HOLY WEEK & EASTER - IN TOUCH APRIL 2022 - Hanley Team Ministry
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
HOLY WEEK & EASTER IN TOUCH The Parish Magazine of the Hanley Team Ministry APRIL 2022
When my soul’s form bends towards the east there I should see a sun, by rising set, and by that setting endless day beget. [John Donne – from ‘ Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward’] April heralds the most important time of the Christian year, when we remember the Passion and crucifixion of our Lord and celebrate his glorious resurrection. You cannot have one without the other: Rector Phillip Jones explains why in our leading article. Elsewhere … we bid farewell to Doris Breeze, a former, much loved member of Holy Trinity Church, who has died at the age of 93. Bernard Perry treats us to another episode from his eventful life as he remembers a vicar of St. Luke’s Church from the 1950s. There is news of exciting times for a former Curate of the Hanley Team Ministry. Lynne Ball reports upon a clay storytelling workshop at St. Mark’s. At the back of the magazine there is a list of YMCA activities that are running over Easter. There’s more. Read on. I hope you enjoy our April issue. A big thank - you to all who have contributed. The deadline for receipt of copy for the May magazine would fall on Good Friday, so I have extended it to Easter Monday. You didn’t have any other plans, did you? Don’t forget ‘Where’s Angus?’ His photo is on page nine but his face also hides elsewhere within. In Touch Editor Graham Foxley 07707011628 mgtfoxley@live.co.uk 2
HOLY WEEK
Rector, Rev. Phillip Jones writes
of the importance of following
the Holy Week journey
Every year I ask people to stick with
Holy Week and follow the journey through the services as the week
progresses. Don’t just go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, because
you won’t get the full sense of celebration unless you have experienced
the challenges of Jesus’ Passion and crucifixion. Perhaps we have the
reading of the Passion Story on Palm Sunday because not everyone
heeds the request to share in the Holy Week services. But even so, I’d
ask you to try to make the effort.
The Easter Reflection within the centre pages suggests that:
‘If [churches] just dropped the resurrection bit and concentrated on the
wonderful teaching of Jesus and His example of generosity, compassion
and love then everybody would find Christianity much more believable.’
Generosity, love and compassion sound like the kind of really good things
we should all be trying to do. The trouble is that it’s not that easy. And
that’s what caused trouble for Jesus. Too many people, especially
powerful people, found this too challenging.
We like to think we would want to be good and do the right thing, but we
need a bit more than good intentions. Jesus’ Passion and death show us
the power of God’s love that is prepared to accept the hostility of those
who found Jesus’ message of love and self-sacrifice too difficult (Passion
here is more akin to the original meaning of passive – acceptance – than
passion as in passionate). Jesus’ resurrection shows us that God’s love
overcomes even evil and violence and his death.
3
If God loves so much, then we can be inspired to follow in the way of His
Son, Jesus, and can, in turn, love others in our present times. But to
understand what that means and its cost that takes us beyond good
intentions, we need to see the reality.
We see that as we follow Jesus on his journey through Holy Week, and on
Easter Day we see the vindication of that love. In the joy and hope of that
celebration we are inspired to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, whatever the
cost, because we know that, in the end, love overcomes all the negativity
and evil in the world.
At this present time, that is something we need to trust in and believe as
we play our part in the continuing story of God’s loving intentions,
whatever may confront them.
Phillip Jones
Holy Week Services & Activities pages 5 and 6
It was not as picturesque as the old
steeple but it was saving a fortune on
energy bills.
4
HOLY WEEK & EASTER
PALM SUNDAY Procession &
9.30 am Holy Trinity Eucharist
Monday Reflection and
7.30 pm Communion
Christ Church
Tuesday Reflection and
7.30 pm Communion
St. Matthew’s
Wednesday Reflection and
7.30 pm Communion
St. Luke’s
Maundy Thursday Chrism Service
11.00 am Cathedral
Maundy Thursday Holy Trinity
7.30 pm Holy Communion
Good Friday Messy Church
11.00 am St. Matthew’s
Good Friday Liturgy of Good
Friday
2.00 pm Holy Trinity
Holy Saturday Easter Egg Hunt
1.00 pm St. Luke’s
EASTER DAY Service of Light
9.30 am Holy Trinity & Eucharist
5
EVENSONG ST. LUKE’S FAYRE
Holy Trinity SATURDAY 9 APRIL
Church, Northwood 10.30
Sunday, 3 April 4.00
Palm Sunday
10th April at 4 pm
Christ Church Fenton
Meditation
Led by the St Cecilia Singers
Followed by Cheese and Wine
EASTER EGG HUNT MESSY
ST. LUKE’S CHURCH
HOLY SATURDAY 16 APRIL GOOD FRIDAY
1.00 – 3.00 15 APRIL
11.00-1.00
ST. MATTHEW’S
6
SUNDAY READINGS IN APRIL
Date Reading 1 Reading 2 Gospel
3rd. Isaiah 43: Phil. 3: John 12:
The Fifth Sunday 16-21 4b-14 1-8
Of Lent
(Passiontide begins)
10th.
