New Lay Ministers for Ely Diocese

Ely Cathedral was full of life again today – what a great place it is, and so much going on – this time for the admission and licensing of this year’s crop of Licensed Lay Ministers, or Readers as they are called. Please give thanks and pray for

• John Marshall (Littleport)
• Helen Randall (Soham and Wicken)
• Mary Sutton (Sutton and Witcham with Mepal)
• Ruth Terrell (Papworth Team Ministry)
• Frances Leadon (Burwell and Reach)
• John Dickinson (Ely Team Ministry)
• Tony Harper (Ely Team Ministry)
• Shirley Holder (Great St Mary, Cambridge)

A good congregation was undeterred when the Halloween gremlins struck first at the PA system then at the organ (which started a ‘cypher’) and we finished in fine style sending off our new LLMs at the West Door, Bibles in hand, to preach God’s word and show his love to a world in need.

Inevitably, I was asked to say a few words:

LLM Admission Service Sermon 2009

I’ve just been reading Terry Pratchett’s latest novel, Unseen Academicals. It’s about football, except that since the main thing about football is that it’s not just about football, it’s really a book about life. The central character is a goblin-like orc, and the main thing about him is that even though he is a really good one, everyone would rather he was dead – until he helps his team win after all.

I’ve probably confused you by now – but I was hoping that talk of football and teams can help you remember a bit of what it was like in your playground days, and people were picking teams, and either they wanted you in theirs – or didn’t. Or how groups of friends would get together, and you were either in – or “it”. The last time I spoke here in the cathedral was to schoolchildren who had just written their hopes and burdens on shapes we made into an altar frontal. One of the biggest burdens? That all their friends would walk away. When I was a mixed infant, the usual way to get a game going was for a group of lads to link arms and start a chant, "Anybody wanna play cowboys and indians – no lasses." That’s more than half you left out for a start.

Life is cruel, society is cruel, we can be cruel – and it’s not how God intends things to be; which is why Isaiah has those strange words about eunuchs in today’s Old Testament lesson for the eve of All Sants – not what you would have expected. The point is that when God’s kingdom comes, everyone will be counted in. Even eunuchs; if they existed, even orcs; even lasses. Saints will come in all sorts and sizes. Pretty well by definition, there will be no second-class citizens in heaven.

This was the sort of society that Jesus started to build around him here on earth. We could say that this, just this, was what he meant when he said the kingdom of heaven was coming among us. We could say too that the Sermon on the Mount is the archetypal description of that society, which is made up of the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure in heart, the persecuted. Suddenly those who are outsiders are called in; those who no-one loves are the beloved; those whose heavenly dreams lie in the dust find heaven among them. I wonder if that dream, a dream which was no dream but the totally real transfiguring of earth by heaven in the earthly life of the heavenly man Jesus, I wonder if that dream can touch your heart now, and reignite the you deep within you, the image of God within all of us, the vocation to be of God and for God, the vocation to minister in his name?

Filed under: ministry , Ely Diocese, LLMs, Readers

Martin Luther, Reformer

Luther was born in 1483 in Saxony and educated at Magdeburg and Erfurt. He joined the Augustinians, became a lecturer in the university at Wittenberg, and vicar of his Order in 1515, in charge of a dozen monasteries.

He became convinced that the gospels taught we are saved by faith and not works, and launched a debate on  this when he posted ninety-five theses or propositions on the door of Wittenburg Church on this day in the year 1517. The rest is history!

Filed under: Celebrating the Saints

Ely Diocesan Prayers: October 31st

Thorney Abbey St Mary and St Botolph

P.I.C.: Colin Hurst

LLMs: Philip Williams; Rob Deans

Link: The Parishes of Eye and Newborough in the Diocese of Peterborough

Thanksgiving: for the life of our village; for all who care and help. Intercessions: that this ancient place will ‘speak’ of the Living God; for Rob Deans as he starts to train for the ministry.

Tuam, Killala & Achonry (Ireland) – The Rt Revd Dr Richard Crosbie Aitken Henderson

Filed under: Prayer Cycle

Growth in Cambridgeshire

Issue 12 of  the Cambridgeshire Growth  E-newsletter
is out now, updating us on a wide variety of projects that both Cambridgeshire Horizons and its partners are working on across the County. Here are some of the top stories.

North West Cambridge AAP
Development on Cambridge University’s site at North West Cambridge is set to deliver world-leading standards in carbon and water reduction after independent planning inspectors ruled that the Area Action Plan prepared jointly by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council was ’sound’ (subject to a number of changes being made).
The plan releases land from the Cambridge Green Belt between Huntingdon Road and Madingley Road in order to meet the long term development needs of Cambridge University and envisions a high quality development providing approximately 3,000 new homes, 50% of which will be for university key workers. Community facilities, accommodation for 2,000 students and employment and academic facilities have also been accepted.

