From the Rising of the Sun to its Setting...

I don’t know about you, but when I visit churches when I’m on holiday there’s always a little thrill of anticipation before I open the big wooden door. What treasures will be revealed? Will I see the perfect parish church, gleaming wood and brass? Will I sniff that churchy smell of polish and flowers? Will the door reveal something altogether more dismal – a church that smells of decaying books and damp? Will there be superb stained glass, will we sneak in on an organ or choir practice? Will this feel like a living church or a dead museum?

That last question is for me the crucial one. A church that feels loved, that feels like a place of love is the greatest welcome of all, encouraging us to go in and explore more fully. In a recent edition of the Church Times (1 September, 2006) Juliet Hole wrote about that sense of a country parish church as being a place set apart, a place that “speaks to the heart like no other”. She bemoaned the efforts of churches to “welcome people” into the building “as if it were a nuisance rather than God’s house”. Yet at St Mary’s we spend a great deal of time (and money!) looking after the buiding and, we hope, welcoming people to it on our open afternoons, and by the time you read this as part of Open House London.

Why do we do this? Not simply to honour the building in and of itself. Certainly part of it is to encourage people to share in the history of the church building, and so the history of the area. At St Mary’s we can see local history played out in the names on the memorials and also in the shape and style of the building itself. We can reflect on social changes – the addition of the north aisle, the advent of our Quiet Play area, the Victorian alterations to the church to make it suitable for “modern” worship influenced by the Oxford Movement (see last month’s magazine for details). Our church building is tangible history, and we should treasure it as that.

But Juliet Hole is right. The church is far more than the building. It is a place where, perhaps, it is easier to experience the closeness of God’s presence and love than elsewhere. It is a place which is designed to help us express our hopes and our fears, to pray with or without words, by lighting a candle, by simply sitting still and being. Our welcome to the community should be one based on and in the worshipping community and everything else should flow from that.

You get a sense of that in a church as you open the door. Is this a place where love is experienced and shared? Is this a place where all human life is brought to God, not just Sunday best? Is this a place where I can come “just as I am” and know that I am loved? Is this a place of prayer, where the presence of God is known from the rising of the sun to its setting?

At St Mary’s we have a pattern of daily prayer throughout the week, both morning and evening. The services are quite short and are based on the ancient monastic offices. In them, we bring before God the world as it is, the needs of individuals and of groups; we reflect on the Bible and what it means for us today. We spend time with God in the midst of 21st century lives, pausing for rest and refreshment. The door is always open, and everyone is very welcome to come in.

That sense of a prayed-in space is what makes the church a church and not a museum. It is our daily and weekly pattern of worship, our knowing of God and God’s knowing of us that is the true source of the church’s welcome to the world.

Justine

A People Place

If this is not a place where tears are understood

where can I go to cry?

If this is not a place where my spirit can take wing

where do I go to fly?

If this is not a place where my questions can be asked

where do I go to seek?

If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard

where do I go to speak?

If this is not a place where you will accept me as I am

where can I go to be?

If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow

where do I just be me?

Attributed to William J Crockett

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What’s on in October?
SUN	1	TRINITY 16. Harvest Thanksgiving Preachers at the 9.30 Eucharist will be Rev George Young and Mrs Margaret Young
Tue	3	Social Committee meets at 2 Caraway Place	7.30 am
Wed “	4 “	‘Growing Through Worship’ session 3. The Centre St Mary’s Guild AGM at St Mary’s Court	10.30 am 2.30 pm
Thu	7	MU&OG. A talk on ‘Addington Palace’ by Mrs Yvonne Walker. The Centre	7.30 pm
SUN	8	TRINITY 17. Our Guides & Brownies will attend the 9.30 Eucharist
Tue	10	Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	11.00 am
Wed	11	‘Growing Through Worship’ session 4. The Centre	10.30 am
Thu	12	‘A Sense of Place’ poetry evening. The Centre	7.30 pm
SUN	15	TRINITY 18 Baptism Sunday
Wed	18	MU Corporate Eucharist ‘Growing Through Worship’ session 5. The Centre	10.30 am
Thu	19	Sutton Deanery Synod at St Paul’s, Roundshaw	7.45 pm
Sat	21	‘Autumn Serenade’ Concert in church	7.30 pm
Sat/Sun 28/29 October – Don't forget to put your clocks back one hour before you go to bed
SUN	29	LAST AFTER TRINITY Confirmations at St. Paul’s, Roundshaw	11.30 pm
Tue	31	‘Families’ Rainbow Party in the Centre (see page 11)	5 -7.00 pm
NOVEMBER
Wed	1	ALL SAINTS DAY
Thu	2	ALL SOULS DAY. Eucharist	7.30 pm

