Reverend Ruth Dawson writes ....

Dear Friends

As I write this, we are in week 10 of lockdown, and the government is making the first tentative steps towards easing us out of the situation. Despite the challenges that isolation presented, the nation has responded in a positive way. Despite the closure of church buildings, the church itself has found many ways to serve people support them and to involve them in worship and prayer. It has been and will continue to be a testing time for all of us, possibly the biggest test we have faced since the second world war. Some people may have found their faith tested, but remember what Christ told us: ‘And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matt 28:20) Having so much time on my hands has enabled me to read, pray and

meditate so much more, and has grown my relationship with God. I have

reflected much on Psalm 66 verses 8 to 12; verse 10 reads ‘For you, O

God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.’ Verse 12 reads

‘You let people ride over heads; we went through fire and through; yet

you have brought us out to a spacious place’.

What a message of hope that brings us, but it also requires us to trust

God, something that is not always easy for all of us, especially at the

moment, when some people may feel even more sceptical about God.

Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote a delightful little

book entitled “Tokens of Trust”, and it is one of the books I have reread

during my isolation, and I recommend it to you.. In one of the chapters he

tells of a young Dutch Jewess who during the terrible period of 1941 to

1943 and died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. She hadn’t been a pious

or conventional person, but during her imprisonment she became

increasingly conscious of God’s hand on her life, of the fact that he lived

and was with her. Her conviction and faith despite her horrific

experiences are like a lamp for me, a source of inspiration and a reminder

of the strength a belief in God and his love brings us.

We are Easter people, God is with us – we are not alone. Carry that

thought as we move through this crisis. I hold you all in thought and

prayer.

Yours in Christ

Ruth Dawson

Monthly Prayers for June

1st For all those celebrating a birthday this month and find themselves on

their own without close family around them during these strange times

2nd For those teachers facing uncertain futures in our schools as Head

teachers struggle with finding safe ways for the children and staff to

work in

3rd For those living in Darrowby Drive

4th For all those children and young people whose exams have been

cancelled this year because of the coronavirus epidemic

5th For our Ministry Team who are leading services either on video or by

telephone and those who receive them

6th For all those who are suffering failing health and other long-term

health conditions that prohibit normal life and their carers who have

faced many problems over the past weeks

7th For all those staff and residents in the Care Homes in Darlington

8th For all those staff who work in our psychiatric units.

9th For all those who work in our supermarkets

10th For all those around the town who knit shawls etc for the group called

Angel Gowns who give these to those babies who are stillborn

11th For all those lorry drivers who bring food to the warehouses and

supermarkets

12th For the skills of the surgeons in our local hospitals

13th For those living in Bellburn Lane

14th For those on our list for prayers for healing

15th For all those teachers and nursery leaders who have been looking after

the children of key workers

16th For all those we may know who have struggled with their mental

health that they may see a light at the end of a long tunnel of

darkness

17th For all those who cannot find peace only torment in these troubled

times

18th For all those who work within our police service both officers and

civilians

19th For all those who serve our needs in our local Doctors Surgeries

20th For those living in Hartington Way

21st For all those families who may have loved ones nearing the time of

their passing

22nd For all those Christians who live in fear of their lives in many countries

around the world as they are treated with suspicion & violence

23rd For our local council members and our local member of Parliament

24th For those who find themselves mourning the loss of a loved one

25th For the Inter Faith group here in Darlington bringing a deeper

understanding between the faiths in our communities as we all

struggle with dealing with the restrictions of movement and services

26th For all those clergy and lay people who bring solace to those who

mourn

27th For all those who work within our pharmacies and their skills and

knowledge

28th For the staff of the neo-natal unit and paediatric intensive care unit

29th For the catering staff at Age UK and the volunteers taking meals out to

those in need around the town and surrounding areas.

30th For our Government and Prime Minister as they try to get the country

back to some form of normality and those members of the medical

profession advising them.

FACEBOOK SERVICES FOR JUNE

TUESDAY 10am MORNING PRAYER from the Vicarage (Rev’d Lissa Scott)

FRIDAY 10am HOLY COMMUNION using traditional language from the Vicarage (Rev’d Lissa Scott)

SUNDAY 11am 6pm

COMMON WORSHIP HOLY COMMUNION from the Vicarage (Rev’d Lissa Scott) EVENING PRAYER live from the Churchwarden’s Loft (Gordon Tough)

SUNDAY/ WEDNESDAY

TELEPHONE SERVICE We will initially be offering pre-recorded Morning Prayer on Sundays at 9:30am and Evening Prayer on Wednesdays at 7pm. The telephone number for this is 01325527446 Services will remain up for a few days before being replaced by the next one.

SATURDAY

3pm

FACEBOOK FAMILY SERVICE

Songs, stories and crafts for you and your little ones

Visit the C of E online page

There is now a range of digital resources for to you connect with God at

this difficult time. These include:

Time to Pray app (https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/time-to-pray)

which is free and has an accompanying daily audio offering on

SoundCloud and iTunes.

Mental health reflections (https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-

action/mental-health-resources/supporting-good-mental-health)

Tips to tackle isolation (https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-

action/mental-health-resources/dealing-loneliness-and-isolation-five-

top-tips). Finally, there are the Church’s smart speaker apps, which

provide a range of Christian resources.

https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/our-smart-speaker-apps

More details at: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-

centre/church-online

All in the month of

It was:

250 years ago, on 11th June 1770 that English explorer Captain James

Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off Australia when his ship ran

aground on it and was severely damaged.

While the aborigines and the Chinese may have found the Reef – the

largest structure in the world made of living organisms – before him, Cook

made more of an impact. His ship, the Endeavour, unloaded ballast and

was re-floated at high tide, but extensive repairs were necessary, as well

as skill at navigating a way out through the labyrinthine coral.

Cook made extensive journeys to unexplored waters, particularly in the

Pacific. At an earlier stage, when he was charting Newfoundland, he said

he intended to go “not only further than any man has been before me, but

as far as I think it is possible for a man to go.”

Born in Yorkshire, he worked for a Quaker ship-owning family at Whitby

and started his sea life as a merchant seaman before joining the Royal

Navy. Later he attended St Paul's Church, Shadwell, in East London.

Although he had six children, he has no direct descendants.

He was killed aged 50 in 1779, during a scuffle with some natives in

Hawaii, but left a huge legacy of scientific and geographical knowledge.

200 years ago, on 19th June 1820 that Joseph Banks, British naturalist,

died. He was President of the Royal Society for 41 years, developed the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, into one of the world’s leading botanical

gardens.

150 years ago, on 9th June 1870 that Charles Dickens, British novelist,

died. His books include The Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two Cities, Great

Expectations and David Copperfield.

He died of a stroke in Gad’s Hill Place, his country home in Kent, when

halfway through writing The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The last novel he

completed – most of them were written in regularly released parts – was

Our Mutual Friend, in 1865.

