I think it is important that this day, always the fourth Sunday in Lent, does not become just a secular festival – that we remember its roots in the rhythm of the church’s year, for this Sunday is also known as Refreshment Sunday or, more rarely, Laetare Sunday. This latter is taken from the opening lines of part of the liturgy ‘ Rejoice ye with Jerusalem’ and from the traditional epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent – ‘Jerusalem…which is the mother of us all.’

It was also a day when the Lenten Fast was relaxed – simnel cake was the tradition for Mothering Sunday - hence the name Refreshment Sunday. Even the hangings in church reflected a relaxation of the rules as the solemn colour of purple was changed for this day to a kind of rose pink. I suppose it was good psychology and helped those who were very serious about their Lenten observance to keep going to the end!

On this day too, there was a tradition to visit the Mother Church of the Parish – sometimes even the cathedral. When parishes were very big, particularly in the North of England, and transport really limited to walking – many people worshipped in what were called Chapels of Ease - small chapels away from the main parish that could be easily reached on foot. Children, too, who had gone to work in service were usually allowed home on this day so that they could go with their family to the main ‘Mother Church’. I love to think of them walking through the fields, gathering wild flowers as they went – the primroses and violets of spring – to give to their mothers who would be waiting with the Simnel Cake ready. What an old romantic!

The flowers are still part of the Mothering Sunday tradition in church – and it is a lovely tradition – for the church is our mother. It is the place where we go to find love and solace, the place where we can always be ourselves- just as I hope you found with your mother. The trouble is, if the day is just a day when we think only about our own mother and when our children just think of us, Mothering Sunday can be a real challenge. Some people do not have good memories of their mother. For some the sadness of bereavement is still acute. Some people would have dearly loved to be mothers and for various reasons have not had that joy. Some mothers have lost their children – some are anxious about coping and so on.

That is why I think the church is so important – for we are all part of the Christian family and we come together whatever our own personal joy or sadness to seek love and refreshment from each other. We are all children and we are all parents – the roles just shift a bit from time to time as the needs arise.

I wish you all great refreshment on the Fourth Sunday in Lent – and a joyful Mothering Sunday!

Yours in Christ

Jo

Palm Sunday: 1^st April.

11.00am Parish Eucharist with the Blessing and Distribution of Palms and reading of the Passion Narrative

Maundy Wednesday: 4^th April.

10.00am – 11.30am Children’s Activities in the Manor Room

8.00pm – Parish Eucharist

Good Friday: 6^th April.

11.00am in Church The Story of the Cross – a service for families and children.

2.00pm the Solemn Liturgy for Good Friday

6.30pm Evening Recital of music & readings

Easter Day – 8^th April.

11.00am Parish Eucharist

6.00pm Evensong.

By the time this magazine is published, you will probably have received a letter through the post about our Church Expenditure. It may seem extravagant to reach all the members of the electoral roll in this way, but the stamps were a generous donation from a member of the parish! We are fortunate in Turvey to have people who give generously of their time, talents and money, and we do not want to become a church that is constantly begging for more. We are aware that the cost of living in this part of the world is high and that many of you have huge family and other commitments. Your presence in church is what really matters. However, we do have to keep the church open and our costs do not diminish. Fortunately, we seem to be a growing congregation, which spreads the load – but there is also something you can consider which will raise our income at no extra cost to yourself. If you are a UK taxpayer we would urge you to consider Gift Aid. The leaflet explains how this works and the fact that your gift to the church remains private. Please do take time to read your letter, and if for some reason you have not been included in the mailing and would like to know more, let the Priest in Charge or one of the Church Wardens know and we will make sure you receive all the literature.

In 1900 Miss Anna Jarvis of America decided that mothers were doing such an important job they should be honoured their own special day. On this day they should be given flowers and waited upon. The idea grew and before long the congress of the USA officially decided on the second Sunday in May as Mothers Day. In America and Canada many people honour their mothers by wearing carnations, a red one if their mother is still alive, a white one if she had died and a pink one in honour of step-mothers. In England of course we celebrate Mothers Day this year on the 18^th March.

