Dear all,

Last November, I planted some crocus bulbs in the front lawn, here at the curacy house. Two days later, I noticed little holes appearing where my resident fox had started digging. It looked like she was searching for a quick snack, either on the bulbs themselves, or on the juicy worms I had unearthed as I loosened the soil. Either way, I feared she had undone all my work. My fears were compounded earlier this month, as I saw flowers emerging everywhere in Broadstone except for my garden. I said some very uncharitable things about that fox…

But then! Last week as I got home from a walk, a sudden flash of purple caught my eye. And lo and behold, there was a happy little crocus smiling up at me. Then another; then another. The more I looked, the more I saw. As the week has gone on, little patches of purple have sprung up everywhere. It’s been a joyful reminder that even when things seem bleak, hope may be waiting just around the corner.

This week we have also heard what the next few months might look like as we begin to move out of lockdown. Each step in the government’s plan is like a new patch of crocuses waiting on the horizon, offering a bit more freedom, and hopefully a bit more joy. Perhaps some of you are feeling a little anxious at the thought of things opening up again; perhaps others are feeling impatient that we aren’t moving faster; perhaps you are happy just to take the year as it comes. I think I might be feeling all three at once! But amidst the uncertainties and the revisions which doubtless lie ahead, I do hope there will be lots of happy surprises along the way as well.

Happily, in light of the Prime Minister’s statement and local numbers improving, we have decided to open St John’s for public worship again from Sunday 14th March. Government advice is still very much to stay at home until 29th March, but for those who feel safe, a warm and socially-distanced welcome will be waiting. Details of services and booking systems will follow in next week’s Update, so keep an eye out for that announcement – and for the signs of spring emerging around you like my little crocuses! Please do continue sending us photos to enjoy as we wait together for the day when we can begin to open our doors again. Pray, too, for our wedding couples and baptism families as they readjust plans in light of the latest statement; may they also begin to relax into the joy of what lies ahead this year.

With love and prayers as always, Rev Lyndon

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THIS SUNDAY'S READING: Mark 8.31-end

THE COLLECT Almighty God,

by the prayer and discipline of Lent

may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,

and by following in his Way

come to share in his glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A prayer from the Methodist Church on behalf of Broadstone Churches Together: On thi We pray for the community of Broadstone, giving thanks that our boundaries have indeed fallen in

pleasant places. We give thanks for those shops that have been allowed to remain open and pray

for the protection of their staff and an attitude of responsibility amongst the public. We pray for

those businesses that remain closed and for their anxious proprietors. God says to us in

Philippians 4:6 ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let

your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’

Special prayers for the sick: Robert, Bill, Dorothy, David, Marjorie, Roger and Frances.

RIP Philip Blunt

Philip’s funeral is at 1pm on Wednesday. Clare, his daughter, asked me to

include the link to his funeral in case anyone would like to watch. It will be

available for 28 days.

https://www.obitus.com/ Username: Xayu6032 Password: 149811

News

✣ The Parish Office will be closed next Tuesday, 2nd March.

✣ World Day Of Prayer, Friday 5th March There will, sadly, be no physical service to attend

this year, but an online service will be available. This will take place / be available from 10.30am on

Friday and you can find the link in this week’s Update.

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✣ Easter Eggs Real Easter Eggs (Fairtrade chocolate along with a leaflet telling the Easter story)

are available from Traidcraft (also other items, see traidcraftshop web site). I can order direct;

please get in touch if you would like me to order something for you (post free), as soon as

possible please. Val Renyard. Contact details 01202 682460, vandprenyard@gmail.com

✣ Eco-Church – In response to climate change and the ecological crisis, BCP council are putting

together a Climate Action Plan. This will shape the council’s policies and actions over the

coming years as together we try to become a carbon neutral society, and to reverse the damage

which has been done to our environment. The council is inviting people to contribute to the plan by completing an online survey, which gives us all a chance to comment on the council’s proposals,

and to help them set priorities over the next few years. To have your say, click on the following

link – but take note: the deadline for responses is Monday 1st March (sorry for the short

notice!): https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=160070139616

✣ Pray Feb Last October we had a month of praying in our deanery for the situation we find

ourselves in with Covid-19. Pray Feb is a similar deanery initiative, but this time, we are not

asking you to set aside a particular day, but to set aside just 5 or 10 minutes a day to pray. With

the email you will find a prayer diary we have sent out, with a suggested area of focus for our

prayers.

