Parish Notices 29th July 2012

The Rector writes…  ‘Last week in St John’s I spoke on the gospel story where Jesus heads off for some rest only to be followed by people who needed him and his healing powers. It is true that we plan out the day and the week ahead, usually putting far too many things on our ‘to-do’ lists. Our plans can be frustrated by all sorts of unexpected or unplanned things, from a phone call , to a knock on the door, to something breaking down or someone not arriving on time. Yet our lives can be enriched by the diversion that wasn’t planned for, that phone call may set us down a road not planned but it may be a road well worth travelling! Whatever has broken down may force us to go a little slower or plan around it in some ingenious way. We can’t always plan exactly what we will be doing in every area of our lives, we have to build in some slack. In my sermon last week I quoted Dom Helder Camara’s words ‘ Leave the Father free himself to weave the pattern of your days’  – and what a wonderful attitude to cultivate – holding our lives up to God and doing just the best we can, but accepting that things don’t always go the way we plan…… As Woody Allen said ‘If you want to make God laugh – tell him about your plans’ . Woody Allen isn’t exactly known as a theologian but I think he nailed it with this one. So in our ever increasingly busy lives, let us leave a little slack to allow God to weave the patterns of our day!”

HOLY COMMUNION every Wednesday in St Mary’s Church at 10.30am. All welcome.

PRAYER REQUEST SHEETS are at the back of both churches.  Please continue to pray for our sisters and brothers in the nation of Nigeria who struggle to exist under extremely difficult conditions. The Mothers’ Union in Cork are linked with the diocese of Kaduna.

INTERCESSIONS If anyone is interest in leading these, please contact the rector.

THEOLOGICAL BOOK CIRCLE At the last meeting, the book ‘The Year of Living Biblically’ by A.J. Jacobs was chosen for our next gathering. A great summer read and we will chat about it in the Rectory at 8pm on 29th August.

CHILDRENS FILM NIGHT. The Rector is organising a Film Night in the Church Hall from 6.30 – 9 pm on Wednesday 15th August. This event is for children in Primary School. There are permission forms at the back of the church.

RECTORS HOLIDAYS

Elaine will be away from the parish on the following dates:-

AUGUST:  Thursday 16th until Tuesday 28th

(The Revd Isobel Jackson 4831236)

Canon Noel Scott will celebrate Holy Communion on Sunday 19th August

The Revd Isobel Jackson will celebrate Holy Communion on Wednesday 22nd

August.  Mr Ted Rae will officiate at Morning Prayer on Sunday 26th August

SEPTEMBER:  Thursday 13th until Tuesday 18th

(The Revd Isobel Jackson 4831236)

It is not yet known who will be covering for the Sunday service

on 16th September.

THE REVD CANON PATRICK COMERFORD is welcomed as preacher at our united Choral Eucharist this morning.

He is lecturer in Anglicanism and Liturgy at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute and a Canon of Christ Church, Cathedral, Dublin. For many years he worked as a journalist with the Lichfield Mercury, the Wexford People and the Irish Times where he was Foreign Desk Editor until 2002.   Do read more on his internet site

http://revpatrickcomerford.blogspot.ie/

CUP HOLDERS If you have borrowed any of the navy blue cup holders from the Church Hall and they are still at home, could you bring them back into the hall/office please.

TEA-TIME TREATS Mothers Union 125th anniversary recipe booklet available at the back of the church  – €4.

KEY found on the gravel outside St Mary’s last week. Enquiries to parish office 4374045.

JARS WANTED! If you have some clean jars with lids (Coffee jars are particularly welcomed) please drop them in to the parish office or the rectory and the rector will make sure they are passed on to people in the parish who make jam, chutneys etc for charity events.

Random Notes                                                                                 XXII

 

This morning’s celebration of Choral Eucharist marks the 180th anniversary of the consecration of St John’s Church, Monkstown. In 1832, Monkstown was very different from today. Consider the year 1832….

 

• A severe outbreak of Cholera arrived in Ireland..
• The Famine had not yet happened.
• The time differed in various cities around the country. It was only the arrival of the railways which synchronised the time.
• There had been no World Wars. In 1832, the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) would have been the most recent.
• No electricity.
• No cars, busses or lorries.
• Queen Victoria was still a child. The reigning king was King WilliamIV.
• Cobh was called Cove.
• Felix Mendelssohn composed his Hebrides Overture in this year.
• Charles Dickens had his 20th birthday. Neither James Joyce, Oscar Wilde or George Bernard Shaw had been born.
• The postage stamp had not yet been invented (1837). Nor had safety pins or bicycles.
• Striking matches had just been invented.
• Slavery was still legal. It was abolished in 1834.
• There were no railways in Ireland.
• The population of Ireland was over eight million.