The Annual Parochial Church Meetings will take place on Tuesday 17^th April at 7.30pm in church. These are important meetings where we elect churchwardens for the year and members of the Parochial Church Council who run the church on your behalf. Those on the church’s electoral roll are entitled to vote. If you are unsure whether you are on the roll or not, check the list at the back of church or contact Cindy Woods, the electoral roll secretary. There are forms on the tithe table for you to fill in if you are new to the parish and want to be put on the church’s roll.

After the business part of the meeting, our architect, Bruce Deacon, will speak to us about his recent inspection of the church and the proposed alterations to the base of the tower to provide kitchen and lavatory facilities.

Dear Lord, please grant me
A broad mind
A broad heart
A broad smile
But PLEASE, PLEASE leave my hips alone!

The new branch will be launched on mothering Sunday the 18^th March 2007. The Bishop of Bedford will enrol the first members of the new branch as well as renewing membership for existing members during a service of evensong at St. Peters Church Sharnbrook at 4:00 p.m. followed by a celebratory tea. Please contact Betty Hewett if you need more information on 881738.

There will again be a joint Lent Bible Study shared with our friends at Turvey Abbey. We shall meet on Tuesdays 27^th Feb, 6^th March, 13^th March and 27^th March either 3-4pm or 7-8:15pm. We intend to look at the events in the last week of Jesus life and at the Resurrection. Details and lists to sign are at the back of the church. We do hope you can join us on one of more of these days.

If you would like to donate a lily or other flowers at Easter in memory of a loved one please contact Anne Claypole White 881661. The lilies need to be ordered early, so please let me know in good time of you want to do this. I would also be pleased to hear from any of you who would like to help decorate the church for Easter.

The Christian Church throughout the world

Our Parish of All Saints All mothers and all for whom Mothering Sunday will be hard.

The next coffee morning is to be held at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday 10^th March at 8, The Green by kind permission of Mr and Mrs W Littler. There will be a raffle and bring-and-buy stall for which contributions, especially cakes and produce would be very welcome. Last months coffee morning raised £282. Many thanks to Glen and Russell De Ville for hosting last month’s coffee morning and to everyone who helped and supported it in spite of the awful weather. A good time was had by all!

Following on from the huge success of "The Nativity" in January 2006, Turvey Mysteries will be performing "The Passion" in church on 23^rd and 24^th of March. This is the second of Tony Harrison’s celebrated cycle of Mystery Plays. It is a powerful retelling of the events of Easter leading up to, and including, the Crucifixion of Christ. Once again the play is a community production, with the characters played as ordinary people, by ordinary people. This reflects the original medieval mystery plays from York, Chester, Wakefield and Coventry, on which Tony Harrison based his own, unique version. The cast and crew are all local volunteers, some of whom have never acted before. Look out for some well-known faces in rather unexpected roles! As with "The Nativity", the music is central to the play. Shaker hymns and medieval dance tunes rub shoulders with more recent material by songwriters like John Tams and Richard Thompson, all given a strong, contemporary treatment by a large live band. The performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets in advance are £5 and £3 for concessions, or £6 and £4 on the door. They are available from Jo Spray (01234 881312), Tim and Jane Brewster (01234 881484) or Cathy Swift (01234 888818), or from Turvey Post Office or Central Stores.

Please see the notice board at the back of church for more information.

This popular workshop for children up to the age of 10 will take place on Wednesday, 4^th April, 10-11:30 a.m. in the Manor Room. All offers of help with refreshments or activities would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Sarah Beecham 881688. Thank you.

