Sunday 2nd
Frenchay 10.30 am NO SERVICE
UMB 3.30 pm Mrs SUSAN WILDMAN
‘Music and Meditation’
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman Teas - Mr P Wildman
Mon 3rd FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
Sunday 9th
Frenchay 10.30 am Mr FRANK BUTLER
NO SERVICE AT UMB
Thursday 13th
Women’s League visit to “Pinocchio’ - Tobacco Factory
Sunday 16th
Frenchay 10.30 am Mr Bernard Omar
UMB 3.30 pm Mr Arthur Brown: Anniversary Service
Flowers - Mrs S Wildman & Ms S Pugh Teas - Mrs F Webster plus congregational contributions please
Music - Bob Cook
Monday 17th
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
Sunday 23rd
Frenchay 10.30 am Rev Peter Godfrey
UMB 3.00 - 5.00 ‘Bright Lights’ inter-generational activity group
Sunday 30th
Frenchay 10.30 am Congregational service, led by Mr Bernard Omar
UMB 3.30 pm Congregational service, led by Mr Karl Stewart
Flowers - TBC Teas - Mrs J Whitaker
Followed by a congregational committee meeting at 5pm
Monday 31st
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
______________________
February 2011
Sunday 6th
Frenchay 10.30 am
Miss Dilys Evans, President of the National Women’s League
UMB 3.30 pm Miss Dilys Evans
Flowers - Women’s League Teas - Mrs S Bartlett
Music - Mrs M Eastman
Monday 14th
Frenchay 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation group
December / January Newsletter
BRISTOL INTER FAITH GROUP
As Chair of BIFG I was invited to a Government Reception held in Whitehall and hosted by Secretary of State, Eric Pickles M.P. It was held on 25th November, also to mark the national inter faith week. It was attended by at least two bishops, assorted clerics in dog collars and many Sikhs, Hindu's, Muslims and others. Most were there as representatives of their local inter faith bodies under various names. The theme was "The Big Society" and the expectation of Government that Faith Communities and cooperative efforts will play a significant role. It seems to me that this suggests a fairly open door to representations on the needs WE identify. Constraints on Government and Local Government spending will affect outcomes. Cost effectiveness will be the order of the day.
Another Unitarian present was Karen Hanley as Chair of the appropriate General Assembly Commission. Karen has conducted worship at Frenchay and led a workshop. So, we are part of a larger canvas. Long may it be so.
Bernard Omar
From the minister
Dear friends
Walking around the shops the other day at the end of November, I was aware that the Christmas frenzy was already upon us – decorations – bursting shopping bags – full cafés- tired looking mothers with whining toddlers – bored looking husbands and giggly teenagers....
My usual response would be: “Oh no! I hate all this! Get me out of here!” But for a few minutes at least I decided to see things differently. Instead of my usual subjective perception, I saw people enjoying themselves being glad to have a reason to think of what gifts they would like to buy for their family and loved ones. Just overhearing a few snippets of conversation in shops such as: “I think she would love that” etc. reminded me of that strong impulse in all of us to give.
Whatever our individual spiritual or religious reasons are for celebrating Christmas and however much we dislike the commercial materialism, I am personally thankful for this annual opportunity to give and receive, to think in a more focussed way both about those in need and our own friends and family and to be mindful of those who are without these blessings.
And our “giving” does not only have to be about material gifts. Advent, Christmas and the New Year can remind me to practice opening my heart in a more generous and thoughtful way to all those I meet in my life's journey.
With love to you all.... Lindy
Frances Long
On 7 October the plaque in memory of one of the Bristol congregation’s most loved and longest serving members was dedicated during the afternoon service at UMB. Many members of her family attended and expressed their pleasure and gave their thanks that Frances had been remembered in this way. We still miss her calming presence.
PETER WILDMAN
Bristol Celebrates
This is my personal thank you for your support of the Bristol Inter Faith Group Festival. As well as representing Bristol Unitarians you were able to advertise Unitarianism and I hope you received many enquiries. The GA Display Panels proved to be most attractive and extremely well engineered and almost foolproof in operation!
