The United Benefice of Fen Drayton with Conington and Lolworth and Swavesey The Fisherman - The Benefice Magazine Issue 15.1 - Easter 2009 The Easter Candle in St Andrew’s, Swavesey Fools’ Paradise When talking about the current economic downturn, the financial experts now are all falling over themselves to say, ‘I knew about it all along - I could see it coming’.  But the fact remains that if they did see it coming, few of them did or said anything about it.  And yet many ordinary folks have had a feeling for a long while that something wasn’t quite right with the world of finance,  that we were living in a fools’ paradise to believe that eveyone’s prosperity could only grow and grow and grow while clever people bought and sold ever more complicated packages of debts and monetary promises.  But all the while nobody was actually making anything of real value or use to real people,    except perhaps a lot of money for the privileged few who were in on the game. It’s all been an illusion - a trick with smoke and mirrors - and one by which some people have become immensly rich while many millions across the world must now pay a real debt of destitution and misery.      I sometimes think we’ve been living in something of a fools’ paradise when it comes to God as well.  Most of the time we get on with our lives without paying any particular attention to the God who created us and loves us.  But deep down in our souls, we know that this is not right.  Yes, of course, we can ignore God: spurn his love for us, avoid the teachings of faith.  And yes, we can get away with it - it doesn’t seem to do us any harm. Yet how much better if we do turn to God and pray to him, asking about his will for our lives?  How much sweeter is a life lived in harmony with God, offering him our worship in the fellowship of his Church?   How much happier we can be when we acknowledge our confidence in God and take to heart what he has done for us in his Son Jesus Christ? Easter is the great festival of thanksgiving as we praise God for the generous reconciliation that he offers us in the passion and in the vindication of his Son.  It is a time for righting the balance in our lives and making a new start with what, deep down, we have always known to be right.   The Vicar New Diocesan e-Magazine The Diocese of Ely has a new Newsletter, replacing the late-lamented Ely Ensign.  But this is a newsletter with a difference:    there is no centrally printed edition: this is an e- newsletter - it is published electronically. Editor Val Robson invites everyone to download the new monthly magazine from the Diocesan website and keep up-to-date with what is going on across the Diocese of Ely. If you would like to receive the Newsletter monthly ‘fresh off the press’ (though, of course, there is no press), you can subscribe by going to www.ely.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo/Diocesan-newsletter.ely. Alternatively, if you simply want to look at the current issue (and any back numbers), the archive can be found at www.ely.anglican.org/news_events/newsletters. Love Light Romania Love Light Romania is a  Registered Charity run by Jo and Ron Jowett. They gave up their home in England to start and run this Charity because they were so moved by the plight of the children they saw who were forced to live on rubbish dumps. They  now have a home which cares for and loves twelve children who suffer from HIV and Aids, some of the children also have learning difficulties. Jo also does outreach supporting families who continue to live on rubbish tips.  Every penny raised goes to support the children and familes because Ron and Jo work for no salary. Lydia and John Collins from Fen Drayton are going to drive a van out to Romania in July.  The Children desperately need paracetamol and multivitamins to help to relieve their symptoms and to build up their strength. These are vital as even the hospitals find it difficult to get supplies. They hope to take these and clothing etc. If you are able to buy or have extra supplies of these drugs please contact Lydia Collins on 01954 203280 or email jonandlydia@ntlworld.com.  For further information please look at the Love Light Romania website on www.lovelightromania.com. The Children’s Society The Advent Christingle service was held on Sunday 7th December at St Andrew’s, Swavesey.  As usual it was very enjoyable and well attended. Eighty-two Christingles were distributed.       