Notes from around the Parishes, March 2018

Great Massingham, Little Massingham & Harpley

The Reverend Judith writes:

Let’s think for a moment about plastic – a superb modern material, all around us in
our daily lives. Everything seems to be made from plastic - which used to be
thought a Very Good Thing, a huge improvement on previous materials. Alexander
Parkes gave the first public demonstration of plastic, his new invention, in 1862 at
the Great International Exhibition in London.
I feel compelled to get up on my soapbox this month, something I do try to resist.
Have you seen recent news reports about the catastrophic damage plastic waste is
doing to our planet?
The pristine Antarctic wilderness, the last unspoilt corner of our world, is pristine no
longer. Our discarded plastic such as bottles, rope and plastic micro beads from
cosmetics, often pulverised into minute fragments by the sea, is infiltrating our
ecosystems, devastating the landscape and killing wildlife throughout the food chain
right up to polar bears and large aquatic mammals.
What can we do to improve this dire situation? We may think very little - other
countries especially in the developing world, are far more culpable. But we all have
a duty of care. We all want to be wise and responsible stewards of our world for
future generations.
Norway has a well-developed plastic bottle recycling system which works well,
incentivising people to collect empty bottles and reuse them responsibly. We could
learn from them.
Which brings me to tea bags:
Try buying loose tea these days. It’s difficult. 95% of the tea we buy is in tea bags;
in the UK alone we drink 165 million cups per day, 62 billion per year. Tea bags
used to be made of paper but nowadays are frequently made of plastic and nylon
fragments and polyethylene to make them stronger. These items may take 2000
years to biodegrade - if at all. 165 million cups of tea every day. If we all went
back to using loose tea that would make a positive difference. Small changes, big
effects.
Sorry about the soapbox – but some issues are impossible to ignore.
God’s Kingdom of justice and peace is always close at hand. This year, on April
1st, Christians throughout the world will celebrate God’s saving power through the
death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ and we will draw close to God. The
theological term for this is ‘reconciliation.’ We need to be reconciled too to our
planet and to its delicate ecology... for ourselves and for future generations. The
alternative - the gradual destruction of our planet – is unthinkable.
Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day when your Kingdom comes and
justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.
Wishing you all a blessed Lent, Reverend Judith
SERVICES ACROSS THE GROUP in March

Thursday, March 1st ~ St David’s Day,

Friday, March 2nd ~ Women’s World Day of Prayer

2pm Pott Row Methodist Chapel
“All God’s Creation is Very Good”.
Everyone is welcome at this service which has been written by the Christian
women of Suriname in S America. Based on Genesis 1: 31
‘God saw all that he had made , and it was very good.’

Sunday, March 4th ~ Third Sunday of Lent

0930 Family Service St Lawrence’s, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Mary’s, Great Mass
0830 Holy Communion St Mary’s, East Walton
1030 Holy Communion St Botolph’s, Grimston
1030 Morning Praise St Nicholas’, Gayton
3pm Prayer Meeting All Saints’, Ashwicken
6pm Sung Evensong St Andrew’s’, Congham
Weds, 7th Mar 9am Holy Communion at St Lawrence’s, Harpley

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Refreshment Sunday)

Sunday, March 11th ~ Mothering Sunday
1030 Group Holy Communion
St Botolph’s, Grimston
Today we welcome Simon Sykes of Tyndale House

4pm The Gap Pott Row Methodist Chapel

Sunday, Mar 18th ~ Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passion Sunday)

0930 Holy Communion St Andrew’s’, Little Massingham
1100 Family Service St Mary’s, Great Massingham
1115 Sung Holy Communion St Lawrence’s, Harpley
0830 Holy Communion All Saints’, Roydon
1030 Holy Communion St Nicholas’, Gayton
1030 Morning Praise St Botolph’s, Grimston

