a CORRECTION to Baptisms: August 22nd. Holy Trinity, Boltby, not St Mary Leake. Charlie McKenzie, infant son of Simon and Sally Walker of Borrowby.

It is interesting to see how Iraq, as we know it today, has influenced our lives since time began. Abram set out from Ur of the Chaldees and, if you have read anything on the Marsh Arabs by Wilfred Thesiger, you may be forgiven for thinking that Noah and the Ark was set in Mesopotamia. In early biblical time Iraq was two kingdoms, Assyria (Asturia) with its capital Ninevah on the Tigris, and Babylon on the Euphrates - Mesopotamia was in the middle. Both cities were founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10) - Babylon in 2230 BC and Ninevah in 2218 BC. Assyria means plain or level; Babylon means Gate of Bel (God), Gate of 11 (God). Hence Babil and the Hebrew pun Babble, Babel, from the word confound.

Pul, from Nineveh, invaded Palestine (2 Kings 15,v.19) in 769 BC during the reign of Uzziah. The King of Israel (Samaria) bribed him to retire with 1000 talents. Tilgath-Pileser, Pul's successor, was persuaded by Ahaz, King of Judah, to invade Syria in 738 BC (2 Kings 16, v.5-9) taking many of its people captive. Shalmanassar besieged Samaria in 722 BC for three years and ended the Kingdom of Israel (" Kings 17, v.5-6). Seanacherib in 712 BC did not prevail against Jerusalem and lost 185,000 men. He was murdered by his sons on his return to Ninevah. Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in 650 BC. Medes revolted. Ninevah was destroyed in 606 BC thus ending Assyrian monarchy after 1306 years.

Babylon was in the land of Shinar, in which Ur of Chaldee was the oldest city. The locals were of the Kushite tribe, renowned for their learning, with a peculiar tongue. They were good at astronomy and magic - hence Magi. The language was similar to Ethiopian. In 1700 BC Babylon became centre of government and its features (walls, iron gates, towers and hanging gardens) were amongst the world's greatest artificial wonders. (NB Bible refs.to pitch, so oil played a part!) In 699 BC Seanacherib took Babylon. In 677/5 BC Asaridinus took Manassah King of Judah prisoner and put out his eyes. In 604 BC Nebuchadnezzar succeeded his father and Babylon then enjoyed a golden age until 569 BC when he set up a golden image and became insane - he wandered around as a beast of the fields covered in hair. In 538 BC Cyrus annexed Babylon to the Persian Empire and in 518 BC there was a passing revolt against Darius. In 331 BC Babylon surrendered to Alexander and its palaces burnt after a drunken mess night. The Selencid dynasty then took over. In 64 BC Pompey conquered Syria and Babylon whereupon they then became part of the Roman Empire.

With the rise of Islam in the 7th Century AD I will now let you do your own researches on the subject - especially as we hope to have an Address at some stage during the Winter/Spring/Lent of the Years 2004/5 AD. However, we continue ………………

Damascus was the Ummayad capital until mid 8 AD. In AD 762 the Abbased dynasty founded Baghdad and ruled a sophisticated caliphate, from Tunisia to the Indus. They brought ancient manuscripts from Byzantium - so Greek learning became the rockbed of their own learning and scholarship rather than our own (appropriate in view of the recent Olympic Games)! Sir Stephen Runciman described the Crusades as the last of the barbarian invasions - and certainly they slighted Constantinople if they couldn't reach Jerusalem! The prophet in his Hadith, or "Traditions", commanded his followers "to seek knowledge, even from China".

This was the age of Mutazalite theology, whereby the KORAN was deemed not eternal but was created at a certain point in time - by God. (Compare Christ's birth in the world.) This relaxed approach flourished until mid 9 AD when Caliph Mutawwakil abolished this free-thinking spirit and imposed submission and tradition - even to the extent of restricting Christian and Jew from their contribution to debate and scholarship. (Similarly Spain under the Moors enjoyed a cultural creativity until Granada conquered and the Catholic Kings expelled Moor and Jew alike. Yet Islamic Spain nurtured many of the medieval ideals and basic facets of Western civilisation!)

Under the Ottoman empire Iraq was comfortably and successfully divided into three: Kurds in the north, then Sunnis and Shias. The holy city of Najaf, with which the Americans struggle today, is the seat of a seminary that any Muslim cleric worth his salt has either attended or taught at. It is through here that Iran's Ayatollahs try to control Iraq's future.

