There will be two official opportunities to say farewell to Bishop Wilfred before he retires at the end of July. There is a service at Croydon Parish Church at 7.00pm on Saturday the 27th, and a Sung Eucharist at the Cathedral at 11.00am on Wednesday the 31st. So far as we know admission to both services is open to all (no tickets required), and to enable people to attend the cathedral service there will be no Eucharist here on that Wednesday morning.

Following the huge success of the event last year, Anne & Alan May warmly invite you to a lunchtime of Sausages & Sangria on Sunday August 4 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. This will take place in the garden of their house, 16 Wandleside, and as well as good food and good company there will be a sales table, a raffle, and the usual opportunities for clock-golf and dahlia-ogling. Tickets available soon from Anne, price £3 – all proceeds to the Shopping List.

Make a firm note in your diary that the ringers will be celebrating Harvest Thanksgiving by organising a Tramps’ Supper in the Centre on Saturday September 27. Loads of entertainment and all sorts of stalls are threatened.

It is hoped that the regular Wednesday and Friday Eucharists can be maintained during the second half of August and the first week in September. The presidents for these will be announced in due course. On Sunday August 18 the president will be the Revd Diana Gamble and on the 25th Canon John Simpson. On September 1 St Barnabas, Sutton, will provide the president.

Our local Christian Aid collection this year raised £1,110. Well done, everyone.

We were impressed by the number of eagle-eyed readers who spotted that the PCC secretary had been promoted to churchwarden in last month’s Who’s Who. She’s now back in her rightful post.

The Three faiths of The Book

A look at Christianity, Islam and Judaism

While Heather Cosgrove was following in Selwyn and Cassie’s footsteps and staying with Pam and Ian Akhurst in Miami she had the good fortune to attend a very special evening at Saint Thomas Episcopal Parish Church, Coral Gables, Florida, and she gives us some idea of how the evening went.

We were greeted by Fr Roger Tobin, the Rector of the parish, who said that the evening had been one of the parish’s responses to the tragedies of September 11. The deaths of so many had been masterminded by a few people in the name of Allah and had left many feeling angry and many feeling helpless. Some of the people at Saint Thomas’s thought of two positive things they should do; one was to learn more about Islam, the other to get to know their Islamic neighbours. Education and communication were a necessary way forward.

Three speakers were invited to tell a little of their faiths and their reaction to the mass destruction in New York and Washington. The speakers were The Very Reverend Donald W Kirckbaum, Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral of Miami, Dr Abdul Hamid Samra, Imam and Director of the Miami Garden Mosque and Rabbi Terry A Bookman, Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Am.

The introduction was given in chronological order of the beginning of the three religions. The Rabbi started by saying that all three religions worshipped the same God and all have a “bible”. He stressed that we should learn about the other religions. It is not enough just to tolerate them, we should celebrate them.

The oldest of the three faiths was the Jewish religion with the Torah as the first five books of their bible .The Torah is the words of the prophets and is learnt by heart by all Jewish Boys. He said that despite printing being so much easier and quicker, the Torah is still painstakingly written by hand. The Torah is considered very important; it is fundamental to the Jewish way of life and is the light that inspires all Jews.

The Torah begins with a symbolic starting of the world: it does not compete with science as to how the universe began or how humans developed. The Mr Bookman said the English translations lose something in the Adam and Eve story. In the original Hebrew ‘Adam’ was ‘mankind’ and ‘Eve’, ‘Mother of Love’ which gives a completely different perspective; nevertheless using Adam and Eve as just two people does make the symbolic story personal, and makes each one of us descendants of the same parents.

The phrase “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” is often attributed by Christians to Jesus but was written many years before he came on earth, appearing in Leviticus 19 v 18 as one of the commandments God gave to Moses.

As the beginning of Christianity came next with the birth and teachings of Jesus, the Dean was the next to speak. He said how very easy it could be to live near people of other faiths but to live in isolation. It was important that we mixed together, that we truly heard each other and worked with each other.

“We must ground our faith in God,” the Dean said. “This is true of all three of our faiths but God can so easily be forgotten. We can do things, saying they are in his name but often we have no true basis for saying so. We should all act for peace, work in harmony and use our integrity.”

Jesus did not intend a divided faith, he said. He came as the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecy. He knew the Torah and all the writings of the prophets like all good Jewish boys and used it in much of his teaching.

