Category: Prime Time

Here’s an article Penny contributed to BRF online about her experience and thoughts of leading the Busbridge&Hambledon Seniors Ministry during the past year:

https://www.brfonline.org.uk/blogs/collections/lockdown-stories-business-as-un-usual?utm_source=BRF+E-News&utm_campaign=3174fc4e15-BRF_LF_SALES_22March2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_01f315e404-3174fc4e15-314796001&mc_cid=3174fc4e15&mc_eid=b477fb777b

Dear Prime Time member,

I’ve called this email ‘Prime Time News’ just because there seems to be so much information to impart this week!  So I think it best if I don’t say much else for now, so that you can focus on the important stuff!

This coming Tuesday, March 23rd sees the latest in our regular series of Lock Down Quiz events.  Zoom in for a 2.30 start. Prime Time Team member Di Drudge will once again be our quiz master for afternoon, putting our little grey cells to the test in the way that only Di can, (usually with quite hilarious results!)  Join us for an afternoon of fun; yes, it is a quiz – but we are careful never to take it too seriously and there will be plenty of laughter and chat along the way.  New for this time – Di will offer participants a choice of topics on which to answer questions, so do come along and help influence what questions are posed.  We plan to ‘level the playing field’ on this occasion too, so any households competing as a team of more than 1 will find that a small handicap is applied!

If you’re tempted by the thought of joining in, but are worried that your general knowledge might let you down, here are a few example questions from recent Prime Time quizzes (You’ll find the answers at the end of the email!)

1.       The Titanic sank on 12th April of which year?

2.       What is the capital of Portugal?

3.       Which poet composed ‘To Autumn’, the 1819 poem which begins ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’?

4.       In which English town was ‘Fawlty Towers’ set?

5.       Which ruler referred to the England as ‘A nation of shopkeepers’?

Hopefully you’re now thinking, “Yes, I can do this!” so here are the all-important joining instructions:

To join the quiz via your browser:  https://zoom.us/j/9463914833

or type 946-391-4833 into the Zoom ‘join a Meeting’ window.

In both cases enter the password 2021 when asked.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that this is exactly the same link as for the Thursday afternoon ‘Catch Up & Chat’ sessions. This is because both events take place in the BHC Public Zoom Room.  So keep hold of this link once the quiz is over on Tuesday and join us again on Thursday afternoon anytime between 3.30 and 4pm for a chance to chat with your Prime Time team and other members.  We had 12 people join us on Zoom yesterday afternoon which is our biggest turn-out to date.  We had a very wide ranging discussion, from  jigsaws and books to travelling in Iceland.  Do put next Thursday afternoon in your diaries too and let’s see if we can achieve another record attendance!

Another topic of conversation during the ‘Catch Up & Chat’ session yesterday afternoon was the 2021 Census.  Sunday March 21st is Census Day this year, which is only 2 days away now.  Hopefully you have received a leaflet through your door explaining the process?  If you haven’t dealt with it already, it’s time to dig that leaflet out again and follow the instructions.  You don’t have to wait for Sunday in order to complete the Census form online; it can be done now if you are eager to get it ticked off your ‘to do’ list.  I know we’re approaching Easter, but the Census always reminds me of Christmas.   Thanks to school Nativity plays, children tend to get introduced to the concept of a Census at a very young age.  And we continue to be reminded of that story every Christmas too, as Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the reason for it, is the point in the story at which we tend to start our Bible readings at the Prime Time Carol Service each year.

‘In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           (Luke: 2, 1-5)

The Roman Census was key to the fulfilment of the prophecies which foretold the birth of a Saviour as it was this event that led Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ earthly parents to be in Bethlehem at the time of his birth, just as it was foretold in Micah: Chapter 5, verse 2.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

So as you complete your Census form on Sunday, maybe consider the importance of that Roman Census and how it influenced the bigger story playing out at the time; a story that had been foretold many centuries previously and which remains relevant in our lives today, especially during this season of Lent.

Looking ahead to Easter, which happily coincides with a further, (albeit small) lifting of some of the current Lock Down restrictions – there will continue to be online Sunday services, but in addition to what is online – for those that wish, on Easter Sunday we are inviting congregations back to worship in person at both Busbridge and Hambledon churches.  The services will be held outdoors at both locations, as this enables more people to attend.  Numbers will be limited to 100 at both sites, so there is a requirement to sign up ahead of the event.  Please visit our website: www.bhcgodalming.org for details as to how to do this.  The congregations will be safely distanced; face coverings are required and congregation singing is not permitted, but there will be hymns and music.

The pastoral team will be offering Home Communion to those who can’t make it to the services on Easter Sunday.  This will be done outside, in front gardens. If you would like a member of the pastoral team to visit and share communion with you or someone else, please email Jill Johnston on: pastoral@bhcgodalming.org

In further news from in and around the church, I am sad to report that our friend and fellow Prime Time member Doris Borthwick died on Sunday evening.  Until ill health prevented Doris from attending our events, Doris was a very regular face at Prime Time events where her smile and warm welcome for everybody lit up the room.  We send our love and prayers to Doris’ family and her many friends as we do for the family and friends of Barbara Hubble who died last month.  Barbara and her son Julian have been Prime Time members for a number of years; indeed, they have been associated with Prime Time for longer than I have!  Julian would welcome any of Barbara’s Prime Time friends to join the service of thanksgiving for her life which is taking place at Clandon Wood on Thursday next week (March 25th) starting at midday.  Due to the current restrictions on numbers, we will be joining the service virtually via the Clandon Wood livestream.  If anyone would like the details of how to access the service for Barbara online, then please do get into contact with me and I will share them with you.

