We are not alone…

Last month Rev Irene wrote about how for everything there is a season from Ecclesiastes 3, and here we are experiencing a season of potential discomfort, isolation and anxiety. As coronavirus continues to sweep through the nation and our planet, it is easy for us to become fearful and anxious for what our future holds.

As a church we have been studying through this time of Lent, ‘The Things He Carried’ by Stephen Cottrell. The book guides us through the many aspects of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a chapter I read recently, one of the questions was ‘What does it feel like to be alone?’ A seemingly apt question in our current climate.

As Christians we know we are never truly alone. Isaiah 41:10 declares that we should not fear for our Lord is with is, that He will strengthen us, help us and uphold us with His righteous hand. When Jesus was making the solitary walk with the cross he carried through the streets to calvary, I can only wonder how he felt?  His disciples and his people had rejected him. But even in the loneliness, Jesus knew his Father was with him. Jesus was crowned with thorns and dressed in a robe. This was to mock and belittle him. Do we regard Jesus as our King or do we just dress him up as one when the time suits us?

I have been truly heartened by the obvious signs of love that can be seen up and down the country. Strangers are coming to the aid of strangers; communities are being brought together to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.  Our nation came together on the 26th March to applaud at our front doors those who work for NHS and their continuing efforts to fight this virus. This is the power of Jesus. He is the light that shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not overcome it. My prayer, and one in which I hope you will join with me, is that when this isolation comes to end, our nation will come ever closer than it was before.

So although we are isolated from each other. Although we cannot see our friends, family and church family, we know there is someone closer than a brother or sister and is always with us.

Let us take this opportunity to fulfil our Lenten call to focus our lives on who God wants us to be; let us become more disciplined in our bible study and passionate about prayer, knowing we are not truly alone. Jesus is our friend and comforter!

Blessings,
Alasdair Hutson

Minster Lifeline #1

Welcome to this Lifeline; information to help all of us who are connected with Hull Minster to stay in touch over the challenging weeks of the Coronavirus Emergency.

Many of you will know that we acted immediately after the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday evening and closed the Minster building and the Parish Centre. This has been done with a heavy heart as the significance of the open doors of the Minster, and the signal it gives to our City of God’s wide-armed welcome, is a cornerstone of our mission. God’s generosity has not changed but we are having to re-think how we express that in the on-going restrictions. This weekly Lifeline is one of the ways we are aiming to do that. In it we will signal how we can all continue to share in the common life as followers of Jesus Christ.

One immediate effect of the closure is how our paid staff are being supported. Some staff are able to work from home, others’ jobs are dependent on our buildings being accessible. Some of our team are therefore being asked to go on “furlough” as the Chancellor of the Exchequer put it; this means they have to cease work but remain on our payroll and their income is supported by the Government 80% guaranteed salary scheme. We are not unaware of how difficult this will be for our regular and faithful people who keep things going in the Minster every day of the week. I hope in coming weeks we will be able to share some of their stories here in Lifeline. And let’s not forget our large band of volunteers who welcome visitors, guide tours, support the shop and café, provide admin and printing support, knit and craft, let alone those who contribute to the worship and mission of the church day by day and week by week. Let’s remember this week our bell-ringers who do such wonderful work in broadcasting the music of God’s welcome across the City; we recognise how important their community is within our wider community of faithful telling forth the Good News of Jesus.

So, just to re-emphasise that there will be no services in church until further notice and no groups or activities in either the Minster or the Parish Centre; yet while the staff and volunteers can’t be available in person we remain here for you. This is an opportunity to build stronger bonds of love between us and to live out our lives in Christ in new ways.

Sunday readings

The readings we would use for this coming Sunday – the 5th Sunday of Lent, often known as Passion Sunday are as follows:

Ezekiel 37 verses 1 – 14
Romans 8 verses 6 – 11
John 11 verses 1 – 45

You might like to read one of these readings each day over the next few days and ponder its message. I have attached a few reflections on each passage as a way you might like to get started – a kind of “Thought for the Day” which can be followed by this prayer.

