Guest User

24 March 2021

Minster Lifeline #12

Guest User

24 March 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

My favourite walk during the restrictions is along Ferriby Foreshore. Yesterday as the sun shone on the water with the Humber Bridge sparkling in the background, I noticed not only the daffodils and snowdrops around me but the pussy willow (species of the genus Salix) standing firmly in bud waiting to burst out in the spring sunshine. This scene was a real joy to me yet, in the field behind me, were two beautiful donkeys, well maybe not beautiful but I am sure you know what I mean!

My mind went immediately to the scriptures where we read in Matthew 21 about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Jesus had instructed two of his disciples to go into the nearby village where they would find a donkey tied there with her colt, they were to untie them and bring them to Jesus.

This fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet:

“Say to the Daughter of Zion,

see your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey”

On Sunday we will once more celebrate Palm Sunday and that triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the beginning of Holy Week and the lead up to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This week Nick Gledhill writes for us, Nick is a Lay Reader at the Minster:

It is almost a decade since I first came to Holy Trinity, as then was. I had moved up from London due to my wife’s (Yvonne’s) work. So much has happened between then and now. Of course, as we all know, the church itself has been through significant change. Like many of you, I recall the day that Archbishop Sentamu announced that we were to become a minster; this plus Hull as UK City of Culture made for exciting times, culminating arguably in the visit of Prince Charles.

Today the parish, the city, the nation, and indeed the global scene all look different. For many of us, our personal lives, family lives, financial and business fortunes, and job prospects have been adversely affected. The primary way that I have been touched is that my mum died early in the pandemic due to Covid 19. Fortunately, my children and their families have weathered the storm comparatively well; but I know many have been severely impacted.

So, the past year has been completely different from ‘normal’ life. Is there anything that has supplied continuity for me in this period? I have been incredibly grateful for the online services from the Minster, and the Zoom meetings. I know these are very much ‘second best’ but they have made the past year much less troubling than it would otherwise have been. Another much valued Internet resource has been my ongoing attendance at the York School of Ministry (YSOM) which has kept me grounded in a routine. Study, initially at Beverley and then at York was a basic part of Reader training. By the time that was finished I had completed two thirds of a degree, so it made sense to continue for a couple more years and gain the BA. That is what several of my cohort are currently doing. Of course, in present circumstances YSOM is operating entirely online.

The materials that are sent out via email from the church are much valued points of contact but obviously I look forward to the time when this sorry episode is behind us all and a new ‘normal’ emerges with face-to-face fellowship. Our dog (Lucy) has been limping from an injured paw, which the vet is treating but the problem is taking its time to fully resolve. (The phrase ‘looking for a needle in a haystack’ sometimes comes to mind). Otherwise, life goes on. In fact, as I write, Yvonne and I have just reached our 40th wedding anniversary.

Best wishes to all, Nick

Irene concludes with:

March services and opening times:

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

THERE WILL BE NO 3:30 SUNDAY PRAISE UNTIL IT IS RELAUNCHED IN THE MINSTER HOPEFULLY IN THE MIDDLE OF APRIL

A full list of our Easter services can be found by clicking here:

Easter Services

All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.

If you are coming in to the Minster for services we want to encourage you to consider the environment and walk or cycle or use public transport if possible. If you are coming by car please do not park on Trinity Square the only people who should be parking there are contractors working on the building. There are plenty of parking places around the Minster including the recently opened Fruit Market just across the A63. https://www.fruitmarkethull.co.uk/fruit-market-hull-l-multi-storey-car-park-l-regeneration-l/

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

GOOD NEWS

At present Dominic is Priest-in-Charge of the parish of Holy Trinity. On 6th June, the position will change when the Bishop of Hull will institute Dominic as vicar. To enable this to happen the Bishop has agreed to allow the patrons (CPAS) to bring Dominic forward as their nomination as Vicar, this is a position supported by the PCC.

An Invitation to Lent 2021

During Lent there will be a zoom bible study on Wednesday evenings 7:30-8:30pm beginning 24th February. Do join Rev. Irene and Val in study and discussion around Gladness and Generosity, in the Holy Habits series. You can join here. You should now have received 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].. Click here for full details.

The Heritage Volunteering group have been meeting via Zoom Coffee Mornings to have a chat and carry out some research about the Minster's history. As part of this, our Heritage Project Manager, Jane Owen, has organised several talks and would like to open these up to the wider church to join in. These will take place via zoom on a Wednesday or Friday morning at 10.00am, with a 15-minute chat before the talk starts. The dates and topics are below. Please send Jane and email if you would like to join in any of them - or if you would like to give a talk in future - and she will send you the links. They are very informal and can be accessed by computer, telephone, tablet or even by telephone to listen in.

We are also looking for any volunteers who would like to join our team to do some computer-based research at home about the church, the community surrounding it, the graveyard at the east end and the burial ground at Castle Street. Again, if you would like to be involved, please contact Jane at jane@hullminster.org Click here for full details.

APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) The meeting this year will be held on TUESDAY 27th APRIL via zoom at 7pm. Further details to follow.

Ecclesiastical Insurance have provided cover for the Minster and the clergy houses for a long time and have a special interest in helping churches undertake maintenance through their grant scheme. We have benefitted from these generous grants in the past. In this, their 130th year they are offering donations of £130 to our church for every person who takes out home insurance cover with them - at any point during the year. Some of the staff team have been using their home insurance for several years and it is very comprehensive and reasonably priced. So, if you are thinking of renewing with your provider please take a look at Ecclesiastical. The post below shows what you have to do. Just name the church and they will find it for you. Click the button below for full details.

Ten Trust130 Donations

READINGS: FOR PALM SUNDAY

COLLECT FOR PALM SUNDAY

True and humble King,

hailed by the crowd as Messiah;

grant us the faith to know you and love you

that we may be found beside you

on the way of the cross,

which is the path of glory.

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

17 March 2021

Minster Lifeline #11

Guest User

17 March 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

It only seems five minutes ago that I wrote in one of our early Lifelines about welcoming the first day of spring 2020! Yet 12 months later we, once again, welcome the season of spring starting on Sunday 21st March.

I came across the quote below which is from the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, – a long-time favourite of mine since first seeing on the TV when I was about 10 years old.

Colin, the little boy that has been shut away for years, says to Mary his only friend

“Is the spring coming, what is it like...?”

Mary answers him, “it is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine.”

What a fabulous description!

Well in Spring 1951, Hull Minster welcomed a young man into the church, his name David Stipetic….and the rest is history!

Please read below the fabulous words the bell ringers have put together on this great gentleman.

Congratulations David

Many of you will know David Stipetic, but for those of you who do not he has been associated with our church for a long time.

He was taught to ring church bells in 1951 at St. Mary's Lowgate, and first rang at Holy Trinity seventy years ago, on Sunday 10th March 1951. This was the start of a life-long interest in bells and bellringing.

In 1957 he was appointed steeple-keeper here at Holy Trinity.

David worked hard but has always been prepared to put his own money into things that interest him and benefit others.

In 1959 David purchased the bells from St. James Parish Church, Myton (off Hessle Road) in Hull which was demolished in that year. The metal from the 7th and Tenor (i.e., the two heaviest) bells was used to make two new bells to augment from 10 to 12 the ring at Holy Trinity and the cost of the recasting was met by the City Council to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of William Wilberforce.

In 1960 David had a bell cast and donated it for our new daughter church of Holy Apostles.

As well as bells David has also had a great interest in, and love of, timepieces. David has been clock custodian to the city Council from 1962 to date.

In 1968, after some over-exuberant over-winding by council staff, the weights of the guildhall clock had crashed down through the ceiling into the guildhall and the council proposed to replace the works with an electric clock mechanism. David offered to refurbish the heritage clock for them, and then wound it every other day for the next 44 years. He had help on occasions, of course, but the effort was mostly his.

David purchased the calling bells from St. Barnabas (Hessle Road) and Transfiguration (Albert Avenue) churches in Hull and the metal from these was used to cast the ‘flat sixth’ bell for Holy Trinity in 1975.

David also gave Holy Trinity the Top Treble bell which he had cast in 1979, and the Sharp Second bell, cast in 1983.

In 2004/5 to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of a contract with Quibells to construct the ‘new’ Guildhall, David gave 11 bells which, with 1 more bell given by Quibells and three of the Guildhall’s existing clock bells, formed a ‘Chime’ of bells in the Guildhall tower that could play tunes.

In 2010 David gave to the council 8 further bells to turn their 15-bell chime into a 23 bell Carillon.

In 2013 David gave a Chime of 15 bells, 14 new plus the bell now removed from Holy Apostles to Holy Trinity.

In 2014 David gave 8 additional bells, and in 2017 2 more, that were installed to form Holy Trinity’s present 25 bell carillon, dedicated as The Wilberforce Carillon.

David is an accomplished bell ringer and taught many of the ringers that we have now at Hull Minster as well as many more that have been through our doors and now ring elsewhere.

He is a member of The Ancient Society of College Youths, London’s (and therefore England’s, and therefore the World’s) premier bell-ringing society. It was established in 1637.

The person that David most recently taught to ring was Annie Turpin who is now away at University.

David has not been able to climb the tower stairs for a couple of years due to some joint problems, but he is awaiting an operation, after recuperation from which he hopes to climb them again.

I suspect David has never knowingly smiled in a photograph!

David loves Hull Minster, both the building and the church (i.e., the people), and has presented his gifts to us for the greater glory of God.

Robin Alden, March 2021

Irene concludes with:

March services and opening times:

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

Sunday Praise Zoom

All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

GOOD NEWS

An Invitation to Lent 2021

APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) The meeting this year will be held on TUESDAY 27th APRIL via zoom at 7pm. Further details to follow.

