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Madelaine Goddard was one of 150 people to receive Maundy Money from Her Majesty The Queen last week.

The Royal Maundy Service saw 75 men and 75 women receive the specially minted coins at Worcester Cathedral, in recognition of their many years of Christian service to their local community and church.

"It was awe inspiring. Fantastic," said Madelaine, who is currently a Deanery Synod member and lay chair for Derby City Deanery.

Maundy money was also presented to Piers Bostock of St Anne's Ambergate.

Madelaine Goddard said: "The first thing that struck me was how lovely and friendly everyone was - the police, the marshals and the 6th-formers who escorted us to our seat all seemed to want us to have a great day.

"The service and the pageantry were beautiful and the whole atmosphere was wonderfully uplifting both inside and out, despite the horrid weather."

Although she described the day as 'memorable', Madelaine had to confess that one part of it was a bit of a blur: "I think I was slightly nervous as the Queen walked towards me.

"She was very charming and gracious and she spoke to all the recipients - but I can't actually remember most of what she said to me, apart from 'God bless' at the end of our conversation!"

Queen Camilla presented the coins this year on behalf of His Majesty The King.

King Charles, who is being treated for cancer, sent a video message to the service expressing his 'great sadness' at missing the Maundy Thursday service.

The purses containg the coins were carried on large salvers by Yeoman Warders from the Tower of London.

• See more photos of the service on Facebook

• More about the Royal Maundy Service
  

Madelaine's Maundy adventure began back in February when a letter bearing the royal crest landed on her door mat.

"Oh gosh, what on Earth's this?" She recalls thinking.

The letter was an invitation to receive Maundy money and said she had been nominated by the Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby.

"I remember feeling very honoured and privileged to have even been considered," said Madelaine. "Though a part of me kept wondering 'why me?'"

Maundy facts

The tradition of presenting alms on Maundy Thursday goes back to at least the 4th-Century.

The Maundy money ceremony itself began in 1662, when Charles II gave out coins.

This year, Queen Camilla distributed the Maundy money to 75 men and 75 women from around the country - one man and one woman for each year of the monarch's age.

The gift is presented in recognition of their exemplary Christian service to church and community over many years.

In recent times it has been the tradition for the service to travel to different cathedrals; last year the service was held at York Minster. It was last held in Derby in 2010.

The word ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘commandment’ - it was on this Thursday, the day before he died, that Jesus gave his disciples what he described as a new commandment: ‘that you should love one another as I have loved you’.

This page is currently in development

What is the Diocesan Synod?

The Diocesan Synod is the largest and most representative governing body in a diocese and operates at the highest level of overview. It contributes to setting direction by acting as a sounding board and forum for debate and giving higher level approval.

The Diocesan Synod brings together elected clergy and lay representatives from our parishes within the Diocese's eight deaneries.

The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, is the Diocesan Synod president.

The term of office of the current Diocesan Synod ends on Wednesday, 31 July 2024, therefore the Diocese of Derby must elect a new Diocesan Synod from among its clergy and laity.

Here's what you need to know about  the election process

‘It was horrible’, has been my stock answer to anyone asking a question about my night sleeping rough as part of the annual YMCA Sleep Easy event.

Which is not to say that the company and mutual support of the 91 people gathered (which from’ Team Derby Diocese’ included myself, my eight-year-old daughter, the Bishop of Derby and her son, and Revd Michael Futers from the cathedral) was not supportive.

But let's not kid about, a night away from warm cosy beds, sleeping both on and under cardboard boxes in cold weather was not pleasant.

And I was only sleeping rough for one night, in an organised event, a safe place, and with a security guard ensuring our safety.

At several points of an uncomfortable night, the recognition came that we were doing this for one night, there were many in communities across the diocese, especially our city and larger towns where people sleep rough or sofa-surf.

Especially traumatising are the numbers of children in temporary accommodation for prolonged periods.

The biblical imperative of protecting the vulnerable and oppressed is strong and clear (Proverbs 19:17, Lev 25:36, Matt 25:34ff).

