Saturday, 1 November sees the start of some fairly extensive work in the church. Hopefully this won't cause too much disruption, but read exactly what is involved here.

On 5 November, Pat Kingsbury will be hosting an 'Alternative Fireworks Party' at her home.

Sunday, 16 November is the beginning of Prisons Week and the preacher at the 9.30 Eucharist will be Paul Cavadino, who has been a prison reformer most of his working life. There is an article by Paul here.

On Sunday, 23 November the president and preacher at both Eucharists will be the Revd Charlotte Elvey from Christchurch and St Philip, Worcester Park.

Our Advent Carol Service will be at 6.30 pm on 30 November.

Advance dates for your diary:

The St Mary's Christmas Craft Fair takes place on 6 December. More information on what help is needed to make this highly successful event even better than last year is given here. And don't forget that an integral part of the Christmas Fair is the Rector's infamous Tombola. All gifts of jars, bottles (preferably non-alcoholic),tins and small gifts - the unlikelier the better - gratefully received.

On Sunday, 14 December at 4 pm the Christingle & Toy Service takes place. Emma Thompson tells us about this here.

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What’s On in November?

SUN	2	ALL SAINTS
Mon	3	Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	6.00 pm
		Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	4	Parents & Toddlers Group meet in church	10.00 am
Wed	5	St Mary's Guild hears a talk given by the Rector	2.30 pm
		Alternative Guy Fawkes Party at Pat's Place	7.30 pm
Thu	6	MU& OG. Mr Geoffrey Moir, DFC gives a talk on 'Falklands 2000'	8.00 pm
SUN	9	THIRD BEFORE ADVENT (Remembrance Sunday)
		Baptisms in Church	3.00 pm
Mon	10	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	11	PCC meets in Church Centre	8.00 pm
SUN	16	SECOND BEFORE ADVENT (Prisons Sunday)
Mon	17	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	18	Churches Together. Holy Trinity, Wallington	7.45 pm
Thu	20	MU&OG. An evening of autumn poetry and music	8.00 pm
SUN	23	CHRIST THE KING
Mon	24	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	25	Social Committee meets at 2 Caraway Place	8.00 pm
Sat	29	Coffee Morning in aid of the Tower & Bells Fund. 135 Desmesne Road, Wallington.	From 10.00 am
SUN	30	ADVENT SUNDAY
		Advent Carol Service	6.30 pm

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Readings for Sundays in November

Sun 23 Nov

Christ the King

Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14 (page 751)

Revelation 1: 4b-8 (page 752)

John 18: 33b-37 (page 753)

Sun 30 Nov

First of Advent

(Year C begins)

Jeremiah 33: 14-16 (page 755)

1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13 (page 756)

Luke 21: 25-36 (page 757)

Sun 2 Nov

All Saints Day

Wisdom 3: 1-9 (page 730)

Revelation 21: 1-6a (page 732)

John 11: 32-44 (page 733)

Sun 9 Nov

Third before Advent

(Remembrance Sunday)

Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 (page 739)

Hebrews 9: 24-28 (page 740)

Mark 1: 14-20 (page 741)

Sun 16 Nov

Second before Advent

Daniel 12: 1-3 (page 745)

Hebrews 10: 11-25 (page 747)

Mark 13: 1-8 (page 748)

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From the registers

Baptisms

Oct 12 Millie Carole Cross of 3 Iberian Avenue, Wallington

Weddings

Oct 18 Gavin Laurence Kinsella to Joanne Joyce Roberts of 17 Northway, Wallington

Funerals

Oct 14 Edna Leotta Ward, aged 98, of 228 Carshalton Road, Sutton and formerly of Demesne Road

Oct 17 Winifred Ruth Hipkiss, aged 89, and Frederick Watson, aged 91 both of 5 Derry Road

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PCC Notes

The PCC met on Wednesday, 24 September. Up-dates on various on-going matters confirmed that work on the installation of the new floodlighting would commence the following week, with the hope that it would be completed in time for ‘Dedication Weekend’ at the beginning of October, and that the re-wiring project was scheduled to begin on 25 November. This work was expected to last for six weeks (though eight had been allowed for). With a two week break over Christmas, all should be ready in time for the new system to be dedicated by Bishop Nick on 1 February (Candlemas).