He had been born in Portsmouth in 1812, the second of eight children. His

family were relatively poor, and his mother wanted him out at work, so he

never received a formal education. Nevertheless, he edited a weekly

journal for 20 years and wrote 15 novels, as well as many other stories,

articles and letters. He was also a staunch social campaigner, particularly

for children’s rights and education.

As could be deduced from one of his most loved works, A Christmas Carol,

he was a firm believer in Christian elements such as compassion and

redemption, and he loved the New Testament, while having little time for

the Old or for organised religion. His parents were nominal Anglicans. He is

said to have wanted his stories to be seen as ‘parables’ emphasising the

teaching of Jesus.

100 years ago, on 11th June 1920 that the Colony of Kenya was

established. It was previously known as British East Africa. It gained its

independence as Kenya in 1963.

80 years ago, June 1940, was a dramatic month in World War II. Main

points include:

3rd The German Luftwaffe bombed Paris.

4th The evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk was completed.

Winston Churchill gave his ‘We shall fight them on the beaches’

speech.

5th The Battle of France began.

10th Italy declared war on France and Britain. Canada declared war

on Italy. The North African Campaign (Desert War) began.

11th The siege of Malta began.

14th German forces entered Paris.

17th French government minister Charles de Gaulle (later President of

France) relocated to Britain.

18th Winston Churchill gave his ‘Finest Hour’ speech.

22nd France surrendered to Germany.

30th Germany invaded the Channel Islands.

75 years ago, on 22nd June 1945 that the Battle of Okinawa ended after 82

days. This battle saw the highest number of casualties in the Pacific

Theatre of the war, with more than 12,000 Allies, 110,000 Japanese forces

and 140,000 civilians killed.

70 years ago, on 3rd June 1950 that the first successful ascent of

Annapurna in the Himalayas, was accomplished by a French expedition led

by Maurice Herzog. This was the first successful ascent of a mountain over

8,000 metres. Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world.

PsychoIt was just three years before the first ascent of Everest. Annapurna

was a largely unknown mountain, and the team first had to find a way to

reach it, and then survey a possible ascent route before doing the actual

climb – an amazing achievement in one season.

The team had originally intended to climb the slightly higher Dhaulagiri,

but when they saw it, they decided it was impractical. They went on to

climb Annapurna without oxygen and survived extreme conditions which

resulted in the two summiting climbers, Herzog and Louis Lachenal,

suffering severe frostbite and surviving an avalanche on the descent.

At the summit the excitable Herzog said: "Never have I felt happiness like

this, so intense and pure.” Lachenal, who had been reluctant to make the

final attempt, said he felt "a painful sense of emptiness.”

This was the first mountain summit attempt that Nepal had permitted:

afterwards the Maharajah of Nepal greeted the climbers as national

heroes.

65 years ago, on 11th June 1955 that the Le Mans disaster took place when

a car span off the track during the Le Mans 24 Hour race in France. The

driver, Pierre Levegh, and 83 spectators were killed and over 100 injured.

It was the greatest loss of life in the history of motorsport.

60 years ago, on 16th June 1960 that Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense film

Psycho was released.

Also 60 years ago, on 28th June 1960 that the Six Bells Colliery disaster

took place in Monmouthshire. 45 coal miners were killed by a gas

explosion.

50 years ago, on 29th June 1970 that following the Vietnam War, US troops

were withdrawn from Cambodia.

40 years ago, on 12th June 1980 that Billy Butlin, British holiday camp

entrepreneur, died.

30 years ago, on 1 June 1990 that US President George Bush and Soviet

leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed an agreement to end the production of

chemical weapons and to destroy existing stocks.

Also 30 years ago, on 22nd June 1990 that Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, was

dismantled. It remained an official crossing point between East and West

Germany until re-unification in October. The guard house is now on display

in a museum.

20 years ago, on 10th June 2000 that the Millennium Bridge in London

opened. It closed again two days later because it swayed uncomfortably

when people walked in step. It reopened in Feb 2002 after changes were

made.

Also 20 years ago, on 26th June 2000, the Human Genome Project and

Celera Genomics Corp announced that they had completed the first rough

draft of the human genome.

10 years ago, on 15th June 2010 that the Saville Report, an inquiry into

Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland in 1972, was published. It determined

that British paratroopers had fired the first shot, without warning. Prime

Minister David Cameron apologised on behalf of the British Government.

JUNE 1940 – a month to remember

June 1940 – 80 years ago – was a dramatic month in the Second World War,

and one which saw two of the most memorable speeches in English.

As the evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk was completed, recently

appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the House of Commons on

4th June: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing

grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the

hills; we shall never surrender.”

Surprisingly he did not broadcast it to the nation: it was not recorded until

1949, “for posterity.” When he spoke, the French had not surrendered,

and the idea that “in God’s good time” the USA might conceivably have to

ride to the aid of a ‘subjugated’ England actually depressed as many

people as it invigorated.

Two weeks later, on the 18th June, with the battle in France lost, Churchill

did address the country directly with a rallying call in what must indeed

have seemed a very dark hour. “The Battle of Britain,” he said, “is about

to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation.”

He concluded by saying that if Britain were to last a thousand years,

people would still say, “This was their finest hour.”

Dandelions!

Many of us actually like dandelions. Their amazingly cheerful colour always a smile to our faces. The not-so-neat- and-tidy gardeners among us can simply enjoy flowers where they grow.

The name 'dandelion' apparently derives from 'dent de lion' – lions' teeth,

owing to the tooth-like shape of its leaves. There are many different

varieties of dandelion, but they all have the toothed leaves arranged in a

rosette around the single flowers, each one made up of up to two hundred

[yes, really!] tiny florets on a smooth stem, that when picked, releases a

milky substance known as latex.

The golden heads, which close up at night, in wet weather, or if picked to

go in a vase, give way to the seed-heads we all know as clocks. Who

cannot remember proclaiming the time as a child, having blown the seeds

away, counting each breath as an hour? And who, if this happened in the

garden, remembers the reaction of a parent, or grandparent, to the

efficient dispersal of the seeds all over the vegetable patch or flower bed!

In the past, dandelion drinks and concoctions have been valued for their

medicinal powers in combating a variety of complaints, and the Victorians

used to cultivate them in order to fill sandwiches with the young leaves.

Fizzy drinks manufacturers still produce a variety known as Dandelion and

Burdock, and intrepid wine-makers can use the flowers to concoct a heady

brew.

The roots, some say, can be dried and ground up for use as a coffee

substitute. It is those same roots, long and strong, that our grandmothers

would water carefully, to the amusement of onlookers, in order to pull

them up completely. To many of us, dandelions are one of Nature's joys.

Remember traffic jams?