The Gospel verse which comes to mind whenever I reflect on homelessness is Jesus’ own assertion that animals have a home but that he [Jesus] has no accommodation (Matt 8:20).

In fact, Jesus in the Gospels was dependent on the hospitality and welcome of others to meet his needs.

Housing Justice, a Christian charity advocating for safe and affordable housing provision for everyone, refers to all having safe, affordable accommodation within a community where they can access work and alongside others in the community and flourish in their lives.

The indignity of being homeless or in overcrowded temporary accommodation is an affront to the innate dignity we all share as children of God.

The Diocese of Derby is holding onto its vision of the Kingdom of God: Good News for all.

The Bishop’s Leadership Team has discerned four missional objectives to realise that vision.

Challenging Injustice in our diocese is one of those core objectives and working, where possible, to develop safe, affordable, secure housing on available church land is one of the streams of work we will develop.

As of March 2023, in Derby there were 8-12 people sleeping rough each night, there were 2,086 homeless applications for housing, and there were 20 families in B&Bs for over six weeks.

All these figures were and are rising.

All these figures relate to real people who bear the image of God.

Those who slept out or raised funds for those sleeping out to raise awareness of homelessness raised a staggering £29,000 towards challenging the injustice of homelessness in our communities.

Please do continue to pray and collaborate in the effort to ensure that everyone in our diocese has safe, affordable and secure accommodation for their household.

The Ven Matthew Trick

Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire

A message from Bishop Libby

My faith is rooted in thanksgiving: I believe God gave everything for me in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus - in gratitude I chose to give my everything back to God.

At Easter, Christians celebrate Jesus’s victory over sin and death. Over this past week we have recalled Jesus’s last days before his crucifixion, remembering his arrest, trial and suffering.

On Good Friday we commemorate his death in wonder that God chose not only to share our humanity but also to die for us that we might receive forgiveness of sins and the hope of life everlasting - a promise fulfilled in Jesus' resurrection from the dead, on Easter Sunday.

This year, through Lent, I have taken the opportunity to return to the basics of my faith with 40 days preparation for the celebration of Easter.

For six weeks, I have made time in my own life for those things I encourage in others:

• I have been joining volunteers serving their local contexts – coming alongside those running a debt advice service; those offering good food and good company to combat hunger and loneliness; I have made cups of tea for those protecting children from exploitation, joined in with a community choir improving mental health and learnt about work being done to support victims of domestic abuse.

• With family and colleagues, and about 80 others, I have challenged the injustice of homelessness by joining ‘Sleep Easy’. Sleeping rough for just one night in support of the work of Derby YMCA and Padley Group, our aim was to draw attention to the terrible vulnerability of those who find themselves without safe and sustainable housing.

• Privately, I have been deepening my relationship with God by putting aside time each day to be still and quiet and be attentive to his presence in the world around me. A simple but joyful pleasure has been a free App on my phone that helps to identify the birds I’ve heard each day and then posting my discoveries on Facebook.

• In sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, I have taken every opportunity to invite others to join in the life of the Kingdom of God as His disciples. A particular highlight of Lent this year was the Service of Baptism and Confirmation at HMPrison Foston Hall. What a privilege to welcome into the Household of God those, in complex and challenging circumstances, who have made the choice to follow Jesus.

This Easter, I invite you to consider that choice too – or to reaffirm the choice you may have made long ago - to give your all to the One who gave everything for us as we celebrate the extraordinary promise and joy of new life this Easter Sunday.

I pray you a joyful Easter, full of hope and peace.

Bishops Libby and Malcolm have been reflecting on the gospel readings set for the principal service for the Sundays in Lent.

It has been a privilege for +Malcolm and I to engage with others, laity and clergy, on these passages of scripture. We have valued reflecting on our own study and wisdom and sharing what we had heard and taught in services over each weekend. I have appreciated the rich conversation and personal stories being offered as we listen, discuss and pray.

As we heard the story of the first disciples interaction with those around them, we wondered who are ‘Greeks’ among us?

Would they know to come to us if they want to see Jesus? Will they feel able to come to ask us about Jesus?

