PARISH MAGAZINE MAY 2020

THE PARISH OF ST PETER & ST LEONARD, HORBURY with ST JOHN, HORBURY BRIDGE

Registered Charity No 1147711

www.horburychurch.com

The Parish of St. Peter & St. Leonard, Horbury with St. John, Horbury Bridge

www.horburychurch.com

Our Christian Vision

To worship God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through regular attendance at Mass and Worship and Daily Personal Prayer.

To strive together to nurture a strong, welcoming and inclusive Christian community, whose values are underpinned by the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To encourage Christian Discipleship through regular Bible Study, Preaching and Teaching for everyone.

To reach out to the local community, by recognising and pledging our individual skills and talents.

To act as sensitive stewards of the resources we have, so that God’s work can continue to develop and meet the changing needs of our parishioners

PARISH PRIEST: Father Christopher Johnson

St. Peter’s Vicarage Northgate

Horbury Wakefield WF4 6AS

01924 576745 e-mail fr.christopher.johnson@gmail.com

READER: ORGANIST & DIRECTOR OF MUSIC Mr. Mark Naylor Mr. Stephen Parker FGMS FMCM 9 Victoria Terrace 1 Eastwood Terrace Horbury Bridge Ossett Wakefield WF4 5PQ WF5 9QL 01924 271944 07780 502756

CHURCHWARDENS: Mrs. Mavis Walsh Mrs. Valerie Crowther 55 Jenkin Road 62 Water Lane Horbury Middlestown Wakefield WF4 6DP Wakefield WF4 4PY 01924 271710 01924 568722

View from the Vicarage

It seems like only yesterday I was writing for April’s magazine. Then, we were in the middle of Lent, looking ahead to our Easter celebrations. Sadly, we have not been able to be together to celebrate this ‘feast of feasts’, but I hope the reality of Jesus’ resurrection inspired you to be hopeful and positive about the current situation we find ourselves in, despite most of us being confined to our own homes.

To try to chivvy up faithful Anglicans, the bishops of our church have collectively taken the line that we can be a Christian just as well at home as anywhere else. I understand their point, and to some extent we know that this is true: since Jesus’ resurrection, the Temple, the place where we worship God, that place of ‘right praise’, is indeed the believer himself and not any particular building. But if that is all our faith is about, having an isolated relationship with Jesus, then we are missing the point. At the moment we are making our way in the readings for mass through the Acts of the Apostles. In that wonderful book about the nascent church you can read the following:

‘When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place’ (Acts 2.1);

‘And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts’ (Acts 2.46); and

‘Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common’ (Acts 4.32). This is evidence from the very earliest history of the church that meeting together, especially on the Lord’s Day, was considered an essential element of the Christian faith, and that when the church gathered, it did so first and foremost to offer sacrifice (at the Temple) as well as to share in fellowship. The earliest Christians knew that they were Christ’s Body not because they were individually saved – though each underwent baptism and received the gift of the Holy Spirit in confirmation as individuals – but because they were united by that baptism and that Spirit

in one living organism. The church, then, is not fully the church when she is apart, because she lacks this collective element. It should pain us then, that we are not able to meet together at present. It should also pain us that we are unable to receive the sacraments at this time. People across the denominations have suggested various responses to this, some suggesting that any lay person could just eat bread and drink wine at home and that would suffice, others thinking that we could hold masses online and that too would be sufficient. Yet neither of these particular responses are appropriate. All readers of this magazine will I’m sure realize, but episcopal ordination is a pre-requisite for celebrating the Eucharist. By the hands of the priest, bread and wine are set apart, consecrated, made into the Body and Blood of Christ, and consumed by the priest and, in regular circumstances, the faithful as well. A lay person has neither the authority nor necessary gift of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this, so he cannot confect the change of bread into Christ’s Body or wine into his Blood. It is simply spiritually impossible. The second response, of a priest streaming masses online, is a valid and worthy activity in the situation we now find ourselves in, when we are prohibited from meeting together to share in the banquet of the mass. And yet this too is but a shadow compared to the actual coming together of the church, and the physical sharing in Christ’s Body and Blood. Fundamental to Christ’s mission was his assuming of physical nature, his taking from the Blessed Virgin Mary a body of flesh, and his bodily resurrection from the dead. From the incarnation, then, human nature has became the vehicle through which God chooses to make himself known, and to redeem us. As much as I think it’s important to have an online presence in this day and age, and more so now in the present circumstances, we must never forget that we are called to live a real reality, not virtual one, which is why ‘spiritual communion’, whether made at the time the priest receives the sacrament in an online mass, or when I am celebrating in the parish, cannot be compared to actual communion. It is good, but it is very much second best. In summary, the church, the sacraments and the whole people of God are of course a concrete reality, and our relationship with God must also stay concrete, as the apostles show us in Acts. And not only are we concrete, but we have been blessed with real, physical, tangible places in which we can gather, our beautiful church buildings, of which we have the care of two in our parish.