One good thing about the lockdown is that you’ll have spent less hours

stuck in traffic this Spring.

Recent research has found that in 2019, car-using commuters lost an

average of 115 hours stuck in traffic. No surprises that London was the

most congested, with people losing 149 hours over the year. After all,

London comes 8th in the world for bad traffic jams.

Belfast was the next worst, with 112 hours lost per commuter. That is

closely followed by Bristol (103 hours), Edinburgh (98 hours), and

Manchester (92 hours).

London and Edinburgh have tied for the title of UK’s slowest-moving city

centre, with the average speed being about 10mph.

No plastic please, we’re the

National Trust

National Trust is going to get rid of its plastic membership cards.

Replacing the five million membership cards with a paper alternative will

save 12.5 tons of plastic each year.

The new cards will be made from a strong and durable paper, with a

water-based coating. The cards will be recyclable and compostable.

The National Trust also has plans to almost completely remove single-use

plastics from its sites by 2022. It has already replaced all disposable food

packaging with compostable products. Next, it wants to remove plastic

drinks bottles and eliminate plastic packaging from its shops.

Beware soft drinks

Having just one soft drink a day in middle-age could increase your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Recent research has found that the sugar-laden drinks raise cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of clots that cut off blood supply to the heart or brain. It was found that daily consumers of soft drinks were 53 per cent more likely to have large amounts of a fat called triglycerides, that collects in vessels and arteries, compared with people who rarely touch sugary soft drinks. The study was done at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Cardiovascular disease is the UK’s number one killer, claiming 170,000 lives a year. It is responsible for one in four premature deaths.

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Tel: 01325 482999 (24 hr)

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(EASY) (MEDIUM)

7th June Without the Trinity, there is no Christianity

The Trinity is easier to say than to explain. Christians believe in one God,

made up of three equal Persons. It is fundamental to the Nicene Creed,

which sets out the definitive doctrine of the Trinity for more than two

billion Christians worldwide, including all Roman Catholics, Eastern

Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Reformed Christians.

The theologian Ian Paul, writing on the Book of Revelation, points out that

chapter five has a wonderful depiction of the Trinity in action. He writes:

“…another figure appears in the drama, the lion who looks like a lamb. …

Here is the one who fulfils the hopes of God’s people Israel, as the

promised anointed Davidic king who was to come. Here is one who is

fierce and powerful enough to conquer their enemies, and tear them

apart.

“And yet when John sees Him, He is like a weak and vulnerable lamb who

has been slaughtered, just as the Passover lamb eaten by the people, the

suffering servant who was ‘wounded for our transgressions’ and the lamb

offered as an atoning sacrifice. He is the one who was slain,

but now stands, and shares the throne with God, and with Him sends the

Spirit to enact His will on earth. Here we have the most explicit (and

perhaps the most complex) Trinitarian statement in the whole New

Testament.”

From the Rev Dr Ian Paul’s excellent blog at:

https://www.psephizo.com/revelation/what-does-rev-4-5-tell-us-about-

the-trinity/ (dated May 17, 2017

Trinity Sunday, celebrating our God

who is Three Persons

Trying to explain the doctrine of the Trinity has kept many a theologian

busy down the centuries. One helpful picture is to imagine the sun shining

in the sky. The sun itself – way out there in space, and unapproachable in

its fiery majesty – is the Father. The light that flows from it, which gives

us life and illuminates all our lives, is the Son. The heat that flows from it,

and which gives us all the energy to move and grow, is the Holy Spirit. You

cannot have the sun without its light and its heat. The light and the heat

are from the sun, are of the sun, and yet are also distinct in themselves,

with their own roles to play.

The Bible makes clear that God is One God, who is disclosed in three

persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. For example:

Deuteronomy 6:4: ‘Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’

Isaiah 45:22: ‘Turn to me and be saved… for I am God, and there is no

other.’

Genesis 1:1-2: ‘In the beginning God created…. and the Spirit of God was

hovering…’

Judges 14:6: ‘The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power…’

John 1:1-3: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him

all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been

made.’

Luke 24:49 actually manages to squeeze the whole Trinity into one

sentence. Jesus tells His disciples: ‘I am going to send you what my

Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with

power (the Holy Spirit) from on high.’

In other words, the sun eternally gives off light and heat, and whenever

we turn to its brilliant light, we find that the warmth and life there as

well.

MAF still flying

Saturday 20th June was meant to be the day when MAF celebrated its 75th

Anniversary of flying with a big celebration in London.

Not being able to meet with its many supporters is bitterly disappointing,

but MAF now wants instead to pray for its supporters, and to reassure

them at this difficult time.

As MAF explains: “with 75 years of pioneering mission to the remotest

places on earth, we know so well how isolation can threaten human

development, physical health and spiritual freedom. It is strange to think

that many of us in the UK will be experiencing the isolation MAF has been

flying to overcome across the developing world for decades.”

Internationally, MAF has been badly hit by Covid-19, with many countries

allowing only restricted access now. It is still doing what it can to

maintain flight operations to reach isolated people in need. Some recent

examples include:

Papua, Indonesia: MAF Pilot, Kees Janse, has been helping distribute

flyers, to educate villagers about preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Arusha, Tanzania: MAF Pilot, Kirstein Combrink, is still able to fly medics

out to remote areas, taking all the necessary precautions.

Sundarbans, Bangladesh: MAF Pilot, Chad Tilley, joined forces with the

Swiss Embassy to rescue a teacher and charity worker stranded in a

remote area. He flew them to the capital, Dhaka, just 90 minutes before

their embassy flight departed for Europe.

Wau, South Sudan: the WHO and South Sudan’s Ministry of Health

requested MAF to transport test kits to the north western city of Wau - a

two-hour flight from Juba. MAF Pilot, Wim Hobo, says: ‘We’re very happy

we can support their people in this way.’

Luau, Angola: MAF Angola Pilot, Marijn Goud, rescued two Canadian

missionaries from the remote village of Luau and flew them to Angola’s

capital, Luanda, so they could be repatriated.

Reflected Faith: a string of beads

As you pray or simply spend time

quietly at home, have you ever

thought of using a rosary? Holding

something can be very comforting.

A rosary has beads in groups of ten, a separation and then a single bead.

This is repeated five times in a circle and then there’s a different set of

beads on a single line from that in a pattern of single, space, three beads,

space, single and then at the end a crucifix.

A couple of years ago the Archbishop of York went on a pilgrimage around

the Diocese of York of which he is also the Diocesan Bishop; visiting every

Church of England church and church school. He was also welcomed into

many other non-church places and situations.

Wherever he went he distributed a set of ‘beads.’ These were in sets of

three beads, a space and a single bead repeated four times. At the

central point of the circle was a

wooden cross. As he spoke, he invited those around him to pray using the

beads and then to continue to use them in their own time and in their own

ways.