The Old Testament, as we call the first 39 books of the Bible, he said, was written in Hebrew. The writings that came after Jesus was born, the New Testament, were written in Greek. Paul, who wrote many letters to people of different towns where they were beginning to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, never lost sight of the OT, and much of his teaching was also based on OT passages.

The Dean pointed out that we must always remember that The Book did not create Christianity. It was the gathering of people whose faith was in God and his son Jesus that began the Christian Church. Christianity is a three-legged religion; Scripture, Reason and Tradition. God’s revelations have continued to be revealed through his people over the years.

The Dean then said something that really pulled me up - he said that people talk of “the sacred” and “the secular” but there was no difference. It was all important in God’s eyes, it was all sacred. Christians worship an inclusive God. We all belong to one God, to each other, to one family, he said. Our three religions all preach Peace and Love and he read a passage about love.

The Imam started by chanting from the Qur’an and then reading the passage in English about peace and love.

Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission to Allah, to God. The Qur’an, the Muslim holy book, was revealed to Mohamed 600 years after the birth of Jesus over a period of 23 years and is about 600 pages long.

Muslims believe in all prophets and all their writings. The Imam said that ignorance of one’s own religion and of the religion of others is often the reason for disagreement and fighting. It was only through education and communication between people that understanding and friendships could be a basis for living together in peace.

The Imam said we all needed to understand our duties before asking God for privileges and rights. We were all created by God from Adam and Eve, we all came from the same mother and father. Mohamed showed us how to live in harmony with our neighbours. Our future would not be any better unless we can learn from each other. No one should claim to judge others. Leadership is not bestowed it is earned. We must have a good understanding of each other. We should not emphasize our differences but promote all that we agree on, he said.

After the introductions Father Roger Tobin thanked all three for coming and for the people who had worked to make this evening happen; the parishioners who envisaged and masterminded this special evening and the support of the police as it was realised that police protection might be needed and for everybody present for coming. He said he had enjoyed a meal at the Rectory with the guests. He welcomed the wives of the three speakers, staff from the Church school and other local dignitaries.

He stressed our common roots and suggested we should support each other in our unity AND in our diversity.

The meeting was then thrown open to questions. I know who gave some of the answers but as I am not sure of them all I’ll not attribute any but I will say how the Rabbi started by thanking the Imam for chanting part of the Qur’an; he said how much he had enjoyed it and how soothing and evocative it was.

Question 1: “We all worship the same God, we all have the same hope in peace and love. We read the same books but why do we not always do what they say?”

The answers included:

We all act as if ‘WE know’ but ‘THEY don’t’.

Humans fear difference but it is our differences that actually make our world more colourful. It is very immature not revelling in difference and realising them as a blessing.

Question 2: “Why do we do so much harm to each other?”

The answers included:

It is all to do with fear, not theology, with politics and greed. People abuse religion, they use it to justify unjust behaviour. There are also people who know that what they are doing is wrong so use the name of God to legitimise what they are doing. Many people use their intelligence in the wrong way.

A bishop once said that cathedrals had to be places of refuge from the ravages of religion.

Question 3: “Our Scriptures have a lot of violence in them. Should we keep reading them when so many later writings, such as that of the Dalai Lama, speak of peace and love. Is violence embedded in our scriptures and does it give wrong messages?”

The answers included:

It is easy to focus on the violence when reading the bible if that is what you want to read. Reading the bible should always be with knowledge of the times in which the different passages were written. One can also focus on the wisdom, love and understanding in the bible.

The Rabbi said that Judaism is not a pacifist religion. “We must not stand by while our neighbours are hurt.”

The Dean said that looking at scripture is looking at the people of God. God does not condone violence but he tolerates this load of garbage.

Question 4: Asked about standing for justice and stopping evil.

The answers included:

It is easy to fuel the hate in people and to lead them to feel that it is right in their religion. The way we use many things, including the bible, can be in diverse ways. It can be used to encourage us to bring help or to give us a reason to fight.

Question 5: “Is the supernatural more relevant than religion? Religion has been and is the cause of so much strife.”

The answers included:

The panel asked if it had occurred to the questioner if he had ever considered he could be wrong. It is not religion that causes the problems it is the fundamentalists that promote the evil in the name or God or Allah.

Question 6: “Why does religion attract fundamentalists?”

The answers included:

God gave us a brain and a mind as well as the Book. We should always use common sense and the teachings in our holy books. God gave us a mind to think; he did not intend we should follow blindly the thinking and interpretations of the law by others.

