360 Miscellany

News and views

World-class line-up announced for Derry 2020 Festival

The full programme of events for this year’s online edition of the City of Derry International Choir Festival is available. Get the dates in your diary, 21-25 October, and see it all on Facebook, YouTube and [ derrychoirfest.com. ]

The organisers say, “Tune in, join in, sing along. We look forward to singing along with you!” For full listing of events, click here –
[[] https://derrychoirfest.com/2020-festival/programme-of-events.php ]

Bells for 7 mins, at 7 pm, for 7 days mark St. Nicholas’ 700 years

This Sunday 27th September, to mark the 700th year of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, the church bells will sound out for seven minutes at 7pm for 7 days.

Commencing on Sunday, they will ring out each evening next week and flood the streets of Galway with their now familiar and comforting sound. (Watch live here on our Facebook page)

The newly formed campanology school has been very busy over the last year bringing the sound of the bells to Galway City and had a particularly popular ringing in of the New Year, last New Year’s Eve. The bells have brought welcome hope and solace as they rang out at 12 noon every Friday during the pandemic and lockdown, for frontline workers, and all those navigating through isolating, lonely or difficult times. There was an overwhelming public response. The sound of the bells ringing out assures people that they are not alone. They have brough assurance to many, with the live streaming being viewed locally and internationally, ensuring that those who are not local can still hear and witness it all.

The Rector has said that St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church has a special place in peoples hearts home and abroad, and a donation would be greatly appreciated, no matter how small, helping safeguard the church so that the bells can continue to ring out for many years to come: [ idonate.ie/stnicholascollegiatechurch ]

Online Harvest Festival service with the Bishop of Ripon

An Online Harvest Festival service will be broadcast from 9am on Sunday. with contributions from farmers across the diocese of Leeds. The service will celebrate God’s creation with calls for climate change action. Filmed across the Diocese of Leeds the service will feature reflections on climate change, farming and the beauty of nature. The reflections will be from clergy, those who work in agriculture, and a local artist.

A reflection led by farmer and chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Neil Heseltine, will explore the role agriculture can play in tackling climate change. Mr Heseltine who has been farming in Malham since 2001 has been working alongside local environmental group to promote biodiversity.

He will tell the national online service his work “promotes nature and promotes biodiversity on the farm.” Reflecting on the existential threat climate change poses for those in rural communities he will add: “We could farm… but at the same time do it in harmony with nature to promote biodiversity and get a balance between the food we produce and the natural environment we are working in at the moment.”

The service, with the theme of harvest and connection to nature, is to be broadcast from 9am on Sunday on the Church of England’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel.
[https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online]

Lough Derg update

The Pilgrim Path remains open for personal prayer and pilgrimage, and helpful resources are available in the Visitor Centre at the Lakeshore. Organised Pilgrimages along the Lakeshore are suspended due to Level 3 restrictions in Co
Donegal

JMA resource released

Methodist Church World Mission Partnership have just released the 2020/21 JMA resource

JMA is an activity programme designed to help children learn about and engage with God’s global mission! You can download the JMA resource here:
[] https://buff.ly/2RLrVVM
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Blessing of the Pets’ Service to go ahead in Belfast

Even a pandemic will not deter Belfast Cathedral in its annual mission to bless our pets at this time of the year.

The Pets’ Service returns on Sunday October 4 but, given the current Covid-19 restrictions, it will look a little different.

The Cathedral’s first Blessing of the Pets’ Service was held in 2017, and since then it has been a popular annual event in the calendar of pet lovers from Belfast and far beyond.

Every year, more than 100 animal lovers attend with pets of all shapes and sizes to enjoy a magnificent service of music and give thanks for their furry, feathered, scaled or shelled companions.

The Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev Stephen Forde, was keen to not miss this special event entirely, even though restrictions mean it cannot follow its usual format.

Instead, coinciding with St Francis of Assisi Day, Dean Forde and Dean’s Vicar, the Rev Canon Mark Niblock, will be on the steps of St Anne’s on October 4 between 2pm and 3pm. They are encouraging people to bring their pets to receive a blessing during this time.