All of us in our different personal circumstances are living in some

isolation – as families with young children, teenagers, three generations,

couples together, young singles, and the widowed.

So many different situations but like those different strings of beads,

whether as a single or in small groups, each is part of the whole and

separated we may be but not alone.

This month: If you don’t have a set of beads just get some string and

make knots in it. As you pass the knots through your hands think of other

people, situations and places and do include yourself and your own

church. Perhaps say a traditional prayer on each bead or just use the

words, ‘Lord have mercy’.

Lockdown, you and IT

How are you getting on with technology? The coronavirus pandemic has

driven hundreds of millions of us to use it more than ever, as we sit at

home in frustrated isolation.

If you are used to digital meetings and Zoom, it is not a problem, but for

millions of grandparents wanting to see their families, or non-techie

people wanting to see their friends, it has been quite a learning curve.

So, is there a patron saint of computers and electronics and all the

difficult stuff?

Some people say the patron saint of the internet should be Saint Isidore

of Seville, a Bishop and scholar in the Seventh Century who wrote a

book called Etymologies or The Origins, in which he tried to record

everything that was known. That seems to be a good basis for sainthood,

or at least for the internet.

Another candidate is Saint Eligius who lived about the same time. He is

quite busy already as the patron saint of goldsmiths, metalworkers, vets,

the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), horses and those

who work with them. His main qualification seems to have been his ability

to make things.

My suggestion is Zebedee. No, not the character from The Magic

Roundabout but the father of James and John. After all, consider this:

“James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John…were in a boat with

Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. (Matt.

4:21)

Ok, it is not the internet, but Zebedee knew about mending a net which

would have had both good and bad stuff all over it.

Certainly, whenever I get in an IT muddle during this lockdown, I would

welcome any patron saint that was willing to help me!

MARY LAWSON – STAR OF STAGE AND FILM

Local girl finds fame and stardom

Mary Lawson was a star of stage and screen during the 1920’s and 30’s.

She was born in 1910 in Pease Street in the Eastbourne area of Darlington.

My mother lived next door to her and her name was Dorothy and she went

to Dodmire School as Mary had done before her.

Mary used to make a big fuss of my mother and bought her a beautiful doll

and pram and dressed her up in exquisite clothes. The two back gardens

stretched for 80 feet and Mary and my mother used to play there.

My mother used to take Ginger, the cat, for walks in the pram. He must

have been a very tolerant cat. He was an intelligent ginger cat and used

to round up the chickens.

My grandparents loved gardening and grew everything from beautiful

flowers to vegetables and fruit. They had a magnificent Victoria plum

tree.

My Grandfather was the head Gardener at the South Park. In his spare

time, he bred rabbits and I can remember his silver trophies displayed on

the dresser. He once bred Blue Persian kittens but someone put poison

down and they all died. He must have been heartbroken. He never bred

kittens again.

Mary had a sunny disposition and starred in dance groups from an early

age. She was always in my Grandparents’ house. She used to carry a

Pekingnese dog under her arm.

Mary’s mother died when she was three and she was brought up by her

father and older sister Dora. Mary’s father worked for the North Eastern

Railway Company and was a part-time Ambulance Man. Mary’s mother

was a music teacher who had a fine voice and sang with a local choir.

Mary had two older brohers, John and Francis James. Francis, known as

Frankie, lived in Neasham Road with his wife and two children.

One day, my Grandmother (known as Nanna Backhouse) was giving my

mother a basin cut. In those days, a pudding basin was put on the child’s

head and the hair below was cut off. She accidentally cut my mother’s

ear and she ran for Mary’s father to bandage it. My Mum can still feel the

mark.

At the age of 5, Mary sang at Feethams for soldiers wounded in the 1st

world war. She soon became a regular at Darlington’s Scala Theatre in

Eldon Street. In 1920, Mary had a part in Babes in the Wood and when she

was 12, she toured County Durham with a group of girls (which lasted for

three years). In addition to her pure acting ability, she was an exceptional

dancer.

She honed her acting and dancing skills in Durham and was spotted by

Gracie Fields. With Gracie’s support, she became a resident act at the

Mayfair Hotel in London.

Mary made her name in 1928 in ‘Good News’ at the age of 17. In 1929 she

toured Australia in ‘Desert’ Song and ‘Hold Everything’.

Mary’s sister, Dora, chaperoned her all over the world.

By the 1930’s she was established as a Musical Comedy star and went on to

act in 14 films with names like Vivien Leigh and Bud Flannigan as well as

11 stage show . Her last role was in ‘White Horse Inn’ at the Coliseum in

London in 1940.

Mary had several romantic affairs. In 1933, she was engaged to Maurice

van Raalte, heir to a cigar fortune but it ended in his sudden death. She

was going to marry a cameraman but caused a sensation on her

engagement to Fred Perry, world premier tennis player. He wanted to

marry her and then live in America but Mary did not wish to live there.

She married the son of the Dame of Sark whose name was Francis William

Lionel Collings Beaumont, He was known to her as Buster. They met

during the filming of ‘Toilers of the Sea in 1936’. He was a film

producer.

When Mary and Buster were married, she changed her name to Mary

Elizabeth Lawson but kept her stage name as Mary Lawson.

When the second world war broke out, Sark was occupied by German

military and Buster joined the Royal Airforce reaching the rank of Flight

Lieutenant.

In May 1941, Mary’s husband was serving in the second world war and he

had one precious week’s leave when he arranged to meet Mary, Dora and

friends in Liverpool. When they were there, the Liverpool Blitz occurred

and was at its worst, second only to London.

They had to go into the underground shelter at night. It was cold, damp

and crowded. People recognised Mary and she felt uncomfortable. On the

third night, they decided to stay in their room in Bedford Street, while

Dora and the others stayed in the underground shelter.

Bedford Street was bombed and they both died. Their bodies were pulled

from the rubble. Mary was only 30 years old.

They were buried in Kirkdale Cemetery in Liverpool but only Buster has a

headstone to remember him. Mary’s memorial is in the Civilian War Dead

Roll of Honour near St. George’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey, London and

in the films that survive her.

The Liverpool people who survived the Blitz, were made of strong mettle.

They were cheerful and made the best of things. It took many years to re-

build their completely bombed out city. My mother looks back with

nostalgia on her childhood friend and has a photograph of her hanging in

her lounge to this day.

Valerie M Smith

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Looking for Hope

Amongst the Clutter

In this strange locked down season, because of the coronavirus pandemic,

I’ve noticed a change in the type of pictures posted on social media. In

place of the look-here-at-me selfies are snapshots of buds opening to

display the colours of spring.

Such hopeful images counterbalance gloomy statistics in the news media.

There are also more memory pictures – this is what I was doing on this day

years ago with people I love – I wish we could be together now.

