LOOKING FORWARD TO A REBIRTH? - St Barnabas Warmley

LOOKING FORWARD TO A REBIRTH?

A year ago this month the Prime Minister announced that the UK
would enter into a lockdown due to Corona virus infection rates. It was
all a bit of a novelty then! We went walking around our locality,
rediscovering long forgotten footpaths. We enthusiastically tended our
gardens. We used the opportunity to decorate the house. There was a
sense of 'enjoy it while we can'. How that has all changed, we are still
in lockdown a year on, who would have thought it? No sense of fun
now though, more a feeling of despondency, boredom and fatigue. I
don't know about you but I have definitely had enough and am really
feeling the strain of being shut in my house with only the occasional
trip out for an errand or a walk.

We spend another season of Lent in lockdown. Tradition has it that we
are supposed to give something up for Lent, it seems to me that we
have spent the last year giving things up, there is not much left!
However, the season of Lent has got me thinking about Jesus and his
40 days and nights in the desert. It began of course with his baptism in
the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Jesus went into the water as the
son of a carpenter from Nazareth and emerged as The Son of God.
He then went into the desert, into lockdown, to prepare for the task
that lay ahead.

And so it is for us in a way. Having my Covid vaccine is like a baptism,
because it changes things. As I write this 16 million of us have had our
jabs. Covid cases are coming down, hospital admissions are coming
down, we are beginning to see the light at the end of a very dark
tunnel. It is time to begin the thought process about how we want our
country to be, it is time to think about what we ourselves should be.
Firstly we should not forget that 120,000 of our fellow citizens have
died from this terrible virus. Second, we must not forget the dedication
and heroism of our frontline NHS staff.

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On a personal level I have used this lockdown to take stock of what is
really important in my life. For me above all else it is my family. It is
now a year since I had a hug from one of my grandchildren, and that
hurts. It is my friends. It is fellowship at church and fun at my drama
group. It is singing in the choir I belong to. Above all it is human
contact. Cinemas, theatres, holidays, football, pubs and restaurants
are all lovely and enjoyable but they are not what I miss most.

When life does return to normal (whatever that normal will look like), it
will be a rebirth of sorts. A rebirth which we must not take lightly. So
this Lent, I will contemplate on what really matters in life and how I can
use this to make me a better person. May God bless you all and keep
you safe.

John Sibley

Lay Minister

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WARMLEY WARBLINGS
Once again, at this time we remember those who need our prayers at
this time, especially we think of John Eames, Lil and Mervyn Little,
Martin Pullin, Shaun Weeks and any other members of our church
family known to us.
We remember all those living in care homes and who continue to find
these times particularly challenging, we think of Marjorie Cox and
Eileen Penny and send them and their families our love and prayers
as they deal with the pressures the existing situation presents.
What a difference a month can make! While the Coronavirus crisis is
far from over, the light at the end of the tunnel gleams brighter week
by week. While all of us must continue to stick to the rules, the
incredible success of the vaccination programme has given us cause
to hope. Many of us have had our first jab, some have even had the
second one too! Church attendance is still a memory but thanks to the
efforts of our clergy, the online services on Wednesday and Sunday
have been a huge benefit. The support we offer to many of our church
family either on the telephone, on the doorstep or by doing their
shopping and generally caring for them has I know, from personal
experience, been appreciated very much and I hope, will continue for
however long is necessary. The lockdown has also presented new
opportunities to many, new hobbies, learning new skills, realising the
benefits of our local area, discovering new walks and of course for
those fortunate enough to have them, the true value of family and
friends.
Brian Draper
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                             THANKYOU

