From the Registers

Funerals

Tuesday August 21st. St.Mary, Leake. Fred Noble, 65, of Borrowby, beloved husband of Margaret. Fred died quite unexpectedly. He had started work at Borrowby as a garage hand before going into the R.A.F. for five years as a fitter. He had retired from the Forestry Commission a few years ago.

Celebrating 50 Years of Marriage! In Felixkirk, 50 years ago ......Eric and Dorothy Almond thank all those who sent congratulations and best wishes for their GOLDEN WEDDING - and also to the team of bellringers for their kind thought!
From the Visitors Book, Leake St Mary:- 1st September Miriam and Susan Bassett, of Bagby. We had to come - Arthur and Miriam were married here 50 years ago today!

It is somewhat disconcerting that an organisation that has offered stability to so many for so long is itself wobbling on its own axis. The Church has always been there, and priestly comfort available. Now with resources stretched beyond the capacity of its individuals, too much financial exposure because of pensions, and too many committees and boards to foster ways of doing it to the cost of numbers of parish priests - and the budget to pay them - the Church begins navel-gazing! Should we disestablish? Should we dismantle the parochial system? Should we be "The Church Plc"? Should the Archbishop of Canterbury be the Anglican Pope or just The Primate of All England or Head of the Worldwide Anglican Communion or no longer a diocesan Bishop? Thus, as has been suggested before, if the Church is the voice of the hard-pressed, so it will be that where the Church is required to be the voice of rural communities - then there will be no parish priests present.

Yes, the Archbishop would dearly love to dismantle some of the fund-guzzling committees and devote more money to the real work of the church through its parish priests. The Anglican Church is perhaps 'the thinking man's church' because it is not so hidebound by ritual and rules and regulations. It also embraces much of the churchmanship of the other denominations. What rules do exist relate to the legalities surrounding its position as the established church, but even within those confines something like Calling the Banns could still be made to work.

What does the future hold? We have no idea, when it comes to it! No one had the slightest notion that New York would be attacked, and thousands killed by terrorists. America had never been attacked on its mainland by outsiders since the War of Independence. It harbours a few cranks within, and guns are easily accessible. As far as terrorism goes, their harvest is successful because it has caused panic and is nameless: no negotiation, no ultimatums, just a clear message to "butt out". Funnily enough, in 1973 an Arab said to me in Jerusalem that they missed the British worldwide presence because they cared about people - but they resented the Americans who threw money at everything ................

So, as Harvest Festivals begin once again, no one knows what the future holds. Yes, we reap what we sow - some commentators, too clever by half, have tried to make too much of that and blame farmers for their own troubles. The truth is, that the system to which farmers are subject is too political and bureaucratic. Furthermore, market forces will always dictate that the housewife drives a hard bargain - and this in turn depends on whether she cooks to eat or cooks for flavour .................................... 

Come what may, the role of the Church is to make people think, and to encourage people to respond to God. The balance is between Fear and Hope, Anger and Despair, and Love. The pivot is our own capacity for compassion, taking our cue from the compassion Jesus showed even unto the Cross. So at our Harvest Festivals we can admit that FMD has dealt us a body blow. However we also know that whether we have to give thanks for a lot, or a little, all that is shared by God too - and we must share it with Him.

For Food and Farmers, for Fellowship and Fun, we thank you, Good Lord.

Women Doing Excellently:
(Proverbs 31:29) Caroline Chisholm 1808 - 1877

We are near the age of Charles Dickens, who, in David Copperfield, reflects the emigration that was in full flow. But Caroline's adventures began with her marriage to Archibald Chisholm, a Scottish Lieutenant and a Catholic, then serving in Madras. By 1850 British rule covered the whole of India, and was passed to the Crown after the Mutiny in 1857. But Caroline's experience was not confined to India. She and her husband took a period of leave in Sydney, and here she met a mixed society of colonists of their own choosing and convicts transported against their will by their home government. She met girls in great difficulty too, who had chosen to emigrate without any resources, and no family backing. Even hostel accommodation had to be provided, so she took the initiative, with the Governor, to persuade him to allocate a building for use as a hostel for new arrivals. He was impressed.

"Mrs Chisholm is tall, stately in her bearing and ladylike in her manner. Her face beaming with kindness, her voice is musical and she speaks fluently." He sounds quite taken with her, and put his promise into effect.

But Caroline did not stop there and went on to find opportunities for employment. Newly arrived young farmers often were stretched to the limit in their initial claiming of the land, and badly in need of domestic help - it not infrequently led to marriage. But later she tackled the London end and persuaded the powers-that-be to finance wives' and children's passages to Australia so that they could join their husbands. And a Family Colonisation Society, which could offer free loans to cover part of the emigration costs, was later formed.

Caroline had pledged herself to assist regardless of country or creed. When the couple finally returned to England she received a Civil List Pension of £100 - no negligible sum then! And a prayer of thanksgiving for her life was written by Australian Bishops.
MIRIAM HANSON

July 2001
Margaret and I were very moved by the service in St.Mary's Whitby on July 8th. It was good to see so many friends from all parts of the Arch-deaconry and beyond. The fact that so many people had made the effort to be present is very much appreciated.
We are also enormously grateful for the many gifts with which we have been presented both at the service and beforehand. It was, and is, very difficult to put into words the depth of our feelings and gratitude. The extremely generous cheque will enable me to purchase a greenhouse, where I hope to spend some of my time in the next few years - it will remind me of the years spent in this area. It will also enable us to take a holiday to some area that we might not otherwise be able to afford.
These last 10½  years seem to have passed very quickly. They are years that we have much enjoyed in this area, which is without doubt the loveliest part of the Diocese. In moving to Strensall we will be living in the only Archdeaconry where we have not lived before and hopefully will not be treading on anyone's toes! It will also mean that we are not very far from those areas that we have loved and known. If you are in the area, we will be delighted to see you at 43, Barley Rise. May God bless you in all the years to come. Yours sincerely, Chris Hawthorn