Scottish bishops message of thanks and support

The College of Bishops has issued a message of thanks and support to all in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and a reminder to be kind to each other, as revised guidance for re-opening of SEC churches is released

https://www.scotland.anglican.org/bishops-offer-thanks-as-updated-guidance-released/

Volunteer at Autumn Soul 20

Autumn Soul happens because there are over 100 amazing volunteers serving throughout the weekend. Wondering how you can be a part of this year?

Find out how you can serve this year: [ https://buff.ly/305Xdvd ]

Finaghy parishioner celebrated her 100th birthday

Many congratulations to Mrs Maisie Jameson from the Church of the Epiphany, Parish of Finaghy and Upper Malone, who celebrated her 100th birthday on September 13.

The Rev Louise Stewart, rector, was among those to pay a socially-distanced visit to Maisie, who lives independently at home in Finaghy, on the big day.

Maisie, along with her late husband Dick, has been a faithful member of the Church of the Epiphany for many years. Dick was a sexton and did a lot of work around the parish, and Maisie remains a loyal and involved member of the parish Mothers’ Union. The couple have one daughter, Ann.

It has been an eventful year for Maisie. She moved into a nursing home for respite care following a fall early this year and, because of lockdown, she remained there for more weeks than had been originally intended. During this time, Maisie contracted Covid-19, but was asymptomatic and has made a full recovery. She returned to her own home in April.

Louise said: “I really had to go and visit Maisie as we have been counting down the years to this big birthday. I hadn’t seen her since March and she was looking great. She said it had been the best birthday she has ever had!”

Great Connections At Ignite Online

Last Saturday (19th) saw CMSI host Ignite – its annual conference – which this year was an entirely online event.

Despite the disappointment of not being able to meet together in person, the event was a huge success. Over the course of the morning programme, almost 100 people from 12 different countries joined together to share greetings, hear updates, pray, worship and chat. The virtual forum ensured that many of CMSI’s Global Partners were able to attend the meeting, bringing a truly international flavour to the gathering.

The main conference gathering began with a series of greetings from 16 different leaders from across CMSI’s global family. Mission Director, Jenny Smyth reflected on the past six months for the society and introduced an update film from CMSI’s Covid-19 Response Appeal. Jenny also introduced the Society’s new annual theme: Voices Of Hope. The session finished with a shared (muted) song and a video message from Archbishop Justin in South Sudan, in which he encouraged us to “push out into deep waters”…
More at –
[[] https://www.cmsireland.org/single-post/2020/09/25/Great-Connections-At-Ignite-Online ]

Pointers to Prayers

Prayers urged for 300,000 seafarers stranded owing to Covid-19 travel restrictions

Today we pray for Yemeni hospitals and health workers. War, malnutrition and now the pandemic have created a ‘perfect storm’ putting huge pressure on the Yemeni healthcare system.

Lord, we’re so grateful for everything that makes us feel secure – for homes, people who love us, and purpose in life. We pray for those who don’t have the same reassurances, that God will give them a measure of peace in their circumstances. MU

Poem for Today

Father and Son
by Frederick Robert Higgins

Only last week, walking the hushed fields
Of our most lovely Meath, now thinned by November,
I came to where the road from Laracor leads
To the Boyne river-that seems more lake than river,
Stretched in uneasy light and stript of reeds.

And walking longside an old weir
Of my people’s, where nothing stirs-only the shadowed
Leaden flight of a heron up the lean air-
I went unmanly with grief, knowing how my father,
Happy though captive in years, walked last with me there.

Yes, happy in Meath with me for a day
He walked, taking stock of herds hid in their own breathing;
And naming colts, gusty as wind, once steered by his hand,
Lightnings winked in the eyes that were half shy in greeting
Old friends-the wild blades, when he gallivanted the land.

For that proud, wayward man now my heart breaks-
Breaks for that man whose mind was a secret eyrie,
Whose kind hand was sole signet of his race,
Who curbed me, scorned my green ways, yet increasingly loved me
Till Death drew its grey blind down his face.

And yet I am pleased that even my reckless ways
Are living shades of his rich calms and passions-
Witnesses for him and for those faint namesakes
With whom now he is one, under yew branches,
Yes, one in a graven silence no bird breaks.

Well said

“The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most temporal part of time–for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.”- C.S. Lewis