My husband John has been very unwell recently and is at home
recovering from his recent brief spell in hospital. I would like to express
my sincere thanks to the people of our church family, our own family,
friends and neighbours for all their support, love and prayers during a
difficult time,
Chris Eames
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PALM SUNDAY AND HOLY WEEK
The events of Easter took place over a week, traditionally called Passion
Week.
It began on Palm Sunday. After all His teaching and healing, Jesus had built
a following.
On the Sunday before He was to die, Jesus and His followers arrived at
Jerusalem. The city was crowded. Jewish people were arriving from to
celebrate Passover. This commemorates how they had escaped from
slavery in Egypt nearly 1,500 year earlier.
Jesus rode into the city on a young donkey. He was greeted like a
conquering hero. Cheering crowds waved palm branches in tribute. He was
hailed as the Messiah who had come to re-establish a Jewish kingdom.
The next day they returned to Jerusalem. Jesus went to the temple, the
epicentre of the Jewish faith, and confronted the money-changers and
merchants who were ripping off the people. He overturned their tables and
accused them of being thieves. The religious authorities were alarmed and
feared how He was stirring up the crowds.
On the Tuesday, they challenged Jesus, questioning His authority. He
answered by challenging and condemning their hypocrisy. Later that day
Jesus spoke to His disciples about future times. He warned them about fake
religious leaders; the coming destruction of Jerusalem; wars, earthquakes
and famines; and how His followers would face persecution.
By midweek the Jewish religious leaders and elders were so angry with
Jesus that they began plotting to arrest and kill Him. One of Jesus’ disciples,
Judas, went to the chief priests and agreed to betray Him to them.
Jesus and the 12 disciples gathered on the Thursday evening to celebrate
the Passover meal. This is known as the Last Supper. During the evening,
Jesus initiated a ritual still marked by Christians – Holy Communion – which
commemorates His death. Jesus broke bread and shared it and a cup of
wine with His disciples.

Judas then left to meet the other plotters. Jesus continued to teach the
others and then went outside into an olive grove to pray. He even prayed for
all future believers. He agonised over what was to come but chose the way
of obedience. The Bible book, Luke, records Him praying, ‘Father if you are
willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done’. Minutes
later Judas arrived with soldiers and the chief priests and Jesus was
arrested.

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MARCH 1st – St. DAVID’S DAY
On 1st March Wales celebrates its patron saint, David – or, in Welsh,
Dewi or Dafydd. He is revered wherever Welsh people have settled. As
with most figures from the so-called ’Dark Ages’ (he lived in the sixth
century), reliable details about his life are scarce, but there are enough
for us to form a picture of a formidably austere, disciplined and
charismatic leader, who led the Church in Wales through turbulent years
and fought tenaciously for the faith.
It’s likely that David was strengthened in his ministry by time spent in
Ireland, where the Church was stronger and more confident. Early
records tell of a meeting of Irish church leaders with three ‘Britons’, as
they were described, among them ‘bishop David’. His mother, Non, is
also celebrated as a saint in Wales, where a number of churches are
dedicated in her name.
That he founded a monastery at Menevia, in Pembrokeshire, seems
beyond doubt. It later became the site of St David’s cathedral and the
settlement which is now the smallest city in the United Kingdom. From
Menevia David embarked on preaching and teaching missions across
Wales, and probably beyond. His eloquence was legendary.
At a famous Synod of the Church, held at a Carmarthenshire village
called Brefi, he preached passionately against the Arian heresy – indeed,
so passionately that he was (according to some accounts) immediately
named as archbishop of Wales. The village is now known as Llandewi
Brefi – brefi in Welsh is a hillock, and legend claims that it appeared
miraculously in order to provide the eloquent bishop with a pulpit.
His monks avoided wine and beer, drinking only water. Indeed, he and
they lived lives of rigorous austerity and constant prayer, in the manner of
the Desert Fathers of the Eastern Church. The date of David’s death is
disputed – either 589 or 601. It wasn’t until the 12th century that he was
generally accepted as the patron saint of Wales, and pilgrimages to St
David’s were highly regarded in the following centuries – including two
made by English kings, William I and Henry II.
It’s traditional for Welsh people to wear daffodils on St David’s Day (Gwyl
Dewi Sant in Welsh) – but there seems no particular reason for it, beyond
the fact that they tend to make their early Spring appearance round about
his day – oh, and they look nice!

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LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH
Dear friends and partners in the gospel Living in Love and Faith (LLF) In
November I wrote to let you know that the resources for LLF had been
released, what they included, and the process and journey which they were
designed to enable across dioceses of the Church of England. I encouraged
you to share the letter more widely with any others you believed it would be
appropriate and helpful for them to receive. Thank you for doing this.
Write now to share plans which the Bishop’s Staff Team have agreed so that
we in Bristol Diocese can engage fruitfully and well with LLF and make our
own relational journey of learning together in relation to matters of human
identity and sexuality. Each diocese will be engaging with LLF with timelines
which work best for them in 2021 ready to contribute to Synodical processes
in 2022.
As you will be aware, we are now embarking on Transforming Church and
this will require time, energy and focus in the coming months and year.
Recognising the demands of engagement with two significant processes we
have scheduled two half-day conferences in May to formally begin our
collective engagement with LLF as a diocese. These will be led by the Revd
Dr Eeva John, the Church of England’s Enabling Officer for LLF, and her
team and be open to the whole people of God, not restricted to clergy and
those holding ministerial or other responsibility in the Church.
Each conference will have similar format and content, and we anticipate
them taking place online, even if Covid measures have been relaxed. The
dates are as follows:
Saturday 8 May: 9.30am – 1.30pm
Saturday 22 May: 9.30am – 1.30pm