While we’re not allowed to make the kind of memories depicted in those

pictures, we find comfort in memories we already have.

One thing I’ve done with this unexpected free time is to organize printed

photographs into albums. The photos and the albums have been there for

a while, waiting for me to get a round tuit. You remember the old joke?

Imagine people finding their round tuits in cupboards and drawers all over

the country. How would you use yours? To sow seeds that had not been

planted? To read the book gathering dust on a shelf?

What else needs tackling? Now may be an ideal time to face the daunting

corner where clutter lurks. Daunting because of what you may disturb

among age-old piles of unsorted belongings. Looking squarely at the past

may be an unwelcome prospect. It makes us face uncomfortable

questions. Projects we may never finish, equipment we cannot use any

more, objects of attachment from people we’ve lost. Isn’t that like what

we’re doing as a nation in these unprecedented times? Issues we have

been avoiding are suddenly highlighted through unfamiliar circumstances.

There is much talk about how we’re looking forward to getting back to

normal on the other side of this international crisis. Some people say they

hope things will have changed, that normal will not look the same as it

used to, because we have learned valuable lessons about what really

matters in life. It’s up to us whether or not we rise to the challenge, to

reorganize society more fairly, to care more for the environment.

By myself I cannot change the world, but I’m determined to look after the

little space that is in my care, not to let it be overwhelmed with needless

clutter. Be brave. Use this negative time to make a positive change in your

small corner. If you choose to sort it out, I guarantee that amidst all the

mess you will find at least one thing, however small, to bring you joy –

even if it’s just a clean and tidy corner.

Just a pint of social media for me, please

Even before the lockdown, social media seems to have been replacing the

role of pubs in socialising, as far as young people are concerned.

In 2005, an estimated 18 per cent of young people aged 16 to 24 were non-

drinkers. According to one study, that has now risen to 29 per cent.

“Online technology has made friends and family instantly accessible and

the role of pubs and clubs for initiating and consolidating social networks

appears to have changed.” So says Dr Dominic Conroy, a psychologist at

the University of East London.

Dr Conroy adds: “With the internet being used to initiate and maintain

social relationships, both romantic and otherwise, the use of alcohol as a

social lubricant may be less necessary.” He co-authored a recent study on

the subject with Prof Fiona Measham, a criminology expert at Liverpool

University.

We can claim the gift of sleep

Many of us have had our sleep patterns disturbed in recent weeks. After

all, a pandemic, lockdown and growing financial crisis are hardly

conducive to relaxation.

But the fact is that, whatever is happening out there, we desperately need

our sleep. It is vital for the proper functioning of our brain and heart.

Anyone who has ever been deprived of sleep for a period will remember

their ever-diminishing ability to perform complicated tasks.

Sleep can also help us solve problems. We go to bed struggling with a

decision to make or a relationship to resolve, and we wake up to find a

solution presenting itself. The old advice to ‘sleep on it’ is true: we see

things more clearly after sleep.

The Bible considers our sleep as a blessing from God. As Christians, we

can calmly commit ourselves to His loving care, secure that He who

watches over us “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). Knowing that

God is with us, we can let ourselves go.

If you are having trouble sleeping, why not memorise one of the verses

below, and repeat it to yourself as you lie in bed tonight?

‘I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.’ (Ps

3:5)

‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in

safety.’ (Ps 4:8)

‘In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for He

grants sleep to those He loves.’ (Ps 127:2)

‘When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down,

your sleep will be sweet.’ (Prov. 3:24)

‘I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.’ (Jer. 31:25)

As the writer George MacDonald so aptly put it: “Sleep is God’s

contrivance for giving man the help He cannot get into him when he is

awake.”

Across 1 See 23 Across 3 Where the thief on the cross was told he would be, with Jesus (Luke 23:43) (8) 8 Invalid (4) 9 Blasphemed (Ezekiel 36:20) (8) 11 Adhering to the letter of the law rather than its spirit (Philippians 3:6) (10) 14 Shut (Ecclesiastes 12:4) (6) 15 ‘This is how it will be with anyone who — up things for himself but is not rich towards God’ (Luke 12:21) (6) 17 Mary on Isis (anag.) (10) 20 Agreement (Hebrews 9:15) (8) 21 Native of, say, Bangkok (4) 22 Deaf fort (anag.) (5-3) 23 and 1 Across ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of — to work it and take — of it’ (Genesis 2:15) (4,4)

Down 1 Struggle between opposing forces (Habakkuk 1:3) (8) 2 James defined this as ‘looking after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself from being polluted by the world’ (James 1:27) (8) 4 ‘The one I kiss is the man; — him’ (Matthew 26:48) (6) 5 ‘Be joyful in hope, patient in — , faithful in prayer’ (Romans 12:12) (10) 6 St Columba’s burial place (4) 7 Swirling current of water (4) 10 Loyalty (Isaiah 19:18) (10) 12 ‘God was pleased through the foolishness of what was — , to save those who believe’ (1 Corinthians 1:21) (8) 13 Camp where the angel of the Lord slew 185,000 men one night (2 Kings 19:35) (8) 16 ‘There is still — — — Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet’(2 Samuel 9:3) (1,3,2) 18 David Livingstone was one (4) 19 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (1,1,1,1)

MAY 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.

How do you feel about your health?

Having a religious faith may well make you feel better about your health,

according to recent government figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data linking religious

belief and health in an effort to “understand the circumstances of people

of different religious identities.”

It found that 66 per cent of Muslims, 68 per cent of Christians, 69 per cent

of Sikhs, 71 per cent of Buddhists, 72 per cent of Hindus and 77 per cent

of Jews were satisfied with their health between 2016 and 2018.

In contrast, only 64 per cent of non-religious people reported being

satisfied with their health during that time.

Michael Wakelin, chair of the Religious Media Centre, said: “I guess this

has something to do with an attitude of gratitude. If you are of the

opinion that God loves you and He created you, you are more likely to be

grateful for what you have.

“Also, if you have a faith you are more likely to be hopeful for a better

future, so that even if things are a bit tough now, they will improve in

God’s time.”

What kind of stress do you have?

These are stressful days. The towering storm clouds of coronavirus and

financial trouble are casting a long shadow over all of us.

Many of us deal with our stress by expressing it. Loudly! We lose our

temper, swear, shout and even throw things at our loved ones. We over-

react to various personal setbacks because we can’t retaliate against the

virus or the stock market.

But some of us do the opposite: we under-react. We display ‘quiet stress’.

“We quietly hold our stress within: we don’t speak up about how we feel.

And crucially, we become inert. We don’t act on situations that require

action.” So warns Jillian Lavender of the London Meditation Centre.

“We stay in unhappy relationships and unfulfilling jobs. We feel

overwhelmed, yet we ignore important admin tasks. We procrastinate.

