The Rev Lisa Quarmby writes from the Manse:
As we approach May my mind wanders to the 18th and Aldersgate Sunday - when we remember the man whose heart was "strangely warmed" by the gospel of grace - salvation for all - a free gift. On such a day, it seems right to preach one of Wesley's sermons; and I shall do so, thinking of the man who appealed to people from all social strata. Crowds would flock to hear him, as he shared with them God's love in a way that moved them and that they could understand.
This year is special for Methodists, for it is the tercentenary of John Wesley's birth. We will celebrate at Mount Zion with a service of thanksgiving on 6th July, when we will welcome Rev. Martin Turner. He stands in a long line of preachers, both men and women, who have come to our church to proclaim God's word with fervour, integrity and conviction. We are not ashamed to testify to our faith, to shout it in the streets as Wesley did, to give an answer to why we believe.
So let us come and give thanks to God for Jesus, for the message that warmed Wesley's heart: of a salvation for all that removes our sins and offers us the assurance of God's love. And let us give thanks for our Church, where we can come and celebrate that love each Sunday in our weekly service at 2.45 p.m.
May God's blessing surround you each day.
PS. I recommend "The Making of Methodism" by B. Tabraham (Epworth) - an easy introduction to our story.
SATURDAY, 30TH NOVEM8ER, 2003 - Our friends at Illingworth Moor again invited us to have a stall at their Christmas Fayre. It was a busy and happy occasion. We raised £30 for Mount Zion Funds.
SUNDAY, 1ST DECEBER, 2002 - First Sunday of Advent when a candle was lit by Mary Dixon and Mavis Wilkinson, Rev. Lisa was the preacher and Stephen Illingworth the organist. On subsequent Sundays, candles were lit by Una Gill and Marjorie Spaven, Irene Cunliffe and Stephen Illingworth.
SUNDAY, 22ND DECEMBER, 2002 - Carol Service -sadly no Christingles, except for four on the communion table, because of fire risk. Advent Candles were lit by Mary Dixon and Jill McArthur and Rev. Lisa who also led the service. Nine carols were sung and Stephen Illingworth was the organist. Collections for Church Funds amounted to £80.80p. and a retiring collection raised £57.70p. for NCH.
SUNDAY, 29TH DECEMBER, 2002 - No service was planned but Irene Cunliffe kindly offered to take a service if members wished to attend. Fourteen did so and it was an uplifting afternoon to end the year. Stephen Illingworth was organist and chose the carols to be sung. Collections amounted to £75.50p. Thank you Irene.
SUNDAY, 5TH JANUARY, 2003 - Covenant Service led by Rev. Lisa with Stephen at the organ.
FRIDAY, 17TH JANUARY, 2003 - The Quinquennial Inspector and local Environmental Health Inspector both descended upon us. The former said he had thoroughly enjoyed his morning and Mount Zion was the best Methodist Church he had inspected!!!! Thank you to everyone who helped to make it so. Both gentlemen have since sent us lists of matters to be attended to, the main one being the ftting of handrails to the staircases in the Church.
It was felt that we should meet at Epworth this year it being the tercentenary of John Wesley's birth.
We met at 10.30am. for the Sites, Museums and Artefacts Task Group. This group looks at all items relating to our buildings in relation to management, promotion and association with registration as Museums, etc. At that meeting we were very sorry to hear that Noorah Al Gailani is to leave Wesley's Chapel & Museum City Road after six and a half years during which she has done an enormous amount of work which has brought the property into the 21st century in the area of museum registration and cataloguing artefacts and pictures, etc. Whilst we are sorry that she is to leave us we are glad to hear that she has secured a post at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow where she will be curator of the Islamic Civilisations. We all wish her well. At 11.15am. the Heritage Forum met to discuss what was going on at each site. Concern was voiced at that meeting about John Nelson's Study at Birstall which is falling into disrepair. In the afternoon we heard and saw a presentation by lan Serjeant the conservation and listed buildings officer for the Methodist Church. This was very interesting indeed and it was good to meet lan Serjeant who has had quite a lot to do with Mount Zion and with whom I have corresponded over the years. Later we had a choice of a tour of the Old Rectory or a presentation of paintings and drawings for a book "John Wesley - a Pictorial Journey" by John Hurst. I chose the latter.
