Grapevine for Summer 2007 out now -
A community magazine for St Luke's Parish - on and around Burton Stone Lane
Grapevine is published and distributed around the parish by St Luke's four times a year.
You can click HERE or on the cover (left) to view the latest Grapevine if you have Adobe Reader on your PC*. It may be a lengthy download - but what price quality?
Alternatively, collect one from the church on Sunday or use the Contact Us button on the left to ask us to send you a copy, if there are any spares.
*You can download Adobe Reader and install it on your PC for free to view Grapevine and many other documents. Click the button:
3 August 2007
A feast for the ears - St Luke's Music Festival
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Drummers and leaders outside the church hall on Saturday morning |
St Luke's first-ever Music Festival gave glory to God through song and dance, drumming and drinking, praying and praising, on the weekend of the 6th to 8th July.
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Civilised entertainment for the Big Brew in church on Saturday morning |
'Hot Not Bothered' featured in Friday night's barn dance but - as yet - no photographs of the evening have come to light!
While the Festival set out to make people more aware of St Luke's Music Fund, it just so happened that Saturday was also the day of The Big Brew, the annual Fair Trade Coffee Morning event run throughout Yorkshire and the Humber by churches and others. So St Luke's event took on an extra special flavour, with display material about music at the church and backing from a string quartet to help the Fair Trade tea, coffee and other produce on their way.
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It's amazing what you can use to make a noise |
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St Luke's four-part choir after Sunday's morning service |
Meanwhile in the church hall, Keith Jackman led a workshop for twenty children to learn about some of the world's weirder musical instruments and then make some of them out of - well - junk. Some of the instruments then found their way back into the church to make sure the string quartet didn't have things all their own way.
The Festival ended on a high note with Sunday's Parish Communion Service, led by St Luke's four-part choir with Director Alison Morse and Organist Peter Fletcher.
3 August 2007
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Ice cream - what more could you want? |
St Luke's Pathfinders break out from the Lane
St Luke's Pathfinders escaped from their usual base in the church and hall and took over the Emmaus Centre at Wydale Hall, the Diocese of York's Rereat Centre near Scarborough, on the last weekend in June.
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On Whitby beach |
The weather was dodgy, to say the least, but it takes more than a monsoon to damp the Pathfinders' spirits.
As well as designing, writing , composing and performing their own worship, the Pathfinders managed to find time for a 'decorate your ice cream' competition - and the photo on the right shows how well that went down.
Thanks be to God for the Pathfinders, and for the volunteers who lead them ever week and especially on this exhausting but rewarding weekend each year.
2 August 2007
Press Release from
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Click HERE to download and read our competition entry in 'Word'.
A Big Noisy Weekend!
St Luke's Music Festival Friday 6 July to Sunday 8 July
- It's a celebration of God's gift of music
- It's a thank you to God and everyone for the money raised so far for St Luke's Music Fund
- It's a way to bring people up-to-date on what's happening with the Organ
- It's an opportunity for enjoying time together (OK - it's a bit of a party)
- It's an invitation for the whole community to come into St Luke's and join in...
- It's St Luke's Music Festival 2007!
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So what's happening?
On Friday evening there's a BARN DANCE in the Church from 7.00pm until late, featuring
HOT NOT BOTHERED. Tickets £6.00 from the Sewing & Knitting Machine Centre on Burton Stone Lane, to include supper provided by masterchefs Simon Usher and Mark Reilly. Bring your own drinks.
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On Saturday morning, York musician Keith Jackman is running a Children's Music Workshop for St Luke's Explorers from 9.30am to 12.30pm, making and decorating drums out of junk and rubbish! Keith is also bringing a range of instruments from around the world.
Also on Saturday morning it happens to be the day of The Big Brew 07.07.07 - the annual Yorkshire churches' Fairtrade event. So there will be a sort of Fairtrade coffee (and tea) morning running in the Church - with Fairtrade cookies and things too. There will be displays about music at St Luke's, and some live music from (probably) a string quartet and possibly a group of singers - and maybe the children will join us from the Hall next door to show off their drums!
On Sunday morning at 9.30am our usual Parish Communion service will feature music from St Luke's junior and four-part choirs, and (since the Church of England's General Synod is meeting at York University this weekend) we will welcome as visiting preacher
Father Stephen Trott, who is a vicar in Northampton and a Church Commissioner.
