Tag: Faith

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Christ is risen, Alleluia!

Catherine Lee

Wishing you all a blessed and happy Easter ~ Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, Alleluia! “Not the empty tomb but the uninhabited cross. Look long enough and you will see the arms put on leaves. Not a crown of thorns, but a crown of flowers haloing it, with a bird singing as though perched on paradise’s threshold. We have over-furnished our faith. Our churches are as limousines in the procession towards heaven. But the verities remain: a de-nuclearised cross, uncontaminated by our coinage; the chalice’s ichor; and one crumb of bread on the tongue for the bird-like intelligence … Continue reading Christ is risen, Alleluia!

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CMS Link Visit to Dewsbury, W. Yorkshire

Catherine Lee

From mills to minster ~ Dewsbury used to be famous for its mills, now it’s the minster that has pride of place in the town.  Actually there’s been a place of worship there ever since about AD 627 when Paulinus came to visit and soon the ancient minster parish covered 400 miles all across northern England…. These days Dewsbury has a large Asian community, mostly Muslim, and Dewsbury Minster is the designated Christian Interfaith Centre for the area, so lots of groups come to learn about the Christian faith.  In the mid 1990’s the minster was completely reorganized – the east … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to Dewsbury, W. Yorkshire

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CMS Link Visit to Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield

Catherine Lee

Fantastic church, wonderful people, and a whole lot of lovely new Chinese friends! My links with Huddersfield go back years and years, and Holy Trinity Church, just north of the centre of the town, has always been really supportive of CMS ~ and of me too! When my good friends Pam and Nigel moved to Holy Trinity from Heighington, Co. Durham in the late 1980’s, and there I was, preparing to join CMS and go to Tanzania, Holy Trinity offered their support – and hey presto, they’re still supporting me all these years later.   Actually Pam and Nigel have been away … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield

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CMS Link Visit to Beccles, Suffolk

Catherine Lee

Just in case you think Cambridge is about as far east as it gets in England, well you ain’t bin nowhere yet!  Two long hours drive even further east from Cambridge and just before you hit the sea, you come upon the lovely little country town of Beccles, sitting on the River Waveney, at the gateway to The Broads, a sailing paradise of rivers and lakes in Norfolk and Suffolk. Beautiful! Not that I went to the Broads this weekend, in fact only as far as Beccles itself, passing the lovely Billingford Windmill at Scole, Norfolk en route…. And so to … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to Beccles, Suffolk

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CMS Link Visit to Gislingham, Mellis, Thornham Magna and Thornham Parva, Suffolk

Catherine Lee

Yep, deepest rural Suffolk, full of quaint pink cottages, gorgeous thatched churches, woodland glades white with snowdrops, vast rolling fields stretching to the horizon, and oh, so quiet all day, and all night.  Idyllic. Almost perfect.  But not quite!  Just don’t mention broadband speeds or mobile phone signals, or the lack thereof.  See a person perched on top of a log-pile in a far corner of their back garden or leaning out of their bathroom window?  Yep, they’re trying to send a text message or phone the neighbours.   Ah yes, the reality of life in the middle of nowhere! … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to Gislingham, Mellis, Thornham Magna and Thornham Parva, Suffolk

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CMS Link Visit to St. Andrew’s Church, Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington

Catherine Lee

The oldest church in Darlington, Co. Durham, so the sign says outside St. Andrew’s Church, Haughton-le-Skerne, c.1125 ~ that’s pretty old!  But of course in those days, Haughton-le-Skerne was not part of Darlington, but a separate village to the N.E. of the town.  Darlington kind of burst onto the world stage with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, and it’s been a big bustling industrial place ever since. St. Andrew’s Church is at the heart of a huge parish, covering Haughton, Whinfield, Red Hall and Springfield.  Definitely a happening place ~ and a VERY happening church, praise … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to St. Andrew’s Church, Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington

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CMS Link Visit to Barnet Parish Church

Catherine Lee

Oozing with history and character ~ Barnet Parish Church is just such a stunning building, and right in pole position on Barnet High Street. The church has been supporting CMS for many years, and my own connection goes back to the days of the former rector, Rev. Hall Speers and his family, who a long long time ago were USPG missionaries in Madagascar. Some years ago, I joined with them and some of the congregation on New Year’s Eve on top of the Barnet Church tower to watch the fireworks ~ amazing! Today I met the new rector, Chris for … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to Barnet Parish Church

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CMS Link Visit to All Saints with St. Peter, Luton

Catherine Lee

Just had such a really great weekend! All Saints Church in Bury Park, Luton has been supporting me for years and years and years ~ and the connection goes back to their former vicar, Rev. Sam Prasadam, who had been CMS Area Secretary in the NE of England before moving to Luton in the late 1980’s. We also had a connection at the same time through Sam between my home church in Heighington, Co. Durham and All Saints, Luton, a north-south, rural-urban link ~ involving exchange visits and prayer ~ all sorts of lasting friendships were made.  So I’ve known … Continue reading CMS Link Visit to All Saints with St. Peter, Luton