Ten Trust130 Donations

READINGS: FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

COLLECT FOR FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Gracious Father, you 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

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

10 March 2021

Minster Lifeline #10

Guest User

10 March 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

As I write these words thousands of children and young people will be journeying to school, for many the first time in several weeks. At the same time, I expect thousands of parents will be breathing a sigh of relief at no longer having to be a ‘stand-in’ teacher! Despite the frustrations and difficulties, I believe that most parents will have shared a few special moments from a time that has been like no other we have known. In our prayers let us remember all the children and their families praying for their safety and ability to adjust to an ever-changing situation.

This weekend we celebrate Mothering Sunday remembering that in days gone by this was often the only day off work for those working in service. A time to visit their family and the family to visit their ‘mother’ church.

Today it is more about giving a gift or card to someone special, mother or someone who cares for us and a time to say, ‘thank you’. Many of these this year will be at a distance however we can still show our gratitude with kind words and look forward to a ‘hug’ in the not-too-distant future.

SOME GREAT MEMORIES FROM CHRIS FENWICK

My first experience of church was the Sunday School in my village church. As soon as I could read the Vicar asked me to join the exceedingly small choir. The audition consisted of him giving me a book of Common Prayer and getting me to read the Lord’s Prayer – I then was in the choir (no singing required in the audition – I think he was desperate)

Soon I was promoted to crucifer originally a wooden cross but later a large brass cross was donated in memory of a local man, this was very heavy, but I managed – just.

In 1954 when I was 11, we moved to Hull and I went to the Grammar School where during the first week of term Peter Goodman, the organist at Holy Trinity came to get his new intake of boys (no girls) for the year so I became a ‘black’ boy, probationers wore black cassocks and no surplices. My voice broke so early I never got out of the black, indeed I hold the record as the only person to be singing bass in short trousers. There was no going out during the sermon (comics were hidden in music). Discipline was easy to maintain as the head boy was often 16 or 17.

At this time, we had three services on a Sunday, 8am BCP Holy Communion, 10:30am Sung Matins, and 6:30 Evensong: this latter being the service with the bigger congregation. On a Sunday evening after the service there was social time in the Old Grammar School which along with the premises now owned by Kal Kwik were owned by the church.

The choir at this time was large with a total over 50 equally split between boys and adults. Choir practice for boys was Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, with the full choir on Friday. The boys had an evening club before the Friday practice and a weekly youth club was held.

This club led me through an organisation which eventually became Youth Clubs UK, and I had the privilege of being its national Vice Chairman having previously being chairman of its National Members Council.

The church at this time was different from today in that there were no candles, the clergy wore black cassock and surplice with a black preaching scarf, no coloured stoles and liturgical colours were never mentioned. Sermons were always preached from the large pulpit and lessons read from the lectern. We never turned east for the creed.

Of course, there were pews in the church, and it had to be noted that the pulpit was arranged so that the preacher was facing the good and great in the council pews.

I have now been involved with Holy Trinity for over 60 years and it has become a rock in my life, when I get too old to sing in the choir (which may not be long off) I shall still be there grumbling that ‘it was not like this in the old days’. Chris Fenwick.

A message from Dan Broom: Thank you so much to those who contributed towards my leaving gift, I received it a couple of weeks ago and I am grateful for your generosity. I hope you are all doing well, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep in touch!

Irene concludes with:

March services and opening times:

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

Sunday Praise Zoom

All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.

If you are coming in to the Minster for services we want to encourage you to consider the environment and walk or cycle or use public transport if possible. If you are coming by car please do not park on Trinity Square the only people who should be parking there are contractors working on the building. There are plenty of parking places around the Minster including the recently opened Fruit Market just across the A63. https://www.fruitmarkethull.co.uk/fruit-market-hull-l-multi-storey-car-park-l-regeneration-l/

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

GOOD NEWS

An Invitation to Lent 2021

APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) The meeting this year will be held on TUESDAY 27th APRIL via zoom at 7pm. Further details to follow.

Ten Trust130 Donations

READINGS: FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (MOTHERING SUNDAY)

COLLECT FOR FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (MOTHERING SUNDAY)

God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,

shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross

drew the whole human family to himself;

strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow

we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

3 March 2021

Minster Lifeline #9

Guest User

3 March 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

I made my first journey into the Minster last week to record for the Sunday service.

It was a great feeling to be back in the building and I look forward to when we can all congregate again in relative freedom!

What surprised me was the changes as I came into Hull. The new bridge that links the City Centre with the Marina is now open, I believe it is called the ‘Burnsey’ bridge, not sure whether that is the official name or just one that Radio Humberside has given it.

Then as I passed the junction where Ferensway meets the A63 the changes were enormous, new markings in all directions, trees down and of course numerous signs to help (or hinder) a free run through the road words. It all looked promising and I hope it keeps progressing, so we end up with a much better flow of traffic in that area.

It is, of course, thanks to Highways England that the building work is happening at the Minster, so I have invited Iain Ogilvie one of our churchwardens to give us an update on that and other developments at Hull Minster.

