By the time you receive this I am sure you will have given lots of thought to your Christmas preparations, the ladies at least .I hope you will also give some thought to joining us at some of our Christmas Services as this is a wonderful time of the year to come together and celebrate the essence of Christmas. To this end you will find a list of services at the end of this article and we look forward to welcoming you at some point over the Christmas period.

We begin our celebrations on Friday 16^th December with a Christmas themed afternoon tea with festive entertainment in the Village Hall from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. This replaces our December coffee morning as we thought it would be good to do something a bit special for the Christmas season. Those who come regularly will be encouraged to bring someone new along with them but you do not need a specific invitation and all will be most welcome.

There is no charge but we will be accepting donations to Hope House Hospice. Please come and join us if you can.

Our November coffee morning was well attended as we were treated to a cookery demonstration by the “Pampered Chef” and we were then able to sample some of the goodies she had cooked. Many thanks to Pat and Rob for hosting the event and allowing their house to be turned into a cookery school. It was a most enjoyable morning.

A January diary date to be noted is Thursday 19^th when we will be holding our usual coffee morning at the home of Kath and John Evans from 10:30 am to 12:00. Please come along if you can.

Christmas services

Sunday 11^th December…………Christingle Service at 10:00am

Thursday 15th December………School Carol Service at 5:00pm

Sunday 18^th December………….WI Carol Service at 4:30pm

Friday 23^rd December…………   Carols Around The Tree at 7:00pm

Saturday 24^th December…………Crib Service at 4:00pm

Christmas Communion at 9:30pm

It only remains to wish everyone the joy and peace of the Christmas Season and good wishes for the New Year.

Sometimes I feel wonderfully uplifted by things that happen in the parishes. Such an occasion was the service on Remembrance Sunday this year. As usual the service was held in All Saints, Clive. It was a glorious morning, the church was full and, in a moving and emotional service, we remembered those who gave their lives in war so that we might enjoy peace. It is something we have been doing for a good number of years and I hope will continue thus. We have a good foundation for that because once again we were blessed with a goodly number of children who came to the service. They joined in with respect and were mostly quiet during the two minute silence despite the very young age of some of them. I hope the significance of the service was not lost on the older children – the haunting notes of the trumpet, as Harriett blew the Last Post and Rouse, brings goose bumps to us older members of the congregation, but I wonder what it did for the children. It must be so difficult to experience the past when it seems so distant, and yet it is very immediate as new names are added to the Rolls of Honour throughout the country year by year. Whatever they felt, it was wonderful to have them in the church. It rounded off the whole meaning of Remembrance Day for me – here was the whole community coming together for worship on this singular occasion. Thank you, Harriett, for your very special input into the service.

Remembrance Sunday service always stirs up emotions and I dare say our resolve. So it is appropriate that the Sunday following (The Sunday next before Advent) is sometimes called Stir-up Sunday. The name comes from the Collect set for the day in the Book of Common Prayer and reads:

“Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Traditionally the Christmas pud mixture was stirred by each member of the family on this day and the children chanted the rhyme:

“Stir up, we beseech thee,

 The pudding in the pot;

And when we get home

We’ll eat the lot.”

 Stir-up Sunday is much more than just Christmas puds. As we have remembered those who have gone before, their sometimes stirring deeds and bravery in the face of adversity, so we invite God to get us going again, to stir us up to bring forth good fruit not least as we prepare ourselves to greet the Christ Child on Christmas morn.

Talking about stirring up – a story was told me at the seminar “Hungry for God” held at Christ Church, Bayston Hill recently. It went something like this: a parish feast was prepared and the table was groaning with good things to eat. The good people of the parish fell upon the feast with great gusto and quite soon the table was bare; that is except for a bowl of rice salad which was untouched. As it had been a ‘bring and share’ the PCC were quite worried that someone would be offended – it was a beautiful rice pudding filled with raisins and other good things – why had the obviously hungry crowd spurned it? They were deliberating about this when one of them suddenly remarked, “I know. Something is missing. We didn’t give them a spoon!” Such a simple thing as the lack of a spoon had prevented the hungry from being fed… Could you or I be the spoon. If people are hungry for God, and I believe they are, are we preventing that hunger from being satisfied…?