The collapse of the Ottoman empire with the Arab revolt led by Lawrence ushered in Western influence, and control of Iraq, because of oil. The R.A.F. with the Hawker biplanes in the 1920s found they could control the tribes better than the army, by bombing. The Sykes-Picot treaty did not solve the problem of Iraq. The Ba'ath party was allowed to gain dominance and Saddam Hussein was the result. Maybe we need to learn something from the Ottoman empire that controlled this part of the world successfully for so many years …………

Whatever the future holds, this part of the world, dubbed The Cradle of Civilisation in the Western Christian world, will influence our lives just as it had done in Biblical times. And as a result, our spiritual lives. Some Harvest!

MISSION ACTION PLAN - Report to The Archbishop of York ST MARY'S LEAKE

This Report is made by the PCC on behalf of the Parish - 19th July 2004.

St Mary's Leake is a rural parish, part of 4 parishes, 12 villages, 8 churches. The Siltons run independently. Kepwick is a private chapel. There is one vicar (Liz Hoare); we pay her for extra work as and when.

PROCESS: After discussion at the PCC and a study of other Hillside MAPS, the PCC took an evening out to view "Restoring Hope", which became a basis for discussion prior to drawing up our MAP.

WHERE ARE WE? The new Common Worship booklet, edited by the Parish Priest, is in use throughout the parish alongside the BCP. Leake rejoices in two Holy Communions (BCP and CW), BCP Matins and a family service devised by ourselves and included in the booklet. 5th Sundays peripate around the parishes, depending on festivals and events.

ECUMENICAL: We have a healthy relationship with Borrowby Chapel, the last of 6 chapels throughout the Hillsides. Monks from Ampleforth also participate as occasion offers. NB Boltby draws heavily on other denominations to lead fortnightly worship. Well supported Festival and Special Services take place regularly, and Baptisms are big events. We have had only two weddings this year. Food for Thought during Lent has provided an opportunity of fun and fellowship, and has been thought-provoking. Also it has raised funds.

INTO THE FUTURE: Festivals and Special Services are being explored with a view to building on these and engaging schools, wider community and youth. We look to include the local primary C of E school twice a term. Harvest and Carols/Nativity, post lambing thanksgiving and Holy Week/Easter, end of term assembly and Ascension. This to balance the liturgical year with daily life and involve the farming community, the gardening club and parents. Will the connection be made between lambs and the Paschal Lamb?

We need to integrate into one PCC with other parishes to use our resources better and co-ordinate more effectively. We would like to use Liz Hoare and her skills more.

MISSION STATEMENT: Following Living the Gospel, we share a common Mission Statement with all the Hillside - "To Engage, Encourage, Explore and Extend". To engage with the community and identify different groups within it, encourage dialogue, especially with other faiths, explore ways of serving and extending fellowship beyond the Church.

PLUS - The Church is open, used and appreciated. We serve the community through rites of passage and special events. The hunting fraternity sponsored our last carol service and the whole parish group hopes to repeat the Blessing of the Hounds/Field Sports Thanksgiving Service, Mothering Sunday sponsored by the Mother's Union, Harvest festival etc. The Nativity - we pool our resources with Kepwick. Preaching attempts to break open the whole of each gospel each liturgical year. A steady trickle of confirmation.

MINUS - Leake is not the only church serving the local community so there is a wide choice. Sadly small churches in rural areas do not suit our local ordinand. The cost of maintaining medieval fabric (though it is appreciated for what it is) and a heavy quota, make charity support appear thin. However, please see the Hillside Parishes Magazine for what the parishes raised for Churches Together (over one seventh of the amount. New initiatives were taken, instead of door-to-door collections and the Parish Priest's shoe cleaning efforts in the Market Place.).

OPPORTUNITIES: To develop our role in the community by: Exploring forms of Worship both in Church and elsewhere in the community, that may enable simple and informal access by non-members to the message of the Gospels and Worship. Seeking to find ways of serving young folk in the community without really expecting an immediate response in terms of membership commitment. Enabling or joining in the establishment of cultural activities and facilities - debates, Food for Thought. We hope to have a Muslim to speak, and later debate our own religion. Providing assistance to newcomers to the Parish, and "Welcome Packs". Considering ways of offering service to the elderly or needy. We had a speaker on Community Care at our Joint PCC. Consider ways of encouraging visitors to our Parish and providing access to the history and present Mission of our church, i.e. North Yorkshire Church Tourism initiative. All parishes responded to the Priest's Ministry Review.

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS: To engage in our objectives with good faith, to seek to measure progress on a regular basis and to achieve visible growth in Mission and Membership with more prayer, to modernise the North Aisle as a resource, provide a loo, contact with other groups within the community, encourage community to share with the school, Lamb Service, encourage small groups, Godly Play, engaging other groups within the community in celebrating their events/achievements

 End of MISSION ACTION PLAN Report.