St Mary’s Church Parish
Magazine – December 2003
Readings for
Sundays and Festivals in December
The Indisputable
Facts of Life – as seen on TV
Daily prayer topics
in December
St Francis Xavier -
3 December
The Four Stages of
Life for Modern Man
Enjoyed Christmas
rather too much?
The Eucharist
will be celebrated additionally at 9.30 am on the first two Mondays in
December: on the 1st for St Andrew's Day, and on the 8th for the Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There
will also be additional celebrations after Christmas: on Friday, 26th at 7.30
pm for St Stephen's Day, and at 9.00 am on Saturday, 27th for St John. And our celebration of all the events over
the Christmas Season will end with a Sung Eucharist for The Epiphany on
Tuesday, 6 January at 7.30 pm.
Partly as a result of the Toddlers' Service
lapsing for the moment, Morning Prayer on Tuesday mornings, as from
2 December, will be said at 9.00 am rather than 9.30, thus falling into
line with Mondays and Fridays. It will
continue to be said at 9.30 on Wednesdays, immediately prior to the Eucharist,
and at 8.30 on Saturdays.
The St Mary's Christmas
Fair takes place on 6 December. 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.
The SMYF 60th
Anniversary Weekend starts on Saturday, 13 December with a buffet
lunch for past SMYF members in the Church Centre. The Centre will be open all afternoon for
tea, biscuits and conversation. On
Sunday, 14 December, the Preacher at the 9.30 am Sung Eucharist
will be Rev'd Diana Gamble, Hon Curate of All Saints, Sanderstead and daughter
of Ernie Gamble, the founder of SMYF.
There will be wine and nibbles in the Centre after the service. (In case you don't know about SMYF - read
John Clayton's potted history here).
There will be no
special service for New Year's Day, but the regular Wednesday Eucharist
takes place as usual at 10.00 am on New Year's Eve.
|
Mon |
1 |
St Andrew |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist |
9.30 am |
|
|
|
Magazine Panel
meets at 35 Vanguard Way |
6.00 pm |
|
|
|
Bible Study
Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close |
8.00 pm |
|
Thu |
4 |
MU&OG. 'Away From It All' with Mrs Denise Skeet
Church Centre |
8.00 pm |
|
Sat |
6 |
Christmas
Fair. Church and Centre |
11 am to 3.00 pm |
|
SUN |
7 |
ADVENT 2 |
|
|
|
|
Families at St
Mary's First Anniversary/Christmas Party.
Church Centre |
3.00 pm to 5.00 pm |
|
|
|
Churches
Together Joint Advent Service, hosted by Springfield Church, at Wallington
Girls School (No Evensong at St Mary's) |
7.00 pm |
|
Mon |
8 |
Conception of
the Blessed Virgin Mary |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist |
9.30 am |
|
|
|
Bible Study
Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close (last meeting until after Christmas) |
8.00 pm |
|
Fri |
12 |
Carew Manor
School Christmas Service in church |
10.00 am |
|
Sat |
13 |
SMYF 60th
Anniversary Reunion Celebrations |
|
|
SUN |
14 |
ADVENT 3 |
|
|
|
|
Christingle
& Toy Service |
4.00 pm |
|
|
|
Evensong |
6.30 pm |
|
Wed |
17 |
MU Corporate
Eucharist |
10.00 am |
|
SUN |
21 |
ADVENT 4 |
|
|
|
|
Service of Nine
Lessons and Carols |
6.30 pm |
|
Wed |
24 |
Christmas Eve |
|
|
|
|
Family Service |
6.00 pm |
|
|
|
Midnight Mass |
11.30 pm |
|
THU |
25 |
CHRISTMAS DAY |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist with
Carols |
9.00 am |
|
Fri |
26 |
St Stephen |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist |
7.30 pm |
|
Sat |
27 |
St John |
|
|
|
|
Eucharist |
9.00 am |
|
SUN |
28 |
THE HOLY
INNOCENTS |
|
|
|
|
Evening Prayer
will be said |
6.30 pm |
Wed 24 Dec
Christmas Eve
Isaiah 9: 2-7 (page 15)
Titus 2: 11-14 (page 17)
Luke 2: 1-20 (page 17)
Thu 25 Dec
Christmas Day
Hebrews 1: 1-12 (page 24)
John 1: 1-14 (page 26)
Sun 28 Dec
Holy Innocents
Jeremiah 31: 15-17 (page 1152)
1 Corinthians 1: 26-29 (page 1153)
Matthew 2: 13-18 (page 1154)
Sun 7 Dec
Advent Two
Baruch 5: 1-9 (page 758)
Philippians 1: 3-11 (page 760)
Luke 3: 1-6 (page 761)
Sun 14 Dec
Advent Three
Zephaniah 3: 14-20 (page 762)
Philippians 4: 4-7 (page 763)
Luke 3: 7-18 (page 764)
Sun 21 Dec
Advent Four
Micah 5: 2-5a (page 765)
Hebrews 10: 5-10 (page 767)
Luke 1: 39-45 (page 768)