Quiet stress creates an emotional paralysis that keeps us ‘stuck’ in

unhappy situations. Inaction is just as much of an inappropriate response

to stress as over-reaction is”

A further danger of ‘quiet stress’ is that instead of taking positive action,

people can withdraw into themselves, and turn to comfort eating or

drinking too much. This further lowers their immune system.

In danger from domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is soaring just now. Even as far back as early April, it was

up by 30 per cent.

No wonder, then, that charities are urging us to keep an eye out for

anyone in danger. The warning signs include bruising, repeated shouting

and all types of controlling behaviour.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you

dare not even speak, then use the silent solutions service by dialling 999

and press 55.

If there is no immediate danger, you can still contact the 24-hour

confidential National Domestic Abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Refuge, the national domestic abuse charity, estimates about 1.6 million

women already experienced domestic abuse last year, and that “self-

isolation has the potential to aggravate pre-existing abusive behaviours.”

Terry Waite - on coping with lockdown

Terry Waite spent four years in solitary confinement in Beirut. He says: “In

isolation, it is easy to become introspective and depressed. All of us, when

we are honest and examine ourselves critically, will discover things about

ourselves of which we are not especially proud. I had to learn how to grow

a greater acceptance of myself and work towards a deeper inner harmony.

“…. Today in lockdown, it’s important to keep yourself well. Don’t slob

around all day in pyjamas and a dressing gown. Dress properly and develop

a routine. It’s important to have a structure – get up at a certain time, eat

regular meals and so on.

“If you have faith, then that will give you resources to draw on”,

especially if you know some hymns, psalms and prayers by heart. “When I

was captured, they were there to call on.”

God in the Arts - ‘I am the true vine’

Jesus the Good Shepherd has been a popular inspiration for artists from the earliest days of Christianity. But this month we focus on another image that has been just as powerful and influential from the first centuries of the Church: Jesus the vine.

We think of grapes and the vine as symbols of the Eucharist and the

sacrifice of Jesus, but early artists borrowed their inspiration from Greek

and Roman sources with Dionysos (or Bacchus), the god of wine. For

pagan believers, wine was a sign of intoxication and renewal of life, and

Dionysos was a god who died and rose again. Under that influence,

sculptors would carve vines on Christian tombs as a sign of that promise of

new life.

But those artists were also influenced by the vine as an image of the

people of Israel in the Old Testament, with God as the vintner tending his

vine, as they were influenced by our Lord’s own words in St John’s Gospel.

When Jesus talked of Himself as the vine, He was pointing to two truths.

The first was the connection between the vine and the grapes: it was a

symbol for the intimate relationship between Jesus and His followers.

They are the grapes, because they receive their fruitfulness from Jesus.

Without Him, there would be no growth, no maturity, no fruit. ‘Whoever

remains in Me, with Me in him, bears fruit in plenty.’

The second truth in this image is the wine that can bring life a new taste.

Just as Jesus changed water into wine, His whole life was one of

transformation – bringing water to the thirsty, sight to the blind, light to

those in darkness, forgiveness to the sinner, and eternal life to those

burdened by this world and the reality of death. The wine is a symbol of

that goodness and flavour, both in creation and in salvation – the wine at

the dinner party, and the wine in the chalice in communion. Jesus as the

true vine brings that flavour and goodness to us.

Both truths speak out to us from this month’s image of Jesus in an icon. In

the Orthodox Church the icon is a window into the kingdom of heaven. As

we stand and pray before the icon, if we can bridge ‘the distance of the

heart’ (the space between the human eye and the icon), then God can

reveal His glory to us. Here we see the face of Jesus in a 16th century icon,

which is in the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens – the icon of

Christ the true vine. He looks out at us, the Gospel book in His lap and His

hands outstretched to bless the 12 disciples. The icon illustrates very

vividly that metaphor of Jesus when He says that He is the vine and they

are the branches. But those hands are also welcoming us to be with the

12: they invite us to offer our lives to live in Jesus.

Anselm Grün, a German Benedictine, tells how one of his fellow monks

wondered what a difference there would have been if Jesus had said, ‘I

am a slimming camomile tea.’ But no, He says to us in the Gospel and in

the icon, ‘I am the true vine’: live in Me like my 12 disciples and your lives

can be fruitful in my service.

PLACES IN THE NORTH-EAST CRYPTIC TOWNS AND

CITIES IN THE UK

1 Cyclist 1 Tub full of water

2 Multi-coloured clothing 2 Has a letter to spare

3 Oliver’s partner 3 Crank Miss Rantzen

4 Musical show 4 Half a score is alongside

5 Cut finely 5 Professor of rollers

6 Not an old fortress 6 A chocolate bar without for instance

7 Horse on open land 7 A person who is leaving

8 What the dentist says 8 People’s rock

9 Work of lumberjack 9 A complete bacon

10 Heavy metal opening to field

10 Shipsmen

11 Not an old small one 11 Tying meat

12 Heavy laundry 12 Latest fortified wine

13 Polished and in line 13 Religious skull

14 Person on foot 14 Tend fire

15 How Americans like eggs 15 Is this Piggott’s town?

16 Stroll along 16 There are no ends to a hairdryer

17 A thief 17 Where the steer (of the bovine family) crossed the river

18 Stop and blow a tune 18 One of the three R’s

19 Coloured form of transport

19 Almost speechless in front of the French chips

20 To view properties 20 A male, art of the torso with some hesitation

20th June Summer Solstice – longest day of the year

June, of course is the month of the summer solstice, the month of the Sun. Sol + stice come from two Latin words meaning ‘sun’ and ‘to stand still’. As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. The Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, and the Southern Hemisphere celebrates in December. While the Druids worship at Stonehenge and elsewhere, here are some Christian alternatives that honour the Creator rather than the created. A Canticle for Brother Sun Praised be You, My Lord, in all Your creatures, Especially Sir Brother Sun, Who makes the day and enlightens us through You. He is lovely and radiant and grand; And he heralds You, his Most High Lord. St Francis of Assisi

God in All He inspires all, He gives life to all, He dominates all, He supports all. He lights the light of the sun. He furnishes the light of the night. He has made springs in dry land. He is the God of heaven and earth, of sea and rivers, of sun, moon and stars, of the lofty mountain and the lowly valley, the God above heaven, and in heaven, and under heaven.

God in the Sciences - A Scientist Reflects

on God’s Heart for the Suffering

Written by Dr Ruth M. Bancewicz, who is Church Engagement Director at The Faraday

Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive

relationship between Science and Christian faith.

It’s difficult as a scientist to hear information that is fascinating, but

which also involves so much suffering for other people. I worked for a time

in a leukaemia research lab. We had to let other people’s pain drive our

research without it crippling our ability to concentrate on our work. But,

writing this under lockdown, I have found myself – as a biologically-

educated bystander – avoiding looking into the science of COVID-19

because the reminders of its impact on people’s lives are everywhere that

I look.