As 2021 dawned the Southside of the Minster was wrapped in scaffolding and we heard an odd bit of banging in some of the online services. I am delighted to report that the South Aisle Nave roof work is now complete, and we should be watertight. Work has moved onto the Broadley Chapel, vestries, and kitchens down the Southside. More scaffolding has been erected to cover this area while roofs are repaired, drains are dug, and the problems of damp are tackled. It is hoped that by Easter we will have contracted and begun the extension works and that all the works will be completed in Spring 2022.

At the Annual Meeting last year, in the PCC, and in wider discussions, the issue of funding has been raised. How can we do all this work to the building and continuously be told that we have no money left, and that the staff need to be reduced? One of the questions regularly raised is:

“Does my money go into supporting the building and the extension; I want my contribution to support mission and outreach?”

As a community we do have a responsibility to maintain the Grade 1 listed building and over the last 5 years or so we have worked tirelessly to ensure that works undertaken are supported by Grants and not taking PCC resources. Through the Development Trust, the works currently underway are being paid for by Highways England and the National Churches Trust; we are indebted to them for their support. The funding they have offered is only available for buildings and cannot be used to meet running costs or salaries. Without the support of external funds, we would not be doing the building works; we have not chosen them over people or outreach. We are using this money to build facilities to allow us to meet people on their faith journeys and to allow the PCC to spend its limited resources on mission, outreach, and music, not on the amazing building where we gather to worship. The message can be confusing, but we are fortunate to have significant funds to do building works and people think:

“Oh, the Minister must be doing ok, look at all the work being done to that building!”

We are not financially OK. We have generous supporters who can help by removing the challenges of our historic church building, but even if they wanted to, the restrictions tied to their money means that they cannot pay for staff. Our funds are limited, and we have taken decisions to try and control our spending with significantly reduced income. As you are aware, we took the difficult decision last summer to reduce our staffing and we have also given up the Parish Centre, soon to be replaced by a Portakabin office on the car park. All these decisions have implications, many of which the PCC did not want to take or did not like the impact of, but we have controlled the spending.

During Lent we are looking at Giving and working with the Diocese to enhance the levels of giving to the Minster. The works to the building are only part of the story providing new facilities to encourage others to find a faith and to get to know Jesus; but without people the buildings will not deliver our mission. As we emerge from the pandemic and look at new ways to connect with our community and the wider city, we want to continue our city centre ministry. One area is to open opportunities on the Great Thornton Street Estate and to continue to offer pastoral support from the Minster. All these activities require our support through prayer, through time and through finance. We have to support ourselves through our giving as no one else will pay for our missional activity. Please pray and talk to your loved ones about the Minster and how you can support us and review your giving. We all have many demands on our financial resources and what we can offer is very personal, but it is through giving that we receive; God knows and values what we have given to bring people to him in faith.

And in answer to the opening question, everything you give is used to the Glory of God and to support our mission and not on the programme of works currently underway.

If you have any questions on the programme of building works, I would be happy to answer them.

Please think about your giving and how you can help us to fulfil our mission across the City from our amazing building a Beacon of Hope to so many.

Iain Ogilvie, Church Warden

Irene concludes with:

March services and opening times:

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

Sunday Praise Zoom

All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.

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

APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) The meeting this year will be held on TUESDAY 27th APRIL via zoom at 7pm. Further details to follow.

Ten Trust130 Donations

READINGS: FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Psalm 19:7-end

Exodus 20:1-17

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22

COLLECT FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy,

but first he suffered pain,

and entered not into glory before he was crucified:

mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,

may find it no other than the way of life and peace;

through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

25 February 2021

Minster Lifeline #8

Guest User

25 February 2021

Rev Irene writes:

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally has said in response to the government’s announcement:

“When the first lockdown was introduced last year, we were –as we are now- in the midst of Lent, a time of preparation and self reflection for Christians as we look forward with hope to Easter and its new life in Jesus Christ…..”

There are clear signs of hope that in the coming months as we see much more freedom in our lives with facilities opening again and mixing and travelling taking tentative steps forward. There is hope! However that hope is fragile, unfortunately the coronavirus has not gone away and we must learn to live with the restrictions as necessary.

As we look towards Easter we see another hope, the hope we have in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Not a hope that is fragile but a definite hope in all that Jesus offers to us, forgiveness of sin, new life and the promise of eternal life. So let us ‘Live Lent’ each day and prepare and refresh ourselves to share again in the promise that Easter brings.

It is good to hear from Jon Major, our verger, as he writes for us this week:

People often ask me about my role as verger, I jokingly reply it’s to walk in front of the vicar’s procession and beat the crowds out the way with a stick. In reality, in the Middle Ages, that wouldn’t be too far from the truth, thankfully these days things have moved on and it’s mainly a ceremonial role that people see. Behind the scenes it is helping organise and set up the silver for our weekly services as well as to set up for baptisms, weddings and funerals. Another big part is to help organise any civic services and play host to visiting dignitaries.

