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DIOCESAN MAGAZINE MOTHERS’ UNION REPORT FOR MAY MAGAZINE

Mothers’ Union members fulfilling the aim of MU – ‘Christian Care for Families’

Matthew 25 v 40 – Jesus said ‘ Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren. Ye have done it unto me.’

The Clogher Diocesan Mothers’ Union members have been demonstrating their many talents and using their time to show Christian love to their fellow members, their parish families and the wider community and in obedience to the strict lockdown regulations. In these days of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, the following activities have been undertaken by many members throughout the Diocese:

  • Contacting members regularly by telephone, text and email
  • Circulating prayers and thoughts prepared by members of the Trustee Board
  • Praying regularly for the front line workers in hospitals, the community, essential service workers and anyone involved in helping make daily life more manageable for those isolating. They are also upholding those bereaved at a time when normal support is impossible and prayers, letters and phone calls are all that is permitted.
  • Using talents to sew items for health care workers – scrubs, bags &masks as well as continuing the usual craft activities which will be needed in the future
  • Practically supporting those isolating with supplying & delivering food as well as assisting with delivery of health care supplies. Some have also delivered CD and DVDs of Church services.
  • Providing funds to purchase and deliver toiletries for health care workers ( in Cavan General Hospital and the SWAH), who are requiring to shower many times each day.
  • Some branches have been working along with other parish organizations to meet the needs in their community.

The President and all of the Trustee Board wish to convey their most sincere thanks to everyone who is going the extra mile (and many miles) to help at this time of need. The members are certainly fulfilling this year’s theme ‘Building Hope and Confidence.’

PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Theme “What I will remember from isolation in spring 2020” Submit a photograph – taken by a camera, phone or Ipad reflecting the theme.  A small prize will be sent to the winner in each category below.

The five categories for the photographs are:

  1.    Family Time
  2.  Going the extra mile (Knitting, crafts, sewing scrubs, helping others)
  3.  Back to nature
  4.  Something that made me smile
  5.  My abiding memory  – with the most imaginative caption

The closing date for the entries is 31 May and should be sent to Liane Armstrong Diocesan Secretary.

State the name of the photographer and the category under which it is entered.

The Diocesan President, PRO, Unit Coordinator of Fundraising and Communication and Diocesan Secretary will select three photographs from each category to forward to the All Ireland committee who will select the All Ireland winners.

Irene Boyd Diocesan President

Psalm 46 v 10  Be still and know that I am God

Some thoughts taken from a book ‘Let the Journey Begin’ by Maz Lucado.  This book contains lots of comforting and amazing thoughts for each of us as we journey through life. The following extract explains how knowing more of God and His many Names can give us much comfort in the days in which we live –

‘Bury God’s Name in your heart’

When you are confused about the future, go to your Jehovah-raah, your caring shepherd.

When you are anxious about provision, talk to Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides.

Are your challenges too great? Seek the help of Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace.

Is your body sick? Are your emotions weak? Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals you, will see you now.

Do you feel like a soldier stranded behind enemy lines? Take refuge in Jehovah-nissi, the Lord my banner.

Meditating on the names of God reminds you of the character of God. Take these names and bury them in your heart.

God is:

The shepherd who guides,

The Lord who provides,

The voice who brings peace in the storm,

The physician who heals the sick,

The banner that guides the soldier. (Or the Mothers’ Union Member)

And most of all, He ………is.

 

These thoughts remind us of God’s willingness and power to meet us at our point of need and

the hymn below has helped me greatly during many times of uncertainty and fear. The hymn was sung at my commissioning service in 2016. I first heard it as a ‘harvest anthem’ sung in my home church over 30 years ago and the beautiful words have stayed with me ever since. The tune which was used repeated the last 2 lines and that is very powerful to say to yourself and it will bring encouragement and comfort.

 

Loved with everlasting love,         Heaven above is softer blue,              His forever , only His:

Led by grace that love to know,   Earth around is sweeter green;         Who the Lord and me shall part?

Spirit breathing from above,         Something lives in every hue             Ah, with what a rest of bliss

Thou hast taught me it is so.         Christless eyes have never seen:      Christ can fill the loving heart.

Oh, this full and perfect peace!     Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,    Heaven & earth may fade and flee,

Oh, this transport all divine!         Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,  Firstborn light in gloom decline;

In a love which cannot cease,       Since I know, as now I know,               But, while God and I shall be,

I am His, and He is mine.               I am His, and He is mine.                      I am His, and He is mine.

 

Written by George Wade Robinson (1838 – 1877).

