ST MARY THE VIRGIN & ALL SOULS PARISH CHURCH BULWELL

THE HILLBULWELL PARISH MAGAZINEMay 2020 Vol. 149 No 5

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On her twelfth birthday, Cornelia Jefferson Randolph received a letter from her grandfather that she would often reread. Thomas Jefferson, one time president of the USA, told his granddaughter that the ‘Canons of Conduct in Life’ were:

1. Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today2. Never trouble another with what you can do yourself3. Never spend your money before you have it4. Never buy a thing you do not want because it is cheap5. Take care of your cents. Dollars will take care of themselves6. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold7. We never repent of eating too little8. Nothing is troublesome that one does willingly9. When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count

to one hundred

These ‘Canons’ show Jefferson’s high regard for the ideals of perseverance, moderation, patience and respect and give a good foundation for living. Cultivating them and living them is at least as difficult now as in Thomas Jefferson’s day, but they are still worthy goals.

Teach me Your way, O Lord (Psalm 86:11)

God bless you; keep safe and keep well

Fr A

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YOUR VICAR WRITES

A Prayer for Those Who Are Ill with Coronavirus

Father God,I come before you to pray for those who are infected with the Coronavirus. I pray for not only their healing, but for them to be comforted while they heal. Lord, please eradicate every ounce of this virus from their bodies. Please heal every cell in their bodies, every infected part of their being. I pray for no lasting effects in their bodies from this illness. Heal them inside and provide them with the medical care they need. And heal them not only physically but spiritually, so that they may live life abundantly.In Jesus’ name, Amen

A Prayer for Those Who Are Worried about the Spread of the Coronavirus

Father God,The Bible reminds us that perfect love casts out all fear, and we pray your perfect love upon the hearts of all those who are burdened with fear of this virus. Lord, you are bigger than the threat of anything, especially illnesses. Please comfort any who are living in fear; please free folk from the bondage that anxiety can create. Lord, you are the Prince of Peace. Help people who are living in unease to trust you in this time so that in times to come they may know that you will be faithful even until the end of time. For Your burden is light, your yoke is easy, and you cover us with Your wings.In Jesus’ name, Amen

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A Prayer for Those Treating the SickFather God, We pray for all those who are caring for the sick, and we thank you for them. We pray that you would be their source of rest, their source of replenishment when they are weary, and we pray that you would be their source of hope in such overwhelming times. Bless all our caregivers. Protect their health, that they may not fall ill. Protect them against the germs of coronavirus, and help those who are giving to be protected as they nurse others back to health. In Jesus’ name, Amen

A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says, “She is gone.” Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all; she is just as large as when I saw her. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me and not in her, and just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She is gone”, there are others who are watching her coming, and other voices take up a glad shout, “There she comes!” And that is dying. (Bishop Brent)

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AN INSIGHT INTO DYING

When, as a child, I laughed and wept, time crept.When, as a youth, I dreamed and talked, time walked.When I became a full-grown man, time ran.And later, as I older grew, time flew.Soon I shall find, while travelling on, time gone.

Will Christ have saved my soul by then?

Hello everyone Many blessings to you all, As you know the Dust busters who volunteer to clean St Mary's once a week have now been doing so for 1 year now so I would like to say

many thanks to all of you who have helped your hard work has been very much appreciated. Unfortunately, over the last 7 months there has been a very big drop in the numbers, some weeks only 1 person is here to clean the church and some weeks there are 2-3 people once again many thanks. So I would like to know if anybody is able to come and help on a Tuesday

between 10 - 11am. St Mary's cannot clean itself, it does need a helping hand from time to time and any time you can spare would be greatly appreciated Many thanks and God bless you all Lindsey

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WORDS ON THE CLOCK IN CHESTER CATHEDRAL

DUSTBUSTERS AT ST MARY’S For You to think about in the months ahead

Bishop Tony’s farewell videoThe planned farewell service for Bishop Tony at Southwell Minster had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic; it should have been held March 22nd but will now hopefully take place at some point in the autumn.Instead of the service, the diocese filmed a video of Bishop Tony and his wife Lucille in conversation with Bishop Paul, talking about life, faith and their work in the diocese.Watch the video on Southwell & Nottingham diocese websiteNote: The video was made before the coronavirus advice from the Government ordering people to stay at home.

