From the Annual Meetings

Elections

All Churchwardens were elected from both parish to continue in office: John Atkin and Anthony Marriott for Scarcliffe, and Keith Jones and Bryan Cooke for Ault Hucknall. Deanery Synod reps were re-elected for another three years with the sad exception of Scarcliffe, who remembered with thanks the service of Pat Atkin. John Atkin agreed to continue as Synod Rep and was joined by Marian West. PCC members continued largely as before, and all officers were confirmed in post for another year. We welcomed Kevin Bacon as a PCC member at Ault Hucknall for the first time. Ault Hucknall now have 58 members on their electoral roll.

Reports.

Vicar

Snow at both ends of the year badly affected communicant figures, but even allowing for that, the non-snow affected Sundays showed a drop in regular worship numbers from an average of around 33 for Ault Hucknall to around 30. For the first time since the present Vicar arrived, there have been no new Confirmation Candidates for two years in succession. Youth and the younger generation are markedly absent on any regular pattern of worship, although they turn out in force for weddings and baptisms.

Wardens

The building and repair work was itemised, and the prospective projects for the coming year, including the gates and heating boiler at Ault Hucknall, and the ongoing research into a better heating system for Scarcliffe. Scarcliffe has a new bookcase, bought with proceeds from the bequest by Trevor Skirrey, and the repairs to kitchen roof and church and tower windows has been successful.

Treasurers

Thanks for the work from both treasurers, Mandy Jack and Jayne Sabido. Both sets of accounts were accepted unanimously. Ault Hucknall continue to labour under a massive shortfall in income unmatched by the sort of realistic levels of giving that would sustain the church in paying its way. That said, it was generally agreed that the levels of parish share demanded by the Diocese in the quota system are also excessive. Even so, the parishes are heavily subsidised from the Diocese in supporting a full time priest here.

The Voluntary work of so many people was and is graciously praised.

Holy Days of April

3rd     Mothering Sunday – 4th Sunday in Lent

>There is an old Jewish saying: God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers.

>Mother Church, Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods - our human mothers - all of them have been part of the celebration of ‘Mothering Sunday’ - as the fourth Sunday in Lent is affectionately known.  It has been celebrated in the UK since at least the 16th century.

>In Roman times, great festivals were held every Spring to honour Cybele, Mother of all the Gods.  Other pagan festivals in honour of Mother Earth were also celebrated.  With the arrival of Christianity, the festival became one honouring Mother Church.

>During the Middle Ages, young people apprenticed to craftsmen or working as ‘live-in’ servants were allowed only one holiday a year on which to visit their families - which is how ‘Mothering Sunday’ got its name.  This special day became a day of family rejoicing, and the Lenten fast was broken.  In some places the day was called Simnel Day, because of the sweet cakes called simnel cakes traditionally eaten on that day.

>In recent years the holiday has changed and in many ways now resembles the American Mothers’ Day, with families going out to Sunday lunch and generally making a fuss of their mother on the day. 

17th  Palm Sunday:  Jesus at the gates of Jerusalem

>Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday,  when the Church remembers how Jesus arrived at the gates of Jerusalem just a few days before the Passover was due to be held.  He was the Messiah come to his own people in their capital city, and yet he came in humility, riding on a young donkey,  not in triumph, riding on a war-horse. 

>As Jesus entered the city, the crowds gave him a rapturous welcome, throwing palm fronds into his path.  They knew his reputation as a healer, and welcomed him.  But sadly the welcome was short-lived and shallow, for Jerusalem would soon reject her Messiah, and put him to death.    On this day churches worldwide will distribute little crosses made from palm fronds in memory of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.

22   Good Friday – the day the Son of God died for you

>Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified at 9am in the morning, and died six hours later, at 3pm.  It is the most solemn day in the Christian year, and is widely marked by the removal of all decorations from churches.  In Lutheran churches, the day was marked by the reading of the passion narrative in a gospel, a practice which lies behind the ‘passions’ composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750).  Both the St Matthew Passion and the St John Passion have their origins in this observance of Good Friday. 

>The custom of observing a period of three hours’ devotion from 12 midday to 3 pm on Good Friday goes back to the 18th century. The ‘Three Hours of the Cross’ often take the form of an extended meditation on the ‘Seven Last Words from the Cross’, with periods of silence, prayer, or hymn-singing.

Editor: The three hours may be observed in these parishes by attending all the mid-day worship: The Liturgy, Easter Garden (AH) and then the Stations of the Cross at

Scarcliffe. The seven words from the Cross is the theme of the 7.30pm observance.

Now Available at the Back of Ault Hucknall Church

Thomas Hobbes

and the Limits of Democracy

By Alastair Redfern

Bishop of Derby

£3 per copy.

£4 per post if you apply in writing to the Vicar

This is the book of the Lecture given by Bishop Alastair on 26th April. The Book was launched in September in church.

All proceeds have been given by the Bishop to Ault Hucknall’s appeal for roof repairs recently undertaken.