Faculty permission to restore the Gothic Knight (the medieval brass which resides in the chancel) having been received some time ago, it was good to hear that the necessary funding was now available, and that the various agencies involved in this project had agreed a plan of work. This is due to commence on 1 November, with completion by March next year.

On the matter of finances, Cassie reported that income and expenditure continued to more or less balance each other out, though we were running about two and a half weeks behind schedule on the housekeeping and re-wiring targets. She did add, however, that this was not unusual for the time of year. We also received the good news that an application to the Southwark Archdeacons for financial assistance had resulted in a grant of £5,000 towards the re-wiring project.

We then made a start on developing a new Mission Statement, using as a basis the results of the exercise we had undertaken during Bishop Nick’s visit in July. Some progress was made, and we shall continue working on this over the remaining meetings of the parochial year.

Finally the PCC considered whether the time was now right for St. Mary’s to adopt the Common Worship Baptism service. When the matter was discussed in 1999, with a view to its introduction from 2001, the then PCC were unhappy about certain aspects of the service and had serious doubts about introducing it. Subsequently Bishop Wilfred granted St. Mary’s permission to continue with the ASB baptism service until the end of 2003. In the meantime a number of changes have been made, and much of what had previously been obligatory (and unacceptable to the PCC) was now optional. Given these changes, and the fact that all parishes will be required to introduce the new service by 2005, the PCC agreed to adopt the Common Worship Baptism service from 2004. Since there are a few logistical arrangements to be sorted out, it was decided that the new service would come into use from September 2004.

The PCC next meets on Tuesday, 11 November.

Diana Harris

Secretary to PCC

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Dear Dogs

I read with interest your owner’s admonitions to you in last month’s magazine. Bit embarrassing, wasn’t it? I know what it’s like when owners show you up in public. I’ve had some.

You’re obviously still quite young - or the staircase would be more of a challenge. I’m apparently around 96 in human years, so let me give you some advice on how to grow old disgracefully - and how to get the attention we all crave.

What you get up to on your owner’s bed is up to you - I’ve never been allowed near mine! The settee’s a different matter. My size and weight make it difficult to disguise the fact I’ve been on it, but a cool stare will often make their accusations waver.

My back legs aren’t what they were, so climbing the stairs is a harder task nowadays - but where there’s a will - though they have now resurrected the old child gate and fix it on the stairs at night. You see, being black, if I make the landing, they don’t see me in the dark and, well, you can imagine the rest…

However, all is not lost. Whine and bark in the night and they come hurrying down in case your old bladder is playing up. Not a bit of it. Go and sit down the bottom of the garden, preferably where they can’t see you. They won’t shout at you for fear of waking the neighbours. Wait ’til they’ve found shoes and a coat and just as they reach you, stroll indoors. It’s funny how they forget the neighbours then!

If you think they’re watching too much telly, sit bolt upright between it and the viewer. (I’m assuming you’re above average dog-size or this won’t work)

When they have visitors and conversation gets boring (or doesn’t include you) change the situation by drawing the attention back to yourself. Roll on your back and kick your legs in the air in the most ungainly fashion you can muster. This is an easy one for me, but you might need to practise. When the old bones creak, chew your rear end noisily instead. (If you don’t care for the visitors, scratch continuously - if you have the energy! It worries them.)

Refuse to get yourself into the car. They have to pick you up, but beware if it’s the female of the owner species attempting to lift you, you could both finish up on the deck. (Believe me!)

When walking round at night, go really slowly, until you see a fox. Then - Tally-Ho - and you’ll take them unawares, with interesting results.

As I said, when you get older, the stairs are a less easy arena for hindering progress but doorways are brilliant! With care, you can usually pick the right one. You may have to change doorways during the day but at my age, I can sense which one will cause the most difficulty at any given time.

I could go on but I’m sure you’ve got the drift. Practise facial expressions by a mirror when they’re out - pleasure, contrition, hunger, adoration - and you might make it to my age!!

Max Kimber

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Dear Editor

My Youming tells me that your magazine for October contains some words of explanation for dogs. Pointless - dogs are too stupid to understand them. In any case, if my Youming said anything to me in that patronising fashion, I'd give him one of my fleas in his ear. To do the ID (Idiot Dog) justice, however, it's no use speaking to him (bound to be a him!) in American Youming - "go someplace else", indeed. British Youming should be used at all times.