Coronavirus updateUpdates, resources and guidance on the coronavirus pandemic are available on the website of Southwell & Nottingham Diocese

Following the Government’s advice to stay at home, there is advice on livestreaming from home to help churches continue with their ministry. There are also mental health resources and suggestions for prayer and liturgy. It is being updated regularly so please keep checking in

Bishop’s video messageWe are inspired by a love that drives out fear and a hope that can never be diminished, says Bishop Paul in a video message to the diocese during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the video on the Southwell & Nottingham Diocese website

City and county support hubsThere is now a hub for Nottingham city and Nottinghamshire where

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INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE DIOCESE PREPARED BY NICOLA MELLORS

groups and individuals can register their offers of support, and where individuals can flag that they need support as the coronavirus epidemic develops. Any spontaneous local support groups should get registered.The information for Nottinghamshire County Council (includes all districts):Alternatively, you can call the Customer Service Centre on 0300 500 8080 between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Some Common English Phrases that Originate from the Bible Nothing but skin and bones and By the skin of your teeth - from Job 19:19-20 (NIV). "All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth." Rise and Shine - from Isaiah 60:1 (NIV). "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." Eat, Drink and Be Merry - from Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NKJV). "So I commend enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him …all the days of his life." Wit’s End - from Psalm 107:27 (NIV). "They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wit’s end." 

 

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This day had been planned by Liam and Helen as the day for Aurora to be baptised at St Mary’s. Due to the unforeseen circumstances of

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SUNDAY 3 MAY 2020

the pandemic the baptism did not take place. Liam had written the following words, which Fr A thought we could all share.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. We welcome God into our lives.

We welcome you all being here today to be a part of something so special not just for us but for the other Baptisms. We thank Fr Andrew for this wonderful ceremony that warmed our hearts with his inspiring words, not only his words but his acts of kindness which have touched not only me but those around him.

With each passing night particles from the sun carried by the solar wind bursting across the coldness of space hitting atoms and molecules here on Earth’s atmosphere with the Suns radiation reflecting off earth’s albedo from ionization and excitation of the earth’s atmosphere, part of that energy gets absorbed and reflected off the electrons and protons , giving off a spectacle of light brightening each night like the glowing of a rose with an array of colours Green, pink, orange, violet, splashing across the star filled sky with an exuberance of natural light

Aurora Borealis.

A miracle is what seems impossible but happens anyway. we often overlook them and complain they don't happen, but they do, happening all around us. Aurora is our miracle which makes the stars glow.

With each passing night leading unto a new dawn. Aurora wins our hearts, at the end of the day the light fades, the stars wake up and look down and they can't stop smiling for our hearts are crying with joy.

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We all may be the ghost of our children's future or with how our parents are the ghosts of our past. I often contemplate what good am I, but a voice inside tells me " We are young but too soon we grow old" the choices we make, to face each day with both eyes open wide... not doubting the answers lies within us. Allowing us to make those colours in the night sky glow even brighter.

Auroras voice makes our heart cry with joy when we wake up, seeing her Life through our eyes and in turn Aurora seeing our life through hers. We may not always be able to protect her from the army of spears of a nettle, when she falls... it would be disingenuous to pretend, we can protect her from a broken heart...

Nevertheless

Aurora will look back remembering her holidays in the summer, the Christmases she will have had with her family opening her presents to the stocking on the wall, the friends she played and grew up with, being with people she loves and that love her, swinging on a swing hanging down from an old oak tree by the river, riding a bike, to her first word not to mention getting into all kind of trouble... inspiring us as we puzzle her as she learns about life. These are Memories knowing the love in her smile to connect with who she is, to trust herself. She won’t remember being on lock down, the country self-isolating from the Covid-19 epidemic, thankfully she is too young.

These written words stream from our heart, promising a journey to lead her to where we are.

What makes this special is what we take from our own journey, Helen and I have the chance to watch and be a part of Auroras journey.

Striving to live each day as it arrives through obstacles that will inevitably come our and her way. The time we have with each other is so precious Helen and I love each and every passing minute.

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We've noticed when we have kids you are no longer the star to the show, you’re the stage... sitting back basically doing what you do to give them the best chance possible, our hopes are that the light drives out the darkness, and the darkness doesn't extinguish it.

Stealing our hearts now and forever, I would like to thank everyone that's made this possible. Helen, Aurora, or I wouldn't be here if it was not the second chance you all gave me. I thank-you. The light can flicker and fade at our lowest....

We all would like everyone to look to their left, right, front, and back with each other. We all have the ability to fan the flame and keep it shining bright not just for Aurora, but for each other and through Gods love surrounding us. Helen and I thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts for being here today!

