St
Mary’s Church Parish Magazine - March 2005
Readings
for Sundays and Festivals in March
Annual
Parochial Church Meeting
St
Mary's Tower & Bells Project
The
Parish, People, Place & Ministry
A
Profusion of Canticles… in case you were wondering
Is daily Bible reading a must?
What
Needs To Be Learned … Or Is That Learnt?)
|
Tue |
1 |
Archdeacon's Visitation Rev'd
Michael Oades, Asst Rural Dean |
12 noon |
|
Wed |
2 |
St Mary's Guild meets at St Mary's Court. Dee Hyatt talks
about 'Friends of Beddington Park' |
2.30 pm |
|
|
|
Churches Together Lent Talk on 'Zimbabwe Experiences' at
St Elphege's Church |
8.00 pm |
|
Thu |
3 |
MU&OG meet in Centre.
Jenifer Davison - 'Lent Meditation' |
8.00 pm |
|
Fri |
4 |
Womens World Day of Prayer. Services (No Lent Lunch at the Rectory) |
|
|
|
|
St Elpheges |
10.30 am |
|
|
|
Holy Trinity |
7.30 pm |
|
Sat |
5 |
Ringers' Quiz Night.
Church Centre |
7. 00 pm |
|
SUN |
6 |
LENT 4 Mothering
Sunday |
|
|
Mon |
7 |
Magazine Panel meets at 2 Peaks Hill, Purley |
5.45 pm |
|
Tue |
8 |
PCC. Church Centre |
8.00 pm |
|
Wed |
9 |
Churches Together Lent Talk on 'The Persecuted Church' at
St Elphege's Church |
8.00 pm |
|
Fri |
11 |
Lent Lunch at The Rectory |
12.45 pm |
|
SUN |
13 |
LENT 5 |
|
|
|
|
Re-dedication of Tower and Bells by Bishop Tom Butler at
Sung Eucharist |
|
|
Wed |
16 |
MU Corporate Eucharist |
10.00 am |
|
|
|
Churches Together Lent Talk on 'The Work of the
Community of The Resurrection'. St
Elphege's |
8.00 pm |
|
Thu |
17 |
MU&OG meet in Centre. Mr Chapman talks about the work
of 'Missionary Mart' |
8.00 pm |
|
Fri |
18 |
Lent Lunch at The Rectory |
12.45 pm |
|
Sat |
19 |
St Joseph. Eucharist |
9.00 am |
Leaflets giving full details of the events of Holy Week will be available in church from Sunday, 6 March. The main events are highlighted below
|
SUN |
20 |
PALM SUNDAY |
|
|
|
|
Procession of Palms and Sung Eucharist |
9.30 am |
|
Tue |
22 |
Sherwood Park School Easter Service. All welcome |
10.15 am |
|
|
|
Friends of Beddington Park AGM
at The Grange, followed by a talk on Indonesia and Sri Lanka |
7.30 pm |
|
WED |
23 |
Passover Supper and Eucharist. Church Centre |
7.30 pm |
|
THU |
24 |
MAUNDY THURSDAY |
|
|
|
|
Sung Eucharist of the Last Supper, with feet washing and
stripping of the Altars |
8.00 pm |
|
FRI |
25 |
GOOD FRIDAY |
|
|
|
|
Churches Together Procession of Witness through Wallington
starting at St Elphege's |
12 noon |
|
|
|
Liturgy of the Day |
2.00 pm |
|
Sat/Sun |
|
Don’t forget to put your clocks forward one hour |
|
|
SUN |
27 |
EASTER DAY |
|
|
|
|
Paschal Vigil. First sung Eucharist of Easter |
6.00 am |
|
Mon |
28 |
Easter Bank Holiday |
|
Friday Lent lunches will continue to take place at The Rectory at 12.45 for 1 pm on the Fridays of Lent, except 4 March and Good Friday. Each week we shall hear something in detail about one of the projects supported by the Bishop's Lent Appeal. This is followed by a time of silent prayer for that week’s topic and a bread and cheese lunch, with the opportunity to make a donation towards the work of the topic.
