Newsletter May 2022

THIS BREATHLESS EARTH

We bolted every door but even so
We couldn’t catch our breath for very fear:
Fear of their knocking at the gate below,
Fear that they’d find and kill us even here.
Though Mary’s tale had quickened all our hearts
Each fleeting hope just deepens your despair:
The panic grips again, the gasping starts,
The drowning, and the coming up for air.
Then suddenly, a different atmosphere,
A clarity of light, a strange release,
And, all unlooked for, Christ himself was there
Love in his eyes and on his lips, our peace.
So now we breathe again, sent forth, forgiven,
To bring this breathless earth a breath of heaven.

MALCOLM GUITE

We are still in that period of the Church’s calendar when the risen Christ spent time with his disciples, supporting and strengthening them for the future when they would no longer be able to see him, touch him and speak with him. What a rollercoaster they had already been through, joy and elation swiftly followed by deep sorrow and fear. And soon they would go through it all again; the glorious Ascension followed by the fear of the unknown until the promised Holy Spirit flooded them with hope and courage.

I hope it is not too late to share Malcolm Guite’s sonnet on the overwhelming fear the disciples first experienced and the new life they then breathed as Jesus joined them in the upper room. He wrote this sonnet during the height of the pandemic when most of us lived with a haunting fear and could identify with the emotions he describes. Christ brought them peace, a peace that transcends our earthly fears. So many live with deep fear in their lives at present and we pray they may experience God’s love and the peace it brings.

CALENDAR FOR MAY 2022
1st	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers
7th	Saturday	2.00pm	Inauguration of Leeds URC Partnership and Induction Service at St Andrew’s, Roundhay
8th	SUNDAY		Morning Worship cancelled owing to Leeds Half-Marathon
10th	Tuesday		Guild Lunch TBC
15th	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship including the Sacrament of Holy Communion led by Rev Geoff Ellis. We shall be joined by West Park URC
18th	Wednesday	10.00am	Elders’ Meeting
22nd	SUNDAY	9.30am	Morning Worship at Headingley Methodist Church
29th	SUNDAY	10.45am	Morning Worship led by our Minister
		12.00noon	Church Meeting
		4.00pm	Worship@4

Our Minister, Clare, is due to have an operation during the first week of May, and following that, she will be convalescing for about three weeks. If you require any advice or assistance during that period then you may wish to contact Aleck and he will do his best to find the help you need.

We all wish Clare a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her again toward the end of the month.

THE GUILD

Sadly, despite all the hard work and interest shown by the Management Committee, we are no further forward with refurbishing the kitchen at present. Both the gas and electrical supplies pose problems when we upgrade the facilities and new regulations make the whole venture even more complicated.

So, at the moment, we have neither an oven nor hob, which makes providing a lunch quite a challenge. We’ll talk it over, both caterers and ‘diners’, and decide what is the best option until things are up and running again. Ian and Norman have spent a lot of time and energy dealing with various contractors and we all thank them for persisting with this frustrating task.

Dear Friends

I should like to say thank you for the cards, flowers and letters we received during Margaret’s illness and when she passed away. Also, thank you to those who were able to support us by attending Margaret’s funeral service in Church.

Margaret had a very difficult time, yet never complained. Her philosophy of life is summed up in her favourite poem “The Desiderata” written by Max Ehrmann, especially in the first line:

“GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste and remember what peace there may be in silence”.

We shall miss her. Our thanks to you all.

Best Wishes.
Anna, Margo, Susan and all the family.

It was no surprise when Margo told us in her eulogy that the words of ‘The Desiderata’ held special meaning for Margaret. And, not surprising, that she had many talents and abilities and pastimes that she pursued quietly, helping others and the community. ‘. . . in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul’ was a strength Margaret brought to others; learning she was keen golfer and sports fan and, in particular, a committed supporter of ‘Liverpool United’ intimated that there was a side we did not always see.

THANK YOU
Thank you to all those who participated in the Easter coffee morning, a time to relax and chat with a cuppa and hot cross bun after being restricted for so long. We had some interesting displays to look at: the rising sun, life at the lodge, relaxing by the duck pond, basketball, egg and spoon race, and an Easter hat so thank you to those who put their thinking caps on to create these.
We raised a total of £32.50 which has been used to buy food for the Food Bank as they are desperately in need of stock.

Sue Bollon

A Reminder

The Inauguration of Leeds URC Partnership and Induction Service will take place at St Andrew’s, Roundhay at 2.00pm on 7th May. All welcome but please let Aleck know if you plan to attend as refreshments will be provided after the Service.

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK: 15th — 21st May – HUNGRY FOR JUSTICE

Christian Aid Week is upon us again. Due to COVID in 2020 & 2021 we have collected from our MEMBERS AND FRIENDS and you were were so generous.

The Garage at Far Headingley holds a can at the TILL and the clients there have been most generous also.

We have decided this year to collect at the Church and to resume our Collection at the Garage in Far Headingley. Please can you let me know if you are able to collect at the Garage.

As we are not meeting at the Church on Sunday 8th May so please ring me if can help and don’t see me.

We will keep our collection days to THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

THURSDAY & FRIDAY: 3 – 7pm and SATURDAY 9am – 4pm.

Slot times are for 1 hour. Perhaps you will be able to cover more than 1 slot. If you can do so please let me know.

In Zimbabwe, the climate crisis is causing aching hunger for families like Jessica’s.

Jessica Mwedzi smiles with love for her children as she stirs a single bowl of porridge for them. . . 

. . . But she knows they’re hungry for more. This one bowl of porridge is all she and her family can eat today: ‘My children crave a decent meal, but I can’t provide. We often go to bed on an empty stomach. It pains me to send them to bed hungry.’

For Jessica, drought means every day is a struggle for survival. Like many women in rural Zimbabwe – 7 out of 10 rely on farming for income and food – she toils on her farm, but nothing can grow on her ashen, dry land. Jessica recalls that ‘One year, we had no rain. The scorching sun burnt my crops just as they were about to bloom. It was so painful and disheartening.’

The combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict, and drought have robbed her of the power to provide for her children.

And 7,000 miles away, the war in Ukraine will drive up food prices in Zimbabwe, and around the globe.

Without the fertiliser and food—like wheat and cooking oil—that Ukraine and Russia produce, vulnerable families will be pushed even deeper into hunger.

But hope does not disappoint. Hope lives in you.

How your gift could help: Jessica could grow drought-resistant crops, set up water taps on her farm, learn how to grow food in the harsh climate. Her dry, dusty land could transform into a garden of hope, abundant with fresh food like tomatoes, beans and cucumbers. She’ll be proud of the fruits of her work, and she’ll see her children enjoy their first full meal in months. With your gift this Christian Aid Week, families like Jessica’s won’t go to bed hungry tonight.

Joan McShane

DOREEN SOWDEN