All being well Pat and I are hoping to visit our Australian family in January. It is not finalised yet but on the assumption that it will take place I have arranged for the services in January to be Combined Benefice services beginning with Astley on 8^th, Clive on 15^th, Grinshill on 22^nd and Hadnall on 29^th. I will be here on 1^st January and will be celebrating at the Combined Service on that day in Hadnall. Visiting priests will cover the others. The reason for this is that, with the situation in the Deanery with the number of vacancies we have, it is quite difficult to find cover while I am away. Canon William Price has again made himself available for any emergencies – thank you, William – and I will be seeking cover for the Sunday services over the next few weeks. I hope this will be all right for you.

This edition of the Benefact covers December and January so please take careful note of the services and other information in the parish news for the next two months. This begs the question: are you ready for the Christmas rush? Commercial Xmas has been a bit iffy over the last few years and the ongoing crisis with the economy is probably going to bite just as hard this year, perhaps more so. But there is a great deal of difference between Xmas and CHRISTmas. We can still celebrate, we must celebrate, that remarkable event when God came to us in all the vulnerability and humility of the Babe in the manger. I hope I will be able to see many of you at the different services and events which are to take place in the next weeks – carol services, school services, the Christmas services themselves. There is a good number to choose from! May it be a wonderful time for each one of you as we prepare to receive the Christ Child on Christmas Day. Will HE be our focus? I hope so.

Best wishes and God’s rich blessings be with you this Christmastide and remain with you always.

Rob

Dear Friends,

Whine time – and that has nothing to do with Happy Hour! I feel I owe you all an apology for the inordinate amount of time I have been spending ‘outside’ the parishes, nearly all of it in my capacity as Rural Dean. I have not been able to visit, or to take part in what goes on in the parishes, nearly as much as I would like to, or ought to as your Parish Priest. Part of that is because the work of a Rural Dean seems to have increased enormously with several Diocesan initiatives, such as the ‘Plain Speaking’ sustainability exercise, but also because we have the difficult situation within the Deanery where two groups of parishes, Myddle and Whitchurch, are without a parish priest at the moment and are waiting to make an appointment (not so easy, I’m afraid), and in a third group the priest has not been able to fulfil his role through ill health.  Being part of the resolution of these issues has been quite time-consuming. Thankfully the parishes involved have been very active in ensuring that the services are fulfilled and that within the Deanery (and outside it) priests, both active and retired, and lay leaders have stepped into the breach. Without their generosity of time and spirit we would be in a right pickle.

What’s to be done about it? I do feel very strongly that my being here in the Benefice as your Parish Priest is my primary calling so I asked Bishop Mark to accept my resignation as Rural Dean at the end of my third year in office (Rural Deans are appointed for five years). This would be in November this year, but Bishop Mark has asked in turn if I will continue until the Archdeacon’s Visitation in May. All being well, this is what will happen. In the meantime it’s stay with the grindstone.

What of the Plain Speaking exercise? Your Parochial Church Councils have met and debated where each parish is in relation to its resources and its mission, and where it is going, and for the most part have concluded that we are cautiously sustainable. You may remember that in the July Benefact I spoke about the exercise and showed a grid (Toronto Grid) to explain how some degree of measurement of sustainability or otherwise could be made. Here are the results showing both the PCCs and the Rural Dean/Lay Chair’s conclusions.

We are perhaps all a little optimistic but so we should be. We are not solely a business, though we have to balance our accounts. We are God’s people, and we walk in the power of His Spirit. What wehave to do,  what we ought to do, is to step out with more trust and confidence as we engage in the mission of the Church – to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Saviour to all people. This is not just the responsibility of a chosen few but of all who profess Jesus as Lord. If this was what we all did I think we would all be crowded into the top right hand corner of the grid – very sustainable. With God’s help, let’s work together towards that top right hand corner.

On the last Sunday in October we celebrated a wonderful combined Benefice service dedicated to All Saints at All Saints in Grinshill. Each of the parishes was well represented and the church, except for “the front few pews”, looked pretty full. Wonderful service, wonderful singing, and wonderful fellowship too with tea, coffee and CAKE at the end. Lots of ‘wonderfuls’, I know, but it really lifted me up!