I don’t know how long this present situation will persist, though I am full of hope that during the course of May at least some restrictions will be lifted. Nonetheless I pray that this present situation will remind the whole church, from the local to the global, of the fact that we are a material people in a material world (to misquote Madonna), that we are important to one another, that place is important to us, and that it is through the physical that God has chosen to redeem us, assuming his humanity from the Virgin, and rising in his body to new life, death having been defeated. Be assured of my continued love and prayers as you continue to hold on to this fact until we can be together again.

Fr Christopher

FATHER CHRISTOPHER WRITES

All resources to continue our communal life in as normal a way as possible will be published on our website and emailed out to people each week. For those without access to email, if you would like any resources, please 'phone me at the Vicarage, and I will do my best to get these to you, either by delivery or through collection. My intention is to give you everything you need to continue in the habits you have formed over so many years of faithful service. On this note, if you usually give on the plate each week and are able to continue your weekly offering, we would very much appreciate this. Please simply keep your envelopes/cash to hand in when the situation is over. On the other hand, if you are suffering financially and need assistance, let us know. Obviously in the current state of affairs we are unable to carry out some of our regular social and fundraising events. Looking ahead, we therefore sadly need to cancel our Tallis Consort concert on Saturday, 9th May, our Christian Aid lunch planned for Sunday, 10th May, and our Spring Serenade planned for Friday, 15th May. As many of you will already have picked up from last month’s parish magazine and other places, sadly the Horbury Street Fayre is also cancelled. Nonetheless, there is much still to look forward to later in this year including: St Peter’s Day; Margaret’s Garden Party; our BBQ for the feast of the Assumption; and our Organ Project launch!

Peterites - and Social Distancing

Once the decision had been made to close the schools it was with a heavy heart that we had to suspend Peterites. But Peterites being Peterites they took it in their stride and have shown us that, even though they are not meeting together, they are thinking as a group. For our Lent sessions we had decided to look at love, care, sharing and perseverance: which we did not appreciate at the time would be so significant in the present climate. We started Lent with our own pancake party, sharing the pancakes and toppings – chocolate spread being the most popular. The following week we then started our Lent sessions, the first being to give the children a pot, compost, and sunflower seeds. They all decorated their pots and named their seed. These seeds were to be the focus of the children’s attention for the remainder of Lent. Fr Christopher at this point did tell the children that his fingers were not green when it came to gardening. The seeds were all taken home with instructions of how to care for them. The following week, which at the time we did not realise would be our last session for awhile, we looked at how God so loved us that he sent his son to show us how we should live our lives. We also checked on the progress of the seeds, Fr Christopher’s at this point was showing promise. Once lockdown was announced and to try and keep the children together, we decided to go down the route that the schools were using. So, using the church social media, we gave the children some of the things we would have done if we had been able to meet. They had activities to do and then we asked that they say the prayers we had given them and the Peterites prayer at 6.30pm on Friday nights. The children have been amazing using the resources we have given them and caring for their sunflowers. We now have 2 winners of the tallest sunflower, Isabelle (honorary Peterite) and Betty. Peterites is still together in faith, sharing prayers and activities – just now in separate places. We do plan, once the lockdown is lifted and we are able to meet again in church, to have a party to bring everyone together to say thank you to God that we again are able to meet together in one place to worship and enjoy each other’s company. Oh, and unfortunately Fr Christopher’s sunflower did not make it to the end of Lent, proving that he really does not have green fingers!

