The Parish Church of
HOLY TRINITY, TARLETON
Parish "Webzine" May 2006

Eastertide & Ascension

From the Parish Reader and Magazine Editor

Dear Friends,
The deadline for the May magazine falls during Fr Nicholas’ well earned post-Easter holiday, so you are getting thoughts from me this month.

What’s going on? 1
As we enjoyed the enhanced Holy Week and Easter services, with one entirely new service to most of us, and a lot of different music, a certain suppressed panic could be found in some members of the choir. Would we remember what we were supposed to be doing? Would our visiting organists know what was going on? - and one didn’t quite know at one point.
However difficult it was for us as performers, it was actually quite good for us spiritually as Christians. The disciples didn’t have a script for Maundy Thursday, didn’t know what would happen on Good Friday, were completely confused by the empty tomb. Any uncertainty we felt was a tiny reminder of how things were in Jerusalem that first Easter.
Change is the only constant for a practising Christian.

What’s going on? 2
“That wasn’t in the magazine” said one parishioner about the Final Hour at the Foot of the Cross taking place at St Mary’s. No it wasn’t. The magazine goes to press ten days or so before the start of each month - that means some events can be six weeks away when I commit the finished copy to the post. That’s one reason we have a Pew Sheet or Sunday Bulletin each week as well as the magazine. Whether you worship at 8 or 10.30 on Sundays, or at 10 on the following Wednesday, the Pew Sheet is there to be taken home as a reminder of what is happening - and, when necessary, as notification of additions or changes since the magazine went to press.
It takes me around three hours every week to put together the Pew Sheet (and at least two man days a month for each magazine.) So please take advantage of my work by using all of the information, and that on the notices outside the church, which gives the latest situation.
Change is the only constant for practising Christians, and for congregations of practicing Christians.
Enjoy the rest of Eastertide and look forward to Pentecost - the coming of the Sprit, the change-maker supreme.
Yours in Christ
Ian

Holy Week Craft Workshop
When worshippers came on Easter Day they found one corner of Holy Trinity had been transformed by the Holy Week Craft Workshop for primary aged children held on Monday and Wednesday in Holy Week.
Under the Fr Nicholas’ lead, and with the support of adults of the congregation, the children have turned the eastern end of the north aisle into Jerusalem, with buildings and people made from painted papier mâché in front of a glorious painted back drop.
Varying between 20 and 25 young people were involved over the two days, and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, while working very hard.

MOTHERS’ UNION: May
TUESDAY 2ND
The Prayer group will meet in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at 2.00 pm.
WEDNESDAY 10TH
The Deanery Festival will be held at St Leonard’s, Walton le Dale beginning at 7.30 pm.
SATURDAY 13TH
We are holding a Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Joan’s, 8 Willow Hey from 12 to 2.00 pm when recently baptised children and their parents will be invited to join us.
WEDNESDAY 24TH
We shall meet in the Parish room for afternoon tea and a Bring and Buy sale, the proceeds of which will be donated to the “Away from it all caravan Fund.”

Hoping to meet many of our members on these occasions.

Pat Heap

THE CHILDREN’S SOCIETY
A special Thank You to June Tunstall for over 30 years working for the Children’s Society, giving lots of her time and energy supporting this very worthwhile cause. June has retired this year having enjoyed her time working with the rest of the committee raising funds for the Children’s Society in Tarleton.
Thank You

Mrs Finney would like to thank all those who so kindly gave cards, flowers, or other gifts on the occasion of the 90th birthday, which she enjoyed very much.

The sound of silence
During Holy Week and into Easter we had movement, music, dramatic readings and symbolic acts - but even more importantly, we had silence within our worship.
Thank you to Fr Nicholas for his sensitive leading of our worship.

Parish Visiting Team
If you know of anybody who would welcome a visit, either because they are in hospital, or because they are confined to the home for whatever reason, or because they are new to the parish, would you please fill in one of the slips at the back of the church and place it in the box or contact Fr Nicholas on 812614 or Pat Heap on 812991.