How did I get here? My path of faith is long and varied. As a child I was always taken to St. Mark’s, Bellfield by my mum & dad (probably because no one was willing to look after me at home,) where my dad was churchwarden. I shall always have fond memories of that time. Also, I acted as altar boy to the vicar Rev. Malcolm Exley. I was confirmed at St. James, Sutton at the age of 13, a church which I still love visiting.

At 16 I joined the Royal Navy. On Sundays all trainees were made to attend church, although this was great for me as I could keep up my faith, but it is also something I am really against as I believe no one should be forced to church, I think it could be a sure way of turning you against it.

Once out of training I still tried to keep attending church, but it slowly grew to be less and less as my social life with my new friends took over. I convinced myself it didn’t matter about going to church as long as I kept my prayers up, which also grew less and less.

In 1982 whilst I was on HMS Ardent, we were sent to the Falklands to help retake them from invading forces. On the 21st May as the troops landed there was a huge air raid and we was in the firing line. We were hit by 14 x 500lb bombs, as the first one hit and as the ship shook my very first instinct was to kneel and pray, at that point I realised although I had put God to the back of my mind he had never left my side. I lost 22 good friends that day and they are never far from my mind.

On the way home I realised I could still have a great social life and also keep my faith and vowed to attend church regularly no matter where I was. At sea we always held church on Sundays and if we didn’t have a padre on board the captain would lead the service.

On leaving the Navy I went into managing pubs and although it proved difficult at times, I still tried to attend church whenever I could.

My big interest is genealogy and I have learnt that my dad’s side was from St. Ives in Cornwall, something he never knew, and several ancestors are mentioned in civic and church records. My 4x great uncle was churchwarden there and his name is inscribed in the church bell dated 23rd July 1830. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to visit that beautiful church.

I was honoured when Dominic asked me to be verger and I am really looking forward to the end of this pandemic when we can welcome visitors back to the church and organise and host civic services again, something we do incredibly well at the Minster. Jon Major.

Irene concludes with:

March services and opening times:

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

An Invitation to Lent 2021

READINGS: FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Psalm 22:23-31

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Romans 4:13-end

Mark 8:31-end

COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,

and by following in his Way may we come to share in his glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

25 February 2021

Minster Lifeline #7

Guest User

25 February 2021

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

Book a seat

The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion.

Join the service

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.

An Invitation to Lent 2021

join the study

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].

Find out more

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.

Guest User

3 February 2021

Minster Lifeline #5

Guest User

3 February 2021

LIFELINE 5, 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

I stand to be corrected. Last weeks picture aconites, not celandines! I cannot argue with Jean, guide leader for many years and expert in flower names.

No chance of getting it wrong this week, British daffodils, a sure sign of spring.

Now I wonder are you one of the 10 million that have received their vaccination recently. Having received mine only a couple of days ago I was so impressed with the efficiency of such a mass vaccination programme.

There is hope, but for the 100,000 plus families that have lost their loved ones the vaccine must come as a bitter, sweet pill, let us make sure we remember all those who have been bereaved in our prayers.

It also is a stark reminder that there are 7.8 billion adults in the world (53 million in the UK) and the pressure is on that we not only vaccinate our own country but that we support in whatever way we can the need for poorer countries to be given vaccine. In morning prayer today, I read this prayer at the end of the psalm which said

Tender God,
gentle protector in time of trouble,
pierce the gloom of despair
and give us, with all your people,
the song of freedom and the shout of praise;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The time to celebrate will be when ALL God’s people are equal, and we see the vaccination programme reaching to all corners of the earth.

Delighted to have Rev. Ian Walker write for us this week:

My name is Ian Walker; I was once described by an Archdeacon as a ‘cradle clergyman’ as I was ordained in the Diocese of York at the age of 25 and never really had a ‘proper job’ before that. I have spent more than forty years in parish ministry the greater part in what was once called ‘Humberside’ on both sides of the river. Part of that was eleven years living in Keyingham looking after three parishes where I also had a spell as Rural Dean when I found Canon John Waller a good friend and support. I then moved ten miles as the crow flies and forty-five miles by road to be Rector of Scartho, a village on the edge of Grimsby where I discovered a love of Grimsby Town FC to go with my birth right of Leicester City. After ten years I moved to Epworth in North Lincs, famous as the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley retiring from there in 2017.

I then moved back over the river to live in Thorngumbald where my wife Susan was vicar of six parishes (how times have changed) after serving for more than twenty years as chaplain of the FE colleges, first in Hull and then in Scunthorpe. In the mid 1970’s we were one of the first ‘clergy couples’ and this year we shall complete ninety years ministry between us.

For three years I was quite happy helping in South Holderness filling in for weddings, funerals, and Sunday services. Then I heard that the Archdeacon was looking for a part time interim priest for St Mary’s Lowgate and I thought I might have something to offer there and I was licensed there on 1st November just before the second lockdown. Part of the brief at St Mary’s is to foster links with Hull Minster so I have also been licenced as honorary curate of the Minster. As such I am playing my part in the Wednesday lunchtime Eucharist and when we are able to, worship in church more often, I hope to be able to swap with Dominic on the occasional Sunday.