It has been a very busy time since Pat and I returned from our trip to Zimbabwe. Thank you to all who made the Harvest Festivals and Feasts so good. The churches were beautifully decorated and it was a joy to celebrate the Harvest even in an unprecedented time of drought – in England? We look forward to the busy run-up to Christmas with Remembrance Sunday imminent. I pray that this may be a good time for you all, not too stressful, but filled with the peace of God and the promise of a Son who is Christ the Lord. May God bless you richly.

Rob

In the Hadnall news there is mention of a coffee morning on 24^th November here at the Vicarage at which there will be a cookery demonstration  by the “Pampered Chef”. Pat has asked me to say that this is open to anyone who would like to come.

Some rain at last! This has been a commodity in very short supply in Shropshire over the summer months and into the autumn. I have never had to water the garden in October, partly through lack of rain and partly because the plants are still growing. Rain in this country is something that we expect to take for granted and this year it has been a reminder to us that it is a precious gift which we cannot do without.

Our Harvest services  also provide a moment to stop and remind ourselves of the bounty of our food sources both at home and abroad. In our world of supermarkets and processed and packaged food it is easy to forget where all this comes from and the labour involved in its growth, harvesting and distribution.

As usual our church was beautifully decorated for the service and many thanks to all those who helped to make the vibrant and interesting displays. Also our thanks to all who helped with the Harvest Lunch in the provision of food, the setting up and serving and the clearing away. Although it was only a simple meal it appeared to be enjoyed by all present as attested by many having seconds of both soup and puddings. Avery generous donation of £95:00 was raised towards the East Africa Famine Appeal.

Our October coffee morning at the home of Mrs Irene Dabbs was well attended where coffee, cakes and chat were enjoyed by all present. A big thank you to our host.

The November coffee morning will be held on Thursday 24^th at the Vicarage from 10:30 am until 12:00. This one will have a slightly different tone as there will be a cookery demonstration by the “Pampered Chef” and an opportunity to buy cookery items as well as the usual coffee and chat. Proceeds from the morning will be shared between Compassion and Help for Heroes. We hope as many of you as can will support this and come along to enjoy the morning.

Another date for the diary is Friday December 16^th when we will be holding an afternoon tea in the village hall instead of the usual coffee morning. This will have a Christmas theme though details of this are still at the planning stage and will be given in the next Benefact. We look forward to welcoming you.

I must first apologise to you all for the lateness of this issue. Entirely my fault. It is all this warm weather – I’ve been basking in the sun! I wish…

Well, Zimbabwe has come and gone and most of the trepidation we felt was really not necessary. We arrived in Harare after a trouble-free flight on a glorious sunny day – not hot enough to be uncomfortable – and so it stayed for the two weeks we were there. It was wonderful to meet up again with many old friends and family – it seemed that we had never been apart – and to visit one or two places which we have always enjoyed. Kariba, that wonderful lake on the Zambezi River, has always been a favourite of ours and it did not disappoint. We had a great few days there, fishing, lounging, eating and sharing our days – and nights – with the wildlife. Don’t be fooled by the picture of the hippo. Most of our time in Zimbabwe was pretty hectic as we rushed from place to place. It was after all a working holiday and I ended up not only celebrating the wedding I had gone out to do but also taking part in another wedding and celebrating a Communion service on each of the Sundays we were away. Marriages may take place at any venue in Zimbabwe and so it was that we gathered on the shore of Darwendale dam on the last Saturday of our holiday. The congregation was seated on hay bales, sweltering a bit in the hot sun, while the ceremony took place under a very large patio umbrella with the backdrop of the water and to the cry of the fish eagle. Those are the good things – many of you have asked about our impressions of Zimbabwe after nine years away. It continues to be a country of great contrasts – it looks incredibly run down, dusty, dry, potholed, not a street light that worked or stood upright. Our trip through what was once really productive farm land was depressing – acres of green winter wheat have been replaced by bush as the land reverts. But, since the advent of the American dollar, swish supermarkets abound with anything you might want in them – no empty shelves anymore – and cars, new cars. If you have the money it is all there. Unfortunately violence is never very far away and we had reminders of that in the experiences of friends and family. The Anglican Church continues to be in the firing line, too. I met up with Bishop Chad Gandiya, whom I have known for many years, on the eve of another wave of persecution by Kunonga, the defrocked Mugabe supporter, who with the connivance of the “judicial” system, was beginning to evict priests from their rectories (the priest who was in the rectory that Pat and I lived in was badly beaten up); nuns and helpers from diocesan-run orphanages, the orphans being left unprotected and unfed, and congregations from their churches. There is very little, if any, change in the political situation. Scratch the surface and the fear and hopelessness is still there. Pat and I were pleased to touch down at Heathrow and to come home. All being well, you will have to put up with me for a few more years yet.

