From the VicarAs some of you may know I edit the magazine of the English Clergy Association, “Parson & <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Parish”, and last year was able to get the Bishop of London (and Patron of the Association) </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, who chairs the Church of England’s Recovery </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Group, to write a piece for the magazine. It was a short but very interesting piece, entitled </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">“Reflections on the Coronavirus”, and Bp Sarah began with a wonderful verse from the </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prophet Isaiah: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">making a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.”</span>Quite apart from Isaiah, Bp Sarah could easily have had in her mind passages from either <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians or Mark’s Gospel – those concerning a new creation </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">and the mustard seed. Paul’s language is quite sublime: “So, if anyone is in Christ there is a </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">new creation: everything old has passed away; everything has become new” and Jesus’ </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">imagery of scattering seed and the almost invisible growth leading to the eventual harvest, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">as well as the paradox of the mustard seed, is equally evocative and profound.</span>Those images of the seed growing quietly in the ground, and of the smallest seed growing <span style="font-size: 1rem;">eventually into one of the largest shrubs are, I think, very appropriate for us at the moment, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">as we struggle to make sense of what’s going on around us, not only in the wider world but </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">in the Church of God. How do we recover from Covid-19 and all its effects? How do we carry </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">on? How do we try and grow after such an experience? Can we?</span>These, and many other questions, are of course being addressed by Churches of all <span style="font-size: 1rem;">denominations up and down the country, as we are doing here in Great Budworth, and the </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Bishop of London’s article to which I referred earlier was very positive and encouraging for </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">the future, whatever it may hold in store for us. Bishop Sarah finished with piece with these </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">words: “Above all, I am convinced that we have seen the Spirit moving among us, doing new </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">things. Whatever the future holds, the Lord has been opening up his way in the wilderness </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">and calling forth streams in our wasteland.” Comforting and reassuring words indeed, but </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">also encouraging and challenging.</span>A recent research project by the University of York “Churches, Covid-19 and Communities”, <span style="font-size: 1rem;">of which I have only seen some highlights, seems to indicate a very real degree of interest in </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">and connectivity with the Church and its work, especially among non-church going people, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">in different ways but all related to spiritual well being in some way. I will be looking at the </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">whole report much more carefully (when I’ve got a spare hour or three!) but the work that </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">is being done in this Parish, for example, by Christina and Jenny in relation to innovative </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">pastoral outreach and of course online worship and ministry is very exciting and really </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">encouraging. And these “new things” that are fast becoming part and parcel of our “mixed </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">economy” of worship and pastoral care and evangelism were on the agenda of the June </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Diocesan Synod (which took place via zoom, with over 100 participants from across the </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Diocese), and will undoubtedly feature in the coming months in PCC and Deanery meetings </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">and as our two new Suffragan Bishops come among us. With Bishop Mark we will all be </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">thinking about and discussing what the future holds for all of us in the Diocese, and in our </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">own Parishes.</span>“See, everything is becoming new.....” to paraphrase St Paul slightly – and it is clear that <span style="font-size: 1rem;">there are exciting times ahead of us all. We want those mustard seeds to put forth their </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">large branches, and the seeds that have been sown in so many new and different ways to be </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">growing and for there to be many nests for the children of God!</span>The Revd Alec Brown.
Associate Minister Rev Christina Westwell Dear Friends Over the past month we have seen some of the Covid restrictions being relaxed. We have been able to sit outside hospitality venues and now we can move inside, which bearing in mind the recent weather has been a blessing. We are now looking forward on the Government Road Map to a slow lifting of restrictions. I don`t know how you feel about this? Looking back and reflecting on this time last year, I feel more positive. The vaccine programme appears to be working and there is a feeling of hope and expectation. People have had such different experiences over the last 15 months. Some have enjoyed the slower pace of life, the taking up of new hobbies, books being read, zoom being mastered whereas for others it has been a nightmare and each of us will need to reflect on how this has affected us. Maybe, we can reflect as a church to see how we have changed as a community. May has been a busy month in church. Thank you to all who supported Christian Aid Week. The “just giving” page is still available for donations. On 9th May it was Rogation Sunday and it was lovely to be able to welcome, the not quite so new Bishop of Chester, Bishop Mark. The weather held out so that it was possible to pray from different areas surrounding the church and we had amazing contributions from the younger members of our congregation. Bishop Mark also contributed to our online service. Rogation is a time when we ask God`s blessing on crops, farming and our communities. It is a time when we seek God`s blessing but also reminds each one of us to bless others. We also took part in “Thy Kingdom Come” which is a global prayer movement lasting from Ascension to Pentecost. Prayer packs were sent out and collected which included a journal written by the new Archbishop of York – copies are available still at the back of church if you missed out or we can send you a copy. It has reflections and prayers and is relevant at any time of year. In June the G7 world leaders are meeting in Cornwall. The decisions they make will affect the poorest communities. We are asked to join in a “Wave of Hope” where we put hand-prints in our windows <span style="font-size: 1rem;">The Wave of Hope symbolises our connection to each other and hopefully as we all speak up and take action for a better future, the wave will build together with our hope.