And finally, before I end off for this week – the request for items for the Prime Time Lock Down Yearbook has reached its third week.  I revealed this week’s subject at yesterday’s ‘Catch Up & Chat’ session and I must say it generated a lot of interest, so I’m anticipating a flurry of activity in my inbox this week!  What I’m asking for this week are reflections on the TV programmes that you’ve been watching during Lock Down.  What are the TV programmes that have helped to get you through the last 12 months?  For me it was ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ during Lock Down number 1, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ during the second Lock Down and most recently, ‘The Great British Dig’  has helped get me through the last few weeks during Lock Down #3.  Does anyone else share the same viewing tastes as me?  Quite possibly not, so do tell me what you’ve been watching over the past year.  You could just send me a couple of lines containing the titles of the programmes, or you can go into detail about the programmes and send me a bit more than two lines.  I really don’t mind, but it would be great to see if we can spot some trends.

Television isn’t everyone’s thing; so instead, perhaps there’s a book that you’ve read during Lock Down that you’d like to recommend to other Prime Time members?  I’d be delighted to receive a few book reviews, (long or short) that we can include in our memories of this last year.

So lots to think about this next week:

1.       Sunday March 21st – Census day

2.       Tuesday March 23rd – Prime Time Quiz on Zoom starting at 2.30pm

3.       Thursday March 25th – Barbara Hubble’s funeral (online) starting at midday

4.       Thursday March 25th – Prime Time ‘Catch Up & Chat’ session on Zoom starting at 3.30pm

5.       Any day – Send Penny TV and Book reviews for inclusion into the Year Book.

 

May God continue to watch over and protect you and those whom you love over the coming week.

 

Until next Friday,

Penny x

 

PS: The answers to the quiz questions are as follows:

1.       1912

2.       Lisbon

3.       John Keats

4.       Torquay

5.       Napoleon Bonaparte

Penny Naylor
Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Busbridge & Hambledon Church Office

Phone: 01483 421267

Website: www.bhcgodalming.org

 

(Day off Monday)

 

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Dear Prime Time member,

What a difference a week makes…!  This time last week was dreary, grey and rather damp, but looking out of the window this afternoon I see blue sky and sunshine!  It’s enough to put a spring in my step, daring to hope that longer, warmer days are on the horizon.  And if the news that broke earlier this week is to be believed, sunnier days are ahead too in terms of society opening up again, as already the vaccine programme would seem to be having the hoped-for effect of driving down Covid transmission rates, serious illness and deaths due to the virus.  I don’t think it’s just me, but there seems to be a level optimism around that can’t solely be put down to the reappearance of the sunshine and a few tantalising glimpses of spring.  We all realise that there’s a way to go yet before the restrictions on our lives can be significantly lifted, but belief does seem to abound that maybe this time, lock down easing might just be permanent.  Some might say ‘there’s light at the end of the tunnel’, others that there’s ‘hope in the darkness’; but however you choose to phrase it I hope that the news this week has helped to lighten the burden that you have all been carrying for the last year.  I know it won’t have removed it completely, but I do hope that burden feels lighter than it has done of late.

So what else in the news has caught my eye this week?  The journalist Fi Glover airing her views via her column in the Waitrose Weekend free weekly paper, in which she described a recent interaction on her radio broadcast.  Fi and her colleague Jane Garvey do a weekly broadcast on Radio 4 called The Listening Project.  Earlier this month, one broadcast featured a conversation between two ladies, Joyce and Joan.  Joan is 90, Joyce 86 – they had never met, but were happy to discuss together their views about ageing and have it recorded for public consumption.  Well, it did make me smile and reminded me so much of conversations that I’ve had with various Prime Time members over the years.  The general gist of the conversation was ‘I might be 90 but don’t pension me off!’  90 year old Joan is still a School Governor and a trustee for a charity.  She had a remarkably positive and upbeat view on Lock Down saying that her social life hasn’t been this good in years and commenting that she no longer has to go outside and meet people because they all come to her on her screen!

Frustrations were aired too with both ladies admitting that ageing brings with it a sense of invisibility, with older people generally not being newsworthy unless they’re ‘being a nuisance or doing something wonderful such as jumping from an aeroplane’ as one of the pair commented.  A general feeling was expressed that they didn’t feel represented in films and on TV or in the media; ‘I turn on the television and I don’t see people who look like me’ was the observation made here.  Of course, feelings like that are not exclusive to the older population, those very same comments were coming to the fore last year as awareness of issues affecting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups achieved widespread recognition in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.  I wonder if Joan and Joyce’s radio broadcast will have such far reaching impact?  Probably not, but it’s a start and if enough of us have these kinds of conversations, maybe attitudes will change.  It’s somewhat overdue…

The conversation between Joan and Joyce is well worth a listen.  You can hear it via the BBC website at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0965h2b You don’t need a BBC account or to sign in, you can just ‘click’ and listen.  The conversation between Joan and Joyce is the first one featured in the broadcast and last about 8 ½ minutes.

Joan and Joyce didn’t mention this familiar road sign; but I’m sure they have an opinion on it, probably you do too…

How do you feel as you drive past that?  Do you feel it represents you?  If not, you’re not alone.  I was interested this week to read about a competition to update this image as there has been concern that ageist stereotypes can become self-fulfilling prophecies as they can affect how older people view themselves, their capabilities and the sorts of activities they take part in.  Such concerns were the starting point for a competition run by the charity Centre for Ageing Better which asked designers to submit ‘age positive’ alternatives to the walking sticks and hunched-over figures that we are so familiar with in visual depictions of old age. 

 

So how do you feel about this version?

Yes, this is the winning entry in the competition.  Alas we won’t be seeing it on a road sign anytime soon as the new design is not intended for use as road signage, but it will be used in reports and other materials to represent older people in a positive way.  The designer has used the original symbol of the couple crossing the road but given it an energetic spin, with their walking stick becoming a dancing cane. “Dancing is one of the things that people of all ages love,” he said. “It promotes physical, mental and emotional health as well as a chance to be sociable, expressive and uplifting.”  So if images depicting older people can become self-fulfilling prophecies, I think the Prime Time Team need to be planning a tea dance as one of our first events once we are permitted to socialise in large groups once again!