Unfortunately I was busy and unable to spend any time on this display or on that run by Bristol Inter Faith Group. I hope you were able to enjoy other aspects of the Festival.
Thank you. Good wishes to all
BERNARD OMAR
Sabbatical - what's that?
Dear Friends – Firstly, I want to thank all of you for agreeing to my request for a three month sabbatical next year.
According to my Oxford dictionary a sabbatical is “leave granted to a university teacher for study or travel” it is also described by mosaic law that every seventh year the land should be allowed to rest. Well, I am not sure about rest, or even study in an academic sense, but I will be travelling.
The last few weeks have been full of making decisions re: who to visit and what to see, planning my route, what to take, which suitcase and organising my visa etc.: all very practical stuff..
So I will be going to the Unitarian communities in the Khasi Hills, (North East India) as well as visiting friends from Frenchay who were married in our chapel and hopefully visiting some of the schools in Mumbai (Bombay) started by Mary Carpenter, daughter of Unitarian minister, Lant Carpenter.
All the planning for this trip has taken more time than I first thought, so I do want to apologise for all the things which I have not done which I should have …. and maybe the other way round too!
Hopefully I will return with new energy, and plenty of travellers tales to amuse and inspire you with.
Again – thanks to all of you for not only your “permission” to let me go, but for the time, trouble and organisation it has taken to organise services, pastoral care, inquiries etc. while I am away.
Warm wishes.... Lindy x
Midsummer's Day
Midsummer's Day
The festival is primarily a Celtic fire festival, representing the middle of summer, and the shortening of the days on their gradual march to winter. Midsummer is traditionally celebrated on either the 23rd or 24th of June, although the longest day actually falls on the 21st of June. The importance of the day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years, and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on Midsummer's Day. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the heel stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning.
In antiquity, midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside, and in some areas of Scotland Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century. This was especially true in rural areas, where the weight of reformation thinking had not been thoroughly assimilated. It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction. It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper, would be the height of that year's harvest.
After Christianity became adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St John's Day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar; the birthday of St John the Baptist. Traditionally St John's Eve (like the eve of many festivals) was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad. Vigils were often held during the night and it was said that if you spent a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies.
Indeed St Johns Eve was a time when fairies were thought to be abroad and at their most powerful, hence Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.
St John's Wort was also traditionally gathered on this day, thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. Other special flowers (Vervain, trefoil, rue and roses) were also thought to be most potent at this time, and were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.
The festival is still important to Pagans today, including the modern day Druids who celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire. For them the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen. For Wiccans, the summer solstice forms one of the lesser sabbats, their main festivals being Imbolc (1st February), Beltane (1st May), Lammas (1st August) and Samhain (1st November).
Susan Wildman
As Chair of BIFG I was invited to a Government Reception held in Whitehall and hosted by Secretary of State, Eric Pickles M.P. It was held on 25th November, also to mark the national inter faith week. It was attended by at least two bishops, assorted clerics in dog collars and many Sikhs, Hindu's, Muslims and others. Most were there as representatives of their local inter faith bodies under various names. The theme was "The Big Society" and the expectation of Government that Faith Communities and cooperative efforts will play a significant role. It seems to me that this suggests a fairly open door to representations on the needs WE identify. Constraints on Government and Local Government spending will affect outcomes. Cost effectiveness will be the order of the day.
Another Unitarian present was Karen Hanley as Chair of the appropriate General Assembly Commission. Karen has conducted worship at Frenchay and led a workshop. So, we are part of a larger canvas. Long may it be so.
Bernard Omar
From the minister
Dear friends
Walking around the shops the other day at the end of November, I was aware that the Christmas frenzy was already upon us – decorations – bursting shopping bags – full cafés- tired looking mothers with whining toddlers – bored looking husbands and giggly teenagers....
My usual response would be: “Oh no! I hate all this! Get me out of here!” But for a few minutes at least I decided to see things differently. Instead of my usual subjective perception, I saw people enjoying themselves being glad to have a reason to think of what gifts they would like to buy for their family and loved ones. Just overhearing a few snippets of conversation in shops such as: “I think she would love that” etc. reminded me of that strong impulse in all of us to give.