The Collect – the public prayer for the day which “collects” our own individual prayers and responses on Passion Sunday :

Gracious Father, who gave up your Son out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Note about Giving

Many of you will know how challenging the Minster’s financial circumstances are even in normal times; so you might be able to imagine that without any income at all through plate collections, the café, shop, special Minster events and the generosity of visitors our income has dropped dramatically. Though expenses will be reduced somewhat, this will happen more slowly.

For those of us on Church Suite there is a My Giving page which enables you to give by Direct Debit; please take the opportunity to explore that by clicking the button below.

For those for whom this isn’t going to be the way you might like to keep a Lifeline envelope or jam jar or box for your regular offering and we will find a way to collect those in the coming weeks. I’m sure others will have even more imaginative ways to keep their giving routines going!

Your thoughts

Let me know via my email address frank@hullminster.org if you find this publication helps, you have suggestions for enclosure and how we might be able to widen the scope of Lifeline and ensure that our Christian community grows stronger in these challenging days.

Every Blessing,
Frank White
Interim Minister

March Monthly Reflection

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens”

— Ecclesiastes 3:1

These are words from Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and words from a hit song of the 60’s by the Byrds entitled Turn, Turn, Turn. Throughout life seasons come and go, adding variety and challenges to everyday living. Hopefully as we enter into the new season of Spring we can put behind us the floods that have devastated so many people’s lives and look forward to new life in all its fulness.

At Hull Minster we are preparing for a new season in the life of the church.

We are delighted to announce that from 9th July this year we will have a new vicar at Hull Minster. Reverend Dominic Black will be joining us with his wife Heather and their two teenage sons. Dominic and family will be moving from Middlesbrough where Dominic has been vicar of North Ormesby since 2004 and Area Dean of Middlesbrough since 2011. I know they have a heart for sharing the love of Jesus with all people, and we look forward to welcoming them and supporting them on this new and exciting journey for both them and us. Please pray for Dominic and his family and also for the church that he is leaving as they go into vacancy.

Life at Hull Minster does not stop as we wait for Dominic to arrive. It has been a busy vacancy, with our staff and volunteers working very hard to keep things going. After a busy Christmas and Epiphanytide we are now preparing and looking forward to the celebration of Easter, taking time first to prepare ourselves during Lent. With this preparation in mind we are this year having Lent study groups looking at Stephen Cottrell’s book ‘The Things He Carried’. This book takes us on a journey to the cross, the Passion Story told in a powerful and often painful way that helps us to understand the reality of the suffering of Christ so that we could live.

If the name Stephen Cottrell sounds familiar to you, you may well have heard his name on the news as Stephen is to become the next Archbishop of York after the retirement of Archbishop Sentamu in June this year.

As we then approach the season of Lent, let it be a time when we can reflect on where we are on our journey of faith. Maybe we can take a few moments each day from our busy lives and give that time to God, in prayer or in reading the Bible. To help us on our way we are offering at the Minster a number of Lenten Study Groups. These groups will be running on a Wednesday evening and on a Thursday morning at the Minster as well as at our home groups around the city. Find a group here or ask any of the Ministry Team in the church.

As we leap forward into Spring, let us give our spiritual lives a spring clean as well as our homes.

Blessings,
Rev. Irene

February 20 Ministry Team Reflection

When I was a curate my wise senior colleague said that he had learned an important lesson about February.  He said, “don’t discuss anything controversial at meetings this month”.  “Why?”, I asked.  “It is the dingiest time of the year and people tend to be more grumpy than usual” was his reply.  40 years later people think of this as the effect of a lack of sunshine.  We are all affected by the weather!

We are probably more conscious of the importance of the natural world than at any time in recent history.  We have been horrified by the wildfires sweeping through Australia and the American West Coast, and by floods and landslides elsewhere.  While for some the cause of these changes is still contested, the broad scientific consensus seems to be that human beings are largely responsible for the destabilising of the natural environment.  How are we to think about these matters as Christian people?  I am drawn to consider the significance of Psalm 24 “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it”.  If I am to honour God as the Lord then I want to recognise that the things God treasures are to be important to me also.  That includes the people of the world, in all our marvellous variety, and the physical environment and its amazing wild abundance.

