Dear Friends
Thank you for you continued love, support and prayers, it means a great deal to us.
Below are details of how you can book on to our forthcoming online events. We are in the process of changing the way that you can book! Please bear with us.
We would love to welcome you to one of our Renew, Refresh, Restore Quiet Days on either Friday 31st July or Saturday 1st August. The theme will be around Jesus – the Light of the World and the Bread of Life. They will be led by Lucy and Phil involving other members of the Community. If you would like to be involved in either of these days then please e-mail us at: hello@scargillmovement.org
During what would have been our Summerfest Programme, we are hosting ‘Fest Teas for all ages’. We hope to have some fun together on Zoom! These Teas will start at 4pm and the dates are:
Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th July
and then Monday 3rd, Tuesday 4th, Wednesday 5th, Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th August
To be a part of these Fest Teas, please e-mail us at: hello@scargillmovement.org
Our next Scargill Forum will be on Wednesday 5th August (8-9:30pm) on Zoom. We will let you know soon who our guests will be for this forum. This is bookable through our website (please do not use the hello@ e-mail to book onto this event).
We are also delighted to announce that starting in August we are able to welcome Day Visitors on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It will be lovely to see you. Further details and booking is through our website.
All these events are free but if anyone would like to donate then please visit our website here which shows how you can do that.
Diane’s reflection this week is on ‘Love and laughter’. Enjoy!
“I love to laugh … Loud and long and clear … The more I laugh, the more I fill with glee.” (Mary Poppins – Film). Hi, I hope you are now all singing away with Bert! A question – When did you last laugh, really laugh out loud? I asked that question when reading a quote from “Loving God Whatever” (reflections by Sister Jane) on July 11th “Humour is near to holiness, and love to laughter”. I was initially drawn to the book by a comment on the back cover which says “This selection of her writings reveals not only her spiritual wisdom but also her great capacity for friendship and understanding, her down-to-earth sense of humour and fun and her ability to meet people where they were, making them feel special.”
Does this remind you of anywhere? It did remind me of the time when the small initial core community were thinking about our Community Promises and we unanimously decided to include the promise “Love, laughter, and a generous spirit are foundational values in our life together. We see Jesus taking great pleasure in receiving and giving unexpected treats to other people. Are you willing to do likewise?” Oh Yes! We all replied loudly and with broad smiles on our faces. Since that day Scargill really has been a house of love and laughter. Each morning after prayers we now meet together and start with ‘HUMOUR’. Phil asked us all to send in something to watch that would make us laugh. Why? Because it’s good to laugh. Medical science says “A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.” Wow!
My sisters now regularly send me a joke or a funny video, something that made them laugh, which they want to share, and over the last few months this has become a life-line for many. But it really isn’t the same as seeing them in person. One of the reasons why many of us have found lockdown, isolation and distancing so hard is because we naturally want to be in community. We were not created in isolation, but within the Trinity of God – Father Son and Holy Spirit, and we were created to reflect that community within our human communities. Sophie Scott, explains that people are thirty times more likely to laugh if they’re with someone else. In other words, people are more apt to laugh in community than isolation, the very place most of us are! So what can we do about that? Nothing, but when meeting or passing someone by, even if wearing a mask, love and laughter can come over in a smile, the inflection of your voice or seen through your eyes.
To finish with – Did you know, one reason I married Phil was to have fun and laugh? Although I yearned to, I was not very good at either, but instinctively knew I should, and there he was! Also, many of you will know that we have a Munsterlander (dog) – but did you know Munsterlanders really want their owners to have as much fun as they do! I can’t think why Phil decided this was the dog for us.
We look forward to welcoming you whether it is online or through a booked Day Visit.