Dear Church Friends,
Hello everyone. How are you this week? At last we have moved into stage 3 of lockdown easing and are able to go inside cafes, restaurants and other places indoors, all be it in a group of not more than 6 people. We are still advised to proceed cautiously and next week at the Elders’ Meeting, one of the items will be to decide when to re-open the Hall for coffee after Sunday Worship. All the churches in our West Partnership should be open for worship again on 23rd May. Please remember in your prayers, those for whom this will be their first time in church for many months. In our church we have gradually been increasing the number of people who can be accommodated, as the side and rear pews are brought back into use again. Fortunately, we haven’t had to turn anyone away and for the last week two weeks about 45+ people attended. However, please still book your place each week so that the Track and Trace Register can be printed in advance for Sunday morning.
Our Worship Leader tomorrow should have been Daleen Ten Cate, but Daleen is very sorry and disappointed as she will be unable to lead our Worship on Pentecost Sunday. One of her daughters developed Covid a few days ago and Daleen and her family have to be in isolation. I am very grateful to Val for offering to lead Worship at such short notice. Thank you, Val.
Please remember Daleen and her family in your prayers.
As you can see from the photo taken by Sylvia this week, there are still 9 cygnets on Fairhaven Lake. They won’t mind the rain! Since Monday, it’s been another week of mixed weather – three lovely sunny days followed by two very wet ones. Although the gardens welcome the rain, because it refreshes all the plants and encourages them to flourish, we feel so much better when the sun is out, the birds are singing, the sea is glistening and everywhere looks so much brighter. I am cheered to see that Springwatch returns next Tuesday evening. It’s always interesting to see what is happening around the areas where the presenters are. Norfolk, Northern Ireland and North Scotland this year. Our nest box has remained empty this year and around the garden I haven’t seen many young birds being fed by their parents. Where are they? We usually see some open-mouthed baby blackbirds waiting to be fed. Spring bulbs are nearly over, but summer plants are just waiting for the right conditions to burst forth and delight us with their colours. The cycle of life goes on. Thanks be to God.
If you have visited Austria or Germany, you will know that a common greeting is “Gruss Got.” When we leave someone in this country we usually say “goodbye.” “Gruss Got” means “God greets you” or “I greet you in God’s name. Goodbye is a contraction of the words, “God be with you.” There is a verse in Deuteronomy: “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” In our coming and our going- let us always be with God.
Our Worship on Pentecost Sunday 23rd May at 10.45am will be led by Val Atkinson
Please book before 6pm on Saturday 22nd May.
Our worship on Sunday 30th May will be led by Margaret Russell
Please book before 6pm on Saturday 29th May.
You are invited to the May Lancashire West Missional Partnership Coffee Morning via Zoom on Tuesday 25th May @ 10am
Please join Daleen for a Zoom act of worship and fellowship around the coffee table
If you would like to join her, and you haven’t signed up before, please drop Daleen an email, so that she can email you an invite. [email protected]
Induction of Rev Janet Calderley.
As you may remember, this should have taken place on 15th March 2020, but had to be postponed because of the increase of covid infections. It is planned that Rev Janet will now be inducted on Sunday 4th July, 3pm at Fleetwood URC. Further details in due course.
Traidcraft Exchange – Regenerators Appeal
Some weeks ago, I sent on an email from Janet S about this appeal. The final date when the government will double people’s gifts is fast approaching, so if you would like to make a donation, please contact Janet S on 01253 739195. She is happy to send on any cheques, which should be made payable to Traidcraft Exchange.
In the villages across Tanzania and Bangladesh where Traidcraft Exchange works, no one asks if climate change is real.
They ask, ‘When will the rains come?’
And ‘what will we eat now the floods have washed away our crops?’
The climate crisis is hitting those living in poverty the hardest.
But the people who are living with the devastating effects of climate change are fighting back, and they need your support – and thanks to the UK government, this Spring, it will make double the difference. They are the Regenerators.
Together, they are taking a stand against climate change.
With basic climate friendly technology, and knowledge and skills about how to adapt to erratic weather patterns through things like growing new crops and investing in beehives or fisheries, communities will be able to earn more from the hard work they already do.
These changes mean that whatever the climate crisis throws at them, they’ll be able to feed their families and earn a decent income.
With your help, and donations doubled by the UK government, they can protect the earth for generations to come – and earn more for the hard work they do every day.
Donate to the Regenerators Appeal between 8th March and 7th June 2021 and the UK government will double your gift to help the most vulnerable stand strong in the face of climate change.
Together, we can turn the tide.
Some thoughts from Margaret Ingall
Sometimes when we are lonely and we long to heard God’s voice,
Or troubled and uncertain and afraid to make a choice,
And no-one seems to listen, and the heavens all stay dumb,
Then how can we keep trusting, when no answers seem to come?
Fear not, for still He hears us; we can never slip his gaze,
He loves and reassures us in a thousand different ways,
He speaks with many voices – if we’re patient and aware
We’ll surely hear His answers, and we’ll know we’re in His care.
A Comforting Thought from Victor Hugo.
There are times in everyone’s life when the path ahead seems hard, but Victor Hugo had some wise words:
“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones, and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”
Let us pray
Dear Lord Jesus,
We give thanks as people return to worship in our churches on the Fylde. We pray for those for are going through troubled times, whether through illness, accident, bereavement, loneliness, anxiety or any other cause. Comfort them and give them reassurance of your everlasting love and grace. On Pentecost Sunday we ask that the Spirit of the living God, will fall afresh on us, renew us and fill our lives with love. Amen
Please join me in saying the Grace together.
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen
God Bless you all
Ruth
