Area Letter for March 2023 from a member of the Area Staff Team.I am often intrigued by natural phenomena. In the early 2000’s I was given a gift for Valentine’s Day. A ticket to board a plane at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, late at night, to be taken to explore the Aurora Borealis – The Northern Lights. It was spectacular seeing such beauty and amazing colours. It looked like the sky was dancing, in tune with our maker. At this time of year I love looking outside or being outside late afternoon. Watching the flock of birds moving like synchronized swimmers or a well-choreographed dance troupe, dark flowing against the white clouds. Listening to the gentle beat of the wings as they fly over me, and the gentle rustling noise as they all flock into the waiting trees for cover. Isaiah writes ‘Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows’ (60:8), I wonder if he is referring to ‘starlings’!When birds, usually starlings, fly together and swirl in a mesmerizing, coordinated ever-changing pattern – this dazzling dance is called a murmuration. What a word! In the twilight, the dance begins with a few birds, but gradually other starlings arrive, then more and more, until they all join together in one massive flock. Their movements create incredible patterns, streams, circles, trails. As they twist and turn in tight formation, amazingly they swirl but never collide.A murmuration has been described like this: “Each starling in a flock is connected to every other. When a flock turns in unison, it’s a phase transition. At the individual level, the rules guiding this are relatively simple. When a neighbour moves, so do you. Depending on the flock’s size and speed and its members’ flight physiologies, the large-scale pattern changes. What’s complicated, or at least unknown, is how criticality is created and maintained.” Psalm 50 v11 says: ‘I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine.’What music did they hear? Who leads them? Who taught them such grace? I am amazed at the Creator’s wonders found in nature. The bird murmuration, and the dancing colours in the night sky of the Aurora Borealis. Do you have a favourite natural wonder?Scientists don’t fully understand the how’s and whys of murmuration. A mystery. Maybe God is dancing with them and remains unknown, there but unseen. I wish we as humans could work together like these birds. Too often we are more like chickens, scraping only for ourselves, ruffling another person’s feathers so we feel better or superior. I know I can’t change the whole world, but the optimist in me believes if I keep my eyes on Christ, maybe, just maybe, a small movement will grace the sky and inspire others to join in the cosmic dance, led by God. God turns. He takes the lead in this dazzling dance. My role is to immediately follow. Are you joining me?BlessingsMargaretRevd Margaret Sherwin, Area Rector UAP.
Every day that I am in the Area Office, within St Mary’s Church in Uttoxeter, I start work with 2 or 3 minutes in the chancel of the church, looking at the altar and offering my day to God in prayer. And I always finish with the Lord’s Prayer – from which the sentence on this image comes…..”Lead us not into temptation”. This image was on the wrapper round part of a newspaper at New Year and it caught my attention. I wondered what it was doing on an advert for an alcohol-free beer called Lucky Saint in dry January! Is it OK to have part of the Lord’s Prayer on an alcohol-related advert? Who thinks that Christians in the UK look like the virtuous but tempted nun in the photo? Actually, how many people looking at this advert will even know that it’s a religious image being doctored? Oh, so many questions! To which I’m sure I don’t have the answers, but I did ask them of myself and therein is the challenge. We are all tempted, maybe not by alcohol, but by a bargain online, or the possibility of a better job, life, house, car, relationship …. the list is endless. Christmas may be packed away by now, but it was full of temptations, buying one more treat, one more present, having one more chocolate, or can or bottle! Jesus knew that we’d be tempted, which is why he taught the disciples of 2000 years ago how to pray about temptation. If you’re not sure, do look it up in the New Testament of the Bible, in Matthew’s Gospel chapter 6, verse 9 onwards. Jesus also knew that there are always consequences to giving in to the temptations, spending too much, eating or drinking too much, and wanting too much. When we are jealous or envious of what other people have, we can become bitter. In the Old Testament, Moses brought the Ten Commandments from God to the people, and he taught us not to “covet”, desire or crave other people’s possessions. So as Christians we are encouraged to pray to God for strength to resist the temptations, to be thankful for what we do have and to be willing to give and to share with others. I resist some of those temptations by not browsing online too much, giving away the boxes of chocolates and biscuits, and only have alcohol at the weekends. And by asking God our Father to help me to be less envious of others, and more grateful for all that I have got, every day. What works for you, what do you do? Lent begins on February 22nd this year, and it is the season in the Christian church when we remember that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, before he began his amazing adult ministry of teaching and healing. If you know you are tempted in ways that are damaging to you or others, why not have a go at changing the way you deal with it for Lent? By Easter Day on April 9th you might feel less tempted, and feel better about yourself in some way. Asking God to help you is a great place to start, because you too can be a “Lucky Saint”! With love Lesley Lesley White, Area Coordinator and PA to the Area Rector.
