25 November 2020
Rev. Irene writes:
Happy New liturgical year! You may be excused if you had not realised Advent begins this Sunday, with the inability to shop freely in the High Street you may have missed the usual abundance of Advent Calendars on the shelves. There is no escaping we will be celebrating Advent throughout December in preparation for the ‘coming of Christ’. So, does or should Advent make a difference in our lives? Our scripture readings keep telling us to ‘watch and be ready’, ready for Christ’s second coming but also to be ready and prepared to make way for Jesus. Advent is a time to clear out, strip back to basics. To reconnect with God again, to revisit that first love that we felt in knowing Him as our Saviour and Lord. As mentioned last week do read the Advent reflections that Val has prepared, they are a great way of connecting with God’s Word during this season.
I hope you will enjoy what Dot has written for us this week. I so enjoyed reading it as there were so many similarities to my early life and Sunday School days. It always surprises me just how many people first encountered Jesus in their early Sunday School days. I was on a course where we were grouped by when we first learnt about Jesus - Sunday school, University, through work, or later in life. I was amazed that two thirds of the people there had learnt about Jesus in Sunday School. Very encouraging for our children’s workers today! One thing that strikes me is that most of our Sunday school teachers would have no idea how many of the children they taught had turned to Christ at some point in their lives. What great disciples of Jesus they were!
So, read and enjoy!
My first memory of church was being sent with my sister to Sunday School at the Village chapel, sitting on a hard wooden bench and being told not to speak or move apart from when it came to singing “Dropping pennies, dropping pennies hear those pennies fall, everyone for Jesus He shall have them all”
Sorry to say He didn’t get them every week because sometimes my sister and I hid in the trees on the bridge we had to go over to get to the village and saved the money to buy sweets! My first feeling that Jesus was real came from a teacher called Mr. Hubbard, we had an RE test, after he called me to his desk and said he knew I knew the answers but I had spelt them all wrong. He then asked me all the questions again and I told him the right answers. Then he told me that Jesus loved me no matter what which made me feel good.
My next encounter with God was in 1962 being confirmed along with my cousin. We were sent by her mum and had to go every week to Brough Church Big Service at St. Mary’s Elloughton with George Hullen Bishop of Hull. In those days, all the girls had to wear white and have a veil on which was a piece of net curtain. I remember feeling very silly dressed like that and sorry to say not much more to say about it.
When I got married and had a family we lived in Goole and went to the Methodist church which was very lively. In fact, almost seven days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday clubs for the kids and coffee morning on Saturday then service on Sunday. It was always full, it was there that we all sang the hymn “And can it be that I should gain…died He for me who caused His pain… Amazing love how can it be that thou my God should’st die for me. My chains fell off my heart was free; I rose went forth and followed thee.” It was singing those lines that I then knew that my Redeemer lives and no matter what, He is always there for me.
All our lives are extremely hard at the moment with lockdown, but we will get through it. I go out each day with the dog and up to the Country Park, the ground is a carpet of leaves, wonderful colours of autumn, brown, gold, and yellow. I stand under the amazing structure of the Humber Bridge and look down at the railway, the road and the river thanking God that life is carrying on. Stay strong and well in the love of God. Dot Fullerton
Irene concludes with:
Other news this week:
Friday 27th-10 am-Little Fishes meets on Zoom. Join with Mandy and Rachel for songs and chat.
Sunday 29th-10 am- ADEVENT SUNDAY Church at home- You can access this by going onto hullminster.org and follow ‘Worship’ or alternatively via You Tube or Face Book.
Sunday 29th-11 am-Coffee & Chat- For access click here.
Monday 30th-Funeral service for Elizabeth Armitage (invitation only due to covid restrictions) Please pray for her family.
The Minster continues to be open for personal prayer between 12noon and 3pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Sunday 6th December- We will resume the 10:30am in person service at the Minster. We will also Launch our new 3:30pm Contemporary service this day too.
Dan Broom: As most people know Dan will be leaving the Minster team early December. If anyone would like to give towards a leaving gift for Dan the church office is happy to facilitate this. Please make donations through ‘Donate’ page on the website. Please then send an email to office@hullminster.org to notify us of the donation, alternatively, send a donation by cheque to the office in an envelope again labelled clearly for Dan. The office address is: Hull Minster Parish Office, 10a King Street, HU1 2JJ. Please make cheques payable to ‘The PCC of Holy Trinity, Hull’.
Readings:
The Collect for this week.
Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you,
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
AMEN
November Prayer Diary
Daily prayer points throughout the month of November can be found here.