In a well-ordered household run by a cat, there wouldn't be any nonsense about which plates were whose. My Youming knows where to put my plates and woe betide him if he puts them anywhere else. He does do this sometimes though as he says he has to "hoover" their usual position; and very noisy it is. I just hide until he puts the plates back where they ought to be.

My Youming, incidentally, is fond of someone called God, but I'm not sure if he/she is a Youming, a cat or whatever - but he's far too intelligent to be a dog.

I won't write too long a letter - cats have nothing to prove - but don't you think it strange that neither dogs nor Youmings can purr? Stroke dogs or Youmings and they just sit there like puddings. I wonder if God can purr.

Flosshilde C Palmer (You may call me "Flossie" - respectfully)

OK. THAT'S IT. ENOUGH … all you furry, four-legged friends can put your pens away now and retire to your favourite corners for a well-deserved snooze. The 'Youming' editor can see you lot taking over if she's not careful. But just for the record, I'm sure God can purr AND growl!

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The Bishop of Woolwich writes ….

There is a word in the atmosphere about the church needing to be "Inclusive". It is a word I understand very well - and it is a gospel-word. To grasp the underlying principle, we have not only to believe that we are created of a single and common humanity, but also carefully to study the bringing of the Gentiles into God's covenant in the New Testament. The inclusivity had to be total, so that in Christ there was neither Jew nor Gentile.

Anglican Christians in the immigration from the Caribbean from the late 1940s onwards, found themselves excluded from Anglican churches here. I have spoken with those who were told at the church door, perhaps quite politely, that "this church is not for you". To hear it firsthand is daunting indeed; and we are now rather yearning for a truly multi-ethnic membership and leadership.

Now, many people reading this will perhaps have moved on in their thinking to other forms of inclusivity. What other different kinds of group, apart from the ethnically different, are to be brought together in the gospel? I think I know a little of some extrapolations, and I am not going to argue about them here. (I'll cheerfully talk or write to anyone who wants to do some extrapolating ….) But I find myself reflecting on a wholly different area of what might be viewed as exclusivity. I refer to the culture of our worship. And I have only space for starting thought.

Firstly, we have to be careful and not fall into the trap of thinking our worship is a kind of norm - so much so that it is therefore actually 'a-cultural', and everybody else is simply varying the norm. This is rather like the notion that only minorities are 'ethnic' (as in odd phrases like "ethnic food"!). But the honest truth is that the inside of our church buildings, our robes, ceremonial, music, language, etc provide a very narrow and quite unusual culture. I suppose that if people become Christian through friendship, need, direct personal evangelism or whatever, then explanations as to why we are what we are are possible. Sheer kindness and the right welcome may help people into this extraordinary culture. Possibly even a deep sense of the presence of God will help. But if, as so often seems the case, we just hope people will walk in off the street and 'take to it', then I do wonder how 'inclusive' we are really being?

I have no quick answer, but I do fear that sometimes our old message 'this church is not for you' is going to all kinds of different people. And I think it helps enormously if we begin by meeting them somewhere other than in our specific culture of worship.

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Remember, Remember - The Year 1605

GUNPOWDER - an explosive mixture of saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal

This formula was probably first discovered about 800AD by Chinese alchemists. Then it was re-discovered by the medieval monk, Roger Bacon. He was so terrified by what he had found that he hid the formula in a code. By the mid 1660s (too late for Mr Fawkes) a number of gunpowder mills were established. The most important of these was at Waltham Abbey in Essex. Here were the three essentials for the job: space, for safety; trees, for charcoal; and water, for cooling and transport. Waltham Abbey Mill was still in the forefront of explosives research and manufacture for peaceful as well as military use until 1991, when it was closed.

The Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey is a fascinating and fun place to visit. To find out more telephone 01992 707370, or email info@royalgunpowdermills.com and while you are around there go and see Waltham Abbey itself, now the Parish Church. It is magnificent: the great Norman nave has been compared to Durham Cathedral, and it is said that the sound of the Abbey bells inspired Tennyson's poem 'The Bells'.

TREASON - violation by a subject of his allegiance to his Sovereign or to the State.

Guy Fawkes' crime was not just that he and his old school friends from Yorkshire intended to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but that they were going to do it when the King, the Lords and the Commons were all there in the building. If they had succeeded they would have destroyed the whole framework of their contemporary government.

