The Suggested donation 50p Parish Magazine...You can join from 5 minutes before the start time. To join by calling from your telephone Each week in the pew sheet, the number to call

The Parish Magazine

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May 2020

2 The Parish Magazine - May 2020

The Priory Church of the Holy TrinityMicklegateYorkYO1 6LE

Telephone: 01904 630518

Priest-in-ChargeVacant

Pastoral Assistant – Mark Kingaby-Daly07492 067803 / 01904 [email protected]

Churchwardens – Adam Kingaby-Daly01904 [email protected]

– Mark Wharfedale07595 [email protected]

Verger – Chloe Priest07729 [email protected]

Choir Director – Mark Wharfedale07595 [email protected]

Parochial Church Council – Lay Chair: Mark Wharfedale – Secretary & Safeguarding:

Mark Kingaby-Daly – Treasurer: Adam Kingaby-Daly

EDITORIAL DEADLINEDeadline for the

June issue is:25 May 2020 at 5.00 pm

Submissions to Mark Kingaby-Daly.

Jacob’s Well – To make a booking contact:01904 [email protected]

Holy Trinity and St Martins Ecclesiastical Trust

[email protected] 630518

Micklegate York Charitable [email protected] 630518

Website and Social Media – Website: www.holytrinityyork.org – Facebook: HolyTrinityYork – Twitter: HTMYork – Instagram: holytrinityyork

Parish contacts

The Parish Magazine - May 2020 3

In this edition

Worship at home 4Wednesday coffee mornings 4Parish letter 5Reflected Faith: the Gathered Church 6Ascension Day (21st May) 7Prayer resources during the lockdown 8A note from Adam 12Archbishop’s Easter message 13Our time in isolation 14The Micklegate York Charitable Trust 16Ways to give at Holy Trinity 17Francis’s voluntaries 18African Sisters update 20My favourite hymn 22VE Day – the end of World War II in Europe 23Leave your dandelions alone 24Book review: The Way of St Benedict 24Psalm 34 25God in the arts 26Helena: Protector of the Holy Places (21st May) 27Picture parable 28Colour-in 29Rogation Sunday (17th May) 30God in science 31Wordsearch 32Crossword 34Recipe : Banana Pumpkinseed bread 36Bible Bite 37Mouse Makes 38Sodoku 39


Worship at homeDuring this time, we have two ways you can join in prayer services from home or work. The good news of Jesus remains the same - so please join us.

The services are:• Sundays at 11am - Morning Prayer• Mondays at 7pm - Compline• Wednesdays at 12.15pm - Midday Prayer

You can join from 5 minutes before the start time.

To join by calling from your telephoneEach week in the pew sheet, the number to call will be listed. Calls are the same cost as those to 01 or 02 numbers and are included in any bundles or free minutes you have. If cost is an issue, please speak to Mark.

To join if you have internet accessGo to our Facebook page Holy Trinity York and watch the video. Once you are on the page, click on ‘live video’. If you have ‘liked’ our page, the video may also pop up on your news feed.

Pew sheet and service bookFor those at home, the pew sheet and service book will be posted to you. For those who have internet access, both can be downloaded from our website (half way down the page).

Wednesday coffee mornings

As we are all in our homes, our Wednesday coffee mornings are now on Zoom. You can join by telephone or from your computer or tablet. Come along and catch-up with everyone.

Dial-in number: 0131 460 1196Meeting ID: 788 838 668

Join from your computer or tablet: https://zoom.us/j/788838668


Parish letter

In these strangest of times we continue what has become known as lockdown. I am sure that we all recognise the need for this measure to counteract the spread of the coronavirus and the need for us all to play our part in social distancing. We can only hope and pray that it will not last too much longer and, more importantly, that the coronavirus will be brought under control and a vaccine found.

I am conscious that lockdown is putting many individuals and families under considerable pressure. What I have been enjoying is a daily walk on the Knavesmire and pottering around the allotment. The dawn chorus at the moment is splendid to listen to and helps during prayer time. But I know that for many this time of lockdown has led to loneliness and anxiety, and the loss of the usual routines for families has led to an increase in stress and conflict.

It seems to me that God is speaking to us very profoundly at the present time. It seems that we are being reminded about what is important in life, and what is of less importance. We are being challenged to reach out in love to those in most need. Perhaps there is a lesson to learn about living life at a slower pace and to making more time for what is important.

In the Gospel from this Sunday, two disciples have left Jerusalem head out confused and disheartened because they believe the death of Jesus on the cross has been a terrible failure. Their dreams are shattered. But then Jesus walks by their side, explains the Scriptures to them and their hearts burn within them.

We are cconfused and disheartened at the present time not knowing quite what the future holds. But this can be a time of encounter with the person of Jesus as it was for those disciples on the road to Emmaus. Be sure to keep an eye on our pew sheet and website for all that is on offer to help us to grow spiritually. Allow Jesus into your heart in a profoundly new way.

With love,Mark


Reflected Faith: the Gathered Church

Doesn’t the simple pleasure of going to church and exchanging the peace at Sunday worship seem long ago now? These days, we are not even allowed into our churches!

But we can take comfort when we think back to the Apostles who were commissioned to build God’s Church. After the first Pentecost, what did they do? They didn’t rush out and build church buildings. No! Rather the people gathered together, in their own homes.