Your prayers, please

Please pray for all the candidates, including those from St Mary’s, who will be receiving Confirmation at

St Paul’s Roundshaw at 11.30 am on Sunday, 29 October

Readings for Sundays in October

Sunday, 1 October

Harvest Festival

Joel 2 : 21-27

1 Timothy 6 : 6-10

Matthew 6 : 25-33

Sunday, 8 October

Trinity 17

Readings will be presented by the

Guides and Brownies

Sunday, 15 October

Trinity 18

Amos 5 : 6-7, 10-15

Hebrews 4 : 12-16

Mark 10 : 17-31

Sunday, 22 October

Trinity 19

Isaiah 53 : 4-12

Hebrews 5 : 1-10

Mark 10 : 35-45

Sunday, 29 October

Bible Sunday

Isaiah 55 : 1-11

2 Timothy 3 : 14-4 : 5

John 5 : 36b-47

Saints, Commemorations and Feast Days in October

Wed 4 Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226

Fri 6 William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Reformation Martyr, 1536

Mon 9 Denys, Bishop of Paris and his Companions, Martyrs, c250

Mon 9 Robert Grossteste, Bishop of Lincoln, Philosopher, Scientist, 1253

Tue 10 Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644

Tue 10 Thomas Traherne, Poet, Spiritual Writer, 1674

Wed 11 Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675

Wed 11 James the Deacon, Companion of Paulinus, 7th century

Thu 12 Wilfrid of Ripon, Bishop, Missionary, 709

Thu 12 Edith Cavell, Nurse, 1915

Fri 13 Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1066

Mon 16 Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcestor,

Reformation Martyrs, 1555

Tue 17 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c107

Wed 18 LUKE THE EVANGELIST

Thu 19 Henry Martyn, Translator of the Scriptures, Missionary in India and Persia, 1812

Wed 25 Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs at Rome, c287

Thu 26 Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899

Thu 26 Cedd, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 899

SAT 28 SIMON & JUDE, APOSTLES

Tue 31 Martin Luther, Reformer, 1546

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Autumn Parish Garden

For the church flowers on Sunday 15 October we would like to have a

‘Parish Garden’ using flowers, herbs, berries and greenery (especially anything Autumnal) donated from parishioner’s gardens for the arrangements. If you have no garden you might like to buy a bunch of your favourite flowers! Hopefully this will give us a wide range of different flowers which, if necessary can be arranged in different containers to suit the flowers.

The flower arrangers will be delighted to receive your gifts in church on Friday 13th October between 9.30am and 11.00am so they can be conditioned.

If necessary, arrangements can be made for flowers & greenery to be collected from your home.

Please contact Sue Ardley (8669 3220) if you wish any further information or have any queries.

Many thanks from all the flower arrangers!

A Rector’s Repast (or Burgers at Beddington!)

Whilst our Patron and Bishop presided, Justine said the words and rang the bell to become our Rector. Then the fun began …..

Fizzy drink and cakes were consumed, allowing time for Jake and Maud (those mass caterers par excellence) to fire up the BBQ and start cooking. What a lot of work they put in to produce the seemingly never-ending procession of silver trays laden with food. But we were up to it and not a lot was left for the bin!

A fun and filling ending to the day’s proceedings, with many thanks to Jake, Maud and their helpers.

It’s amazing what a difference 28p can make

What is Gift Aid … and what has it got to do with us?