St Mary’s is currently working on a project to replace the floor and renew the lighting and the heating which currently does not work. We have almost all the money for the first phase and hope to start this work very soon. Without this work St Mary’s future is bleak indeed. You can find details of our project at http://www.stmaryslowgate.org.uk/

As well as worship, St Mary’s provides a home for Hull Homeless Outreach which offers soup kitchens twice a week. Sadly, this has ceased temporarily due to the current lockdown. Once we have a more useable space in the church this work can become more effective.

Historically, St Mary’s and Holy Trinity have had quite different traditions although that may date back only to the late Nineteenth Century. We need to respect these traditions but in the twenty first century they are becoming less binding as the Church strives to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. The future of St Mary’s is increasingly likely to be bound up with Hull Minster and that needs goodwill and understanding on both sides. It is natural to look back at the past with fondness but, to adapt a contemporary poet, rather than marching back to what was, we should aim to move to what shall be.

I look forward to getting to know Hull Minster and its people in the next few months, hopefully when lockdown restrictions are behind us.

Ian Walker

Irene concludes with:

FEBRUARY OPENING

As everyone will be aware, we are now in a third lockdown. The guidance does allow public worship to continue, therefore there will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

Also this Sunday we have our ‘Family Focus’ conversation via zoom at 2pm. A space for families with children to connect with a short session, hosted by Mandy. Click here to join or find the link on our website front page under Hull Minster conversations.

All other public services are cancelled at the present time.

PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for Rev. Gemma Turner and her family. Gemma has COVID and pneumonia and rather unwell at the moment.

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

Confirmation Preparation New course beginning Wednesday 3rd February via zoom at 7pm. Please email Rev Dominic if you would like to sign up, or for more information, dominic.black@hullminster.org

An Invitation to Lent 2021

This Lent, 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]. Click here for full details.

READINGS: SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

COLLECT FOR SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Almighty God

you have created the heavens and the earth

and made us in your own image;

teach us to discern your hand in all your works

and your likeness in all your children;

Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

27 January 2021

Minster Lifeline #4

Guest User

27 January 2021

LIFELINE 4, 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

Celandine, am I right? I seem to remember from being a small child these tiny yellow flowers that appear early in the year are called celandine. However, I could be wrong so please let me know if you think differently!

Did you know? Celandines are mentioned in C.S. Lewis’ the Lion, The witch, and the Wardrobe. When Aslan returned and the woodland turns from winter to spring, the ground was covered in all directions with yellow celandine flowers.

The ones in the picture were simply growing around a tree stump, by the stream in the village where I live. I could not help but think of ‘All things bright and beautiful when I saw them…’

‘each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, he made the glowing colours he made their tiny wings’

When Nick and I visited Raleigh Court each month before the virus came, we would always ask the residents to choose one of the hymns and every time, without fail, they would choose ‘All things bright and beautiful’ we did grow rather tired of those words however, how we long to go back in and happily sing …. all things wise and wonderful the Lord God made them all.

As today we pass the 100,000 deaths from coronavirus, we may find it hard to see God’s wonder around us. However, from every flower that opens and every bird that sings we thank God for all the signs of spring and ask for strength to sustain all those who are working so hard in our hospitals and care homes during this difficult time.

Kat Cross has joined the Mustard Seed team with Heather Black and tells us a little about her story:

Hello everyone. I hope you are all doing well in these strange times. It feels so different in church, not being able to hug or sing, but I am so glad the church is open because it is keeping me sane through these times. God has saved me on so many levels and in so many ways, especially throughout this pandemic. Another thing that has saved me throughout the pandemic is Mustard Seed: Stepping Up programme. Stepping Up is a brilliant way to learn more about Christianity and Christ. At the moment there are two separate groups running, one in Hull and one in Middlesbrough with people from different churches in the cities.

I have learned so much from Stepping Up since it started back in September and I am so glad I joined because it has opened my mind and heart even more to Christ. Since September we have talked about listening to God, listening to others, and listening to ourselves. When we talked about listening to God, it brought back ideas that I once use to have, such as connecting to God through nature and it also helped me to improve my senses such as, listening to signs that God might leave for me. Listening to others has re-taught me to use my listening skills, in more depth than I normally would. Listening to ourselves has taught me that you need to make time for yourself, however much you need, whether it is a walk or treating yourself.

It has been strange continuing Stepping Up online instead of meeting face to face, but I am glad we are still able to connect and continue with our learning. I think, speaking on behalf of all the group, it has helped us to get through lockdown and it has given us something to look forward to. Now we are looking at the Gospel of Luke and I am finding it quite interesting, maybe because I am not as familiar with Luke as I am with the other Gospels. It is still enjoyable, being able to share our views with each other and to be able to, virtually, see each other.