 We very much hope that holding the conferences on a Saturday and offering
two dates will enable greater participation. Eeva was very pleased that we
are looking to engage the whole people of God and gather a range of
attendees at this starting point in the process. Please do your best to
encourage this, and particularly a variety of age and social backgrounds.
We would be grateful for you ensuring that these dates are communicated
across the worshipping communities you serve as soon as possible and
saved in diaries. Booking is free and can be done through Eventbrite via
https://bristoldiocese.eventbrite.co.uk. We anticipate the conferences taking
place through the means of video, even if Covid-19 Measures have relaxed
from what they are now.

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Although the conferences mark a significant step in collective diocesan
engagement, the LLF resources are available for individuals and churches to
engage with at any time. However, we encourage parishes focus on
Transforming Church in the coming months and then LLF following the
diocesan Conferences. The latter will provide a good launch point as well as
guidance as to how parishes and other settings can best make best use of
them. A very important dimension of this is how those with very different
views, perspectives and experiences can express them with conviction while
also demonstrating respect and honour for those who hold very different
positions.
Those overseeing LLF nationally have asked each diocese to appoint two
Advocates to assist and enable processes locally, and I am delighted that
The Revd Dr Araminta (Minty) Hull and The Revd Chris Dobson have
accepted the invitation by the Bishop’s Staff to work with me as our LLF
Advocates and one of their first tasks has been in preparing this letter with
me. As Advocates we are in the process of forming a Support Group for LLF
which will include representation from each of the seven deaneries.
Members will be given training by the Enabling Officer and her team and
contribute to leading and facilitating events in parishes and other settings.
Some will act as chaplains at such events. A key aim is to ensure that all
those who participate in an LLF event feel safe and that pastoral care will be
available for any who find themselves in emotional distress.
Together with the Advocates, members of the Support Group will be listening
to various voices in relation to how LLF is being received across the diocese
and monitor what is going on and where. We are looking for the LLF Support
Group to have a breadth and diversity of membership. Within the Support
Group we shall also be recruiting those with technical skills who can be
called upon to assist with issues around technology. This will include helping
those in settings which do not have a great deal of expertise in this area, and
also editing recorded material to make it more appropriate for a particular
need or setting. We have created a separate Diocesan Mailbox in order to
contact the Advocates and Support Group and will be setting up a page to
access via the diocesan website for information and FAQs.
If you know somebody with the qualities or skills which would potentially
make them a good addition to the LLF Support Group, please would you ask
them to get in touch with either Minty, Chris or me through
LLF@bristoldiocese.org Our hope is that this letter will provide greater clarity
on how we in Bristol Diocese will be engaging with LLF over the coming
months. Although there are some dioceses which have already held launch
conferences, there are many which, like us, will not be fully engaging until
the Spring. One of the advantages of this will be to learn from the
experiences of others.
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As with the earlier letter, please would you share this one with those who
lead in your setting and any others you believe would value seeing this letter.
Please would you encourage people to mark the dates and Register for one
or other of the Diocesan LLF Conferences.

The LLF Advocates, and all who have been involved in the production of the
resources and the conversations which have taken place over a number of
years, are acutely aware of the significance of prayer in this process, and the
Support Group will play a role in encouraging this over the coming weeks.
Here is one prayer which we hope you might find helpful:

Merciful and Holy Lord
Your Son taught us that the truth will set us free,
and that if the Son should set us free
we shall be free indeed.

We acknowledge that on issues of human identity and sexuality
We have struggled to be of one mind
and have often disowned or disrespected others.

In the journey we are now making with Living in Love and Faith,
we ask for ears to hear one another well and to speak with respect and
kindness.
Above all may we honour you
and discern what your Spirit is saying to us
in faithfulness to the one who remains
the Way, the Truth and the Life.
May this be to your glory, now and forever.