Clearly, we can’t physically ‘gather’ just now, but we have the technology to ‘gather’ together, both in real time and at a later time. And it is important to do so. There is something powerful when we pray together rather than alone. Try phoning a friend with the same written prayer and saying it together. How does that feel? Any different from saying it on your own?

So, THE Church, which is alive and well in you and me, will find new ways to be together. After all, the early Christians had the added complication of being persecuted, often to death, for their faith. And yet they persisted.

Perhaps we could each sit at our dining table at a set time, with one or two items before us, such as a small glass of wine, a lit candle, stones, and a cross. Indeed, anything that reminds us of our Risen Saviour. We could then ‘share’ this time in praying the same prayers and knowing that we are part of an eternal fellowship that is only temporarily divided.

This month: What will you use to reflect and encourage your faith? What items naturally around your home would bring others to your mind, help you to concentrate and allow your spirit to fly with the Holy Spirit? Who will you be connecting with to pray?


Ascension Day (21st May)Forty days after Easter comes Ascension Day. These are the 40 days during which the Risen Christ appeared again and again to His disciples, following His death and resurrection. (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; and John 20.)

The Gospels give us little of Christ’s teachings and deeds during those 40 days. Jesus was seen by numerous of His disciples: on the road to Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee, in houses, etc. He strengthened and encouraged His disciples, and at last opened their eyes to all that the Scriptures had promised about the Messiah. Jesus also told them that as the Father had sent Him, He was now going to send them - to all corners of the earth, as His witnesses.

Surely the most tender, moving ‘farewell’ in history took place on Ascension Day. Luke records the story with great poignancy: ‘When Jesus had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands - and blessed them.’

As Christmas began the story of Jesus’ life on earth, so Ascension Day completes it, with His return to His Father in heaven. Jesus’ last act on earth was to bless His disciples. He and they had a bond as close as could be: they had just lived through three tumultuous years of public ministry and miracles – persecution and death – and resurrection! Just as we part from our nearest and dearest by still looking at them with love and memories in our eyes, so exactly did Jesus: ‘While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.’ (Luke 24:50-1) He was not forsaking them, but merely going on ahead to a kingdom which would also be theirs one day: ‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God...’ (John 20:17)

The disciples were surely the most favoured folk in history. Imagine being one of the last few people on earth to be face to face with Jesus, and have Him look on you with love. No wonder then that Luke goes on: ‘they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’ (Luke 24:52,53)

No wonder they praised God! They knew they would see Jesus again one day! ‘I am going to prepare a place for you... I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’ (John 14:2,3) In the meantime, Jesus had work for them to do: to take the Gospel to every nation on earth.


Prayer resources during the lockdown

Preserve us O Lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that while we are awake we may watch with Christ and when asleep

we may rest in peace.

The following pages contain some prayers that may be of help at this time.

Prayer requests

While the church is closed, if you have any particular prayer requests please let us know. Email: [email protected] Call: 01904 630518 Text: 07492 067803

Our partner charities

Please rememebr in your prayers:• The African Sisters of Mary in Tanzania and Zambia as they adapt to

cope with coronavirus in their orphanages, schools and health centres.• SASH in York supporting those aged 16-25 who are homeless during the

pandemic.• Child Bereveament UK supporting parents who have lost a child and

also children who have lost a parent.• Yorkshire Air Ambulance providing emergency medical treatment in

our region as some of its medics have been diverted to Nightingale Hospitals.

Prayers from The Book of Common Prayer

For hospitals & infirmariesAlmighty God, whose blessed Son went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness; Continue we beseech thee, this his gracious work among us, especially in the hospitals and infirmaries of our land; cheer, heal, and sanctify the sick; grant to the physicians, surgeons, and nurses wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; and send down thy blessing on all who labour to relieve suffering and to forward thy purposes of love;


through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those in affliction or distressAlmighty Father, be present, we beseech thee, with those who are in sorrow, in suffering, in sickness, or in distress; and be thou their abiding stay and succour; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Sick and SufferingHeavenly Father, we pray for the sick and suffering. Help them to know your love that they may seek strength from you, and find peace and healing in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For The BereavedGrant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved, the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience, not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of thy great goodness in past years, and in the sure expectation of a joyful reunion in the heavenly places; and this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Absent FriendsO God, who art present in every place; Mercifully hear our prayers for those whom we love, now absent from us; watch over them, we beseech thee, and protect them in all anxiety, danger, and temptation; teach us and them to know that thou art always near, and that we are one in thee for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers about the pandemic

Almighty and All-loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, We pray to You through Christ the Healer for those who suffer from the Coronavirus Covid-19 in our land and across the world. We pray too for all who reach out to those who mourn the loss of each and every person who has died as a result of contracting the disease. Give wisdom to policymakers, skill to healthcare professionals and researchers. Give comfort to everyone in distress and a sense of calm to us all in these days of uncertainty and distress. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord who showed compassion to the


outcast, acceptance to the rejected and love to those to whom no love was shown. Amen.

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour, and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you. In this time of anxiety, give us strength to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick, and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love, for your name’s sake. Amen.

God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For hospital staffGracious God, give skill, sympathy and resilience to all who are caring for the sick, and your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with your Spirit, that through their work many will be restored to health; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who are ill or isolatedO God, help me to trust you, help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Christian communityWe are not people of fear: we are people of courage. We are not people who protect our own safety: we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety. We are not people of greed: we are people of generosity. We are your people God, giving and loving, wherever we are, whatever it costs For as long as it takes wherever you call us. Amen.