Mon 1 Andrew the Apostle
Wed 3 Francis Xavier
Sat 6 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c326
Mon 8 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat 13 Lucy,
Martyr of Syracuse, 304
Fri 26 Stephen,
Deacon, First Martyr
Sat 27 John,
Apostle and Evangelist
Mon 29 Thomas
Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr, 1170
Sunday 21 December
Service of Nine
Lessons and Carols
Sunday 28 December
Evening Prayer will be
said
Sunday 7 December
No Evensong at St
Mary's
Sunday 14 December
Canticles: Stanford in
G
Anthem: How Beautiful Upon The Mountains – Stainer
The PCC met on
Tuesday, 11 November. We were pleased
to note that the new floodlighting was fully operational, and that earlier
problems with the time switch had been rectified. Many favourable comments had been received, from dog-walkers and
other visitors to the park as well as from members of the congregation.
We received up-dates
on the other two main on-going projects – the re-wiring and restoration of the
Gothic Knight. So ‘on-going’ are they,
however, that within a short space of time the information received at the
meeting was already out of date! More
up to date details about these two projects can be found elsewhere in the Magazine.
Not so much ‘on-going’
as ‘dormant’ is the repair and restoration of ‘Rector Hamilton’s Window’. The PCC are anxious that this does not
remain dormant for too long, but every time we think we are getting close to
affording the costs involved, so something more financially pressing comes along
and takes priority.
We noted that a
quotation for repairing the vandalised lychgate roof had been received, and
that the work would commence shortly.
Fortunately there were some spare tiles from a previous repair job which
meant that the cost was less than it otherwise would have been.
Cassie’s report on
finances indicated that, once again, income and expenditure are more or less
balancing each other out.
‘Housekeeping’ was running about £265 behind target, but a single
generous donation had brought the re-wiring project ahead of target. We also heard that it looked more than
likely that our Fairer Shares assessment for 2004 would be slightly less than
this year (including a discount for regular payment by Direct Debit).
The Wedding Fees for
2004, as proposed by the Finance Committee, were approved. Most of the elements which make up these
Fees are laid down by Parliament, but the PCC has the power to set some of
them. One such area is the amount
charged for the Choir, which has not been increased for several years. The revised fee now includes blanket
permission for video recording, and a guarantee of a minimum number of trebles.
The result of the
congregational survey which took place in October was compared with the outcome
of the same exercise undertaken earlier by the PCC. Some categories produced very similar results, but it was rather
disconcerting to discover a wide variation in others. All this will be fed into our consideration and development of a
new Mission Statement.
Members were informed
that the dwindling attendance at the ‘Toddlers’ group, due largely to the
success of ‘Families at St. Mary’s’ which was not only catering for the same
people, but able to do that much more,
had resulted in a decision that ‘Toddlers’ would be wound up. Being aware of the great contribution made
by Pam Vernon in setting up the Toddlers group and then co-ordinating its
activities over many years, the PCC conveyed to Pam its very sincere and
grateful thanks for all she had done.
Members hoped that by being relieved of this role she would be able to
devote more time to her new appointment as Deanery President of the Mothers’
Union, and wished her well in this new venture.
We were attracted to
the concept of a ‘meeting-free Lent’, and agreed to move the March meeting
forward to Monday, 23 February. Before
then, however, we have our next scheduled meeting which takes place on Monday,
19 January 2004.
Diana Harries
Secretary to PCC
On Saturday, 11
October, there occurred an event unique - to the best of my memory - in the
history of St Mary's. It was entitled
"Grand Tour of the United Kingdom".
