish word means a short course – course in the sense of an athletes’ track. Groups of young Christian men started meeting together for fellowship, going on to arrange weekends where Christians could be built up in their faith. And from these small beginnings Cursillo has now spread massively to other countries and denominations

On the Sunday morning, the staff gather together with the participants for singing and presentations. After lunch the final talk of the day, given by the Lay Rector, outlines what happens next. The weekend is a beginning, not an end in itself. Next comes the “Fourth Day” – the rest of our lives, with many opportunities to serve God and put our faith into practice. Not forgetting the importance of meeting together – in small groups locally and then in joyful celebrations at diocesan level and a yearly national coming together.

A Cursillo weekend follows a set structure: Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon – often described as following Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday. Over the three days the participants are encouraged to look closely at their faith through a series of questions such as ‘What am I doing here’, ‘What does God want of me?’, ‘What does Christ see in me?’, ‘What do I see in Christ?’, ‘What is Christ saying to me?’

Cursillo might not be for you, but perhaps it is for someone you know! Perhaps it is worth investigating anyway. It is supported by many clergy and bishops and has been endorsed by the Archbishops of York and Canterbury. To find out if your diocese is involved, go to www.ukcursillo.org and click on the ‘Links’ page.

Clergy and laity, each adding their own experience in a set framework, give a series of talks. Participants are given the opportunity to discuss what they have heard and respond in various creative ways. Prayer covers

Valentine present Man in car showroom: “I’ve come back to buy that car you showed me yesterday.” Sales assistant: “That’s fine, I thought you’d be back. Tell me, what was the dominant feature which made you decide on this car?” “My wife.” 11

Back to the Parish Magazine…

What have church magazines in common with wooden spoons? In the 150 years since the Rev J. Erskine Clarke launched what is thought to be the first ‘parish magazine’ on the world, they have grown, expanded, and diversified. Nowadays church magazines come in all styles. Some aim at their communities, while others are more specifically church-focused.

But amidst all the variety, one thing remains the same: each church magazine is based on a real local church, aiming at its very own local readers. It is (or should be) unpretentious. You could almost call it ‘folk literature’.

Over the years, church magazines have run from one page in length to a whopping 48 – or more – pages. Whereas once stout-hearted parishioners laboured long hours with the stencil duplicator, nowadays many press a few buttons and presto: full colour laser work.

On Flog-It (BBC-2 22 September last) Paul Martin visited a specialist workshop in Tenby and made himself a love spoon in the local tradition. Contemplating his handiwork, ‘It’s slightly naïve,’ he admitted. ‘But there’s a lot of heart and soul in it. And that’s what it’s about in folk art.’ That’s what the church magazine should be, too.

Church magazines come in all prices. They have ranged from ¼d, to 35p to £1 to totally free. Some have adverts to help towards costs; others eschew such worldly methods. Some are crammed full of information: a glorious jumble of material squeezed in anywhere. Others are meticulously organized, and expansively laid out, with 50% white space.

There’s the apocryphal story of the Archdeacon who, when asked what he thought of church magazines, replied: ‘If ever I see one,’ he replied, ‘I burn it before it can do any more harm’. He was obviously missing the point: yes, church magazines may be slightly naïve, but what does it matter? Just so long as they have ‘local heart and soul’.

What do our readers think of ‘The Bridge’? (polite answers, please!)

Why sticks are no fetching matter Next time you begin a game of ‘fetch’ with your dog, be careful. Many vets now warn against using a stick, because it can seriously damage your dog. Sticks are often sharp and dirty, and can easily damage a dog’s mouth and throat. There are horrific stories told of piercings, which lead to extensive bleeding, infections, and even death. Instead, vets encourage people to use a ball (too large for your dog to swallow), or a rubber toy, such as a Frisbee. One family who ignored the advice, ended up paying £5,000 in vet fees – and still their dog died. 12

Across 1 ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can — it?’ (John 6:60) (6) 4 ‘As a bride — herself with her jewels’ (Isaiah 61:10) (6) 8 ‘Bless those who — you, pray for those who ill-treat you’ (Luke 6:28) (5) 9 ‘He was a — man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures’ (Acts 18:24) (7) 10 Not properly aligned (3,4) 11 Lo, Ben (anag.) (5) 12 ‘All the — of the Egyptians died’ (Exodus 9:6) (9) 17 Advantage (Daniel 11:27) (5) 19 ‘That — serpent called the devil’ (Revelation 12:9) (7) 21 ‘The — took the men into Joseph’s house’ (Genesis 43:24) (7) 22 I bade (anag.) (5) 23 ‘And the — with his sickle at harvest’ (Jeremiah 50:16) (6) 24 ‘Remember the — from which you have fallen!’ (Revelation 2:5) (6) Down 1 Used to secure a ship at sea (Acts 27:13) (6) 2 ‘Be very — , then, how you live’ (Ephesians 5:15) (7)3 Portion (Luke 24:42) (5) 5 ‘Let not my heart be — — what is evil’ (Psalm 141:4) (5,2) 6 Rhythm and Blues (1,3,1) 7 ‘He said to his sons, “ — the donkey for me”’ (1 Kings 13:13) (6) 9 Source of illumination (Daniel 5:5) (9) 13 ‘Two of them were going to a — called Emmaus’ (Luke 24:13) (7) 14 ‘Remember the Sabbath day by — it holy’ (Exodus 20:8) (7) 15 Roman Emperor (John 19:15) (6) 16 ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight — ’ (Acts 9:11) (6) 18 Stadium (1 Corinthians 4:9) (5) 20 ‘Day and night will never — ’ (Genesis 8:22) (5) (Answers can be found on page 20)

