May 2025 Magazine

We didn't receive any local or St Mary's news for this month, so it's just another selection from 'Parish Pump'.

The diary page has been slimmed down in that the website home page shows the main services, therefore the diary page will in future just show alterations or events that are extra to the main services

Pauline & Bob - co-editors..   

Updated  1st May 2025

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Dear Friends,

‘Hail Caesar!’ Each time I pass the statue of Constantine the Great outside York Minster, I always pause for a few seconds to greet him, though not in those words. For he was the first Roman emperor to embrace the Christian faith. His conversion to Christianity marks a turning point in the history of the Church and of the world.  Constantine had been proclaimed as emperor in 306 after his father’s death. In 312, with an inferior force, Constantine fought against his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, just outside Rome. Before that battle, he saw a vision in which a Cross appeared in the sky, along with the words ‘in hoc signo vinces’ (Under this sign, you will conquer). A dream followed to reinforce this vision, leading him to believe in the Christian God. In 313, he issued the Edict of Milan that legalized Christianity, marking the end of the persecution of Christians within the Roman empire.

Till the Edict of Milan, Christians had suffered too often from state-sponsored violence, but the Church had never ceased to spread the Good News or to seek for its meaning and bearings.  The early Christians did not have a ready-made theology or doctrine to help them, they had to seek these for themselves through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Most Christians were converts from pagan religions, and many did not have even the Bible to read, but gained their knowledge from listening to evangelists’ words.  Church leaders had to answer very basic questions about faith. These included: Who is the Father? Was Jesus, the son of God, of one nature with the Father, or was He a mere creature? What is the Holy Spirit? What are differences between the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

Christian doctrine arose in response to the questions of the faithful. The answers returned by the Church Fathers – the leaders whose work has endured -  have become basic to how we understand our religion and in particular the nature of God. This theology helps us to make sense of Christian experience, just as it has helped many before us.

This development of thought was not always smooth. Sometimes, indeed, it gave rise of serious errors; but such heresy functioned positively to clarify doctrine. For instance, in the early fourth century, one Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria, argued that Jesus the Son is no more than a creature, like all others made by God, and not in any wise God.  This gave rise to the dispute known to church historians as the Arian controversy.  The Church realized that there must be an agreed and accepted doctrine that did justice to what the New Testament tells us about God and Jesus Christ.  In the year 325, the Emperor Constantine called a meeting to be held in Nicaea (today in Turkey, but then within the Roman Empire). This is known now as the Council of Nicaea.  This Council came to be considered as the first ‘ecumenical’ council (ecumenical because it included figures from all parts of the Roman Empire), was attended by some 220 bishops and became a landmark of Christian history.  At the Council, Arius’ doctrine was repudiated. The Creed we know now was drafted and subscribed by all those present.

The English word ‘creed’ derives from Latin word credo. It means ‘I believe’, which is the beginning of the Apostles’ creed, so familiar to us: ‘I believe in God …’  A creed is a statement of faith that summarizes the main points of Christian belief, one which is common to all Christians.  The Nicaean Creed, along with the Apostles Creed, is accepted by Christians of all denominations.

The Nicaean Creed is thus a guide for us.  It tells us that the God in whom we believe is the Creator of the world in which we live. it shows us the mercy of love of God in His sending His Son, a divine figure, to rescue humanity from sin, it directs us to the Holy Spirit, and it points to the life everlasting.  Constantine saw the banner in his vision and it guided him to victory; just so, the Nicaea creed is the signpost that leads us to walk the way Jesus leads us, and takes us to where Jesus and all saints are.

The Christian faith is a faith has been lived by many millions of Christians who follow the way of the Creeds who take the faith at the time of their baptism, whether in the times of persecution, trial, pestilence, war, or in time of victory and joy.  Today the Nicaean creed still guides our faith, and orientates us to see the world and live a Christian life.

Norma

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Vestry and Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Mary's West Acklam

Will take place on Sunday 11th May at 11am.

At this meeting the Church Wardens and PCC members will be elected. Also all the reports and accounts for the year 2024 will be presented to the parish.

There is still time for you to apply to be a Church Warden or PCC member,  please contact the Vicar or Brian Livingstone.

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Next Steps in planning for any alterations in the church building.

The St Mary's West Acklam church accounts were agreed on Sunday 13th April as a correct record of the church finances, for the period 1st January to 31st December 2024. It was further noted that the monies arising from the sale of the Church Hall have now been received from the York Diocese and been paid into the St Mary's church account on 11th April 2025.

Now that the Charity Commissioners have finally allowed the money from the sale of the Church Hall to be utilised, the PCC, some time ago, (not expecting any hold up in receiving the sale money!!) after much discussion and consultation with the congregation, came up with a list of basic needs:

Access for all into the church building

Toilet improvements, including access for all

Improvements in providing refreshments

And finally, much needed storage space.