If dancing isn’t your thing, maybe reading is.  For my birthday last year I was given a copy of Richard Osman’s debut novel ‘The Thursday Murder Club’.  Have you come across it yet?  If not, I can highly recommend it.  Set in a retirement complex; one of the book’s charms is the depiction of older people as sharp, funny and capable of solving cases younger police officers can’t.  In the book, Mr Osman (yes, the same Richard Osman  of ‘Pointless’ fame) creates a vibrant community of lives fully lived and appreciated.  How refreshing!  The film rights to the book have already been snapped up.  I am praying that once it is released it will be a film that we will be allowed to show for one of our Movie Matinees; I suspect it would be very popular!

Whilst we’re on the topic of books and reading and age being no barrier; I have a proposal for you.  Our Sunday morning children’s groups are currently all online due to the current restrictions and the leaders of these groups having done this on and off for the best part of a year now, are sensing that maybe the children are getting  a bit fed-up of seeing the same faces on screen week-in and week-out.  Recently, one of our Prime Time members was asked by our Children’s Worker Judith if she could make a video recording of herself on her phone reading the story for that week.  Well, it was such a success.  The children loved having someone new read to them and the Prime Time member later contacted Judith and thanked her for ‘making me feel useful again’.

Encouraged by such positivity on both sides, Judith has approached me with the suggestion that maybe we could make ‘Reading with Prime Time’ a regular feature.  What do you think?  Would you be up for it? No previous experience necessary… You would be provided with the story to read and you would do it at your convenience in the comfort of your own home.  No-one would be watching you; it would be the perfect social distancing activity!  Maybe you’ve been reading bedtime stories to your grandchildren via Zoom during Lock Down or maybe you’re missing your grandchildren as you haven’t been able to see them and this might help fill a bit of that children-sized hole.  Please do give it some thought and let me know.  I’d love to say to Judith that Prime Time are right behind this initiative; Judith and her colleagues in the Children, Youth and Families Team have been so keen to support Prime Time members over the past year; this is our opportunity to give a little something back.  As the writer of Psalm 92 encourages: ‘They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green’.  Will you accept the challenge and thereby revealing to the younger members of our church family that the words of Psalm 92 are indeed true?

Maybe you can think of other ways this week to show that you remain as ‘fresh and green’ as the new spring buds on the trees.

Until next week,

Penny x

 

Penny Naylor

Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Dear Prime Time member,

It has been half-term this week so I’ve been enjoying a more relaxed and leisurely pace over the last few days.  As many of you are probably aware, I generally don’t work through the school holidays in order that I can concentrate on being mum to Harry when the schools are off.

Of course, for the past three months Harry has been at home all the time, but holiday time still feels a bit special as we don’t have to set the alarm and we’re not fixed to a set routine (although it’s not really possible to vary things much at the moment is it?!)  Harry has reached the age now where school work seems to occupy a great proportion of holiday time and so even this week he’s spent a lot of hours at his desk and in front of a computer screen.

I’ve had some very supportive messages from Prime Time members during lock down; many particularly commenting on how hard home schooling must be.  I actually consider myself very fortunate, because as Harry is now seventeen, I don’t really have to ‘home school’ him.  Luckily in the main he’s quite a motivated chap and gets on with what he needs to do; so apart from the occasional nudge to keep him on task and the daily check to make sure he knows what’s in his diary for that day and seeing if he’s on track to meet homework deadlines, I’m not having to get too involved with school life.

The housekeeping though is an entirely different matter…!  I may not feel as though I’m running a school at home, but running an open all hours café – most certainly yes!  Having a teenage boy at home all the time seems to necessitate an endless supply of food and every time I go into a room, I seem to find a used plate and half-drunk glass of water abandoned there.  It’s ‘brain food’ Harry tells me by way of justification; “it keeps my brain cells working!”  Our weekly shopping bill has risen exponentially since we went into lock down (but happily this is offset by the equally sharp drop in petrol costs from not having to do the twice daily school run!)

I do consider myself very fortunate that I do not find myself in the position of having to home-school younger children.  A number of friends as well as colleagues are needing to, and I’m aware it can be quite a challenge.  Whereas for me, I can view the school closures as something of a blessing.  Not since Harry was little have we had the opportunity to day in, day out spend so much time together.  Just at the point in our lives when we as parents are having to contemplate the reality that in eighteen months Harry could well be living away from home; we find ourselves able to spend extended periods together as a family.  I’m sure that nobody will look back on the pandemic year with fondness, but there have been elements of the enforced change to our way of life that I will cherish, and the time spent with Harry will be one of them.  As the saying goes, ‘Mothers hold their children’s hands for just a little while but their hearts forever’. 

Children growing up and moving towards independence is a challenge that most parents have to face at some point.  It can be a time of very mixed emotions; utter joy as you see your life’s work in this young adult as they prepare to take their place in the world, but sadness too as a chapter of your life (and theirs) firmly closes and you know there is no going back.  As a staff team we are very much facing that challenge at the moment as we prepare to say goodbye this weekend to our Curate Dave Preece.  (A former Curate at BHC used to describe himself as a ‘Vicar with ‘L’ Plates’ if that helps you place a Curate within the church staffing structure!)  Dave joined us in the summer of 2017, ostensibly for a period of three years (although Covid has extended his time with us – another unforeseen blessing of the pandemic, although Dave might view that differently!)

It’s been wonderful to watch Dave develop his skills and grow into his potential.  He has become an extremely valued member of the staff team and a good friend to us all. We will miss him.  Dave has been a great supporter of Prime Time too and we’ve loved welcoming Dave, his wife Hannah and their two young daughters to our events.  They’ve been on trips with us, come to our bowls sessions and of course we made sure that Dave experienced the Prime Time Carol Service.  Personally, I’ve been very grateful for Dave’s technological know-how when setting up for Prime Time events.  Without Dave being on hand, there would have been several events when you would have had no sound and nothing appearing on the screen!  We had all better collectively start hoping that when Prime Time events can resume, that I find someone else around the Old Rectory who can support me with such challenges!