Amen

Minty Hull, Chris Dobson & Bishop Lee

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MARCH 14th – MOTHERING SUNDAY
               AND MOTHER CHURCH
The Fourth Sunday in Lent was called ‘Mid-Lent’ or ‘Refreshment
Sunday’, when the rigors of Lent were relaxed more than was normal
for a feast day. It is called Mothering Sunday as a reference to the
Epistle reading for the Day (Galatians 4:21-31). The Lenten Epistles
follow from each other with teaching about our life as Christians and
how we are to follow Christ.

On Mid-Lent Sunday the Epistle talks of bondage and freedom; the
bondage of the Law and the Old Covenant as compared to the
freedom in Christ, “the promised one”, and the New Covenant. Verse
26 reads “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of
us all.” We gain our freedom from Christ and, as it was seen before
the Reformation, the Church.

Thus, Mothering Sunday is about the freedom that we gain through the
promise of Jesus Christ delivered through our Mother the Church.
 People were encouraged to go to their ‘Mother Church’ (their home
church or their home Cathedral) to worship and give thanks. Hence
apprentices, and others, went home for the weekend and often
brought gifts (or accumulated pay) home to their family.

On the other hand, Mother’s Day is a secular festival invented in 1904
and is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May in most countries in the
world. The UK seems to be the exception. In recent years Mothering
Sunday has been hijacked to take the place of a special, secular day
to give thanks for our mothers.

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ALL IN THE MONTH OF MARCH
It was:
1700 years ago, on 7th March 321, that the Roman Emperor
Constantine 1 (Constantine the Great) decreed that Sunday should be
a day of rest throughout the Empire.

1600 years ago, on 25th March 421, that the city of Venice was
officially founded when its first church was dedicated at noon.

300 years ago, on 24th March 1721, that Johann Sebastian Bach
dedicated six of his concertos to Christian Ludwig Margrave of
Brandenburg-Schwedt. They are now commonly known as the
Brandenburg Concertos.

200 years ago, on 19th March 1821, that Sir Richard Burton, British
explorer, writer and translator, was born. He was noted for his
translations of The Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra.

150 years ago, on 27th March 1871, that the first international rugby
union football match was held in Edinburgh. Scotland beat England 1
– 0.

80 years ago, on 28th March 1941, that Virginia Woolf committed
suicide, aged 59. Author of To The Lighthouse, Mrs Dalloway,
Orlando, and A Room of One’s Own, among others, she was one of
the leading modernist writers of the 20th century.

75 years ago, on 5th March 1946, that Winston Churchill gave his
famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Fulton, Missouri. He used the term to
describe the separation between Soviet and Western countries.

65 years ago, on 23rd March 1956, that Pakistan became the world’s
first Islamic Republic.

60 years ago, on 6th March 1961, that George Formby, the ‘ukulele
king’ died. A British comedian, singer and actor, he was best known
for his comic songs, including ‘When I’m Cleaning Windows’.

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50 years ago, on 8th March 1971, that the ‘Fight of the Century’ took
place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Two undefeated
heavyweight boxers fought each other for the world title, with Joe
Frazier defeating Muhammed Ali.

40 years ago, on 1st March 1981, that IRA member Bobby Sands
began a hunger strike at Maze Prison, Northern Ireland. He was
elected as an MP to the British parliament on 10th April, and died on
5th May.

30 years ago, on 21st March 1991, that the British Government
announced that the controversial poll tax (officially called the
community charge), which had sparked riots, was to be scrapped and
replaced by a new property tax (council tax) from April 1993.

25 years ago, on 13th March 1996, that the Dunblane Massacre took
place in Scotland. A gunman killed 16 children and a teacher at a
primary school and wounded several others before taking his own life.

20 years ago, on 8th March 2001, that British racing driver Donald
Campbell’s speedboat Bluebird was recovered from the bottom of
Coniston Water in Cumbria. (It had crashed and sank during a record
attempt in January 1967 in which he was killed.)

15 years ago, on 1st March 2006, that the Senedd, the National
Assembly for Wales’s debating chamber, was officially opened by
Queen Elizabeth II in Cardiff.

10 years ago, on 11th March 2011, that the great Tohoku earthquake
and tsunami of Japan took place. It shifted Japan’s main island,
Honshu, 2.4 metres to the east. 15,897 people were killed, 2,533 went
missing, and nearly a quarter of a million were made homeless. Three
reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant went into
meltdown, leading to the second-largest nuclear accident in history.