Our architect has a brief for drawing up plans / ideas to achieve these aims, which in due time will be presented to the PCC for discussion.

I must point out that nothing at all is set in stone at this moment in time and plans and needs can change as we go through the due process of getting to where we want to arrive!!

As you may be aware, there has been a problem with the main gulley that runs between the two separate church roofs, which has led, over several years since the lead was stolen back in 2009, to water ingress in the wall behind the south choir stalls showing as damaged paintwork.  Now we have enough money to affect a permanent repair, our architect has drawn up a specification for the work required and tenders are being sought. This includes the removal of the disused boiler house chimney (which the majority of people don't even know exists!!).

Being the Church of England nothing is straight forward and a faculty, (permission) has to be gained from York Diocese for this work to be done.   

Also, with being in the 'Acklam Conservation Area' permission has to be obtained from Middlesbrough Council.  All this means a lot of form filling and information being sent,  all done on line of course.

If you have any queries, please see myself or a PCC member,

Bob Willis

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Remembering VE Day – 80 years on

80 years ago, on 8^th May 1945, VE Day took place – marking Victory in Europe at the end of World War 2. It was celebrated as a public holiday, and came exactly a week after German radio announced the death in action of Adolf Hitler.

In reality, Hitler had committed suicide on 30^th April. His successor, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, quickly negotiated an end to the war with the Allies – at the same time trying with some success to prevent as many Germans as possible from falling into Soviet hands.

Field Marshal Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, north-west Germany and Denmark at a ceremony near Hamburg on 4^th May. All German forces then surrendered to Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower on 7^th May at Reims, France. Soviet leader Josef Stalin had his own ceremony, in Berlin.

The announcement that the war had ended in Europe was broadcast to the British people by the BBC late on 7^th May. It was decreed that there would be a national holiday the next day, and the stage was set for huge celebrations. Prime Minister Churchill had been assured that there was enough beer in the capital, and commemorative items, including VE Day mugs, were quickly produced.

St Paul’s Cathedral held ten consecutive services giving thanks for peace, each one attended by thousands of people, and churches throughout the country rang their bells. The Royal Family played a central role, appearing eight times on the balcony of Buckingham Palace while huge numbers of people flocked down The Mall.

In the United States, VE Day coincided with President Harry S Truman’s 61st birthday: he dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor, Franklin D Roosevelt, who had died of a stroke less than a month earlier. But both Truman and Churchill pointed out that the war against Japan had not yet been won. That final victory was still more than three months away.

Of course, the end of a war could never be neat. In Europe the last known shots on the Eastern Front were actually fired on 11^th May, and on 25^th May the battle of Odžak ended in a Yugoslav Partisan victory. Tragically, in French Algeria, Muslims celebrating the end of the war (some also peacefully protesting for independence) were “inexcusably” massacred by colonial authorities and militias – leading eventually to the Algerian War nine years later.

To celebrate the 80^th Anniversary of VE Day on 8^th May, St Mary’s Church will be decorated with Union Flags, and the church bell will be rung at 6.30pm, together with other churches across the country, as a symbolic act of remembrance.

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‘Assisted Dying’ Bill fails to protect the vulnerable, Bishop of London warns

The Bishop of London has warned of the ‘serious risk’ that people would opt for ‘assisted dying’ because they felt they were a burden. She said the risks of this happening would be multiplied by the pressures on the NHS and social care – if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill comes into force in England and Wales.

In a recent submission to the Terminally Ill Adults Bill Committee, Bishop Sarah Mullally, a former Chief Nursing Officer, says there are no measures in the proposed legislation nor are there safeguards that could prevent people opting for assisted suicide because they felt a burden, should the Bill come into force.

Evidence from Oregon and Washington state in the US and Canada where ‘assisted dying’ is legal shows between 43 per cent and 59 per cent of the people who opted to die by assisted suicide reported feeling a burden, she says.

The danger of this happening in the UK would be exacerbated by the pressures on adult social care, in which people increasingly pay for care, she says, and the long-term challenges facing the NHS and palliative care.

“The Church of England’s opposition to the Terminally Ill Adults Bill is rooted in the impact the Bill would have on the most vulnerable members of society,” she says.

“This is a concern shared by people of many different faiths as well as people with no faith.”

She adds: “The irreducible value of every human person means that no one is a burden, every life is precious, every life is worthy of care. No one should feel compelled to hasten their own death.

“For centuries this has been an unquestioned societal assumption, acting as a bedrock for social and relational flourishing.

“During the last year it has been particularly concerning to see some high-profile social commentators argue that feeling like a burden is actually an appropriate reason to pursue assisted suicide.” 

