Notes from around the Parishes, July 2020

Harpley & the Massinghams

Vicar’s Letter for July

In July we might reasonably expect to be heading for the beach - but sadly it is
not so straightforward this year. Could we consider inhabiting a desert island
(imaginatively) instead? There is so much to provoke anxiety in these strange
times and we need all the help we can get to remain sane.
We may turn to music to console and uplift us. Music inhabits our brains
differently to reason and logic; instinctively we know that “music alone with
sudden charms can bind the wand’ring sense and calm the troubled mind.”
(William Congreve: ‘Hymn to harmony.’)
‘Desert Island Discs’ is the enduring, hugely popular Radio 4 programme where
noted people in their field are invited to share with listeners a personal playlist of
eight musical choices, usually woven into the story of their lives. They are
given the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare and invited to choose
just one other book and a luxury item of no practical use to take with them when
they are cast away on the island. Recently an unprecedented special
programme of listeners’ choices was produced, of music that helped us all get
through the lockdown. Which of course made me speculate: if you went on the
programme which eight records, book and luxury would you choose? It’s like a
sonic snapshot of how we feel at a given moment. I know what I would choose
today – but the list is constantly evolving. Tomorrow it would be different.
So to distract you from the chaos that surrounds us I invite you to choose your
personal Desert Island Discs – plus book and luxury. Of course this can be kept
private - some choices may be intensely personal. But you may want to be a
guest on my virtual programme. You don’t have to reveal why you choose a
particular piece of music; however, the most compelling programmes were
always when the person shared perhaps more of themselves than had been
originally intended - or deeply moving aspects of themselves and their life
experience through their choices.
If you would like to share your choices with me I will consider putting together
in some way (anonymised if requested) a concert/playlist/booklet of our own
community’s Desert Island Discs. Now there’s something to look forward to!
With my love and continuing prayers, Rev’d Judith

An extended version of ‘Parish Notes’ is available to view online at www.ggmbenefice.co.uk

where you can also find information and photographs of past and current activities.
Enquiries and requests for pastoral support to:
The Rev’d Jane Holmes, The Rectory, Gayton 01553 636227
The Rev’d Judith Pollard, The Rectory, Grimston 01485 601251
Please send items for inclusion in the August issue of the ‘Parish Notes’ to the editor by
20th July ~ Rosemary Mehers [email protected] or Tel: 01485 521866
Everyone is welcome to join us for our ‘Zoom’ service each Sunday
morning 10:20 for 10:30am.
Our Sunday services continue to attract more than 40 people ~ why not join us?
Additionally Wednesday afternoons at 3pm, provides variety in our worship.
Meetings planned for Wednesdays are:
1st July Prayer Meeting
8th July Celtic Service
15th July Short bible study
22nd July Reflections
29th July Discussion – Way forward for our Group
For further information contact Steve Williamson: 01553 636413 or email
[email protected]

Notable Dates in July

Thursday 2nd July The Visitation:
Shortly after the Virgin Mary was told she would give birth to Jesus she set off to visit
her cousin Elizabeth, (the mother of John the Baptist) herself in the sixth month of her
pregnancy. Elizabeth recognised the presence of Jesus and then Mary responded with
the words of the Magnificat ~ “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour”. This beautiful hymn is used daily in the service of Evensong
and is often sung as popular (modern) hymn ‘Tell out my soul’ to the tune ‘Woodlands’
by Walter Greatorex. Walter Greatorex was Director of Music at Gresham’s School,
Holt from 1911 to 1949 and composed the music in 1919; Woodlands is one of the
boarding houses at Greshams’s.
See Luke ch 1: vv 39 -56 for the full story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth
Some poems by Malcolm Guite are included in the extended edition see www.ggmbenefice.co.uk