GIFT AID is a scheme which enables registered charities, including St Mary’s, to turn every £1 donated into £1.28.

How does it work?

For every pound donated to St Mary’s, the Treasury gives us an additional 28p at absolutely no cost to the giver.

Who can take part in the scheme?

EVERYONE who is a UK taxpayer - whether your tax is paid on your earnings, on a pension, or on savings - provided you pay more tax than we reclaim

How can I take part in the scheme?

You can pick up a simple Gift Aid form from the back of the church, or you can ask Heather, Pierre, Ian or Pat (phone numbers at the back of this magazine). They can all help you. After you have filled in and returned the form, every donation - one-off, regular, large or small - can qualify for the Treasury’s 28p.

If I sign this Gift Aid form will I be taking on a commitment to keep on giving money in the future?

NO. The Gift Aid Scheme works only for donations after they have been given. The Gift Aid Scheme does not require any commitment to future donations.

Do I need to inform the taxman?

NO. Once you have filled in the one simple form you won’t need to fill in any more forms. St Mary’s will make the claim to the Treasury - you don’t have to do anything. BUT, if you are a higher-rate taxpayer you may be eligible for personal tax relief on your gifts. See your tax return form for details.

If I join the Gift Aid scheme will people know all about my financial affairs?

NO. The two people who run the scheme at St Mary’s need to calculate how much money you have given. That’s all. This enables them to fill in the Treasury’s claim form. They keep this information completely confidential and tell no-one, not even the Rector.

If I cannot give very much, is it all worth it?

YES, DEFINITELY! Most of the donations to St Mary’s are not very large, but they all help to make the total mount up. For example: If 20 people each give £10 a month, St Mary’s gets £2,400. If these 20 people all join the Gift Aid Scheme, this £2,400 becomes £3,072. So St Mary’s gets an extra £672. THAT’S WELL WORTH IT!

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The MU Wave of Prayer

Seven members of the Mothers’ Union gathered together in Pam Vernon’s home to take part in the Diocesan Wave of Prayer on Saturday, 12 August. Each member present led the prayers for those diocese for which we were praying after giving some background information about the church and lifestyle of those countries in which they were situated, ie Aba in S E Nigeria; Uyo in Nigeria, known as the missionary diocese; Butere in rural Kenya; Calabar in Nigeria for which we had a set of photographs to look at, giving interesting visual information of that very diverse diocese; Niger Delta North in Nigeria, which is 80% rural and 20% in the urban city of Port Harcourt. Then we moved on to the Northern Territory of Australia which has less than 1% of the nation’s people, followed by the Oxford diocese and lastly Zimbabwe, where life is very difficult for most people and where there is much hunger and homelessness.

We overran our allotted time in the Wave of Prayer but found it very rewarding to spend those extra minutes learning something about the country before praying.

At the end of our time, we enjoyed the nibbles, tea and coffee that Pam had provided for us, while watching a video of the MU Literacy Programme, giving women in under-developed countries the chance to learn to read and write, thereby increasing their self-confidence and enabling them to help feed their families by running small business enterprises.

Apart from this special time of prayer, MU members commit themselves to pray throughout the year, as an act of thanksgiving and intercession for the MU worldwide.

Thank you, Pam, for leading and hosting St Mary’s branch of the MU in the Wave of Prayer.

Jenifer Davison

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William Tyndale

6 October

William Tyndale who is commemorated this month was born in Gloucestershire some time between 1490 and 1495. He was educated at Oxford, soon moved to Cambridge and then spent a short time in London. Here he was popular with the laity as a preacher, but churchmen were beginning to dislike his views. After London, little is known about his life - which is not surprising because much of it was spent in hinding as an exile in Europe.

Tyndale’s great achievement was his translation of the New Testament and a substantial part of the Old Testament into the English spoken at his time. He is said to have said after a spat with a learned cleric, “I will cause that a boy that driveth the plough shall have more knowledge of the scriptures than he does.”

Church and State both feared the possible consequences of Tyndale’s writings and by 1536 their men had managed to track him down in Holland. He was charged with heresy and treason; he was tried and convicted and was executed on 6 October 1536.