✣ Virtual Lent Lunch Advance warning that Churches Together in Broadstone are hoping to

host an online Lent Lunch on Wednesday 17th March. Bring your own sandwich or soup to the

computer screen, and let's share in a lunch across the distance! Further details to follow.

✣ Big Sleep at Home – March 5th A reminder that the Albaré Trust’s Big Sleep takes place this

coming Friday. If you would like to know more about the charity, their website is

https://www.alabare.co.uk/. The video – starring Jean Hutchison - which only lasts for a minute, is

available here : https://youtu.be/269MYQKPEyU

✣ St John's 50 Club St John's 50 Club – only 24 spaces left! - We’re looking for 50 people

to join this monthly bit of fun and help raise essential church funds in the process. For £3 a

month, you will be given a number 1-50 which remains your number for the next year. Every

month we will draw one number out of a hat, and the winner will receive £50 prize money. With

a 1 in 50 chance of winning each month, the odds are good!

Contact our treasurer Nick to sign up - see this week’s email for his details. You can either pay

£36 pounds for the whole year, or set up a monthly standing order for £3. Nick says, 'To set up a

Standing Order you need the St John's bank details, which are: Sort Code 30-96-73 A/c No.

02328599 – if everyone could try and use the 1st of the month that would be helpful. I can also

accept payment in cash or cheque but this needs to be clearly stated it is for the 50 Club and one

annual payment of £36 all in one go.'

You must be on our electoral roll to take part: if you are not, please contact Revd Helen for a

form.

✣ Local Helpline If you have a vulnerable health condition you are being asked to shield once

again. The local helpline if you need shopping, prescriptions or a lift to your Vaccination Centre is

0300 123 7052. They will find you a suitable volunteer to help. However, if you are struggling and

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the helpline doesn't give you the response you need, please call me directly. We are family and will

support one another in all the ways we can! Revd Helen

✣ APCM Invite to Stand for Positions on PCC. Our APCM will take place on 22nd April.

We are inviting people to stand for the vacant positions. This year, Roger will stand down as

church warden - he has served 6 years with such dedication, and we shall give our proper thanks

for that in due course.

Gill is offering to stand as new church warden - of course anyone else is also able to stand as

nominee if they wish, which will mean we would hold an election at the APCM. We now have 4

nominations for PCC but still require a Deanery Synod rep who also serves on PCC. The commitment is to attend 3 Synod meetings a year, currently online, and 6 PCC meetings a year,

also currently online. For a discussion about this role and more information, please contact the

Vicar.

✣ Electoral Roll Revision 2021

This year's formal review of the Electoral Roll will take place from 14th March to 7th April.

During this period those of you who are on the Roll should advise of any changes to your home

and email addresses, home or mobile telephone numbers. Forms to correct your entry can be

obtained from Revd Helen at the Vicarage and you can pick these up during your daily exercise.

Helen is also very happy to post them through your door. No changes can be made after 8th April

until after the APCM on Thursday 22nd April.

This is also an opportunity to encourage those of you who are not on the Electoral Roll to

join. Membership allows you to attend and vote at the Annual Parish Meeting. If you wish you may

also put yourself forward to serve the Church by volunteering to join the Parish Church Council.

Again forms available from Revd Helen at the Vicarage.

It is stressed that information held on the Electoral Roll is used only for communication between

the Church and the Members on the Roll. Marion Marsh – Electoral Roll Officer

Quote/unquote These sentences allegedly appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.'

The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Puzzle Corner The solution to last week’s quiz, in which all the answers contained a colour:

1. Queen for nine days - Lady Jane Grey

2. Aristocratic German flying Ace – the Red Baron

3. Dorothy must follow this for happiness – the yellow brick road

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4. What every cloud has? – a silver lining

5. Fossil resin - Amber

6. Spinster of Cluedo – Miss Scarlet

7. The soldiers of the UN – Blue Berets

8. Florid section of prose – Purple passage

9. Iron Pyrites – Fool’s Gold

10. To abandon someone - Maroon

11. A large aircraft – Jumbo Jet

12. Enjoying excellent health - In the pink

13. Military fire engines – Green goddesses

14. The General of the Jesuits – The Black Pope

15. Wave it to surrender – White Flag

16. Nickname for Ireland – The Emerald Isle

17. A flat fish as a fruit – Lemon sole

18. One that can be tickled - Ivory

19. Willem- Alexander is the Head of this – The House of Orange

20. A variety of beryl, the Latin meaning sea-water - Aquamarine

And the butterfly puzzle from Joyce - Answer: The values for the male Brimstone are 3

and minus 0.5

This week’s quiz: Out for a walk/a good walk spoiled?