Prayers with children

A prayer for the worldGod of love and hope, you made the world and care for all creation, but the world feels strange right now. The news is full of stories about Coronavirus. Some people are worried that they might get ill. Others are anxious for their family and friends. Be with them and help them to find peace. We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists, and all who are working to discover the right medicines to help those who are ill. Thank you that even in these anxious times, you are with us. Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe. Amen.

A prayer at bedtimeBefore the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray That you, with steadfast love, would keep Your watch around us while we sleep. Tonight we pray especially for (names family or friends who are affected by Coronavirus) and the people of (country or place which is affected by Coronavirus). Please give skill and wisdom to all who are caring for them. Amen.

Prayers for Ascension and Pentecost

With Ascension and Pentecost in mind…from the Gelasian Sacramentary (c 500AD). This is the oldest official prayer book of the Western Church.

AscensionO God, we give you thanks that your Son Jesus Christ, who has shared our earthly life, has now ascended to prepare our heavenly life. Grant that, through coming to know Him by faith on earth, we may come to know Him by sight in heaven.

PentecostWe beseech you, O Lord, to ignite our souls with love, faith and hope by the fire of your Holy Spirit. And may the wind of your Spirit so inspire our minds, that we may proclaim your gospel to others in words which they can understand.


A note from Adam

Dear reader,

As the world goes through an odd time, so does our church. The doors remained closed, the heating off and the building remains silent, only broken when someone pops in to check everything is as it should be.

Such is the stillness at HTM we are currently receiving little donations, and I recently wrote to some of you, identifying the different ways you could contribute if you wished to do so. I am very grateful to have received some cheques in the post and some online payments. Thank you.

I hope you are enjoying the various opportunities to come together and worship, whether that be through the telephone or participating in a service online. It is encouraging to see the community come together and continue to be part of the church family. Naturally, if the church can help you, please get in touch with us, and we shall try to help. I suspect it shall be some time until we all reunite, but when we finally do, I shall be delighted to stand at the door, with Chloë and welcome you all back. I have my fingers crossed that HTM shall be standing proud to deliver a service over the Advent period.

With best wishes to you all,Adam


Archbishop’s Easter messageEvery night at Bishopthorpe Palace since the start of our national lockdown our gatehouse has been lit up in NHS blue. It’s a daily reminder to us of the incredible work our health professionals are doing and the sacrifices they’re making in the fight against coronavirus. The blue light also inspires me to keep all our doctors, nurses, auxiliary staff and the patients they’re treating firmly in my prayers – plus all social care carers. It’s absolutely crucial we continue to take responsibility for complying with the Government’s vital message to ‘Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’.

Despite the very necessary social distancing measures in place, I’ve seldom known a time when our communities have been closer. In the face of the awful daily death toll, worrying economic forecasts and family hardships, it’s been humbling and inspiring to see the creative and helpful ways in which people are offering love and support to strangers and neighbours in need.

Across York, I’m hearing so many stories of letters and cards of encouragement and good cheer being sent to older people and anyone who is isolated, shopping being done for those who can’t get out and joyful Zoom video calls being organised to keep spirits up.

We’ve been witnessing the transforming message of the Easter story coming alive. People being examples of Jesus Christ by serving and loving others, offering hope and compassion. And in the case of many NHS staff, being willing to sacrifice their own health for the sake of others.

I’ve been encouraged, too, by the numbers of people feeding themselves spiritually by tuning in to the many livestreamed services and prayers being offered by churches across the city. This is certainly the strangest, most disorienting Lent and Easter seasons I’ve experienced in my lifetime.

Whilst it is a distressing time for anyone mourning the loss of a loved one or worried about the health of friends and relatives, I pray you take comfort that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross means that death is not the end of the story. We all have the promise of eternal life.

So let’s all take our example from Jesus of Nazareth and continue to learn the importance of community, kindness and perseverance - and hope these lessons stay with us long after the lockdown has come to an end.

In the meantime our blue light will continue to shine. After all, “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”.

God bless you all.


Our time in isolation

By Rev'd Dr Gwynne Wright

I have been thinking that, once again, Julian is relevant ‘for such a time as this’. (Esther 4.14) Others will be able to develop these thoughts better than I, but it is a start and I find Julian a great comfort.

Juliann of Norwich, the 14th century mystic lived through 3 waves of the Black Death, when about half the population of England died of the plague. Clergy often could not provide ‘last rites’. People were buried in mass graves. Julian would have known people who died, likely even members of her own family and mourned them, perhaps at a distance, unable to attend their funeral.

Julian was presented with the crucifixion of our Lord in her Revelations of Divine Love, when she herself had a near death experience. Afterwards she voluntarily adopted the life of an anchoress, living in solitary for the remainder of her life. Julian did not have emails, FaceBook, Zoom or any other means to connect with her wider world. Her vocation as an anchoress limited her social contact to her priest and servants. Her conversations with those who sought her spiritual counsel would have been through a window. Julian certainly practiced social distancing.