One of the ways I have been managing my own feelings during the

pandemic is by digging deeper into what God has revealed to us about His

character, letting that fuel my faith, my prayers, and my actions. For

more academic types like myself, study – particularly of the Bible – can be

one of the primary ways we connect with God and hear from Him. It’s not

wrong to be comforted by books, so long as the contents turn our eyes

upwards and outwards.

First of all, God hears: “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted’ (Psalm

34:18a). In Jesus God took on human form, and He showed us His heart for

the world. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept (John 11). God is

“the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

Human sin has affected the whole of creation, and I believe this is largely

the direct impact of our mismanagement of creation and mistreatment of

each other. COVID-19 may well be another animal’s friendly virus, pushed

by human activity into causing havoc in bodies where it doesn’t belong.

But God’s world remains good. It is still fruitful, praising Him, as Psalm 19

describes. Even pictures of a deadly virus can seem beautiful – especially

to a biologist! These good things are hints of the promised “new heavens

and new earth” mentioned in the New Testament. One day “creation itself

will be liberated from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8: 21), and for

everyone who follows God, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes”

(Revelation 21: 4).

Behind the debates about suffering is sometimes the assumption that God

doesn’t care. My experience is that God does care deeply, and He invites

His Church to care for those around them – especially the most vulnerable.

He is with us, He hears us and grieves with us, He helps us and promises a

better future.

Christians and the bubonic plague

of London

The Reverend Richard Peirson was one of the exceptions. Most of the

other clergy in the City of London had fled the Great Plague in 1665, but

Peirson stayed behind to look after the parishioners of St Bride’s Church,

Fleet Street, where he was Rector. The parish was densely populated and

the pandemic was catastrophic. The church’s register records 636 burials

that year in the month of September alone, with 43 interred in one day.

Houses of infected people were marked with a red cross on the door, with

occupants kept inside for 40 days. Handcarts were pulled along the city

streets to cart away the bodies; the drivers’ cries of “Bring out your

dead”, became etched in the memories of subsequent generations.

Relatives were banned from attending funerals.

The official count numbered 68,596 deaths in London alone, but other

estimates suggested two or three times that number. Bubonic plague – for

that is what it was – was incurable. Poor people were fatalistic about it

but complained that even their ‘spiritual physicians’ had abandoned them.

Clergy of the Church of England were often supplanted by non-conformist

preachers.

It wasn’t just the St Bride’s Rector who put his life in jeopardy by staying

at his post. While most wealthy people, along with King Charles II and his

court, escaped the plague-ridden city, Churchwarden Henry Clarke also

chose to remain at the church. When he succumbed to the illness, his

brother William took over. William survived for a fortnight.

Plague cases continued to occur sporadically at a modest rate until mid-

1666. That year the Great Fire of London destroyed St Bride’s Church and

much of the City of London. It was rebuilt to a design by Christopher

Wren, but almost obliterated once more in 1940 during World War II

before being restored yet again.

Today’s Rector, Canon Alison Joyce, says that compared with her

predecessor Richard Peirson, she has it easy. Like everyone else, she is

confined by the lockdown rules to her Rectory next to the church. But her

pastoral work continues, and she collates sermons and archive music to

create a Sunday webcast service. Alison writes, “these days it is a ministry

of telephone calls, emails and Facetime. I offer such practical help and

support to the vulnerable as I can . . . I keep a candle burning before our

main altar and continue a ministry of prayer.”

Alison says she is surprised when people regard the faith as a kind of

celestial insurance policy against bad things happening to them. The first

followers of Jesus knew that in dedicating their lives to following the

crucified and risen Christ, their discipleship would take them into the very

heart of darkness, not away from it. She adds, “Hope is no hope at all

unless it can engage with utter despair and meaninglessness.”

Blessed are the truth-tellers

(during the pandemic)

ITV News journalist and presenter Julie Etchingham, a practising Christian,

has defended the role played by journalists during the Coronavirus

pandemic.

She told the Christians in Media website, “Reporters are coming in for a

lot of flack for the questions they are asking government. But what else

are we for? We all get that this is a crisis like no other; that few in

government have ever had to navigate such a challenge.

“But, if we're still attempting to function as a democracy in the face of

this, then scrutiny is clearly crucial. Many in our frontline services and the

wider public are demanding answers. We are there on their behalf. We

don't always get it right. This isn't a moment to trip people up, but

urgently to get to the truth.”

As a Christian who has worked in communications for around 50 years, I

strongly support Julie Etchingham’s view. Now is the time for truth and

accuracy to be at the centre of all our communications.

So, yes we need to be praying for and supporting the front-line health

service staff, the public health experts, the scientists researching vaccines

to combat the virus, and the key workers keeping our societies running.

But we also need to be praying for and supporting the men and women

working in and with the media to publish, upload, broadcast and distribute

the most accurate information, without spin or distortion.

So here is a prayer for the media in these challenging days.

Loving God,

We pray for everyone working in and with media in these challenging

times.

Encourage all who seek to explain and interpret the fast-changing world

around us.

Embolden the truth-tellers, truth-seekers and fact-checkers.

Promote coverage that builds our shared humanity and where everyone

has a voice.

Bring clarity where there is confusion

Bring knowledge where there is speculation

Bring wisdom and insight when the way ahead seems unclear.

And bring us all to a knowledge of truth that sets us free, and helps keep

us safe.

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The Valley of Dry Bones has a future hope

‘A dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. An' I hear the word of the

Lord!’

At this time of global pandemic, we live with stark reality of death and

life. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (37:1-14) was given when

God’s people were in exile in Babylon. They felt dead, being separated

from home and God! The vision answers God’s question: ‘can these bones

live?’.

We can also feel cut off from God, facing the loss of job, business, home

or health, with churches unable to meet on Sundays. This vision assures us

that God has power over death and can breathe new life into what is

hopeless.

When Ezekiel is told to ‘prophesy to the bones,’ God brings them back to

life: the bones come together and are covered with muscles and skin. He

then prophesies to the wind, from the four corners of the earth, to bring

the bodies alive. The physical bodies are then filled with God’s breath to

bring new life. The miracle of this story is that God not only makes these

bones live, but also brings the life of His Spirit.

The Covid-19 virus robs people of their life by suffocation, so that they

can’t breathe. Our hope beyond the pandemic is that the gift of God’s

Spirit will bring new life to our lives, churches and world. Life will

certainly look very different in the future, but we can be assured that God

is with us and that we are safe in His hands.

‘I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your

own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have

done it, declares the Lord.’(vs14)

Jesus calming the storm of Covid-19

The BBC ‘Today’ programme that was broadcast on Good Friday included

an interview with Hylton Murray-Philipson, a survivor of Covid-19. He had

been on a ventilator in Leicester Royal Infirmary, “reduced to the state of

a baby”.