The Churches Together series of Lent meetings continue at St Elphege’s on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 pm (not the Wednesday in Holy Week). This year’s theme is “Christ-lives; Christ Lives!” Each week a guest speaker from a different Christian tradition will speak on ‘living the Christian life’, and give examples of people, or a person, who has lived or is living a noticeably Christian life amidst difficult circumstances (‘Christ-lives’), thereby proving the truth of what Christians affirm when we say that ‘Christ Lives!’ After the talk there will be an extended coffee break for socialising and discussion, followed by about twenty minutes of questions to the speaker on his or her theme.
Friday, 4 March is Women's World Day of Prayer. Details of local services and some background on the World of Prayer can be found here.
Saturday, 5 March. Ringers’ Quiz Night at
Sunday, 13 March. The 9:30 am Sung Eucharist will include the re-dedication of the bells. Bishop Tom will preside, preach, and dedicate, and Archdeacon Tony will also be present. There will be a celebration in the Centre after the service.
Saturday, 19 March. St Joseph. There will be an additional
Eucharist at
Dates for your diary:
We have a Confirmation booked at St Mary's on 4 September at the 9.30 Eucharist. Jenifer and Heather will run some Confirmation classes later this year. Anyone interested please speak to one of them. A good way to start your preparation will be to come to the Passover Meal on the Wednesday of Holy Week (23 March).
Sunday 6 March
Lent 4
1 Samuel 16: 1-13 Page 119
Ephesians 5: 8-14 Page 121
John 9: 1-41 Page 122
Sunday 13 March
Lent 5
Special readings for the Re-dedication of the Bells
Sunday 20 March
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50: 4-9a Page 139
Matthew 26: 14-27: 66 Page 141
Thursday 24 March
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 12: 1-14 Page 162
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 Page 165
John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 Page 165
Friday 25 March
Good Friday
Isaiah 52: 13-53:12 Page 167
Hebrews 4: 14-16 & 5: 7-9 Page 172
John 18: 1-19: 42 Page 173
Sunday 27 March
Easter Day
Acts 10: 34-43 Page 214
Colossians 3: 1-4 Page 217
John 20: 1-18 Page 218
Of all the
folktales that circulated in Europe in centuries past, none was more widespread
or popular than that surrounding Dr Faustus.
Supposedly
a brilliant German alchemist, living in the early 16th century, he began to
delve into witchcraft and finally made a pact with the Devil: for 24 years he
would have everything he wanted but at the end of that time the Devil would
claim his soul. The story was popularised in England by Christopher Marlowe in
1604, in his "Dr Faustus", and in Germany, two centuries later,
in Johann Goethe's "Faust".
The Devil
kept his promise and for 24 years Faust enjoyed fame, knowledge and the
satisfaction of every desire. But the years rolled quickly by and he was
gripped with terrible foreboding as the end drew near. On his last night he met a fearful death as
the Devil claimed his soul for damnation. The drama attracted an artist who
committed it to canvas. He depicted Faustus and the Devil playing chess and he
entitled it 'Checkmated'. The game is over and the Devil has won. He gloats
across the chess table at the doomed Faustus whose face is rigid with
terror.
The
picture hung in a French gallery and many people came to see it. One day a
great master of the game came to view it. He gazed at it intently for hour
after hour. Suddenly the silence was broken by his cry, "It's a lie! The game is not over! The king has another move!" The chess master saw what everyone else had
missed. In the picture Faustus still has
his king. The king can yet bring victory out of seeming disaster.
On the
first Easter, the enemies of Jesus were jubilant. The chief priests, the scribes and the
Pharisees, had all conspired to put him to death. How they hated him! He had done mighty works. He had healed the sick; he had cast out
demons from the tormented; he had calmed the storms and raised the dead. But they rejected Him, branded Him a
blasphemer and brought about his arrest, trial and execution.
The
Romans, thinking Him just another rabble-rousing nationalist, were glad to see
him dead. So the Jews and the Romans
celebrated while the body of Jesus lay on the cold slab in Joseph's grave. They had triumphed! He was gone!
He was dead! He was buried! He would not come back! His followers were scattered. He would soon be forgotten. The brief story of Jesus of Nazareth had
ended in the tomb.
But they
were all wrong, wrong, wrong! The game was not over. The king had another
move! The King of Heaven raised His Son Jesus from death, to live forever in
the power of an endless life. And Christians have been celebrating that great
event for two thousand years. But there's more. In all our lives, in every
difficulty, in every need, in every heartbreak, in all
of life's darkest hours – our King is with us.
And He always has another move!
