NEWS
Weekly Matins has now resumed at 8.45am on Wednesdays, except there will be no service on 29th February and 26th April.
We are extremely grateful to our three organists, Kevin Turner, David Bunkell and Murray Walding, who have so generously stepped in following the sad loss of Bob. The skill of their playing adds much beauty to our services.
Three tables of diners from across the Benefice enjoyed a fine spread of delicious foods at the Benefice bring-and-share lunch at Barsham Village Hall on the last Sunday of January. Many thanks to those who supported the event.
We congratulate The Revd Canon Rich Henderson, Rural Dean of Waveney and Blyth, and Rector of Beccles with Worlingham, North Cove and Barnby, on being appointed the next Archdeacon of Suffolk. There will be a Service of Farewell and thanksgiving for Archdeacon Jeanette at 3pm on Sunday 23 April at St Michael’s, Framlingham.
A splendid 262 items were donated to the Foodbank in January. It can’t be said too often that our contributions are hugely appreciated.
The January sales table organised by Margaret raised £75.00. In the calendar year 2022 the sales table made a magnificent total of £1,350.00.
Barsham with Shipmeadow very gratefully acknowledges a donation of £250.00.
FORWARD PLANNING
The Choir of St Edmundsbury Cathedral will sing Choral Evensong at Barsham at 3.30pm on Sunday 5th March. Do bring friends!
The Barsham Big Breakfast will take place on Saturday 11th March at 9.30am in the Barsham and Shipmeadow Village Hall. By all means attend on an individual basis (seats can be booked by emailing [email protected]) or contact Bridget to join the church table, which will meet at the village hall at 10am. The cooked breakfast menu includes locally sourced meat as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
With lengthening daylight hours and carpets of spring flowers breaking through (front cover: Barsham snowdrops), the Spring Equinox is just around the corner, falling on Monday 20th March. Assuming the sun shines, the ‘Equinox Event’ in the church may be seen on 19th, 20th and 21st March. Refreshments will be served from 4.45pm on all three days and the shaft of sunlight should begin to strike the rood at approximately 5.15pm.
The next Benefice service of Choral Evensong will be held at All Saints, Mettingham at 6.30pm on Sunday 30th April.
SNIPPETS – Oak Tree Planting
Colin and Malcolm planted three oak saplings on the northern boundary of the churchyard on the first day of February. They were a gift from Bishop Martin Seeley, who has offered saplings to all the parishes of the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese. Originally planned as a part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, and as a fitting response to the climate crisis, Bishop Martin now wishes the trees to serve also as a memorial to our longest-serving monarch – and this is how we should see our three ‘Elizabeth Oaks’ at Barsham. In fact, most of Bishop Martin’s saplings were hornbeams, grown from seeds he collected in Christchurch Park, Ipswich, but he was also given 60 oak saplings, and our trees come from this latter source. The oak seems particularly appropriate in this context since in history and legend, oak trees have long symbolised royalty, patriotism and strength.
It is pertinent too that our three oaks will make a valuable contribution to biodiversity in the long term. The Woodland Trust website provides extensive detail: the oak supports more life than any other native species: ‘a haven for a colossal 2,300 wildlife species, providing vital spaces to eat, shelter and breed’. Of these, 326 species depend on the oak for their very survival and 229 species inhabit the oak almost exclusively. Every bit of the tree has value, from the top of the canopy to the tip of the roots. Oak flowers are eaten by squirrels and many insects, and the pollen is a popular food source for bees. Acorns are attractive to 31 different woodland mammals as well as some birds. Oak leaves provide food for caterpillars and aphids, the latter producing the sugary honeydew that wood ants feast on, and these invertebrates attract species from higher up the food chain, including birds – the oak supports 38 species of bird. Oak bark provides niches for wildlife to shelter, feed and breed, including a range of invertebrates, bats and birds. Meanwhile, at the base of the trunk, fungi feed on the wood, and oak hosts 716 types of lichen, which offer nesting material, food and shelter. Liverworts and mosses cling to bark and branches, and various fungi rely on oak, some support the root systems and others depend on decaying organic matter in the leaf mould and fallen deadwood. Of course, dead and decaying trees are a vital part of a wood’s biodiversity, providing habitat and nourishment for a vast array of species.
March Diary & Holy Week
Wednesday 22nd February – Ash Wednesday. 10am Holy Communion, Holy Trinity, Bungay & 7pm Holy Communion, All Saints, Mettingham. Both services Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 26th February – First Sunday of Lent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 5th March – Second Sunday of Lent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Jonathan Olanczuk.
Sunday 5th March – 3.30pm Choral Evensong with the Cathedral Choir. Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 12th March – Third Sunday of Lent. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Jonathan Olanczuk.
Sunday 19th March – Mothering Sunday. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 26th March – Passion Sunday. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 2nd April – Palm Sunday. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Rev Jonathan Olanczuk.
Thursday 6th April. Maundy Thursday. 7.30pm Holy Communion with foot-washing. Holy Trinity, Bungay. Rev Josh Bailey.
Friday 7th April. Good Friday. 12 noon Meditation at All Saints, Mettingham & 2pm Meditation, Holy Trinity, Barsham with Shipmeadow. Rev Josh Bailey.
Sunday 9th April. Easter Sunday. 6.30am Sunrise Service at Outney Common. 11am Sung Eucharist at Barsham (BCP). Both services Rev Josh Bailey.
Every Wednesday at 8.45am – Matins at Barsham.
Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, [email protected]