PLOT - a secret plan to accomplish some wicked, criminal or illegal purpose.

The Gunpowder Plot was no spur-of-the-moment idea. The plans were first laid when James I came to the English throne in 1603. Many people besides Guy Fawkes were involved, and for a long time Fawkes refused to name any of them. As soon as the plot was discovered, 5 November was set aside as a Day of Thanksgiving - forever.

Pat Kingsbury

PS - and talking of PLOTS - in the other sense - Betty's garden-plot is now transformed into a grass-free area and planted up with the shrubs she bought with the Parish's retirement gift. Completion of the project was celebrated with a glass-of-something on 5 October.

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Viva St Mary's

Helena and I had felt a little unsure whether the 'Latin Night' would prove to be a success. Rob couldn't get the time off and was in Mexico (at least very Latin) and Ann Beeton had to work parking planes that had come back from Spain (again, very Latin). But we ploughed ahead and steadily a flow of names came in to say they'd love to come.

The room was filled with smoochie Latin tunes and sexy salsa numbers; the lights were dimmed; the children screamed and ran around bursting balloons - we were all set for a good night.

We had record numbers (46). The food was amazing: seafood paellas, Mexican enchiladas, dips, chips and refried beans - think of a Latin dish and it was on our table. Children played on their own table and set up a little art club in the porch. Some of us managed a little jig on the dance floor - but I don't recommend trying to salsa with Matthew and Sam De Ritter at the same time - one in each arm!

We rounded off with puddings and a big dip in the sweetie bowl for the children before everyone transformed the hall back.

We were sorry that Babs Taylor arrived late - just in time for puddings! She had been feeling poorly with migraine all day. But it does sum up the loyalty and dedication to 'Families' when people come regardless. Nonetheless, Felix and James made up for lost time with green balloon chasing - how there wasn't a bumped head I don't know, but they might well play for England!

Once again, thank you to everyone who cooked and shared, came and made merry - the evening wouldn't have been a success without you.

Carolyn

PS...You might still be in time to join the 'Alternative Halloween' on 31st Oct ... all things good ... colours of the rainbow theme ... further info from Carolyn, Helena or Ann.

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Sutton Deanery Synod

A meeting of the Sutton Deanery Synod held on Tuesday, 7 October, at St Mary's Church, Beddington

The meeting opened with prayers and a reading from Romans 12. Then the Revd Christopher Wheaton, Vicar of The Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches, was commissioned by the Rt Revd Nick Baines as our next Rural Dean.

The Bishop then went on to speak to us about his role as the Bishop of Croydon. He said there were four main areas:

1. The process of getting to know Croydon

2. Staffing

3. Structures in the area

4. The Deanery Synod

1. Getting to know the parishes in Croydon

There is a new system in which it is planned that the Bishop should visit each parish at least every four years, after his initial visit. The initial visit is to enable him to get to know the parish and to see what is going on in it. The visit will include clergy interviews, listening carefully and giving encouragement. Every Sunday he is out doing confirmations, preaching or presiding. He is keen to see people in their strengths as well as in their weaknesses.

2. Staffing

There is anxiety at the levels of clergy staffing and pastoral re-organisation. Clergy numbers are going down nationally and the question is how to strategically deploy the clergy. Bishop Nick emphasised that this was not a precise art, and that he had taken back the responsibility for clergy appointments from the Archdeacon. He admitted that he faces some great challenges. He told us that there may be changes which we must not fear, as it is all about mission and pastoral care.

3. Structures

The Bishop then went on to discuss the work of Matthew House, the Episcopal office, and said that they were there to serve the parishes. They have one Advisor at the moment, Terry Drummond, and a second Advisor is due to be appointed. The Area Council Review, consisting of Rural Deans, Archdeacon and Bishop, meet three times a year, but they will only meet if there is a particular agenda which needs to be discussed, ie the need to develop lay leadership, training, evangelism and how to encourage the parishes. The second Advisor is to take the lead in encouraging evangelism.

4. The Deanery Synod

Its priority is the mission of the church in the area. The Bishop urged the Synod to make its own agenda and to have a vision of what they were going to do, and to be creative.