Revd Dr
Herbert McGonigle
Senior
Lecturer in Historical Theology & Church History, Nazarene Theological
College, Manchester
Two essentially English poets, John Betjeman and Phillip Larkin, have much in common, yet both reveal complex and individual attitudes to the Church.
All are welcome to come along to our informal group to read and discuss some of their poems.
Monday, 14 March at 7.30 pm in the centre
£1 donation would be appreciated towards photocopying costs.
Jackie Egerton
On Sunday 20 March we begin Holy Week - the annual celebration of the events of Jesus’s death and resurrection. As those events are at the heart of our faith, the services that mark them are uniquely important in the Church’s year, and substantially different from our regular celebrations. If you haven’t been to any of them before, why not make this the year when you try to come to them all? The atmosphere of prayer, as it builds through the week, becomes very powerful and very personal. Leaflets giving full details of all the services in Holy Week will be available in church from Sunday 6 March.
The week begins with the 9.30 Eucharist on Palm Sunday. We assemble in the church Centre to hear the Gospel reading of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. Our palm crosses are blessed, and we sing appropriate hymns as we walk in procession out of the Centre, around by the churchyard wall, through the lych-gate and into church. Then the whole narrative of Jesus’s arrest, trial, death and burial is read, with members of the congregation reading the words of individuals as the story develops.
Then we shall once more be celebrating a Passover supper on the evening of the Wednesday in Holy Week, 23 March, at 7.30 pm in the Church Centre. It has proved to be a wonderful exercise in discovering the roots of our Eucharist and the meaning of one of the many layers of symbolism behind what we do week by week. It will also mean that we can have the memory of Passover fresh in our minds as we share in the Eucharist of Maundy Thursday the following day.
The Centre will be laid out with our normal tables, arranged around three sides of a square as they would have been in Jesus’s time. We shall keep as near as possible to the outline of a modern Passover meal. It will begin with readings from Exodus, telling parts of the original Passover story, interspersed with the traditional questions and answers as to the meaning and symbolism of this night. There will be a ‘service-leaflet’ giving all the words everyone needs, and the questions can be asked, and answers given, by a man, a woman, a child, as traditional and appropriate. As the meal progresses the necessary elements of food and drink will be produced, explained and shared; there will also be the opportunity to sing one or two well-known hymns as the ‘commentary’ on what we are doing, plus some readings from the New Testament to keep us in touch with Jesus and his disciples as they kept Passover together.
The second of the three elements of the evening will be the opportunity to share in a real meal together, and there will soon be the inevitable lists in church to sign up - both to say if you would like to come, and to indicate what you might come with, so that we can enjoy a ‘bring and share’ supper together. Jewish tradition insists that we grapple with lamb stew eaten with pitta bread, bitter herbs dipped in salt water, homemade fruit puree and ideally four glasses of wine; the simpler the food you might bring, and the nearer to this ideal of lamb stew, fruit and bread, the better. It does not hurt to remember that Passover is a time of huge rejoicing and conviviality, as well as the solemn memorial of God’s tremendous acts for his people in the past!
Finally - just as we are around the tables, once some of the dishes have been cleared away, we shall join in a simple celebration of the Eucharist together, using some of the bread we have been eating, and the wine we have been drinking, to provide the gifts which will be taken, blessed, broken and shared. This should be one of the most powerful moments of the evening - it is not often we have the ability to recognise how it must have felt when Jesus took the ordinary constituents of the Passover meal and for the first time gave them a new meaning for his disciples then and now.
We will as before make use of side lighting and candles - the lighting in the Centre not being particularly atmospheric. In order to arrange the tables as described above, and to retain the right atmosphere for the occasion, we have previously limited numbers to about 45 people. So many thoroughly enjoyed the last few years that it would not be surprising if many more wanted to come this year! For this reason, as well as for the practicalities of catering, please sign up as soon as possible on the list under the tower. We will do our best to accommodate all who would like to be there, but it may be necessary to close the list sometime in advance of Holy Week itself. We look forward to welcoming you to what we hope will be a very special part of our Holy Week celebrations.
By Maundy Thursday (24th) the events of the week have led us to the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples, during which he washed their feet as a practical example of humility and service, and instituted the Eucharist as the means by which we remember him day by day. The Sung Eucharist at 8.00 pm therefore includes readings that tell of both those actions, and there will be a list under the tower for you to add your name if you would like to be one of the 12 having their feet washed in a memorial of this event.
