Old Meeting House – October 2023

Founded 1662 Built in 1702

OLD MEETING HOUSE YARD MANSFIELD NG18 1QR

UNITARIAN AND FREE CHRISTIAN

Service each Sunday
11.00 am (in the Chapel and via Zoom)

Minister Secretary Lettings & Caretaker

Rev Mária Pap Correspondence Mr Michael Higgins
24 St John St 24 St John St 170 Abbey Road
Mansfield NG18 1QJ Mansfield NG18 1QJ Kirkby in Ashfield
Phone 07486 062320 email to: NG17 7NX
papmaria70@gmail.com David Brown at: 01623460776
164daviv@gmail.com
Chairperson omhmansfield@gmail.com Committee Members
Mr Paul Frost Mrs Ann Binch,
07967006861 Treasurer Mr David Brown
paulfrost64@hotmail.co.uk Miss Christine Wright Mr Peter Faulkner,
20 Forest Avenue Mrs Edwina Higgins,
Deputy Chairperson Mansfield NG18 4BX Mr Michael Higgins,
Mr Neil Fisher 01623486243 Mrs Pauline Smith
01623462833 Mrs Catherine
Wycherley
 SUNDAY SERVICES STEWARDS FLOWERS

Oct 1st Jan Barrett Miss C Wright Mr N Fisher

Oct 8th Rev Mária Pap Mr P Frost Mr M Brown in

memory of
Yvonne Brown
Oct 15th Rev Mária Pap Mrs A Binch Mrs V Brown

Oct 22nd Rev Derek Smith Mrs P Smith Vacant

Oct 29th Rev Mária Pap Mr N Fisher Mr P Randall

CHAPEL OPENING - SATURDAYS

Oct 14 & 28 10:30 am–12 noon Mr N Fisher

SATURDAY EVENTS – Coffee Morning

7 October at 2 pm – EMU AGM – in person & on zoom

21 October from 10 am – Coffee Morning & Lunchtime Concert from

12 noon with Helen Martyniuk, Ukrainian pianist – free entry,
donations welcome with proceeds for the British Red Cross Ukrainian
Appeal.

Advanced Dates for your Diary - NOVEMBER

18 November – Induction Service for Rev Arek Malecki – Leicester
25 November - Coffee Morning for Send a Child to Hucklow
 Autumn Lives – Ministerial Musing

October arrives into our life with all its glory and invites us to
reflection. Our climate may go haywire and throw us, humans into
disarray but nature knows its mind and its gentle cycle brings again the
season with its beauty, ripeness and decay. Even as we wonder and
delight in the last bursts of colour, of textures, of smells we are aware of
falling leaves, of a different quality of light, of smells and mists and
gentle melancholy.
As it is in nature –so it is for humanity: the autumn of our life comes
with its pains and aches, reminding us of the failings of the body, but
with a richness and fulfilment of its own; an awareness and wonder of
the beauty and frailty of all life and all Creation.
October gives us among its many gifts the opportunity to reflect on the
fullness of our life: where are we coming from and what we have stored
throughout the years in countable and uncountable riches to last us
through the looming winter.
Autumn is fulfilment, with its own astonishments, fruits of hand and
mind, of love and of a deepened appreciation of life and everything it
has to offer.
The autumn of our life means that we have come quite a long way on
our journey – we have seen birth and death, we have known pain and
joy, disillusionment and hope; our body, mind and soul have the scars
of battles won and lost, the bitter taste of failures and the sweetness of
successes. We have lost people along the way – and with them a part of
ourselves – but it made us grow in love, in compassion, in
understanding; perhaps we made new connections and so many things
invisible or ignored revealed new meanings, brought new joys and
nourished us in a way we could not have imagined before.
One Sunday, a couple of years ago I astonished you all by “preaching”
about grace and I talked about the early morning dew, which makes
visible the cobwebs in the garden with all its intricate patterns.
I think autumn performs the same role in opening our eyes to see the
rich hue of the natural world and the human life, to see the miracle of
creation unfolding and nourishing up until the last moments and even in
decay providing the foundation for a new life.
Autumn reveals the grace of our life – burdened by years and
experiences yet rich in gifts, in connections, in spiritual depths to feed
ourselves and those around us; autumn reveals again and again our place
in Creation, in the cycle of growth and decline, of life and death.
Do we deserve it? Do we deserve this bounty, this promise of fulfilment
when so many times our actions and greed and pride are tearing the web
of life apart?
“Some say we get what we deserve in life, but I don’t believe it. We
certainly don’t deserve Bach. What have I done to deserve the Second
Brandenburg Concerto? I have not been kind enough; I have not done
enough justice; I have not loved my neighbour, or myself, sufficiently; I
have not praised God enough to have earned a gift like this.
Life is a gift we have not earned and for which we cannot pay. There is
no necessity that there be a universe, no inevitability about a world
moving toward life and then self-consciousness. There might have
been…nothing at all.
Since we have not earned Bach—or crocuses or lovers—the best we can
do is express our gratitude for the undeserved gifts, and do our share of
the work of creation. ” (Robert Walsh)
Whether we think we deserve or not the gifts of life – in the autumn of
our own life we come to realize that they are there for a purpose; that we
are called to be mindful of our place and role in the work of creation by
sharing the fruits of the earth, of the spirit, of our life with each other
before it is too late.
Autumn – like the dew brings out the delicate pattern of our life and
relationships in all its beauty, its fruitfulness, and its countable and
uncountable gifts.
Autumn invites us to consider our life`s riches, our finitude and the joy
of being alive; of taking part in the never-ending cycle of creating and
sharing the bounty of nature and our life in the spirit of love and
responsibility.
Some autumn lives reflect this season in all its splendour, some reveal
just a tiny glimpse, but there is time and opportunity for all of us to
make the grace of our life visible here and now.
And this is how the seasons come and go and this is how we will
continue to have Bach and crocuses and lovers and dew on the cobwebs
to open our eyes to another October.
See you in chapel and/or via zoom!
Maria

