Readings Acts 1.15-17,21-26; 1 John 5.9-13; John 17.6-19
We remember in our prayers
Today Anglican Communion Sunday
Ashbourne Deanery - Rural Dean (Vacant), Lay Chair: Clive Chipchase
Monday Northwestern Pennsylvania - (Province III, USA) The Rt Revd Sean Walter Rowe
Fenny Bentley, Thorpe, Alsop en le Dale, Parwich
Tuesday Norwich - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd Graham James
Norwich - Lynn - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd James Henry Langstaff
Norwich - Thetford - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd David John Atkinson
Clergy: (Vacant)
Wednesday Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island - (Canada, Canada) The Rt Revd Susan Elizabeth Moxley
Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island - (Canada, Canada) The Rt Revd Ronald Cutler
Hulland, Atlow, Bradley, Hognaston, Kniveton
Thursday Nsukka - (Province of the Niger, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Jonah C Ilonuba
Clergy: Christopher Mitchell Friday Nyahururu - (Kenya) The Rt Revd Charles Gaikia GaitaBrailsford, Shirley, Osmaston, Edlaston, Yeaveley
Saturday Offa - (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Gabriel Akinbolarin Akinbiyi
Clergy: Paul Taylor, Andy Larkin
Notices for the week
Today - 7th Sunday of Easter
9.30a.m. Holy Communion - Boylestone
9.30a.m. Mattins - Church Broughton
9.30a.m. Holy Communion - Longford
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Long Lane
11.00a.m. Family Service - Sutton
6.30p.m. Evensong - Radbourne
6.45p.m. Evensong - Trusley
Monday Duck Race - Brook Farm Boylestone from 4.00p.m
Friday to Sunday - Flower Festival celebrating 150 years of Christ Church, Long Lane closing with Songs of Praise at 7.00p.m.
Next Sunday - Pentecost - Whitsun Day
11a.m. United Holy Communion - Trusley
7.00p.m. Songs of Praise - Long Lane
Please let the Rector have your hymn requests as soon as possible.
Advance Notice
Teddy Bear Parachuting from Church Broughton Church Tower on Saturday 13th June from 3.00p.m.
Sunday 7th June - Radbourne Fete from 2.00p.m. at the Old Rectory
Beware the Summer Strawberry Tea
The Rectory
St. James the Least
My dear Nephew Darren
Never, ever feel aggrieved that your summer strawberry tea has to be held in the church hall rather than on a lawn, since there isn’t a single blade of grass to be found in your entire parish. You have no idea of the potential calamities you are avoiding.
Here, during the previous week, the organisers will be desperately asking the opinion of local farmers about the weather. In doing so, they forget that for the farming community, it is always the wrong sort of weather anyway. I once received a heartfelt plea from the staff at Heathrow airport for our ladies to stop calling them at hourly intervals to find out if hurricanes may be imminent.
Naturally, the day will start out warm and sunny and so all the tables will be arranged on the vicarage lawn. By 10am, tablecloths will have been laid. By 10.10am, a brisk breeze will have sprung up and someone will be delegated to retrieve them all from deep within the nettle patch. By 11am, clouds will gather and a decision will be made to transfer everything into the church hall. Once that is completed, just when it is almost too late to change, the sun will re-emerge and there will be a frantic dash to put everything back on the lawn. This ensures that by 2pm when teas start, the ladies will already be in a state of collapse.
Last year, the dowager duchess of Trilby graced us with her presence. As she sat with her entourage, elegantly sipping tea under a giant parasol over the table, the thing – equally elegantly – closed around her, leaving her looking like one of those unfortunate insects trapped by a carnivorous plant. To emerge from its depths looking entirely unflustered was beyond even her social skills.
Fortunately, attention was diverted from her predicament by the wife of one of our farmers. This substantial lady had been sitting in a chair with slightly too thin legs for the damp lawn. The rear two slowly sank into the grass, eventually catapulting the dear lady backwards into the lap of the local mayor. Disentangling red flannelette from mayoral chains took some time, and delicacy.
At least when I have had enough, the lawn can be cleared in minutes by drawing the raffle. The moment the last rubber shower cap and set of Christmas doilies has been awarded, there will be a dash to get home, giving my dog the opportunity to retrieve remnants of cream cakes from the flower beds.
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
Parish Pump & the Benefice entry in the South Derbyshire Churchman can be found on the internet at:- http://churchbroughtonchurch.blog.co.uk
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