At the end of the Thursday Eucharist we commemorate Jesus’s time in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed for strength to face the agony that would await him next day, and his disciples first of all fell asleep waiting and watching with him, then ran away and left him alone in the hands of those who came to arrest him. We mark his abandonment by formally stripping the altar and the sanctuary of all the Lenten hangings at the end of this service, leaving it stark, bare and disfigured - and while this is being done we read Psalm 22, the cry of loneliness and desperation which Jesus himself quoted on the cross.
Those who wish to do so then move into the Carew Chapel to begin “watching” with Jesus in the garden. A continuous vigil of silent prayer is kept up from the end of the evening’s Eucharist until the start of the Friday afternoon service. There will be another list under the tower, dividing this time into half-hour sections. Please indicate when you will be “on watch” by initials or a simple tick. And most important - don’t feel you have to come alone, especially if you are going to be there in the early hours of Friday morning. It is a wonderful thing to do with another person, or with a small group of friends, or even as a family.
On Good Friday Churches Together has organised the usual Procession of Witness through Wallington, leaving from St Elphege's Church at 12 noon ending by 1.30 pm, allowing people to be in church in ample time before 2.00 pm. The walk will be led by someone carrying a large cross, and we shall stop at various places along the route for readings, prayers and hymns.
Our own afternoon service will begin at 2.00 pm. There will be about an hour’s meditation,
including anthems sung by the choir, congregational hymns, the
familiar Passion readings from Isaiah, Hebrews and
Finally our celebration of Easter begins with the Paschal Vigil at 6.00 am on Easter Sunday morning. This service has its roots in what the earliest Christians did in the early hours of every Sunday morning. We proclaim Christ as risen by the kindling of new fire and the lighting of the new Paschal Candle, and our own rising to life with him in Baptism forms the theme of the rest of the service.
We read the Old Testament narratives of the creation, the
flood, and the crossing of the
As I said, if you’ve never been before, please try to make this the year in which you come to these special events and services; and if you have, then you will look forward to having your own faith tested and renewed once again as we walk with Jesus through this Holy Week.
Selwyn Tillett
Tue 1 The people of
Wed 2 Lent Lectures at St Elphege's and all who attend
Thu 3 The Mothers' Union World Wide
Fri 4 The Women's World Day of Prayer services today
Sat 5 The Ringers' Quiz Night and all who attend
Sun 6 Thanksgiving for all loving and caring mothers
Mon 7 Selwyn and Cassie as they prepare for their new life in Norfolk
Tue 8 Our PCC Meeting tonight and Archdeacon Tony
Wed 9 The persecuted Church and all who suffer for their faith
Thu 10 All who live in poverty and debt
Fri 11 The physically
disabled of
Sat 12 The Diocesan Synod meeting today
Sun 13 Thanksgiving for the Re-dedication of St Mary's bells
Mon 14 All who are taken into care
Tue 15 All who serve in caring for others
Wed 16 The Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield
Thu 17 The people of Eire and Northern Ireland
Fri 18 The people of
Sat 19 For all good and caring foster parents
Sun 20 For the faithful observance of Holy Week
Mon 21 For a closer walk with our Lord
Tue 22 For a prayerful approach to the joy of Easter
Wed 23 Thanksgiving for all who give their lives to save others
Thu 24 Thanksgiving for the sacrament of our Lord's Body and Blood
Fri 25 Peace in the Holy Land and among all nations and peoples
Sat 26 The life of the world to come
Sun 27 Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Mon 28 Alleluia to our God who has broken the power of death
Tue 29 Alleluia for our God who has won for us life eternal
Wed 30 That the Good News may be proclaimed throughout the world
Thu 31 Thanksgiving for all that Selwyn and Cassie have contributed to the life and work of the parish, and prayers for their future ministry
Saturday morning, 29 January, found a
group of ringers and parishioners, totalling 40, boarding a coach at
Jean Kimber had organised lunch for us at The Boat Inn by the side of the canal in Loughborough. Here we enjoyed a very generous finger-buffet, more than a match for most people’s appetites. Without a doubt, the ‘locals’ appreciated the leftovers!
Then came the main purpose of our trip - the visit to John Taylor’s Bellfoundry to see our bells. They were being prepared for their rehang in the new metal frame, which was replacing the rotted wooden one. The bells themselves were being quarter-turned and having new headstocks and clappers fitted.