Julian knew by choice what it was like to live isolated from others – many of us are isolating and don’t know how long this will last. Some think anchorites may have had access to a small enclosed garden, but we don’t really know. Those of us with gardens can surely get some fresh air and see the burgeoning spring, but that is less easy for people living in apartments or high-rise flats. The solitary, limited, enclosed life is becoming more of a reality for many.

She could attend the Daily Offices and hear Mass through her window into the church, but not be physically in the church with others. We may not be able to physically go to church but appreciate opportunities to join with others on-line via prayer and worship websites. Some churches offer their own services via Facebook, YouTube or other wonders of modern technology. Julian may not have physically taken the consecrated elements at mass very often and it would have been ‘in one kind only’, the consecrated Host. Often she would have heard mass and watched through her window


and made a ‘spiritual communion’, just as many of us are learning to do.

During her Revelations, Julian engaged in a dialogue with Jesus, seeking to learn the truth of sin and suffering in our world. She challenged Jesus, saying: “there are many deeds evilly done and such great harm given that it seems to us impossible that ever it should come to a good end; and we look upon this sorrowing and mourning so that we cannot take our ease in the joyful beholding of God as we would like to do.”

Jesus’ response are words we know as truth and should take to heart: “I am able to make everything well… Thou shalt see for thyself that all manner of thing shall be well.” (Ch 32)

We should hold to this promise of truth in our own time of crisis, disease and social isolation.

Jesus does not say that ‘You shall not be tempest-tossed, you shall not be work-weary, you shall not be discomforted,’ but he does say “You shall not be overcome!”

So in our time of social distancing, especially in this Easter time. We know that Jesus is the path of all love, and Julian tells us why:

Be well aware, love was His meaning Who showed it thee? Love. What showed He thee? Love. Why did he show it thee? For Love. Keep thyself in that love and thou shalt know and see more of the same - In this love He has made all things beneficial to us, and this love is everlasting. (Ch 86)

Thanks be to God.


The Micklegate York Charitable Trust

A Trust which benefits those within the parish of Holy Trinity

The Trust can trace its roots back to 1566 when Isabella Ward, the last Prioress of Clementhorpe Nunnery, gifted Jacob’s Well to the Trustees to provide relief for the poor on All Souls’ Day each year. Over the years, we have been fortunate to receive donations and legacies from members of Holy Trinity Church, Micklegate.

Today, the Trust uses its funds to benefit people who live or work within the York parish of Holy Trinity Micklegate, who are facing hardship or distress.

Trustees Peter Minns Mark Kingaby-Daly Mark Wharfedale Cllr Pete Kilbane

How to applyIf you are interested in applying for a grant from the Trust, please apply in writing detailing your requirements. An application form will shortly be available on our website.If you are an organisation applying on behalf of someone, please indicate the individual who will benefit. All applications will be acknowledged before and after the Trustees’ meetings.

Donations If you wish to donate to the Trust or leave a legacy, please contact Mark Kingaby-Daly.

Conatct Email: [email protected]

Address: The Cottage, 220 Mount Vale, York, YO24 1DL

Tel: 01904 630518


Ways to give at Holy Trinity

While the Church is closed, although expenditure is less, we still have to pay our bills, keep the building in order and, most importantly, sustain the worship and ministry of this Church.

Giving by standing order is the best way of giving, and we encourage any one who considers Holy Trinity Micklegate ‘their church’ to give in this way if possible. However, not all, of course can do that. If you normally give by putting an envelope in the plate, do think about giving similarly while we are unable to gather for worship together. Details of how you can make an individual donation (or indeed set up a monthly one) are shown below.

Thank you: your generosity helps us to survive and thrive.

Donating by bank transferIf you are donating by bank transfer as a one off or Standing Order (sometimes known as BACS) our bank details with Yorkshire Bank are: Sort code: 05-04-54 Account number: 16846098

Donating by ChequeMake the cheque payable to “PCC Holy Trinity Church” and post to Adam at The Cottage, 220 Mount Vale, York, YO24 1DL. Stamped addressed envelopes are available - please ask.

Donating onlineIf you wish to donate by debit or credit card, you can go to our new online page at https://www.holytrinityyork.org/donate-online


Francis’s voluntariesBy Francis O’Gorman

As Zooming services from Holy Trinity becomes more familiar, Andrew Wright and I are sharing the provision of live music from our homes for Sundays. I thought it might be worthwhile saying what I play as a voluntary each fortnight and where it comes from, and why I am playing it.

First, I should say that Kate and I are very lucky to have a three-manual and pedal digital house organ here. It is a Wyvern Koralia, and it is possible to perform most of the repertoire on it. We are working on trying to improve the sound quality as it is live-streamed through Zoom and FaceBook. But it is a blessing to have this instrument and also to feel that I can contribute a small amount to the ongoing worship of the Priory Church.

On Low Sunday, my voluntary was J.S. Bach’s chorale prelude, BWV 628, on the Lutheran chorale ‘Erstanden ist der heilig Christ’ (Arisen is the Holy Christ). This is one of Bach’s short settings for Easter and Eastertide and is a powerful declamation with a bold rising and falling pedal part beneath sonorous music for the manuals (for hands). I suppose it might be easy to think that the rising pedal part was some kind of acoustic figure for the resurrection. But Bach makes it clear he doesn’t mean this by employing descending figures in the second half of the prelude. Word painting cannot be too obvious.