Horizons celebrates 5th anniversary
Cambridgeshire Horizons, the not-for-profit organisation driving forward the delivery of sustainable new communities in the county, is five years old this month. 
The team has grown from four to 19 people (13 full time equivalent roles) over the years, and, with our partners, have managed to bring in over £100 million worth of funding to the county to support growth related projects including the Addenbrooke’s Access Road, improvements to the Great Fen, new cyclepaths, eco-homes in March, and most recently an innovative financing deal with Grosvenor and USS to deliver 1,200 new homes and associated community facilities at Trumpington Meadows (see below).

Trumpington Meadows moves ahead
A major development of 1,200 homes, community facilities, a primary school and a 60-hectare country park is a step closer after outline planning permission was granted by the Joint Development Control Committee.
The Trumpington Meadows site has been able to move forward, despite the economic downturn, thanks to a landmark deal struck between Cambridgeshire Horizons, the local authorities, Cambridgeshire Partnerships Ltd and the developers/ owners of the site, Grosvenor Developments and the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

Work completed on River Cam project
Both wildlife and residents of the planned Trumpington Meadows development will benefit from £100,000 of improvements to restore a 1.5km stretch of the River Cam running through the site. The Cambridge Fringes Joint Development Control Committee approved a planning application from South Cambridgeshire District Council to restore and improve the river, and the work has now been completed in advance of starting the new development.

Timetables launched for Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
Bus operators have now registered Guided Busway services ready for the route from St Ives to Cambridge to open by the end of November.
This means passengers will be able to travel between St Ives and the Science Park in Cambridge in just 20 minutes avoiding the frequent long queues on the congested A14.

Cambridge Biomedical Campus approved
Cambridge City Council has issued outline planning permission for the Cambridgeshire Biomedical Campus, located to the south of the city.
The new Campus will double the size of the Addenbrooke’s Hospital site, making space for new clinical facilities and medical research and development.

Filed under: Current affairs

Gaza: A Journey through Thorns

ALSO!

Reem Kelani

 

Outstanding Palestinian singer, Reem Kelani blends Arabic and Palestinian music with jazz rhythms.  She will be appearing with her band, singing songs from her first album, Sprinting Gazelle and featuring new songs from the Egyptian poet, Sayyed Darwish.

“…delicate, joyous, trancy, austere, boisterous and beautiful”

Time Out

The Junction

Tuesday 10 November

Doors 7pm, programme begins 7.30pm

£14/concessions £10

01223 511 511

www.junction.co.uk

“…delicate, joyous, trancy, austere, boisterous and beautiful”

Time Out

Filed under: Events

Ely Diocesan Prayers: October 30th

Walsoken All Saints

Rector: Allan Landall

Truro – The Rt Revd William Ind: Truro – St Germans – The Rt Revd Royden Screech

Filed under: Prayer Cycle

James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa

James Hannington was born in 1847 and was ordained after studying at Oxford. He was a curate for five years and then and then went to Uganda for the CMS. He was consecrated bishop for that part of Africa in 1884 and soon led a mission inland. The King of the Buganda, Mwanga seized the whole party, and after torture they were butchered to death on this day in 1885. His life and death move and challenge us to costly mission too.

 

Collect

Most merciful God,
who strengthened your Church by the steadfast courage
   of your martyr James Hannington:
grant that we also,
thankfully remembering his victory of faith,
may overcome what is evil
and glorify your holy name;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Ely Diocesan Prayers: October 29th

Outwell St Clement

Rector: Alan Jesson

LLM: Daphne Calvert

Links: African International Christian Ministry; CMS; Sunflower Trust, Romania; USPG; Mission to Seafarers

We give thanks for our Heritage Day back in June which engendered much interest, as did Peter Carter’s Punt to Ely for Etheldreda Day. As we struggle to cope with our problems we pray for the fortitude of the martyrs in living their faith whatever the cost.

Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies) – The Rt Revd Calvin Wendell Bess

Filed under: Prayer Cycle

Simon & Jude, Apostles

Simon and Jude are listed among the twelve apostles in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Simon is called ‘the Zealot’ – a member of a nationalist movement. Jude is called the son of James (Luke), and the brother of James (Ep. Jude), and is probably the same person as Thaddæus, which may have been a last name.

Why is Jude the patron of lost causes? One theory is that he was only prayed to as a last resort, because his name was similar to that of Judas Iscariot.Owing to the similarity of his name to that of Judas Iscariot.

The two apostles are joined together on this day because a church in Rome had relics of and a dedication to both of them.

Collect

Almighty God,
who built your Church upon the foundation
   of the apostles and prophets,
with Jesus Christ himself as the chief corner-stone:
so join us together in unity of spirit by their doctrine,
that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Filed under: Celebrating the Saints

Ely Diocesan Prayers: October 28th

Upwell St Peter

Rector: Alan Jesson

LLM: Daphne Calvert

Links: African International Christian Ministry; CMS; Sunflower Trust, Romania; USPG; Mission to Seafarers

The Festival of Simon and Jude reminds us that Apostles are sent out to proclaim the faith. We pray that we may always be ready to proclaim the Gospel in our village. We give thanks for our MAP process and for a successful Patronal.

St Simon and St Jude

Trichy-Tanjore (South India) – The Rt Revd Dr G. Paul Vasanthakumar

Filed under: Prayer Cycle