St. Saviour's Parish Church, Great Moor

Our newly installed Church Boiler!

Church Magazine - September 2020

We have a new church boiler!

Over the past two years we have raised £18,176 towards ournew boiler. The boiler has now been fitted and with its associatedinstallation costs the final bill is £12,534, leaving a surplus of£5,642.

Under Charity Commission Rules we need to give due notice thatwe have a surplus under ‘Restricted Funds’ that we propose totransfer to general ‘Unrestricted Funds’.

If anyone has an objection to this proposed transfer of funds thenplease contact me before 31 October 2020.

Roger Salt

Hon. Treasurer.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vicar says:Our new boiler will be much more efficient than the last one andmore economical. For me, the best thing about this boiler is thenew thermostat which can not only be programmed for every dayof the week but the temperature also!

For the last many years, I have gone over to church very late onSaturday nights to turn the temperature up so that you werewarm on Sunday mornings for worship. I have been known to getinto bed before realising that I haven't been over to turn thethermostat up and then had to make my way to church in my coatover nightwear and very often with an umbrella up - what a sight!I certainly won't miss that on extremely cold and wet or snowynights!!

Linda, our churchwarden, has done a sterling job overseeing allthis work from day one, which has been incredibly timeconsuming and included obtaining a faculty from the diocese.Thank you Linda for doing such a grand job.

I would also like to say a huge 'thank you' to all of you who madethis possible by giving so willingly whilst we were fundraising.

Looking ahead to HarvestIn February Jeff Bradley approached the Parochial ChurchCouncil asking for our support for his new venture of feedingchildren in deprived areas during school holidays. So manychildren are going hungry once school terms have brokenup for the holidays.

During this pandemic 'Fresh' (Food Ready Every SchoolHoliday) is doing a marvellous job distributing food to needyfamilies in the Stockport area. Sadly this will be an ongoingproblem especially since the pandemic has caused so muchunemployment in our area.

This month is our Harvest service and this year we aresupporting 'F.R.E.S.H.' If you would like to contribute to helpfeed families, please kindly put your donation in the greenenvelope enclosed and bring it to church on Sunday 27thSeptember. If you are writing a cheque, please make itpayable to St. Saviour's P.C.C. The charity would also bevery grateful for any of these three food items:

Any type of cereal / Long-life milk

Any tinned meat

Thanking you in anticipation of your usual amazing generosity!

Father Simon Vivian is to be Vicar of Great St. Mary,Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire.

Simon's Induction is to take place onSunday 20th September at 3 p.m.

We wish Simon, Charlotte, Alice and Samuel everyblessing in their new parish.

Canon Paul Hardingham considers a best-loved psalm

Psalm 23 - a psalm for the pandemic

There are few psalms as personal and real as Psalm 23. It recordsDavid’s experience of God as his Shepherd going through dark times.In the midst of the effects of a global pandemic, this psalm speaks tothe fears that can overwhelm us.

He Knows Me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd…’ Just as a goodshepherd knows every sheep in his or her flock, so God knows eachone of us intimately.

He Provides for Me: ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures…’Just as the shepherd knows the needs of the sheep, so God willprovide what we need in our lives and circumstances.

He Guides Me: ‘He guides me along the right paths…’ Just as theshepherd leads the sheep to the best pastures, so God provides thebest for us, as we listen and follow Him.

He Protects Me: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley…’Just as the sheep have no need to fear danger when following theshepherd, so we live knowing God’s presence and protection.

He Comforts Me: ‘your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ As theshepherd’s rod defends the sheep, and the staff enables the shepherdto control the sheep, so God comforts us through His Word anddiscipline.

The final verses of the psalm offer the security of knowing that ourlives are in His hands, even through death, as He leads us to thehome we’ve been looking for all our lives.

Some years ago, a great actor was asked to recite Psalm 23, butasked one of the other guests to do the same. His remarkablerendition was followed by the other man, an older Christian speakingfrom the heart. Afterwards the actor said: ‘The difference between usis that I know the psalm, but he knows the shepherd.’

Heavenly Father, as schools re-open after the summerbreak amidst concerns of Coronavirus, we ask yourblessing on all teachers and pupils, that they may feelconfident in the classroom and that parents have peace ofmind. We pray for all Head Teachers who have the overallresponsibility, that they too have the confidence that thegovernment's advice is sound and that those in their carewill be safe.

We thank you for those teachers who have a true sense ofvocation and who have devoted their lives to the work ofeducation. Give to all teachers a clear vision and freshnessof thought as they train the hearts and minds of childrencommitted to their care, not only imparting knowledge butalso by building their characters. May they be patient,sensitive, tolerant and loving to their pupils and we praythat pupils will respect their teachers and work to the bestof their ability.

We pray also for those who are responsible for educationplanning, policy making and administration. For theassociate staff and for school governors. Guide them in alltheir decision making, knowing when to affirm and when toask questions; we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, thegreatest teacher of all time. Amen.