St Mary’s has ten bells; eight of them were hung in the church in 1869 and the two smallest ones added in 1877. We were told at the Foundry that a bell’s life-span is approximately 1,000 years, so we felt very privileged to have been involved in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The visit included an extremely interesting tour of the Foundry and Museum, given by Robert Bracegirdle, Curator of the Bellfoundry Museum. He told us that church bells are cast in “bell metal”, which comprises 77% copper and 23% tin. He showed us how bells are cast (a procedure which has not changed for centuries) involving the core of the mould being prepared on a baseplate. The moulding material consists of sand, with chopped hay and horse manure for binding and built up by hand. The core is dried in the oven at 150ºc. If cracks appear - as they often do - these are filled and the core dried in the oven again. The inner core is covered by an outer core and the bell metal poured between the two. The whole mould is then buried in the sand in the Foundry floor for several days, allowing the metal to cool slowly.
Bells are inscribed according to customers’ wishes and this is achieved by “mirror-writing” impressed on the inside of the outer mould. As was explained to us, it is imperative that the operators are accomplished in the art of spelling backwards!
Tuning of the bells is another hands-on procedure which often takes a full day. The process involves removing small amounts of metal from the inside of the bell. Finally, it is the Bellmaster, using tuning-forks and electronic equipment, not to mention his highly sensitive musical ear, to decide when the bell is correctly tuned. To justify the cost of producing a bell, it was emphasised to us that this was due to the fact that each stage of the manufacturing process is undertaken by hand. If the same process were to be used to produce a car, then we could expect to pay a million pounds for it!!
There is only one other Foundry in the UK still casting bells - the Whitechapel Foundry in London.
The ringers amongst us were invited to ring on the Foundry’s ten bells, while the rest of us made the “obligatory” visit to the Museum shop. Then it was back to the coach for the journey home (tea-break included), arriving back at St Mary’s at 8.30 pm.
A full, and truly memorable, day and one in which we felt honoured to be involved.
Jean and Pierre Delahunty
If you are not on the Electoral Roll of St Mary's (Anglican-speak for our official membership list) but would like to be, you have the opportunity soon when the Roll receives its annual update before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. Simply obtain an application form from Eileen England any time from Saturday 5 March onwards, and return it to her, duly completed, at any time up to the end of Saturday 19 March (in other words the actual revision process runs for a fortnight). Eileen or the form itself will explain the necessary qualifications, and once she has your returned form the system will do the rest. You will then be eligible to vote during the Annual Meeting itself, which takes place in the Centre at 8.00 pm on Wednesday 13 April, and this year will be chaired by our Rural Dean, Chris Wheaton, Vicar of the Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches.
The minutes of last year's Annual Meeting, this year's Annual Report and Financial statement from the PCC, and the Agenda for this year's Meeting, will all be available in good time, from Saturday 2 April at the latest. Among the business of the Meeting is the election of Churchwardens, PCC, and Deanery Synod members for the coming year. If you are considering standing for election in any of these capacities, then once again you need to be on the Electoral Roll, and the relevant forms will be available in plenty of time, from Saturday 2 April if not before. If there have been no applications for postal votes, the PCC will be declared during the Annual Meeting and commissioned by Tony Davies, Archdeacon of Croydon, when he comes to preside and preach at 9:30 on Sunday 17th April.
However, you may want to take part in this year’s elections, but are not able to attend the meeting itself. In that case you can apply beforehand for a postal vote. Application forms for these will also be available in plenty of time. Once again the system would then spring into operation. It works like this.
Return your application form to Pat Kingsbury or to Pam or Ian Akhurst before the Annual Meeting. Should an election be necessary, a voting paper will be got to you by the late evening of Friday 15 April. You then have up to 12 days in which to think, pray, vote, fold your paper and return it to The Rectory. Papers must be returned there sometime during the week from Wednesday 20th to Wednesday 27th, and they would be stored safely and unopened as they arrive, together with the papers filled out during the Meeting itself.
Voting papers would be counted on Thursday or Friday 28th or 29th April, by people who have not been candidates in any of the elections. All candidates would be notified of the result that same day, and the new PCC would be announced and commissioned during the 9.30 Eucharist on Sunday 1 May.
