Irish news digest

£7000 raised in 4 hours for Diocese of Northern Uganda

When Revd Willie Nixon (Photo above) designated Tuesday 5 May ‘Kindness Day at Drumbeg Parish,’ he (literally) got much more than he bargained for.

An invitation simply to be kind to one another took, in Willie’s words, “a God turn” as £7010 was raised in 4 hours in a huge act of kindness to God’s people in Uganda.

“This was God,” says Willie. “I asked for £1000 and promised to make up any shortfall myself and God gave us £7010.”

Kindness Day at Drumbeg Parish was actually inspired by some wise words from Willie’s 17–year old daughter Anna (pictured above).

“Anna, my eldest child, said something profound to me on Monday evening,” says Willie. “’Daddy when everything is uncertain what we need more than anything is kindness,’ she said. For me that was a ‘lightning bolt’ moment of inspiration!”

“We got talking and she said: “Daddy, you see your long daily reflections during lockdown on WhatsApp?” I answered, “Yes darling,” to which she replied: “Daddy, tomorrow forget big thoughts and just tell our people to be kind”. How right she was!

Revd James, a rector in Northern Uganda

“Anna and I left the conversation with the decision that Tuesday 5 May 2020 would be remembered as the “Day of Kindness” at Drumbeg Parish during lockdown.”

Willie circulated an email and WhatsApp message to his parishioners, but the day took a ‘God turn’ with the arrival of an email from the Mission Committee and dire news from the parish’s link diocese of Northern Uganda.

Willie quickly sent a WhatsApp message to Bishop Johnson Gakumba, who replied to say that his clergy were on the verge of starvation. There was a major need for food for over 350 church workers and for masks to protect them when called upon to conduct funeral services.
Bishop Johnson ended the message with these words:

Personally, I am overwhelmed by the vulnerable people who call or even come ‘knocking knocking’ at my door for help yet am also struggling to feed my own family. These are people who live from hand to mouth who lost their jobs. I feared bothering you because I know that this is a worldwide problem and your people also may be struggling to cope but to see that you want to help your brothers and sisters this is being your brother’s keeper.

Moved and humbled, at 5.00 pm Willie sent out another message asking for donations of £20. By 5.10 pm he had been given £810 and by bedtime the total had reached £7010.

The money has already been sent to Bishop Johnson in Uganda to feed his starving clergy and their families.

Willie concludes: “Last week at our school in Nyapeya (Uganda) the families were boiling stones to make soup…yes boiling stones. Such imbalance in this world, but God has enough to go round. All we need to do is share it with them.

“To God be the glory great things he hath done today amongst us!”

Methodist President’s message on 75th Anniversary of VE Day

Statement from Rev Sam McGuffin, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

As we reach the 8th of May and the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, we find ourselves unable to gather to commemorate, and perhaps even reluctant to celebrate, this occasion.

We should of course spare a thought for the vast number of people who died during that awful conflict and the even greater number of those who suffered as a consequence of it. We can recall the horror and trauma experienced by those on the front lines. We can reflect on the economic cost of it all. We can remember the factors that led to victory, some of which were: personal resilience, community togetherness and determination, personal and public sacrifice, national willingness to do what was needed; a concerted international effort to overcome the adversary, a firm trust in elected leaders to give good guidance, and a strong faith in God. We can also reflect on the fact that, whilst victory was won, life for everyone all around the world was never the same again.

75 years later we find ourselves waging a different war. On this occasion we face an invisible adversary, though the conflict is still on a global scale. Hundreds of thousands of people have died already and millions are suffering across the world. The economic cost is enormous. The day when victory will come is still distant and uncertain.

To be victorious in this present conflict we again need personal resilience, community togetherness and determination, personal and public sacrifice, national willingness to do what is needed; a concerted international effort to overcome the adversary, a firm trust in elected leaders to give good guidance, and a strong faith in God. We can also reflect on the fact that, whilst victory will be won, life for everyone all around the world will never be the same again.

As our forefathers and mothers prayed, persevered, and prevailed, so let us do the same.

‘With You in Spirit’ – Messages of Hope in a Time of Crisis on RTE

Throughout the Covid–19 crisis RTÉ has been offering a regular series called ‘With You in Spirit’ on weekdays at 10.55am on RTÉ One. These are short messages of hope and encouragement from people from a wide variety of faith backgrounds.

Yesterday’s reflection was offered by Ordinand and resident of Dublin & Glendalough dioceses, Philip McKinley. You can watch it back on the RTÉ Player at www below.

Next Tuesday, May 12, the reflection will be given by Julia McKinley, in her capacity as Development Officer of the National Bible Society of Ireland.
[[] https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2020/05/08/with-you-in-spirit-messages ]

Book Spot

Iona Abbey Worship Book (New revised edition)

The services and resources in the Iona Abbey Worship Book reflect the Iona Community’s commitment to the belief that worship is all that we are and all that we do, both inside and outside the church, with no division into the sacred and the secular. The material draws on many traditions, including the Celtic, and aims to help us to be fully present to God, who is fully present to us – in our neighbour, in the political and social activity of the world around us, and in the very centre and soul of our being.

Each year, thousands of visitors make their way to Iona and many are changed by their time on this small Hebridean island which has been a powerful spiritual centre over the centuries. The Iona Community believes that we are brought to Iona not to be changed into ‘religious’ people, but rather to be made more fully human. Our common life – including our services – is directed to that end.

This new edition of the Iona Abbey Worship Book has been extensively revised and rearranged. About 80% of the text is new material which has been developed by members of the Iona Community since the previous edition.

272 pages. Published by The Iona Community
SKU/ISBN: 9781849525138
Order from –
[[] https://www.ionabooks.com/iona-abbey-worship-book-new-revised-edition.html ]

Points for Prayer

O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto thee for succour. Deliver us, we beseech thee, from our peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick; prosper the means made use of for their cure; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom which leadeth to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
( 1928 BCP, 45).

O Almighty and merciful God, with whom are the issues of life and death: Grant us, we beseech thee, help and deliverance in this time of grievous sickness and mortality, and sanctify to us this affliction, that in our sore distress we may turn our hearts unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(1929 Scottish BCP, 42).

God in creation