</span> 70 organisations have come together to form the coalition “ Crack the Crises” and are calling world leaders to ;- Crack the Covid crises by sharing vaccine doses and funding healthcare heroes across the world, Crack the injustice crisis by creating good, green jobs and helping those who are affected by violence, famine, and prejudice. Crack the Nature crisis by protecting the land and seas Crack the Climate Crisis and to take steps towards climate justice. Go on the Crack the Crises website for ideas. We have celebrated Pentecost and the early Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit” turned the world upside down. We can still do that now. There are so many ways that we can make a difference in the world, acting in the best interests of people and the planet. We are asked to reboot the world for a greener and fairer future. How can we do this as individuals and as a church? How can we make a difference together? It would be great if we, as a church community, could explore this. . Praying that you will be blessed this month and that you will be a blessing to others Love Christina
Looking back at April it has been a rollercoaster of a month with profound moments of grief and others of great joy. We were thrilled to see so many people back in church on 4th April, Easter Sunday and it was such an apt day to return. On 8th April, we also celebrated Nick Hopkinson’s year of being High Sheriff in Cheshire. Not an easy year at all, but what Nick and his teams achieved has been phenomenal including the preparation of 1000 food hampers for families in need, and part of a team raising a couple of million of pounds for different projects. There will be more elsewhere in the magazine on this! It was particularly pleasing to see so many being recognised in our community for their services and there were several very surprised people, including me, at being on the list! Little did we know that the following day, we would receive the sad news of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. That day was also the anniversary of the death of my own father one year ago in lockdown circumstances. The verses of Ecclesiastes 3 were never more pertinent “ For everything there is a season, A time for every activity under heaven….a time to cry and a time to laugh.” And isn’t that reflected in the Resurrection Story? The grief of Good Friday is superceded by the joy of Easter Sunday! In life, there is indeed joy in the midst of sorrow. Over the 50 days now between Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday all of us have the opportunity to reflect on the resurrection. The message of the resurrection has never been more needed or more powerful at this time when people have suffered so much yet look for hope and meaning in their lives as we return to some sort of “normality.” I preached on the 3rd Sunday of Easter about the proof of the resurrection, the eyewitness accounts of the Christian story written only 50 years after the events themselves, the resilience and determination of the disciples to risk death to spread the news of the resurrection and, of course, the individual “faith” stories we all <span style="font-size: 1rem;">have where we have experienced inexplicable coincidences or seen God at work in particular crossroads in our own lives.</span> The Queen, herself, and the rest of the Royal Family also participated in the grief many have felt. Despite the role of the monarch, she was on Saturday 17th April, a lonely widow, stooped with grief and sitting in alone with few of her family around her. One would have had to have a heart of stone not be moved by her sadness and to empathise with the way COVID had also impacted her own life. The music chosen was particularly meaningful and of course chosen by the Duke. The words from Psalm 104 arranged for choir and organ by James Vivian presents a poem about the creation of the world, emphasising the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created it and maintains it. The Jubilate by Benjamin Britten is a song of joy and thankfulness to God and belief in a world without end. A woman of great faith, I have no doubt that Queen Elizabeth will have tremendous support from her family and God in the weeks and months ahead and will know that death does not have the final say. The Easter event marks a powerful transformation, in which Jesus takes our pain and despair and transforms them with the love that resurrects us from the death of suffering. I pray that would allow this truth to permeate our hearts in the weeks leading to Pentecost, lifting us out of despair and enabling refreshment of our souls. May God’s blessings be with us all throughout the coming month. The Red Dr Jenny McKay
Happy Easter everyone! And, following the decision to resume services in Church, I look forward greatly to seeing at least some of you back in Church over the coming month – even though we’re still not able to sing! I sincerely hope though that everyone has felt “in touch” with the Church over these last few months and that you have been enjoying and appreciating the online services, including Compline, and the wonderful Sunday Sheets put together by Margaret Cross and other members of the Ministry Team. Along with most other Churches we will be continuing with monthly online services – two per month in our case – and this is one very positive, and creative, aspect of the overall lockdown situation which we must not forget or diminish in importance. It has been a very difficult period for all of us, in lots of different ways, but in some respects I think that we’ve probably all emerged stronger and more committed and resilient in our faith. And those wonderfully encouraging words from St Paul have been ringing in my ears throughout this whole time: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.” We haven’t been able to meet together, to share hospitality with one another, to properly comfort one another, to rejoice with one another...........but we are still bound together so tightly with one another in and through the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. This understanding of our Christian faith has certainly helped me during these last few months, and over this whole year, and was very much in my heart and mind last month as we remembered and reflected on the last year on the National Day of Reflection. And now we enter the season of Easter – a time of such profound joy and hope for Christians across the world, some of whom are suffering greatly not only from the Pandemic but also from persecution and violence. So, to paraphrase St Paul, let us continue to run the race in fortitude and with courage, filled with faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. Thank you for all your commitment, patience and love during these very trying months. May God’s richest blessing be upon us all throughout this coming month. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed – Alleluia! The Revd Alec Brown.