The interregnum does not technically begin until Selwyn has been handed his Licence to officiate by the Bishop of Norwich at his installation on Friday 13 May – but the first meeting of our new PCC will happen as soon as possible after that date, that is on Monday 19 May.
Friday, 4 March
Who We Are? An Ecumenical Movement of Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action.
Women's World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service.
It is a movement initiated and carried out by women in more than 180 countries and regions.
It is a movement symbolized by an annual day of celebration – the first Friday of March – to which all people are welcome.
It is a movement which brings together women of various races, cultures and traditions in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
Through World Day of Prayer, women around the world
affirm their faith in Jesus Christ;
share their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their opportunities and needs.
Through World Day of Prayer, women are encouraged
to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation;
to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures;
to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and for them;
to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society.
Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world.
The Women's World Day of Prayer Movement will celebrate its annual day of prayer on Friday, 4 March. This year's service will come from Poland and the theme of the service is "Let Our Light Shine".
In 1979 Pope John Paul II visited his native land and Catholicism was reinforced in the officially atheist country. The Polish Ecumenical Bible containing the New Testament and Psalms is a contemporary Polish translation that has the support and encouragement of 11 denominational leaders.
Women, men, children and young people from many different backgrounds and in more than 180 countries will celebrate this day of prayer. We invite you to unite with them and join in one of the local services.
Morning Service 10.30 am St Elphege's Church, Wallington
Evening Service 7.30 pm Holy Trinity Church, Wallington
Mary Tapp
Chairman - Wallington WWDP Committee
On Sunday,
The Service will be followed by refreshments in the Church Centre.
Very many people have contributed most generously to the cost of this important project - by donations, by organising and supporting fund-raising events and by practical help.
All are welcome at the service and at the informal gathering afterwards, when we and the Parochial Church Council and the Bellringers look forward to the opportunity to thank you personally.
Do come.
Selwyn Tillett, Rector
Ian Akhurst and Pat Kingsbury,
Churchwardens
All the
armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the
parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together,
have not affected the life of mankind on this earth as powerfully as has that
one solitary life.
anon
6 February Phoebe Jane Browne of 8 Mallinson Road, Beddington
Alexander Patrick Light of 14 Chiswick Close, Beddington
Ellie
Louise Ruth Thompstone of
11 January Doris
Emily Duncan, aged 77 of
A theological & practical exploration.
Edited by Malcolm Torry
Canterbury Press, Norwich. £14.99
ISBN 1-85311-586X
(for help with ordering books on the internet, see our Booklinks page)
For over a thousand years the parish has evolved, grown and endured. It has survived the coming of the Normans, The Reformation including the Dissolution of the monasteries and great reorganisation in several phases during the 19th century.
At a time when the relevance of the Parish in modern society is being called into question, a group of stipendiary clergy from the Woolwich area of the Southwark Diocese, have produced as a result of studying theology together over five years, a book of essays which seriously challenges those who hold the view that the Parish is no longer fitted for 21st century life.
A Parish is defined as consisting of a territory, a population, a church, a congregation and a priest. The essays in this book show that this is not a set order and that there is no such thing as a typical parish. The contributors draw from their own personal experience of various urban parochial situations and cover a wide range of subjects including, Liturgy, Pastoral Care, The Parish as a work place, Evangelism, Art and the sacred space, to name a few.
The essays show how parishes change and respond to new situations not through central decision-making but through local initiatives and that through these initiatives change is on going. They emphasize the unique inclusive aspect of the Anglican parish; every one belongs to at least one parish although in this age of easy travel and commuting, probably more, and that this inclusiveness is a powerful sign of God reaching out in love to all, believer and non-believer alike.
The message that rings out loud and clear from this book, is that the Church of England would be very lost without its parishes. The Church of England is its Parishes and The Parishes are the Church of England.
This book is broad ranging, challenging, inspiring and is of interest to everyone involved in church life whether ordained or lay, as Rowan Williams comments in the forward, it “deserves close reading and reflection.”
Linda Wood
Jean Kimber's article on Herbert Howells in the February issue put me in mind of my favourite singer, Dame Isobel Baillie (1895-1983) - a strange choice for a favourite, it may be thought, but some favourites choose themselves, as Dame Isobel did in my case.
Dame Isobel is famous for her Handel, whom she sang in the unadorned fashion of her day, especially "Messiah" which she sang over a thousand times - for the first time complete at the age of 15 and for the last time 70 years later at the age of 85!