Whatever our individual spiritual or religious reasons are for celebrating Christmas and however much we dislike the commercial materialism, I am personally thankful for this annual opportunity to give and receive, to think in a more focussed way both about those in need and our own friends and family and to be mindful of those who are without these blessings.
And our “giving” does not only have to be about material gifts. Advent, Christmas and the New Year can remind me to practice opening my heart in a more generous and thoughtful way to all those I meet in my life's journey.
With love to you all.... Lindy
Frances Long
PETER WILDMAN
Bristol Celebrates
Unfortunately I was busy and unable to spend any time on this display or on that run by Bristol Inter Faith Group. I hope you were able to enjoy other aspects of the Festival.
Thank you. Good wishes to all
BERNARD OMAR
Sabbatical - what's that?
According to my Oxford dictionary a sabbatical is “leave granted to a university teacher for study or travel” it is also described by mosaic law that every seventh year the land should be allowed to rest. Well, I am not sure about rest, or even study in an academic sense, but I will be travelling.
The last few weeks have been full of making decisions re: who to visit and what to see, planning my route, what to take, which suitcase and organising my visa etc.: all very practical stuff..
So I will be going to the Unitarian communities in the Khasi Hills, (North East India) as well as visiting friends from Frenchay who were married in our chapel and hopefully visiting some of the schools in Mumbai (Bombay) started by Mary Carpenter, daughter of Unitarian minister, Lant Carpenter.
All the planning for this trip has taken more time than I first thought, so I do want to apologise for all the things which I have not done which I should have …. and maybe the other way round too!
Hopefully I will return with new energy, and plenty of travellers tales to amuse and inspire you with.
Again – thanks to all of you for not only your “permission” to let me go, but for the time, trouble and organisation it has taken to organise services, pastoral care, inquiries etc. while I am away.
Warm wishes.... Lindy x
Midsummer's Day
- When is Midsummer's Day?
Midsummer's Day, the middle of summer, falls on on 24 June, after the longest day (Summer Solstice). Before the change of calendars, Midsummer's Day fell on 5 July.
- Why are Midsummer's Day and the Summer Solstice not on the same day?The longest day in the northern hemisphere is today either the 20th or 21st of June, whilst Midsummer's Day in Europe is traditionally on 24 June. This discrepancy is said to have been caused by the variants of the Julian Calendar and the Tropical Year further confused by the Gregorian Calendar.
- What used to happen on Midsummer's Day?Midsummer's Day is a time associated with witches, magic, fairies and dancing. On the eve of Midsummer's Day, many bonfires were lit all over the country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and strengthen the sun.
- Midsummer's Day survivals Practice of this ancient ritual, which also includes a Summer Solstice Circle Dance, is now mainly confined to Cornwall, the West Country, and London's Hampstead Heath.
- Midsummer Superstitions Roses are of special importance on Midsummer's Eve. It is said that any rose picked on Midsummer's Eve, or Midsummer's Day will keep fresh until Christmas.
At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young girls should scatter rose petals before them and say:
Rose leaves, rose leaves,
Rose leaves I strew.
He that will love me
Come after me now.
Then the next day, Midsummer's Day, their true love will visit them.
In antiquity, midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside, and in some areas of Scotland Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century. This was especially true in rural areas, where the weight of reformation thinking had not been thoroughly assimilated. It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction. It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper, would be the height of that year's harvest.
After Christianity became adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St John's Day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar; the birthday of St John the Baptist. Traditionally St John's Eve (like the eve of many festivals) was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad. Vigils were often held during the night and it was said that if you spent a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies.
Indeed St Johns Eve was a time when fairies were thought to be abroad and at their most powerful, hence Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.
St John's Wort was also traditionally gathered on this day, thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. Other special flowers (Vervain, trefoil, rue and roses) were also thought to be most potent at this time, and were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.
The festival is still important to Pagans today, including the modern day Druids who celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire. For them the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen. For Wiccans, the summer solstice forms one of the lesser sabbats, their main festivals being Imbolc (1st February), Beltane (1st May), Lammas (1st August) and Samhain (1st November).
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