VISIT OF HALIFAX ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY - TUESDAY 4TH MARCH, 2003 - ANNUAL LECTURE - DR. JOHN HARGREAVES. It was good to have the Antiquarian Society to visit Mount Zion. It was a very good attendance and they were very interested in what was to be seen at Mount Zion. There were about eighty present to hear a lecture by Dr. John Hargreaves which was about the history of education and ;its relationship with the Church. It is always good to hear the social and educational input to society of the Church. Mount Zion had in its first Sunday School a day school. There is a photograph of that building in the collection. It was a forerunner of Bradshaw School. During the lecture we were presented with a "parlour" game which had been used at Mount Zion just before the first World War. It was very interesting as Dr. John gave us some of the things which it had included. This rests in the Archives at Halifax Public Library.
MY FAVOURITE PASTIME: golf, riding, shuttlecock, billiards, skipping, walking the dog.
MY FAVOURITE AVERSION: work, sweaty feet, onions, kissing, marriage, artificiality, women/men, mice, lateness.
MY AIM IN LIFE: model Church, success, women's rights, marriage, have a cobblers shop, sit in parliament, live without working.
MY FAVOURITE WRITER: Elliot, Dickens, Tennyson, Shakespeare, Comic Cuts, Benson.
IF YOU WERE KING WHAT WOULD YOU DO FIRST: Sell my crown and give the money to Mount Zion, Stop booze, Votes for women, kick the suffragettes, tax all bachelors, have three wives, tax parsons. Do away with the army & navy and do away with society.
I wonder what we would say today?!
The West Yorkshire District is celebrating John Wesley's preaching as he visited the area so many times and there are still places around where he stayed and preached. We are taking the theme of "The Four Alls of Methodism" and the following services are to beSunday, 25th May, 2003 at 4.15pm. at Bradford Cathedral. The preacher is the Rev. Sarah Jemison of the Shipley and Bingley Circuit and we will explore "AII need to be saved"
Sunday, 1st June, 2003 at 3pm. at Far Bank Methodist Church, Shelley. This is a historic building. The preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Stephen Dawes, ex-Chair of the Cornwall District and his address will be on the theme "AII can be saved".
Sunday, 22nd June, 2003 at 3pm. at Trinity Methodist Church, Skipton. The preacher will be the Rev. Michael J. Townsend. He is currently the chair of the Leeds District and formerly in the Halifax Circuit. The theme will be based on the contemporary meaning of Wesley's doctrine of assurance: "All can know they are saved.
Sunday, 6th July, 2003, at 2.45pm. at Mount Zion The preacher at this service will be Rev. Martin Turner who is the minister at Westminster Central Hall, London. Martin has served at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Haiifax. He will examine the meaning for Christian Discipleship today of "AII can be saved to the uttermost".
We hope that as many of you as possible can support some or all of these services. We hope to have Mount Zion full which will be a wonderful experience for us all. I have heard that a coach party are coming from Skipton !
NOTE: Sunday, 6th July, would normally be Mount Zion's Anniversary Re-union but we felt it would be a lovely opportunity to have a bigger than usual reunion. If any of the Friends of Mount Zion or readers of "The Dial" cannot come to the service and wish to make a donation please send it to Mrs. Mavis Wilkinson, 6 Brant Avenue, Halifax, HX2 8DL. Thank you.
The Methodist Church has now deemed that all its graveyards should have a quinquennial inspection. This will reveal any dangerous monuments, etc. in the graveyard and then it will be the responsibility of the Church to have the memorials lowered and put on to the grave flat. This will be a big undertaking, although Mount Zion graveyard is not in a bad condition and is not vandalised as many are. It is a very well visited graveyard and many relatives keep their graves in excellent order but there are inevitably many graves where there are no relatives to tend them.