Dave has been appointed Priest in Charge of Saxmundham with Kelsale cum Carlton; a combined benefice (so similar to Busbridge and Hambledon in that regard) in Suffolk, about midway between Ipswich and Lowestoft.  Dave’s last working day with us is this coming Sunday (Feb 21st).  We’re making sure that he works hard on his last day with us as he’ll be putting in an appearance at both the 9am and 10.15 services.  Both will be available to watch on our YouTube channel as due to the current restrictions we are unable to gather in person.  If you remember Dave form some of the Prime Time events he has attended, why not tune in on Sunday morning and see him for one last time?  The 9am Classic service, follows the format of the more traditional Classic service that usually would take place in Busbridge Church on a Sunday morning; while the 10.15 Conversations from the Couch has a rather more contemporary feel.  Don’t be put off by this though; I am usually much more at home in the Classic congregation, but I am really enjoying Conversations on the Couch.  To me it feels as though I’m listening in to a conversation between two friends as they discuss a passage from the Bible.  On Sunday the discussion will be between our Rector Simon Taylor and of course, Dave.  Dave’s wife Hannah will also be putting an appearance; as will their two daughters.  Do consider tuning in as we wish them well in the next chapter of their lives.  Our YouTube channel can be accessed via our website: www.bhcgodalming.org  Scroll down to about halfway down our homepage and you will see a big red rectangle that says ‘YouTube BHC Godalming’; click on that and you will be taken to our You Tube channel where you can click on the service you wish to watch.  (And if you oversleep on Sunday morning, both services will be recorded so you can watch them later in the day!)

When a Curate is placed with us, we are always aware that we only have them for a limited period of time.  As a church, we have a long history of being a ‘sending’ church; which means that we have a tradition of raising people up and sending them out either for ordination or mission of other kinds.  As a church community we do feel like proud parents on such occasions; full of joy for what the future might hold for these individuals but sadness too that our part in their lives is drawing to a close and that from now on, our contact with them may be of the long-distance variety.

On such occasions I am reminded of a line from Proverbs ‘Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice’ (Proverbs: chapter 23, verse 25)  And rejoice we do for Dave, Hannah and their girls and also the benefice of Saxmundham with Kelsale cum Carlton as they have a very fine Priest in Charge heading their way.  As he prepares to leave us, we pray for Dave as he sets out on the next stage of his journey with God and as he journeys on taking our prayers with him, maybe at some point Dave will reflect as Abraham Lincoln once did;  ‘I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life’.  Hopefully a little bit of BHC will cling to Dave throughout his life too (in the nicest possible way!)

And before I sign off for this evening; a little reminder that next Thursday afternoon (Feb 25th) we are opening up the BHC Zoom Room for the first of our Coffee, Catch Up and Chat sessions.  The virtual doors will be open between 3.30 and 4pm – do drop in and say hello. 

The direct link is: https://zoom.us/j/9463914833

Or the Personal Meeting ID (PMI) if you prefer to type it directly into the Zoom ‘Join a Meeting’ box is 946-391-4833

Password:  in both instances you will also need to enter the following password: 2021

Maybe see you on Thursday on Zoom…?

Until then, with every good wish,

Penny x

 

Penny Naylor

Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Dear Prime Time member,

As I sit at my desk and write this, I’m looking across the churchyard towards the church.  There’s blue sky and the sun is shining.  From the warmth of the Old Rectory, it looks almost spring-like outside; but I know that if I opened the front door, I would be greeted by a blast of arctic air that would make it feel anything but spring-like!  It has been a little chilly this week to say the least hasn’t it?  I for one have been pleased to not be living in Scotland this week when temperatures of -22.9 degrees Celsius were recorded in some areas!  It makes our -6  or -7 seem positively balmy!

I hope that you have managed to keep warm and snug in your homes and hopefully no Prime Timer was tempted out into the snow and put themselves at increased risk of falling over.  I was relieved to be able to stay inside and just look at the snowy views from inside my warm house!  I must admit, there haven’t been many advantages of the restricted lifestyle that’s been imposed on us because of the pandemic, but not having to worry about driving in the snow has definitely been a plus point for me.  Usually when snow is forecast, I’m tossing and turning at night wondering whether I’ll be able to get Harry to school in the morning, “will I even be able to get the car down the hill?” (And back up again!) and “what happens if we get stuck?”.  I have been able to sleep easy over the last couple of snowy weeks, safe in the knowledge that come what may, I won’t need to get in the car and drive about.  Every (snow) cloud has a silver lining…!

On the subject of sleeping easy (or not as the case may be…) are you one of the many people reporting greater trouble in sleeping since the start of the pandemic?  So many people are struggling to sleep at this worrying and unsettling time and sleep researchers are now calling this ‘Covid-somnia’!  Apparently, older adults seem to be disproportionately affected by this phenomenon; so in response, the Daily Hope telephone line that I’ve mentioned in my emails a couple of times previously has recently commenced a new service: ‘Sleep Well With Daily Hope’.  This option on the existing free phone service comprises of a series of gentle and relaxing reflections using wonderful Bible verses for callers to listen to on the phone while they’re in bed.  Just dial 0800 804 8044 in the usual way and follow the instructions on the menu.  For ‘Sleep Well With Daily Hope’ you’ll be asked to press ‘#’. It is well documented how beneficial sleep is to improving mental, emotional and physical health, but research has also shown a strong correlation between a good night’s sleep and effective vaccination.  It would appear that while you are resting, your body is still hard at work producing anti-Covid antibodies in response to the vaccination you have received.  What greater incentive is needed at the present time to pick up the phone and listen to ‘Sleep Well With Daily Hope’?!