It is easy to be demoralised by the predictions of the future and to feel that we are too small and insignificant to be able to make any difference.  That would fly in the face of the evidence we have that individuals do change the way other people think and act.  If I were to mention the name of Greta Thunberg, many of us reading this would know immediately who she is and what she is known for.  I put her first name into my computer and this 17-year-old Swedish schoolgirl came out top of the list of “famous Greta’s” along with a reminder that she is Time magazine’s Person of the Year.  It is possible to make a difference.

We will have quite a few opportunities in the coming year to consider as Christians our engagement with the natural world.  It would be good to begin conversations with one another and to consider what it is possible for us to do.  How do we read the Scriptures – like Psalm 24 which I quoted above, or the passages in the Book of Genesis which outline our human responsibilities?  What insights do we have from the life and teaching of Jesus; was the early church concerned about these things?  Let’s have the conversation.

Frank White
Interim Minister

December Ministry Team Reflection

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” These words were spoken to the people of Israel around 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. For generation after generation people rebelled and turned away from God. Israel failed to accept God as a peacemaker, a peace-bringer, they were in a desperate way, longing for political peace under Roman rule. They were looking for peace down the wrong Roman roads. Perhaps we too look for peace down the wrong ten-foots. Empowered by God’s Holy Spirit, Jesus came to bring peace, ‘Peace on Earth’ for any who believe in His name.

2700 years on, those words from Isaiah chapter 9 remain relevant for us today. Our world is desperate to know, to discover, to realise, true peace.

I’ll assume you’re not living in Israel as you read this, unless you’re reading online over there! Perhaps you’re also not at peace, with God, with others, or with yourself. This December peace may feel like a distant concept for you. Maybe you feel despair at the political landscape. Perhaps your family are at loggerheads. Or maybe you are just consumed by the demands of life. Over the coming weeks we’ve got a packed programme of services and events, and perhaps even these can seem overwhelming. I hope it’s encouraging for you to know, you’re not alone! That we as a church family have a great opportunity to use the ‘Peace on Earth’ Christmas programme to journey together, to invite others to encounter the Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This month offers an opportunity to spend time with the Christchild and experience the peace He offers. Peace that our world needs, and if we’re honest, peace that many of us, and those in our parish and city, are searching for.

During the Advent season, we look to the Second Coming of Jesus, and in our waiting, in our expectation, we’re reminded of another prophecy in the book of Isaiah in chapter 53, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace ultimately gave His life in place of ours and because of His death, we have a way to His peace, both on earth, and into eternal life.

I pray you can find comfort and hope in that promise.

With love, Dan, Community Minister

Tens of thousands flock to see the wonders of the Sistine Chapel at Hull Minster

The Sistine Chapel exhibition attracted 35,000 visitors to Hull Minster, including these guests at the opening event staged by Marketing Humber. Picture: Neil Holmes Photography

An exhibition showcasing the wonders of the Sistine Chapel has been hailed as a major success, attracting 35,000 people to Hull Minster.

 The “Michelangelo – A Different View” exhibition drew visitors from far and wide during its 42-day run at the magnificent, 700-year-old church and gained valuable media profile for the Minster and Hull in several national newspapers and on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 4.

The exhibition gave visitors the chance to admire more than 50 superbly-detailed reproductions of Renaissance master Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel works, including the famous “Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgement”.

The event offered an up-close-and-personal experience, with visitors learning how Michelangelo created the stunning frescoes and the meaning behind them.

The exhibition also inspired an extensive programme of arts activities and courses, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and delivered by North East Lincolnshire-based arts organisation Our Big Picture.

Bishop Frank White, Interim Minister at Hull Minster, said: “The Sistine Chapel exhibition has been a major success and illustrated how the Minster can serve the city as a unique venue for cultural exhibitions and events of the highest quality.

