The Parish of Upper Ryedale

PARISH NEWS

March 2010

Who’s Who

The Revd Michael Sinclair writes -

Easter 2010

Easter is a time of hope, offering us a fresh start.  It is a time when, with God’s grace, we can cast off our disillusionment and receive new strength and inspiration; a time for putting behind us our regrets and looking forward.  Easter can be a time when, if we allow him, God renews us and feeds us and we are given hope and confidence for the tasks that lie ahead.
However, to be an authentic Easter people we first need to travel the journey to the Cross.  Lent, leading to Holy Week with Palm Sunday and Good Friday, is a wonderful spiritual opportunity.  It is a time of reflection, prayer and self-denial, reminding us of all that God did in Jesus Christ, which culminated in his resurrection on Easter morning.  That was and is an event which literally changed our world.  Easter is by far the most important festival in the Church’s calendar so it is only right that we focus on it.  If our love for God and our discipleship is genuine then we will be prepared to take up our cross and follow him this Lent and Holy Week,
Our Lent Course continues on Tuesday evenings in Helmsley at 7pm, led by Canon Gerald Pearce.  These meditations, lasting about 45 minutes each, will help us to reflect on our faith and deepen our relationship with God.  A full list of services in the Parish for Lent and Easter is given on the back of this Newsletter.  Please do turn to it and put all the dates that you can manage in your diaries.  I would particularly like to point you to the Mothering Sunday Service (especially good for families), the Palm Sunday Service, the Hour at the Cross on Good Friday and the Easter Morning Eucharist.  
May I wish you all an Easter season which draws you closer to God and may you discover that Easter hope and fresh start.

Michael

How easy it is to let these weeks of Lent and Passiontide drift by without contemplating their extraordinary import. One of my favourite poets is Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy, an army chaplain, who ministered in the trenches of the 1st World War. He wrote a poem about peoples' indifference, an issue which, I believe, is now our greatest danger:
"When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
They drave great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary:
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.
When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain:
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.
Still Jesus cried, `Forgive them, for they know not what they do!'
And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through.
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary."

Parish News

Easter Services

Palm Sunday, 28^th March – Blessing of Palms & Eucharist, 10.00am at All Saints, Old Byland

Maundy Thursday, 1^st April – Eucharist of the Last Supper at All Saints Helmsley. The service will be a Prayer Book Holy Communion with hymns, to be taken by Ben Nicholson; with the stripping of altars followed by a vigil.

Good Friday, 2^nd April – Hour of the Cross, 2.00pm till 3.00pm at St Michael, Cold Kirby.  Preacher, the Venerable Leslie Stanbridge, a former Archdeacon of York.  NOTE the change in venue from previous News.

Easter Day, 4^th April - Festival Eucharist, at St Mary, Scawton.

PCC Meetings
The next PCC meeting will be the Annual and Ordinary meeting to be held on Thursday, 18th March in Hawnby Village Hall at 7.00 pm.  NOTE the revised date and earlier start time.

Church Meetings
Old Byland          Tuesday, 2nd March at Old Byland Hall at 2.30pm
Scawton              Thursday, 11th March, at Church Farm at 2.30pm.

Alternative Lent Group
For those of you who are unable to attend the Upper Ryedale/Helmsley Lent Group, the Methodists are continuing to have a Lent Group at Rievaulx again this year  So if anyone would like to come and join this Group at Rievaulx they are very welcome to do so.  The meetings are on five Wednesday evenings commencing on Wednesday 24th February and we are using one of the York courses  "When I survey ..... Christ's cross and ours".  David Emison will be leading most of the sessions and refreshments will be served after each meeting.  The formal content of each evening will run from 7.30pm to 8.30pm as last year.

The Ebor Lectures
The next speaker is Rt Hon Tony Benn, with the subject of ‘The Kings and the Prophets’ on 24th March.  The following month on 28th April the speaker will be Prof Elaine Graham Samuel Ferguson Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology University of Manchesteron the topic of `Crisis or Opportunity? Doing Public Theology after the Crunch'.  Both lectures are in York Minster, starting promptly at 7.OOpm. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance, either online at www.yorkstjohn.ac.uk/event or email eborlectures@yorksj.ac.uk. Also by phone: 01904 876474 or from: Ebor Lectures, Faculty of Education & Theology, York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, YORK Y031 7EX.

Future Dates for your Diary

At their Church meeting Cold Kirby decided that fund raising would be a concert by Adam Wright at Sowerby on Friday, 4th June and a Fish and Chip Quiz will be held on Friday, 20th August at the village hall.

WI News 
The Annual Luncheon has been re-arranged for Tuesday, 2nd March at the White Swan, Ampleforth at 12.00 for 12.30pm.  The next WI meeting is a talk ‘Acorn Community Care’ by Liz Curle on Wednesday, 7th April, at 7.15pm in Rievaulx village hall. 

Mobile Library Dates
Next dates for the Hawnby/Bilsdale route are Tuesdays, 9th & 30th March and 20th April.  The Old Byland, Cold Kirby and Scawton route dates are Wednesdays, 17th March and 7th & 28th April.

NYCC Library - Free home delivery service
Would you like your favourite books or audio books delivered to your door? The Home Library and Information Service works with local volunteers who deliver your books fortnightly. You may be eligible to receive the free home delivery service if because of ill health or disability you are unable to visit the library or to carry books. Carers are also eligible for the same service.
For more information:  tel: 01609 533800 or e-mail: libraries@northyorks.gov.uk, or visit our website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/libraries or visit your local Library and Information Centre.

Cold Kirby Village Hall
Diary dates for the coming months will include
Saturday, 24th April – 10.00am to 1.00pm: POSH FROCK SWAP.  Bring along unwanted dresses and outfits and swap them for something different.  Refreshments.
Sunday, 25th April - Midday to 2.00pm:  Soup and a sandwich.  Walkers welcome.
Friday, 21st May - MAY BALL.  Black Tie / smart dress.  Bar  Buffet  Dancing  Tickets £10 from Liz or Tony Curle (01845 597085)
Friday, 16th July - Cookery Demonstration and cookshop.  Refreshments.  Entry £5 - enquiries to Joyce Ashbridge (01845 597389)
Friday, 20th August - Quiz Night and fish and chip supper in aid of church funds
We also hope to start Tai Chi classes in April/May - enquiries to Ann Lyons (01845 597576).  (See below)  And plans are under way for a fashion show in September and a Pie and Peas supper/Country and Western night in October.  Further details in future issues.  Other events will depend on the responses to the survey enclosed with this edition of the Parish Magazine

Tai Chi classes
We are hoping to start classes again in Cold Kirby Village Hall on Wednesday, 14th April at 2.00pm for a 6 week session.  If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible.  Pat Brooks, is able to come and instruct us and suggests a maximum of 12, however, should there be more interest I am sure it would all work out.  Contact me on 01845597576 or on my Mobile 17980335549.  I do so hope you will come along, and look forward to hearing from you.  The cost per class would be £3.  Many thanks, Ann L