Xibu’(t!jo!zpvs!iboe@

September is usually the time when we get back to our normalroutines after the summer break. With the current coronaviruspandemic, it’s very different this year! However, it is still a goodtime to consider how God can use us to make a real difference inour workplace, school, family, friends and community. He equipsus with everything we need to make His love known.

When God gave Moses the job of bringing the Israelites out ofEgypt, He asked the question, ‘What is in your hand?’ (Exodus4:2). Moses was holding his staff, which represented hislivelihood (what he was good at); his resources (his flockrepresented his wealth) and his security (which God was askinghim to lay down). God asks the same question of us: What hasGod given you? Our gifts, temperament, experience,relationships, mind, education, can be used in the work God hasgiven us to do. How will we use them to make a difference in theplaces where He calls us to serve Him?

John Ortberg, in his book It All Goes Back in the Box, speaks ofJohnny, a 19-year-old with Downs syndrome. He worked at asupermarket checkout putting people’s items into bags. Toencourage his customers, he decided to put a thought for the dayinto the bags. Every night his dad would help him to prepare theslips of paper and he would put the thoughts into the bagssaying, ‘I hope it helps you have a good day. Thanks for cominghere.’ A month later the store manager noticed that Johnny's lineat the checkout was three times longer than anyone else's!People wanted Johnny's thought for the day. He wasn’t just fillingbags with groceries, he was filling lives with hope!

What has God given you that will help and encourage others?

g g g g g g g g g g g

Don’t chase what isn’t there

‘…those who chase fantasies have no sense.’ Proverbs 12:11

Have you ever been attracted to computer gaming? For many peopleit has become addictive; and they spend so much time in their fantasyworld that their own avatar and those of their fellow players havecome to seem more real to them than their own family and friends.

You can get so drawn into this virtual world that you can resent thetime you have to spend in the real world. Instead, you have come toprefer living in your fantasy world, where you always have the powerand control. Problems come when a person spends so much time intheir virtual world that they are too tired and distracted to do anythingproductive in their real world.

Some people say that Christians live in a fantasy world, that our faithhas no basis in reality. But faith in God is not a crutch - nor is it afantasy. Jesus was an historical person who lived and died - and roseagain. Those who follow Him as Lord find that knowing Him, andhaving His Spirit within them, gives them the strength they need to livethe right way in the real world, and to reach out to other real peoplewith God’s love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mental health and Covid-19

It is important to be as kind and patient as possible with other peoplethis autumn. Covid-19 has turned many millions of lives upside-down,and the resulting distress, anxiety, fear, grief and economic meltdownmeans that now widespread mental illness is inevitable. So says thenew president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Dr Adrian James warns of ‘multiple layers’ to the fallout from thepandemic, both for people with pre-existing mental health conditionsand also for those who have never suffered before. NHS front-linestaff will need support, while those who have had a serious case ofCovid-19 may suffer anything from post-traumatic stress disorder to afull-blown psychosis.

Dr James says: “There will be very significant mental illnessconsequences of Covid, and we need to be ready.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Pickup, considers your possible concerns about leaving home.

Getting back to work?

When he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sentthem into his vineyard. Matthew 20:2

For many of us it is time to get back to the workplace, as restrictionsare easing. But can we be forced to go back to the workplace if we areconcerned about how safe it is?

Many employment contracts include a requirement for the employeeto work at a specific place and during a certain time. Most people areentitled to written terms of employment and this would includeinformation on where to work. Refusing to turn up for work could leadto disciplinary action. The coronavirus epidemic has changed things,so that now an employee is entitled to ask questions about how safethe workplace is.

If you have concerns about going back to work, you should speak toyour employer about them. These issues might include worries aboutusing public transport, worries with childcare or other caringresponsibilities and how safe the work place is.

Employers have a duty of care towards employees, to look after boththeir physical and mental health, to comply with equalities legislationand not discriminate against those who have protected characteristics,such as a disability. Under the government's COVID-19 return to theoffice guidance, all businesses have a duty to conduct a COVID-19risk assessment. You can ask what has been considered to make theworkplace a safe place.

Some employees have a right to ask about flexible working hours,such as coming in before or after the rush hour or working some daysat home. You must give reasons and you should consider anycompromise if it is refused. The employer is entitled to say no if thereis a good business reason.

The key point is what is ‘reasonable’. Your employer will want to getback to normal business and it is in everyone’s interest to have aproductive successful business.

New Task Force to ensure action over racism in the C of E.

A new commission is to be set up to drive forward ‘bold changes’ toensure racial equality in the Church of England, following a series ofreports and recommendations, it was recently announced.

The House of Bishops voted to back the creation of the Archbishops’Racism Action Commission. It will start work early next year, in orderto implement ‘significant cultural and structural’ change within theChurch of England on race. The commission would also monitorprogress in implementing change.

Preparatory work ahead of the launch of the commission will becarried out by a Task Force, the House of Bishops said, as part of a‘zero tolerance’ approach to tackling racism within the Church.

The bishops said they wanted to make clear that swift action wasneeded to ensure change after a series of reports on racial justiceand equality in the Church of England, including recommendationson action to combat racism.