P.S. I will be on holiday from 25th September until 2nd October.

Pastoral News
The funeral of Yvonne Brown took place on 7 September at Mansfield
Crematorium. The service was led by Maria with contributions by Rev
Derek Smith, Ann Binch and Peter Faulkner – the later presented a
compilation of memories from members and friends of Yvonne at the
OMH.
She will be missed by Malcolm, Melanie and Thomas and by her
“family” at the OMH but she leaves behind the light of kindness and
service she kindled in all our lives!

We were saddened to hear about the death of Michelle Frost`s father on

8 September. Our thoughts and prayers are with Michelle and all the
family! May he rest in peace!

Bill Brown is well and hopes to join us for one of our Sunday services.
He keeps himself busy reading enjoys outings with family and is
grateful for calls and visits!

David Wright has still some health issues but he won`t need surgery for
his heart. It seems that a different medication and exercise, as well as
Pat`s care are doing the job for regulating his heart rhythm.
Eileen Hughes is fine, keeping fit and alert, though she gave up knitting
because of her eyesight. She sends good wishes to everyone!

Birthdays in October: 3rd – Christine Wright; 16th – Elaine Brydges;

22nd –Paul Frost; 25th – Pauline Smith. Happy birthday to them all!
Wedding anniversaries: 17th – Margaret and Roy Wain; 21st –
Michelle and Paul Frost; 25th – Ruth and David Burton. A very happy
wedding anniversary to all three couples!

Upcoming events:
Sunday Service on 1st October will be led by Jan Barrett from the
Belper Unitarian congregation. The title of the service is 'Spirituality
through Photography' and it promises to be a creative approach to the
topic through slideshows and music. In Person Only!

EMU AGM – 7 October at 2 pm

We will be hosting this event with tea afterwards. If you wish to attend
in person, let Maria or Christine know asap. Volunteers for setting up
the refreshments are very welcome!

Coffee Morning & Lunchtime Concert – 21 October, 10 am – 1 pm

We are delighted to host a piano recital given by Helen Martyniuk and
her guest, Anastasiia Kotsyuba.
Helen Martyniuk is a Ukrainian pianist and aspiring composer who
found her musical calling in England during the Ukrainian war. Her
musical journey is a testament to her resilience and unwavering love for
the piano.
Helen's musical odyssey began at the age of 6 when her mother
introduced her to piano lessons. She fell in love with the instrument and,
at the age of 12, during her recovery from scoliosis surgery, the piano
became her lifeline.
Although Helen initially pursued a career in piano teaching, her path
took a different turn when she moved to England – Mansfield - and
began working at Sherwood Phoenix, one of the largest piano
showrooms in the country.
Today, Helen divides her time between her studies, work, and
composing music. She plans to release two albums in the near future,
including "The Bee's Album" for children and "Feelings during the
War," which reflects her experiences during difficult times.
At the concert, you can expect to hear Helen's expressive and melodic
compositions. The event will also feature a surprise performance by
Helen and her colleague, Anastasiia, a Ukrainian pianist and
professional tennis player, aiming to bring a ray of light into these
challenging times.
Do come along and bring your friends and family! Free entry with
proceeds for the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal!
Congregational Service – Sunday, 22 October at 11 am
Our October Congregational Service will be led by Rev Derek Smith on
the theme of “Creation Stories.” Derek is providing the stories, but
looking for volunteers to read them on the morning of the 22nd.

Weekdays @ OMH - New attendees are very welcome!

Stay and Play for under 5`s, Tuesdays - 9:30-11:30 am (term time)
Yoga Group – meets every Tuesday at 2 pm in the big schoolroom.
Arts and Crafts Group – on Fridays, 2-4 pm in the JH White room.

