Dear Friends,
As ever, thank you so much for your love and encouragement – it means a great deal to us.
This Pentecost, let us celebrate the life of the Holy Spirit that invites us into a life-giving and adventurous life.
There is much to share in this newsletter:
- there is a message from Andy, chair of Trustees;
- there are details of how to join in with the leaving service on Sunday 28th June;
- and these are followed by Di’s reflection
With love and prayers from Phil, Di and the Scargill Community
A message from Andy Arnold, Chair of Council
Thank you so much for your prayers and support for Scargill.
Our celebration of Phil and Diane’s time amongst us continues and, alongside that, the arrangements for leadership following their departure are becoming clearer and being implemented.
In this process, we are very conscious of God‘s hand and leading. There is a growing sense that God has given us this time for a purpose .
From the 8th of June, Phil and Di will begin to handover their responsibilities in readiness for their departure after their farewell service on the 28th of June. As a first step, Dave Lucas has graciously offered to lead the Leadership team for three months. This team is made up of Dave, Jo and Annie, who have been joined by Phil G, and an additional community member is in the process of being invited. Please pray for the leadership team and Council as we discern together between some creative options for this bridge period. And of course for Phil and Di as they prepare to retire.
There is one final chance if you have not yet shared a memory or photo on the Kudoboard to do so this week. After that it will be going to the printers. (https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/v4rgXfja) Likewise a last opportunity to contribute to Phil and Di’s leaving gift at Barclays Bank, Account Name: Scargill Movement, Sort Code: 20-78-42, Account Number: 33810402, Reference: Phil & Di Gift.
| Options to join in with the leaving service for Phil and Di: 4pm on Sunday 28th June (from Scargill House) Here are some details about how you can be involved! If you are coming in person, please book through Eventbrite (book one ticket for each person in your party). We have space for up to 200 people to join us in person split across the Chapel and the Marsh Lounge. – see below for further information about how to book on-site tickets. The service will also be livestreamed on YouTube from 4pm- https://youtube.com/live/OxVrCzweeGc Booking by Eventbrite – use this LINKAll bookings need to be made through Eventbrite by Saturday 27th June at 4:00pm – please don’t just turn up if you haven’t booked.Please book the number of tickets for the people in your car, so one booking is one car (with a number of tickets for that booking).If you can share cars with others, that would be helpful.Depending on how many cars we have, some parking may be offsite – there will be community directing car parking.Please only come via Kettlewell to avoid causing congestion.Arrivals are from 3:30pm and the service will start at 4:00pm.There will be drinks and cake after the service. |
| And finally, but not least, is Di’s reflection. Enjoy! Diane writes: |
Our new home in Pershore now has a rather pink bathroom. I had initially gone for blue panels, then multi-coloured ones but for several reasons ended up with pink! Mind you, a very nice rose pink except it is now covering one more wall than imagined! [ see here for Di’s illustrative picture]
And there I was getting all upset and grumpy – I was tired, I was unslept – I hope you like the new word, unslept, I only heard it this morning from an American author. I rather liked it, I thought of being dishevelled, scruffy, unruly and perhaps even grumpy. Interestingly the Cambridge Dictionary says grumpy means ‘easily annoyed and complaining’, then gives the example ‘I hadn’t had enough sleep and was feeling kind of grumpy’.
Unfortunately, throughout my I life I can recall quite a few times when I have been tired and very, very, grumpy; grumpy with myself as well as others. And looking back it did me no good at all. In fact, thinking about it now, it often ended up with me spoiling my own fun, and definitely spoiling the fun of others!
Thankfully, enlightenment came. When teaching in a local primary school leading the ‘collective daily worship’ I introduced a new ‘Out of the Ark’ song entitled ‘Count Your Blessings’. The words of which are these:
If you’re feeling sad and weary and your down in the dumps, down in the dumps
If you’re feeling sad and weary and your down in the dumps
There’s something you can do
{Don’t be grumpy
Don’t go on and on
Don’t be grumpy
Don’t you spoil the fun}
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
It’s all very jolly and can be sung in a round but there is also an important message for us all; not just to count our blessings but to be thankful for them. And this message is perfectly described in Psalm 103:1-5.
“My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.
He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
He redeems your life from the Pit;
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
He satisfies you with good things;
Your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Here we are asked to bless the Lord in thanks for all the blessings we have received. Here is a powerful call to intentionally remember God’s benefits—forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, and renewal. Here we have, not a sing to self but a “preach-to-self”. Here is a reminder to focus on God’s mercy rather than life’s struggles and thus nurture a thankful and contented heart. Surely this is a good thing.
We have numerous ‘un’ words in our language, many are negative, but not all – our bathroom is certainly unique! Our bathroom is certainly pink but pink is a good colour and the shower works! What a great blessing that is and one I can and will enjoy every day.
Have you counted your blessings recently? I do hope so, they are sign of God’s grace and as such can turn a grey day into a pink one!
Bless you all, Diane