I have had a bad habit for most of my adult life of storing the necklaces that I wear most often in a small tray. My carelessness means that I can pick one up only to get a cluster hanging together, entangled. Either I stop and sort them out, untangling the mess with patience or impatience, or I ignore it and wear another one, only to come back later to the same problem or a broken chain. It seems to me life is rather like that too! Plain sailing for a while, working well and then along come stumbling blocks that eventually need to be tackled and untangled to move forwards again, or we find ourselves suffering from the pain of broken connections from which we need to try to recover. Consciously or subconsciously, January seems to be the time when many of us think to tackle the perceived existing stumbling blocks of our life, perhaps making resolutions or coming to a specific decision which we will act on during the year. After Christmas the church celebrates the glorious news of God’s son coming to earth – known as Epiphany. The season gives us chance to reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus and to look at our journey onwards. Included at this time is the story of the Wise Men who followed a star to seek Jesus, bringing gifts signifying his future – gold for a great king; frankincense for a holy man; and myrrh for death. They journeyed in faith and with hope for the ushering in of a new era of God’s work on earth. But they had stumbling blocks to overcome – finding Jesus and encountering King Herod who wanted Jesus dead for a start! They had to find resilience to tackle the everyday reality without being put off from their overall aim. They kept going in faith. Their reward was to come into the presence of Jesus with their gifts, to experience the joy of discovering their saviour and to travel onwards to spread the good news of his arrival. However tangled we feel things are for us this January we can follow the Wise Men’s example and travel in faith, building up our resilience by acknowledging God’s present of love and hope and remembering we do not journey alone. God is there waiting to hear us and support us now and in the future. Happy New Year Stephanie Goodwin UAP Reader
GRATWICH NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2022 For further information about anything in the newsletter, please contact:Jenny Talbot: 01889 502471 email: CHURCH7Gratwich@outlook.comFacebook: St. Mary’s Church GratwichEVENTS IN DECEMBER – OTHER PARISHESTHE HEATH CHORUS Saturday 3rd December 7.15pm to 8.15pm United Reformed Church, Uttoxeter performance of Christmas musicwith a retiring collection and Refreshments.MARCHINGTON SINGERS Saturday 10th December 7.30pm Uttoxeter, St. Mary’s Church, Singing Christmas Songs & Carols Phone: Tim Scott 07812 064279 for ticketsCHRISTMAS COFFEE MORNING Tuesday 14th December 10.30am – 11.45amMarchington Woodlands Village Hall with a raffle, mince pies, jams & pickles, cardsCHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL 17th – 23th December 10.00am – 4.00pm daily in St. Mary’s Church, Uttoxeter GRATWICH 100 CLUB – November & December will be drawn at the Crib ServiceCLEANING ROTACarol Woolley & Jenny TalbotArea Letter from Rev. Charles DaleHow quickly time moves on! The last Area Letter I wrote, was in February, right at the end of the Christmas season as we celebrated Candlemas. Yet here we are in this Advent Season, preparing for another Christmas! It is Autumn going on Winter, with long days of darkness, of chill and of putting on thicker clothes and coats to keep us warm. The central heating is on and fires lit to cheer us! But who doesn’t like taking a walk, kicking the fallen leaves, underfoot!? . However, I don’t like these dark chilly dreary days, much preferring the long warm days of summer light and colour. In the darkness of this season, we can become a little gloomy in ourselves too. Gloomy not just because of the dark dreary days, but also because of what’s happening both in our own lives and in the world; of all the events taking place and of the precarious economic outlook, making us think of what we can or cannot afford, especially in this