My special thanks to all who took services and did what had to be done while we were away. Our homecoming has been hectic, too – no change there – along with the normal day-to-day events there has been the Diocesan sustainability exercise, the Ride and Stride and, sadly, a number of bereavements. Thank you to all who sponsored me in the Ride and Stride for the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust. It was an incredibly windy day for cycling. Bob and Sue Udy and I visited all the churches in the Deanery (except for Lee Brockhurst), some 54 miles though it felt much more. The way up to Whitchurch was a doddle with the wind behind us but the way back was another story. I’m still recovering. We have celebrated two of our Harvest Festivals and the rest follow in quick order including the school celebrations. Wonderful flowers and good fellowship at the Harvest meals have made them great occasions.

There is much ahead. As St Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it (everlasting life). But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead,  I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.”, let us press on, too. May God bless you all.

Rob

Net Practise

In cricket, net practise is essential for batsmen. For some time now, Kevin Pietersen has been having trouble facing left arm spinners. Has he given up? No. This summer he faced up to the weakness in his game and has spent long days in the nets practising, out of the public eye. Back in 2005, when Andrew Strauss was bamboozled in the first two Test matches by Shane Warne, the Australian spinner, he also went away and spent hours in the nets with ‘Merlyn’, a spin bowling machine. ‘Merlyn’ proved to be a bit of a wizard as Strauss then scored a century in the next Test match at Old Trafford, further good scores in the following Tests, and helped England win ‘The Ashes’ for the first time in 18 years. This summer, Andrew Strauss has again been struggling with his batting. As I write, he is undertaking extra practise at county level trying to regain his form in time for the Test matches against India. Sir Alex Ferguson famously said that ‘success is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration’. Natural ability is certainly necessary for success but perseverance is essential.

If perseverance is essential for a cricketer, it is crucial for a Christian. Not that we have to strive to gain God’s affection, or fight to be rescued by him. No, as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Church in Rome, ‘while we were yet sinners Christ died for us’. New life in Jesus Christ is a free gift from God. His overwhelming love for us and his Spirit within us are the pump and the lifeblood that send us out to live and work to his praise and glory in the world.

Growing as a Christian, however, – walking in the footsteps of Jesus –demands some application. Persevering to make time to be in the presence of God – the source of our inspiration- seems to be the struggle that most Christians face. A survey carried out in 2001 found that only 23% of Anglicans pray daily. Many of us struggle to keep a daily discipline of prayer and quiet when we are open to God and the direction of the Holy Spirit.  And if individually and corporately our relationship with God is weak, how can we, as a Church be guided by him and what, of substance, do we have to share with the world?

There is a difference between ‘finding time’ and ‘making time’ to be in the presence of God. ‘Finding time’ seems to be a matter of chance, ‘making time’ is a matter of will. We are being challenged to make it a matter of will. As a Church and as individual Christians we are so much in need of God’s inspiration.   Thankfully, we are not left floundering in our weakness.  Bishop Jonathan has written a ‘Rule of Life’ as a simple guide to help us look at our spiritual life in a way that helps us grow; and a group led by Philip Swan, the Director of World Mission, is introducing ‘The Order of St Chad’ which will help us go deeper in prayer, mission and discipleship. Together with these, a Diocesan- wide venture to help us find ways to pray and grow as followers of Jesus is being planned for the New Year.