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 MAY DIARY PAGE

 Saturday 3^rd

9.30am            Churchyard tidy / Church cleaning 

Thursday 8^th

6.30pm     The Church Bell will be rung to celebrate the 80^th Anniversary of VE Day

The church will be decorated with Union Flags etc. 

Sunday 11^th

11.00am  after the 10am Service

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

Sunday 11^th – Saturday 17^th May

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

Wednesday 14^th

COFFEE MORNING in aid of CHRISTIAN AID10.00am – 11.30am 

Thursday 29^th

ASCENSION DAY

7.00pm          Service of Holy Communion 

Sunday 31^st

FIFTH SUNDAY ONE SERVICE ONLY

10.00am        Parish Communion

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CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

This year, Christian Aid Week is Sunday 11^th – Saturday 17^th May

Although there are still no street collections, we will be holding a Coffee Morning on Wednesday 14^th May in church, when the proceeds will be donated to Christian Aid.

Please come along to support this…. And bring your friends !!

10.00am – 11.30am    £1.50 entrance… to include unlimited tea/coffee and biscuits.

Raffle, Cake Stall, Second hand Book Stall and Handmade cards on sale.

There will also be Christian Aid envelopes in church for any donations.

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  Happy 1700th Birthday, Nicene Creed!

This month, 1700 years ago, one of the most important meetings in the history of the Christian Church began in the Bithynian city of Nicaea. It began in May 325 and went on until the end of July 325.

The Council of Nicaea was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine, and he had an urgent job for the Christian bishops to do. He wanted them to spell out as exactly as they could the core beliefs of the Christian Church, especially with regard to the person of Christ.

Constantine had good reason to do this: a man called Arius of Alexandria was spreading the idea that Jesus Christ was not divine, but instead was a created being. Such a belief, if accepted, would have changed the very heart of Christianity.

After three months of hard work, the bishops at Nicaea had prayerfully and carefully written down as exactly as they could the core beliefs of Christianity. It became known as the Nicene Creed, and it has been the bedrock of orthodox Christianity ever since.

The Nicene Creed is unique in that is the only Christian statement of faith that is accepted as authoritative by the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and major Protestant Churches.

It runs:

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
He came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried.
in accordance with the scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

For us men and for our salvation

On the third day He rose again

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

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May Crossword

CLUES

Across

1  Infant (Luke 2) (4)

3  Luis must (anag.) (8)

8  What Jesus called the devil (John 8) (4)

9  ‘Why have you — me?’ (Matthew 27) (8)

11 Anglican form of church government (10)

14 ‘They will soar on wings like — ’ (Isaiah 40) (6)

15 Ministers of religion (6)

17 Make stronger (1 Thessalonians 3) (10)

20 Devoutness (1 Timothy 2) (8)

21 The father of Jesse (Ruth 4) (4)

22 Pool where Jesus healed a man (John 5) (8)

23 ‘[Jesus] said to them, “ — here and keep watch”’ (Mark 14) (4) 

Down 

1  Follower of Christ (Acts 16) (8)

2  One of the punishments endured by Paul (2 Corinthians 6) (8)

4  Soldiers (Exodus 14) (6)

5  Scholarly study of melody, harmony and rhythm (10)

6  ‘I am God, and there is none — me’ (Isaiah 46) (4)

7  ‘And how can they preach unless they are — ?’ (Romans 10) (4)

10 Favourable reception (1 Timothy 1) (10)

12 Hip orbit (anag.) (8)

13 End of life (Isaiah 22) (5,3)

16 ‘About midnight the sailors — they were approaching land’ (Acts 27) (6)

18 He married Jezebel (1 Kings 16:) (4)

19 ‘According to your great compassion — out my transgressions’ (Psalm 51) (4)

Answers to April Crossword

ACROSS: 1, Cosmic. 4, Thomas. 8, In his. 9, Delaiah. 10, Falwell.

11, Water. 12, Recovered. 17, Sidon. 19, Radiant. 21, Centaur.

22, Broil. 23, Eleven. 24, Prison.

DOWN: 1, Cliffs. 2, Scholar. 3, Issue. 5, Holy war. 6, Moist.

7, Sphere. 9, Deliverer. 13, Candace. 14, Deacons. 15, Psyche.

16, Stolen. 18, Dance. 20, Debar.

Winner   

Crosswords reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon (£6.99 BRF)

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 May Anagrams

Compiled by Peter Warren

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April Anagram Answers    

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May Soduko Puzzle

April Sodoku Solution

Winners   

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The Revd Dr Jo White considers the history of baptism

 Reflecting Faith: Where to Hold a Baptism.

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Canon Paul Hardingham continues his series on the books of the Bible, which will run until the end of 2025.

