Notes from around the Parishes, March 2017

For Great Massingham, Little Massingham & Harpley

Light and Life

With February gone the cold dark winter months are behind us at last!!
How we have longed (well I have) for the warmer days of Spring,
bringing with them light and new life.
But it seems to me that its not only the weather that has been cold and
dark lately. The world seems to be a more unstable and darker place than
ever before.
We are witnessing massive movements of people around the world, continuing wars in
the Middle East, terrorist acts and threats, Brexit, and now, to cap it all, Donald Trump!
What on earth does the future hold for us?
We all long for a brighter, safer future for ourselves, for our families, our children,
grandchildren and indeed for the whole world. But there is so much uncertainty and
insecurity. Is this something new, or has it always been like this? The world has been
through troubling times before and come out the other side but now, somehow, the
stakes seem so much higher. Donald Trump has been described as the most powerful
man on earth heaven help the world!
I offer you some thoughts to reflect upon this month as we travel through Lent. Lent
covers the weeks running up to the poignancy of Maundy Thursday and the pain of
Good Friday before the joyful celebration of Easter Day. Lent is a good time to slow
down and take stock.
Christmas has long gone but back in Jesus day the first Christmas life was pretty
difficult then too. The people were surrounded by soldiers, crushed and oppressed by a
new and Mighty Power the Romans. Everyday life was a struggle for ordinary people
and the future must have seemed bleak.
Into that uncertainty came Jesus quietly and almost unnoticed well its true, a handful
of shepherds noticed and a few wise men from the East but practically everybody else
missed this world-changing event. The arrival of the Light of the World come to
save the world bringing light and new life. The mighty power of God at work on
earth! There is no greater power than this and Jesus power is still alive. It is a different
kind of power, it is not power over people but the power to love all people and help them
to love one another as He has first loved us.
Jesus came to show us a different way; a way based on love, peace and justice for
all; and if the world is to be a brighter and safer place for all of us to live in then
perhaps His Way is the one to try. It's not easy but then He never said it would be!
Some final words in a famous quote from G K Chesterton to ponder on this month:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been
found difficult, and left untried".

Much Love, Reverend Jane

 SERVICES Across the Group for MARCH 2017
Weds, March 1st ~ Saint Davids Day and Ash Wednesday
9am Holy Communion and Ashing at Harpley
7pm A service of Meditations & Ashing at Grimston

Friday, March 3rd ~ Womens World Day of Prayer

Am I being unfair to you?
2pm Pott Row Methodist Chapel
All welcome at this service which has been written by the Christian women of
the Philippines.

Sunday, March 5th ~ The First Sunday of Lent

0930 Family Service St Lawrences, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion St Marys, East Walton
1030 Holy Communion St Botolphs, Grimston
1030 Morning Praise St Nicholas, Gayton
3pm Prayer Meeting All Saints, Roydon

Sunday, March 12th ~ The Second Sunday of Lent

1030 Group Holy Communion, St Marys,Great Massingham
4pm The Gap The Methodist Chapel, Pott Row

Weds, March 15th ~ 9am Holy Communion at St Botolphs, Grimston

Friday, 17th March is Saint Patricks Day

Sunday, March 19th ~ The Third Sunday in Lent

0930 Holy Communion St Andrews, Lt Massingham
1100 Family Service St Marys, Gt Massingham
1115 Sung Holy Communion St Lawrences, Harpley
0830 Holy Communion All Saints, Roydon
1030 Holy Communion St Nicholas, Gayton
1030 Morning Praise St Botolphs, Grimston
Sunday, March 26th ~ Mothering Sunday, The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Note ~ British Summer Time begins at 1am
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion St Andrews, Congham
1030 Family Service St Botolphs, Grimston
6pm Sung Evensong St Lawrences, Harpley
Schools Easter Services: (Schools break up Friday 31st March)
Weds 29th March at 2pm St Marys, Gt Massingham
Fri 31st March at 2pm St Lawrences, Harpley

Sunday, April 2nd ~ The Fifth Sunday of Lent

0930 Family Service St Lawrences, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Marys, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion All Saints, Ashwicken
1030 Holy Communion St Botolphs, Grimston
1030 Morning Praise St Nicholas, Gayton
3pm Prayer Meeting St Marys, Gayton Thorpe

Weds, April 5th ~ 9am Holy Communion at St Lawrences, Harpley

Our Ministry Team:

Revd Jane Holmes, Revd Judith Pollard,
The Rectory, Gayton The Rectory, Grimston
01553 636227 01485 601251
To arrange Baptisms, Marriages, or Funerals please contact the Revd Judith in the first
instance (her day off is Friday). If she is unavailable, the Revd Jane is happy to help
with urgent matters.

Lent Prayer Group ~ Revd Judith is planning to have a meditative prayer

group meeting weekly during Lent; more details from her 01485 601251

Easter Lilies This year Easter falls on Sunday April 16th

if you wish to sponsor a lily in memory of someone:
Gt Mass ~ please contact Mrs Gladys Newton (01485 520772).
Harpley ~ Donations to David & Clem. (01485 520381)
Messy Church ~ Jubilee Hall, Gayton; Thursday, 23rd March
Arrive 3:30pm for colouring & refreshments Start by 4pm

Afternoon Teas ~ Every Wednesday from 2pm

34, John Morton Crescent, Great Massingham
 Lent Lunches: ~ At St Lawrences, Harpley, we have
planned a series of Lent Lunches to be held from 12noon until
2pm on Fridays. Delicious simple (soup) lunches will be
served in homes around Harpley to raise funds for the Bishops Lent Appeal.
This year Bishop Grahams Appeal is to provide a car for Hospice Ethiopia
Hospice Ethiopia has only one specialist doctor and three nurses but they
provide free community based palliative care to terminally ill people; they
serve an estimated population of 900,000.
Date Venue Host
3rd March Hillside, Short Lane Jane Osbaldeston

10th March Rose Cottage, Brickyard Lane Jean Pocklington

17th March 22, Back Street Gina Wagg

24th March The Coach House, Cross Street Lindsey Symington

Clem Caunt &
31st March Flint Cottage, 3 Back Street
David Mallows
7th April The Old Rectory, Nethergate St Lucy Brown

Join us to relax, sup soup and socialise, then donate to this worthy cause!
Through the appeal, your money will go towards providing the Hospice with an off-
road rental car for two years. Roads are often rough and of poor quality, and public
transport is busy and unreliable. We want to help enable care and equipment to
reach those who cannot travel to the hospice.

Concerts come along and support your local singers!

Saturday, 18th March ~ 7:30pm in Fakenham Parish Church

Fakenham Choral Society will perform The Creation by Haydn
Tickets 12 (under 18 free) from 01485 544335

Saturday, 8th April ~ 7:30pm in St Nicholas Chapel, Kings Lynn

~ forte for forty ~ The Kings Lynn Festival Chorus will celebrate
their 40th Anniversary with choral favourites from Abba (and anvils) to Zadok
Tickets 14 (under 18 free) from KL Corn Exchange 01553 764864 or web site

Please send items for inclusion in the April issue of the Parish Notes to the editor by
17th March~ Rosemary Mehers rosemarymehers@hotmail.com
2 Old Post Office Court, Harpley. PE31 6GW; or Tel: 01485 521866