The Bishop then dealt with questions on such things as mission to youth, church cultures, mens groups, etc. Whatever is arranged for the various groups the question needs to be asked - What is its aim? Has it achieved its aims? If so, shut it down! We are there to call people to recognise God's love, and we were reminded that the culture shock is huge for people who come to faith, and the process of coming to faith can take years.

Jenifer Davison

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Saints in November

Sun 2 ALL SAINTS

Fri 7 Willibrord of York, Bishop, Apostle of Frisia, 739.

Mon 10 Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith, 461

Tue 11 Martin, Bishop of Tours, c397

Mon 17 Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200

Tue 18 Elizabeth of Hungary, Princess of Thuringia, Philanthropist, 1231

Wed 19 Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680

Sat 22 Cecilia, Martyr of Rome, Patron of Music, c230

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The safest place to be

If you feel the world out there is full of accidents waiting to happen, you are right. If you want to live long, and keep safe, statistics reveal the following:

Avoid riding in cars, because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

Do not stay home, because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.

Avoid walking on streets or pavements, because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

Avoid travelling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

You will be pleased to learn that only 0.001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.

Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church! Bible study is also safe. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is far less even than that.

So, for your own safety’s sake, attend church and read your Bible as much as you can. It could save your life (in more ways than one).

PS If you do venture out, don't drive faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.

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Gothic Knights And Dusty Days!

November will see quite a lot of disturbance beginning to happen in church, as two of the projects we have been planning for ages at last come to fruition. I thought I had better set out more or less what the timetable will be.

First of all, on Saturday 1 November Sir Roger Elmbridge will be taken up for cleaning and conservation. He is the fifteenth century knight whose brass lies in the chancel floor immediately to the east of the rector’s stall, and under where the front row trebles stand. The brass has for quite some time been suffering from the effects of damp, and that day he will be prised out of his Victorian concrete and medieval marble housing by Martin Stuchfield of the Monumental Brass Society, and in due course taken off to Cheshire for all the necessary work to be done. He will be returned, good as new, sometime in late February or early March.

About ten days after Sir Roger has gone, the organ will receive its winter tuning and maintenance, and again, about a further week after this, the organ screen will be shrouded from top to bottom to prevent any possibility of dust getting inside and causing perhaps thousands of pounds of damage while other work is being carried out. Although we shall lose sight of the Morris screen for a couple of months or more, the organ will remain absolutely safe to play and the tone and volume should hardly be affected.

This shrouding is necessary because of the work remaining to be done on Sir Roger’s permanent abode opposite the organ screen, and the beginning of the internal re-wiring scheme. Both will create dust, and both will begin in the last week of November.

The creation of a new home for Sir Roger, while only taking a couple of days’ work, will probably be the dustier job. Investigations during the summer have established that his present siting, believed at first to be entirely a Victorian concrete creation several inches thick, is in fact no more than a very thin screed laid down over the original Purbeck marble slab. No doubt the surface of this had become worn or damaged, and the best advice then available suggested the creation of the screed to bring the surface of the stone (and so also the surface of the floor) back to its original level. Unfortunately it is almost certainly the different qualities of the marble and the concrete that have allowed condensation to collect, over time, producing the corrosion of the brass that is now to be corrected. Thus while Sir Roger is off on holiday the whole of the concrete screed is to be taken off, revealing the original surface, and a new outline incised for him in the marble. When he returns, the only change necessary in our present method of covering the brass will be the simple matter of placing a much thicker layer of felt between the brass and the duckboard under the choir pews, so that once again the apparent floor level is kept constant.

To construct a sealed-off work area around the site of the brass, remove the rendering from the face of the stone, and cut the new incision, will be a matter of a very few days’ work. During the whole of the process a high-tech dust extraction system will be in operation in the sealed area, but inevitably some dust may leak out and will take a while to settle. Hence, obviously, the need for the organ to be shrouded before the work begins.

It is probably worth saying at this point that the whole funding necessary for this work has been covered by a combination of smaller grants from various relevant charities and societies, and by a much larger and very generous donation from the Friends of St Mary’s.

Immediately this work to the stone has been carried out (or more likely, the world being the sort of place it is, while it is being completed) CES, our electrical contractors, will move in to begin their work on the internal lighting and re-wiring scheme. They will be in church throughout each weekday until Tuesday 23 December inclusive, and then again from Monday 5^th to Friday 30^th January (if so long is necessary). This will allow all work to be finished, and clearing and tidying-up to be done, in preparation for Bishop Nick’s visit on Sunday 1 February to dedicate the new system. This will allow us to keep Candlemas with a real celebration of light!