Perhaps ‘Greeks’ are all and any who are looking, who are seeking understanding. In fact we don’t know what these Greeks wanted Jesus for.

Their seeking may have been shallow or selfish or even harmful. Whatever their motivation this passage helps us to see that all our seeking is only ever a response to God’s first seeking us.

Jesus is God seeking out everyone “I will draw all people to myself”.

We considered who are the people we go to to share in the work of witness, if like Philip, we are approached by someone who wants to know more of Jesus. Who supports us as we share our faith?

We also wondered if we sometimes act as ‘gatekeepers’ to Jesus, putting barriers between those who are seeking and the possibility of meeting Jesus for themselves – in this account, do these enquiring Greeks actually get to see Jesus?

A grain of wheat is still a powerful image that, for example, can offer hope in facing death. We also saw in this the connection with the Eucharist as grains of wheat are given new purpose in the bread that may be broken to feed many.

We recognised that in this passage we have moved into a narrative that is clouded over by Jesus’ approaching passion – knowing what is to come everything we see, heard, felt, in light of knowing what Jesus is choosing to bear for us all. All is now read in the knowledge that Jesus is the grain of wheat that falls to the ground to bring new life and fruitfulness.

We noticed that increasing urgency of this passage, now ... now … now repeated throughout. The voice from heaven speaks and makes engagement immediate. ‘Pay attention, wake up, take notice’ it seems to demand – the hour has come!  

We wondered how that hour which was for for the glory of God connects to my ‘now’ and the ‘now’ of the world today – can our time be ‘this hour’ too?  What is validity of imagining ourselves into this story, and into passion story? If that hour is our hour, how are we to understand letting go of/ hating love of life in this world that we might gain eternal life?

Perhaps that is in partnering with God in what God is doing, for ‘where I am, there will my servant be’. We speak in the church sometimes of ‘finding out with what God is doing and joining in with it’? But does that suggest that God is only at work in some places and not others? How do we inhabit what feels like failure, ‘the way of the cross’, and find God there?

The forces of darkness did ‘win’ Jesus’ death but that was Jesus’ victory. Do we believe God is everywhere at work, even – or especially – in those places that look like failure?

In John’s gospel not always clear when is Jesus speaking and when is John commenting, but at the end of this passage we have an explicit commentary from the evangelist, ‘he said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die’.

Does John mean that Jesus words point to the mechanism of his coming death ie crucifixion by which he would be physically ‘lifted up from the earth’? And/or is John drawing attention to the nature and purpose of Jesus’ death, that it will ‘draw all people to myself’?

As we reflected together for the last time this Lent John had drawn us to a place where we were preparing both to face the terrible practical realities of Jesus suffering, trial and crucifixion – the means of His death, and to consider afresh the implications of Jesus’ sacrifice -what His death means.

John 12.20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say - “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Bishops Libby and Malcolm have been reflecting on the gospel readings set for the principal service for the Sundays in Lent.

Lent 4 Reflection

Bishop Malcolm and I were pleased to gather again online with people from across the diocese to study, discuss and pray. We are blessed by the sharing of insight and understanding.

We began by considering how, in scripture, serpents represent all that diminishes and dehumanises us, and all that divides us from God.

We recalled with wonder and thanksgiving that all this Jesus defeats through love on the cross.

We often read and hear John 3.16 as a ‘stand-alone’ verse but ‘God so loved’ is a commentary on the previous verse that looks all the way back to Moses.

We are therefore reminded that Jesus stands in the long story of salvation history: the same God was saving God’s people in the despair of a snake infested wilderness came for our salvation in Jesus.

We reflected a while on the imagery of light and darkness. It is not darkness itself that is evil but actions, behaviours and attitudes that people would ‘hide’.

These verses also gave hope that all evil may be redeemed when it is brought close to Jesus who can transform and forgive, bringing wholeness and forgiveness.

A personal story was shared by a caver remembering an occasion of being trapped underground and the relief of light as a rescuer appeared in darkness.