What’s the Big Idea? – An Introduction to the

books of the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes.

‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ This is how the book of Ecclesiastes begins (1:2), as it examines the futility of human experience ‘under the sun’. The author is named as ‘The Teacher’ (1:1, Hebrew qoheleth), traditionally identified with King Solomon. Although focusing on life in the physical world, the book ends with, ‘Fear God and keep his commandments’ (12:13).

Ecclesiastes reminds us of the limitation of human wisdom, which cannot find meaning and purpose without God:

Our strivings ‘under the sun’ can only lead to disillusionment (1:5–11). Therefore, we need to accept the life God gives us and enjoy it to the full.

Wisdom is given to those who please God (2:26). Such wisdom cannot solve all problems (1:16–18), or secure enduring reward (2:12–17). We cannot control our immediate future, resulting in uncertainty (6:12), and there are difficult questions about life and death itself (9:1–3). In response, we need to understand our human limitations before God.

God has ordered all things in their time; things we cannot change or fully anticipate: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven’ (3:1–15).

However, the world is not fundamentally chaotic or irrational, as it is ordered by God: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’ (3:11). We should remember our Creator when we are young before the infirmities of advanced age stop us from enjoying the good things of life (12: 1-8).

In summary, Ecclesiastes shows us how to live meaningfully and joyfully by placing God at the centre of our life, while trusting and obeying our Creator.

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 David Pickup, a solicitor considers the problem of getting his words mixed up…

Ninevah and Nivea

He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:2)

I have a problem with the book of Jonah in the Bible. He seems to pop up often in the Bible readings set for Sundays. You remember the story in the Old Testament about the man who was given a mission to go and preach to a city. Jonah did go off but completely in the wrong direction. He ended up inside a whale, then repented, and then went to the city

.

My problem is the name of the city, which was Ninevah, but I always get muddled with the name Nivea. Silly me I suppose, but that is me and the more I try to get the right name, the wrong word pops up in my brain. Ninevah is a gentle skin cleanser and moisturiser, and Nivea was a huge, wicked city in the Middle East. (I hope I did not get that the wrong way round).

I visited the British Museum recently, and went to the Assyrian galleries, more by chance than anything else. I have been to that museum many times, but I do not think I had been there. The marvellous sculptures brought the Bible stories to life. They are so vivid and dramatic. You can visit them in person or look up the galleries online.

It is a wonderful story and great for Sunday school children and adults of all ages. It tells of the importance of repentance. Jonah had to learn the hard way that God’s love is for everyone and every place, even Nivea.

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It can be hard to pray sometimes, and most of us need all the help we can get!  This new series, which will run all year, is by the Revd Dr Herbert McGonigle, formerly of the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester

Praying with the Prayers Of The Bible – Praying in the Silence of the Heart

‘O Lord of hosts … if you will give me a son …I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.’  (1 Samuel 1:11)

Three ‘C’s will help us to grasp this most personal and moving prayer.

First, the prayer’s context.   Hannah was the childless wife of Elkanah, who had sons and daughters by his other wife, Peninnah. As she longed for a child, she was taunted by ‘her rival’ (see v.6) who reproached her for being barren.

It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how miserable and lonely and useless Hannah felt.  Although Elkanah loved Hannah, his well-meant sympathy, “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (v.8) was hardly calculated to ease her pain! Making the annual pilgrimage to the Tabernacle at Shiloh, Hannah was ‘deeply distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly’ (v.10).

This is the Bible’s first record of a woman praying. We can be certain that godly women, long before Hannah’s time, had prayed but this is the first mention in Scripture of a woman praying.

Secondly, the prayer’s content. Above everything else, Hannah longed to have a son. “O Lord of hosts, if you will look on my affliction and give me a son, I will give him back to You in service all the days of his life” (v.11).  It was a cry from the heart. A lonely wife, longing for a child, taunted by her rival, and not really understood by her husband, poured out her very soul in grief.

And it was all done without spoken words! As her lips moved, Eli the priest, misreading the signs, rebuked her for being drunk (v.14).  There are times when the burden of our heart is so great that no words can express it, but how comforting to know that God hears us!

Thirdly, the prayer’s consequences. The Lord graciously answered Hannah’s distress and a year later she was nursing her baby son! (vv. 21,22). Hannah’s dark night had been eclipsed by a glorious morning.  Grief and sorrow had given way to joy and delight but as she cradled her infant son, Hannah did not forget what she had promised the Lord.

In token of His faithfulness, she named her son Samuel, meaning, ‘asked of the Lord’ (v.20). Some time later, Hannah took Samuel to Shiloh and presented him to Eli, fulfilling the promise she had made to the Lord.  Hannah’s dedication of Samuel is a reminder to all of us not only to give thanks to God for answered prayer but also to carry out whatever vows or promises we’ve made to Him.