Some of the superbly-detailed reproductions of Renaissance master Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel works which formed part of a stunning exhibition at Hull Minster. Picture: Neil Holmes Photography

“We’ve been delighted with the numbers who have attended and the very positive feedback we have received both on the exhibition and how it has been staged and managed by our team.

“The extensive programme of events and arts activities around the exhibition have also been well supported and have made this event one that truly reached out to and embraced a very broad range of people, groups and interests.”

More than 130 group bookings were made to see the exhibition while over 250 children took part in education workshops.

Budding artists of all ages have also taken part in an art competition with the theme of “Creation”, inspired by the “Creation of Adam” fresco and supported by Exhibition Painting Partner Hull Trains.

Artists of all ages and abilities have been encouraged to submit their artistic responses to the exhibition in any art material or medium. Entries are open until December 6th, with work to be exhibited in a special exhibition at the Minster in February and March 2020 and the winning entries taking centre stage. To find out more or to submit entries go to www.hullminster.org/art-competition

The Sistine Chapel exhibition was supported by more than 250 City of Culture volunteers as well as Hull Minster’s own volunteer welcomers, demonstrating the event’s popularity and how it has contributed to the legacy of Hull’s year in 2017 as the UK’s cultural capital.

The exhibition was supported by Hull-based partner businesses that enabled the Minster to make it free to enter and accessible to the widest possible range of people and community groups.

The “Michelangelo – A Different View” exhibition drew visitors from far and wide during its 42-day run at 700-year-old Hull Minster. Picture: Neil Holmes Photography.

They were led by Exhibition Patrons Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, and Wykeland Group, which is at the forefront of development and regeneration in Hull and the wider region.

Arco Managing Director David Evison said: “Supporting the communities in which we work is important to Arco and, as Exhibition Patron of the Sistine Chapel exhibition, we wanted to share this prestigious cultural event with our local community.

“We are delighted that so many local people took the opportunity to experience this magnificent artwork and engage with the supporting arts programme.”

Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “The Sistine Chapel exhibition has showcased the Minster as a stunning exhibition space, worthy of staging events of the highest quality.

“It has gained valuable exposure for the city from far and wide and attracted tens of thousands of people, supporting the economy of the city centre and regeneration of the Old Town and the Fruit Market.

“The success of the exhibition has marked another important milestone in the re-establishing the Minster as a vital hub for community and cultural events.”

Ministry Team Reflection Nov 19

To be or not to be: that is the question

We are all very good and proficient at being busy: busy at home, busy at work, in our communities, helping others; generally busy in body, heart and mind. The church is no exception to the rule: the church as a whole gets incredibly busy, especially in the changing seasons.

Holy scripture, however, reminds us that we are also called in our daily lives to be still. In Psalm 46 verse 10 says ‘be still and know that I am God’.

What a challenge for us all—but equally what an opportunity too. The invitation to be still is to know of our true worth before God. We are more important than what we do or don’t do, or how busy we are. God truly understands the danger that when we become too busy in life, we forget that life is a gift, life is precious and so often it is too easy to become distracted and forget who we are and importantly who we are before God.

The invitation to ‘be still and know that I am God’ is to stop, to take a breath and pause for moments across the day. It means, as we would with a friend, to sit with God, to quietly wait upon Him and listen to God speak with us. There, in stillness, is a real opportunity to re-connect with who we are as individuals, in belonging to a community and in having our place in the wider world. Moments to align ourselves and our wills with the Will of God, knowing we are truly precious, loved and valued by God, as created beings and God wants us to know this our true worth.

In the month of November we think a lot about the value and worth of human life as we approach Remembrance Day. It is the time we do stop and count the cost of those precious lives lost in the two world wars and from recent and current conflicts. Remembrance Day is a day we stand still in silence together, in remembrance, in love and respect for the self-giving and sacrifice of so many in winning the freedom we so enjoy today.

The invitation from scripture to be still is to know of God’s presence with us every day, in busy or in quiet, in turbulence or in peace, in grief and in joy. For God so loves the world that he would never abandon nor forsake us, but willingly chooses to come to us in his Son Jesus Christ, that we might know him and live our lives through him.

Rev. Gemma Turner
Visiting Priest