News for Epiphany 1, 10th January 2021 in the Rutland Water Benefice
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News for Epiphany 1, 10th January 2021 in the Rutland Water Benefice Worship this Sunday is online: Join our service via the Benefice website https://www.rutlandwaterbenefice.info/ Or join Sunday worship online from Church of England https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/church-online
Don’t forget Christmas 2020! There are pictures from our Christmas celebrations on the Rutland Water Benefice YouTube channel , which you can search for online, or paste this address into Google https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJRdvpMtOyN3KXCjpwQO4-A Online Carol Service Online ‘Light in the darkness’ Online telling of the Christmas story with puppets Online Christmas Day Communion A short tour around Manton’s Christmas Experience Christmas Trees in Preston church Visit Bethlehem, made by the schoolchildren and villagers of North Luffenham Do look soon, as some services cannot remain online indefinitely. The video clips are short and lighthearted. Plus remember other events not recorded in these pictures, like the Advent windows in Wing and beautifully decorated churches for Christmas services and for visitors. Thanks to everyone who took part. When Covid is behind us, let’s remember with delight the creativity shown in 2020 and build on these experiences in 2021 and beyond.
Outdoor carols in Edith Weston churchyard
Outdoor carols on the Oval in North Luffenham
Nativity scenes on display in many villages, including this from Empingham
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Wing
Bethlehem in North Luffenham With the shepherds and sheep (on the left) and magi (far right) there are over 200 figures made by children and villagers. Most are visible, but some children are playing hide-and-seek around the rocks, not noticing the host of angels or star in the sky. And a new baby has just been born . . .
Manton’s Christmas Experience
Christmas trees in Preston
Christmas carol windows in Manton Can you identify the carols?
Sunday services in the next few weeks
Deciding to stop Sunday services for a few weeks at the start of this third national lockdown was an agonisingly difficult decision to make.
On the one hand people want services in church, value the normality of worship together, enjoy being in church where we can keep our
distance from each other in services, value seeing each other, want hope and encouragement and we usually stick to ways of conducting
services that seem safe enough. On the other hand, most of our congregations are in the most vulnerable age groups, vaccinations are
beginning but most are not yet protected and we like to talk to each other before and after services. We are allowed by the government
to hold services in church, but is doing so wise?
On balance and after consulting the ministry team and most churchwardens, it’s been decided to stop services in church until and
including Sunday 14th February, the start of the school half term week. By then we should see data hopefully showing the lockdown is
leading to falling infection rates and also many more vulnerable people should have been vaccinated. In this case services in church will
resume. Looking ahead, Easter 2021 should be able to be celebrated in ways that were not possible in 2020.
Online worship will be provided each Sunday, as has happened almost every Sunday since the pandemic began. Lent, the season of
preparation for Easter, will be marked too. Most churches remain open for private prayer on Wednesdays and Sundays and can be
available for small funerals and weddings.
Looking further ahead
As we look to the future with hope and expectation it’s worth asking what we’ve discovered about our priorities during the pandemic
and what we might want to do differently in the coming months as we create a new normality . . .
How can we help address inequalities in society highlighted by the pandemic? How do we support relationships?
How do we continue appreciation and connection with the natural world? How do we finance churches and charities?
How do we celebrate and have fun without compromising the planet?
Do get your creative thinking caps on and see how we can change life for the better.Tea with the Rector Before Christmas, in the November lockdown, I ran a tea party one afternoon each week. Do you want to try this again? Would anyone like to meet this Sunday morning at 10am, having watched the online service at around 9.30am or before watching it at 11am? Meeting on Zoom is not the same as meeting face-to-face, but is a good way to keep in touch while we are not meeting in church buildings. Come and tell others what has brought you joy this week. Email me and I’ll send you a link for joining the meeting on Zoom, which will last for about 30 minutes. Never used Zoom? No problem! Get in touch and I’ll talk you through the process. Pippa rectorrwb@gmail.com
Where’s the January rota? There is no January rota here as we are not holding services in church for a few weeks until the number of Covid case comes down and more of our vulnerable elderly parishioners are protected by vaccination. Read more on page 11. All being well, let’s hope we can return to church on Sunday 21st February, but this will be confirmed nearer the time.
Keeping in touch
Churchwardens:
To join the distribution list for this news + readings + other infor-
your local source of information: mation from church, please email Pippa.
rectorrwb@gmail.com
Edith Weston Judy Needham 01780 720609
Empingham Nick Meryick 01780 460354
Rutland Water Benefice YouTube Channel:
Lyndon Jill Mayhew 01572 737594
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJRdvpMtOyN3KXCjpwQO4-A
Lady Conant 01572 737275
Manton Anne Cowan 01572 737503 Or join the Rutland Water Benefice Facebook Group
N Luffenham Nic Merrett 01780 721357
Janet Whittaker 01780 721216
Items for the February magazine need to reach
Pilton Libby Gilman 01780 720758
your village’s magazine rep soon.
Caroline Mc Alpine 01780 722007
The most recent magazine can be found online via the Benefice
Preston Kay Waterworth 01572 737339
website.
Ridlington David Harvey 01572 820273
Whitwell Mary Bell 01780 450205
Tony Godwin 07906 134316 You are welcome to call or email the clergy:
Wing Alice Hill 01572 737516 Pippa 01780 721286 rectorrwb@gmail.com
David Wood 01572 737465 Jenni 07507 442539 curate.rwb@gmail.com‘They returned to their homes by another root’ Wednesday was Epiphany . . . a friend has taken a picture daily of his magi journeying to the crib and now home again
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