Dear Scargillians
As ever, this comes with much love and prayers from the Community here at Scargill. We long to see you again through our doors, and we are so grateful that we can mutually support each other during these difficult and for many, exhausting days. St. Paul talks about carrying each other’s burdens (Galatians 6) and thank you for love during this time that seems just to drag on and on. Please contact us at prayer@scargillmovement.org if we can pray for you in any way.
If the Government’s road map is able to keep on track, we look forward to welcoming day visitors again soon after April 12th, and in early June a limited number of residential guests to begin with. Please keep checking out our website where we will inform you of these exciting possibilities.
On our website, you will find our latest online offerings that are coming up which could be encouraging for you during these times. Check them out here. They include:
This coming Saturday, at 7pm on Saturday 20 March, come and join a free-to-view concert by our wonderful friend Simeon Wood livestreamed especially for the whole band of Scargillians (expected run time 1 hour):
The “Feeling Good” show – Simeon Wood
As the title suggests an uplifting, inspiring, happy and thought provoking show full of hope and packed with music taken from Simeon’s latest album.
Performed live on YouTube. Link: https://youtu.be/Ic1NWh1e59s
[Further descriptive details will be put on the Home page of Scargill website later this week]
This coming week Bishop Chris Edmondson invites you to join him in looking at ’Finding hope when it feels in short supply’, Tue 16 to Thu 18 March.
Mike Leigh and Shaun Lambert are looking at ‘Finding our voice – mindfulness and song’, Fri 19 to Sun 21 March. There are still a few spaces left if you would like to book.
Margi Walker will be leading us in a Palm Sunday themed Quiet Day ‘Journeying into Holy Week‘ on Saturday 27th March on Zoom.
We will also be offering an online programme over Easter so please look out for details. This will include Holy Week morning reflections on Zoom, livestreamed services and a film of the powerful Good Friday ‘Walkaround’ along with an Easter Sunday afternoon Tea Party on Facebooklive.
Following the success of February Half Term, we’re going to have an ‘Edible Easter Garden’ cook-along for the youngsters (or young at heart) on Holy Saturday (3rd April) at 2:30pm on Zoom. Information about how to book for this, along with other resources to help families engage with Holy Week, will appear on our website programme page later this week.
As we begin to look forward, there are a few ways in which you can help us with spreading the word about Scargill:
- As the roadmap to end lockdown offers the possibilities of opening our doors again to actual guests, rather than virtual guests, our presence on social media is vital to communicating our values, programme and friends. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram please do follow us and like or repost our content as we move forward!
- Follow us on Twitter via @ScargillHouse; follow us on Facebook via @Scargillmovement; and Instagram via @scargill movement.
Also, we’re updating our mailing list. Please could you email hello@scargillmovement.org with your latest contact details if you’re a Scargill Companion (have said the Companion promises, received your badge and are following the Scargill Pathway). Thank you!
Do know that you are warmly welcomed to join us online weekly for our fun Tuesday Teaparties on Facebooklive at 3:30pm, and our reflective Evening Prayers livestreamed from Scargill Chapel on Thursdays from 4:30pm.
Thank you again for journeying with us.
Here is Di’s reflection, enjoy!
Diane writes:
Did you know that in the Middle Ages mothering was apparently multifaceted, complex and difficult — rather like today, and intellectuals compared it to the very work of God. I wholeheartedly agree!
It feels that Mother’s Day has been part of the church calendar for ever, daffodils and all but ‘Nooo’ you hear me cry, not at all. Traditionally this Sunday has been a day of celebration, within the sombre period of Lent to celebrate the Church as mother of the faithful. It was considered important for people to return home to their ‘mother’ church once a year – the church you were baptised in, the local parish church or the nearest cathedral. Domestic servants were given the day off and so inevitably this became an occasion for family reunions. I have often looked forward to and enjoyed this day with family and friends, lots of fun and offers of help! But alas, we remain unable to visit or be visited by family or friends and not all churches are open for worship. Oh, it would be so easy to just let the day go by!
But last Sunday I spoke on The Ten Commandments where I was reminded that our first duty after our obedience to God is within the family and only then can we consider our obligation to other people. Family and Judaism for me have always gone together, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that scholars have partially credited the survival of Judaism to the importance and value they place on the family. In Jewish families, parents and children are responsible for each other as a way of honouring God. Parents are seen as partners in God’s creation of each human being, so to honour one’s parents is to honour God. We are called to honour our parents.
Samuel Johnson, (A Dictionary of the English Language -1755) defined honour as having several senses, the first of which was “nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness”. I was struck by the definitions, certainly worth thinking about! This quote led me to ‘Jesus-&-the-Samaritan-Woman’ painted by He Qi through Patrick van der Vorst’s reflection on a different painting / same subject, where he talks about Jesus seeing the Samaritan women as a person and approaching her as a person. That Jesus acknowledges her as an equal and treats her with sensitivity and openness. Is this honouring others? If so Patrick van der Vorst’s goes on to mention ‘that words of openness, kindness and encouragement can bring about daily resurrections of hope in people’. How good it that?
As well as showing me how important families are and how bereft I have felt not being able to meet ours, other than on zoom, this past year has also confirmed in me, that family values are wider than just family. That perhaps living community is living family values, where ever we are. So let’s not forget Mothering Sunday, I certainly won’t – I have a small parcel sitting in the kitchen with Mama Stone written on it! Let us, me included, also use this day to look to others, honouring one another with our time and commitment, with generosity of heart towards all we meet or have contact with. And in doing so, by honouring our families and neighbours, we will also be honouring God.
With love and prayers