As we considered the intersection of light and darkness, we referenced the insights from the national church Lent resource ‘Watch and Pray’ which has brought to our attention the risk of unthinkingly equating ‘dark’ with bad and ‘light’ with good as such imagery may feed underlying ethnic prejudices.

We wondered about the benefits of darkness. It is in the dark that restoration and recreation can occur.

The dark can allow space and possibility to abide, to think, to learn, to be changed shielded from unhelpful and distracting stimulation.

We recalled that God’s creativity emerged out of darkness. Bishop Malcolm remembered seeing light shining from windows of churches on gloomy grey Sundays, and offered that as an illustration, week by week, of the continuing draw of God’s love into the communities we are called to witness to and serve.

We noticed how frequently the word ‘world’ appears in this passage. From the start John speaks of the big picture, of the whole world.

As we read John, we think not just of ourself or even of all ourselves but of the whole world beset by ‘darkness’ and beloved by God - all created order not just humanity.

When John writes ‘God so loved the world’ we hear not just that God so loved people but that whole creation.

How might we respond to the challenge to manifest God’s love that isn’t self-concerned?

The image of love as a three-legged race was shared, of love as being completely in step, of matching ourselves to the pace, direction and rhythm of another.

How can we love God by being in step with God’s love for the whole of creation?

It’s too easy to condemn. But Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.

In the television series ‘Rev’, the journey to Easter begins before Christmas when the main character resists a culture of condemnation saying, “I will not do another sermon condemning the secularisation of Christmas”.

It is possible that we can feel closest to God at moments of temptation. Temptation can be vicious tool of Satan to highlight sin and increase guilt and shame that makes us feel not worthy to be close to God.

But this passage reminds us that God does not condemn but draw us to the light.

We pondered the reality that Jesus forsaken on the cross is, in fact, God on the cross. The cross is how God so loved the world.

John 3.14-21

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’

A group of walkers from Youlgrave All Saints is embarking on a marathon journey to all of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals to raise £42,000 for improvements to the church.

The self-styled Pommie Pilgrims - named for the sound of the village band - aim to complete a total of 10 million steps on their travels to help fundraise to provide a kitchen, warm space and toilets for Youlgrave’s 12th-Century church.

The journey begins on at 12 noon on Palm Sunday with the start of the first pilgrimage - a three-day walk to Derby with the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Teresa Peltier, the Youlgrave Silver Band, the WI Choir, a host of village pilgrims and a couple of donkeys!

The Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Elizabeth Fothergill, will also be in attendance to wave them off.

Bishop Libby and Dean Peter will meet the Pommie Pilgrims as they arrive at Derby Cathedral on Tuesday, 26 March.

>> Find out more and make a donation

Revd Adele Barker, Priest-in-Charge of the White Peak and Youlgrave Benefice, said: "We have a beautiful church building and all that is raised will be used to ensure that we can provide a warm welcome and hospitality in All Saints for many more years to come. 

"Our hope to connect Youlgrave with each cathedral in the country via pilgrimage is a huge challenge.

"It will be interesting to hear all the stories that will flow from each journey!"

The dean of each cathedral has been invited to to meet them on their journey.

>> Follow the Pommie Pilgrims on Facebook

A pottery pilgrim’s token, designed by local artist Phil Smith, will be carried and presented to each cathedral forging a permanent link back to Youlgrave.

Revd Cannon Elizabeth Jane Clay MBE, chair of the Pommie Pilgrimage organising group, said: "Ten million steps to connect our village with some of the grandest buildings in the country feels like an impossible task, but one step at a time, together, we’ll get there.

We’re not expecting to raise this amount of money by being sponsored a penny a mile, but if you’re able to spend more than a penny for our loos, please do get in touch!”

All Saint’s Church is a Grade One listed building loved by the villagers of Youlgrave and beyond.

It is a resting place for weary walkers, a classroom and performance space for eager school children, a community foodbank for those in need, a vital community link for the elderly, children and families and a regular place of worship, remembrance and celebration for a whole community.