The Mission Action Plan Prayer
God of new beginnings, we pray that you will transform your church as you renew us by your love.
Give us vision for the journey that we may travel light, and live increasingly by faith.
Inspire, enliven and empower us, so that along the Way we may be sustained by the life of Christ in ourselves, in one another, and in the world. Amen

Please continue to pray for our ordained friends.
for Alexandra Logan and Alison Alp as they seek their new roles in Christ’s work.
for Margaret and John Rimmer as they settle into the vicarage in Great Ouseburn and prepare for Margaret’s Institution on Friday May 19th at 7.30 pm.
for Keith Thomasson and his family as they prepare to move to Bristol

The Annual Meetings took place after this magazine went to press. Details next month.

Dramatic Passions
As well as our dramatic reading on Palm Sunday - and Fr Nicholas’ dramatic singing on Good Friday - of the gospel narratives of the passion of our Lord, some of us have experienced two other dramatisations, both with music.

A few of us went to Lancaster Priory to see The Hopeful Grave by Steven Andrew. This interspersed dramatic duologues between pairs of participants in the whole of Jesus’ life with meditative live music from different periods. It was very effective dramatically, though not following the Biblical narrative, and ended with the empty tomb.

The other was The Manchester Passion on television. This was initially live on digital-only BBC3, repeated late on Good Friday on BBC2 and captured on tape for later viewing by me at least. Staged live in Manchester, partly in the city centre, partly with processions from the edges, one carrying an enormous white cross, it also used music and modern language and dress. The music was (perhaps surprisingly) mostly from the Manchester bands of the ‘Madchester’ pop period, which worked remarkably well in more acoustic versions. The story line followed St John’s account fairly closely, with modern twists: the last Supper was at a burger bar, Pilate was surround by people in modern police riot gear (with SPQR logos!) The crucifixion wasn’t shown, but there was a very dramatic resurrection appearance.

At both events, one of the most spine tingling moments was with Judas. At Lancaster, Judas was written and played as what my parents, when they worked in a special school, would have known as a ‘maladjusted’ person. He had a big speech which ended with him screaming “No-one will laugh at Judas again” while he hammered on the front of the pew we were in.

In Manchester, after Jesus said “one of you will betray me,” into the shocked silence broke the ring of Judas’ mobile phone …
Ian

The Informal Walking Group
The Mayday (Pip & Jay) Walk on Monday 1st of May will start from St Mary’s Old Church from about 10.30 am following a Eucharist at 10 am in St Mary’s for the joint saint’s day of St Philip and St James, Apostles. Lunch will be at the Black Horse.

The Late Spring Walk (29th May) is still being planned : keep an eye on the events section of the village website.

Record Walk on Easter Monday!
From the phone calls I’d had over the weekend I knew this would be a fairly big turnout, but I expected nothing like the numbers who finally turned up. Having counted 45 at the loop of Liverpool Old Road and just set off onto the footpath, my phone went. “We’re at the loop outside the Bangla Fusion restaurant: are we at the wrong place?” “Yes, but you can catch us up - take the first footpath sign past the car sales place.” “Great - there are about 20 of us!”
However, they missed that footpath sign and took the next one - the way we were to return - and rang again. Fortunately, they had someone with them who knew the area so they caught up with us behind the old tip, just as I was on the phone to the Dolphin to give them the numbers: “We will be 65 in total.” After a momentary pause, the voice said “I’ll go and warn the chef.”
Quite a few of our walkers - who ranged from Ormskirk, Southport and Preston, as well as some from each of our three parishes - were keen Ramblers Association members and kept up a cracking pace. We did the first section in under 90 minutes instead of our usual couple of hours, so were at the Dolphin and relaxing outside when they opened at 12 noon.
The staff there coped extremely well with the influx and everyone enjoyed the food, but we were a little longer than usual. Some of the walkers decided to leave and make their own way back, but at least 45 strung out along the field paths in breezy sunshine back to our cars.
Quite a few may join us again on May Day and one or two will come earlier to join us in worship before we set off from the old church.

Special Note for the webzine: several people mentioned seeing about the walk in local papers; no-one mentioned this webzine or the website event list. There will be a prize of Fairtrade chocolate to the first person who greets me on May 1st after the service and before the walk begins with “We saw it on the Tarleton village website.”

Ian

From previous magazines
I have been given a disk by Gail with some of the earliest magazines copied in, and a USB memory by Elsie Vernon with many more. Thanks to their very hard work, we can peep back into th’owld days - when things weren’t always as rosy, or as unchanging, as some folks think.

