Churches Together

All Saints Church Melbourn & Holy Trinity Meldreth

Life has been turned upside down with the Covid Pandemic, and at the time of writing we have taken the decision to suspend physical church services out of a love and concern for one another. The church remains open for private prayer and small scale funerals. We shall continue to be holding services either on our Facebook site or via Zoom. Please check on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/asmhtm for up to date details.

We continue to try and support one another, and if you have any prayer concerns please contact vicar.melbournmeldreth@gmail.com or contact

Revd. Mary Price on 01763 261569 or Pat Smith on 01763 262575.

This month sees us as a church, as a group of people both individually and collectively using the time of Lent as a preparation for the joy of Easter Morning. Traditionally Lent is taken as a time to prepare and reflect on things as the darkness of Good Friday approaches. As a child and adult, I was always puzzled as to why the day that Jesus was crucified was called ‘Good’ Friday. I now know that without Christ enduring an agonising death on the cross to pay the price for our sins we would not have the joy of the Easter resurrection.

Sometimes we endure times of darkness and pain and perhaps we all have, individually, locally, nationally and worldwide, over the past year. Hope has been brought to us all with the roll out of vaccines. As we give thanks for that, let us all remember and give thanks for all who have worked together for the common good as we are reminded of our responsibility for one another.

The love, care and concern that has been shown throughout this difficult time is a reflection of the love which God has for each and every one of us. I pray that as Easter draws near we may all be able to say ‘Happy Easter,’ knowing and trusting in God’s love for us through all our varied circumstances.

Melbourn Baptist Church

I love it when the spring has sprung, a time of life, growth and the emergence of beautiful flowers in our gardens. I particularly love the bulbs that emerge all around our village at this time of year, with golden heads of daffodils bobbing in synchronised movements in the wind.

I am the Baptist Minister in Melbourn. I have enjoyed being part of village life for over fourteen years.

I trained in London in theology, but before that I had another career. It was in amenity horticulture, gardening for show, and we visited some of the great gardens of England – the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Rosemoor, Wisley, Stourhead, Kew, to name but a few. One of my favourite jobs was working in the Botanic Garden in Bristol.

Many of you will know the beautiful Cambridge University Botanic Garden and be aware that botanic gardens are ordered in specific ways. They require a botanical understanding of nomenclature, a knowledge of diverse plant species, and are involved in a global network of seed sharing. Botanic gardens play a role in maintaining species diversity, saving endangered plants, and

seeking to promote the love of gardening. Some have found joy during lockdown in simply focusing on the house and garden. Many of us take pleasure in our gardens and enjoy visiting the local garden centres.

I want to remind you, if you are out in the garden, that the Bible says we were created in a garden. Many say that they feel closer to God in a garden. My experience is that God can be found in those times of reflection in a garden; my own awareness of God came through being in a garden.

I love the garden in spring, as buds explode into life and new growth emerges after the winter, bringing the hope of warmer weather to come. At the heart of the Christian message is the story of how God came to live among us in Jesus, to bring hope and new life to us. It is Jesus whose life, death and resurrection we celebrate at Easter. Jesus was buried in a garden tomb after he died upon a cruel Roman cross. When Mary, a friend of Jesus, goes to pay her respects, she meets a man who she assumes is the gardener, and asks him where they have put Jesus. There is then an amazing moment when she realises the gardener is Jesus, who is risen from the dead.

John 20:16-18: Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’). … Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her. Gardens are places where we can encounter God. I hope you have a great Easter, enjoy your garden and find God as you reflect on its intrinsic beauty. Look out for details of an open-air service at Easter (if restrictions allow) on our notice board or on our website. We currently have a weekly online service, that comes out for Sunday mornings and can be accessed through our website or Facebook page. Blessings, Reverend Stuart Clarke

United Reformed Church

Worship

Unfortunately, due to the further lockdowns we were unable to hold services during November. Services have again been suspended since 10th January until further notice. However, we did worship together during December and were able to light the Advent candles. The decorated Christmas tree in the church with the Christmas lights certainly lifted our spirits and we were able to worship together on Christmas morning. During the Christmas period, we had a Nativity scene outside the church created by Eirwen and Peter Karner. This drew appreciative comments from members and passers-by. Despite not actually being able to sign the card this year, our Big Christmas Card in the church still enabled us to make ‘virtual’ good wishes to our friends in the congregation. Over £100 was raised in donations and sent to ‘Wintercomfort’, which is a Day Centre open 7 days a week supporting people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home in Cambridge. Vacancy

We have exciting news on our ministerial vacancy and are pleased to announce that the Reverend Sue Fender has accepted a call to become minister of our five churches in the pastorate. Little did we think that anything would happen during the pandemic but God moves in mysterious ways. Sue showed an interest in our pastorate and because of the pandemic all the meetings and interviews had to be on Zoom. The ‘preach with a view’ weekend at the end of January also had to be via Zoom. We look forward to welcoming Sue and her husband sometime in May and to meeting her in person. World Day of Prayer

The World Day of Prayer is on Friday 5th March. The service has been prepared by the Christian Women of Vanuatu, with the theme ‘Build on a Strong Foundation’. We are unable to hold an ecumenical service this year, which would have been hosted by the Baptist church, because of Covid restrictions. It is still a Day of Prayer and we can individually pray for the world, which is rather apt in the current situation we find ourselves. Easter

Who knows what the situation will be at Easter. Last year we were unable to worship in church. We can only hope and pray that on Easter Sunday this year we will be worshipping together on 4th April celebrating our risen Lord. A happy Easter to you all. The Word of God from David Burbridge

We ourselves were foolish, disobedient, deceived serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, but the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. According to His mercy He saved us. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto The Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, for He will abundantly pardon. (from Titus Chap. 3 and Isaiah 55 v 7)