Women`s League – Wednesday, 4th October at 2 pm

Topic: Autumn – a sharing of favourite poems, prose, music, memories
followed by discussion and tea.
Meeting ID: 849 3294 9104

Words, Music, Silence –Thursday, 12 October at 11 am on the theme

of Creative Imagination. We invite you for a time of quiet, of serenity in
the JH White Room or you are welcome to join us on zoom.
Meeting ID: 861 3693 7774

Interfaith Group Meeting - The Interfaith Group will meet in person at

the OMH on Wednesday, 25 October at 5:00 pm. If you wish to attend
or would like additional info, please get in touch with Lynn.
Movie Afternoon – Friday, 27 October at 2 pm
Join us for a movie afternoon- “A Man called Otto” (2022) with Tom
Hanks in the main role - in the J H White room.

From the Trustees – Pauline Smith

You may be aware that there has been an increase in anti-social
behaviour in the grounds of the Old Meeting House. We are in contact
with the Community Police Beat Team, the Town Wardens, and
Mansfield Bid. Everyone is keen to tell us that this behaviour is not
acceptable but there are few resources to do anything about it. The best
we can do at the moment is to report anything anti-social that we
witness, such as groups of people sitting in the grounds drinking or
people apparently taking or dealing drugs in the grounds. There is no
point in approaching people yourself or tackling it yourself as it could
easily lead to distress or harm for you.
If you feel threatened or if actual damage is being done, then ring 999.
If you witness an incident that is not urgent, but you think needs
reporting you should…
1. Ring 101, the non-urgent number for Nottinghamshire Police. It
is a laborious process, but they will record details and take
action if they think they need to.
2. Report it online at www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/contact and
scroll down to the ‘something else’ option.
If you are not sure, then you could ring Pauline (07870 397073) or
Maria (078486 062320) first.
Panto tickets - from Christine Wright
Everyone who ordered tickets, please make sure to pay Christine by the
end of October. Price is £7/per ticket.

Heritage Open Days

Huge thank you to all our members and friends, who contributed to the
success of our Heritage Open Days – organizers, volunteers and
everyone who gave talks, created displays, led workshops, donated
cakes and materials - gave their work, time and energy to make it a
memorable event.
Our displays in the chapel will be up until Saturday, 7 October to give a
chance to our guests and visitors from the district to see the rich heritage
of our chapel and town.

John Eastwood Hospice events

(Mansfield Rd, Sutton in Ashfield, NG17 4HJ)
12 October, 6:30-8:30 pm – Fashion Show & Shopping – tickets: £5
28 October, 7pm – Charity Ball with a 3 course dinner, fun games &
live music; ticket price £55 per guest. (table of 10 for £500)
Tickets for both events: call Lisa on 01623 622626.

Deadline for the November issue of the Newsletter: 19th October.

Please send your news, insights, material to Maria.
Life at the Old Meeting House
Each Sunday there is a Service of
Worship at 11.00am – in person and
via Zoom.
Meeting ID’s and Passcode will be
published previously on our
Facebook
and sent by email.
Women`s League –first Wednesday
of the month at 2pm – in person and
via zoom.
Words, Music, Silence –
second/third Thursday of the month
at 11 am –in person and via zoom.
A Yoga Group Meets every Tuesday
at 2.00 pm
A Stay and Play Group for under
5`s meets every Tuesday, 9-.30-
11.30 am (Term Time)
Coffee Mornings on previously
announced Saturdays at 10.00 am –
noon in person, with those on Zoom
joining at 11.00 am. Various
programmes and talks on offer.
Once a month the Coffee Morning
is offered with Stay and Play
activities for all the family from
10.00 am until 12.00 noon.
Interfaith Group – meets on the
last Wednesday of the month at 5pm.
The Meeting House itself is open for
Visitors and/or private prayer on the
second and fourth Saturday
mornings
from 10-30am until 12.00 noon.
For changes and updates consult our
Noticeboard at OMH or our
Facebook
Mansfield Old Meeting House
You can send us emails to
omhmansfield@gmail.com
Visit our website at:
www.ukunitarians.org.uk/mansfied
Who are the Unitarians?
A worldwide spiritual community
which encourages you to think for
yourself;
Unitarians affirm that:
Everyone has the right to seek for
truth and meaning for themselves.
The fundamental tools for doing this
Are your own life experiences, one’s
own Intuitive understanding, and the
promptings of one’s own conscience.
The best setting for doing this is in a
Community that welcomes you as
you
are – beliefs, doubts, questions and
all- but which also stimulates and
challenges you.
They are called ‘Unitarians’
Because of their traditional emphasis
on the unity or oneness of God.
Today Unitarians affirm the essential
unity of humanity and creation.