Christ Church in the MancheA Chaplaincy within the Church of England Diocese in Europe

September 2020

Minister’s MessageNow listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.” You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4, v13-15) Somewhere I read a bald summary of this, that simply said Our plans = God's jokes!

As a Chaplaincy we started the year full of hope for an exciting 'get back on track' new start for our life together. I hope we embarked on our plans with humility not boastfulness, but the way life has unfolded in the year 2020 makes our earlier discussions about as relevant as choosing new wallpaper for the lounge while the house burns down! The 20:20 Vision process is over, and we'll close it down, if only because the rather corny title expires at the same moment as the Brexit Withdrawal phase (hey! at least we got further than the Brexit negotiations seem to have done...) We'll gather up the good bits, close down the website, and address ourselves to more fundamental principles of the kind James points out in those verses. This means acknowledging the truth that 'we don't even know what our life tomorrow will be', looking to trust God more simply and more completely, accepting that our lives, and any plans, must simply lie in His hands.

One of the informal aims of 20:20 Vision was to 'raise our spiritual temperature' – to help our churches, all of us as Christians, to grow a little warmer, a little more passionate about the things that should really matter to us as we serve as ambassadors of Christ in this community. We do have duties as Christians, but our Christian life needs to be more than duty: we need to be energised by, and passionate about, the common life and shared values of the Kingdom of God. The trouble was, we were trying to warm ourselves by a couple of degrees just as the world around us dropped by about ten degrees, the chill of 'lock-down', of terrible news, of floundering governments or economic uncertainty. And few of us think that 'it's all over' yet.

So we need to take a fresh approach to keeping ourselves alive and active through whatever comes next. Key to this in my opinion is the ability to shift our focus away from gathering in a building, moving to joining together online and in small groups where we can. We hope everybody will choose to take the necessary steps only they can take in order to stay with us if we have to make this shift. 'Church may have to move' – are you willing and prepared to move with us?

'It's September, Vicar: you will say something about harvest?!' Sorry, I haven't left myself enough space to witter about pumpkins and plenty (I hate pumpkins anyway!), but in this strangest year, so bleak for so many, here is my harvest principle from my Shropshire farming forebears. 'The fact that the harvest has been poor doesn't mean you don't bother to gather it. A poor harvest means you have to work harder to gather every grain, and makes you MORE thankful for even what you have'. Back to the Letter of James again (one of my favourite books!), Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3, v18)

Those of us who spread God's peace by how we live, despite the difficulties of the times, can still reap a harvest of righteousness. For all of us there have been blessings, even it they have been small ones, even if we've had to search for them in unexpected places. I'm going to stick by our family farming wisdom, and I'm confident that when I 'count my blessings, name them one by one', I'll still be a spiritually rich person. I invite you to count your blessings, 'name them one by one', and praise God for His warm loving care even in this chilly climate!

Love in Christ to you all,Chris

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CHAPLAINCY NEWSAt last we are back in church, with two much-appreciated services held on 23rd March.

Facilities are in place for live-streaming the services from Gratot.----------------------------------

The CHAPLAINCY ANNUAL MEETINGwill be held on

SUNDAY 27th SEPTEMBERat Gratot linked to a shortened morning prayer service, probably in the church.

As with other services, in order to allocate seating it will be necessary to “sign in” before the day.(Preference will be given to those on the Electoral Roll.)

Please watch out for an e-mail with final details a little nearer the date.

It is now ESSENTIAL that we find a Gratot-based church warden, as Adrian made it clear when he agreed to stand that he would only continue with the job on his own until the next annual meeting.

The chaplaincy cannot continue with no churchwardens in post,so please search your hearts and if you feel that you could serve God and His church in the Manche in this

way, this is the moment to come forward. Please don’t hide your light under the proverbial bushel.The future of our chaplaincy could depend on you.

----------------------------------The work of the Church continues, even under lockdown, and a steady income is essential. Now we are back at church, donations can be made again in person but if you prefer to give by bank transfer,

please look at the “Donations and Gifts” page of our website, https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8341

If you have any questions, please contact our Treasurer, Adrian Feather.----------------------------------

If you no longer wish to receive the church magazine from us, please e-mail CCMancheweb@outlook.com with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

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Our 20-20 vision may be over, but we should still pray regularly for our church.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for calling us to be a Church under the banner of your Name:

may we look to you todayand find clear vision for tomorrow.

May our life together bring you glory,as you make of us a living invitationto enter the joy of your Kingdom.

Amen.

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BACK TO CHURCH – at last!The Virey congregation met at 5 00 pm on Sunday for a Garden Communion Service led by David and Mary.  We were blessed with good weather - not too hot, cold or wet! - and twenty three of us gathered on the expansive lawns outside Roger's house near Virey.  Everyone was pleased to meet together after such a long while and to share in an act of worship and Communion.  We listened to recorded hymns and Joanna played for us on the keyboard.  