The programme presenter, Nick Robinson, invited him to describe

memories of his time in intensive care. When he said one of the images

he had, in a moment of great distress and struggle, was of Jesus calming

the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and he would like to think this was Jesus

coming to him and helping him in his hour of need, Robinson suggested

this was partly because of the powerful drugs he had been given, “which

play tricks with the mind”.

Later, Robinson apologised and said he didn’t mean to demean anyone’s

faith. But what he had said also betrayed ignorance. While it is true that

pain-killing drugs can cause hallucinations, these side-effects are rarely

pleasant. It is not uncommon for patients to become agitated, anxious,

confused and even prone to violence. Their physical pain will have been

reduced, but that may have been at the necessary cost of mental

disturbance; the overriding experience being more like that of a storm,

than of a sea being calmed.

Back in the 1960s, it became fashionable for some groups to promote the

use of illicit drugs because of the temporary sensations they induced. John

Lennon of the Beatles said he had “such an overwhelming feeling of well-

being, that there was a God, and I could see him in every blade of grass. It

was like gaining hundreds of years of experience in 12 hours.”

In his new book, ‘Morality - Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times’,

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks chronicles the devastating long-term effects of

leisure drugs. He includes cannabis, which he calls a ‘gateway drug’,

because most of those who become serious addicts later, began with it.

So what was it that Hylton Murray-Philipson actually experienced, when he

was at death’s door in that hospital intensive care unit? He knew the

biblical story of seasoned fishermen, fearful of their lives because a

sudden squall threatened to swamp their boat. Did he recall their alarm

because Jesus, asleep in the stern, appeared to be unconcerned at the

very moment when divine assistance was most needed? Did not his

coronavirus-induced distress match theirs?

The Gospels relate that Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the

sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. Is

that what Hylton experienced, too? He says it was.

‘How long, O Lord?’ – the lament of Psalm 13

As we struggle with the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, we

might echo the words of Psalm 13: ‘How long, Lord? Will you forget me

forever?’ It is one of a number of lament psalms, where the psalmist cries

out in pain, because he feels abandoned by God. In our current

circumstances, these psalms enable us talk to God about our fears and

frustrations, while renewing our confidence in Him. What does Psalm 13

say?

Bring your complaint to God: The psalmist brings his pain and questions

to God: ‘How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day

have sorrow in my heart?’ (2). He is open with God about his complaints,

despite the anger he feels.

Ask boldly for His help: He goes on to ask for God’s help: ‘Look on me

and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him…’ (3–4). While avoiding

despair (‘there’s no hope’) or denial (‘everything’s fine’), the psalmist is

confident in God’s power to deliver.

Choose to trust Him: ‘But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices

in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to

me.’ (5–6). The lament is a journey to the point of renewing our trust in

God in the brokenness of our life.

The psalms of lament (eg. Psalms 10, 22 and 77) give us a prayer language

for dark times. They enable us to be honest with God about what is

happening to us and remind us that God has not abandoned us. He is a God

who is both sovereign and good.

‘Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from Him.’

A prophet for our time of testing - Isaiah

The Scriptures stress the importance of desert experiences as essential

preparation for times of spiritual renewal. The desert is the place of

weariness, dryness and weakness which we all go through at times. The

35th chapter of Isaiah helps us to understand such experiences, and

reminds us of God’s purpose in uncertain times.

A Desert Place

In a desert season we are forced to see things as they really are. It could

be a time of physical illness or depression; stress or anxiety; questioning

or change. It is always a season of deep refining through repentance. The

desert offers us no places to hide; rather we are confronted with our sins,

hurts and weaknesses. We are called to repent of our desire for control

and acknowledge our total dependence on God.

A Desert Renewal

God promises to lead His people out of spiritual, emotional and physical

weariness into a place of personal renewal. There will be water in the

desert and crocuses bursting into bloom. These are signs of what God

wants to do in His people; to enable them to be strong and trust in the

new things He is doing in their lives.

A Desert Road

In the desert we cannot escape from the reality of God’s judgment and

holiness. The road back to God is described as a Way of Holiness, for it

demands both repentance and a holy lifestyle. However, there is also the

promise of laughter, joy and gladness as God’s people return to Zion, the

home of God’s presence and love

Learning to trust in times of trouble

A friend, writing about the challenges she is facing, says: "We never cease

to have invitations to trust, do we?" I tend to agree. Almost every day we

face circumstances that we cannot control, and for which the only way to

find peace is to trust in the loving wisdom of our faithful God.

Yet trust is never easy. It seems easier – and more natural – to worry or to

be afraid. It’s as if we feel we ought to be anxious, as if we really must

fret about things. Not to do so would be to not care. It’s our duty to carry

the weight of the world on our shoulders.

But is it?

Jesus seems to offer us an alternative. He says, “Do not let your hearts be

troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” (John 14:1) He offers Himself to

us as someone who is trust worthy, one who is absolutely reliable and who

will see us through. We are invited to entrust Him with our concerns, and

to hand over to His care the things that trouble us.

In his book Ruthless Trust, the writer Brennan Manning says: “Sometimes

it may mean more to God when we say, ‘I trust you’ than it does when we

say ‘I love you.’” When things are going well, the sun is shining and the

sky is blue, it is easy to love God. But when the storms are blowing, and

the clouds are dark, it takes a very special kind of faith to say, “I don’t

understand God, but I do trust you.”

This kind of faith delights the heart of God. Every trouble we face

presents us with another invitation to place our trust in Him.

1 Where will you find this

in church?

2 Where and on what will

you find this dove of

peace in church?

3 Where will you find

this?

4 Where can this portrait

be found in church?

33 Images of St. Matthew

and St. Luke’s Church to

test your knowledge

5 Where are these

numbers found?

6 On what will you find

this cross in church?

7 Where can this cross be

found in church?

8 What date did the

original church burn

down?

9 A special bear, who was

it presented to and for

what?

10 What am I?

11

12 What am I?

13 What is this found on?

14 Where will you find

these words?

15

16 I was a gift from St.

Mary’s Church on the

consecration of St.

Mathew’s

17 The holy spirit can be

found on what?

18 Where would you find

these “shining lights” in

church?

19 Where will you find this

cross and where did it

originate?

20 What are these?

21 Who sponsored this

window?

22 Where will you find

these fish in church?

23 Where will you find

this?

24 Where can this shield

be found?

25 What do I support?

26 What am I and where

will you find me in

church?

27 How many pipes does

our church organ have?

28 Where will you find

these flowers in

church?

29 Where can this be

found in church?

30 What am I?

31 Who are we?

(a) (b)

(c) (d

32 Who is this and where

can he be found?

33 What am I?

ANSWERS TO THIS AND THE OTHER TWO QUIZZES NEXT MONTH