On 3 May, I will end our service with the fifth variation from Bach’s extraordinary set of variations on the chorale ‘Sei gegrüßet, Jesu, gütig’, BWV 668. Bach’s chorale tune—the Lutheran version of a hymn tune—dates from 1663 and its first line means ‘Hail to you, kind Jesus’, with some nice alliteration in the German.

We don’t know all that much about the composition of this set of variations—Partita, as Bach called it—though it seems likely that it was composed in two parts: the first six variations are for manuals only (and possibly a harpsichord could have been used); the remainder asks for organ pedals too. This is an early work, probably composed around 1703 (Bach was 18 that year), and it absorbs some of the style of established organist-composers: Buxtehude and Georg Böhm notably. One electrifying recorded version in the modern period is by Simon Preston for Deutsche Grammophon; Stephen Farr’s most


recent recording from Resonus gives a very different version. Preston gives Bach as vibrantly confident; Farr as exploratory and even timid.

Variation 5, which is only about 90 seconds long, suddenly turns the temperature up in the whole Partita, as I see it. There are no registration marks, no directions for speed, or any indication of the composer’s intentions other than the notes in the surviving copies. But I choose to play this movement pretty much on full organ, with deep 16’ registers (speaking an octave below notated pitch), with reeds and mixtures. So it is a commanding, exciting piece in my understanding, full of a young man’s enthusiasm and technical control. Its movement between major and minor tonality is astonishing.

In the meantime, I am planning what will be the first pieces I can play when we are back in church and Holy Trinity’s lovely Hill, Norman, and Beard organ is released from its silence. My pieces might be quite loud ...

The Enkindled Spring

This spring as it comes bursts up in bonfires green,Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes,Thorn-blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke betweenWhere the wood fumes up and the watery, flickering rushes.

I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze Of growing, and sparks that puff in wild gyration, Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

And I, what fountain of fire am I among This leaping combustion of spring? My spirit is tossed About like a shadow buffeted in the throng Of flames, a shadow that’s gone astray, and is lost.

D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930)


African Sisters update

Last year Dirk Juttner visited Tanzania again, for a month during September and October visiting eight of the Sisters’ Houses, going as far as Liuli at Lake Nyassa. The Sisters and all our friends in the Diocese of Masasi are well and enjoying life in their usual way, content with the little they have. Perhaps we would also be happier with less clutter! The 16 girls at the Hostel are fine - a happy bunch, very thankful for the support we give them. They have formed a choir and sing at the Sisters main Service each Sunday, play basketball in their spare time and work in their vegetable garden, feeding the chickens and are ready to help wherever it is needed, especially those who cannot pay the monthly fee of £20 for their stay. When I asked the matron how things are going, she said to feed those hungry youngsters is a problem at times due to lack of funding. The girls have not had any meat this year as it is too expensive, but they get an egg once a week. The fridge we collected for during Lent, is a great blessing. They can now store the milk and eggs they sell to people who come every day to collect those. Quite a few of the Sisters are also studying, in colleges and secondary schools, as the need for further education is really the key to their future. The girls' hostel and the nursery school in Masasi already provide opportunities to spread the Gospel and show that the Sisters are active in the community, and not living in isolation in a convent.

Message from Mother Superior, Mother Dorothy We are pleased to confirm that Mother Dorothy has been elected for a further term of office following her very successful first period as Mother Superior.Mother Dorothy reported on a meeting in August 2019 of religious brothers and Sisters from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. The theme of the meeting was ‘Community Growth’, facilitated by Brother Christian OSB from the Ndanda Mission. The Sisters also welcomed a group of eight visitors from Switzerland with Dirk in October. On All Saints Day, we inaugurated our CMM history book written by Sister Magdalene (the former Mother


Superior). The service was led by Dr James B. Almasi, Bishop of the Diocese of Masasi and some of the Priests of the Diocese attended the service.

Projects funded recently The past year has been very successful with over £10000 contributed by the charity directly to the Sisters in Tanzania and Zambia. We are grateful to the many individuals who support the Sisters, and also to our friends such as Holy Trinity Micklegate, York, who once again have nominated the Sisters as their international charity resulting in nearly £1700 donation to help build a new Biogas plant for the Girls Hostel in Masasi. However, not surprisingly, there is still much more to do. We have a number of important projects still to fund in the Charity’s priority areas of relieving hardship and supporting the Sisters: education, health, agriculture and water. If you’re interested in helping us to fund further projects please get in contact with us here. All of the funds that we raise go directly to support the Sisters - the charity runs entirely on voluntary contributions from the trustees and our supporters.

Easter Appeal 2020 This Easter we are focusing on raising money to build a new Solar Hot Water System at the Health Station in Sayuni. Currently, all the laundry is washed in cold water, and providing this new sustainable hot water system will greatly improve infection-control and safety for all the patients and staff. We are hoping to raise at least £1000 to get this project set up to support the Sisters in their vital work in supporting their communities at this Health Station.

Father, we thank you for sending your Son Jesus to teach us that you are the God of Love. We pray you to uphold the Sisters of the Community of St Mary that they may show your love to the women and children of Africa by their work and their lives and be completely dedicated to you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ who has called them to this task. Amen.


My favourite hymn

Each month a member of our church will give their thoughts on some favourite hymns. If you would like to contribute, speak to Mark. This month it is the turn of Francis O’Gorman one of our organists and PCC members.