I know one of the things that impacts on my sleep is if I’ve been in front of a computer screen too late into the evening – my brain just seems to be buzzing when I do finally get to bed.  I seem to have spent a lot of time on Zoom again this week; as the expression goes, ‘like buses’, invitations to join Zoom meetings seem to have all come up at once in the last few days.  No need to feel too sorry for me though, many of these sessions on Zoom have been very enjoyable!  One such ‘virtual’ meeting that took place this week was a get-together of the Prime Time Team.  It was lovely to see Jane, Di and Olwen again, (if only on a screen) and as always there was plenty of laughter alongside the serious business of planning some Prime Time activities for you to enjoy.  So, open your diaries, grab a pen and make note of the following:

Tuesday 23rd March at 2.30pm – Prime Time Quiz (on Zoom).  I have handed back the Quiz Master’s baton to Di  after she briefly relinquished it to me for the Christmas Quiz.  Don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of picking up the baton – apparently I made it too hard…!) Zoom joining details to follow nearer the time.

New to Prime Time, commencing on Thursday 25th February – Coffee & Chat.  A regular weekly drop-in session for Prime Time members to catch up with the team and each other.  Members of the Prime Time Team will be on Zoom between 3.30 and 4pm each Thursday afternoon between 25th February and 1st April.  If there is ongoing demand, we will consider extending this beyond Easter too.  So pour yourself a cuppa, bring a biscuit or cake along to the Zoom room too (to make it really feel like a Prime Time event!) and chat away with old friends (and maybe make some new ones…)  The Zoom joining details will remain the same each week:

The direct link is: https://zoom.us/j/9463914833

Or the Personal Meeting ID (PMI) if you prefer to type it directly into the Zoom ‘Join a Meeting’ box is 946-391-4833

Password:  in both instances you will also need to enter the following password: 2021

We have an idea for a project that we could all jointly collaborate on, a project to ensure that our memories of the past year do not get forgotten.  These Coffee & Catch Up sessions will give us the ideal opportunity to discuss this project and to share ideas. So if you have been writing poetry in lock down, taking photographs or tried out a new recipe that you’d like to share, bring it along and tell us about it.  But if you would prefer to join the session and just chat about day to day life, or just sit and listen – that’s absolutely fine too.

You may have noticed that when I mentioned the Prime Time Team, there was a name missing from the usual line-up; my colleague Karen Franks.  Karen decided at the start of lock down last March that she would like the time to concentrate on her family and therefore she hasn’t been working alongside me for nearly a year now.  However, we have kept in regular contact and it was her hope that she would return once there was a greater need again for the administrative support she was able to provide.  However, over the past year, Karen’s parents have both had periods of ill health and she needs to have much more flexibility in her week in order to support them to the extent that she would wish to.  With no timescale available as to when we might be able to get face-to-face activities up and running again for Prime Time, we’ve mutually agreed that now seems a good time for Karen to be able to say that she is permanently available to support her Mum & Dad whenever they need it and so Karen will not be returning to her role with us.

This is absolutely the right decision for Karen.  Like myself, she has a very strong focus on family and I am not at all surprised that she feels her role now is to be there for her Mum & Dad.  Karen’s departure is a big loss for us but Karen leaves us having  gained a lot of knowledge and understanding regarding the challenges associated with advancing age and that will be of enormous benefit to both Karen and her parents as they face this new stage of their lives together.

Karen has been with us for about 5 years now.  Karen has definitely been my wing-woman and her help and presence has enabled us to grow Prime Time and the wider BHC Older Person’s Ministry into what it is today.  Karen has taken on so much more than what she originally thought she would be doing and she risen to every challenge.  It was Karen who has been the one producing all the beautiful invitations and flyers that you receive from Prime Time; until lock down she was the one sending out all the emails, she answered phone calls, wrote letters, prepared articles for both parish magazines and logged everything that we were doing so that we could keep track of our activities and report back on what had been achieved.  We even persuaded her to come out from behind her desk on occasions and come to some of the events she helped to organise – so I know that a number of you will have met her.

We would like to thank Karen for all that she has given to us and to let her leave with a gift that she can remember her time with us by.  There is a collection open here at the Old Rectory if anyone would like to contribute.  Cash or cheques (made payable to Busbridge PCC) can be left at the Old Rectory and it is also possible to use the ‘Giving’ page on our website:  https://www.bhcgodalming.org/giving  referencing your donation ‘Karen Franks’.

Saying goodbye is never easy and the inevitable changes that come with personnel movement take a while to get used to.  But I am reminded that ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven’ (Ecclesiastes Chap 3, verse 1).  The season for Karen’s time with us has passed and there is a new season ahead for both Prime Time and Karen.  Further encouragement can be found in Isaiah Chapter 43, verses 18-19: ‘Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert’.  Perhaps you feel that you are being called to help ‘make a way in the wilderness’ or be ‘the river in the desert’ – if not you, then maybe someone you know?  We encourage all volunteers, not just people who are members of our church community who step forward.  So if you are someone, or know of someone who has a heart for supporting older people and they have a little spare time, whether they are church goers or not, please do feel free to give them my phone number or email address so that I can chat to them about the opportunities we can offer.

It is a time of continued uncertainty and change for us all. ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ as Bob Dylan famously sang.  But may we all find comfort in the knowledge that ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’. (Hebrews: Chap 13, verse 8)  That’s a thought that certainly helps me to sleep at night.

And to send you off with a smile on your face, a funny quote regarding the Covid-era that popped up on my radar this week:  ‘The world has turned upside down.  Old folk are sneaking out of the house and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!’

Until next Friday (by which time hopefully we’ll be needing a few less layers!)

Penny x

Dear Prime Time member,

Well, here we are now in February.  How was January for you?  On Monday morning as I ate my breakfast, I was listening to the radio as the presenters were celebrating that what they referred to as ‘the longest month on record’ was now over.  Personally, I found that January seemed to go by pretty quickly, thankfully much like every other month has since we first went into lock down.  I know I have work to keep me busy and give structure to my day, but the time really does seem to fly past for me.  I can barely believe another week has gone by already and that somehow we’re at Friday.