PALM SUNDAY Liturgy of the Palms
Luke 19: 28-40
Liturgy of the Passion
Isaiah 50: Phil. 2: Luke 22:14-
4-9a 5-11 23: end
OR
Luke 23: 1-49
17th.
EASTER DAY Acts 10: 1. Cor. 15: John 20: 1-18
34-43 19-26
OR OR OR
Isaiah 65: Acts 10: Luke 24: 1-12
17-end 34-43
24th.
The Second Sunday Acts 5: Rev. 1: 4-8 John 20: 19-end
of Easter 27-32
OR
Exodus 14:
10-end;
15: 20-21
7
MAUNDY THURSDAY – 14 APRIL Parish Pump Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week. ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word for command, 'mandare'. On this day the Church looks back to Jesus’ command to his disciples that they should: "Love one another as I have loved you." On the evening of Maundy Thursday Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples, before going on to the Garden of Gethsemane and being arrested. It was the last evening he had with them before his crucifixion. At the Last Supper Jesus shocked his disciples by washing their feet. He did this as an example, to demonstrate to them that they should serve others with humility. Over the centuries, some churches have recreated this act of humility at a special service on Maundy Thursday. Every year the Queen distributes silver coins at a special service on Maundy Thursday. It is part of a tradition. The Royal Maundy Service began in 1662, when Charles II gave out coins. The ones that the Queen gives out each year bear the portrait of Her Majesty designed for her coronation in 1953, even though since then the image on ordinary circulating coinage has been changed four times. According to the royal.uk website, the Queen decided early on in her reign that Maundy money should not just be distributed to the people of London. For many years she has visited various cathedrals or abbeys to give gifts to local people. Recipients of Maundy money are nominated by their local dioceses for contributions to their local church and community. During the service, the Queen distributes gifts according to the number of years she has lived. In 2021, the service was cancelled because of the pandemic. Instead, the Maundy money was blessed at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, before being posted to recipients alongside a letter from The Queen. 8
The first Quiz Night since lockdown was held at the
Northwood Parish Hall in March. In the inquisitor’s
chair was Ian Hickton, a man with a reputation for toughness.
Undeterred, we paid our entrance fees, bought raffle tickets, grouped
into rival teams and got stuck in. I sat with a team that included Ian’s
wife Kathy and son Eddie. It turned out they had not peeked at the
questions before leaving home. Honestly, you just can’t rely on some
people. Mind you, Eddie came up trumps with the picture round as he
knew all the company logos listed. Conversations going on at other
tables were in low tones so as not to give away any answers,
punctuated with friendly squabbles over competing answers, and
laughter. Supported by Rachel, Margaret and David, we made a decent
stab at the answers as the rounds went by. The winning table turned
out to be next to ours. Must keep our voices lower next time. It was a
pleasant social event and a much-needed fund-raiser. The next quiz
will take place on Saturday, 30 April at Northwood Parish Hall 7.30
Quizzers at the Northwood Parish Hall and, below, the winning team of
‘Odd Jock Out’ - Glenys, Angus, Mel, and Lesley, with their prizes
9
AN EASTER REFLECTION by Canon David Winter. “When you die, that’s it. Nothing. Out like a light.” That’s what the man in the pub said, and his mates all nodded, though the one whose mother had died the week before wasn’t really quite so certain. Still, it seemed to make sense. After all, we know what ‘dead’ means: dead leaves, dead batteries, dead fish, dead pets . . . and dead people, to be honest. While we recognise that it’s all too easy to go from alive to dead, we’ve got serious doubts about the possibility of any return journeys. Which is why Christians have an uphill task at Easter. Jesus was a great man, and people want to remember how He died. Fair enough. But it starts getting complicated when Christians insist that Jesus died - but didn’t stay dead - in fact, that He’s alive now. That ‘return journey’ has happened, they say. That’s the problem about Easter, Christians persisting in what sounds like a ridiculous belief. If they just dropped the resurrection bit and concentrated on the wonderful teaching of Jesus and His example of generosity, compassion and love then everybody would find Christianity much more believable. Wouldn’t that make sense? And wouldn’t that fill the churches again? Well it might (or, more likely, it might not). But in any case, the trouble is that it wouldn’t be Christianity at all. The faith of Christians actually depends on the resurrection of Jesus, and always has done, right from the earliest days. After the crucifixion the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross by some of His friends and put in a rock tomb with a heavy stone rolled across the doorway. 10
Yet the following Sunday, the third day after His death, His followers
claimed that they had met Him, seen Him, talked with Him.