Here’s a taster:
The (1889) Easter Vestry Meeting examined and passed the Churchwardens accounts for the past year, which showed receipts as follows on the New Church Account, viz.:
55 5s 9d
To meet expenditure, 56 6s 10d
thus showing a deficiency of 1 1s 1d
They couldn’t blame the parish share in those days!

Spring Phoebe
The fat buds herald the time of May
The thrushes and blackbirds sing all day
The lark on high is on the wing
‘Tis good to be alive in the lovely spring

Beautiful blossoms cover the trees
The air is full of the sound of bees
The swallows swoop up in the sky
And butterflies flutter in the warm breeze

The bluebells make their carpets in the woods
And streams ripple merrily on their way
Cows sit contently chewing their cuds
Heaven is on earth in the month of May

Splash Out for TLM
Saturday June 3rd, starting at 11.00 am, there is the sponsored Morecambe Bay Walk. This is 8 miles, from Hest Bank to Humphrey Head, near Flookborough. The walk is led by Alan Sledmore. £6 per walker - includes bus back to start and tractor and trailer on stand-by at the deepest point for tired or short people, or for dogs. Sponsor forms are available (for both people and dogs!) or you can just come along for the fun. Ring/tell Sue to reserve a place (813267).

Saturday 1st July: TLM pilgrimage to Holy Island (Booking closed)

WHALLEY ABBEY
Saturday 22 July 2006
Bishop Nicholas invites YOU to share in this Diocesan Celebration
Celebrant: Bishop Nicholas
Preacher: Archbishop of York John Mugabi Sentamu
There will be a festive circus atmosphere with Jugglers & Street Entertainers
[If you have any of these skills can you please let Bishop John know 01282 470360 or E mail bishop.burnley (at) ntlworld.com. More details to follow but please put the 22 JULY 2006 in your diary now.

PARISH DIARY for May
NORMAL SUNDAY SERVICES
8.00 am Holy Communion,
10.15 am Sunday School and Crèche
10.30 am SUNG EUCHARIST
(3rd Sunday, FAMILY PARISH COMMUNION)

Sunday 30th APRIL Third Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST
MAY
Monday 1st SS Philip & James, Apostles (Spring Bank Holiday)
10.00 am Eucharist at St Mary’s Old Church
10.30 am Cluster Informal Walking Group leaves see above
Tuesday 2nd 10.00 am Eucharist Oakgate Close
2.00 pm MU Prayer Group:
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
7.30 pm CONFIRMATION with Bp John
at All Saints, Hesketh Bank
Wednesday 3rd 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
then coffee & chat
Thursday 4th 7.00 pm Eucharist
Friday 5th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Saturday 6th Bring & Sing at Longridge

Sunday 7th Fourth Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST with social welcome to the newly confirmed

Tuesday 9th 6.30 pm Choir practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 10th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
7.30 pm MU Deanery Festival
St Leonard’s, Walton le Dale
Thursday 11th 7.00 pm Eucharist
Friday 12th 12.15 pm Eucharist
Saturday 13th 12 noon - 2 pm MU Teddy Bears Picnic at 8 Willow Hey for the recently baptised

Sunday 14th Fifth Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Eucharist
10.30 am CHURCH FAMILY EUCHARIST
START OF CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

Tuesday 16th 6.30 pm Choir practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 17th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
Friday 19th 12.15 pm Eucharist

Sunday 21st Sixth Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST

Tuesday 23rd 6.30 pm Choir practice (adults 6.50)
Wednesday 24th 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
2.00 pm MU: Parish Room Afternoon Tea and Bring & Buy Sale
Thursday 25th ASCENSION DAY
7.30 pm Sung Eucharist
Friday 26th 12.15 pm Eucharist

Sunday 28th Seventh Sunday of Easter
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST

Monday 29th Late Spring Bank Holiday
10.30 am Cluster Informal Walking Group
To be announced
Wednesday 31st 10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)

JUNE
Saturday 3rd TLM walk across Morecambe Bay see above

Sunday 4th PENTECOST
8.00 am Eucharist
10.15 am Sunday School
10.30 am PARISH EUCHARIST