You can download the October 2014 parish magazine in PDF format using the link below. Click here to download The parish magazine is in Adobe PDF format, if you can’t view the magazine you can download a reader at adobe.com.
After a bit of a break, work has continued on the site of the old church. The ground has been prepared for grass seeding and we are waiting for the grave stones that were moved for protection to be replaced. It is now possible to see more clearly what the state of the site will be when it is handed over ready for the next stage. I would very much like for the community to get involved with ideas and helping with the work.
One of the jobs to be done is to clear the path that leads down the steps to Aberford Road. I would like to invite anyone who would like to help to come on Saturday 18th October to help. Please bring your own tools if you can. We will start at 10am and if enough people come, it will not take too long. On the down side, it looks like some of the stones that have been left for building the legacy of the old church have been stolen. I would ask people to look out for this and report any suspicious activities to the police.
We are moving forward with the plans for building a suitable place for the war memorial and peace garden. These will be on display when we have our next consultation during the week beginning 17th November, in the Church Centre. On Friday 21st there will be people available to talk to and ask questions. We have had some great ideas so far. One of the graves that will be restored is of a local engineer called Bartholomew. His story is well known in Goole but is little known in his home town, Stanley. We would like to have something that tells his story. There may be other stories from the past to record and I would like to hear your ideas.
This is also the time of year when we celebrate harvest. We can stop and think about the good gifts that come from the earth, our gratitude to God and to those who work the land. We would like to invite you to join in these celebrations. There will be a Ceilidh on Saturday October 11th at St Peter’s School, with the usual live band (please ring 835746 for tickets). There will be a special service on Sunday morning at 10am and on Tuesday October 14th a harvest lunch open to all in the village but especially aimed at the more mature members of the community to come and join us.
Rev Bill Henderson
Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena (Judi Dench) was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spends the next fifty years searching for him but with no success. Then she meets Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a world-weary political journalist who happens to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off to America on a journey that will not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between Philomena and Martin. The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss that ultimately celebrates life, showing that there is laughter even in the darkest places.
You can download the Summer 2014 parish magazine in PDF format using the link below.
The parish magazine is in Adobe PDF format, if you can’t view the magazine you can download a reader at adobe.com.
This August we have lost two of our village’s real characters: Muriel Bell and Lilly Noble.
Muriel was well known for her involvement in the community over the years and for supporting the family business of funeral directors. The family were very involved in supporting the Scouts and Muriel was a founding member of the Parents’ Committee. She was a governor at St Peter’s school and of course did an amazing amount to support the church. In her younger days she helped doing flowers and polishing the brasses. Her home was a venue for jumble sales when the garage was cleared and all family were involved in helping. Muriel organised coffee mornings with cakes and people would be waiting for grandma Bell’s cakes to appear on the stall. Her bedroom cupboard was full of jars of homemade jam to sell for the church. Even in her last weeks, her one outing was to support the Church Gala.
Lilly was a sickly child and was rather amused in her latter years that she had lived so long. She lived life to the full and was always determined to do as much as she could. Lilly had real concern for the community and was willing to get involved and help. She has been indefatigable in the work on the Moorhouse estate being a founder member of the Action Group and always willing to speak up for and work for the improvement of the community. She was someone who was willing to give her time to making sure things happened and so was, for example, active in keeping the Monday bingo group going.
I have been inspired by the example of these two stalwarts, and it is true to say if more people could follow their example and give time to working for our village, it would be a better place. So we remember them with affection and gratitude and see how they reflected their faith and the example of Jesus. It challenges us to look at each other as brothers and sisters with love; to want the best for our neighbour and be willing to listen and understand each other, and to build significant relationships.
Rev Bill Henderson
‘Noah’ (2014) 12 Rating
Darren Aronofsky, the Academy Award winning director, takes the helm of this epic and somewhat controversial interpretation of the biblical tale of Noah. Russell Crowe portrays Noah as a tormented, dysfunctional man in a corrupt and ruined land. The supporting cast features Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winstone; in fact the women’s roles are greatly expanded and are made to be far more important than is suggested in the Bible story. The special effects are impressive, and help to invoke what life might have been like in those times, and during the time of an immense flood. The film is both spectacular and intense but received some mixed reviews: whilst the characters and effects were praised, it strayed too far from the Bible for some people, and not far enough for others! Come and see ‘Noah’, and make up your own mind!
Free admission, tea & coffee, but bring your own popcorn!
Film shown at St Peter’s Church, Lake Lock Road, doors open 7pm
You can download the Summer 2014 parish magazine in PDF format using the link below.
The parish magazine is in Adobe PDF format, if you can’t view the magazine you can download a reader at adobe.com.
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our Summer Gala such a success, and thank you to all who came to support us, despite the rather miserable weather.
The gala is always timed to be as near as possible to the feast day of St Peter, our patron saint, which is celebrated every year on 29th June. St Peter’s school began the celebrations with a special service in school followed by a sleepover, which was a great success. It is always helpful to remember some of the stories about St Peter, and be encouraged in our own journey of faith.
I find that I am most encouraged by the times when Peter messed up. When we are honest we can all admit to doing things that we regret or are ashamed of, just like St Peter. At the school service we retold the story of Jesus walking on the lake in the midst of a storm. Peter, full of courage, follows Jesus’s call to step out of the boat and walk on the water too. At first it goes well as he walks towards Jesus. Then he notices the wind and waves and becomes afraid and begins to sink. Fortunately Jesus is there to help him back into the boat as the wind dies down and all becomes calm.
Most people will remember that Peter famously denied knowing Jesus three times, despite saying he would always be there for him. Again Jesus lifts him up when he forgives him on the beach after His resurrection.
Therefore, we can identify with Peter’s humanity and know that, as Jesus helped him, he can help us too. I am reading a book about a church that has the motto, “No perfect people allowed”. It is really about being authentic. This means if we have doubts it is good to admit them but also be willing to talk about them. It means acknowledging that none of us are perfect, so we can accept each other as we are; but also that we can encourage each other in seeking the help of Jesus to become more like Him.
You can download the June 2014 parish magazine in PDF format using the link below.
The parish magazine is in Adobe PDF format, if you can’t view the magazine you can download a reader at adobe.com.
I have just had the great privilege of spending three days in Barcelona, as a celebration of Viv’s 60th birthday. It was the first time we had been there but found it very inspiring.
One of the impressive aspects of the city is the architecture, in many styles and periods of construction from Roman times to the present day. It was particularly inspiring to see how art and architecture could work together to produce powerful places full of meaning.
Many of these were inspired by faith which added to the experience. The most well known example is the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. Gaudi took over from the original architect and worked on it for 43 years till his death in 1926. It is still under construction. The East side, where the day begins with sunrise, depicts the birth and early life of Jesus. The West side, where the day ends with sunset, depicts the last days of the life of Jesus, in a very different style. The inside is awe inspiring with enormous majestic columns rising like forest trees and stained glass that dazzles depicting the resurrection and other great themes.
On a different scale was the Palace of Catalan Music, a building for music practice and performance. Impressively it was built for a local choir by contributions from the community from 1905 to 1908. It is not just for choral but for all kinds of music. A highlight of the building is an enormous central glass skylight, shaped like a rain drop to represent water and light, in the ceiling of the auditorium in Art Nouveau style.
These buildings have been inspiring as we think and pray about a new church building in Stanley. Not that we want something on an enormous scale, but that art and architecture, working together, can produce inspirational buildings; and that communities working together can achieve great things.
Rev Bill Henderson