In case it should be thought that we all got our cars out and travelled
from one end of the UK to the other, the spectators sat comfortably in church
and, ably led by the choir, sang hymns which have some connection with various
locations throughout the country. From
the far north of Scotland we sang "O For
A Closer Walk With God", entitled Caithness. We proceeded through Scotland, then across
to Northern Ireland with "Victim Divine, Thy Grace We Claim"
(Colraine). Northern England followed -
"Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending" (Helmsley), Then, oh rapture, into Wales! In my humble opinion, Wales has produced
some of the best hymns ever written.
What compares with Cwm Rhondda - "Guide Me O Thou Great
Redeemer"?
I'm afraid I didn't
stay to the very end when we reached Truro with "Jesus Shall Reign
Where'er The Sun", but I am told that a total of 157 hymns were sung in
their entirety. Heartiest
congratulations to Selwyn, who was there all the time and had not much voice
left next day for the Sunday services.
It was a happy and
spectacular marathon and through sponsorship for all who too part, raised a lot
of money for both church and choir funds.
Harold Hore
After fending off an
assortment of mini-ghosties, vampires and demons at the front door the Churchyard
clan set off to St Mary's to help prepare the 'All Things Good Rainbow Party'.
We decided on this theme after so many people had said how they disliked the
whole 'Halloween thing' and didn't want to feed into the US hype that's around
now.
The turnout was
splendid - people from St Mary's, Happy Hands families, Toddlers Group members
and a very welcome friend from Holy Trinity (they haven't quite got their hall
sorted yet!). Some people had mentioned
it to neighbours who tagged along and are now very keen to join Families.
Everyone entered into
the spirit of the event and the costumes ranged from Matt the Frog, Rainbow
Fairy De Ritter, Sammie the Clown and a whole host of fairies, rainbow
children, clowns and unidentifiable coloured themes!
Ann started us of with
a game of Jack Frost where one child freezes the others and another one is the
sun and comes around and melts them - lots of squealing and running around took
place. Then we bobbed apples - something sadly I had to demonstrate! We picked
sweeties with our teeth from a large bowl of flour (very messy after the
bobbing!) and the highlight was eating a donut soaked in golden syrup suspended
from a string - Helena and Robert demonstrated just how messy this was when it
was their turn - and just how did they both manage a whole donut in one bite !!
The food, as ever, was
a demonstration of great creativity and generosity - jewel jellies, cakes and
sweeties, fruit and veg platters with coloured dips - but the centrepiece was a
platter made by Lizzie Atkins of nibbles, pinwheel sarnies and even smoked
salmon!
It is so wonderful to
see such happy faces around us, for the coming-together of families who seem to
genuinely enjoy themselves and the encouragement from all those who take part
to come up with new, exciting and bigger and better projects for families.
The families team is
growing: Helena, Ann and I are now joined by Sharon Stubbings and Lizzie Atkins
- people with much enthusiasm, creativity and faith in what we do.
We are hoping to promote
'Families' at the Christmas Fair and are busy planning the Christmas/First
Anniversary party for the 7th - if you have any old crackers/cracker toys lying
around we're your girls!
And, we are ever
hopeful that the offer of joining us for the Christingle and Crib services will
be taken up by as many new families as possible - I like to think that St
Mary's is just like a bar of luxury chocolate, once you've tasted us, you'll
want more and more!
Families wish everyone
at St Mary's a very merry Christmas and thank them for all the support over the
last year.
Carolyn Churchyard
The readers of this
magazine may well have noticed, over the past couple of years, various references
to SMYF and wondered what it stood for. SMYF is, or rather was, St. Mary’s
Youth Fellowship (not to be confused with your fledgling group) and we give
below a potted history.