Question 7: The questioner said that many women from the Church’s women’s group had enjoyed the visit of the Imam’s wife and had made friends with her. Nevertheless she asked the question why, when immigrants came to this land, should they bring their culture and not embrace the culture of this country?

The answers included:

The Imam said that if the questioner had made friends with his wife that actually answered the question.

A member of the audience then asked the question of the rest of the audience, “are any of you American Indians? Nobody said they were and so the questioner made it clear that all present had brought their culture with them and he asked “why should new immigrants be any different?” He also asked if anyone present had actually gone to neighbours after September 11, neighbours of a different faith, and shown their love for them. Had they found ways to encourage further understanding between and learned about their ways of life and their beliefs?

At this point Fr Roger regretfully started to bring the evening to a close. He said he had seen a bumper sticker that read “The Bible says it. I believe it. That ends it”. WRONG.

He asked the three guests for a final word. Between them they said that we all bore responsibilities for the repression of others. We were all descendants of the ‘civilized world’ which went out and colonised the ‘third world’, taking with us our religion and culture because ‘we knew better’.

They reiterated how humans are afraid of differences. That fear and ignorance breed distrust and unrest. A better knowledge of each other is needed. We should not just live side by side and tolerate the differences, we should learn about each other and celebrate the differences.

Confirmation awaits confirmation

There is a Confirmation at St Mary’s on Sunday September 8, at which Bishop Colin will preside. Unfortunately at time of going to press his office is still unable to tell us at what time that service will take place, as by then he will be the only area bishop left in the diocese and will effectively have to juggle three people’s diaries in order to fulfil all episcopal obligations.

We expect the service to be at something like our usual time in the morning, but cannot guarantee this as yet. However the hope is that it will be at a suitable time to enable us to provide lunch for the candidates and their guests, and of course other members of the congregation too. Please watch this and other spaces as the summer proceeds!

Musical matters

The choir concert previously advertised for Sunday afternoon 21 July will not now take place, because of various difficulties brought about by the end of the school year. Choral Evensong (5.30?) that night, which will be the last until September, will still feature music by Thomas Morley and Maurice Durufle, the two composers with important anniversaries being celebrated this year.

Instead, and on an entirely different musical note, there will be a concert at 7.30pm on Saturday 20 July, Top Hats and Dropped Hats given by the baritone Leon Berger. Leon has taken major roles with many British opera companies, including Covent Garden and the ENO, and is much in demand in operatic roles and oratorios. He has been to St Mary’s before, and took part in the very successful evening of music by Noel Coward and Ivor Novello a few years ago.

In recent years Leon has followed up a personal interest in the Victorian entertainer George Grossmith, who created most of the comic baritone parts in the Gilbert & Sullivan operas as well as having an extensive career with a one-man show, (himself at the piano), for which he wrote all his own songs and sketches. Leon has recorded many of Grossmith's songs and has a light entertainment of his own, A Society Clown, which tells the story of Grossmith's life and career through his own material.

Leon was also for many years archivist and right-hand man for Donald Swann, and is presently writing the approved biography of Michael Flanders. His light-hearted evening for us will tell the story of the Flanders & Swann partnership, using lots of musical examples both familiar and unfamiliar, contrasting some of their looks at British life with the way it was seen by George Grossmith seventy years earlier. It promises to be an evening of real fun, with quite a bit of nostalgia - and Leon will be assisted at the piano by his regular accompanist (if he's got his sermon written in time for the following day…) Admission by programme at the door, £5, including summery refreshments in the interval. Make sure you’re there!

Summer school

There is a programme of short courses on offer as part of the diocesan Summer School for people who would welcome either a brief introduction or a refresher in many aspects of Christian life and thought – from Faith for a Global Environment to The Theology of Paul; from Mental Health Awareness to critical methods in Old Testament Scholarship, and many others.

All courses take place in venues around the diocese for two or three sessions within July. Full details from Selwyn, or the complete explanatory booklet is available from Sue Maree at the diocesan office or by email at sue.maree@dswark.org.uk.

There are also two courses, which will begin in September, for people who want to deepen their understanding of the faith beyond confirmation preparation or an Emmaus course. The Certificate in Discipleship is a more interactive course which focuses on the application of faith to life. The Certificate in Theological and Biblical Study is a more intensive, lecture-based course which introduces people to academic biblical and theological study. Once again if you might be interested, have a word with Selwyn who has full details, or contact Sue Maree as above.