Hannah’s words to Eli are so full of praise and gratitude to God that they need no comment.  Let them inspire thanksgiving in our hearts. “For this child I prayed …therefore as long as he lives he is lent to the Lord” (v.28).

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Taking action on climate change is the ‘right thing to do’

– Bishop of Norwich

Acting to prevent global warming and biodiversity loss is the ‘right thing to do’ and a sign of Christian compassion for those who are suffering as a result of the climate crisis, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment said recently.

Bishop Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, has thanked parishes for their ‘hard work and commitment’ towards making churches Net Zero by 2030 and their support for churchyards to become havens for biodiversity. Both aims have been backed by the General Synod.

He said the Net Zero programme is already building up a ‘huge impetus’, resulting in helping make many churches sustainable into the future.

Acting to tackle climate change is the ‘right thing to do’ he told the recent gathering at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, attended by 120 Diocesan Environment and Net Zero officers as well as ecumenical representatives.

“If we truly believe that we are brothers and sisters in Christ we should have a concern and a compassion for where biodiversity and climate change loss is impacting people’s lives.”

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The Rev Paul Hardingham commends the on-going international initiative for prayer …

Thy Kingdom Come

This month millions of Christians worldwide, of every denomination, will once again join in with Thy Kingdom Come, a prayer initiative between Ascension and Pentecost (29^th May to 8^th June), to pray for the nation to know Jesus Christ. It is a time to seek the empowering of the Holy Spirit, that we may be effective witnesses to Jesus Christ.

Praying for others to know Jesus is one of the most powerful things we can do. Persistent prayer for others brings transformation to their lives. As Paul writes: ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.’ (Colossians 4: 2-4).

As Paul says, consistent praying for others involves discipline (‘be devoted’) and responding to what God is already doing in people’s lives (‘being watchful and thankful’). We can pray for ‘open doors’ to point people to Jesus and what He can mean in their lives. We all have opportunities to do this, as even Paul prayed as a prisoner in chains!!

Thy Kingdom Come encourages us to choose five people who we can pray for regularly. Why not ask God to guide you, as you settle on five names and commit to praying for them daily, perhaps by using the following prayer:

‘Loving Father, in the face of Jesus Christ your light and glory have blazed forth.

Send your Holy Spirit that I may share with my friends the life of your Son and your love for all.

Strengthen me as a witness to that love as I pledge to pray for them, for your name’s sake. Amen.’

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1st May    May Day

May is the month when the ancient pagans used to get up to ‘all sorts’! The Romans held their festival to honour the mother-goddess Maia, goddess of nature and growth. (May is named after her.) The early Celts celebrated the feast of Beltane, in honour of the sun god, Beli.

For centuries in ‘Olde England’ the people went mad in May. After the hardship of winter, and hunger of early Spring, May was a time of indulgence and unbridled merriment. One Philip Stubbes, writing in 1583, was scandalised: ‘for what kissing and bussing, what smooching and slabbering one of another, is not practised?’

Henry VIII went ‘maying’ on many occasions. Then folk would stay out all night in the dark rain-warm thickets and return in the morning for dancing on the green around the May pole, archery, vaulting, wrestling, and evening bonfires.

The Protestant reformers took a strong stand against May Day, and in 1644 May Day was abolished altogether. Many May poles came down – only to go up again at the Restoration, when the first May Day of King Charles’s reign was ‘the happiest Mayday that hath been many a year in England’, according to Pepys.

May Day to most people today brings vague folk memories of a young Queen of the May decorated with garlands and streamers and flowers, a May Pole to weave, Morris dancing, and the intricacies of well dressing at Tissington in Derbyshire.

May Day is a medley of natural themes such as sunrise, the advent of summer, growth in nature, and – since 1833 – Robert Owen’s vision of a millennium in the future, beginning on May Day, when there would be no more poverty, injustice or cruelty, but harmony and friendship. This is why, in modern times, May Day has become Labour Day, which honours the dignity of workers. And until recently, in communist countries May Day processions were in honour of the achievement of Marxism.

There has never been a Christian content to May Day, but nevertheless there is the well-known 6am service on the top of Magdalen Tower at Oxford where a choir sings in the dawn of May Day.

An old May carol includes the lines:

The life of man is but a span, it flourishes like a flower

We are here today and gone tomorrow – we are dead within an hour.

There is something of a sadness about it, both in words and tune, as there is about all purely sensuous joy. For May Day is not Easter, and the joys it represents have always been earth-bound and fleeting.

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Farewell to George Foreman – boxer and preacher

Warm tributes were paid to the Christian US heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman, who died aged 76 on 21^st of March.