Sunday 5th July The fourth Sunday after Trinity

Sunday 12th July The fifth Sunday after Trinity
Wednesday 15th July Feast of Saint Swithun
St Swithun was Bishop of Winchester, circa 862AD. Will it rain?
Sunday 19th July The sixth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday 26th July The seventh Sunday after Trinity
Wednesday 29th July A day to remember Mary, Martha and Lazarus
Sunday 2nd August The eighth Sunday after Trinity

~ At St Lawrence’s Church, Harpley. ~

Flowers in the porch (for the Sundays after Trinity), are in memory
of our loved ones who have died and also the many thousands,
unknown to us, who have died during the Corona Virus Pandemic.
Opening our Churches:
Since 13th June we have been permitted to open Churches for private
prayer and small funeral services with this extending to holding services,
including weddings, from 4th July. Church of England guidelines are
extensive and Rev’d Judith has been (and still is) busy meeting the various
Parochial Church Councils to discuss the risk assessments required before
opening and to decide a timetable for each of the five churches she leads.
Each is very different from the others and will need different
arrangements; the advice has been to go “slowly, steadily and safely”.
A Weekly Service will start on July 5th; the services (at 9am) will be held in
those churches in the Group which are large enough to accommodate about
40 people when socially distanced; they will complement the ‘Zoom’ service
(currently at 10:30am).
Sunday 5th July St Nicholas’, Gayton
Sunday 12th July St Mary’s, Great Massingham
Sunday 19th July St Nicholas’, Gayton*
Sunday 26th July St Lawrence’s, Harpley
St Andrew’s, Little Massingham will hold a lay-led Morning Prayer at 9:30am
*St Nicholas’ Church, Gayton will be closed for re-ordering for three months from
August and St Botolph’s, Grimston will join the rota.

Open for Prayer: We would love to welcome you to our Churches:

St Lawrence’s, Harpley is open daily 8am to 6pm
St Andrew’s, Congham will be open every Sunday 6am to 6pm
Others are still deciding if and when they can open for individual prayer.

If visiting a church please sign the visitors’ book (take your own pen) or let
us know your thoughts by email or text (07720 97 17 53).
We have been instructed to remove matches from candle stands; candles
are still available for you to light if wished but take your own lighter and
exercise caution when hands have been cleaned with alcoholic cleanser!
The churches will have been cleaned in preparation for opening but it is not
possible to clean between every visitor so please use the hand sanitiser
provided and follow the current advice:
* Be Sensible * Be Alert * Be Safe * Protect Yourself & Others *

From the Registers: Funerals with Burial at St Mary’s, Great Massingham

(Olive) Margaret Watson on 4th June, age 76.
John Reynolds on 16th June age 88.
News from Great Massingham & Harpley Church of England Schools
from Mrs Ann Beardall & Mrs Kirsten Stibbon
Wider opening has proved very successful at both schools. It has been lovely to see
more pupils in school and we are hoping that we might be able to welcome a few more
back in the remaining weeks before the summer holidays. Initially places will be offered
to those with siblings who are already attending school. At the moment, it looks
possible that we might be back to 'normal' from September and all staff very much hope
this is the case as we are missing pupils and families.
From 1st June, we were able to welcome back Reception, Year one and Year six pupils.
We have also kept our key worker pupils. In most cases, approximately half of these
year groups came in to school. Teachers have continued to set home learning and have
worked very hard to ensure that pupils learning at home receive the same education as
those who are in school. There has been a successful printed work collection and
reading book loan scheme running at both schools so that pupils still at home can borrow
reading books and receive printed home learning packs. Parents also use this system to
drop off completed work for marking. Reception, Year One and Year Six have been in
school from Monday to Thursday only as we are unable to staff all bubbles on a Friday
due to staff shortages; on Friday we have a separate key worker bubble for the
Federation which is located in the hall at Great Massingham and staffed by a different
teacher and TA. This system has worked well and has meant that we can keep staff and
resources for each bubble separate.
Pupils in school have settled in very well; they understand the need for our current health
and safety precautions and have been very sensible. They are very much enjoying being
back in school and seeing their friends and teachers.