Thanks are due to the Sunday School children for bringing their candles of money, they raised £64 to help swell the final total to £152.68. Thanks are also due to Jackie Few, Vanessa Hart, Anne & John Jarzabek,Carrie Looper, Helen Robinson and Caroline, Daniel and Matthew Stevens for their help in assembling the Christingles. Also the bellringers who bid us to the service, to the music group who add so much  to our enjoyment and to Helen and Colin Pheysey for supplying the oranges.       2008 was a special year for this event. It was 40 years since the Children’s Society first brought the Christingle service to Britain.  Now 6000 churches, schools and groups around the country join the celebrations each year from Advent through to Candlemas. Last year, £182,361.53 was raised through hundreds of beautiful and inspiring Christingle events across the London and East region.       As you all know the Society’s concern is children, so I would like to mention the Cottenham and Swavesey Locality Team which provides services for children, young people and families who may need advice on many topics, for example, students who have social, emotional and behavioural problems. The team works with day nurseries, children’s centres and pre-schools to ensure high quality education in our area. This is a Cambridgeshire County Council initiative and Swavesey Parish Council, among others, has recognised the importance of this work and committed funds to enable this kind of work to go forward in our community.  I think this is a commendable project and deserves our support and recognition. Many thanks to everyone for supporting the work of the Society.      Dorothy Gilbert Thanks are due also to all who supported the Epiphany Christingle Service at St Mary’s, Fen Drayton, on 18th January 2009 and especially to Val and George Burton who donated the oranges. St Andrew’s Choir During Lent the choir were singing anthems at the 11.00am service on 1st March and again on 29th March. Choristers are now busy with a very lively item by John Rutter for Easter Day.       Easter Day will also see the premiere of a new setting by our organist, Dick Lingham, of a poem based on the Lord’s Prayer, All hallowed be thy name, O Lord, by the Revd Kenneth H F Kinns, father of one of the choristers.       The choir will also be preparing for the Diocesan Music Festival at Ely Cathedral on Saturday 16th May.  This event, to which everyone is warmly invited, will include a new anthem composed for the 900th Anniversary of the Diocese of Ely by John Rutter and which will be conducted by him.       Other items will be conducted by Paul Trepte, Director of Music at the Cathedral.  The Festival begins at 5.30pm.          Keith Lofts Christian Aid Week Christian Aid Week this year runs from 10th-16th May.  The present economic downturn has made the work of Christian Aid throughout the disadvantaged world even more vital.  Please be as generous as possible when the envelopes come round. Annual Meetings Easter brings with it the season of Annual Parochial Church Meetings.  These are when Churchwardens for the coming year are elected, the past year in the parishes is reviewed and plans for the future are discussed.  For details of the Annual Meetings in each of the parishes please see the Benefice Diary on page 4. Easter Communions The Vicar is always pleased to bring Holy Communion to parishioners who are housebound, especially at Eastertide, but also throughout the rest of the year. Seven Whole Days Sunday Sanctuary Sunday Sanctuary offers a variety of alternative styles of worship - using pictures, words, music and silence.  From 17th May 2009 Sunday Sanctuary moves to a new time of 7.00pm and will meet alternately at Bethel Baptist Church and St Andrew’s, Swavesey. Baby and Toddler Service BATS meets on the second Monday of each month at 10.30am in St Andrew’s, Swavesey - to praise God, to make a noise, to do some craft and for a natter over coffee and biscuits. St Andrew’s, Swavesey, Sunday School Sunday School meets during the 11.00am worship in term-time except on Family Service Sundays.  From age 3 upwards.  The House Group The House Group meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 8.00pm for fellowship, for Bible Study, for prayer and for discussion.  See the Vicarage Website for the next venue. St Andrew’s Choir St Andrew’s Choir meets for practice on Thursday evenings from 7.45pm to 8.30pm and sings at the 11.00am service on Sunday mornings and on other special occasions. The Music Group St Andrew’s Music Group plays for Family Services and on other occasions.  Contact: the Vicar. The Bell Ringers Bell Practices are held at St Andrew’s, Swavesey, on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm. Come along or call Andrew Stevens on 01954 231433.  The bells of St Mary’s, Conington, are also rung: contact Dean Jarvis on 01954 267441. The Easter Candle in St Andrew’s, Swavesey