The two-time heavyweight champion of the world became a Christian in 1977, three years after his famous match with Muhammad Ali, known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.

Born into a poor single-parent family of seven children in Texas, Foreman dropped out of junior high school, but was able to turn his life around through Job Corps, which helped him get into boxing.

Foreman proved to be a natural: at only 19 he won the heavyweight boxing gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

After this, he turned pro, and then won 37 straight matches on his way to face reigning champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, winning by technical knockout.

It was after a defeat in 1977 that Foreman had a profound experience of Jesus Christ, and was converted. Aged 28, he abandoned boxing and became a minister. He founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Foreman boxed again in 1987, to raise money for a youth centre he had founded. He then won another 24 matches in a row. His last match was in 1997, when he ended his career with a record of 76 wins and five losses.

In 1985, he married for the fifth time, to Mary Joan Martelly. He had five sons – all called George – five daughters, and two adopted daughters.

In March his family posted on Instagram: “Our hearts are broken. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.” 

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 Why you should draw your curtains at night

(especially if you live in the country)

Most of us draw our curtains at night, in order to ensure privacy. But there is another very valid reason: to help protect local wildlife.

It seems that insects who live in the countryside are very susceptible to bright lights, which can badly disrupt their overall health and general behaviour.

As one scientist explained: “We don’t know exactly how fatal it is, but one estimate is that 33 per cent of all the insects attracted to light die before morning. And even if they don’t die, they’re spending all their time at the light instead of doing the things they’re supposed to be doing.”

Light pollution is now seen as adding to what some scientists have called “insect Armageddon”, with a 75 per cent decline in insect populations in 30 years. As one scientist said: “Small individual actions such as drawing curtains can make a big impact to our smallest creatures.” 

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Deaf Awareness Week – 5th to 11th May

Deafness is more common than you might think.

According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), one in three adults in the UK are in some way deaf. That means that more than 18 million adults in the UK have some degree of hearing loss or tinnitus.

And it gets worse. Over half the population aged 55 have hearing loss.  80% of people over the age of 70 have hearing loss.  An estimated 1.2 million adults in the UK cannot even hear most conversational speech without hearing aids.

How does this work out in local churches?  Statistically, it means that in every congregation of 100 members, there will be 14 people with hearing difficulties.

As this month brings Deaf Awareness Week, why not ask the people with hearing loss  in our church how they can be helped to hear better in church.  This might include:

• Installing a loop system, or making sure the one already installed is still working well.

• That there is clear visual access to the pulpit and lectern, so that people can lip-read. (Move the flowers and candles?)

• Make sure that the speakers do not walk away from the microphones while speaking.

• Use some printed and visual media as well as just audio in church communications.

The following website may be useful in learning more:

RNID               www.rnid.org.uk

Deaf church    www.deafchurch.co.uk

Signs of God   www.signsofgod.org.uk

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The RHS Chelsea Flower Show – world’s greatest flower show

20^th – 24^th May brings us the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The most prestigious gardening show in the world, it attracts about 168,000 visitors a year. Its cutting-edge garden designs have been called the ‘haute couture’ or ‘World Cup’ of gardening.

Here are 12 interesting facts about the Show:

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.

The Show began in 1913, with about 250 exhibitors in a large single tent. Today the Show covers more than 23 acres with more than 550 exhibitors and gardens, not to mention the Great Pavillion.

The Great Pavillion is HUGE – it covers 2.90 acres, with enough room to park 500 London buses.

The Show has been held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London every year since 1913, excepts for gaps during the two World Wars and Covid.

It takes just under three weeks to build a Show Garden, and five days to take it down.

In 1927 there was a campaign to get the RHS to ban foreign exhibits, to reduce competition. The RHS refused, saying ‘horticulture knows nothing of nationality’.

The late Queen Elizabeth II attended RHS Chelsea more than 50 times.

It takes 14 judges and two moderators 25 hours to judge and assess all gardens at the show. It takes 50 judges and four moderators three hours to judge all the exhibits in the Great Pavilion.

Garden gnomes have always been banned, except in 2013, the show’s centenary year. That year, well-known supporters, including Elton John, Dame Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley, and Mary Berry – painted gnomes to sell for charity.

2020 brought the first ever virtual RHS Chelsea, during the Covid pandemic.

It is not Britian’s largest flower show, that is now the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

One very wet year the show was nicknamed the ‘The Chelsea Shower Flow.’

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 US Evangelicals not happy with Trump

US President Donald Trump has angered some US evangelicals because of his recent cutbacks on foreign aid. 

Now the humanitarian branch of the US National Association of Evangelicals is urging the government to reinstate funding grants lost in the recent executive order cuts on USAID. 