Called to make a difference in the world and called to become more like Christ day by day. We can’t do the first without the second being a reality – both in our lives and that of our Church. When people meet the local church will they meet the Living God? The answer is probably: only if the local church is inspired by God.  Persisting in prayer seems to be the path to God’s inspiration. Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth century French monk taught that we need to practise being aware of God’s presence: ‘whoever practices God’s presence will soon become spiritual. How can we be with him unless our thoughts are with him? How can he be in our thoughts unless we form a holy habit of abiding in his presence, asking for the help we need each moment of our life?’

If you are struggling, like me, or have fallen out of the habit then be inspired by Brother Lawrence, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen.

Enjoy the net practise!

+Mark

August 2011

• • The Lichfield Diocesan Clergy Cricket Team, of which Bishop Mark is a member, has made it through to the final of the Church Times Cricket Cup for only the second time in its 61-year history.  Last year the diocese lifted the cup; and they are on now on course to be the first team to retain it since 1991.Supporters are welcome at the Walker Cricket Ground in Southgate, north London for the final on Thursday 8^th September, beginning at 10.00am.  Admission is free.

The double issue of the Benefact has had a bit of a rearrange – August and September instead of July and August. the reason for this is because Pat and I will be in Zimbabwe from the middle of August until end of the month – that meant that I would definitely be late with the September edition…. what’s new? I’m late with this one, too, I’m afraid. Sorry, Jane.

Our trip to Zimbabwe is a busman’s holiday in that I have been asked to do the wedding service for the daughter of good friends – it will be a great pleasure to do that, and we are both looking forward to seeing family and old friends again. It is just on nine years since we left there to come to the Benefice and apart from a very short time to settle in we have both been very happy here. It is that strange feeling – nine years is not a long time but it seems that we have been here forever. At the same time nine years have been long enough for great changes to have taken place in Zimbabwe – none for the better we are informed – so it is with a certain amount of trepidation that we set out. I know what I want it to be but I really have no idea what it will be like. It is quite an adventure.

Talking about adventures, Jim Ellerby from Upper Battlefield, in the company of his mate Dave Phillips, has just completed a fundraising ride on his Honda CBF 600 for Riders for Health, a charity that supplies the wherewithal and the training for medical workers in several African countries (including Zimbabwe) to reach far flung villages with dicey access, bringing much-needed medical help.

Jim wrote: “Mission Accomplished: The four corners of Britain visited in four days. Well, almost – from the Point of Ardnamurchan to Dunnet Head, then Lowestoft  and Exeter took four days, then another couple of hours on fifth day got us to Lizard point, the fourth and last corner. We started our ride from the Market Square in Shrewsbury on Wednesday evening the 6^th of July so that the Shropshire Star could get a picture…”

Through rain and shine they covered 2460 miles and hope to have raised at least that amount in pounds for the charity. Jim had sponsorship forms in the four churches and I know that quite a number of you have given Jim great support. He assured me that the target would be reached and thanks everyone for their support. Well done, Jim.

Wheels again, and feet. The annual Ride and Stride, the fund-raiser for the Shropshire Historic Churches Trust and for your local church (50/50 split of the funds raised), takes place on the second Saturday in September (10^th). Please consider being involved in this good way of raising funds for the church. Sponsored riding or striding between our beautiful churches can make a big difference. There are a number of people who are regularly involved from our parishes. If you are unable to ride or stride, please sponsor them. Details are available from Martin Locke in Astley, Madeline Lucas in Clive, Annie Wycherley in Grinshill and Gordon Corbett in Hadnall.

It seems that in the world around us we continue to lurch from crisis to crisis – economic certainly, but also from a social point of view. No words can really express the horror and the senseless brutality of the massacre in Norway, let alone what is going on in Syria and in so many other parts of the world. We are in danger of just accepting what is happening in, say, the Middle East or Africa – hasn’t it always been thus? But when it happens in a country like Norway it is somehow different and the shock is greater. Fanaticism is such a scourge – the blinkers are on and all the ideals of community and reasonableness fly out of the window. We have to be careful we don’t fall into the same mould. A strong focus on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, shows us the way. As he told Thomas the Doubter, who professed not to know the way (John 14:5-6), “I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”

May God bless us in the way as we walk with Jesus.