The consequences of Tyndale’s work have gone far beyond those feared in his time. Besides opening up the Bible to the laity, his translation has formed the basis of many subsequent translations - particularly the one we now call the Authorised Version - and the influence of his vocabulary and style are with us still, not only through the Bible itself but through the many writers whose style has in time been shaped by reading the English of Tyndale and his successors.

St Crispin’s Day

October 25

St Crispin was a Roman nobleman with a twin brother called Crispinian. Together they evangelised Gaul in the middle of the third century. They travelled to France and worked out of Soissons, a town on the river Aisne, about 60 miles NE of Paris. They preached in the streets by day and worked as shoemakers by night. They did this partly so that they were able to support themselves and not rely on alms and partly so that they could provide the poor and needy with shoes.

Crispin was martyred in 286 by torture and beheading. He is the patron saint of shoemakers, glove and lace makers, saddlers and tanners. His emblem is a cobblers last.

He is probably best known as the saint on whose day Henry V made his famous speech before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

St Crispin had another famous battle on his day. In WW2, the Battle of Leyte Gulf began on October 25, 1944. This was one of the largest naval battles in history and takes its name from the Philippine Island of Leyte, the surrounding waters being the scene of the fighting.

St Crispin was a peaceful man and having famous battles on his day seems rather incongruous. However, the city of Northampton has, in recent years, been holding a street fair in his honour, with over 100 funfair rides, stall and shows. (There is a big area in Northampton named after him and several shoe companies, including Barratts, began there.)

I could find only two churches in England dedicated to St Crispin. One is in Braunstone in Leicestershire and one in Fallowfield, Manchester. (If you know another, please tell us) St Crispin’s church in Bermondsey was bombed in 1940, rebuilt in 1958 but made redundant in 1999. The name of St Crispin has been added to the parish church of St James.

Jean Kimber

Dogs v. Men

Why are dogs better then men?

                Dogs don't criticise your friends
                Dogs don't play games with you - except fetch (and even then they never laugh at how you throw)
                Dogs are happy with any video you choose to rent
                Dogs don't feel threatened by your intelligence
                You can train a dog
                Gorgeous dogs don't know they're gorgeous
                Dogs understand what "no" means
                Dogs understand it if some of their friends can't come

                inside the house
                Dogs think you're a culinary genius
                You can house train a dog
                You can force a dog to take a bath
                Dogs don't mind if you do all the driving
                Dogs don't step on the imaginary brake
                Dogs admit it when they're lost
                Dogs aren't threatened if you earn more than they do
                Dogs are nice to your relatives
                Dogs don't have problems expressing affection in public

Why are men better than dogs?

Men have only two feet to get muddy
Men don't have to play with every man they see when you take

                them for a walk
                Men don't eat sheep muck when they go out
                Dogs have dog breath all the time
                Men don't chase cats
                Restaurants allow men

How dogs and men are the same:

                Both take up too much space in bed
                Both have irrational fears about vacuum cleaning
                Both are threatened by their own kind
                Neither tells you what's bothering them
                Neither does the dishes
                Neither of them notice when you have your hair cut
                Both are suspicious of the postman
                Neither understands what you see in cats

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A Good Day for Learning Prospects

Prospects is 30 years old this year and to celebrate, they held their first annual conference. I had not heard of them until their invitation arrived, but it sounded good and I accepted.

Prospects describes itself as a Christian charity whose mission is to create the environment and opportunity for those with a learning disability to experience a full life. Their services are open to all with a learning disability, of any faith or none. This last fact was evident at the conference. We were of all ages, all abilities and a variety of nationalities and churches.

I registered for two of the seminars, although when I heard the joyful noises coming from the Music and Drama Workshops, I wished I could have fitted them in as well.

The first seminar was about sharing the Gospel in simple language. Some had to introduce and explain a bible story in terms easily related to the everyday life of someone with learning difficulties. Others, including myself, were asked to read some well-known hymns and identify words and phrases which could be confusing or worrying - or at worst frightening. None of this was easy.