SMYF finally closed in
the early 1970’s having been an open club for a short while, which
unfortunately sounded the death knell for it. The 2001, and this year’s
Reunions, came about because a small number of former members had kept in touch
and a frequent comment was “wouldn’t it be great to get together again”. John
(Neddie) Clayton, a founder member, and his wife, Barbara, decided to produce a
Newsletter and from an original distribution of approximately 12 people, more
and more names were added to their mailing list until the 2001 Reunion saw some
140 people, all former members and their partners gather in Carew Manor. This
year’s Reunion, the 60th Anniversary of the formation of SMYF, will
have only a third of that number (due partly to the nearness to Christmas) but
nevertheless mini reunions take place throughout the year and old friendships
are constantly being renewed. Now read on…
It was in December
1943 during the dark days of World War 2 that it was decided to start a Youth
Fellowship at St. Mary’s Church and regular meetings were held from January
1944. Because of the war conditions members met on Sunday evenings from 6.30 to
8.30 pm after Evensong (held early during wartime) in order that they could get
home before “Jerry” began his night-time raids. SMYF’S beginnings were small, no
more than 20 members but very keen and enthusiastic and with a spirit of real
fellowship, no doubt engendered by the “wartime spirit”. Muriel Hart, nee
Boxall, was the main instigator of the Fellowship and from 1944 to 1965 the
Chairman was Ernie Gamble, with Muriel and Ted Lane as Vice Chairmen during the
early days. Other clubs in the district catered for those who wanted purely
social activities, so this group was formed as a Fellowship - for active
church members - open to those between the ages of 14 and 30. Each member was
expected to take part in some form of church work, eg King’s Messengers,
Serving, Sunday School, Magazine distribution etc. It was recognised that it
was better to have a small group of keen active members than a large number of nominal
members who would only attend those meetings that appealed to them.
Food and clothes were
rationed, many young people were in the Forces, it was a rich person who could
afford to smoke, nylon stockings were rare, no TV, and when the hut in Rectory Lane
became a target for enemy action SMYF transferred to the Village Hall,
Beddington. SMYF members celebrated VE and VJ days and one of the highlights
was a midnight ramble. Members came back from evacuation, others returned from
the forces, and numbers rapidly increased. Sunday meetings were still held
after Evensong, now back at its normal time and meetings were also held during
the week. Football, cricket, netball, hockey, other sporting events, amateur
dramatics, speech contests and fetes were organised along with debates, musical
record evenings, treasure hunts in the park, Rector’s evenings, cycle rides,
dances and dancing classes, rambles and visiting speakers. SMYF gained a
reputation as one of the best, if not the best, youth organisations in the district.
They were the only youth group who had its name on every trophy that was
offered for competition by the Youth Committee of the Borough of Beddington and
Wallington.
SMYF was run by its
members, with adults putting a brake on only the most hare-brained plans. All
the time the emphasis was on “fellowship” amongst members and association with
St. Mary’s Church. SMYF became a way of life for most members and is fondly
remembered by all. Its former membership has now spread throughout the world
and its ethos is practised and taught in the individual family units to this
day… “Out of little acorns…”
John Clayton
This Christmas as you
watch the feature films on TV, you may notice that…
Large, loft apartments
in New York City are plentiful and affordable, even if the tenants are
unemployed.
One of a pair of
identical twins is evil.
Should you decide to
defuse a bomb, don't worry about which wire to cut. You will always choose the
right one.
It doesn't matter if
you are greatly outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts. Your enemies
will wait patiently to attack you one by one... dancing around in a threatening
manner until you have dispatched their predecessors.
When you turn out the
light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible
but slightly blue.
If you are blonde and
pretty, it is possible to be a world-famous expert on nuclear fission, dinosaurs,
hieroglyphics, or anything else, at the age of 22.
Honest and
hard-working policemen are usually gunned down a day or two before retirement.
During all crime
investigations, it is necessary to visit a strip club at least once.
All beds have special
L-shaped covers that reach up to the armpits of a woman but only to the waist
of the man lying beside her.
All grocery shopping
bags contain at least one French bread and one bunch of carrots with leafy
tops.
If you are beautiful,
your makeup never rubs off, even while scuba-diving or fighting aliens. However
if you are overweight, your mascara will run and your lipstick will smear.
The ventilation system
of any building is the perfect hiding place. No one will ever think of looking
for you in there, and you can travel to any other part of the building without
difficulty.
Rather than wasting
bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their enemies using complex machinery
involving fuses, deadly gasses, lasers, chainsaws and hungry sharks; all of which
will give their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.
St Mary’s Handbell
Ringers are venturing into a “temple of Mammon”, as a former Rector would have
called it. On Saturday December 13, they are off to ring in the foyer of the
Asda store in Beddington Lane to raise money for the Tower and Bells fund. The
Asda representative was most accommodating, saying they recognise they are in
our parish and would be pleased to help us.
The Handbell Ringers
will be there from about 10.00 am onwards.
If you want to come along and support us - you could combine it with
some shopping - we would be pleased to see you.
Jean Kimber
Churches Together
in Beddington and Wallington are again organizing a lunch on Christmas Day for
any who would like to come.
