Good Friday Meditation and Reading of the Dream of the Rood

for 1 hour
Bewcastle Church
Bewcastle Church
Outside round the Bewcastle Cross (or in the church if the weather is inclement), a service of meditation listening to a reading of the ‘Dream of the Rood’. It will probably take around 15 mins to read, and will finish with a period of silence. The whole service will last about 30 minutes. I'm not aware of this having been done before, but I'm sure it must have been. For those who don't know it, the Dream of the Rood has been described as ‘one of the greatest religious poems in English literature’ and is one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon poems in existence. A section of it is inscribed in runes on the Ruthwell Cross in south Dumfriesshire, not far from the Solway coast. In fact, these runes are the oldest Anglo-Saxon poetry anywhere in the world. The Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses are closely-related sister crosses that both date from the early 8thC. It is likely that they were either inspired by the poem, or inspired the author(s) of the poem, as they are more or less contemporary with it - the close relation between them being evident through the runic engraving. The poem is about an elderly monk who dreams about the cross (the 'rood') in his sleep, and as he meditates the cross begins to speak to him about the events of that day. It is typical Johannine Anglo-Saxon theology, in that creation speaks of God's presence to those who pray, and the colour, holiness, gore, majesty, wonder and awe flow back and forth through the poem as the Christ climbs up to mount his victory throne, which is, of course, the rood. We will be gathered, praying around perhaps the actual cross that 'speaks' in the poem. If you would like to be seated outside you will need to bring your own furniture.

St Mary's, Stapleton

St Mary's Church lies in the centre of a large rural parish in the north of the Brampton Deanery and is blessed with glorious views of the Pennines and the Lake District.   It  holds a service once a month, in turn with the other 3 churches in the Benefice  . The  Church is well supported by the local community and organises a Christmas Fair , a Harvest Supper  and other events during the  year.




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Patricia Coombe

Damhead, Roweltown

CA6 6LQ
Church Warden
01697748833
Revd Dr Robert Brown, Priest in Charge
016977 48438

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Good Friday Meditation and Reading of the Dream of the Rood

for 1 hour
Bewcastle Church
Bewcastle Church

Outside round the Bewcastle Cross (or in the church if the weather is inclement), a service of meditation listening to a reading of the ‘Dream of the Rood’. It will probably take around 15 mins to read, and will finish with a period of silence. The whole service will last about 30 minutes. I'm not aware of this having been done before, but I'm sure it must have been. For those who don't know it, the Dream of the Rood has been described as ‘one of the greatest religious poems in English literature’ and is one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon poems in existence. A section of it is inscribed in runes on the Ruthwell Cross in south Dumfriesshire, not far from the Solway coast. In fact, these runes are the oldest Anglo-Saxon poetry anywhere in the world. The Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses are closely-related sister crosses that both date from the early 8thC. It is likely that they were either inspired by the poem, or inspired the author(s) of the poem, as they are more or less contemporary with it - the close relation between them being evident through the runic engraving. The poem is about an elderly monk who dreams about the cross (the 'rood') in his sleep, and as he meditates the cross begins to speak to him about the events of that day. It is typical Johannine Anglo-Saxon theology, in that creation speaks of God's presence to those who pray, and the colour, holiness, gore, majesty, wonder and awe flow back and forth through the poem as the Christ climbs up to mount his victory throne, which is, of course, the rood. We will be gathered, praying around perhaps the actual cross that 'speaks' in the poem. If you would like to be seated outside you will need to bring your own furniture.

Safeguarding

The parish of Stapleton: St Mary is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer, PSO.
If you have any concerns or enquiries regarding safeguarding, please contact our safeguarding officer.
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Tricia Coombe
Email: [email protected]


The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is Joanna Van Lachterop and she can be contacted at [email protected] or at 07458 016884. Joanna’s working days are Monday to Friday.
Out of Hours Support:
If Joanna is unavailable and you are concerned that an adult is being abused, or at risk, you should report it by contacting Adult Social Care, Cumberland Council. Emergency Out of Hours - 01228 526690
If you are concerned about a child or young person, please contact:
· Cumberland Safeguarding Hub on 0333 240 1727 (if it relates to a concern in the Allerdale, Carlisle or Copeland area) or,
· Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Hub on 0300 373 2724 (if it relates to a concern in the Barrow, Eden or South Lakeland area).
If you believe that a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires medical attention, call the emergency services on 999.
Helplines:
· NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are worried about a child and need advice or guidance on what to do.
· Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything.
· National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are experiencing domestic abuse or need help to report.
· Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours). Phone if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
· Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 0808 808 8141 (free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm)
· Victim Support Cumbria: 0300 303 0157. Emotional and practical advice to help people affected by crime in Cumbria.
· LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
· Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
· Age UK Advice Line: 0800 678 1602

The Diocese of Carlisle’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.
For any other concerns you may have please contact the Parish Safeguarding Officer: Tricia Coombe 016977 48833 email: [email protected]