The one aspect of this work about which I can’t give details as yet is the exact order in which the various areas of the church will be tackled while the new system is being installed. This is to be finalised at a meeting between CES, our architect, the wardens and myself in early November. Once full details are known I will make sure that plenty of copies of the timetable are available, so that we can all work amicably and safely together.

Watch this space…

Selwyn Tillett

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An update from SMYLE!

Well, the new St Mary’s Youth Group has officially started. So far, it has undergone a change of identity - from 'Yoof' to 'SMYLE' (St Mary's Youth - Lively and Enthusiastic!), and a time change - we now meet in the church centre on Sunday evenings, from 5-6.30 pm, so those who wish to can stay and enjoy Evensong afterwards.

So if you’re a teenage Christian, or even if you’re not, feel free to come along and talk about any issues you want (or just take part in our pizza feast!).

We are still in the early stages of development, so any suggestions are welcome. We are also looking for some slightly older people to come along and lead our sessions; we are particularly interested in doing fitness, yoga, cooking, local history/wildlife, photography, flower arranging, and Christmas decorations. Any contributions, made either to ourselves or Pam Akhurst, Marion Martin, Pat Kingsbury or Carolyn Churchyard, would be greatly appreciated.

Katie, Stephanie, Rachael, Charlotte & Esi

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St Mary’s Christmas Craft Fair

Saturday, 6th December 2003

Once again the Social Committee are asking for your support on this day to raise funds for our church. The following help would be appreciated:

Homemade cakes and mince pies to sell.

Sandwiches to sell in the kitchen.

Tombola prizes.

Manpower - could you spare an hour or two on the day to man a stall?

Stallholders needed. At time of writing a few tables are available.

Many of you have already offered to help - thank you. In the next few weeks the ‘Committee’ will be out in force. There is plenty needs doing and if you have not already been press-ganged we ask you to volunteer.

The Committee

Dee, Pat, Derek W, Margaret T, Pam and Jane

(Tel: Jane - 020 8395 8821 - for more information)

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Music at Evensong in November

Sunday 16 November

Canticles: Sumsion in A

Anthem: O Taste and See – John Goss

Sunday 23 November

Canticles: Arnold in A

Anthem: Let All Mortal Flesh - Bairstow

Sunday 30 November

Advent Carol Service

Sunday 2 November

Canticles: Sumsion in G

Anthem: To This Temple - Ashfield

Sunday 9 November

Canticles: Stanford in C

Anthem: Expectans Expectavi - Charles Wood

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Thank You from Joan

I would like to say a very sincere thank you for my "surprise" presentations on handing over the care of the church flowers to Sue Ardley. I was truly overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. The plants are lovely and the card just wonderful - it is something I shall treasure, with all the lovely photos bringing back many happy memories, as do all the kind messages and names on it.

Many thanks to the Rector for his kind remarks, and to our team of flower ladies - thank you for your friendship, support and help over the years. To Heather, it's thank you for all the kindness, help and support you have given me and for always 'being there' if I needed help or advice.

Joan Walker

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MU Deanery Service

On Sunday, 5 October, members of the Mothers' Union from all over the Sutton Deanery gathered in St John's, Belmont for a service of "Autumn Worship" (unfortunately, due to a printer's error this was advertised in the MU News as an "Autumn Workshop"!) Happily this did not deter members from attending!

When we arrived we were shown into St John's splendid new hall where we partook of tea and delicious home-made cakes - there are some excellent cooks in St John's branch.

The service commenced at 5.30 pm, led by St John's vicar, the Revd Edward Probert. During the processional hymn "To thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise", branch banners were carried up the aisle and presented at the altar. The service then followed the usual pattern for Choral Evensong. There were two readings: the first from the book of Joshua read by Cynthia Smith, the Croydon Area Vice-President; and the second, from St Matthew's Gospel, was read by Barbara Scott, our Deanery Presiding Member. Barbara's term of office comes to an end on 31 December and she will be succeeded by Pam Vernon - whom we all know! The choir sang the anthem "O come, ye servants of the Lord" and the address was given by Maureen Kyle, the Mothers' Union Southwark Diocesan President. Maureen also retires at the end of this year, but by the time you read this article she will have been licensed as a Reader in Southwark Cathedral on 27 October.