1. Police informer

2. Member of ‘One Direction’ in film

‘Dunkirk’

3. Warm current, starts in Gulf of Mexico,

keeps UK warmer

4. The upper bony part of your nose

5. Ex Labour MP, founded the Birkenhead

Social Justice party in 2018

6. Cigarette company which sponsored

sporting events including international

cricket in the 1980s

7. Best known for his autobiographical novel

‘Cider with Rosie’

8. Dorset village of martyrs fame

9. A founder of Microsoft, with Paul Allen

10. Behead the blackberry bush

11. For which element is Fe the symbol

12. Rosie Lea

13. Mid colour of the rainbow

14. The largest flying bird

15. A reinforced underground shelter

16. Can be bald or golden

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17. The only number with the same number

of letters in its name as the number itself

18. A navigable channel in a river or harbour

19. Weapon wielded by the Cerne Giant

20. What shape of heel fits this round?

Photo Gallery

This week, Holly has made this beautiful picture all about hope. Her teacher is going to send it to one of our local care homes to make the residents smile. It certainly made us smile here – thank you Holly! See you soon, we hope.

Please send contributions for the Update to office@stjohnschurchbroadstone.co.uk

Contacts

Vicar Rev'd Helen Bailey 01202 691 484 revdhelenbailey@gmail.com Assistant Curate Rev'd Lyndon Webb 07872 651 981 revlyndonwebb@gmail.com Parish Office 01202 697 641 office@stjohnschurchbroadstone.org.uk

Lent 2 2021: Gaining the world (Mark 8:31-38) Read vv31-34 I wonder if, like me, there have been whole sections of the last year when you have chosen not to watch or read the news. Sometimes, admittedly, this is because certain news programmes or papers wind me up and I would rather not be wound up, but also sometimes because it is easier to cover our ears and keep our heads down. ‘I’d rather not know’ we sometimes think, and understandably so. It was TS Eliot who wrote: ‘mankind cannot bear much reality’ and much of our lives is spent, like St Peter, trying to soften the edges of life, so that painful truths are bypassed, somehow. Those who willingly not only face the truth but actively place themselves in harm’s way for the sake of others are considered by us, rightly enough, to be heroes. And this last year has seen all manner of new kinds of heroism that we have applauded. Given that most of us, given the choice, would rather sand and smooth things over, the season of Lent is an awkward knot in the wood, and the cross that we are heading for an impossible, snagging splinter. I have known plenty of believers – and you may be among them – who wouldn’t attend church on Good Friday because it was all just too grim. And they’re right, of course. The cross is not a comfortable theme, or a comfortable place to consider. Peter’s response to Jesus beginning to speak about his destination is entirely reasonable. The last thing he wants – having just realised Jesus is the Messiah is this talk of death and suffering. Peter is about to gain the world, surely - not lose it - has his eye set on glory, success and power. For him, as for most Jews at the time, the coming of the messiah was principally about the vindication of Israel, which would involve the overthrow of Roman authority and victory. This talk of suffering and death is the very opposite of what he has in mind. And so, at every stage of the story, Peter is determined to avoid the cross; while at every stage Jesus is determined to get there. But if we are to follow him at all, we have to follow Jesus to the cross. More than that (Jesus says) we have to take up our own cross as we follow him. Which surely means we are to recognise the sometimes-painful truth about ourselves, not avoid it or cover it up, like an estate agent describing a condemned house. Your cross may be a personal weakness, it may be an impossible relationship that you have to bear, it may be a social or professional responsibility that you know you have to carry but which you feel totally unsuited to. It may be a call or a cause that you need to fight for, when you would much rather put your feet up. It may be that the depletions and challenges of the pandemic will have revealed certain things about your life that, under normal conditions, you manage to keep suppressed. Whatever it is, it may well be the very thing you wish you didn’t have to carry. Normally and naturally, the cross is what we would run a mile from: it is the trouble spot we will travel miles to steer clear of. But because Christ has travelled there before us and for us: has borne the unbearable, has carried that impossible weight we also can follow him there. When we do so we can find that the place of desolation, the very place we fear to travel can become the very place of transformation and renewal. This way of truth – and not the path of relentless acquisition and avoidance – is, we believe, the way of life. May each of us find the courage to follow it. Amen.