If you would like to join us on Friday evenings this is the Peterites prayer. Day by Day, dear Lord of thee I pray, to see you more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, Day by day Amen

Bev & Carol

This is what sunflowers should like after 6 weeks-take note Fr Christopher

Something to keep the brain active......! Fifteen anagrams of Books of the Old Testament! 1. Burns me ___________________________

2. Chair haze ___________________________

3. Eds jug ___________________________

4. Evil is cut ___________________________

5. Hail Mac ___________________________

6. Hurt ___________________________

7. I jam here ___________________________

8. On gloom of sons ___________________________

9. Our needy Tom ___________________________

10. Rich clones ___________________________

11. See sign ___________________________

12. Select as ices ___________________________

13. Threes ___________________________

14. Tom anneals it ___________________________

15. Used ox ___________________________

Answers will be in the June Magazine

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.

Mother Teresa (1910-1997).

Bring flowers of the rarest bring blossoms the fairest, from garden and woodland and hillside and dale; our full hearts are swelling, our glad voices telling the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

One of May’s Flowers: The Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley is a flower of May and one of the most fragrant flowers of spring: a lovely plant consisting of a stem covered in delicate little “bells” hanging downward. If you come across it growing in the wild you are probably on the site of an ancient woodland. Called “fairy bells” in Celtic cultures, it was believed that only the fairies could hear them ring.

Another name for lily of the valley is 'Our Lady's Tears', a reminder of Mary's tears at the foot of the cross. Another folk legend says that the tears were Eve's, after being cast out of Eden. If you were to eat a lily of the valley the tears would probably be yours because the plant is highly toxic! Catherine Middleton had lily of the valley in her bouquet when she married Price William

Another plant of May - British Asparagus is now in season According to 'British Asparagus': British asparagus is packed full of goodness, so not only are you getting a delicious vegetable but a healthy one too. Eating asparagus promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine and can help reduce bloating. It contains vitamin K, essential for healthy blood clotting and is a rich source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune system. Asparagus is a mild diuretic and is believed to detoxify the body. It helps to cure a hangover and protects the liver against toxins. Apparently it can improve your libido! The Usain Bolt of the vegetable world, it can grow up to 10cm in one day.

Asparagus with Lemon and Chive Vinaigrette Simply steamed asparagus with a classic lemon and herb dressing.

Quick and easy it's a perfect starter. Juice and zest of one lemon 1-2 teaspoons caster sugar 6 tablespoons olive oil small bunch of chives, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper add the sugar, zest and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Gradually pour in olive oil whisking all the time until it has emulsified. Stir through the chives and season with salt and pepper. Serve with two bunches of lightly steamed asparagus. Serves 4.

Doggy Tales

A dog breeder brought his litter of Golden Retriever puppies to the Vet for inoculations and worming. As the look-alike pups tumbled over and under one another in their box, the vet realized it would be difficult to tell which had been treated and which hadn't. So he turned on the water tap, wet his fingers and gently moistened each dog's head as he finished giving it the necessary shots.

After the fourth puppy, the vet noticed his hitherto talkative client had grown silent and was looking rather reverent. As he sprinkled the last pup's head, the owner leaned forward and whispered, "Thank you so much. I hadn’t realised you baptised them, too.”

A butcher was alarmed to see a dog come into his shop. As he tried to shoo him out he noticed he had a £10 note and a shopping list in his mouth which said ‘five lamb chops please’. Amazed, the butcher took the money, put a bag of chops in the dog's mouth and quickly closed the shop.

He followed the dog, watching him wait for a green light, look both ways, and trot across the road to a bus-stop. The dog then checked the timetable and sat on the bench to wait. When a bus arrived he went round to the front, looked at the number and then got on the bus. The butcher followed, dumbstruck.

The bus travelled out into the suburbs. After a while, the dog stood up on his back paws and pushed the ‘stop’ bell and the butcher followed him off.

The dog ran up the drive of a house and dropped his bag on the door step. He went back down the drive and, with a big run, threw himself -Whap! - against the door.

He did this again and again but there was no answer: so he jumped on a wall and banged his head hard against a window, jumped off, and waited at the front door.

A big bloke opened it and started cursing and shouting at the dog. The butcher ran up and screamed “Don’t shout, this dog’s a genius!" The big bloke looked at the butcher and said,

"Genius, my ass.........It's the second time this week he's forgotten his key!”

