17 February 2021
Rev. Irene writes:
I wanted to share one or two pictures with you that I received from Adelaide Primary School. Adelaide school is on Great Thornton Street and is part of Hull Minster parish. As the school broke up for half term and a well earned rest we, as a Minster, were able to send daffodils and chocolate in for every member on the staff team (90 in all) as a ‘thank you’ for all the hard work during the past 12, very difficult months. The school attached a tag to each bunch of flowers saying:
“Thank you to everyone for all your hard work over the past year.
We hope you have a restful and happy half term.
With love from all at Hull Minster””
Rev. Irene continues:
Dominic Black, our priest in charge, has shared some of his experiences.
“This last year has been difficult for everyone but behind the scenes at the Minster good things have been happening. Although our financial position is still fairly dire, thanks to the very tough decision the PCC made to make most of the staff redundant, and government Covid recovery grants, we ended 2020 in a much better financial situation than we were expecting and are some way on the road towards moving to sustainability. This has been a very painful but necessary readjustment and an added burden has often fallen to the remaining staff and core volunteers.
Some great work has been going on in our PCC working parties including a thorough look at our policies and procedures, planning new initiatives on the great Thornton Estate, and beginning to think about how we move forward beyond the pandemic. One of the most exciting developments after many years has been the permission and the money, thanks to Highways England, to move forward with the planning of the Trinity Rooms and the final phase three of the major improvement works that began with the opening up of the square and the restoration of the Nave to its former glory. Tremendous gratitude is due to the present and former staff and churchwardens and not least to the Development Board who have committed their time, talents and money to the work. In the next 18 months we should finally see the fruit of all this many years of labour in the renewal of our ancient building for a new century.
There will of course always be work to do to maintain a building of the scale and age of the Minster but the completion of Phase three will allow us to focus more clearly on our primary work, the worship of God and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed throughout the city. Over the next few years, we need to discover what God is calling us to do and to be, and what it means to have this new name of ‘Minster?’ Its root comes from the bases from which the Anglo-Saxon missionary monks first evangelised this country. The pandemic has brought us back to basics and it is from these basics of prayer, discipleship and mission, on which we need to focus, as we re-build. Christianity in this country may be going out of fashion, but there remains one name under heaven given for salvation and the people of this city need to hear that message (Acts 4.12).”
Rev Irene concludes with:
FEBRUARY OPENING
The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion.
The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click the button.
ASH WEDNESDAY There will be two services held in the church where ‘ashing’ will take place. The regular time of 12.30 with an additional service at 7 p.m.
All other public services are cancelled at the present time.
PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.
It is looking likely that the government is going ahead with the May local council elections. Given the current situation you may want to apply for a postal ballot. Here is the link on the Hull Council website. http://www.hull.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections-and-voting/voting-post
An Invitation to Lent 2021
During Lent there will be a zoom bible study Wednesday evenings, 7:30-8:30pm, beginning 24th February. Do join Rev. Irene and Val in study and discussion around ‘Gladness & Generosity’.
Also to encourage each of us to go deeper in prayer we will be sending out a booklet of daily reflections based on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book for 2021, Living His Story by Hannah Steel. These notes include a short passage of scripture, a reflection, and a prayer for each day of Lent. If you have a smart phone or tablet these notes are accompanied by the free #LiveLent App on iOS and Android where you can listen along to the reflections. [suggested donation £2.50 to cover booklet and postage].
READINGS: FOR THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE LENT
COLLECT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Heavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness
and grew closer to you in the desert;
Help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer, that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord
AMEN
This Month’s Prayer Diary
Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.