PCC notes

The first PCC meeting of the new parochial year was held on Monday, May 20 when a warm welcome was extended to new members Pierre Delahunty, Eileen England and Jane Seymour - in the case of Eileen, however, it was a welcome return to the PCC.

The annual process of electing officers and committees and appointing representatives to various outside bodies was dispatched in relatively quick time. A new appointment this year was to the Church Road Neighbourhood Watch, which had invited St. Mary's to be represented. Gerald England had indicated his willingness to be our representative and was duly appointed. One deletion from the list was the Carew Manor Group, on the grounds that there was little point in being represented on a body which appeared never to meet.

Members were pleased to note that the majority of the work on the churchyard paths had been completed, with the shingle surface being laid a little later in the year. The repairs to the pavement under the lychgate would involve a different contractor, and it was hoped this work would be undertaken in the not too distant future.

The Diocesan Advisory Committee had approved the PCC’s proposals for a votive stand, which meant that we could (at last) proceed with an application for a faculty. Included in that application will be a request to remove the posts from around the St. Nicholas Altar. It was explained, however, these could not be of disposed of, but would need to be stored. Some light-hearted suggestions were made as to where these could be stored - none of which were taken very seriously!

Having agreed at an earlier meeting that the brass Gothic Knight should be re-set in Purbeck stone, it emerged that this material is not available in the required lengths, and Portland stone will have to be used instead. (Why is nothing ever straight-forward!). Fortunately this was acceptable to the DAC, and it is hoped that formal permission to proceed will be received before too long. One snag, however, is that Portland stone is more expensive than Purbeck stone, but it is expected that grant aid applications to various bodies recommended by our professional adviser will adequately cover the additional cost.

On the financial front, the budgeted income and expenditure were running more or less parallel, and the appeal earlier in the year to parishioners to review their planned giving had resulted in an annual increase of £1,800.

As part of our consideration of various aspects of the Disability Discrimination Act, we turned our attention to the lavatory facilities. (Never a dull moment when you are a member of the PCC!). Having repaired to the lobby between the church and the Centre, one was struck by the similarity to a meeting of the Privy (pun intended) Council, where members deliberate standing up. It does make life a bit awkward for the Secretary though. On a serious note, however, several helpful comments were made and referred to the Centre or Building Committees as appropriate.

The PCC meets again on Tuesday, 16 July.

Diana Harries, PCC Secretary

Money, Money, Money . . .

June was a busy month for the ringers. It started with the Jubilee weekend - two weddings on the Saturday, and one on Sunday, followed by “Jubilee” ringing, Tower Tours and refreshments on the Sunday and Monday. We had made cakes and marmalade for our stall and put together a photographic display of people’s memories of the past 50 years.

Reg and Sheelagh Willis must be the perfect parents. They are always willing to help us out, Sheelagh selling refreshments in the Centre and Reg marshalling the visiting hordes at the base of the tower as well as minding the stall.

Nearly all the ringers were there, one notable absence on the Monday being the Master, struck down by a short-lived but venomous kidney infection. (That’ll teach him to drink the Sunday School’s orange squash!)

Two weeks later we were off again. June 15 was the Auction. Kath Chilcott had worked tremendously hard for this and the result was a most welcome addition of just over £1,700 to our funds.

The next day was the Carew Manor Fiesta. We thought we’d cash in on the number of visitors we hoped would be around. One enterprising ringer went over to the PA controller and persuaded him to announce the Tower was open. Add to that the tasteful “Tower Open” banner draped decorously out of the tower window and in the people came. We were kept busy all afternoon, with just time for a cuppa before evening ringing.

Sutton’s Seeds are now in bloom and we have reaped our harvest from that venture. Despite the efforts of Max and the foxes, our plants have survived to give our garden a cheery look and Pat Kingsbury made extra cash by selling some of her carefully-nurtured bedding plants.

Pam Vernon has been busy talking! She visits groups, giving talks on her travels, etc. and kindly donates her fee to us. To her - and all those who “slip us the odd fiver” - we are very grateful. With donations and money from our recent Open Days, we have now nearly reached the encouraging sum of £40,000. Thank you all very much.