The weekend finishes on a high note on Sunday evening with a Songs of Praise service in Church at 6.30pm. We'll be interviewing some members of our local community and asking them to choose their favourite hymn or worship song, and we want to know what YOUR favourite is too! The hymn or song that gets the most votes will be included - so why not use the 'contact us' page (see menu on the left) to tell us your favourite?
There's something for everyone - come and join in!
19 June 2007
Strictly X-Factor Idol 2007
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Moment of triumph: Helen 'Monserrat' Warry and Mark 'Freddy' Comer wow judges and audience alike with an earth-moving climax to 'Barcelona' |
An unforgettable night at St Luke's on Saturday 19th May saw Helen Warry and Mark Comer sweep to stardom - if not fame or fortune - by winning the coveted title of Strictly X-Factor Idol 2007.
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The whole star-studded crew |
They walked away with the glittering trophy crafted by Derek Wilkinson after a closely-fought and thrilling contest with Ann and John Stier, Dion Smith and Steve Benford, and Annette Partington and Martin Davies.
But the real heros of the evening were the band, 'Sunny and the Sunspots', who played their fingers to the bone and somehow held the whole thing together in spite of hosts Mark Forsythia (Reilly) and Jess Weekly (Benford).
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'Sunny and the Sunspots' |
'Celebrity' judges Leslene Fullips (Lesley Wilkinson), Mart Rebel-Firewood (Martin Sheppard) and Simon Cowbell (Simon Usher) did their best to annoy the performers and confuse the audience, but probably to little effect.
With an audience of about 140 the evening raised well over £700 for St Luke's Music Fund - as well as raising the church roof a bit here and there.
Below are a few more glimpses of what you saw, or maybe what you missed.
For the record, here's who sang what:
- Ann and John: Why Do Fools Fall In Love; Cinderella Rockerfella; You're The One That I Want.
- Annette and Martin: I Got You Babe; Hole In The Ground; Dancing In The Street.
- Helen and Mark: Something Stupid; The Song That Goes Like This; Barcelona.
- Dion and Steve: Bye Bye Love; Goodness Gracious Me; Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
There were plenty of unforgettable moments - but Martin Davies in fishnet stockings, high heels and lipstick will haunt dreams and maybe nightmares for may years to come...
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Thanks be to God for silliness!
24 May 2007
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From left: Steve Benford, Mark Comer and James Rosie outside 'The Deep' in Hull at 6.45am on Friday 11 May. Behind them is their packed lunch. |
A Wilberforceful trek
St Luke's indefatigable long-distance walkers threw themselves into this year's celebrations of the bicentenary of William Wilberforce's Act of Parliament abolishing the slave trade when they walked the brand-new Wilberforce Way from Hull to York on Friday 11th May.
Mark Comer reports: "In extremely mixed weather conditions ranging from light rain in the morning, to scorching sun in the afternoon finishing with torrential rain overnight, three started and one completed the 60.6 mile route.
"Needless to say it was the vicar who made it the whole way, with Martin Davies, Justin Benford, David Price and Owain Davies joining at Sutton on Derwent to push Steve through the last twenty miles to the finish just before 3.00am on Saturday morning outside York Minster.
"Four hours ahead of schedule and averaging an excellent 3mph - faster than rush hour traffic in York!"
Mark Comer has copies of the book that accompanies the walk priced £7.00 (plus £1.00 p&p), cheques made payable to 'Christian Aid'. All profits from the sale of this book go to Christian Aid. Get in touch with Mark using 'Contact Us' (left).
14 May 2007
News of Olivia Lambert
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Olivia Lambert in Hull last year |
The Revd Olivia Lambert, who served at St Luke's as Deaconess and then Parish Deacon from 1986 to 1990, is moving from Hull to Harrogate in October.
After leaving St Luke's, Olivia served at St Andrew's, Huntington, until 1995, and then moved to Hull as Team Vicar of Marfleet.
In October this year she moves to Harrogate as Associate Minister at St Mark's Church.
Those who remember Olivia will wish her well in her new post, and we will remember to pray for her as she goes.
Visit St Mark's web site by clicking HERE.
25 April 2007
Welcome to Sam Thorne
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Samuel Frederick Marshall Thorne |
St Luke's joins Susannah and Dave Thorne - and Janey, of course - in giving thanks to God for the safe arrival on Tuesday 16th April of Samuel - Sam.
He weighed in at a strapping ten pounds!
Sam and his mum are home and doing well, and of course we all look forward to making his acquaintance.
More on his dad's web site at www.dsthorne.plus.com/sam.html.