I would like to thank Roger for welcoming us at his home and also everyone who contributed to the success of this service.  We plan to hold one or two more in the open air (weather permitting!) before the temperature plummets!' Penny Feather

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Our first ever livestreamed service on YouTube – the moment when we finally got it to work!

Comments from some of the worshippers at our first Sunday back in Gratot

“Good to be able to share communion, and fellowship after such a long time. Now looking forward to being able to have some hymns, and also to have our ‘coffee and cake’ together after the service.”

“It was so wonderful to be once again with my church family. I am truly grateful for everyone who has kept us together during the past five months.”

“The spiritual hunger and need to once more be a part of our congregation that led me to church on Sunday 23rd was mixed with feelings of  trepidation, excitement and curiosity. Sitting on a red cross seemed ironic but seeing so many familiar faces in the setting of our church felt very comforting. The service was food for the spirit, thanks to Chris and Donna. I came away not just spiritually uplifted but happy that another area of our lives is returning to (almost) normal setting, bring on the singing and all will be well!”

“ I went along with some feeling of trepidation, wondering if it would all be just “too different”, but I need not have worried – that wonderful, familiar feeling of love and spirituality still pervade our church.”

“23rd August, our first service in church since March 8th.  What a joy to be able to worship with friends again, and we did behave! That was  until we got outside where we were able to talk to each other socially, but still taking precautions. Looking forward to next Sunday again.”

“So happy to be part of the congregation able to worship at Gratot once again, restrictions notwithstanding, but we do miss the hymns and our pew!”

“It was nice to catch up with everyone although, unfortunately, problems with the sound system meant that not everyone could hear everything.”

“What a joy it was to come up to Gratot on Sunday to receive Communion after a break of so long and to meet up with so many old friends again!  Many grateful thanks to Chris and Donna and the support team for

all your hard work in making this happen.”

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OPERATION INTERNET / ETHERNET

Wednesday last (19th August) saw the Church finally connected to the live box stationed in the Presbytery. The weather forecast was looking favourable but as the day drew closer things did not look quite so promising and as Wednesday dawned the rain arrived along with some rather strong gusts of winds. Anyway not to be deterred I lugged the double ladder down from the field and got it onto the roof rack only to realise that I had left the rope in the vestry from my video recording of the previous Sunday’s service. After scrabbling around in the barns I managed to find a small length of rope and tied one end of the ladder onto the rack. This wasn’t going to be enough to keep it from potentially sliding all over the place and falling off, so Colette’s dog lead came into its own and the ladder was securely attached for the 10-minute drive to Church – the ladder behaved so much better than Colette!

As I had some time to spare before Albert arrived I decided to pull up some weeds. I was going to get wet anyway so might as well do something useful whilst waiting. It’s surprising how easily they come up in the rain.

Now for those of you who don’t recognise the name, Albert and his wife Nora are the young couple who sit at the back of the Church with their two young children Alexander and Nathalie. He had kindly offered to install the steel cable to which the ethernet cable was to be attached before they returned to the UK in September. Unfortunately due to the new quarantine regulations this was being brought forward so that the children could quarantine before starting at their new school in London. So, with only three days before they were due to travel, Albert left Nora packing up their belongings and arrived to install the steel wire and cable, with strict instructions that I was to make sure and hold the ladder so that he didn’t fall.

It was a soggy, wet, and windy few hours, as we attached restraining hooks to the Church and Presbytery and found our way up into the loft to pass the cabling through a gap under the guttering rather than drill through 2-foot-thick walls. As the rain eased off so the winds picked up but not to be deterred we continued until eventually we were able to link up with Fr. Chris via skype and then to do some live streaming tests. It worked. We have internet connection.

What can I say but that Albert was a star that day. He supplied the steel cabling and associated fittings and gave of his time and expertise as a parting gift from him and Nora. Thank you Albert. But also, we have to say a huge thank you to Nora for letting her husband come out to help when there was so much he needed to do at home. You’ll be very much missed but we’ll look forward to when you return and visit for holidays.

God bless, DonnaPhotos, top to bottom:….and so it begins; The man of the hour; The finished cable

(It seems to me (MU) that Donna is just as much a star as Albert – well done and thanks to both of you from us all.)

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READINGS AND SERVICES FOR SEPTEMBERPlease note that readings at Gratot will be selected from those listed here.