The birds and the bees As you plan the garden this year, spare a thought for the remaining residents of your flowerbeds, pond and trees. Here are some sobering statistics from the chairman of Natural England: Bumble bees: the number of species in lowland Britain has halved since 1950. Hedgehogs: are losing an estimated fifth of their population every four years. House sparrows: have declined by 68 per cent in the UK since 1977. Moths and butterflies: numbers are declining rapidly; moths by nearly a third since 1968. Frogs: loss of ponds and habitats means just one thing: loss of frogs! 13

Reviews

Sixty-Minute Debt Buster By Katie Clarke and Rob Parsons, Lion Hudson, £6.99 Millions of consumers worldwide have become trapped in a vicious spiral of debt. In the UK alone, the average owed by adults is GBP £29,747, a sum which grows at a painfully high rate. But what can be done about it? It so easily gets out of control and there comes a point when you just don't think you'll ever get out of it. But there is hope. In this book Katie Clark and Rob Parsons guide you through the smart way to get out of debt and transform your finances. In sixty minutes.

Why Go to Church? The Drama of the Eucharist – the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2009 By Timothy Radcliffe, Church House Publishing, £9.99 The Eucharist, writes Timothy Radcliffe, is a three-part drama, forming us in faith, hope and love. In this book he examines what it means to celebrate the Eucharist. While other people experience it as boring and pointless, listening to the readings, the homily and the creed all take us through the crises and challenges of faith. From the offertory through to the end of the Eucharistic prayer we are caught up in the hope that was Christ's, faced with Good Friday. From the Our Father until we are sent on our way, especially in receiving communion, we are formed as people who are capable of love.

Fasting and Feasting: Daily Bible readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day By Gordon Giles, BRF, £7.99 We know that food and drink are fundamental to life, yet how many of us have ever thought about what the Bible has to say on the subject? This book of daily Bible readings for Lent takes food as its focus, an ideal topic for the traditional time in the Church’s year when our thoughts may turn to the spiritual discipline of fasting or at least abstaining from food and drink in some way. In the affluent West it is easy to take food for granted, and forget that God may call us to account in this as well as other areas of our lives. After all, ‘you are what you eat’, as the saying goes. The Lenten fast concludes with the Easter feast, and along the way this book examines not only both fasting and feasting, but a range of wider issues from hospitality to our stewardship of the world’s resources. We also spend time reflecting on the two great symbolic meals of Old and New Testaments – the Passover and the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the celebration of Holy Communion. A final section of material includes suggestions for an Agape (fellowship) meal in Holy Week. 14

SERVICES & ROTAS FOR FEBRUARY 2009 St. Anne’s, Beeley Flowers 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 25 Feb 1 Mar

9.30am 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am

Holy Communion Mrs Evans Holy Communion 2.30pm Evensong " " Holy Communion Mrs K Reeve Holy Communion 2.30pm Evensong " " Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday at St. Peter’s Holy Communion No flowers in Lent

St. Peter’s, Edensor Sidesmen 10.30am Holy Communion R Bemrose/Jayne Boyd 10.30am Holy Communion Mrs Thomas/Mrs Bemrose 10.30am Matins Mr & Mrs Gordon 10.30am Holy Communion Mr & Mrs Jackson 9.30 am Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday 10.30am Holy Communion Mr &Mrs Machin Coffee Cleaning Flowers 1 Feb Mrs Bradshaw Mrs Machin/Mrs Thomas/M Pinder Liz Bradshaw 8 Feb Mr & Mrs Dempsey -------------------------------------Mrs Penrose 15 Feb Clive & Joy Thrower Mr & Mrs Jackson " " 22 Feb Mrs D Cooper/Mrs J Clarke ------------------------to be arranged 1 Mar Pat Cree Mr & Mrs Wardle No flowers - Lent 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 25 Feb 1 Mar

Readings at St. Peter’s Epistle Gospel Reader 1 Feb Malachi 3. 1-5 Luke 2. 22-40 David Jackson Candlemas 8 Feb Isaiah 40. 21-31 Mark 1. 29-39 John Bowns 3 before Lent Christ the Healer 15 Feb Genesis 1. 1-3 & 24-31a -------------------------Roger Wardle 2 before Lent Creation 22 Feb 2 Corinthians 4. 3-6 Mark 9. 2-9 Molly Marshall Sunday before Lent Transfiguration ‘The Bridge’ Parish Magazine –60p per copy (£7.20 per year) Items for inclusion in the March magazine should reach me by Monday 9th February. e-mail:[email protected] Your 2009 subscription for ‘The Bridge’ is now due Across: 1 Accept 4 Adorns 8 Curse 9 Learned 10 Off beam 11 Nobel 12 Livestock 17 Avail 19 Ancient 21 Steward 22 Abide 23 Reaper 24 Height

Down: 1 Anchor 2 Careful 3 Piece 5 Drawn to 6 R and B 7 Saddle 9 Lampstand 13 Village 14 Keeping 15 Caesar 16 Street 18 Arena 20 Cease

This crossword reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, was originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon (£6.99 BRF)

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