So certain was their belief that nothing could make them recant it. Not
ridicule, not torture, not even death itself. They couldn’t deny His
resurrection, because they were absolutely convinced that it had
happened. Plenty of clever and powerful people at the time had a
vested interest in proving them wrong. It shouldn’t have been difficult
to prove that a dead man had stayed dead, especially when you have at
your disposal the resources of the greatest empire in history. Yet they
didn’t do it, because it couldn’t be done.
Still today millions of people all over the world believe that Jesus did in
fact rise from the dead. They include brilliant scientists and
philosophers as well as plenty of ‘ordinary’ men and women of all ages.
They believe it because they respect the witness of those first
Christians, and because in many cases their own lives have been
transformed by a relationship with Jesus - a relationship that wouldn’t
make sense if He were dead!
Christians don’t put their faith in a dead hero from the past,
but in someone who is alive and active in their own lives and
in the world. That, in a nutshell, is the real message of Easter.
11REV. ROBERT CHEADLE
[Vicar of St. Luke’s Church 1957 – 1960]
Bernard Perry takes another wander down Memory Lane
“You’ll get a little lovelier each day with fabulous Pink Camay.”
So ran the words of a soap advert in the late 1950’s. It was one of the
Vicar’s favourite themes - that we should not believe everything the
adverts tell us. The vicar had a large scar that ran diagonally across
both lips. Perhaps self-consciousness about this made him choose this
particular advert.
The son of a blacksmith, he had grown up in Newcastle under Lyme.
Early in the 1940s when WW2 broke out he was already studying at
Mirfield College, intending to be a priest. When called up he joined the
Staffordshire Regiment but was transferred to the Glider Pilot
Regiment in 1944. This regiment had specially selected troops who
would be towed in a wooden glider to land (or crash) somewhere near
an intended target. This could be anything that would hold up the
advance of German troops. About 30 troops per glider silently arrived
to accomplish the ordered task. Was this how he collected his scar?
After being demobbed, he went back to Mirfield and became a
priest. His curacy prior to coming to St. Luke’s in 1957 was at Christ
Church, Tunstall. I was doing my National Service and later studying at
College for most of the time he was here, but when at home I went to
the meetings of the youth group he set up. This met in the vicarage on
a Sunday Evening.
Like most churches of England, St. Luke’s had a CEMS (men’s society)
that held many interesting meetings. Every Whit Monday it organised
an outing. My parents usually went. One was to Llandudno, which was
considered to be a long journey then. I sat by the Vicar on the coach
that day. During the half way break I re-joined my parents.
12“What have you done to your trousers?” mother demanded. There was
a dark mark across the seat of my grey flannels. I’d no idea. A shop
selling Thawpit was soon found. Somehow, the mark was removed
discreetly. When we returned to the coach, the cause was soon
obvious. I’d been sitting on the vicar’s bacon butties.
We had a marvellous day out. During the return, I was invited to join
the vicar in the saying of the daily offices. The letters SSC after his
name show that he was a member of Societas Sanctae Crucis, (Society
of the Holy Cross), a society that followed the rule of life. Its members
made promises to keep certain religious practices, such as saying
evensong each day or not marrying for a set period of time.
When the young people met, there were often discussions on such
things as divorce or hymns that should be left out of the Ancient &
Modern hymn book then in use. When a discussion on divorce came
about, the vicar said that if he ever married and his wife mentioned
divorce, he would put her over his knee and smack her bottom. He did
marry so she must have kept quiet. The hymn “Sunset and Evening
Star” was discussed, particularly what was meant by the Christian
Hope. This hymn was used frequently at St. Luke’s. The vicar
concluded that, to him, it was more than a hope; it was a certainty, a
statement that has always remained in my mind.
Towards the end of 1960, a parishioner gave him a lump sum of money
to spend on the church as he wished. I gather he did not consult the
PCC and spent the whole lot on the purchase of a bright red carpet for
the sanctuary. On top of that he wore full vestments for the Christmas
Mass. This seems to have been too much for the PCC.
