A church bell is being rung in the heart of Nidderdale each evening throughout November, as the power of prayer is harnessed during the pandemic.
With communal worship banned during lockdown, Christians are being encouraged to participate in a month of reflection in their homes, focusing on issues of national concern arising from the coronavirus crisis.
The Rev. Alastair Ferneley, Vicar of Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, is ensuring that Nidderdale’s daily tea-time chime joins those ringing out at cathedrals and churches across England.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“I’m ringing our single bell at Holy Trinity, Dacre Banks at 6pm each evening – so far successfully on time, though it’s possible the time will vary a little.”
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The call for a daily collective moment of national prayer signalled by the sound of bells, has the support of senior religious leaders from many different denominations.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said:
“We might understandably feel helpless, anxious and vulnerable. And we do what we can to halt the spread of this virus – but we can still feel powerless.
“Is there anything else we can do? Really do?
“Yes. Yes there is. We can pray. Prayer is my first response when I feel out of my depth, when I need help, when I am worried, when I am concerned for those I love.
“It is a gift that God gives to all.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, added:
“At this challenging time when all of us are fearful and anxious, and when so many are suffering, it is the one thing we can all do.”
Nidderdale – taking part in the national call to prayer
Christians are being encouraged to follow a seven-day prayer cycle, praying for a specific area each day, including the NHS and frontline workers, the bereaved, and those struggling with physical and mental ill-health, and for children and young people.
Prayers and other resources are being shared on social media with the hashtag #PrayerForTheNation
Rev Alastair is keeping his parishioners updated. He said:
“I’ve been sending out the information about the month of prayer so that people can take part in their own homes, if they wish.”
Extension plans for Ripon Cathedral on display
Plans for the £6 million extension of Ripon Cathedral have gone on display at a public exhibition inside the ancient building.
Running until the end of September, the exhibition is designed to enable all interested parties within the community to view the plans and provide comment, which will help in the preparation of a formal planning application for submission to Harrogate Borough Council.
If successful, plans would see the first major extension in hundreds of years, for a building containing the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral – St Wilfrid’s Crypt – dating back to 672 AD.
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The church attracts visitors and pilgrims from around the world and in autumn 2019, launched the Ripon Cathedral Renewed project.
Key elements of the plan are the provision of toilets. which will include Ripon’s only adult changing room; a cafe and creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir, which currently rehearses in a former burial vault.
With the provision of new storage space, it is also intended that large areas within the cathedral will be opened up to the public for the first time in centuries.
The plans are part of the cathedral’s strategic vision Growing God’s Kingdom which aims to see the cathedral as a force for good, serving both the church and wider community – locally, regionally and nationally.
This aerial view of the model shows the L shaped extension to the south side of the cathedral
When the Renewed project was launched, the Dean of Ripon, The Very Revd John Dobson, said:
“It is clear that the development of the cathedral is vital to bring this national treasure into the 21st century.
“As custodians of this fantastic building we are only too aware of the legacy we uphold. We have this ancient history, this wonderful architecture – what we haven’t got are the facilities that people need.
“Each generation has, over 13 centuries, taken on what has been handed to it and made its own contributions. We take none of this for granted and we have a responsibility, in our generation, to make our contribution now.”
He added:
“Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious to a growing number of people that the development of Ripon Cathedral is vital as we seek to serve the communities of the region now and in the future.”
Holy smoke at Ripon Cathedral lights the path out of darkness
A persistent breeze whipping its way around the western entrance of Ripon Cathedral on Saturday evening, could not extinguish the new light of hope being carried into this ancient place of worship.
The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Rev. Nick Baines (pictured right) in a ceremony designed for the whole of the diocese, marked the return of public prayer to churches. Only private prayer has recently been allowed in buildings which were shut for weeks because of the coronavirus crisis.
The Easter candle was lit from a brazier of burning twigs, before it was carried into the cathedral by Canon Michael Gisborne.
The Bishop, said:
“May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.”
The lockdown that forced the closure of churches and places of worship of all religions across the UK, meant that the Paschal candle could not be lit in the cathedral on Easter Sunday.
Its use in the ceremony added to the symbolism of the event, which was followed by a service attended by dozens of parishioners and guests – all of whom were asked to sanitise their hands, give name and contact details to assist the NHS Test and Trace programme and observe social distancing.
The cathedral opened for private prayer on June 15 and since then has seen a steady flow of people across its threshold, coming to pray, light candles and speak with its priests.
Ripon Cathedral now open for public prayer
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The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, said:
“We are encouraged by the positive response to our opening for private prayer; notwithstanding all the necessary demands to ensure the public are kept as safe as possible, it is clearly the case that there is a significant need both amongst regular worshippers and the wider community to cross the thresholds of our churches and cathedrals both for private prayer and public worship.
“At Ripon Cathedral we are very keen to respond to the heightened awareness that many now have of God’s presence and activity in their lives.”
Some services and reflections will continue to be streamed on YouTube and these can all be accessed via the cathedral’s website.
Death threat to Bishop of Ripon follows Cummings tweetPolice have been informed after the Bishop of Ripon and at least two other bishops, received death threats because they commented on twitter about Dominic Cummings’ 260 mile journey with his wife and son to isolate in County Durham at the height of the coronavirus lockdown.