We remember Dame Isobel as well for her Bach and Purcell, but she also sang a great deal of contemporary music. As well as countless ballads, she sang the premieres of six major works, one of which was Howells' "Hymnus Paradisi", the soprano part of which he wrote for her.
Dame Isobel records in her autobiography that she flirted with Howells, not quite what one would expect from the Solemn Queen of Oratorio; nor would one expect the SQOO to sing quite such a salty version of "Comin' thro' the Rye" as she does.
Allan Palmer
The Benedicite, which is the theme of the Flower Festival in May is one of the Canticles - meaning literally a song or chant - which form part of the service of Morning Prayer.
The Benedicite comes immediately after the Old Testament reading and by tradition it is often used in Lent as an alternative to the Te Deum, "We praise thee O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting." The Benedicite is sometimes called 'The Song of the Three Holy Children' and comes from a passage in the Apocrypha.
Immediately after the New Testament reading at Morning Prayer comes the Benedictus "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people; And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us: in the house of his servant David.'" This passage comes from the first chapter of St Luke's Gospel and is the song that Zacharias sang at the birth of John the Baptist.
The alternative to the Benedictus is the Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100) "O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song".
There are themes here to keep the Flower Arrangers busy for many festivals to come (OK, OK, only joking). We are really looking forward to the late May Bank Holiday 2005 and seeing all the arrangements inspired by the Benedicite "O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever."
Flowers, Photographs & Music
Saturday 28 May - 10.00am - 6.00pm
Sunday 29 May - 11.30am - 5.30pm
Monday 30 May - 10.00am - 6.00pm
Arrangements will be by St Mary’s Flower Arrangers and also
by our Bell Ringers, the Guides and Brownies, Mothers'
Admission will be free, voluntary contributions will be divided between our Church Funds and the charity 'Thrive' (gardening for the disabled and disadvantaged). 'Thrive'' has more than 1600 groups in the UK which run social and therapeutic horticultural projects. The 60,000 people they support include people with sensory or physical impairments, learning difficulties and mental health needs.
Over the entire Festival weekend there will be a display of photographic prints in the Centre showing the diverse work of Photo Craft Camera Club.
As well as Flowers and Photography, on Saturday evening there will be a Concert in the Church at 7.30pm given by Linda Howarth – Flute, Anna Wynne – Harp, and accompanied on the piano by Pam Akhurst.
Would you like a loved one to be remembered on a decorated pew end? Or perhaps sponsor an arrangement, or kindly give us a donation towards the Festival? If so, please fill in the form overleaf and return to Sue Ardley together with your donation.
The Festival will be based on the Benedicite:-
O All ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Heavens, , bless ye the Lord: praise him…
O ye Waters that be above the Firmament, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Showers and dew, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord:
O let the Earth bless the Lord:
yea, let it praise him and magnify him for ever.
O ye Mountains and Hills, bless ye the Lord:
O all ye Green Things upon the Earth, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord
O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters, bless ye the Lord:
O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord:
O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord:
O let Israel, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord:
O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord:
O ye humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord:
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misrael, bless ye the Lord:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen
We would like to involve as many of the congregation as possible and there are several areas where we need YOU! Please read on:-
Refreshments will be available in the centre throughout the weekend. Jane Seymour has offered to head a team of volunteers. If you feel you could give some time in the kitchen please see or ring her on 8395 8821
Stewards will be needed to welcome visitors and to give out programmes and generally be around to give help to our visitors if needed. If you can offer some time, please see or contact Chris & Mike Morgan, who are organising a rota for the weekend, on 8669 3933
Sales table : We already have Saturday covered, could you give time on Sunday or Monday? Please see or contact Sue on 8647 3220
A select few met for the first Deanery Synod of 2005 on 1st February at The Good Shepherd. The church has not the history of our church and is certainly not so architecturally magnificent , but the extension they built has made the complex very welcoming and comfortable to be in. It made me remember the talk of our upstairs room having comfortable chairs for small gatherings, and made me realise how much we need to complete our Centre.
We heard how The Good Shepherd church is centred in the Carshalton Beeches area and they reach out to the local community in many ways: in particular with two fairs, winter and summer. Before these events every house in the parish is visited by a member of the church and handed an invitation to come to the fair, and many do.