Rob

As I write this summer has returned after weeks of fairly damp and uninspiring weather. The sunshine makes us all feel better and we are very lucky that we live in such a lovely part of the country where we can appreciate how beautiful mother nature is. Having said that it appears that harvests are early this year with the warm spring we had and around and about the combines have been busy in the fields to remind us the autumn is not far away.

The church has enjoyed two great summer events this week. The first of these was our monthly coffee morning at the home of Roger and Wendy Harris. We were greeted by the welcome inclusion of a drink of Pimms, indeed there were some who had more than one! Perhaps some were not quite as steady as they left? We also enjoyed coffee and a lovely array of cakes. Our thanks for a lovely morning .It was also a great pleasure to welcome some new faces from the village and some old friends from Astley. Everyone is most welcome.

There has been a change of date for the August coffee morning to accommodate holiday arrangements. Please note it is now on Thursday August 25^th at 10:30am in Hadnall Church. If you have not been before why not come along and join us we would love to see you.

Our second summer event was lunch on the 24^th of July in the village hall. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces, and new ones, enjoying a buffet lunch on such a beautiful summer’s day. As always the fundraisers provided a great meal and a wonderful choice of main course and puddings. The highlight of these events is always the community spirit that such occasions engender and the opportunity they afford for the village to come together and enjoy a shared experience. Many thanks to all those who made it possible.

Our next fundraising event is on Wednesday September 28^th in Hadnall Village Hall at 7:00pm. This is an illustrated talk by internationally renowned wildlife author and photographer Michael Leach. It is not a technical talk but an entertaining and amusing insight into the world of wildlife photography. Tickets are now on sale at £12:00 each to include wine and canapés, the latter lovingly prepared by the fundraisers. This will be a very much one off opportunity to hear Michael Leach so please book tickets early to avoid disappointment. We hope you can join us for this special evening.

Firstly details of the Fundraisers Summer Lunch in the Village Hall on Sunday 24^th July at 1:00 pm Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children under 11 years of age for a buffet style lunch, pudding, coffee/tea and mints. We were unable to obtain a bar licence on this occasion so please bring your own beer/wine or soft drinks. Tickets are on sale from members of the fundraising committee.

There will  be two walks before the lunch for those that wish to participate. The first will begin from the Hall at 10:00am and the second from the Hall at 11:00 am. Both walks will return to the Hall for lunch at 1:00 pm.

We will also be holding a raffle so any donations of raffle prizes will be greatly appreciated. We hope you can join us for a lovely meal and get together.

Many thanks to Jan Tonge for hosting our coffee morning in June. Despite there being a number of the regulars unable to come the morning was well attended and hopefully enjoyed by all. Our July coffee morning is at the Old Chapel, Hadnall, by kind invitation of Roger and Wendy Harris on Thursday July 21^st and our August coffee morning is on Thursday August 18^th in Church. These run from 10:30 pm to 12:00 and everyone is most welcome. We hope you can find the time to join us.

A reminder that the annual Ride and Stride will be taking place again in September. Details later but we hope you can sponsor those hardy souls that take part.

Finally to tell you that I received some rather sad news this week relating to Nicholas, the child we sponsor through Compassion. His family have withdrawn him from the scheme. No reason is given other than parental wishes but we are asked to remember him in our prayers.

On a positive note we have been sent details of another child we can support and having discussed this with Rob the decision has been made to go ahead with the new sponsorship.

The new child is called Kelvin Adepa Delasi, he is five years old and lives with his parents in Ghana. At present he attends Kindergarten, he participates in church activities and Bible class. He loves football and playing group games. Our sponsorship will help provide him with Bible teaching, health screening, vaccinations, hygiene education, social clubs, games, educational field trips and tuition.

I will put his details on the Compassion board in Church plus a lovely photograph of him. Please take the time to have a look and learn more about this very worthwhile project we are involved with.