I have loved the world of hymns ever since I properly registered the sound of an organ in church aged about 5. And it is always the greatest privilege to accompany a choir and congregation in hymn-singing now.

The first hymn that really affected me, when I was a child, was John Ellerton’s ‘The Day thou gavest’ (tune ‘St Clement’) and I included it in my anthology of Victorian poetry for Blackwell’s in 2004. It would be hard to imagine a church without Charles Wesley’s ‘O thou who camest from above’ (Hereford) or Isaac Watts’s ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ (Rockingham), with that marvellous final verse ‘Were the whole realm of nature mine ...’. John Henry Newman’s hymn, which he wrote after being trapped in Palermo for several weeks while desperate to return home, ‘Lead kindly light’, is unforgettable and particularly, for me, with the less common tune, Alberta. Coe Fen for Ken Naylor’s words ‘How shall I sing that majesty’ is glorious.

But if I could have only one hymn, right now it would be Katharina von Schlegel’s words, translated by Jane Borthwick, ‘Be still, my soul’, set to Sibelius’s tune ‘Finlandia’. It is a hymn about life, death, and re-union. The last two lines I find hauntingly beautiful, with Sibelius’s great melody: ‘Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, | All safe and blessed we shall meet at last’. I played it for a memorial service at Pembroke College Oxford for my oldest friend last year. I closed down the organ to simply a 4’ flute for the last lines, with a congregation of about 150 people. Those final words were, so quietly sung, astonishingly moving and hopeful.


VE Day – the end of World War II in Europe

VE Day (Victory in Europe) – was celebrated 75 years ago this month, on 8th May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. It was marked with a public holiday.

The previous day the formal act of military surrender had been signed by Germany, and celebrations broke out when the news was released. Big crowds gathered in London, impromptu parties were held throughout the country, and people danced and sang in the streets. King George VI and his family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and Churchill made a speech to huge applause. The two princesses Elizabeth and Margaret mingled with the crowds outside.

Many went into churches to give thanks – and to pray for those still involved in the war in the Far East, because the real end of the war, Victory over Japan, would not happen until 15th August. At St Paul’s Cathedral there were ten consecutive services giving thanks for peace, each attended by thousands of people.

The celebrations masked the fact that so many had lost family and friends, as well as possessions and homes. But for the moment normal social conventions broke down, strangers embraced, and love was in the air.


Book review: The Way of St BenedictRowan Williams, Bloomsbury, £12.99

Although Rowan Williams is not a Benedictine, this book clearly emerges from a life of prayer, wisdom, and the love of God. It offers “an invitation to look at various current questions through the lens of the Rule and reflect on aspects of Benedictine history that might have something to say to us”. This is done through a series of “studies” — “Shaping Holy Lives”, “A Perspective from England”, “The Future of Europe”, and “A Benedictine on Mysticism: Abbot Cuthbert Butler”, etc. Some appeared in previous books, which are listed. The scope of Williams’s knowledge is remarkable, and the varied chapters reveal insights that would be of value to a wide audience. Some offer a detailed, speculative theological approach, requiring the reader to recall St Benedict’s opening injunction Ausculta, “Listen!” While little mention is made of Benedictine worship, there is an important study on the relationship between mission and contemplation which should be compulsory reading for those involved in church growth.

Leave your dandelions aloneWhen mowing your lawn, avoid cutting your dandelions. That is the advice of the president of the British Ecological Society, Prof Jane Memmott. It will help to save the bees.

She explains: “Dandelions are a fantastic source of pollen and nectar for the early pollinators in particular. If they were rare, people would be fighting over them, but because they’re common, people pull them out and spray them with all sorts of horrible things when they should just let them flower. If you leave the lawn to three or four inches, then dandelions, clover and daisies can flower and then you end with something like a tapestry, and it’s much nicer to sit there and watch the insects buzzing about.”

Prof Memmott encourages everyone to get a bee hotel for their garden. “There’s nothing nicer than being sat in a chair with a glass of wine and watching the bees going in and out of your own personal little beehive. Even just a potted plant on a doorstep will provide lunch for a bee or a fly or a butterfly.”


Psalm 34

Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, we all live with fear and uncertainty. How do we deal with fear? ‘I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.’ (Ps 34:4). In this psalm, David expresses real fears. He was on the run from Saul, who was trying to murder him! Yet David points to three simple habits that help overcome fear.

Praising God always: ‘I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.’ (1). It was David’s pattern of life to praise God daily, whatever his circumstances. He was acknowledging God’s lordship over his life. Praise affirms that my circumstances are in His hands and He is with me in all that I am going through.

Seeking God continually: ‘This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.’ (6). David looked to God, who released him from all his fears. It’s easy for our fears to overwhelm us and rob us of the assurance that God loves us and wants the best for us. When we seek God, He hears us and responds, as He is not powerless to act.

Finding refuge in God: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.’ (8). David’s personal invitation is to taste and see that God is good. Our fears often tell us that the opposite is true for us. Fear tells us that God cannot be trusted and that He will abandon us. We can make God our secure refuge and not be afraid.

This psalm helps us to see fear from a totally different perspective: ‘Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing.’ (9).


God in the arts

‘He gave us eyes to see them’: early Persian painting of Jonah and whale

The prophet Jonah is mentioned three times in the Gospels when Jesus refers to ‘the sign of Jonah.’ In the Old Testament he was swallowed by a large fish, traditionally a whale, and in its belly for three days and three nights. It is easy to see in that sign a reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the book is also a powerful allegory of life. The prophet runs away from God, only to encounter a storm and possible shipwreck. He is thrown overboard and swallowed by the whale.