Our prayers were led by Sheila Armstrong who is the branch leader at St John's. After the MU prayer, we sang our final hymn during which banners were returned and processed back down the aisle.

All who were there agreed that this had been a most happy and pleasant occasion and it was made all the more lovely by the church being "dressed" for Harvest Festival with some really breathe-taking flower arrangements.

Thank you very much, St John's.

Mary Tapp

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Christingle

One of the earliest dates for anyone's Christmas Calendar must be the Christingle & Toy Service. This year it will be held on Sunday, 14th December at 4 pm.

For those of you who are not aware, the collection at the Christingle service is given to The Children's Society and will be used to support its anti-bullying work with underprivileged children and all children at risk. The toys, which should be wrapped and labelled with the age and sex of the child it would be suitable for, are collected during the service. They are then passed to a local organisation that will make sure they go to children whose lives are so disrupted they will not receive presents from family and friends.

A "christingle" consists of an orange, representing the world; four sticks of fruit showing us how God gave us the four seasons and crops to feed us; and a red ribbon around the orange representing the blood of Christ and reminding us that God gave his son to die for us so that we might be forgiven. Finally, a candle in the top of the orange represents Jesus, The Light of the World.

Each child and lots of children-at-heart are given a christingle with the candle lit and the last hymn in the service is sung by candlelight, creating a truly magical atmosphere.

For more information, you can visit the Christingle website at www.christingle.org. If you would like to buy Christmas cards or advent calendars to support the work of The Children's Society, please contact me. I have a lovely brochure full of Christmas goodies.

Emma Thompson

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Prisons Week

Paul Cavadino is the Chief Executive of Nacro, the crime reduction charity. He writes about Prisons Week, which begins on 16 November.

The United Kingdom has over 80,000 prisoners. As a proportion of our population, this is more than any other West European country.

58% of all prisoners - 72% of 18 to 20 year olds and 84% of juveniles - leaving custody are reconvicted within two years. How can we reduce these figures? Partly by highly focused work to change attitudes to offending, to enable prisoners to face up to the impact of their actions on victims, and to help them restrain impulsive and aggressive behaviour. Partly also by practical help with education, employment, accommodation and personal support. Prisoners who get and keep a job are half as likely to re-offend as unemployed ex-prisoners. Those with stable accommodation are at least a fifth less likely to re-offend than homeless ex-prisoners. Prisoners who receive basic skills education are only a third as likely to re-offend as similar prisoners who do not get such help. Offenders who enter drug rehabilitation programmes subsequently commit a fifth of the number of offences which they did previously.

The Christian attitude to prisoners must be governed by our belief that every individual person has been redeemed by Jesus Christ, so it cannot be right to write off anyone as incapable of redemption whatever he or she has done. It must also be governed by the attitude of Jesus who told us to seek out lost sheep as a priority and promised that service rendered or refused to prisoners is service rendered or refused to Himself.

Prisons Week was founded in 1975 to encourage Christians to focus their thoughts and prayers on prisoners, prisoners’ families, victims of crime, prison staff and all those working with prisoners. Developing the Church’s apostolate to prisoners includes:

The continuing work of prison chaplains and voluntary helpers to support prisoners and engage them in worship and programmes such as Alpha.

The involvement of Church groups in pastoral care for prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.

The encouragement of individual Christians to consider the vocation of work in the prison and probation services and resettlement organisations.

Prisons Week therefore asks us to pray for those responsible for our prisons and all those who live and work in them.

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The Lord Mayor’s Show - Saturday 8 November

The Lord Mayor's Show winds through nearly 800 years of London's history, marching unscathed through everything from the black death to the blitz. In the 17th century it was inconvenienced by the building site that would later become St Paul's Cathedral. In the 20th it was the first event ever to be broadcast live on television. In the 21st, it's a day out for half a million people, with three million more watching on the BBC.

The loyalty of the Lord Mayor might be less questionable now than it was in 1215, but the newly elected Mayor must still make his way to the Royal Courts of Justice to pledge allegiance to the Crown, just as Dick Whittington did in 1397 (and again in 1406 and 1419). As you watch the Lord Mayor's coach go by, remember that someone stood in exactly that spot four hundred years ago and marvelled at the sight of a camel on its way to meet Elizabeth I.