And many thanks to Malcolm for sending these

I never wanted to believe that my dad was stealing from his job as a road worker

but when I got home all the signs were there

At Sunday School they were learning how God created everything, including human beings. intent when the teacher told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, "Johnny, what is the matter?" Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. to have a wife."

Muldoon lived alone in the Irish coucompany. One day the dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, "Father, me dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a mass for the poor creature?"Father Patrick replied, "I'm afraid not; we cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane, and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for the creature."Muldoon said, "I'll go right awenough to donate to them for the service?"Father Patrick exclaimed, "Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why did ya' not tell me the dog was Catholic?

And many thanks to Malcolm for sending these in for us:

I never wanted to believe that my dad was stealing from his job as a road worker

but when I got home all the signs were there!

At Sunday School they were learning how God created everything, including human beings. Johnny was especially intent when the teacher told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, "Johnny, what is the matter?" Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. to have a wife."

Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company. One day the dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, "Father, me dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a mass for the poor creature?" Father Patrick replied, "I'm afraid not; we cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane, and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for the creature." Muldoon said, "I'll go right away Father. Do ya' think £5,000 is enough to donate to them for the service?" Father Patrick exclaimed, "Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why did ya' not tell me the dog was Catholic?

in for us:

At Sunday School they were learning how God created Johnny was especially

intent when the teacher told him how Eve was created out of

Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, "Johnny, what is the matter?" Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I'm going

ntryside with only a pet dog for company. One day the dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, "Father, me dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a

Father Patrick replied, "I'm afraid not; we cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane, and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do

ay Father. Do ya' think £5,000 is

Father Patrick exclaimed, "Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why did

Since 'lockdown' began, to help lift our spirits, Fr Christopher has been putting our pictures on our church web page. This week it is going to be lovely plants in our gardens. We have had our favourite prayers, hymns and books. First of all, because we could no longer go into our church buildings, we had pictures of our home shrines. For those of you who are not on line here are the lovely shrine pictures

Janet

Stephen

Sue

Michael

Paul Barbara

Carol

Mark

Jane Jack

Mary

Sunday readings for May: 3rd May - 4th Sunday of Easter 1st reading: Acts 2.14, 36-41 Psalm: 23 2nd reading: I Peter 2.20-25 Gospel: John 10.1-10 10th May - 5th Sunday of Easter 1st reading: Acts 6.1-7 Psalm: 33.1-2, 4-5, 18-19 2nd reading: I Peter 2.4-9 Gospel: John 14.1-12 17th May - 6th Sunday of Easter 1st reading: Acts 8.5-8, 14-17 Psalm: 66.1-7a, 16, 20 2nd reading: I Peter 3.15-18 Gospel: John 14.15-21 21st May - The Ascension of the Lord 1st reading: Acts 1.1-11 Psalm: 471-2, 5-8 2nd reading: Ephesians 1.17-23 Gospel: Matthew 28.16-20 24th May - 7th Sunday of Easter 1st reading: Acts 1.12-14 Psalm: 27.1, 4, 7-8 2nd reading: I Peter 4.13-16 Gospel: John 17.1-11 31st May - Pentecost 1st reading: Acts 2.1-11 Psalm: 104.1a, 24a, 29-31, 34 2nd reading: I Corinthians 12.3-7, 12-13 Gospel: John 20.9-23

St. Peter’s Parish Room

Choir Practice Tuesdays 6pm-7pm in church New Members always welcome Bellringing Practice Tuesdays 7.30pm – 9pm Contact Mavis Walsh 271710

JAMS Wednesdays in term time 9.30am for Parents and Toddlers Contact Sheila Hudson 270272

Peterites Fridays in term time 6.00pm For young people from 7 to 11 years Contact Bev Gordon 07482 215451

Coffee Morning Saturday 9.15am to 11.00am For friendly chat, home baking and raffle

St. John’s Hall

ABC Tuesdays in term time 9am to 11am For Parents and Toddlers Contact Valerie Crowther 568722

Rainbows Tuesdays in term time 6pm Contact Jayne 266056

Guides Tuesdays in term time 7pm Contact Pam Case 280265

Over 50’s 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month 2pm Contact Valerie Crowther 568722

Keep Fit Wednesdays 7pm Contact Jean Hall 271940

St John's Hall and St Peter's Parish Room are available for hire. St John's Hall contact Valerie Crowther 568722 St Peter's Parish Room contact Mavis Walsh 271710