Although other US Christians are also critical of Trump, the evangelical voters are a core demographic of Trump’s supporter base – which makes criticism from them unusual. 

World Relief, the humanitarian branch of the National Association of Evangelicals, has now urged the US government to “follow through on other past grant commitments and to resume continued funding for lifesaving humanitarian programmes.”

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The astonishing scale of Britain’s illegal drug use

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned of a dramatic rise in the use of recreational drugs, especially among young people.

Ketamine usage in England more than doubled last year. Almost 25 tonnes of ketamine were consumed, as opposed to 10.6 tonnes in 2023.

Almost 100 tonnes of cocaine were consumed in England last year, up from 88 tonnes in 2023. This had an estimated street value of £7.7 billion, almost double the NCA’s previous estimate. It is the equivalent of £100 spent on cocaine by every person in the country.

The rise of trendy ‘designer drug cocktails’ is leading to dangerous overdoses among young people in nightclubs.

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Tim Lenton looks back on a remarkable man who has touched all our lives. 

The Venerable Bede – the father of English history

1300 years ago, on 26^th May 725, the Venerable Bede died. This English Benedictine monk, historian, linguist and teacher is known as “the father of English history.” He helped to popularise the idea of dating years from the birth of Christ (Anno Domini – AD).

Bede was certainly born into a well-to-do family, but we have no details except that he was sent to a monastery – Monkwearmouth in Northumbria – at the age of seven. He later moved on to Jarrow under the tutelage of Abbot Ceolfrith, both of them surviving the devastating plague of 686.

He was never a great traveller, preferring to spend most of his life studying and writing in Northumbria, except for visits to Lindisfarne and York. He completed about 60 books, most of which have survived. Not surprisingly, he was considered the most learned man of his time.

Bede was ordained a deacon at the early age of 19 and became a priest when he was 30. He was known for his devotion to prayer, for studying the Scriptures and for his faithful observation of the monastic discipline. His most famous work is the Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum), which is widely relied on as historical source material.

He was particularly interested in the academic discipline of computus – the science of calculating calendar dates, particularly, and controversially, the date of Easter. The word ‘computer’ stems from this work. Bede was also a skilled translator, and he made the writings of the early Church Fathers accessible to the English people.

Bede died at the age of 61 or 62 at Jarrow and was buried there, but his remains were later moved to Durham Cathedral. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1899. 

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The parish Pump team.

Tim Lenton is a former chief sub-editor of the Eastern Daily Press and was a columnist for the same paper. He is now a freelance writer, editor and poet – a winner of the Fish International Poetry Prize – and has been published in several anthologies, collections and on websites. He lives in Norwich with his wife, and has one son and two grandchildren. He takes services, leads worship and preaches (though not simultaneously) at St Augustine’s Church in the city. HIs most recent books are The Road Ends – pictures and poetry from Iona; Stillness Lies Deep, a collection of tanka poems and photographs from Norfolk, written with Joy McCall; and Waving from a Distance, a collection of poems written during Lent 2016. He has also edited and contributed to ‘In the Footsteps of the Pastons’ – a Paston walk through Norwich with poems and commentary.

The Rectory

St James the Least of All

My dear Nephew Darren

I have to say that the couple who complained that you never noticed they had been missing from church for a month had a point. There is a simple way of noticing when someone is absent: everyone sits in the same pew. Every Sunday. Always.

Little Miss Margison sits in the pew after the third pillar on the right here at St James the Least. As she walks up the aisle, you can sense her counting the pillars until she reaches the right one, which then allows her to sit in front of it. I have speculated that if I ever had that pillar removed, then the following Sunday, she would have a complete mental collapse.

One Sunday a visiting family arrived early and sat down; three people in an empty church seating 200. Colonel Wainwright and his wife were the first of our regulars to arrive and froze in horror. The Colonel said in a deafening whisper to his wife: “There’s someone sitting in our pew.”

At least they had the grace – no matter how reluctant – for one week, to sit somewhere else. Unlike the Prentice family of husband, wife and three children, who arrived to discover that a visiting family of husband, wife and four children were sitting in their pew; six people in a pew that held eight. Or, it normally holds eight. That Sunday, it held thirteen.

We at least have one iconoclast in Miss Pemberton, who makes a point of sitting in a different place every week. This thoroughly unsettles the rest of the congregation, who fear she may sit in their seats during her nomadic wanderings. I sometimes wonder if she has a chart at home with all the pew spaces marked on it and she strikes one off each week as she returns home after Mattins.

Occasionally the unexpected can happen. Mrs Cholmondeley arrived one week in good time, settled herself in her accustomed place, but half-way through the Service suddenly ran out of the building. Ten minutes later, she was back and in her usual place once again. It was only when the church filled with the smell of burned bacon that we understood.