We are living through difficult and anxious days with the coronavirus: we seem to be surrounded by fear and danger, like Jonah. Where, we ask, is our hope and safety amid the storm and threat of breakdown? In his distress Jonah prays to the Lord and places his trust in God. The psalm he utters ends with the words, ‘Deliverance belongs to the Lord.’ As he speaks, the whale spews him on to the safety of dry land.

The story of Jonah is depicted here in this beautiful painting from a 14th century manuscript from Persia. The whale is friendly and smiling, basking in the expanse of blue sea. Jonah is safe: his hope has triumphed, and God has delivered him from danger and possible death.

In 1988 Heathcote Williams wrote a long poem called ‘Whale Nation’ in praise of these mysterious, gifted and intelligent creatures. We hunt them, we plunder the seas for them. But they are also our friends and guides, and it is easy to neglect those truths. The book ends with examples of whales and dolphins guiding ships and saving human lives. So, we, in the midst of all that worries and perplexes us, can give thanks to God our guide and Saviour, and pray that He will bring us safely through life.


Helena: Protector of the Holy Places (21st May)

Helena should be the patron saint of all mothers who help their sons achieve great things.

Helena was born at Drepanum in Bithynia about 250. Although only a stable-maid or innkeeper’s daughter, she caught the eye and affections of a Roman general, Constantius Chlorus, while he was stationed in Asia Minor on a military campaign. She bore him a son, Constantine, in about 272.

But Constantius was ambitious, and when he became co-emperor (Caesar) in the West in 292, he abandoned Helena in order to marry the stepdaughter of his patron. Helena and her son were sent to live in the court of Diocletian at Nicomedia, where Constantine grew up as a member of the inner circle. Helena never remarried, and lived close to her son, who was devoted to her.

Then, in 306, Constantius died, and Constantine became Augustus of the Roman Empire. He brought his beloved mother to live at the imperial court.

When Constantine became the first Christian emperor of Rome, Helena also became a Christian. She was devout, dressing modestly, and giving generously to churches, the poor, and to prisoners. But soon Constantine had other plans for her: they agreed that she would help him locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition in Palestine. To aid her, Constantine gave her the title Augusta Imperatrix, and unlimited access to the imperial treasury.

And so, from 326-28, even though she was very old, Helena explored the Holy Land on behalf of her son, the Emperor. She went to Bethlehem and founded the Church of the Nativity. She went to the Mount of Olives and founded the Church of Eleona. She went to Calvary and tore down a temple built to Venus over the tomb of Jesus. Constantine then ordered the building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Helena also seems to have founded the chapel at St Catherine’s Monastery.

Helena died in 330 in the Holy Land, with Constantine at her side. He brought her body back to Constantinople and buried her in the imperial vault in the Church of the Apostles.

We owe to this special mother and son the preservation and honouring of the most famous sites of Christianity.


Picture parable


Colour-in


Rogation Sunday (17th May)

Rogation means an asking of God - for blessing on the seed and land for the year ahead. It is appropriate in any emergency, war, plague, drought or foul weather.

The practice began with the Romans, who invoked the help of the gods Terminus and Ambarvalia. In those days a crowd moved in procession around the cornfields, singing and dancing, sacrificing animals, and driving away Winter with sticks. They wanted to rid the cornfields of evil.

In about 465 the Western world was suffering from earthquake, storm and epidemic. So Mamertius, Bishop of Vienne, aware of the popular pagan custom, ordered that prayers should be said in the ruined or neglected fields on the days leading up to Ascension. With his decision, ‘beating the bounds’ became a Christian ceremonial.

Rogation-tide arrived in England early in the eighth century and became a fixed and perennial asking for help of the Christian God. On Rogation-tide, a little party would set out to trace the boundaries of the parish. At the head marched the bishop or the priest, with a minor official bearing a Cross, and after them the people of the parish, with schoolboys and their master trailing along. Most of them held slender wands of willow.

At certain points along the route - at well-known landmarks like a bridge or stile or ancient tree, the Cross halted, the party gathered about the priest, and a litany or rogation is said, imploring God to send seasonable wealth, keep the corn and roots and boughs in good health, and bring them to an ample harvest. At some point beer and cheese would be waiting.

In the days when maps were neither common nor accurate, there was much to be said for ‘beating the bounds.’ It was still very common as late as the reign of Queen Victoria. Certainly, parish boundaries rarely came into dispute, for everyone knew them. (Do you know yours today?)


God in scienceCan Science Prove God Exists?

To risk sounding like a smart aleck seven-year-old, technically speaking you can only prove things mathematically. If you need to know that one plus one equals two, don’t go to a chemistry lab. The natural sciences only deal with things that can be observed and measured. Science has been so successful that it’s tempting to get carried away, valuing science above any other kind of knowledge, but there are other ways of knowing that are equally important. For example, art conveys ideas, experiences or emotions that provoke us to think or do something in response.

In fact, to find answers to any of the really important questions about meaning and purpose that affect us throughout our lives, we always have to go beyond science. Some scientific data might help define the question, for example a farmer facing a drought would probably like to know some details about the current weather patterns and the availability of seeds for more hardy crops before she can start asking “What is the point of trying to grow anything at all?” But in the end, she is asking a deeper question – and so are the rest of us when we go through any significant experience in life.