In spite of previous reports and apologies for racism within theChurch of England, there has been “insufficient” progress towardsracial justice, equality and inclusion, the bishops said. “For theChurch to be a credible voice in calling for change across the world,we must now ensure that apologies and lament are accompanied byswift actions leading to real change,” the bishops noted.

The announcement comes after the General Synod voted inFebruary to apologise for racism experienced by black and minorityethnic people in the Church of England since the arrival of theWindrush Generation.

Speaking to the General Synod, the Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby, said there was “no doubt” that the Church of Englandwas still “deeply institutionally racist”.

In a recent vote, the bishops of the Church of England also backedreiterating an apology issued in 2006 by the General Synod for theChurch of England’s role in the slave trade.

The Revd Peter Crumpler, an Anglican priest in St Albans, Herts,offers a personal reflection on a new painting in St. Albans Cathedral.

Abbey’s ‘black Jesus’ stirs up a storm

A large-scale painting of the Last Supper depicting Jesus as a blackman has sparked controversy and heated debate in the UK andaround the world.

I reckon that’s no bad thing. In fact, it could be really positive.

St. Albans Cathedral, 20 miles north of central London in leafyHertfordshire, has installed the painting – on show until 31st October –to “stand with the Black Lives Matter movement to be allies for change– building a strong, just and fair community where the dignity of everyhuman being is honoured and celebrated, where black voices areheard, and where black lives matter.”

The installation is a striking piece of art and it’s provoking strongreactions – just as good art should do.

People are responding with a wide range of opinions. Many havewelcomed the artwork, but others are outraged, accusing the Abbey ofpandering to a ‘political correctness’ agenda. Some have described itas seeking to be ‘trendy’ and riding on the bandwagon of a popularmovement.

The Cathedral is a special place to me. I was ordained as a priestthere, have served as a day chaplain at the historic building, and Iminister at a parish church in the city.

Built on the site of an ancient shrine to Saint Alban, Britain’s firstChristian martyr, the Cathedral has been welcoming visitors forhundreds of years. It stands today as a thriving centre of worship, ofcommunity and of hospitality for thousands of pilgrims who visit theCathedral each year.

The painting’s artist, Lorna May Wadsworth, said: “I castJamaican-born Tafari Hinds as my Jesus to make people question thewestern myth that He had fair hair and blue eyes.

“I also knew that, from a previous portrait of Tafari, there is somethingin his countenance that people find deeply empathetic and moving,which is the overriding quality I wanted my Christ to embody.”

Not everyone shares the artist’s perspective. A Facebook post fromthe Abbey promoting the installation drew 400 comments within anhour, as people from around the world hotly argued the case for andagainst the artwork.

One person responded: “The church has not changed the colour ofJesus, they have decided to put on show a piece of art that happensto depict Jesus as black. Let’s hope it just gives people a chance toquestion things they have always just accepted as being right.”

Other comments were more critical, with a typical response, “Moreshameless pandering to Black Lives Matter, bringing trendy identitypolitics into what is supposed to be the traditional church.”

People may object strongly to Lorna May Wadsworth’s artwork, orthey may welcome it. Either way, it provokes an important debateabout the role of race in our society and how we have depicted Christin western culture.

The Abbey has stirred up a storm, but maybe that’s the only way foringrained attitudes to be challenged, and new perspectives formed.

All in the month of September

It was:

400 years ago, on 6th September 1620, that 102 English Puritans (nowknown as the Pilgrims) set sail aboard the Mayflower from Plymouth,for a new life in America.

150 years ago, on 20th September 1870 that Rome was captured.Italian forces defeated the Papal States and captured the city of Romeat the end of the wars of Italian Unification. The Papal States weredissolved. Rome was annexed, and it became the capital of Italy in1871.

125 years ago, on 28th September 1895 that Louis Pasteur died. ThisFrench biologist, microbiologist and chemist was one of the mainfounders of the field of medical microbiology. Best known fororiginating the pasteurization of foodstuffs to eliminate micro-organisms that cause disease. Pasteur saved the French beer, wineand silk industries and developed vaccines against anthrax andrabies.

65 years ago, on 22nd September 1955 that Britain’s first independenttelevision channel, ITV, was launched. It ended the BBC’s monopoly.Regional franchises were rolled out across the whole country by 1965.

50 years ago, on 19th September 1970 that the first GlastonburyFestival was held, at Worthy Farm near Pilton, Somerset. About 1,500people attended (compared to 135,000 today). It became an annualevent from 1981 and is now the world’s largest greenfield festival. Thefirst festival was billed as the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival.

40 years ago, on 22nd September 1980 that the Solidarity movementwas created in Poland, with Lech Walesa as its leader. It was the firstindependent trade union in the Soviet bloc.

25 years ago, on 3rd September 1995 that the auction site eBay wasfounded (as AuctionWeb).

15 years ago, on 24th September 2005 that the IRA decommissionedits last remaining weapons in front of independent inspectors.

.