That is why replacing pews with chairs in your church was a mistake. Pews can never be moved.  You know where everybody is – or should be!

Your loving uncle, Eustace

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Why you need a holiday

They are more than an indulgence – a holiday can be vital for your health and mental well-being.  Here are five reasons why:

Better sleep:  after two or three days on holiday, most people average an hour more of good quality sleep. And deep sleep improves problem solving and cell repair.

More vitamin D: Our bodies make this in response to sunlight. It is important for bones and immunity, but one in five of us are thought to be deficient.

Help your heart:  Researchers at Syracuse University in New York found that those people with the lowest risk of heart disease had taken their full annual leave in the past year. Conversely, infrequent holidays led to a greater risk of coronary heart disease.

Reduce stress and get your energy back: As one doctor explains, living under stress “is like squirting steroids into your body every day”. Stress triggers the production of cortisol, which lowers your sex hormones and affects your thyroid. Your hair will thin and your energy decrease. For the best rest, take an occasional complete break from your work mobile and emails.

Time together – spend quality time with your nearest and dearest. Build some more happy memories. At the end of our lives, few of us look back and wish we had spent more time in the office.

One tip about holidays: several short trips rather than one big one may be even better for your health.

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BOOK REVIEW

 A Good Old Age – An A to Z of Loving and Following the Lord Jesus in Later Years

by Derek Prime, 10Publishing, £7.99

Old age often gets a bad press. Associated with grumpiness, aches and pains, loneliness, and isolation it’s not something we particularly look forward to or relish when we’re there.

Pastor and Bible teacher, Derek Prime, writing in his 80s, shows us that there is another way to view old age. He guides us through 26 Christian priorities that we should hold to in later life. With biblical wisdom and practical advice, he helps us to navigate the unique challenges and joys that old age can bring. This is a book to dip into, meditate on and read prayerfully as you let the truths it contains gently transform the way you live your old age.

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 All in the month of May.

It was:

1700 years ago, 20^th May to August 325 that the First Council of Nicaea was held in what is now Iznik, Turkey.  It was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church.

1300 years ago, on 26^th May 725 that the Venerable Bede died. This English Benedictine monk, historian, linguist, translator and teacher is known as ‘the father of English history’. He helped to popularise the idea of dating years from the birth of Christ (Anno Domini – AD)

150 years ago, on 1^st May 1875 that Alexandra Palace in London was officially opened. It became the home of BBC television in 1935.

125 years ago, on 17^th May 1900 that during the Second Boer War, the 217-day Siege of Mafeking was relieved by 2000 British forces and South African volunteers. Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, who led the forces defending Mafeking during the siege, became a national hero, and later founded the Scouting movement.

90 years ago, on 19^th May 1935 that T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) died in a motorcycle accident, aged 46. A British Army officer, military strategist, archaeologist and writer, he is best known for his activities in the Middle East during WW1.

80 years ago, on 1^st May 1945 that German radio announced the death of Adolf Hitler. It was reported he had died a hero’s death fighting, but in fact he had committed suicide.

Also 80 years ago, on 8^th May 1945 that VE Day took place – marking Victory in Europe at the end of WW2. It was celebrated as a public holiday.

75 years ago, on 13^th May 1950 that the first Formula One World Championship race was held, at Silverstone. (Also known as the 1950 British Grand Prix.)

60 years ago, on 21^st May 1965 that Sir Geoffrey de Haviland, British aircraft designer and engineer, died.

Also 50 years ago, on 27^th May 1975 that Dibble’s Bridge Coach Crash in Hebden, North Yorkshire took place. 32 people were killed and 13 injured when a coach’s brakes failed on a steep hill. It remains the worst road accident in the UK, by fatalities.

Also 40 years ago, on 29^th May 1985 that the Heysel Stadium Disaster took place in Brussels.  39 football fans were crushed to death during rioting at the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus.

30 years ago, on 1^st May 1995 that the World Health Organisation (WHO) published its first annual survey of global health.

Also 30 years ago, on 13^th May 1995 that British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest unaided (without bottled oxygen or Sherpas.) She died later that year, in August, in a storm, while attempting to climb K2.

25 years ago, on 4^th May 2000 that Ken Livingstone became the first Mayor of London.

Also 25 years ago, on 7^th May 2000 that Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as President of Russia.

Also 15 years ago, on 6^th May 2010 that the British General Election resulted in a hung parliament. A coalition government was formed on 11^th May by the Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, and the Liberal Democrat party leader, Nick Clegg.

10 years ago, on 22^nd May 2015, that the Republic of Ireland became the first country to hold a referendum on whether same-sex marriage should be legalised. It voted to approve, and same-sex marriage became legal in Ireland from that November.

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Smile Lines