After tweeting, The Rt, Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, said she had received an email, saying: ‘Stay out of politics, or it will be the death of you.’
Dr Hartley told The Stray Ferret:
“I’ve never received a death threat before and it was frightening. I thought about what happened to Jo Cox, and it has made me extra cautious. At least three bishops received similarly-worded emails and all have been reported to the police by our respective dioceses.”
On Sunday, the Prime Minister, said Mr Cummings had acted ‘responsibly, legally and with integrity’ but his defence of his key adviser attracted strong criticism from a number of Church of England bishops, including Dr Hartley, who wrote on twitter:
“Integrity, trust and leadership were never there; just a misguided ideology of power that has total disregard for the most weak and vulnerable and those who work to protect and care for us with relatively low pay.”
Dr Hartley, who became Bishop of Ripon in 2018, pointed out:
“After my initial tweet, I have never known an inbox like it with the hateful things said, but fortunately, the supportive and kind messages I received outnumbered the unpleasant ones. I would just ask the person or persons who made the threats to reflect upon what they have done and consider the impact of their actions.”
Like Mr Cummings, the bishop’s parents live in Durham, but she has not seen them for ten weeks, because she followed the government’s lockdown instructions. In twitter exchanges she said:
“My father finished radiotherapy treatment just before lockdown. I’ve missed his birthday, Mothering Sunday and countless other catch-ups that would have happened. And that’s a fraction of a story compared with others.”
Dr Hartley believes that the Church does have a role in commenting on politics and its impact upon society.
Skipton and Ripon MP, Julian Smith, has not as yet stated publicly if he believes that Mr Cummings should resign, be dismissed or stay in post.
‘In every situation in life, joyful and tragic, God’s love remains steadfast’
This Easter Sunday message is written by John Dobson, the Dean of Ripon Cathedral.
Happy Easter! It seems odd to be wishing people a happy Easter this year, when social isolation leads to us all keeping apart from each other. It seems odd not to have the cathedral packed with joyful worshippers. But all of this makes the message of Easter so much more important.
Many of us have been taking part in the great national cheer and applause on Thursday evenings. It’s good to see the country so united. This is a sincere, heart-felt expression of gratitude for essential workers. These include those in the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 virus – NHS staff and other care workers; and others providing vital services – in supermarkets, food production and distribution, running schools, emptying bins… and so on. Some of these are certainly risking their own wellbeing in their self-sacrificing service of others.
We probably all cheered to ourselves when hearing that the Prime Minster was out of intensive care; as when we hear of friends and family recovering from coronavirus symptoms. Life is seen to be conquering that which threatens it.
Both these themes: self-sacrificing service, and life conquering those forces that would threaten it, go deep to the heart of what we celebrate this weekend.
Good Friday each year reminds us of the ultimate act of self-sacrificing service. Jesus gave himself totally for our sake. At a moment in history he showed that God does this all the time because of his love for us. I believe it is this divine love we see doing its work through all those people we cheer on Thursday evenings.
Yes, this is a strange Easter. But Easter should always be strange. Who expects the dead to rise? Some disciples simply couldn’t accept it – do you remember doubting Thomas? Yet we believe the resurrection to be possible because God’s life-creating, life-sustaining love can be conquered by nothing, certainly not human frailty and death. So, life does conquer death.
In every situation in life, joyful and tragic, God’s love remains steadfast – on earth and in heaven. This is the good news that, if we accept it, can transform life and give us hope and courage in the face of all suffering and death. We do right to wish each other a happy, if strange, Easter.
An Easter Prayer:
Risen Lord, on this strange yet joyful Easter Day, help us to see that you have conquered human failings, put death to flight, and have assured us that we remain in your love on earth and in heaven.
In these challenging times:
banish our fears;
strengthen all working courageously in the NHS and other care providers;
uphold all working tirelessly in supermarkets and many other organisations to serve our needs;
and give hope to every situation as we celebrate again your resurrection from the dead.
For your name’s sake. Amen.
Harrogate churches coordinate for a continuous prayer over Easter weekend19 Harrogate Churches have organised a continuous, uninhttps://thestrayferret.co.uk/harrogate-church…r-easter-weekend/terrupted prayer over the Easter weekend for those affected by coronavirus.
Pray for The Peak is part of a wider global movement for virtual 24/7 prayer. The Harrogate Hub, which works to coordinate projects across the town’s churches, has organised a prayer which aims to last 72 hours.
Colin Ashurst from the Harrogate Hub said:
“We have been aware of the 24/7 movement and we felt with the Nightingale hospital coming here and the risk of there being real grief in Harrogate and for people self-isolating at home, this was something churches could do, to spend time in prayer. The movement has given us advice and guidance on how to do this virtually.”
A 24/7 prayer room in normal times
There is a calendar people can sign up to individually to pray for an hour or more – last night every slot was filled. Mr Ashurst said:
“We’ve had a good response as we only got the word out yesterday. We’re doing ok- we got through last night and we’ve still got people coming in. It’s looking good for tonight but after that there are some gaps and we’d encourage people to get involved.. I’m signed up for the midnight and one o’clock slots tonight.”
For those interested in being involved, you can register at http://theharrogatehub.org/24-7/.