I remember going to Bloxwich for his induction and the youth group
exploring the large vicarage. During the ten years he was there, the
church gradually became High Church.
13DORIS BREEZE
1928- 2022
The funeral of Doris Breeze was conducted by Rev. Phillip Jones at
Holy Trinity Church, Northwood, early on the morning of Friday,
18 March, just three days after what would have been her 94th.
birthday.
It was an opportunity for Doris’ church family to
join her own small family gathering in saying
farewell to this sweet, gentle person who served
her church faithfully for many years.
Early years and childhood for Doris May Breeze, born
on 15 March, 1928, were spent in America Street,
Tunstall, where her father ran a chip shop. The family
moved to Lower Mayer Street, Northwood, just below
Holy Trinity Church, when Doris was still quite young and their home
there became converted into a chip shop, too.
Doris was someone with a quiet, unassuming nature. She enjoyed
swimming and reading. After secretarial college, which she did not
enjoy, she began work as a lithographer. You might think Doris would
not cope easily with the cheeky, raucous banter of the girls she worked
alongside at the pot bank, but I think she might have enjoyed listening
to their stories and gossip; she was a keen observer of human nature
and would sometimes surprise you with a knowing wink or comment.
Many people have very fond memories of Doris. Former Rector
Christine Broad, who attended the funeral with husband Nick, said:
‘She was a great character and the very first person I met from Holy
Trinity; she let me in when I came to take a service of Holy Communion
one Christmas Eve. Doris was always such a welcoming person when I
visited her at home, in hospital and later at the care home.’
14Occasionally, you come across people you admire because they
voluntarily undertake arduous tasks. Such are those who, particularly
in times past, would see to it that the church boiler was switched on
and working in order to heat up the church in advance of services. The
importance of this during the winter months cannot be understated.
Doris was such a person; alone, she would leave home at daft O’ clock
to walk up the street in the darkness and in all weathers, then
negotiate the winding, often slippy and treacherous steps down to the
boiler house. She never complained or sought any recognition.
Following the death of her father, Doris continued to live in
Northwood. Her mother had always been afraid of electricity and was
adamant that it should not be installed in the house. It was not until
her mum’s death in the 1970s that Doris could at last remove the gas
lights and begin to take advantage of the usual household devices that
most people took for granted, including a washing machine and a
television. On the top of Doris’ list, however, came an electric iron.
You would not describe Doris as a party animal but you had to say she
enjoyed social gatherings, particularly those organised by church
members. Glenys and Angus Paterson still chuckle when they
remember Doris attending a garden party at the Rectory in Harding
Road. Doris, unaware of the potency of Rev. Keith Haywood’s
infamous home-made punch, sat comfortably throughout the
afternoon, accepting all offers of a fill-up. It wasn’t until she attempted
to rise that she felt the sudden, full impact of the libation. ‘I had better
go’ she said, followed quickly by a lurch towards Glenys and ‘perhaps
not’. On another occasion, having accepted the offer of a lift to an
evening church function, Doris waited by her front door at the
appointed time. It was a cold, dark, wet night. At last, a car pulled up,
Doris locked her door and jumped enthusiastically into the car; but the
driver wasn’t her lift, it was a (by now) terrified stranger who
happened to be visiting someone close by.
15When trips were announced, Doris was amongst the first to put her name forward. These included trips abroad, which she enjoyed tremendously, keeping, notes of each day’s activities and writing them up in great detail for the parish magazine, which was then called Team Spirit. (Good on you, Doris, glad to see the secretarial training wasn’t wasted). Another church member, Dorothy Hodges, always mindful of the welfare of others, was a frequent visitor to Doris’ home, particularly after Doris became frail and could not do things for herself. Dorothy would take food, tidy up and undertake errands, including trips to the Wright’s Pie shop across Keelings Road. Doris loved her pies! Dorothy continued to visit with Margaret and myself when Doris moved into a care home. Whenever she saw me, her first comment was ‘haven’t you put on weight!’ (Thanks, Doris). It was sad that the pandemic brought a halt to such visits for the period up to Doris’ death on 19 February. Doris will be remembered as a helpful, kind soul and a sweet-natured person. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. Ed. 16
STATISTICS / FACTS / NEWS
The Worshipping Community [Church Times 4 March 2022]
The Church of England’s Statistics for Mission suggest that its
worshipping community comprises about two per cent of the
population, of whom one third are aged 70 or above
To see ourselves as others see us [Church Times 18 March 2022]
A survey carried out in the United States suggests non-believers think
Christians are hypocritical and judgemental – in stark contrast to
Christians, who describe themselves as compassionate and loving
Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank is 10 years’ old
The Foodbank was established by Churches Together to meet the
needs of local people in food poverty. The Foodbank gives out roughly
10 tonnes of food per month. In 2020/21 the Foodbank fed nearly
17,000 people; in January this year 1,604 people were fed through its
voucher system.
