Category Archives: Uncategorised

Just in time, the news came through; we would be allowed into churches to ring the bells for VE day. Only one person of course, so no opportunity for chime ringing, but as we only have two bells in Billingsley church, that was enough. So at 2.55pm I was in our church and rang our bells, one hand on each rope. If anyone heard them, you will have learnt that I am not very good at bell ringing, but for five minutes they did a passable impression of going “ding dong”, as I imagine they would have done 75 years ago. Of course our bells have a history that goes back much further than that; one is medieval and has been rung for around 600 years, in peels to celebrate great and small events, tolled to mark sad events or simply chimed, to tell of a service, whether attended by a crowd or a single person. Chiming out to proclaim that in all these, God is present.

The VE day celebrations were not as anyone imagined a few weeks ago, but celebrations did take place. As I went about my work on Friday, I saw bunting and flags and indeed the odd tea party, with all chairs 2m apart! We need to come together from time to time, to celebrate, but also give thanks and reflect. For some, 75 years ago, VE day had a bitter-sweet flavour. There was still war in the east. Lives had already been changed and there was a need to look to the future as well as celebrating the moment. Much of that is true today. Perhaps there is a lesson here from the bells, who tell that in all events, God is with us.

And finally, a prayer for VE day, adapted from the Church of England website:

Lord God our Father, we give thanks for those who brought victory 75 years ago and for all those today who serve in our armed forces to protect the peace they earned. We pledge ourselves to serve you and all humankind, in the cause of peace, for the relief of want and suffering, and for the praise of your name. Guide us by your Spirit; give us wisdom; give us courage; give us hope; and keep us faithful now and always. Amen

Events and services for week beginning 4th May

Dear All,

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome! Please pass these invitations on to anyone who you think might be interested.

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Time to chat

Time: May 6, 2020 07:00 PM London

2) Friday Morning Prayer, 9.00am

May 8, 2020 09:00 AM London

3) Friday night prayer

May 8, 2020 09:30 PM London

4) Sunday morning prayer

May 10, 2020 10:00 AM London

To those wishing to join any of the above please contact David (d.r.poyner@aston.ac.uk) for joining arrangements.

Caring for God’s Acre at St Mary’s

I took this picture on Friday in Billingsley churchyard. Our churchyard has benefitted from the attentions of the Caring for God’s Acre team. These are a group of volunteers who will come a couple of times a year to manage churchyards to encourage wildlife. Churchyards such as ours have existed for around a thousand years and have been managed simply by cutting the grass from time to time. As a result, they are rich in flowers such as Bugle and Forget-me-nots, as in this picture. We also have a churchyard mouse, a newt and we have just put up a bird box, made by local carpenter George Poyner. All the churchyards in our benefice are open; Glazeley has a wonderful tree in flower next to the church, so please visit and enjoy them if you can. Jesus found inspiration from flowers; he famously told people to look at lillies to see how God cares for all things (Luke 12:27). So if you are able, say a prayer of thanks for the natural world and for the love shown by those for work for Caring for God’s Acre. Please also visit their website https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/ and think if you can support them; they do not charge us but each visit costs them £250.

For more information regarding the work Caring for God’s Acre have undertaken at St Mary’s visit the Green Church page on this website.

Services and events for week beginning Monday 27th April

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome! Please pass these invitations on to anyone who you think might be interested.

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Wednesday chat

Time: Apr 29, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87370590433?pwd=aDBDYXN1NkpUNG1FeVlna1FuT0o5Zz09

Meeting ID: 873 7059 0433

Password: 018189

2) Friday Morning Prayer, 9.00am

May 1, 2020 09:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87495674785?pwd=Y3dYOCtYdUt6TktRU3I1Y2FnaHdZZz09

Meeting ID: 874 9567 4785

Password: 027831

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-friday-1-may-2020

3) Friday night prayer

May 1, 2020 09:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88661960447?pwd=SjIvaW5KeWNMNHUxVDE2S1M5aVZqQT09

Meeting ID: 886 6196 0447

Password: 032154

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-friday-1-may-2020

4) Sunday morning prayer

Time: May 3, 2020 10:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81026679436?pwd=U1d4bHhidktLWDdUWWQwMUF6OFFydz09

Meeting ID: 810 2667 9436

Password: 009724

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-sunday-3-may-2020

Thought for the week – 27th April

The thought for the week from David …

During the lock-down, I’ve been struck by how so many people are becoming more aware of the natural world around them. Today I was told of how a parishioner has just discovered a partridge nest in her garden. Another was forced to give way on her walk as a badger crossed the path just in front of her. Everywhere is much quieter so we can hear bird song.