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A LITTLE HUMOUR

Definitions from church life
AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
PEWSHEET: Your receipt for attending Matins.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key two octaves higher than
that of the congregation’s range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Sunday morning worship,
often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already
left.
JONAH: The original ‘Jaws’ story
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in some churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of a formal
Sung Eucharist, consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late
parishioners looking for seats.
SIDESMEN: The only people in the parish who don’t know the seating
capacity of a pew

Cats & dogs
Behind every cat that crosses the street, there is a dog saying, “Go
ahead, you can make it.”
Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God.
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.

Little old lady seeks handsome young man
An advert appeared in a student newspaper of a university: “Sweet
little old lady wishes to correspond with good-looking university
student – especially a six-footer with brown eyes, answering to initials
J.A.D.” It was signed: “his mother.”

Peace
After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners glumly filed out
of the church past the minister. Towards the end of the queue was a
thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. “Vicar,
today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God.”
The vicar was thrilled. “Nobody has ever said anything like that about
my preaching before. Tell me why.”
The man sighed. “Because it endured forever.”

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Knock knock
A conscientious minister decided to get acquainted with a new family
in his church and so he visited them one Spring evening. After his
knock on the door, a lilting voice from within called out, “Is that you,
Angel?”
“No,” replied the minister. “But I’m from the same department.”

Dressed up
 An evangelical vicar was asked to celebrate Holy Communion for his
Anglo-Catholic neighbour who was ill. Unfamiliar with some of the
vestments, he did the best he could. Breakfasting at the vicarage
afterwards he said to the vicar’s wife that he hoped he had got all the
vestments on properly. “Oh yes,” she said, “you were quite all right –
except that my husband does not usually wear the book-markers!”

Switched on
A housewife was helping her aged mother get up the stairs on their
brand-new stair lift when the minister telephoned her. He was horrified
to hear her say: “I’m so sorry, but I’ll have to ring you back. I can’t talk
right now because I’ve finally got Mother in the electric chair and I’m
eager to press the switch and see if it works!

On offer
A bishop, invited to dinner at a large country house, was surprised not
to be offered anything but water to drink, and eventually appealed to
his very beautiful hostess: “Do you think I might have a drop of wine?”
The lady threw up her hands in horror and replied; “Bishop, I am so
sorry! I thought you were Chair of the Church of England Temperance
Society.”
“Not at all,” said the bishop, adding “but I am Chair of the Anti-Porn
campaign.”
“Oh!” came the reply. “I knew there was something I could not offer
you.”

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MARCH 17th – St. PATRICK, BELOVED APOSTLE TO
                     IRELAND
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. If you’ve ever been in New York
on St Patrick’s Day, you’d think he was the patron saint of New York as
well… the flamboyant parade is full of American/Irish razzmatazz.
It’s all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th century humble Christian who
became in time both bishop and apostle of Ireland. Patrick was born the
son of a town councillor in the west of England, between the Severn and
the Clyde. But as a young man he was captured by Irish pirates,
kidnapped to Ireland, and reduced to slavery. He was made to tend his
master’s herds.
Desolate and despairing, Patrick turned to prayer. He found God was
there for him, even in such desperate circumstances. He spent much time
in prayer, and his faith grew and deepened, in contrast to his earlier
years, when he “knew not the true God”.
Then, after six gruelling, lonely years he was told in a dream he would
soon go to his own country. He either escaped or was freed, made his
way to a port 200 miles away and eventually persuaded some sailors to
take him with them away from Ireland.
After various adventures in other lands, including near-starvation, Patrick
landed on English soil at last, and returned to his family. But he was
much changed. He had enjoyed his life of plenty before; now he wanted
to devote the rest of his life to Christ. Patrick received some form of
training for the priesthood, but not the higher education he really wanted.
But by 435, well-educated or not, Patrick was badly needed. Palladius’
mission to the Irish had failed, and so the Pope sent Patrick back to the
land of his slavery. He set up his see at Armagh and worked principally in
the north. He urged the Irish to greater spirituality, set up a school, and
made several missionary journeys.
Patrick’s writings are the first literature certainly identified from the British
Church. They reveal sincere simplicity and a deep pastoral care. He
wanted to abolish paganism, idolatry, and was ready for imprisonment or
death in the following of Christ.
Patrick remains the most popular of the Irish saints. The principal
cathedral of New York is dedicated to him, as, of course, is the Anglican
cathedral of Dublin.
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