Jean Kimber

Parish quiet day

On a dry but blustery day in late May, 10 of us gathered at St Mary’s for Morning Prayer at 8.30am before setting out for St Mary’s Abbey in West Malling, Kent. For those who were not used to the new Common Worship Daily Prayer books it meant learning the mystery of the ribbon markers, where to put them, and even more important, how to keep track of them during the service! And, lucky people, they could have another go at Evening Prayer before returning home.

It was necessary to find something in which to carry the chalice, etc, for the Eucharist at West Malling, and in the absence of anything better a new shoe box was used. I dread to think what the priest at the Abbey thought when I handed over the box - perhaps he will make a collection for the poor people of Beddington to buy a proper container for transporting the Eucharistic items!

We set off in three cars and all arrived at the same time, having made out own ways there and not travelled in convoy. We were greeted at the gate by the Guest Sister who took us to Pax House, where we were to hold our Quiet Day. First things first, we put the kettles on and made a refreshing cup of coffee before settling down to hear a talk from Betty Walker on “God in Relationship”, after which silence began and we could go off to pray, read or meditate as we felt moved. The sun shone for most of the time, so we could sit out in the grounds, but there was a cool, strong wind blowing from which it was necessary to find shelter from time to time.

It was good to have Father Brian, of West Malling, presiding at our Eucharist in the beautiful little Pilgrim Chapel. From there we went to the main church to join the Sisters for the Office of Sect, which is a 10-minute service of psalms to plain chant, which is very beautiful. The Sisters are an enclosed Benedictine community, whose main ministry is that of prayer and providing a peaceful oasis for guests to come and stay and refresh themselves from the pressures of modern living.

After Sext, the Guest Sister took us on an historical walk around the grounds, which was very interesting and informative. By this time tummies were rumbling and we went back to the Pax House to eat our packed lunches, to relax and enjoy chatting with each other. At 1.30pm I gave the second talk entitled “God as Trinity - An Approach Through Prayer”, after which there was a good hour and a quarter for peaceful reflection in the immaculately kept Abbey grounds. At 2.55pm the church bell was rung for None and those who wished, returned to the Guest Chapel to hear the Sisters sing this office.

All too soon the day was coming to an end; we had a hurried cup of tea before saying Evening Prayer and packing up to return home. The journeys were trouble free and very enjoyable, as I hope was the whole day for all those who took part.

Jenifer Davison

From the registers

Baptisms

June 9 Georgina Alex Vella, 25 Mallinson Road

Charlie Thomas Tye Edwards and Jamie Alfred Edwards, 3 Harrington Close

Matthew David Baxter, 6 Bute Gardens

Angel Rose Dutfield, 7 Demesne Road

29 Fraser Ross Hendry, 17 Mortlake Close

Weddings

June 1 Gabriel Francis Michael Garrick, 69 Osmond Gardens to Rachel Jane Springall

Duncan Malcolm Robert McKenzie to Sarah Louise Gatland, 11 Bristow Road

2 Warren James Evans, 19 Bond Gardens to Jackie Leigh Andrews

8 Kevin Lane to Penny Pamela Brown, 7a Beddington Lane

15 Jonathan David Patrick Wickens, to Anna Caroline Bellingham, 26 Wandle Court Gardens

29 Marc Anthony Baker, 167 Richmond Road, to Kim Thelma Sales

Funerals

May 24 Violet Fallon, aged 85, of 44 Guy Road

30 Maud Bourne, aged 91, of 5 Old Ford House

MU matters

After all the activities of last year, including the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Mothers’ Union, we have been trying to calm things down a little. Our fortnightly meetings have still taken place and our speakers have been as inspiring as ever, although we have had to alter our programme somewhat, but that wasn’t our fault - honest!

Recently we were joined by Jan Gosling, an MU speaker, who came to talk about her trip to Zimbabwe last year. She went as an MU representative with a group of all religious denominations to find out how the people of Zimbabwe are coping under the present disastrous regime, in particular the churches and their people. Speaking without notes and in her own spectacular style, Jan made the evening a memorable one. It is very humbling to hear about the hardships of everyday living and how they managed to survive through one of the worst droughts in memory. The women will walk for over three hours to attend an MU meeting or to get their children to church and their strong faith should be an inspiration to us all. Educating their children (for which they all have to pay) is one of the main priorities and if a child hasn’t a pencil then they cannot attend school lessons. What on earth do we have to grumble about?

Please check the Sunday notices and do come along if there is anything you feel would be of interest to you. Everyone is most welcome.