We learned of the arrival of two new priests in the Deanery:
Revd Stephen Coe who has joined Holy Trinity after its
had a very long interregnum of over two years; and Rev'd
Mark Williams who will be joining
Our speaker for the evening was Terry Drummond who encouraged us to use the facts about our parishes that have been gathered in the latest Census. Terry has now moved from his Croydon Area base to be Lay Chaplin and personal assistant to Bishop Tom and to head up the one of the new groups that have succeeded the Board of Church in Society, which goes by the title 'Social Responsibility and Regeneration Working Group' The facts will be helpful when our wardens prepare our parish profile.
We were also reminded that we need to elect our representatives to the Deanery Synod at this years APCM.
Please keep a lookout for news of future synods when you are very welcome to come along.
Heather Cosgrove
The
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has announced that the next Lambeth
Conference is to be held in Canterbury in the summer of 2008. Dr Williams said,
"I have great hopes that the Conference will equip and empower the
leadership of our church for participation in the Mission of God in the
world."
The
Lambeth Conference, which draws together Anglican Communion bishops from around
the globe, is convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury normally once a decade.
The last conference took place in 1998. The city of Canterbury has been the
venue for the last three conferences.
More
information: http://www.anglicancommunion.org
A man was
telling his friend that he and his wife had had a serious argument the night
before. "But it ended," he said, "when
she came crawling to me on her hands and knees."
"What
did she say?" asked the friend, amazed.
The
husband replied, "She said, 'Come out from under
that bed, you coward!'"
…to chorister Andrew Searle on gaining a
place, against stiff competition, at Christ's
I have
heard it said that the traditional daily ‘Quiet Time’ with the Bible and prayer
is nowhere sanctioned in Scripture, and is really a piece of evangelical
legalism. Is it all right to let it go?
The
trouble with holding such a view is that , by the time
our neglect of daily Bible reading has taken its toll, our sense of
self-perception has dulled and we are unaware that our spiritual cutting edge
is already blunted.
We then
start getting into difficulties over Christian truth, doubts and even about the
Bible itself. It then becomes
unfashionable to take the Bible to Christian meetings. We can reach the point when a meeting is in
progress (even a Bible study) – and no Bible is in sight! The sins that we once had vigorously combated
now begin to overcome us – and we still fail to connect our feeble discipleship
with our neglect of the Bible. But come
back to the Bible on a regular basis again – and within days we shall notice
the difference!
No, it is
not a legally binding duty; daily Bible reading is rather to be seen as a
personal daily delight. “When your words
came,” said Jeremiah, “I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s
delight.” (Jeremiah 15:16) We fall in love with Christ – and we find
ourselves wanting to read the Scriptures, because they lead us to him. (John 5:39).
Morning
or evening? Again, there is no legally binding rule. I’ve seen people reading the bible on the
London underground. Some find that the
evening time, before bed, suits them better than the morning. In a young lively family
Christian parents may frequently lose their chosen time with God because
of disturbed nights. Again,
when illness or bereavement strikes, Bible reading and prayer may well fade out
for a period.
David the
Psalmist knew this. “I rise before
dawn,” he exclaimed, “and cry for help.
I have put my hope in your word.”
(Psalm 119:147). This sounds like
a habit!
Isaiah
knew it, too. “The sovereign Lord has
given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my
ear to listen like one being taught.”
(Isaiah 50:4). That sounds like every day!
So let
bible reading and prayer become part of your daily routine.
From
‘The Top 100 Questions – biblical answers to popular questions’ by Richard Bewes (Christian Focus)
A couple of years down the line from taking on this mag, and it's time consider a few rules on editing, with absolutely no guarantee they'll be adhered to …...
1 Verbs
HAS to agree with their subjects.
2 Prepositions
are not words to end sentences with.
3 And
don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4 It
is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5 Avoid
clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6
Also, always avoid annoying
alliteration.
7
Be more or less specific.
8
Parenthetical remarks (however
relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9
Also too, never, ever use
repetitive redundancies.
10 No sentence fragments.
11 Contractions aren't necessary and
shouldn't be used.
12 One-word sentences? Eliminate.
13 Puns are for children, not groan readers.
14 Never use a big word when a diminutive one
would suffice.
15 Exaggeration is a billion times worse than
understatement.
And
finally…
16 Proofread carefully to see if you any
words out.
Chris
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