Congratulations to Fr. Tommy Merry
Fr. Tommy, who undertook his curacy with the Hanley Team Ministry,
is on the move from Christ Church, Fenton. After Easter, he will take
up ministry as Vicar of St. Mark’s Church, Basford and Priest-in-Charge
of St. Margaret’s Church, Wolstanton.
Hanley Team Ministry Fantasy Football
It’s something of a family affair with the Reades. John
finds his team Just Another Harry, Son drawn
against son Ian’s Halo Reade in the quarter finals of
the Fantasy League Cup and here he presents the
Manager of the Month award to wife Rose whose
team, Mount of Olives, scored most fantasy league
points during February.
17Clay Storytelling at St Mark’s
On Saturday, March 12th St Mark’s Church opened the doors to
welcome people to a clay storytelling workshop.
At the workshop, they were supported in relating their experience of
hardship and poverty.
The workshop was facilitated by Cath Ralph as part of the Raising
Voices, Changing Minds, Ending Poverty Project which has been
commissioned by VOICES on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent Hardship
Commission. The project involves Staffordshire University, Expert
Citizens CIC, All the Small Things CIC, and, most importantly, the
people of Stoke-on-Trent. It aims to make a real difference for people
experiencing poverty, by bringing them together, sharing their stories
of hardship and working collectively to influence change.
Everyone produced a clay tile or tray that told his or her story. They
used lots of different techniques and the final pieces, once they had
been fired, were presented at the Exhibition Launch night at
Staffordshire University on 24 / 25 March.
Lynne Ball
18The YMCA has
announced it has
plenty of trips in
store over the
Easter Holidays.
Monday 11th April: TV Challenge (Ages 10-16) Do you ever watch
the TV and think I could do that? Well now you can, as we take on TV
classics: The Crystal Maze and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
Tuesday 12th April: Silverstone Interactive Museum (Ages 10-16)
with a hands on interactive experience of motorsports, topped off with
a heritage walk around the track itself!
Wednesday 13th April: Hiking (Ages 10-16) A lovely day hiking in
the Peak District with our very own tour guide!
Thursday 14th April: Zip World (Ages 13-16) We take on the
Caverns in Snowdonia National park, completing a course with zip
lines, rope bridges ladders and more! *Due to the course, this activity is
only available for young people aged 13 – 16.
Friday 15th April: SantaPod Raceway – Festival of Power (Ages 10-
16) An action-packed day featuring the famous annual Jet Car
Shootout! Awesome Nitro Funny Cars, 300mph Top Fuel Dragsters and
the National Drag Racing Championships. Plus a packed line-up of all
things powerful off track with Monster Trucks, Stunt Displays, a
Variety Show Marquee and more!
Monday 18th April: Rock Climbing (Ages 10-16) We are heading off
to a huge indoor rock climbing centre with our own instructors to help
you to climb to new heights!
19Tuesday 19th April: Cycling (Ages 10-16) To the Delamere Forest for
a guided cycling trail through the great outdoors. We provide all the
equipment you will need.
Wednesday 20th April: The National Football Museum (Ages 10-
16) Visit the National Football Museum to learn about the history of
the sport, and get a chance to play interactive games as well!
Thursday 21st April: Go Karting Track Day (Ages 10-16) After a
period of classroom-based learning, drivers will head out onto the
circuit to put it all into practice. Drivers will be given one-to-one
trackside guidance, before heading out onto the circuit for one final
time – a race against their fellow students, to see who’s learnt the most
and who’s the quickest.
Thursday 21st April: Knife Angel (Ages 10-16) The Knife Angel is
coming to Stoke! Join us as we visit the powerful monument, and delve
into our thoughts and feelings through targeted workshops.
Friday 22nd April: Pony Trekking (Ages 10-16) Join YMCA Go and a
fleet of ponies as we take to the Cannock Countryside!
All activities are completely free and lunch will be provided. To book
please email gobookings@ymcans.org.uk.
A YMCA youth club runs 6-8 pm
at Northwood Parish Hall each Wednesday
HANLEY TEAM MINISTRY CONTACTS
Team Rector: Rev. Phillip Jones – (01782) 922540
revphillip.e.jones@outlook.com
Curate: Rev. Julie Birkin – 07393992753
julie.birkin@btinternet.com
20You can also read