Gwen Whiting

Fun and games at the Cathedral

After finding a pamphlet about Southwark Cathedral’s plans to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee I went along on Sunday June 2 to see what was happening.

The organisers put on a wonderful afternoon and everything was free, which was great for the many young families there. Helium-filled balloons were on sale at just 10p each so parents could easily afford them. The children were taught juggling and plate spinning or could have their faces painted.

Easels and paper were set up for people to sketch the cathedral and one man in particular was in his element.

There was a jazz band, a Scottish piper, bells, steel drums played by a local school, a children’s gospel group and African drums. Most of these groups took part in a Songs of Praise at 3.00pm and there were two Eucharists. The Dean, the Very Revd Colin Slee, led the Songs of Praise and Bishop Tom gave the final blessing.

After the service we were invited into the cathedral for a teaching session with “Drum Café”. I have not enjoyed myself so much for ages. There were 300 African drums, one for everybody in the building. The leader taught rhythms, simple at first, then more and more complex; it was amazing how very few rhythms needed more than one practice. The organisers promised that all the photos taken during the session would appear on the Internet but they haven’t turned up yet. (Webmaster’s note: it is now! Click here for details.)

We were fortunate with the weather and it was a wonderful way to give thanks without being crushed in the crowds lining the processional route. The organisers deserve congratulations on a wonderful afternoon.

Pam Vernon

WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH? - July…

Mon	1	Bible study group meets, 23 Mortlake Close	8.00pm
Tue	2	Parents and toddlers meet, Church	10am
Wed	3	St Mary’s Guild: Revd Selwyn Tillett examines the history of the Guild. St Mary’s Court	2.30pm
Thu	4	MU&OG: Poetry and Prose for a summer evening. Church Centre	8.00pm
Sat	6	May Queens Service	2.00pm
Sun	7	SIXTH AFTER TRINITY
Mon	8	Bible study group meets, 23 Mortlake Close	8.00pm
Wed	10	Social Committee meets, 2 Caraway Place	8.00pm
Sun	14	SEVENTH AFTER TRINITY
Mon	15	Bible study group meets, 23 Mortlake Close	8.00pm
Tue	16	PCC meets, Church Centre	8.00pm
Wed	17	MU Corporate Eucharist	10.00am
		Deanery Synod meets at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches	7.45pm
Thu	18	MU&OG dines out
Sat	20	Concert in Church	7.30pm
Sun	21	EIGHTH AFTER TRINITY
Mon	22	Eucharist	10.00am
Sun	28	NINTH AFTER TRINITY

…and August

Sun	4	TENTH AFTER TRINITY
		“Sausages and Sangria”, 16 Wandleside	12.30pm
Mon	5	Magazine panel meets, 2 Peaks Hill	10.00am
Tue	6	FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATON
		Parents and toddlers meet, church	10.00am
		Eucharist	7.30pm
Wed	7	St Mary’s Guild meets, St Mary’s Court	2.30pm
Sun	11	ELEVENTH AFTER TRINITY
Sun	18	TWELFTH AFTER TRINITY
Wed	21	MU corporate Eucharist	10.0am
Sun	25	THIRTEENTH AFTER TRINITY
Mon	26	Late Summer Bank Holiday
		Church open day
Sat	31	Bellringers’ outing

Saints in July…

Wed 3 Thomas, Apostle

Sat 6 Thomas More, scholar, martyr, 1535

Mon 15 Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, c862

Fri 19 Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, and his sister Macrina, deaconess, teachers, c394 and c379

Mon 22 Mary Magdalene

Tue 23 Bridget of Sweden, abbess, 1373

Fri 26 Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mon 29 Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, companions of Jesus

Wed 31 Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, 1556

…and in August

Mon 5 Oswald, King of Northumbria, martyr, 642

Sat 10 Laurence, Deacon at Rome, martyr, 258

Wed 14 Maximilian Kolbe, priest, martyr, 1944

Tue 20 Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, teacher, 1153

Sat 24 Bartholomew, Apostle

Mon 26 Ninian, Bishop of Galloway, 432

Tue 27 Monica, mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387

Wed 28 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, teacher, 430

Sat 31 Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, missionary, 651

Music at Evensong in July

Sun July 7

Canticles: Dyson in F

Anthem: How beautiful upon the mountains - Stainer

Sun July 14

Canticles: Stanford in G

Anthem: Listen sweet dove - Grayson Ives

Sun July 21

Canticles: Collegium Regale - Howells

Anthem: Tu et petrus - Duruflé

Services during August will be congregational while the choir is on holiday.