23 April 2007
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St Luke's walkers bask in the sunshine at the aptly-named Grimwith Reservoir |
Easter Monday parish walk:
weather grim, with good company!
The now-traditional Easter Monday walk saw a group of hardy St Luke's family and friends head out of (slightly) sunny York into the hills beyond Pateley Bridge to walk round the aptly-named Grimwith Reservoir.
Ian Turner found us a five-mile circuit of fairly easy going, with fantastic views of God's handiwork in all directions... on a good day!
Easter spirits were high, but you couldn't say the same for the sun and the weather remained, well, dank.
Some you win - some you lose - but hey! The company was great!
11 April 2007
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Surrexit Christus Hodie! (Christ is risen today!) - St Luke's Choir in action at the back of church to start Easter Day's celebration service |
Running to meet the risen Christ
Joining with Christians across the world, St Luke's celebrated Jesus Christ's victory over death on the Morning of Easter Day, Sunday 8th April.
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The Last Supper - the last time Jesus ate with his friends before his execution - as modelled by St Luke's Explorers |
After marking the trial and execution of Jesus through Holy Week and Good Friday, the Sunday celebration saw the church decked out with flowers and all its brightest colours to greet the risen Jesus.
Music and singing were led by St Luke's four-part and junior choirs together, licked into shape by Alison Morse and with regular visiting organist Peter Fletcher doing the honours in the background.
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Vicar Steve Benford shares his large basket of cream eggs with the St Luke's family at the end of the service |
The bible's accounts of Jesus' followers finding his tomb empty and then meeting Jesus in person give us a glimpse of the sheer excitement, astonishment and happiness of this amazing event, Vicar Steve Benford told us - there are clues such as the way the Apostle Peter ran to the tomb to see it empty for himself.
Whether we've heard the Easter story every year for a long lifetime, or maybe just now for the first time, we should take some time to think what it means for us this and every year - that in Jesus Christ God took all our sins, our failures and our hopelessness on himself, all the way to death, and then returned to life three days later to show that nothing can come between us and his love and forgiveness.
Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!
10 April 2007
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Where did all the curds go, Steve? |
Few curds for the birds
When St Luke's Vicar Steve Benford announced at the 9.30am service on Palm Sunday morning that the Burton Curd Scatter had been a success, he omitted to mention that remarkably few curd tarts seem to have made it to the ground.
Local birdwatcher Lirpa Loof commented that the pied wagtails flocking on the ground around the belltower at 6.38am had a pretty thin time of it.
"We supplied the Vicar with five hundredweight of curd tarts", said baker Win Dup. She added, "I can't imagine what he did with them all."
1 April 2007
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Alderman Ricardo Storith, Ward Councillor for Clifton and Grand Master of Ye Fraternitye of Olde Burtonians in 1907 |
The Burton Curd Scatter
Palm Sunday 2007 sees the centenary revival of the ancient Burton Curd Scatter re-introduced in 1907 by Alderman Ricardo Storith, Ward Councillor for Clifton and Grand Master of Ye Fraternitye of Olde Burtonians.
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The Burton Stone today, in whose general direction foodstuffs were thrown during the plague |
The Burton Curd Scatter commemorates the early 17th Century York plague outbreak in which country folk reputedly left food in the indentations in the Burton Stone for the quarantined townsfolk. The stone now rests in an enclosure in the boundary wall of the pub and at the end of the Lane, both of which bear its name.
However, reliable contemporary sources indicate that in fact the rural farmers stood some distance away from the Burton Stone and hurled the foodstuffs in its general direction for locals to pick up as best they could.
Commemorating this procedure, the Curd Scatter involves the Grand Master, with St Luke's Vicar and Churchwardens, throwing Yorkshire Curds from the top of St Luke's belltower on Burton Stone Lane at sunrise on Palm Sunday.
Storith's historical research included the discovery of a manuscript bearing the original incantation, now to be delivered from the top of the tower at the beginning of the Curd Scatter by present-day Grand Master of Ye Fraternitye of Olde Burtonians, the Hon Mrs Angel de Lyte:
"By Godde's Good Grayce we eat oure fille
With fishe or flesshe it doesn't matter;
But onlye through His gennerous wille
We gladlye gaine this foode to scatter.
We thanke thee, Lorde, for beasts and birdes
And croppes upon this globe a-whirling;
But mainlye for these Yorkshire Curdes
To feede thy flokke belowe, by hurling."
Donations of Curds to the good cause of your choice will be much appreciated.
29 March 2007