I know the weather is set to turn cold again at the weekend and into next week, but I’ve been encouraged this week by a few signs of spring.  I was particularly excited at the weekend to find some bulbs shooting up their first green leaves in a pot beside our front door.  I’m particularly excited about this, because I had only planted them 2 ½ weeks before!  I know that you’re going to tell me that I shouldn’t be planting spring flowering bulbs in January, but having dug them out of the ground in early summer last year during lock down number one when we were giving our garden a bit of a makeover, they have laid in a box in the garage ever since.  I had intended to replant them in the autumn, but every weekend during bulb planting season seemed to be wet and the job never got done.  Having been in the garage over the Christmas period, I noticed that these bulbs were beginning to shoot, so I thought ‘well, I can try planting them and if they don’t survive, they don’t – but they definitely will not survive staying here!’  So in about the second week of January, out I went to do some planting – I don’t think I’ve ever gardened in January before; I normally consider it too cold for me to venture out into the garden until at least May!  But I got all these bulbs planted, hundreds of them – some little bigger than a pin head and I just hoped for the best.  Never did I imagine that I would see shoots poking up in less than 3 weeks!  Whether or not my appalling bulb husbandry will be rewarded later with flowers, remains to be seen – I may of course get nothing but leaves (and that would be what I totally deserve!), but we shall see…  I’ll keep you updated as to what develops!

Just yesterday I noticed some splashes of yellow and purple in the front lawn – the crocuses there are in flower. They are always the first in our garden to show colour.  They are right outside our kitchen window and I see them every time I stand at the sink – so I see them quite a lot! Their joyful colours always make me smile.  And for a couple of weeks now we’ve had snowdrops flowering in the front bank.  They weren’t even spoilt by the snow we had recently. The weight of the snow completely flattened them, but once the snow melted – up they stood again.  Did you know that snowdrops are also known as ‘Candlemas bells’?  I didn’t until very recently when I was reading an article about Candlemas.  Candlemas is a Christian holiday celebrated annually on February 2nd.  Many Christians believe that Jesus’ mother Mary presented him to God at the Temple in Jerusalem after observing the traditional 40-day period of purification of mothers following his birth and February 2nd is forty days after Christmas Day.  (Proof if it were needed that indeed time is passing quickly – does it really feel like 40 days since we celebrated Christmas?)

When Joseph and Mary bring baby Jesus to the Temple, they are greeted by Simeon, a man of Jerusalem described as’ righteous and devout’. At the Temple at the same time was an elderly widow, Anna; the New Testament’s only prophetess.  Simeon embraces the baby and instantly and independently recognizes Jesus as Messiah. Anna begins to preach: “She … began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke chapter 2, verse 38).  Simeon and Anna saw embodied in the six-week-old baby Jesus, the culmination of all their hopes and longings. Simeon and Anna both had a very close relationship with God and were led by the Holy Spirit. Imagine the joy these two elderly people must have felt when they beheld the infant Jesus. Their whole lives had been leading towards this moment – Simeon felt a total sense of peace. They were among the earliest people to bear witness to Jesus.  One commentary on this Bible passage notes that ‘The story of Simeon and Anna is a great encouragement as we grow older – it’s one of the few occasions in the Bible when older people get the best lines!’

Simeon, in his wisdom, recognised Jesus as the Messiah who would be the light of the whole world, when he said: ‘For my eyes have seen your salvation… a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. (Luke 2:31–32) In other words, for everyone. Jesus came as a light in the darkness, just as the snowdrops are bright and white in the dark soil. Many Christians see the snowdrop as a symbol of Jesus Christ being this hope for the world, and whatever your beliefs, for everyone snowdrops are also a symbol of hope that springtime will come.

When you see snowdrops in the coming days and weeks, may they be a symbol of hope for you too.  And if you don’t happen to have any in your garden – you don’t have to travel far to see them.  At this time of year there is a veritable carpet of snowdrops in the churchyard here at Busbridge Church.  When you are out partaking your allowed daily exercise, why not include the church on your walking route and stop to view them yourself?  But if that’s not possible, please do enjoy this photo and may it bring you joy and hope just the same.

I recently had to post a letter to a property with the name ‘Candlemas Barn’.  I wonder what the origins of that house name could be and in what way a building could be linked to the Christian holiday of Candlemas?  Answers on a postcard please!

And finally – a word of caution…  According to folklore, there is a superstition that states that snowdrops should not be brought into the home until after Candlemas.  Thankfully, the holiday of Candlemas has passed for this year, so for 2021 we are free to collect up snowdrops from our gardens without worry and enjoy them in vase if we so choose.  But do remember these cautionary words should you be overcome with excitement when you see your first snowdrop of 2022 and be tempted to pick it!

Happy snowdrop spotting!

Until next Friday,

Penny x

 

Penny Naylor

Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Dear Prime Time member,

After the flurry of emails yesterday, things have been a little more peaceful today and I’m back on track, doing what I normally do on a Friday afternoon which is writing to you!

‘Peace’ happens to be the topic of this week’s email – the fourth and final instalment of my email challenge, prompted by the conductor’s speech at this year’s New Year’s Day Concert in Vienna.  We hear the word ‘peace’ used a lot.  Leaders call for ‘World Peace’, parents trying to work from home during lock down whilst trying to home-school their children may dream of ‘a bit of peace and quiet’ and how many Christmas cards did you receive last month that had the words ‘Peace on Earth’ printed on the front?

According to one definition I found on Google, peace is defined as ‘a stress-free state of security and calmness that comes when there’s no fighting or war, everything coexisting in perfect harmony and freedom’. So when there are calls for ‘World Peace’ that’s only part of it; peace is more than just the absence of conflict between nations or factions, although the Bible does refer to peace in this context.  Hebrews 12:14 states that we should ‘Strive for peace with everyone’ which is a theme continued into the New Testament in Matthew Chapter 5, Verse 9: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’.  We can take from this that people who strive for peace will be blessed by God.  Our Rector Simon has talked about 2021 when we as a church need to be ‘Reconcilers’, bringing healing to the damaged situation we find ourselves in.  Interestingly, if you look up ‘reconciler’ in a dictionary, you will find it defined as ‘someone who tries to bring peace’; ‘peace’ you just can’t get away from the word.  It’s almost as if we’re being shown how important the concept is.