Readings for Sundays and festivals in August…

Sun Aug 4

Trinity 10

Isaiah 55: 1-5

Romans 9: 1-5 (page 325)

Matthew 14: 13-21 (page 326)

Sun Aug 11

Trinity 11

1 Kings 19: 9-18

Romans 10: 5-15 (page 332)

Matthew 14: 22-33 (page 333)

Sun Aug 18

Trinity 12

Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8

Romans 11: 1-2a, 29-32 (page 337)

Matthew 15: 10-28 Page 337)

Sun Aug 25

Trinity 13

Isaiah 51: 1-6

Romans 12: 1-8 (page 343)

Matthew 16: 13-20 (page 344)

…and September

Sun Sept 1

Trinity 14

Jeremiah 15: 15-21

Romans 12: 9-21 (page 349)

Matthew 16: 21-28 (page 350)

Sun Sept 8

Blessed Virgin Mary

Isaiah 61: 10-11

Galatians 4: 4-7

Luke 1: 46-55

Sun Sept 15

Trinity 16

Genesis 50: 15-21

Romans 14: 1-12 (page 361)

Matthew 18: 21-35 (page 362)

Sun Sept 22

Trinity 17

Jonah 3, 10 - 4,11

Philippians 1: 21-30 (page 369)

Matthew 20: 1-16 (page 369)

Sun Sept 29

Harvest Thanksgiving

Deuteronomy 8: 7-18

2 Corinthians 9: 6-15

Luke 12: 16-30

Daily prayer topics in July…

Mon 1 The Church Missionary Society

Tue 2 Our parents and toddlers group

Wed 3 Southwark Diocesan Synod meeting today

Thu 4 Board for Church in Society meeting today

Fri 5 General Synod meeting in York University

Sat 6 The judicial system and justice for all

Sun 7 The Episcopal Church of Rwanda

Mon 8 Diocesan Board of Finance

Tue 9 All who work and worship at Southwark Cathedral

Wed 10 All Benedictine religious communities

Thu 11 The Woolwich Area Council

Fri 12 The people of Northern Ireland

Sat 13 University and college students

Sun 14 The Province of New South Wales, Australia

Mon 15 The Bishop and Diocese of Winchester

Tue 16 The work of our PCC

Wed 17 The Deanery Synod meeting today

Thu 18 The work of the Mothers’ Union

Fri 19 Theologians and Teachers of the Faith

Sat 20 Children and teachers beginnings their summer holiday

Sun 21 The Anglican Church of Australia

Mon 22 Victims of abuse and violence

Tue 23 The Church in Sweden

Wed 24 Those preparing play schemes for the holidays

Thu 25 Those who have died for their faith in Christ

Fri 26 All parents and grandparents

Sat 27 The Bishop and Diocese of Durham

Sun 28 The Society of Martha and Mary

Mon 29 The Province of the Indian Ocean

Tue 30 The government and all Members of Parliament

Wed 31 Bishop Wilfred and his retirement

… and in August

Thu 1 Spiritual directors and counsellors

Fri 2 Workers in the holiday industry

Sat 3 Our local shops and factories

Sun 4 All parish clergy

Mon 5 Our armed forces

Tue 6 Thanksgiving for the revelation of Jesus to his disciples

Wed 7 All composers of church music

Thu 8 All who teach and preach the Gospel

Fri 9 Thanksgiving for the founding of the Mothers’ Union

Sat 10 Those recently ordained deacon

Sun 11 Those being baptised today

Mon 12 All chaplains to the armed forces

Tue 13 Hospital chaplains and nurses

Wed 14 Amnesty International

Thu 15 Thanksgiving for the life and example of the Virgin Mary

Fri 16 Farmers and all involved in harvest

Sat 17 The newly wed

Sun 18 Families away on holiday

Mon 19 The leaders of the nations

Tue 20 The Salvation Army and its work

Wed 21 Peace in our world

Thu 22 The Children’s Society

Fri 23 Food for the hungry

Sat 24 Those who encourage and support others

Sun 25 Parents and godparents

Mon 26 Our open day and visitors

Tue 27 The homeless

Wed 28 Theologians and church leaders

Thu 29 The life and example of John the Baptist

Fri 30 All writers of spiritual books

Sat 31 Missionaries and teachers

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