Whatever you do, please don't try and drive to the Show. There's nowhere to park, it takes forever to get into the City and, anyway, the roads are all closed. Take public transport instead. The show always starts at or near 11 am but people start staking out their places from about 9.30.

Anywhere on the route is a good place to enjoy the fun - just choose somewhere that's handy for you to get to. For the outward journey, Mansion House and St Paul's are full of action (the BBC cameras will be at Mansion House, as usual), but they tend to get very crowded. On the return leg, Queen Victoria Street and Embankment are great places to watch.

For map of the show, visit www.lordmayorsshow.org.

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More, Please

Sorry, but after many years at its current price of 30p, as from the January 2004 issue we are going to have to increase the cost of the Parish Magazine by 10p.

We hope you will all agree that, at 40p, the magazine is still pretty good value for money.

Chris Morgan

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Start Reading Here …

Resaerch sugegsts that we can udnrestnad any wirtten text, hoveer mnagled, as long as the frist and lsat lteters of ecah word are in the rghit palce. This is gald nwes for delniqeunt or dylsexic spellres eevrywhree. But it wlil, equlaly, srtike trreor into the haerts of eidtors aruond the ltierary wolrd, whsoe working lfie has been sepnt leraning the pianful task of idnetifying the rgoue typo or the senaky spleling erorr and shwoing the dveiants no mrecy.

So, how did you do? Be warned, I plan to introduce some words along the above lines every now and then just to test you. Well, that's my excuse from now on! Ed.

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Remembering

9 November - Remembrance Sunday

High Streets everywhere will soon be blossoming with red poppies;everyone from toddlers in prams to old grans will be wearing one. By Remembrance Day over 40 million are expected to be sold around the country by many thousands of volunteers. The money raised will help our ex-Service people and their dependants. To achieve all that takes more than flower power: the annual Poppy Appeal is a highly sophisticated operation manned by a large permanent staff and more than 5,000 voluntary local organisers. Each year there are new angles in the advertising campaign to be decided on, regional launches with celebrities to be organised, and the national launch to catch the imagination of the media.

It is a sobering thought that we have just completed the bloodiest century that the world has ever known. More people died in wars last century than ever before in the history of mankind. Many millions of those died fighting fascism or communism.

A new Millennium, and yet again we are at war – this time with terrorism.

11 November - Armistice Day

At 11.00 am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, after four and a quarter years of war, the guns at last fell silent on the battlefields of Europe as Germany admitted defeat and signed an armistice.

War is a tragedy which commonly destroys the stage it is acted on. Matthew Henry

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Postage Stamps

Many thanks to those who have put stamps in the box or given them to me during the year. I take them to USPG and they are sold to support the work of our mission partners. Please continue to save foreign, special issue and high value British stamps.

Betty Walker

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Daily prayer topics in November

Sat 1 All the faithful departed

Sun 2 Thanksgiving for the lives and example of the Saints

Mon 3 Our Bible Study Group

Tue 4 Our Parents & Toddlers Group

Wed 5 The safety of all firework parties

Thu 6 The United Nations Peacekeeping Forces

Fri 7 Local general practitioners and surgeries

Sat 8 The Mothers Union Action & Outreach Meeting today

Sun 9 Remembrance of all who have given their life in the service of their country

Mon 10 Reduction of gun-related crime

Tue 11 Our PCC Meeting tonight

Wed 12 The local clergy fraternal

Thu 13 The ending of Sudan's 20 year war

Fri 14 Christians being persecuted for their faith

Sat 15 Religious freedom in India

Sun 16 Prisoners and their families

Mon 17 Ethical trading in the garment industry

Tue 18 Our local shops and industries

Wed 19 St Hilda's Priory, Whitby

Thu 20 Iraqi Christian families

Fri 21 The ending of child labour

Sat 22 The victims of violence

Sun 23 Thanksgiving for Christ's rule in our hearts

Mon 24 The homeless and vulnerable

Tue 25 Thanksgiving for hymn writers and composers of church music

Wed 26 All who are striving for freedom

Thu 27 All working to relieve poverty

Fri 28 Children with special learning needs

Sat 29 Day of prayer and thanksgiving for the missionary work of the Church

Sun 30 That we may be watchful and faithful as we await the Second Coming of our Lord

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