In the Bible, we read about ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7).  This refers to a more Biblical meaning of peace in that peace is more than just the absence of conflict or state of rest. It means completeness or wholeness, and it points to the presence of something else.  I acknowledge that this is a huge concept, and for someone who tries to be quite methodical and logical it makes no sense at all to say that I’m prepared to put my trust in something that I can’t see and can’t touch.  It really does ‘surpass all understanding’ and I know it sounds rather crazy.

Jesus is referred to in the book of Isiah (Chapter 9, Verse 6) as ‘The Prince of Peace’.  When we receive a Christmas card with an image of a dove clutching on it accompanied by the words ‘Peace on Earth’, perhaps then the dove is announcing the birth of The Prince of Peace and therefore that peace is now on earth, this ‘something else’ that makes us complete or whole, rather than a declaration that all conflict is at an end.  Although, I admit, that I think world peace would make a very agreeable gift at Christmas too.  Probably my favourite verse in scripture concerning  peace (and actually one of my favourites verses full stop) is from the book of John, (Chapter 14, verse 27) which records Jesus as saying ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you’ which is a far better summary of this concept of the duality of peace than I think I’ve managed in the last few paragraphs!

And what of those dreaming of a little ‘peace and quiet?’  The dictionary defines this kind of peace as ‘the state of not being interrupted or annoyed by worry, problems, noise, or unwanted actions’ echoing the earlier Google definition that peace is ‘everything coexisting in perfect harmony and freedom’.  We all need those moments, let’s be honest.  Times when we just need to escape, either out of the house and away from other people or just the ability to lose ourselves in a thought, view or piece of music.  A little like those ‘little rays of sunshine’ I talked about in a previous email.

I’ve always been a fan of BBC’s ‘the Watches’; Springwatch, Autumnwatch, Winterwatch I have them all set for ‘series record’.  Like many other things in life, this programme has had to evolve and adapt due to the restrictions imposed because of Coronavirus.  However, I’m really enjoying the new format and I think it’s given the programme a new lease of life.  I’m particularly enjoying the new feature ‘Mindfulness Moments’ where there is a short clip of a landscape with no voiceovers, no music, just the natural sounds of that environment accompanying some fantastic views.  If you are looking for a ‘little peace and quiet’, I can highly recommend them.  Many of the ‘Mindfulness Moments’ have been added to the BBC website.  The current series of Winterwatch concludes this evening, although you can catch up with the whole series on the BBC iPlayer.  If you just want a quick peak though at what I’m talking about, click on the following link and you’ll see a ‘Mindfulness Moment’ from the current series. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0956656 And if you’re a supporter of British wildlife, you may wish to know that this weekend the annual Big Garden Birdwatch takes place.  It’s not too late to register to take part.  Go to www.rspb.org.uk for further details.  You don’t need to be an expert ‘Twitcher’ to participate and all they are asking is for an hour of your time over the coming weekend.  Maybe this could be where you’ll find your own bit of ‘peace and quiet’ in the next few days…?

In our world, it can seems as though there’s not nearly enough peace. However peace can be big and small, seen in entire countries or brief moments. Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work – it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.  To quote Vincent van Gogh, ‘There is peace, even in the storm’.  Where you believe that sense of calm or peace originates may depend on your beliefs, but Christians will say that it is God, the Holy Spirit, the Prince of Peace. Or maybe it’s all three – but that’s a story for another day…

So what have I found out over the past 4 weeks as I’ve researched the content for these letters?  Most strikingly I think is how many times in scripture, the four words of ‘joy’, ‘love’, ‘hope’ and ‘peace’ are connected with each other – however, I have yet to find one passage in the Bible that contains all four – the best I can do is three.  ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace’ (Romans Chapter 15, verse 13). Can anyone tell me differently and enhance my education on this one?!

Wishing you a peaceful and peace-filled week ahead. (And if you’re finding it difficult maintaining peace with everybody, you may wish to bear in mind some wise words of Mother Teresa’s; ‘Peace begins with a smile…’

Until next Friday

Penny x

 

Penny Naylor

Primetime Befriending Co-ordinator

Dear Prime Time member,

Well – talk about making life tricky for myself;  I seem to have set the bar very high with my email last week…!  Thank you to everyone who replied to me; I know that I haven’t managed to respond to everyone – please try not to take it personally if you haven’t received a response from me – I will endeavour to reply to everyone eventually but I just received so much feedback, that if I had replied to each email, I wouldn’t have achieved much else this week!  I can promise you though that I have most definitely read every email and have appreciated each one for the insights as to your own ‘little rays of sunshine’ and also for your wisdom and encouragement.  Thank you for responding in such a positive way – it means a lot and yes, reading through all your emails did bring me a great deal of ‘Joy’.

So have you been on tenterhooks, waiting to find out what the subject of this week’s email would be?  Would I pick ‘Peace’, ‘Love’ or ‘Hope’?  Well the wait is over and I can reveal that this week I am shining the spotlight on ‘Love’.  It might have perhaps seemed a more obvious choice to have held onto this one for another month and used it for the email ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend, but as happened last week, this week’s email has rather formed itself thanks to events that have occurred, items of interest that I’ve come across as well as contributions that I have received. ‘Love’ just seemed to tie all these things together.

On Monday, I wanted to write to my friend and fellow Prime Time Team member Jane whose mum had died a few days previously.  As I pondered over what to say and what words I might use to bring comfort to Jane, I began considering the relationship between love and loss and why grief can be such a painful experience.  I came to the conclusion that grief is our penalty for having the capacity to love and to be loved; we cannot have one without the other.  The author Francis Weller wrote ‘Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning.  Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close’.