Before I finish this little piece, I would like to thank my group, Laura, Dave, Sam, Phil, and Jane for being great listeners and great company. They have all been amazing in the group and I have loved getting on with them all. But most importantly I would like to thank Heather Black, for not only setting up Stepping Up and the group but for being such a great sport, teaching us so well, taking her time out to help us and letting us continue with the programme online. I really could not ask for a better group and teacher. So, if you are interested, I would recommend it because you will feel a lot closer to your faith and Christ. Kat Cross.

Irene concludes with:

JANUARY OPENING

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

Also this Sunday we see the return of our ‘Family Focus’ conversation via zoom at 2pm. A space for families with children to connect with a short session, hosted by Mandy. Click here to join or find the link on our website front page under Hull Minster conversations.

All other public services are cancelled at the present time.

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.

Confirmation Preparation New course beginning Wednesday 3rd February via zoom at 7pm. Please email Rev Dominic if you would like to sign up, or for more information, dominic.black@hullminster.org

An Invitation to Lent 2021

READINGS: FOURTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

COLLECT FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

God of heaven,

you send the gospel to the ends of the earth

and your messengers to every nation;

send your Holy Spirit to transform us

by the good news of everlasting life

in Jesus Christ our Lord

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

20 January 2021

Minster Lifeline #3

Guest User

20 January 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

I woke up with good intentions this morning, an update on Amos in Morning Prayer then settle down with a coffee and a reading of the Church Council papers for tonight’s PCC meeting!

Things often do not go to plan instead I have spent the first hour of the day battling to try and get someone to come out to a boiler that is not working. Unfortunately, my requests did not fit into the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ that the machine understood so a battle in hand. After many redirections and frustrations, I eventually spoke to a very nice person who is sending the engineer later in the day, so until then an extra layer of clothing and Amos here I come!

Amos was a prophet in the 7th century BC. His name means “Burden-Bearer” and the topics of his writing reflect this: Judgement, Righteousness and Justice. Not easy subjects to talk about to people who think everything is just fine. He earned his living from the flock and the sycamore fig grove at a time when both the Northern and Southern Territories were prospering. The long period of good living led to complacency and Israel became corrupt, behaved immorally, worshipped idols – you could say ‘smug’ about what they had and consequently they oppressed the poor and needy. This is remarkably like the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12 who thought he had made the big time. However, God called him a Fool and said that his life would be taken that night and of what help would his riches be in that situation. As we know God requires us to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him. Amos had a battle to try to make the people believe his message from God. If you get the opportunity during this lockdown, why not have a look at the story of Amos and see the power of the Lord at work.

Robin Alden, one of our churchwardens, who updated us on bellringing a few weeks ago now tells us about being a Churchwarden at Hull Minster:

But what does a Churchwarden do?

The Canons (laws) of the Church of England say of Churchwardens that their most important role is that of representing the laity, cooperating with the incumbent (the vicar); to endeavour by example and precept to encourage the parishioners in the practice of true religion and to promote unity and peace among them.

At a simpler level I think it is about a couple of things: keeping the lights on and the water out; and seeing that our clergy can do their work of ministry. Keeping the lights on today might only require the flick of a switch but seeing that the lights can come on tomorrow (and in three months, one year, five years), takes much strategic work. Enabling incumbent clergy to minister in a warm dry building is not a challenge but finding clergy to minister in time of vacancy or in parishes which share clergy with several others can be a real challenge for some churchwardens and seeing that a church is (relatively) warm and (relatively) dry is probably a challenge for most. Working to ensure that a warm dry available church building will remain so in the longer term can be a struggle and will involve a range of challenges – financial, regulatory, and spiritual.

Hull Minster is so big and so important to us, why do we struggle to make ends meet?

At Hull Minster we have huge resources working for us and yet we are not certain of keeping the lights on in a two or three-year timescale. Although that sounds like a dire position to be in, that is where we were three years ago, and three years before that, and three years before, etc. Our diocese and our bishop know who and what we are and see the potential we have. They continue to support us in many ways, but they cannot pay our bills for either capital works such as roof repairs or operational costs such as the gas bill.

Our development trust has led the raising of funds for the capital projects we have seen over the last few years: opening the churchyard onto Trinity Square; reordering the nave and pews and installing under-floor heating; repairing the main nave roof. Currently you can see the North nave aisle roof also being repaired.

Thanks to a capital grant from Highways England as part of the A63 upgrade project, in the coming months we will see repairs and refurbishment to the vestry block and then the creation of the new Trinity Room extension and new toilets.

And yet we will still struggle to keep the lights on, and the gas bill paid, and we struggle to understand and to explain how these things can happen at the same time.

To attempt an explanation of the financial, we have tactical and strategic plans, and capital and operational finance.
‘Tactical’ means short term, what we do with what we have now.

‘Strategic’ means longer term, bigger picture, what do we need next year and in 5 and 25 years, and what do we do over those periods to achieve it.

‘Capital’ is one-off big expenditure, such as fixing a roof or building an extension. For almost all congregations, the raising of money for capital expenditure is beyond our own resources and we must look to external charities and trusts or to public appeals to raise the money.

