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Village Voice February/March 2021
CHURCH NEWS
Holy Trinity & St Margaret's
Once again, as I write, we have taken the
difficult decision to cease our Sunday Services.
The Government has not requirde churches to
close this time, in recognition of the care that
churches have taken in enabling ‘Covid secure’
worship and in the spiritual and emotional
importance of corporate worship. However,
the Church of England encouraged us to
consider closing down ‘in person’ worship in
response to the higher transmissibility of the
new variant and to stand alongside those
organisations and individuals that were making
huge sacrifices to reduce the spread of the virus.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, was
reminded recently of a poem he wrote while on
the Camino De Santiago pilgrimage a few years
ago. It seems appropriate for these times.
I know a man who carries heavy loads,
for whom no weight’s too sharp or yet too sheer.
Who does not ask whence such a burden came
or why it has been carried all these years.
But does not share it, splitting half with half
or say you get what you deserve, no less.
It is for ones, like me, still underserving,
that He comes to shoulder and to bless.
He picks up what you press on him
and chides you with a smile
if you persist in keeping what you cannot bear.
His heart is strong.
Though not a strength incapable of weeping.
So come to Him, if broken, burdened, sad.
In holding you this strong man’s heart is glad.
(Stephen Cottrell “Striking Out: Poems and
stories from the Camino”)
I was in the Holy Trinity churchyard this
afternoon and saw a couple of early daffodils
had appeared. They are traditionally associated
with Easter as they emerge at the end of March
as a sign that the dark winter is over and the
light and warmth of summer is approaching.
www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk
This echoes so well
the Easter message,
that God has been
here with us, lived,
worked and suffered
among us. But that it
was more than just
identifying with us, it was
to redeem us through His death
and resurrection. I took these photos of some of
the 800 daffodils in the Holy Trinity churchyard
last year.
Holy Trinity and St Margaret’s are open from
9am to mid-afternoon every day for private
prayer and we continue our ‘on line’ audio
services each week. They can be found on our
website https://holytrinityandstmargarets.co.uk/
under Services & Events.
We are here to be of support to any who are
struggling with the emotional hardships of
isolation. Contact Gail in the Office (813254)
or any of the clergy to talk. Blessings, Revd Mike
Bisset, www.holytrinityand stmargartes.co.uk
Penn Free Methodist Church
At the time of writing we are
able under Government
regulations to meet for worship
in the church, for which we are
most grateful, public Christian
worship being a vital lifeline and a source of
help and sustaining, not least in a situation of
national crisis and of much general fear and
anxiety. Our Sunday services are at 11am and
6.30pm, and our midweek meeting on
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