We want to say we love You Aurora with all our hearts

Daddy & Mummy 🥰

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A book for all and none (1883-1885), Friedrich Nietzsche famously proclaimed that “God is dead!” and many people took this to mean many different things. Some

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Unknown Author is Unknown Author is

IS GOD DEAD? PART1

interpreted that God was a biological being like man who had recently lost his life. Some interpreted that religion was no longer relevant due to the recent and rapidly discrediting of the claims the church had made about the world and universe. Many people have misunderstood the emotion of Nietzsche’s claim. They have claimed that Nietzsche proclaimed, “God is dead!” with glee but Nietzsche was saddened by his own proclamation. Nietzsche knew that the death of God was a terrible outcome. What Nietzsche actually meant by “God is dead!” is that the moral and ethical objective standards given and assumed by God had been abandoned and this, for Nietzsche, was a tragic event.

Nietzsche foresaw the outcome of the abandonment of such standards. He understood that without the objective standards from God, mankind was free to create its own moral standards. Without the hierarchy of morality, mankind was free to create its own moral hierarchy with any standard at the top of such hierarchy; objectively moral or not. We have seen the outcome of reconfiguring the moral standards God gave to us in the past. Hitler directly used Nietzsche’s work to justify his positions of genocide. If God was dead, Hitler should punish those who he pointed to as killing God in 1930s Germany, the Jews. And if God Is dead, we have to make our own path. In other words, we can do anything that pleases us. The acts of Stalin also demonstrate that Nietzsche was correct in both statement and dread. The communist movement in Russia attempted to replace God with the state. If the state is God, the state was justified in anything it did. So, killing between 20-60 million people in the name of the state is pretty easily justified when “God wills it” becomes “Stalin wills it”.

Luckily, as many people will believe, that won’t happen here in the west. We have Christian values in our law. Freedom and individualism come directly from God. In the US constitution, it states that “…these rights are self-evident and God-given…” and this

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is reflected in our laws and rights. Isn’t it? Look out for part two in the June Parish magazine.

The Central Council of Church Bellringers (CCCBR), is the body which represents the interests of all bellringers throughout the country. Through the Ringing World, the CCCBR had advised that, in compliance with the social distancing advice, all ringing should cease. Following on from that the government issued the official lockdown regulations including the requirement that all churches should remain closed for the time being. There have been several enquiries as to whether the ringing of a single bell should be permitted as they are only rung by one person, especially for Easter Sunday. It is clear from the UK Government that we are being asked to stay at home to help halt the spread of the corona virus and that all unnecessary journeys should cease. A statement by the Archbishops said, ‘Staying at home, and demonstrating solidarity with the rest of the country at this testing time, we believe, is the right way of helping and ministering to our nation.’ There were, therefore, no bells rung on Easter Sunday, throughout the country. This situation has probably not occurred since the days of the Commonwealth, led by Oliver Cromwell, banned the ringing of church bells, which the Government considered as un - Christian.

Here in Bulwell, and with our church Tower in the hands of the builders, ringing was not going to be possible in any event. I now note that the repair work is coming to an end, and some people may have observed that the church clock is now running again and chiming out over Bulwell. When the lockdown regulations end, I expect that we shall be able to access out tower to prepare for normal activities. A good deal of cleaning will be necessary and the ropes, which we took off for safety, will need to be replaced. Then

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THE TOWER

with church services reinstated we shall again be able to ring for Sunday services and our regular weekly practice.

Robert Naylor – Tower Captain.

I LOOK DOWN FROM THE TOWER AS YOU WALK UP THE CHURCH HILL - YOU ARE BEING WATCHED!

FUNERALS

21 April Aeron Jordon Williams (Wilford Hill)15

ST MARY’S PARISH REGISTERS

In our prayers we give thanks for his life and remember his loved ones in their grief, that they may know the peace of God.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

VICARFather Andrew Fisher 0115 9755358 - a.j. fisher@outlook .com

LLM (LICENSED LAY MINISTER)Anne Elphick 0115 9267007. anne.elphick303@gmail.com

CHURCHWARDENSEleanor Lang 0115 9277212 ellielang@btinternet.comRoy Hadfield 07747 015 624 royhadfield@hotmail.com

SENIOR SIDESPERSONSRichard Shaw Rosie Cheer Martin Walton Liz Dyer

ORGANIST Philip Miles 07512 355185 pmiles2001@gmail.com

CHURCHWARDEN EMERITUS Robert Naylor 0115 9161787

TOWER CAPTAIN Robert Naylor 0115 9161787

MAGAZINE EDITOR Jillian Naylor jillian.naylor@ntlworld.com

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