A lot of people find that there is something spiritual in the natural world; a lot of these would not wish to identify with any particular religion but still find themselves deeply uplifted by looking at the beauty of the world around them. This is something that was very familiar to the writers of the Bible; the creation poems in Genesis and the psalms celebrate the natural world, seeing in it an insight into the goodness of God the creator and sustainer of the universe. As a biological scientist, I am aware of the complexities of the physical universe, formed from the Big Bang five thousand million years ago, with life on earth shaped by several hundred million years of evolution. We have an understanding of how God works through the laws of nature that was not available when the Bible was written. But knowing the mechanism does not detract from my sense of awe at the natural world, “creation”, however that is understood. Psalm 108 beautifully captures this; the prayer that follows is taken from the Church of England website.

1 O Lord our governor, ♦

how glorious is your name in all the world!

2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised ♦

out of the mouths of babes at the breast.

3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, ♦

that you might still the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, ♦

the moon and the stars that you have ordained,

5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; ♦

the son of man, that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him little lower than the angels ♦

and crown him with glory and honour.

7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands ♦

and put all things under his feet,

8 All sheep and oxen, ♦

even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea ♦

and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our governor, ♦

how glorious is your name in all the world!

We bless you, master of the heavens,

for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;

grant that your whole creation

may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,

Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Events and services for week beginning 20th April

Dear All,

Details of events this week are below: all are welcome! Please pass these invitations on to anyone who you think might be interested.

1) Wednesday evening catch-up

Time: Apr 22, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/99535698130?pwd=QTBSL1VHWXlwbWFxdytHNkxtYXZqZz09

Meeting ID: 995 3569 8130

Password: 025543

2) Friday night prayer

Time: Apr 24, 2020 09:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94457575826?pwd=dTIyeXRQOG4rTWFlaklZYmFOc1hTUT09

Meeting ID: 944 5757 5826

Password: 014797

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-friday-24-april-2020

3) Sunday morning prayer

Time: Apr 26, 2020 10:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/98311336593?pwd=RFNqcnZLWTBrZjZXcTdSMnVWMGlCZz09

Meeting ID: 983 1133 6593

Password: 031440

Service at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-sunday-26-april-2020

More infectious than the virus…

More infectious than the virus….

This post is shamelessly inspired by a recent “Thought for the Day” on Radio 4 by the Rev Dr Sam Wells, one of the deeper thinkers in the Church today. He talks about the power of touch, physical touch which is of course is now so difficult and “virtual” touch over the internet or the phone. Jesus, in a crowd, was touched by a woman with menstrual bleeding. Under religious law, she was unclean, to be shunned by those around her; by touching Jesus, she had made him unclean as well. But now the situation was reversed; it was Jesus’s love that was the stronger, more powerful than religious taboo, able to heal the woman.

The love of God, that same love that we see at work in our communities today, is more powerful, more infectious, than any virus. I join with Sam Wells in praying that it continues to infect our society long after the Covid virus has gone.

You can listen the broadcast now by clicking on the link below or alternatively by cutting and pasting this link; https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p089nl0t It is under 3 minutes so give it a go!

When I needed a neighbour

I’ve been really impressed by so many people in and around Billingsley who are looking out for others, whether that is via the group organised by the parish council and the church, through an informal network or just keeping in touch with a neighbour. Jesus had a lot to say about loving each other and this is exactly what is happening at the moment, by people of faith and those of none.

The poet and hymn writer Sidney Carter wrote these lines back in the 1960s; they seem very appropriate for today:

When I needed a neighbour,