season of excess.We cannot but be affected by circumstances, both near and far.These can test our resolve and our faithOf course, all this is nothing new; with the exception of climate change, much of what is happening around the world has happened before in one way or another. All these things can be a real distraction for us making our Advent preparations and celebrating once again the coming of God into his world on that first Christmas Day. It can be difficult to reconcile all this, with what’s going on.Thankfully God knows what he is doing! It is no mistake that God comes to be with us, in the form of a helpless poor baby. The scriptures describe him as Emmanuel (God with us) who comes at the darkest time of the year. It is this helpless baby, who came to bring light, life, healing and wholeness to all the dark places of the world and to our lives.It is precisely because of this, that in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves, we can and should rejoice in God’s wonderful gift to us in his Son Jesus Christ. Christmas is a time to remember, to give thanks, as well as to give and to receive, and to celebrate in the most special and precious ways with those we love and those around us. We are called to be that light shining for Christ. To be that special gift to all whom we meet.I do like that Christmas is a celebration of the ‘Light of the World’ coming among us, to be with us, to experience what we experience, bringing hope for today and tomorrow; God’s love shining in the darkness. Yes, it is a season of excess, but rather than material excess, it is a celebration of an excess of love, freely given to all who put their trust in Jesus, the light of the world.May He be your light, your love, joy, peace and your hope as you journey on.Blessings and peaceCharlesRev Charles Dale, minister with PTO across the Area.DECEMBER SERVICES IN ST. MARY’SSUNDAY 11th 11.15am MORNING PRAYER & BAPTISMCHRISTMAS EVE CRIB SERVICE 7.00pmWith Mulled wine & Mince Pies It would be lovely if everyone wore their Christmas Jumpers/Hats/Nativity Costumes.Many thanks to Carolyn for the fantastic bonfire and fireworks evening last month, it was so good to see everyone and have a village get together. This month as well as our usual services, we have Carol Singing and Auction ( mulled wine & mince pies too!) on 17th December 7.00pm in Church, with an opportunity to hang a card on the Christmas Tree to remember loved ones.There will be some cards on the evening, or you are welcome to bring your ownCome in your Christmas Jumpers, hats and Nativity Costumes.We need some ideas for a Village get together in the New Year towards the end of January or beginning of February? Email your ideas to jenny477@btinternet.com.Phone me on 01889 502471 or pop round and discuss ideas over a cup of tea (+ biscuits) CAROL SINGING EVENINGSATURDAY 17TH DECEMBER 20227.00PM ONWARDS Come and join us in St. Mary’s CHURCH Gratwichfor an evening of Carol singing round the Christmas Tree.With an opportunity to hang a remembrance card on the treeMulled wine & Mince PiesCollection and Auction afterwardsPLEASE LET SUE KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING (01889 502241) - SO WE HAVE ENOUGH REFRESHMENTSAUCTION ITEMSHALF A LAMBKindly Donated by Mr & Mrs N MottramCHRISTMAS HAMPERCHRISTMAS CAKE6 BOTTLES OF WINE – 2 Red, 2 White, 2 RoseIf you would like to place commission bids for the itemsplease let Sue know (01889 502241) Post your local Christmas cards in town at HALF price to raise money for Guide Dogs for the BlindPost: Dianne H, Hairline, Edmonson's butchers, Library, Abbots Bromley village shop & Wilsons Butcher at Cobwebs, Sergeants’ butchers at Bramshall, Denstone Farm shop, Rocester Village Shop, Ashbourne Road Shop and Kingfisher Way shop.The stamps Cost 35pDelivery to: Uttoxeter, Abbots Bromley, Bramshall, Checkley, Denstone, Doveridge, Kingstone, Marchington (not Woodlands), Rocester and Stramshall Closing date: midday on 13th DecemberALSOSue Cotton is collecting used postage stamps, both foreign and British, for the RNIB – there is a box at the back of church for them. Please leave a couple of centimetres around them. Thank You.