Weds, March 21st ~ 9am Holy Communion at St Botolph’s, Grimston

Sunday, March 25th ~ Palm Sunday
1100 Holy Communion St Mary’s, Great Massingham
0830 Holy Communion St Andrew’s’, Congham
1030 Family Service St Nicholas’, Gayton
3pm Palm Sunday Service with donkeys St Mary’s, East Walton
Thursday, March 29th ~ Maundy Thursday
5pm Holy Communion St Mary’s, Great Massingham
~ Pilgrims walking to Walsingham will stay the night in Gt Massingham
7pm Passover Supper St Nicholas’, Gayton
Friday, March 30th ~ Good Friday
10am Meditation with the Cross St Botolph’s, Grimston
11am Liturgy of the Cross St Mary’s, Gt Massingham
Saturday, March 31st ~
3pm Family Service & Easter Egg Hunt @ St Mary’s, Gayton Thorpe
Stay for refreshments after the service while the children search for eggs
Sunday, April 1st ~ Easter Day
0930 Family Holy Communion St Lawrence’s, Harpley
1100 Holy Communion St Mary’s, Great Mass
0600 Dawn Service All Saints’, Ashwicken
1030 Holy Communion St Botolph’s, Grimston
1030 Holy Communion St Nicholas’, Gayton
{Note no Prayer Meeting }
Weds, 4th April 9am Holy Communion at St Lawrence’s, Harpley
20th Feb Funeral at Mintlyn John Knox, late of Little Massingham
Easter Flowers Sat 31st : Everyone is welcome to help decorate our churches
with flowers to celebrate Easter. If you wish to donate to the flower fund in
memory of a loved one please contact:
Clem & David Mallows in Harpley 01485 520381
Gladys Newton in Great Massingham 01485 520772
Harpley altar flowers rota: 1st/8th April Sue Willson
Prayer Group Wednesdays 7:30pm to 9pm
March 7th and March 28th @ ‘Cobwebs’, Gt Mass (Tel 01485 520930);
Bible Study for Lent led by Rev Judith (01485 601251.) 2pm on Tuesdays
at ‘Cobwebs’ Gt Massingham ~ the home of Kim & Alan Frazer
A second Lenten group meets at 121 Lynn Rd Grimston, the home of Rosemarie
Bowers , 7pm on Thursdays more info from Rosemarie (01485 600485)
Lent Lunches: ~ In Harpley, from 12noon until 2pm on Mondays.
In aid of the Christian Aid Appeal for Rohingya Refugees.
Date Venue Host
5th March Rose Cottage, Brickyard Lane Jean Pocklington
12th March Flint Cottage, 3 Back Street Clem & David

19th March 22, Back Street Gina Wagg

26th March The Old Rectory, Nethergate St Lucy Brown

Coffee & Cake @ Congham 1030 to 12noon

~ St Andrew’s, Congham invites you to join them.
Sat 3rd March Coffee & Cake £3.50.
Proceeds to the Church

Concerts – come along and support your local singers!

Saturday, 17th March ~ 7:30pm in Fakenham Parish Church
Fakenham Choral Society and Norwich Baroque ~ music by Purcell including
‘Dido & Aeneas’ Tickets £12 (under 18 free) from 01485 544335or on the door.

Sunday, 18th March ~ 7:30pm in St Nicholas’ Chapel, King’s Lynn: Music

by Tomás Luis de Victoria ~ Tenebrae Responsories ~ sung by
Stile Antico an acclaimed group of 12 professional singers who will be joined
by King’s Lynn Festival Chorus to sing the Requiem Mass of 1605
Tickets £25 from KL Corn Exchange 01553 764864 or web site.
It is worth looking at you tube for some performances by Stile Antico
Annual Parochial Church Meetings:
St Lawrence’s, Harpley 7pm Tuesday, 20th March
St Andrew’s, Little Massingham, at 2:30pm Tuesday, 17th April
St Mary’s, Great Massingham, at 6:30pm Tuesday, 17th April
These are public meetings, - you do not have to be a church-goer to attend but you need
to be on the Church electoral roll to vote. If you are interested in helping to maintain
these historic buildings you will be most welcome. Ask Rev’d Judith (Tel 601251)
Open Gardens in Harpley ~ Sat 30th June & Sun 1st July With great gardens to
visit and flower display, stalls and refreshments in Church, this is a week-end
not to be missed so reserve the dates now! Please contact David Mallows
(520381) or Gina Wagg (520153) if you have a garden you would like to share,
would like to help decorate the church or help in any other way.
Please send items for inclusion in the April issue of the ‘Parish Notes’ to the editor by
17th March ~ Rosemary Mehers rosemarymehers@hotmail.com or Tel: 01485 521866
Our Ministry Team:
Team Rector Rev’d Jane Holmes, The Rectory, Gayton 01553 636227
Team Vicar Rev’d Judith Pollard, The Rectory, Grimston 01485 601251
To arrange Baptisms, Marriages, or Funerals please contact the Rev’d Judith (her day off is Friday).