 

 

The truth is that God loves us with an unconditional love. His love is not less when we fail him, or forget him or disobey him. He is waiting for us to come in repentance and faith asking the Lord Jesus to forgive our sin, come to live in our lives and fill us with His Holy Spirit, to equip us for serving Him in this sinful world which is influenced by evil. At present we are experiencing the evil of Coronavirus but the Sovereign Lord is Far more powerful that any virus.  However we have some lessons to learn during these days of trial but there will be an end. Keep praying and asking God for that t

Irene Boyd Diocesan President

DIOCESAN PRESIDENT REMARKS FOR WEBSITE

 

The Mothers’ Union is a worldwide organization upholding the theme ‘Christian Care for Families’ and that attracted me to join this Christian organization.

 

I found fellowship and friendship with like minded people who encouraged participation in the organization and to look beyond to the needs of people in the community, in Ireland and around the world. The MU branch organized interesting speakers who addressed issues facing women in the modern world and the Diocese Trustees organized events where members and their friends and families could meet together to celebrate and share friendship.

  After 130 years in Ireland, MU continues to have over 7 thousand members who enjoy fun and fellowship as they meet together in local groups around the island as well as encouraging Diocesan events to bring members together.

In the Clogher Diocese I have been asked to serve over 700 members as their President and to encourage the growth and ongoing work of the organization using the following three strands:

  • Prayer
  • Enabling
  • Campaigning

So look at the website read and view the photographs of what is happening in the Diocese and find out where the nearest MU Branch meets. Then come along and join in the fellowship and friendship.

All Ireland President June Butler

29 April 2020 Hello everyone

I do hope that everyone reading this is keeping well and has put some element of structure into their daily lives. A Mothers’ Union friend in England gave me some advice on how to deal with the “lockdown” situation in which we all find ourselves – be that in an inner city or a rural environment, in a detached house or in an apartment block. Her six key points for promoting resilience were:

  • If you are working from home, make a clear line between work and home even if it is in the same place – routines are key
  • Take time off – although life may merge into one long round, make sure you take your weekends and evenings off
  • Be kind to yourself – it is what it is, and you are doing fine – tomorrow is another day.
  • Take regular physical exercise and fresh air – see peoples’ faces in 3D, albeit from a distance
  • Journal – write down what is going round in your head; it isn’t as big as it may seem and, having got it out, you will have room for more positive thoughts
  • Talk as frequently as you can to friends and family

You may not still be working but it is all good sound advice, especially about having a routine to your day! I get up every morning at the same time I have always done and get ready to face the day as if I was going out into a “normal” world – except…. I only ever wear casual clothes and my hair is much longer than usual!

Firstly, many of our members will by now have received their copy of “Families Worldwide” through the post – please use this as usual for your daily prayers in the coming months. Enclosed with it is a letter from the Worldwide President, Sheran Harper, asking members to contribute to the ongoing Emergency Appeal, but only if they can afford to do so. She explains how the shortfall in income has occurred and explains that, without the necessary funds, Mothers’ Union “cannot meet the costs of staffing, safeguarding, development work, fundraising and governance. Ultimately, that means the heart of Mothers’ Union being torn out by the ravages of COVID-19 ……”

Please consider prayerfully if you are able to make a contribution to this Fund – every donation, no matter how small, will help us to ensure that Mothers’ Union will be able to continue its invaluable work.

If any member has questions about the appeal letter, please contact a Trustee and they will answer your questions. Irene

2020 Theme

The outcomes of our global listening process MULOA (Mothers’ Union Listens, Observes and Acts) have enabled Worldwide Council to draw together key emerging elements, and thus shape the way forward for us as a movement.“Building hope and confidence” has been placed at the heart of our call to support individuals and families to transform their lives. As we build our hope and confidence in God we will be inspired and equipped to build hope and confidence in others, in both local and global context. So our themed resources for 2020 aim to help us live out our faith to build hope and confidence in ourselves as well as those we support, and to nurture our faith as we continue to walk forward in step with God

MULOA

As a member-led global organisation we are actively listening to the voices of our members to create a vision for the future that is grounded in their views and their experiences within their communities. This will help us create our strategy beyond 2020.

There will be a series of regional meetings aiming to reach and hear from all of the 600+ dioceses in which Mothers’ Union works today, to help us answer some recurring questions we have been hearing:

  • Who are we as Mothers’ Union?
  • Whose lives are and could/should we be touching?
  • What difference are and could/should we be making in people’s lives?
  • How do we most effectively make that difference?

From the process, a clear framework and direction for Mothers’ Union globally will emerge that reflects the realities of local communities and facilitates mutual and external accountability. We will identify key priorities for our policy, our programmes, and our faith work, and commit to sharing information on the impact of these across the movement.