A pupil’s eye view of the last three months by Emily

The day lockdown was announced, I thought it was great. At first, I liked being at
home. Mum and Dad worked from home a lot and my sister was at home every day. I
did homework set by school and played with my cats. The weather was amazing –
sunny nearly every day. Our local playground was closed, but we could go for walks
and I was lucky enough to have a beautiful woodland nearby and fields full of
amazing nature. After a few weeks I really missed my friends and the fun we have
at school. I wanted to do more, but I had no motivation to do anything throughout
the day.
When I was told that I would be going back to school, I was overcome with joy
because I knew that I would start getting some exercise and a routine every day.
Because none of my friends went back, I have started talking to others in my school,
people that I wouldn’t normally talk to. There is only eight of us there, so it’s very
quiet, plus our football teams are very small. Some things are different now than
they were before. Between every lesson we need to wash our hands, which
sometimes starts to eat at our lesson time. Also we normally start at 09:00, now we
start at 09:15, and we finish an hour and a quarter earlier, at 14:00 so that the
teachers can clean the classroom. We don’t’ go to school on Fridays, so that the virus
dies over the weekend. All in all I am so glad to be back at school and looking
forward to the time when the rest of the school returns.
 BACK SOON:

Bible Study / Prayer Group fortnightly

Coffee & Cake in Congham~ First Saturday of the month

Afternoon Teas in Great Massingham ~ Every Wednesday afternoon

Come & Sing ~

fortnightly in St Mary’s Gt Mass; with Julian Thomson

Celebrating John the Baptist

The birth of John the Baptist is celebrated on 24th June as it is
six months before Christmas Day and St Luke tells us in his
Gospel that John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus.
This date was traditionally midsummer in the pre-Christian
calendar so the eve of the festival was celebrated with bonfires
and beacons. St John the Baptist was sent to ‘Prepare the way
of the Lord’.

St. John the Baptist: 1 St. John’s Eve

Midsummer night, and bonfires on the hill
Burn for the man who makes way for the Light:
‘He must increase and I diminish still,
Until his sun illuminates my night.’
So John the Baptist pioneers our path,
Unfolds the essence of the life of prayer,
Unlatches the last doorway into faith,
And makes one inner space an everywhere.
Least of the new and greatest of the old,
Orpheus on the threshold with his lyre,
He sets himself aside, and cries “Behold
The One who stands amongst you comes with fire!”
So keep his fires burning through this night,
Beacons and gateways for the child of light.

There is also a second sonnet written for St John’s Day, which

reflects on baptism

You can read more and hear Malcolm Guite read the sonnets at:

https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/tag/john-the-baptist/
The sonnet below is written by Malcom Guite and included in his
book ‘Sounding the Seasons. As usual you can find more on his web
site.
https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/hidden-joys-a-
sonnet-for-the-visitation-8/

The Visitation

Here is a meeting made of hidden joys

Of lightenings cloistered in a narrow place
From quiet hearts the sudden flame of praise
And in the womb the quickening kick of grace.
Two women on the very edge of things
Unnoticed and unknown to men of power
But in their flesh the hidden Spirit sings
And in their lives the buds of blessing flower.
And Mary stands with all we call ‘too young’,
Elizabeth with all called ‘past their prime’
They sing today for all the great unsung
Women who turned eternity to time
Favoured of heaven, outcast on the earth
Prophets who bring the best in us to birth.

The Visitation, when Mary went to stay with Elizabeth, used to be

celebrated on July 2nd. This observance was moved to May 31st so
that it comes between the Annunciation (25th March) and the
birth of John the Baptist (24th June). This makes more sense
chronologically.
 In memoriam
Flowers for Sundays after Trinity
These flowers are in memory of our loved ones who have died
and also the many thousands, unknown to us, who have died
during the Corona Virus Pandemic.