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LOOKING FOR THE LOST HEART
During the past few months parishes have been considering
their future and some have decided to draw up a Parish Plan. The preparation
has involved consultation with the people of the parish through meetings,
leaflets and conversations. The hope is that the development of our parishes
will meet the needs of its people and ensure that they are attractive places
to live.
At a recent meeting in Bramham to consider the future of
the parish one resident asked if there was a centre to the parish and a
Churchwarden suggested it might be the church. This response was met with
bemusement. It is a searching question to ask where is the heart of the
parish and it is not surprising that the ready answer should not be the
church. If the same question were posed in any of our parishes what would be
the response. We must begin where we are, we cannot begin anywhere else, we
must seek to answer the question with our neighbours and the starting point
is there and not in church.
We all live in a fast changing world and our society has
undergone massive changes in the last few decades. We live in a network
society, which is a new social structure. The new technologies have
transformed our world, we can communicate in an instant and our jobs can
change or disappear because we live in a global economy. Information and
technology have speeded up and made our world smaller but have not given us
a sense of community. Where is the centre of the global community? We may
live in the same street but only have fleeting relationships with each
other, have very different lifestyles and little in common. We have to
recognise where we are now and, whether we go to church or seldom give it a
thought, insist that we are committed to community and being with our
neighbour.
We live in a dangerous and divided world where hostage
taking and acts of terror threaten the fabric of civilisation and kill or
maim men, women and children. Hunger, poverty and genocide are the constant
companions of much of the Earth’s inhabitants and no one seems equipped to
exorcise these demonic forces. Fear is created and fear drains us of
something vital and corrupts human relationships. It may even silence our
conscience and make us ignore our neighbour. Yet again the questions are
posed “How can we hope for a better future? Where is the centre of humanity,
what holds us together?” We begin where we are, we cannot begin anywhere
else and together we must seek to answer the questions.
Mencius, who was a follower of Confucius, wisely said
“Humanity is man’s mind and righteousness his path. Pity the man who
abandons the path and does not follow it, and who has lost his heart and
does not know how to recover it. When people’s dogs and fowls are lost, they
go to look for them, and yet, when they have lost their hearts, they do not
go to look for them.”
How well Mencius understood the purpose of human
endeavour! Today we need to look for the lost heart. The corruption of the
relations which make our life together human, creative and meaningful are
due to the loss of heart.
In any planning for the future, be it at the parish level, nationally or
globally we need to recover the lost heart. I believe that this is the
concern of all that work for true community and the unity of humanity and it
is a quest which we must pursue
When we are asked where is the centre of our parish or any other aspect
of our lives we need to pause and reflect that Our
Lord came to look for the lost and encourages us to look for the lost. He
wants all of us to recover the human heart because that is the starting
point for being with our neighbour and developing true community. If the
Church is to be at a meaningful place in the life of the parish and the
nation then it too must recover the human heart.
Stanley Menzies
COMMITTEE WORK
Oh give me your pity, I’m on a committee, which means that
from morning to night
We attend and amend, contend and defend without a conclusion in sight.
We confer and concur, we defer and demur and reiterate all of our thoughts,
We revise our agenda with frequent addenda and consider a load of reports.
We propose and compose, we suppose and oppose, and points of procedure are
fun.
But though various notions are brought up as motions, there’s terribly
little gets done.
We resolve and absolve, but never dissolve, since its out of the question
for us,
What a shattering pity to end our committee, Where else could we make such a
fuss.
Author Unknown
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH
OPEN DOOR SCHEME 2004/2005
As mentioned in last month’s magazine, the new year of
the Open Door Scheme begins on 30th September, and I will be writing to
everyone to ask if they would like to renew their subscription to the
Scheme. The cost is £10 per number and the draw is made on the 30th
September, 30th December, 30th March and 30th June and the prize is £100.
Last year we had 133 people in the Scheme and we are so grateful to you all
for supporting the Open Door Scheme. The money is used for the general
running expenses of All Saints’ Parish Church.
The first draw will be made on 30th September 2004 and if
you wish to be included in the Scheme for the next 12 months please contact
Anne Palmer on 842850.
We do need more people to join the scheme, if you can
think of anyone who would like to support it, please let Anne know.
NEWS FROM THE CHURCHWARDENS
THE CHURCHYARD
Last month two officers from the Yorkshire Living
Churchyard Project visited Bramham and they made some helpful suggestions
for us to manage our Churchyard.
They identified more that 25 varieties of wild flower and
several varieties of butterfly. There are no doubt very many more to be
discovered! They were delighted to note that we have a very good example of
an ancient hay meadow and they do hope we will look after it!!
Which brings me nicely on to the next topic – thank you
to all the people who have spent hours in the churchyard this summer,
cutting grass, removing grass, raking up the grass and generally keeping the
place tidy. However there is a great deal to do.
I will be sending the Yorkshire Wildlife Project Report
to all those who have assisted us in the past, if anyone else would like a
copy please give me a ring. There are three sheets and a small charge will
be made to cover the cost of photocopying – this does not apply to those
mentioned at the start of this paragraph!!!
Once we have drawn up the plan of management we would
like to have a sign board placed in the churchyard indicating where you will
find the flowers of special interest. The information will also explain why
certain areas have not been mown etc.
I freely admit that I am a very late convert to ecology
but since I have had a few facts explained to me everything seems to make
sense. I no longer look at an English Country Churchyard and think “what a mess!”
Bramham Churchyard is not a cemetery and will never have neat lawns and
pathways – we hope.
Please remember that no alteration or addition may made
to any grave without first seeking permission from the Priest in Charge Fr.
Hugh Lawrance. No chains, railings, pavings, chippings or stones of any kind
are permitted in the churchyard.
QUINQUENNIAL INSPECTION
The report arrived in September and fortunately there are no major works
required on the church. We have already carried out the first few
recommendations which include cleaning the out side gutters and repainting
all gutters and drain pipes and fixing loose slates on the roof. The church
will be decorated inside early in the new year when all the other tasks have
been completed.
Anne Palmer and Peggy Kitchen
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Christmas Bazaar
Saturday 27th November 2004 in the Village Hall.
Advent Sunday
28th November 2004
Churches Together
United Act of Worship in
All Saints’ Bramham at 6.00 pm
with instrumentalists from
Boston Spa School
Carol Service
Monday 6th December 2004
Annual Guides & Brownies
All Saints’ Bramham at 6.00 pm
Family Fun Day Bramham Park
17th July 2005.
BOCCIGALUPE & THE
BADBOYS
BRAMHAM VILLAGE HALL
16TH OCTOBER 2004
Tickets from: Bramham Post Office
or Keith Robinson (01937 845651)
www.boccogalupe.com
BRAMHAM MUM AND TOTS
“Little Tykes”
The group will continue to meet every Monday at the Methodist Church on
Low Way between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.
Anyone who is caring for a baby or toddler is welcome to come along with
them to the session. We have a great selection of toys for the children to
play with, in a safe and friendly environment.
On behalf of all the mums, grandmas and childminders who have been
attending the group, I would like to thank Liz for all the hard work she has
put into running Little Tykes in the past.
If you require any further information, please contact
Alison St John on 01937 541744
or call at 19 Firbeck Road, Bramham
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