So rather than asking “Can science prove God exists?”, what about: “Are the findings of science compatible with the existence of a purposeful Creator?” For many scientists today, the answer to the second question is yes. They have investigated the Bible’s descriptions of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and found that they make sense. They have discovered that they can interact with God – especially in prayer – and that this faith has changed their lives.

Professor Christine Done, an Astrophysicist at Durham University, writes, “for me the more we know about the vast, yet intricate and beautiful Universe we live in, the bigger and more awe-inspiring is the God who made it all.”

Some go even further, making statements like this: “the way the universe exhibits an ordered structure, which is open to science to investigate, points to a mind behind it.” (Revd Dr Rodney Holder, Astrophysicist, in Longing, Waiting, Believing (BRF, 2014)

The question “Can Science Prove God Exists?” turns out to be a category error – trying to use science to answer a non-scientific question. On the other hand, many scientists think there is enough evidence from a wide range of sources to warrant belief in God.


Wordsearch


This month the Church celebrates the Ascension of Jesus, the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the fact that our God is a Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. After the Resurrection, Jesus was seen on the road to Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee, in houses, etc. He encouraged his disciples, and said that He was sending them to all corners of the earth, as his witnesses. 40 days after Easter, Jesus ascended into heaven; his work on earth was done. The disciples returned to Jerusalem, and on the fateful morning of Pentecost, there was suddenly the sound as of a mighty rushing wind. Tongues of flame flickered on their heads, and they began to praise God in many tongues – to the astonishment of those who heard them. That morning the Holy Spirit came to indwell all those who believed in Jesus: the Church was born. And so we have a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

AscensionBlessedTaken

JerusalemWait

PrayerPowerOne

RoomDisciples

TonguesFlame

JoyPraise

ConfusionLanguages

EarthPeterHoly

SpiritTrinityFather

Sontriune


Crossword

ACROSS1: ‘Therefore let us — passing judgment on one another’ (Romans 14:13) (4)3: ‘I — — these persons here present’ (Marriage service) (4,4) 9: According to a prearranged timetable (Numbers 28:3) (7) 10: Group of eight (5) 11: The cell into which the Philippian jailer put Paul and Silas (Acts 16:24) (5)


12: — Taylor, pioneer missionary to China (6) 14: Otherwise known as the Eucharist, Breaking of Bread, the Lord’s Table (4,9) 17: ‘So that after I have preached to others, I — will not be disqualified for the prize’ (1 Corinthians 9:27) (6)19: Attend to (3,2) 22: Approximately (Acts 4:4) (5) 23: Tea rite (anag.) (7) 24: Rule of sovereign (8) 25: Test (anag.) (4)

DOWN1:The name of the street where Judas lived in Damascus and where Saul of Tarsus stayed (Acts 9:11) (8)2: ‘The playing of the merry — , sweet singing in the choir’ (5)4: ‘We have been saying that — — was credited to him as righteous’ (Romans 4:9) (8,5) 5: Dr Martyn — Jones, famous for his ministry at Westminster Chapel (5) 6: Port at which Paul landed on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13) (7)7: Observe (Ruth 3:4) (4) 8: Minister of religion (6) 13: ‘I am — of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility’ (Matthew 27:24) (8) 15: ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he — — his life for his friends’ (John 15:13) (3,4) 16: Archbishop who calculated that the world began in 4004BC (6)18: ‘No one can — the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit’ (John 3:5) (5) 20: Establish by law (5) 21: Product of Gilead noted for its healing properties (Jeremiah 46:11) (4)


Recipe : Banana Pump-kinseed bread

This is a different take on the standardbanana bread loaf, introducing newtextures and delicious flavours. Coconut sugar can be substituted with normal sugar, if you can’t find it.

Ingredientsripe bananas — the riper the better4 tablespoons nut or seed butter, eg.almond100g (4 oz) coconut sugar1 teaspoon real vanilla extract1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda½ teaspoon baking powder1 egg200g (8 oz) plain flour (wholemeal flour works well)a handful of pumpkin seedsa handful of sunflower seeds

Method1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4, and line a square tin with

baking parchment.2. Mash the bananas and add the seed or nut butters.3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the flour, and mix well. Then

fold in the flour. Alternatively, whizz the whole lot together in a food processor or mixer.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the tin, and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and shape of your tin, until a skewer or a knife will come out cleanly.

5. Cool for a few minutes in the tin, and then on a wire rack.


Bible Bite


Mouse Makes


Sodoku

Answers on the back page.

Crossword answers

ACROSS: 1, Stop. 3, Call upon. 9, Regular. 10, Octet. 11, Inner. 12, Hudson. 14, Holy Communion. 17, Myself. 19, See to. 22, About. 23, Iterate. 24, Monarchy. 25, Stet.

DOWN: 1, Straight. 2, Organ. 4, Abraham’s faith. 5, Lloyd. 6, Puteoli. 7, Note. 8, Cleric. 13, Innocent. 15, Lay down. 16, Ussher. 18, Enter. 20, Enact. 21, Balm.

The Priory Church of the Holy TrinityMicklegate, York, YO1 6LE

www.holytrinityyork.org

[email protected]

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