‘Operational’ is regular outgoings such as the gas and electric bills, most staff wages, maintenance contracts, security systems, insurance. We know, from advice and from experience, that there are no external charities or trusts that will help with these ongoing expenses. We must meet these costs from our own resources, that is from the regular recurring income of what we give weekly and monthly as a congregation and what our visitors give when they come to see us, plus anything we can make from our own commercial activity such as shop, café, & events.

These large capital projects are being undertaken as part of our strategic plan to get us to a position where we have increased our regular recurring income to a point that it exceeds our operational outgoings. At that point, we will be able to both build our financial reserves for the future and invest in the future of others.

So, are we here to keep the lights on? We are not!

“The Church exists primarily for the sake of those who are still outside it”, said Archbishop William Temple.

“The most important decision any person can ever make is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. It’s the best thing anyone can do”, said Archbishop Justin Welby.

Keeping the lights on is essential but not sufficient. We were asked recently “what about prayer?”. Prayer is essential to the planning and running of the church and must be the foundation of every step we take. Without prayer, none of the above enables us to do God’s work. Prayer is a major and vital part of what we do but alone it is not sufficient. We must pray and we must plan, work, pray, and we must build our church in prayer and in people and in bricks so that we can do our part in full.

Robin Alden, Churchwarden.

Irene concludes with:

JANUARY OPENING

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

All other public services are cancelled at the present time.

PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm, starting on 23rd January.

Confirmation Preparation New course beginning Wednesday 3rd February via zoom at 7pm. Please email Rev Dominic if you would like to sign up, or for more information, dominic.black@hullminster.org

READINGS: THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

COLLECT FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

God of all mercy, your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,

release to the captives,

and freedom to the oppressed;

anoint us with your Holy Spirit

and set all your people free

to praise you in Christ our Lord

AMEN

This Month’s Prayer Diary

Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.

Guest User

13 January 2021

Minster Lifeline #2

Guest User

13 January 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

After a long, very cold, and frosty week, it was good this morning to see the sun shining and the ice melting. Day after day looking onto a very still garden gave me an idea, so in true MasterChef style I gathered together the jam pan, a block of lard then scoured my cupboards for all sorts of tasty bits and pieces. With crushed walnuts, prunes, cereals, suet and a host of other ‘goodies’ I set about a deluxe bird cake.

Once set and cut into pieces I proceeded to hang this tasty treat on a small tree not too far from the window. Every morning since doing this, instead of looking out on stillness I now see a queue of blue tits, robins and blackbirds all waiting their turn to tuck in! These new visitors have brought me great delight, problem being I now need to continue to serve up these treats – but a task that is well rewarded.

Thinking about the birds, I remembered what it says in Matthew 6 about not worrying and realised these verses are very important to us in the present situation.

‘Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life… Look at the birds of the air.

They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father

Feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.’

Maybe a lesson for us all, these birds are totally dependent on there being enough food to survive. Maybe we should pray this week that we have enough trust in God that we don’t spend our days worrying about things we cannot change – we say, ‘Over to you Lord’.

Take care and keep safe. One of our Readers, Peter Oakes, writes for us today:

“Everyone is searching for you!”

In this morning’s reading from the 1st chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus had got up early to find a quiet place to pray and his disciples were out looking everywhere for him. This was their greeting – “Everyone is searching for you!” In many ways my work as a psychologist for the charity Crisis and over the rest of my career has shown me countless people searching for the peace, healing, justice and mercy that came into the world with Jesus and is being revealed here in the beginning of Mark’s gospel.

Crisis works alongside other organisations in support of people who are facing homelessness in 11 “Skylight” centres across the UK. Over the last year Crisis has recognised that more than three quarters of people experiencing homelessness have serious mental health, drug and/or alcohol related difficulties. To respond to this need, a psychologist has been appointed to each of the centres and my job is to lead that team across the country and work into the South Yorkshire service based over in Rotherham. Much of the work is home-based now, talking to people on the phone or the computer. Sometimes we can go for a walk and talk, but even that is tricky now.

The pandemic has seen something of a positive government response to people facing homelessness. The “Everybody in” campaign has meant that councils have been supported to step up and offer accommodation that reduces the risk of transmission. We were delighted last week when we learned that this has been extended using hotels and other accommodation across the country through this period of cold weather and beyond. It shows what can be done and perhaps as a church community, we can pray for it to continue: especially for refugees, asylum seekers, EU nationals and others who do not have access to support.

Having professionals available for people either in mental health services or through various charities is only a small part of the way we can respond to this search for peace, belonging, justice and healing across our communities. One of the special things about Hull Minster is that everyone is welcome, whatever their story. Through the Minster community we offer sanctuary and the hope that everyone is searching for in the person of Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to the time when our doors can be fully open, but in the meantime, I rest assured that our hearts and our prayers are already open for everyone.

Peter Oakes

Irene concludes with:

JANUARY OPENING

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

All other public services are cancelled including personal prayer at the present time.

READINGS: SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

Almighty God,