Shrove Tuesday heralds Lent, which begins the following day, Ash Wednesday. The name Lent comes from the old English work Lengten which simply refers to the lengthening of the days and the coming of spring. It is, however, a very specific season in the church’s year, and lasts for forty days. Sundays are feast days and therefore do not count. So Lent finishes on the eve of Easter. The forty days are a reminder of the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before starting his ministry. He spent this time alone with God, seeking his closeness and direction for the future. The writers of the Gospels tell us how the devil tried to persuade Jesus to go his way by tempting him with popularity and power. Jesus resisted the temptation, choosing instead a way of suffering and death. This period was once a time of preparation for new Christians who were to be baptised at Easter. Now it has become more a time of reflection for Christians, a sort of spiritual "check-up" in the weeks before Easter, so that celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter can come out of a heart right with God. It is therefore seen as a time of self-denial and fasting.

Congratulations to Rob and Jo Spray on the birth of two new grandchildren, Oliver William David – born to Dominic and Lucy and Eleanor Mary Morgan – born to Jonathan and Judith, a sister for Benjamin and Thomas.

Sincere sympathies to David and Jennifer Allender on the death of David’s father, Ken. Ken was a great supporter of All Saints Church when he was in Turvey. Also to Gill and John Smith on the death of Gill’s mother, Flo Curtis. Flo had lived in Turvey for almost all of her long life. She was well known and liked in the village and we shall miss her.

Roger Eaton – a profile by Cindy Woods

Roger was born in Bedford, to be exact, in the front bedroom of number 1 Farrer Street. Roger is the youngest of four, he has a brother and sister who live locally and another sister who lives in Dorset. His Father was a turner with W.H. Allens and his mother stayed at home to look after the children.

Roger attended Ampthill road primary school and then Goldington Road Secondary School. Between the ages of 13 and 15 he did a daily paper round and worked for Bryants boats down by the Town Bridge to earn pocket money. Entrepreneurial even back then. After leaving school he went as a yard boy to Henry Bacchus (a trust company) an ironmongers/electricians/plumbers, located in the high street where Wilkinsons is today. Roger remembers his first wages were £3.18 shillings a week! He then started an apprenticeship with them, but when they were sold out to Frederick Gale Ltd. (now Gibbs and Dandy) and the workshops closed he transferred to a company called John Corby where he completed his apprenticeship in 1969, training at Hertford College of Building. In 1972 he went to work for a Cambridge company Wantner, Smith and Grey working on the extensive new building programme of Bedfordshire schools in Cranfield, Flitwick and Leighton Buzzard. In 1973 he formed his own company in partnership with Geoff, who he had worked with at Baccus and John Corby, sadly Geoff retired due to ill health in June 2000. Roger took over full control of the business, which has continued to prosper with the help of Marilyn and their son James.

Roger met Marilyn on a coach going to Great Yarmouth for a holiday in 1964, this was in June, and would you believe, Marilyn was still at school, she left in the July. Marilyn is a Turvey girl and believe it or not was born in the house I now live in, number 9 Carlton Road. The family moved to the old council houses (now Hawthorn Close) and then to May cottages and after that to Grove road, which is where she married from. They had a long courtship because they were so young and finally married in 1970 at Turvey church with the three daughters of a former Rector – Bernard Butler as their bridesmaids Jane, Anne and Katy (Knowles). After their marriage they lived in Bedford for six months before moving to Grove road, where their daughter Sarah was born, they lived there for six years before buying their own house in Bromham where there son James was born, moving to their present home in 1979. Roger and Marilyn’s daughter Sarah is married with a pigeon pair Lucy and Owen) and son James is married with two sons. Both were married in Turvey Church and all the children both their own and the grandchildren were baptised in Turvey Church. When younger they both attended church, Marilyn in Turvey singing in the choir and Roger at St. Mary’s Bedford where he sang in the all male choir from the ages of 10-15. After a lapse of not attending church, in 1997 their son James sadly got knocked over by a car in Corfu and was not expected to pull through. He was transported by the Greek military to a neurological unit in Athens where he remained for over two weeks. Roger stayed with him all the time and feeling isolated turned to prayer for comfort, where he felt these were answered when James finally started to recover.