This year it will be
held at the new Trinity Centre, next to Holy Trinity Church in Malden Road, Wallington.
Transport can be arranged locally.
If you would like more
information, please 'phone
Christine on 020 8395
2872 or
Frances on 020 8647
2688
To help with the
lunch, Pam Vernon would be pleased to receive any Nectar tokens or raffle
prizes. Thank you.
A huge thank you this
month to Pam Vernon, who has been spear-heading the monthly Toddlers' service
for well over ten years. Although many other
members of the Mothers' Union have always come along to help out, and to make
young mums (and occasionally dads) feel at home, the bulk of the planning and
the actual content of the monthly meeting has nearly always fallen on Pam. She's shouldered the burden very graciously,
and many generations of toddlers and their parents have had a lot of fun. They've got to know that church is a
friendly place, and many lasting friendships have been formed. Many young children have come to Toddlers
after being baptised; probably more have been brought to be baptised after mums
and dads realised, through the toddlers group, that the friendly atmosphere
actually spread over into other church services and events too, and that Pam
and other MU members were showing the love and care of God in real practical
ways by what they did. So thank you,
everybody - but above all thank you Pam for your love and your dedication all
this time.
However, even good
things sometimes have to wind down.
With the most recent generation of toddlers going off to school or
nursery school in September, the numbers attending the monthly group have
suddenly fallen to an all-time low; and it's certainly true that the Families
Group, which has a very thriving membership, is now doing a lot of the things
that the Toddlers' service was founded to do more than a decade ago, and
more. Plus Pam has volunteered (sort
of!) to become Deanery Presiding Member for the MU as from next February, and
certainly would welcome some more time for her new duties. So the Toddlers' service is discontinued, at
least for the time being; but we'll keep an eye on the situation as the months
go by.
Gwen Whiting is
standing down as our Enrolling Member at the end of December, after four years
in the post and six previously on the Committee. Thank you, Gwen, for your gentle leadership, your commitment, and
your enthusiasm - enjoy a well-deserved rest!
But we need someone to take over; and so far volunteers are a bit thin
on the ground… I suppose it's technically possible for a Mothers' Union branch
to carry on without an Enrolling Member at the helm, as long as there is an
efficient and enthusiastic committee (which we certainly still have) - but it
would be very unusual and might be quite difficult. I'd hate to see a branch which passed its century with such zeal
a few years ago slowly limp into the past because no-one was prepared to have a
go. So anyone who thinks this
particular job might be for you after all, please have a word with Gwen or me
fairly urgently. Gwen adds:
"The MU is a
Christian organisation with more than three million members worldwide. Though
our lives and our experience of the Mothers' Union may differ widely depending
on where we are, we are united by our shared belief in the importance of family
values. We all have something to offer and something to learn. We have strong
personal links between members around the world and we unite in prayer, worship
and fellowship.
Please come along
and see for yourselves what the MU is all about. Our next meeting will be on
Thursday 4th December at 8 pm when we will be having an MU speaker telling us
all about the "Away From It All" scheme. Everyone is welcome - men,
women, married, unmarried, etc."
It's called Built-in
Obsolescence. It's the principle that as soon as you do or say anything,
particularly in print, events will overtake you and it's already out of
date. So I should have known, shouldn't
I, when I wrote confidently last month about the moving of the Gothic Knight
and the start of the electrical work . . .
Sir Roger was duly taken up from his slab under the choir stalls on 1 November. However, in the course of the work Martin Stuchfield (from the Monumental Brass Society) became increasingly worried about the nature of the slab in which he has been resting for the last hundred years and more. Once the brass itself was safely out of the way, Martin drilled down right through two of the existing rivet-holes to prove exactly what the slab consisted of and what might lie underneath. And sure enough, we were effectively back to Plan A. Sir Roger has been resting in a slab of hard Victorian concrete, between four and five inches thick. Below this is a void space of the same depth or slightly more; and below this, as far as we are able to ascertain with torches and a piece of bent wire (all hi-tech stuff, this), is the original medieval earth floor. The problem is that Plan A involved breaking up the concrete and replacing it with a modern slab of Portland stone, cut very precisely to fill the gap; and the harder we looked at the site, neither Martin nor I nor Brian Drury our architect could see any way of physically carrying out this complicated manoeuvre in the very cramped space available, at least not without temporarily taking up the desks of the rear choir stalls, which