Date Day in the churchCalendar Psalm 1st

reading2nd

reading Gospel

6th 13th Sunday after Trinity

119:33-40

Ezekiel33:7-11

Romans13:8-end

Matthew18:15-20

13th 14th Sunday after Trinity

103:1-13

Genesis50:15-21

Romans14:1-12

Matthew18:21-35

20th 15th Sunday after Trinity

145:1-8

Jonah3:10 – end of

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Philippians1:21-end

Matthew20:1-16

27th 16th Sunday after Trinity

25:1-8

Ezekiel18:1-4, 25-end

Philippians2:1-13

Matthew21:23-32

4th Oct 17th Sunday after Trinity

65 Deuteronomy28:1-14

2 Corinthians9:6-end

Luke17:11-19

There will be no service at Gratot on 6th September as the Friends of Hommëel Church will be holding their annual service.

GRATOT Services:

13th, 20th and 27th will all be services of Holy Communion

VIREY Services: (at Roger’s)

20th, Service of the Word

Thoughts for the Month

Being an Anglican Christian

We have no revered founder, no pivotal item of doctrine, no egregious error of another group of Christians against which we define ourselves, and no pivotal interpreter through whose definitive reading of Scripture all must be evaluated…Instead we have a tradition of common prayer, a general commitment to the well-being of all, including non-members of the church, and a desire to seek a faith that can be shared by people of a wide diversity of temperaments and backgrounds.

From 'What Episcopalians Believe', by Samuel Wells.

If you see someone without a smile give them one of yours!

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Commemoration for the Liberation of Coutances28th July 2020

On the 28th July I was invited along with Frances Hook to attend the ceremony to commemorate the Liberation of Coutances and the memory of Colonel Louis J Storck, one of the American Commanding Officers who helped in that Liberation. The ceremony was presided over by the new Mayor of Coutances Mr. Jean-Dominique Bourdin, and was attended by Colonel Storck’s daughter, Molly, who has a holiday home in nearby Roncey.

Colonel Louis J Storck was a Staff Officer with the US 4th Armoured Division serving as part of the Joint Allied Command's 3rd Army, under the command of General Patton ; landing on Utah beach in July 1944.

The Division was assigned to neutralize opposition, clear, and liberate the Contentin peninsular, liberate Coutances, Avranches and into Brittany, then to rejoin and engage in the battle of Normandy.

Colonel Storck, in Command of the Division's Tactical Reserve force, was directed to clear the roads from enemy defensive lines positioned on the routes going south, and for the Division to achieve the first aim, to liberate Coutances by the end of July 1944 .

Coutances was liberated on 28th July 1944. However, whilst entering the city, the jeep in which Colonel Storck was travelling with his driver and signalman, ran over a land mine. All three died from the detonation.

Colonel Storck was posthumously awarded the US Silver Star. He is buried in the Omaha Beach US Military Cemetery, Colleville Sur Mer.

In 1994 his daughter Molly received the 50th Anniversary D Day medal on behalf her late father, presented to her by the then Maire of Coutances, M. Yves Lamy. Not long after, the small public garden at the Pont de Soulles, in Coutances was renamed and dedicated, 'Square Colonel Louis J Storck' .

The ceremony took place in Colonel Storke Square at the bottom end of Coutances near the Viaduct restaurant. Frances was her usual magnificent self, singing both national anthems. For my part I was asked to prepare prayers for both the fallen and for peace in both languages. Several people from Christ Church attended along with many from the ex-pat community and local people. The event was recorded on the I Love Normandy Facebook page. It was an honour and a privilege for our Church to be represented on this important local commemoration. Thank you to all who supported me, especially Jacqueline Frost who once again carried the American Flag.

Donna

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Diary Dates

Sorry – still no events to tell you about but it shouldn’t be too long nowHopefully two or three coffee mornings soon? Watch out for announcements..

Useful websitesIf you know of any other websites which might be of use to our readership, please let the editors

know

www.rfi.fr/en/ An excellent French news and current affairs public radio station, good for latest news in English

www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8341 /page/52609 This is the website giving all the information

for the two Chaplaincy churchesat Gratot-Hommëel and Virey

www.achurchnearyou.com/church/19962 A supplementary website relevant to additional activities at Virey

https://europe.anglican.org/ The main Diocesan website

http://eurobishop.blogspot.com/ A blog by Bishop David HamidNews and articles about our diocese

https://www.francerights.org/ Brexit information for expatriate Britons

https://cjdprobert.wixsite.com/twenty-twenty The very important website with news and updates on our 20-20 Vision discussions

MINISTRY CONTACTS

GRATOT VIREY

Revd Chris Probert 02 33 61 35 82 Revd David Jackson 02 33 49 64 41

Donna Derrick, Reader 02 33 17 19 52 Mary Jackson, Reader 02 33 49 64 41

Adrian Feather, Churchwarden 02 33 58 01 35

NEXT MONTH’S DEADLINE for articles and photos is 25th September.Please send articles and photos to: mmupjohn@live.co.uk

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