Many of us are grieving at the moment.  I am aware that a number of Prime Time members have lost close friends or family members in recent months.  If you are reading this email and grieving the loss of a someone important in your life, I hope that the Francis Weller quote is of comfort to you.  I know I shall return to it again and again to help me through times of loss.  We are all to some extent experiencing loss at the moment.  It may not be the death of someone close to us, but the last phrase of Francis Weller’s quote could equally apply to a population who has lost, if only temporarily, their accustomed way of life, their freedom of movement, freedom of choice.  Our memories remind us daily of the aspects of our lives that ‘we once held close’ and we are experiencing a form of grief reaction when we acknowledge that these things are currently ‘lost’ to us.  When you consider a lost way of life, or a way of life that is no longer open to us in terms of being a grief reaction, it’s easy to see why it hurts.  If this is you, you may find comfort in the words of Psalm 34, verse 18; ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in sprit’.  I can definitely identify with those last three words.  I don’t know about you, but with each round of lock downs, I’ve found it just that little bit harder to stay motivated.  Things seem just that little bit more of a struggle and it’s harder to stay positive.  Yes, at times it feels as though my spirit is being crushed and at those times is comforting to know that ‘The Lord is close’ and those ‘little rays of sunshine’ that we talked about last week certainly do bring me joy and help to lift my spirits when they feel as though the pandemic has just trodden on them with a big boot.

The word ‘love’ is a commonly recurring word in the Bible; a quick Google search tells me that it appears 551 times in the New International Version which is the one we tend to use here at BHC.  We are probably all familiar with Jesus instruction to ‘Love one another’ which came in his final commandment to his apostles during the Last Supper.  ‘…love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples’.  (John 13:34-35)

Integral to Christian teaching is the understanding of the need to show unconditional love to all.  I am in the extremely fortunate position in my role here at the church of being surrounded by colleagues and volunteers who completely embody this requirement and live it out in their daily lives and the volunteers who with me, form the Prime Time Team are a terrific example of this.  They are keeping in regular contact with people who we have identified could be particularly vulnerable at this time, especially those who are not on the internet and so do not receive this weekly email.  As the pandemic has gone on, however, I have also become aware that like myself they are continually on the alert for news items, articles poems and sometimes ‘funnies’ that might be of interest to our members and they send them onto me with a note saying ‘I thought this might be good for Prime Time’.  When Jesus instructed his followers to ‘Love one another’, he did not mean ‘just love your family and friends’, the implication is much wider.  In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is recorded as giving the commandment; ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12, verse 31) and no, he wasn’t just referring to the person you happen to live next door to, he is referring here to the requirement to show unconditional love to all, which is what we on the Prime Time team try to do.

Earlier this week I received an email from Prime Time Team member Di Drudge reporting that scammers seem to be quite active again at the moment and asking me to consider making Prime Timers aware of a couple of email scams that she has become aware of in the hope that it will make it less likely that anyone would be taken in by them.  Prime Time isn’t all about tea and cake you see (although we would agree they are very important components of life) but we are called to love people in whatever way is needed – public service announcements included!

So please read the following carefully and if you receive any emails which seem to include similar content, please do double check and think carefully ‘Is this email genuine?’.  If you are in doubt, press ‘delete’ or ask someone you trust for advice before replying.

TV License Scam Email: Emails are being received purporting to be from the TV licencing authorities advising that a Direct Debit had been cancelled and please would the recipient create a new one by replying to the email and providing their bank account number and sort code.

Covid-19 Vaccination Scam: Emails are being received purporting to be from the NHS regarding an invitation to attend for a Covid vaccination.  The recipient is being asked to confirm their identity by replying to the email, giving their bank card details as the means of verifying their identity.  You will either get a letter through the post inviting you to attend for a Covid vaccination or you will receive a phone call or text message from your GP surgery –you would not receive an email such as this.  A genuine contact about the vaccination process would NEVER require you to give your bank details.  All NHS procedures are free of charge and the Covid vaccine is no exception.

Please be vigilant.  Fraudsters are trying to capitalise on a very topsy-turvy world and are catching people off guard when they are feeling low and perhaps pre-occupied with anxieties about the current situation.  If you fall victim to a fraud, you are not to blame – you are the victim of a crime.  Please confide in someone so that they can help you report it, and the more quickly the better as in some instances it can be possible for the money to be recovered.  It might be embarrassing to admit that you were taken in, but the person in the wrong is the fraudster, not you.  There are a number of organisations who can help support victims of fraud, so please do not keep it to yourself if you should fall victim to one of these scams.

I’m not going to end on such a sobering note and of course I’ve not yet mentioned Olwen, our fourth and final Team member.  Olwen provided me with the ‘Eureka’ moment this week – the point at which I knew I had something to offer you that might just rival Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ from last week.  Olwen had come across some illustrations from a book published last year entitled ‘The Boy, the Fox, the Mole and the Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy.  Have you come across it?  I had heard of it, but wasn’t really familiar with its content until Olwen emailed me about it on Thursday and I must say, I think I’m going to invest in a copy – so advance warning here,  you can expect a few more Charlie Mackesy illustrations cropping up in Prime Time emails in the future!  It’s essentially a picture book with reading of appeal for ages 4 to 104, as the illustrations explore the thoughts and feelings that unite us all.

So without further ado, I give to you your little treat for this week (courtesy of Olwen)…

For me, receiving this was another ‘little ray of sunshine’ moment that made me smile and brought me joy.  It also reminded me of a verse from Lamentations, ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases’ (Lamentations Chapter 3, Verse 22).  I’ve attached the illustration to this email as well so that if you wish to, it is easy for you to print out and stick to your fridge (or wherever you like to have such things on prominent display).  This is from the four of us to all of you – and we hope that it helps you to know this week that you are loved.

‘So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love’ (Corinthians: Chapter 13, Verse 13)

With love from us all (how else could we end this email?!)

Your Prime Time Team; Jane, Di, Olwen and Penny xxxx (It’s been rather a Team effort this week!)