Many visitors wander in daily and enjoy the calm spirituality of this wonderful building, which features in Simon Jenkins's book ‘England’s Thousand Best Churches’.

Although All Saints has undergone many alterations since its founding in 1155, it will benefit further by the addition of some key amenities to ensure its sustainability and to make it more welcoming.

Bishop Libby is the Holy Week preacher at Derby Cathedral this year.

With the title Readings in St John’s Gospel, Bishop Libby will be giving addresses that will unfold some key passages from St John’s Gospel as we undertake our journey into the death and resurrection of Christ.

Bishop Libby will be preaching at these services:

• Monday 25  March at 18:30 – Address followed by Sung Compline

• Tuesday 26 March at 18:30 – Address followed by Sung Compline

• Wednesday 27 March at 18:30 – Address followed by Sung Compline

• Maundy Thursday at 18:30 – The Eucharist of the Last Supper

• Good Friday at 12 noon – The Preaching the Cross

• Good Friday at 13:30 – The Liturgy of the Passion

• Easter Day at 08:30 – Holy Communion

Access to all the services being streamed can be found here. 

Everyone is welcome to attend the Holy Week services either in the cathedral itself or online.

On Mondays through Lent, +Libby and +Malcolm are hosting online forums to reflect together on the gospel readings set for the principal service of the previous Sunday.

Lent 3 Reflection - Monday, 4 March 2024

It continues to be a privilege to gather on Monday mornings and evenings with colleagues, lay and ordained, from across the diocese to study and reflect on the gospel readings set for the previous Sunday.

We moved from Mark’s gospel to John for the 3^rd Sunday of Lent. In John’s gospel we recognised that the entirety of Jesus’ ministry is an integrated whole. Even this early teaching, his public ministry and first ‘signs’ directly connect to his passion, crucifixion and resurrection to come. What’s more, all of Jesus ministry arises from Passover as the fulfilment of God’s saving work for all humanity.

We realised in this passage the challenge that we exercise tyranny as well as suffer tyranny. That means the presence of God is not always easy or reassuring to us.

We noticed in the gospel passage, that the disciples remember inherited teaching to understand Jesus better in the aftermath of this occasion. The perspective of a long view enabled them to make better sense of current events. We recognised that again in the commentary that after the resurrection they remember this teaching to understand Jesus better then too. We were encouraged in our own stumbling and evolving understandings of Jesus in reading that it was only after his death and resurrection the disciples, even though they were with him in the moment, began to understand, in retrospect, with hindsight what Jesus meant by ‘this temple’.

We spoke of wanting to connect the disciples experience to our own experience of coming to scripture. We considered how we might encounter Jesus’ life and teaching as if for the first time to discover how to proclaim afresh in this generation the good news of the Kingdom.

We wondered where is ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’ in this passage? We recalled the John Bell song, with the words:

Jesus Christ is raging, raging in the streets, where injustice spirals and real hope retreats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too. In the Kingdom's causes let me rage with you. 
John L. Bell and Graham Maule © 1988 Wild Goose Resource Group, The Iona Community, Glasgow G51 3UU

We found hope in the word’ overturned’ as it suggests that is nothing beyond Jesus’ intervention and transformation. We asked ourselves, therefore, what are the injustices that Jesus would ‘overturn’ today?

We further wondered what is the ‘clutter’, the accumulation of stuff or practice (even that with good intention) that separates us and others from God, that requires Jesus to clear out? It seemed that all the readings (not only this set gospel) of the 3rd Sunday of Lent came together around a theme of not being distracted from God and the need to keep God at the centre. We saw that in the 10 commandments offering framework to keep God’s people’s attention on God and in in Paul’s writing about both the foolishness of world and the trappings of religion distracting us from God.

If Jesus overturned the currency of the temple, it was to replace it with the currency of Kingdom, which is love. We were struck by the evocative language of this passage. In the graphic description we can almost hear the coins scattering, clinking, rolling across the floor. Jesus was pouring away the currency of coins that belong to a regime that took people away from God to replace with the currency of God’s Kingdom values.

John 2.13-25

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’

His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body.

After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.