Minster Lifeline 44
REV. IRENE WRITES:
Advent is a time when we watch and wait and pray for the coming of light into the world.
Sometimes in our busy lives it is difficult to achieve this. At the Minster it is also a time when there are daily events taking place, however, each day begins with Morning Prayer giving a time to watch, wait and pray. I am fortunate to have spent last weekend in a log cabin on the North Yorkshire Moors and although it was quiet being with my family it was an opportunity to reflect and take in the beauty of the scenery around me and time to talk to God. Each day throughout Advent we will be posting on social media a short ‘thought for the day’ written by a variety of people in our church community. If you are able, do take the opportunity to start the day reading this and praying that the light of Jesus may come into the lives of many who do not yet know of his love.
TOOLS WITH A MISSION
Have you heard of the charity TWAM (Tools with a Mission). The charity collects tools that are no longer needed and they are sent to a refurbishment centre where, once refurbished, they are packed into kits and sent to skills training centres in Africa.. If you have tools in your shed that are no longer used then please contact me on: irene@hullminster.org and we will arrange to pick up from you on his next visit to the area.
Many thanks in advance – great charity to support.
MUSIC IN THE MINSTER
Schools and Families visit the Minster for Peter and the Wolf
Last week, Carrot Productions brought their performance of 'Musical Beasts' to Hull, which included a performance of Peter and the Wolf, and music to accompany an animation of The Bear and the Piano. On Monday afternoon the audience consisted of home educating families - many of which were visiting the Minster for the first time and are now coming back in December for a Christingle service. On Tuesday Year 3 classes from Adelaide Primary and Woodland Primary visited us, and Wednesday was the time for Year 5 and 6 from Chiltern Primary. Thursday saw visits from Tweendykes Special school in the morning, and Ganton Special school in the afternoon. Overall around 350 children came into the church and experienced classical music up close, many for the first time, and they also had the opportunity to meet with the musicians and ask questions after each performance. It was a special week for all involved!
RVW150 Concert - On Saturday night, the choir were involved in a special 'From Pub to Pulpit' concert which explored the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and his collection of folk music transforming into hymn tunes. We were joined by Broomdasher, a folk acapella group, and Coracle, a contemporary folk group, playing such instruments as clarinet, accordion, cello, nyckelharpa, viola da gamba and hurdy gurdy! Thank you to all those who came to support the choir.
In Dulci Jubilo Our next concert is on Sunday night at 7pm - In Dulci Jubilo - a collaboration with Gabrieli Roar. It will involve all of our school choirs, the MInster choir, and the Gabrieli Consort in a spectacular evening of the polychoral music of Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz. Please come and support us! Tickets can be purchased here: Gabrieli Roar Education Concert (04-Dec-2022) · ChurchSuite Events
https://hm.churchsuite.com/events/q7qhsqir Katie Ogilvie
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY:
You may be intrigued to see this article in Lifeline, but as you will see in next week’s edition, it has great relevance to a member of our congregation.
“Ships at sea mostly sail in international waters, which are not protected by any authorities, so incidents that happen there are of no concern to state administrations. Once in territorial waters and port, overzealous regulatory bodies made working at sea difficult and frustrating and increasingly expensive for shipowners. Since the end of the Vietnam war no countries have had a presence in the oceans and there has been no one to police the open seas. The people of the poorer nations of the world, attempting to escape the tyranny of poverty, looked around and noticed the huge wealth of shipping and trade off their coasts. This was the reason and motivation for piracy to become reinstated after more than 150 years since the pirates of the Caribbean and the Barbary coast pirates were eradicated.
The golden age of piracy was in part encouraged by Britain, during the American war of independence, when privateers, (armed Merchant men), were encouraged to attack ships trading from the Caribbean to the US East coast and could keep all they plundered. This was the era of Black Beard, the most notorious privateer, sailing under the Jolly Roger flag and attacking numerous ships. Black Beard terrified seafarers into submission and killed them to prevent reports getting back to the authorities. He had attacked and destroyed more than thirty merchant ships, before the Americans sent out war ships and put an end to piracy in the Western Atlantic in 1830. The European trade routes were also subject to attack by the notorious Barbery pirate of North Africa. They even ventured over 1000 miles to the Southern Irish coast, where they were paid to kidnap English settlers and sell them into slavery. Such arrangements were made by the O’Driscoll family in Cork in an attempt to resist and eradicate the English colonization of Ireland. By 1830, the British navy and American men of war had cleansed the coast of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and pirate bases had been sacked with everyone connected to piracy killed. This left the Pirates in the Indian ocean and Madagascar to plague the Euro Asia Trade. These were countered by the British and Dutch East India Company’s heavily armed privateer ships which ruthlessly hunted pirate vessels and invaded and destroyed pirate bases on the coast of East Africa and in the Red Sea.
By the middle 1800’s the Indian Ocean pirates had been subdued and many of their pirate crews had been taken to London for trial and subsequent hanging.
Modern Piracy is virtually out of control, a $50 Billion industry which has grown since the early 1980’s and boomed since the end of the cold war. It is no longer the province of the poorer criminal element but involves rogue authorities and national navies of many countries. After a piracy incident, the port officials who come aboard ship to investigate, are themselves the ones who perpetrated the pirate attack” To be continued next week.
MINSTER SHOP
This year’s Minster Christmas card is a lovely nostalgic image of Hull Minster from an original painting by Julia Allum. Cards are £1 each or packets of 5 for £4.50. We are going plastic free this year so bundles of 5 will be smartly wrapped with a recyclable paper collar.
Any quantity can be pre-booked by contacting a Shop volunteer or myself or email: shop@hullminster.org. Of course, you can also buy direct from the Minster Shop where you will be able to view the wonderful selection of cards and gifts. Sue McGaw
BIBLE STUDY GROUP
During December there will be a break in the Wednesday Bible teaching groups. Details of new studies and courses will be announced in Lifeline before January.
WARM SPACE IN THE MINSTER
WARM SPACE IN THE MINSTER
This continues this Thursday and throughout the winter months. Anyone is welcome, drinks served during the morning and afternoon and soup and a roll at lunchtime.
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER
We pray for Dominic’s phased return to work; that he may feel strong both physically and mentally
We pray for the ‘warm church’ initiative. May we reach out to those in need
For all the services and events that are being held in the Minster throughout December. Praying that God’s love will shine in all that we do.
We pray for all those caught up in conflicts and natural disasters around the world. We pray for our friends from Ukraine as we continue to build warm relationships with them.
We pray for baby Roman, his parents and godparents, on Roman’s baptism last week.
COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds,
that when your son Jesus Christ comes as judge and Saviour
we may be ready to receive Him. Who is our Lord and our God.
AMEN
READINGS FOR 4TH DECEMBER
Psalm 72:1-7,18-19
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12