The second seminar was entitled “What the Bible says about Disability”. The speaker said he was offering “just thoughts” about the church and about meeting the spiritual needs of people with learning disabilities. He reminded us that the Bible says we are all, without exception, made in God’s image. As the Psalmist says. “fearfully and wonderfully made”. St Paul wrote about the body being composed of stronger and weaker parts, but each part is essential to all the rest, whether weak or strong. So for the Church - the Body of Christ - it follows that when any particular group of people is excluded the whole body suffers. We all need each other.

Between these two seminars we had lunch. I found myself talking to a mother whose daughter lives in one of Prospects’ care homes. The parents had been desperately trying to find somewhere where their 22 year old with Down Syndrome could continue to live when they are no longer able to look after her themselves. Prospects has been a godsend for them all. After lunch, I went to browse at the bookstall laden with resource materials and my companion went to talk to the charity’s financial adviser about her daughter’s money matters. This is another valuable and comparatively rare service offered by the charity.

The day ended with a celebration - singing, dancing, praying - which everyone could join in. For those with hearing and understanding problems there was sign language. For those with reading and remembering difficulties there were echo-songs (rather like singing the psalms at St Mary’s only simpler). For those who had been at the workshops, a chance to show what they had been doing.

Altogether it was a very good day both to learn and to enjoy. I am glad I went.

Pat Kingsbury

Signs & Symbols in Church : Stoops

The funeral last year of Pope John Paul II moved hundreds of millions of people worldwide when it was shown on TV. Especially moving for many was the symbolism within the service. Towards the very end one reporter commented that it was the sight of the droplets of sprinkled water on the simple coffin that would stay with him; and for many that was a very powerful symbol.

It makes one think of one of the key differences that one meets when entering a Roman Catholic, an Anglo-Catholic Protestant, or an Orthodox Church: the stoop.

The stoop is an open container that holds holy water which is normally attached to, or set into, the walls either on the right or on both sides of the entrance to the church. Entrants touch a thumb or finger of one hand, normally their right, into the water and then make the sign of the cross over themselves.

Having water at the entrance to a religious building is not unique to Christianity. Muslims are required to wash their hands, face, genitals and feet before entering the mosque for worship. Among the Jews a ceremony of purification was required before entering the Temple to assist at the sacrifices, and this undoubtedly suggested the practice of using holy water at the Christian church door. It is said to have been in vogue as early as the second century.

In the earliest churches those customs were carried through with a fountain for washing at the entrance, like at the Jewish Temple. In later years a clerk sprinkled the faithful with water as they came in and, for this reason, was called hydrokometes or "introducer by water".

In the Middle Ages it was customary to use holy water from the stoop when entering the church, but not when leaving it -- the idea being that purification was necessary before entering the house of God, but that after assisting at the Holy Sacrifice it was no longer needed. However, the general practice today is to take it both on entering and departing.

It is like golden straw with a hint of lemon sherbet…. great beer!

One of the pleasures of enjoying wine is the quite pretentious language you can use to describe it. Now you can begin to do the same with beer.

In an attempt to boost beer sales, the Campaign for Real Ale has done the same thing to the humble pint. Its recent Cyclops scheme aims to give newcomers an accurate guide to what they are about to drink.

The new system offers not only a one-to-five scale for sweetness and bitterness, but gets delightfully dotty when describing colour, smell and taste. For example: Everards’ Tiger ale is now “auburn or chestnut brown, smells of spicy hop and toffee, and has a sweet-bitter balance”. Caledonians Deuchars is “golden straw in colour and tastes of grapefruit and lemon sherbet.” The Burton bitter is “pale amber, dry and biscuity”, …

There are 2,500 real ales available in the UK, and this scheme wants to help people find what suits their taste buds. The long-term aim is to help real ale fight back against the mass-produced beers, lagers and alcopops which dominate the market.

The British beer market, including pub and off-license sales, amounts to about 33 million barrels a year. Real ale accounts for about seven to eight per cent of the total.

Now, with one gastropub in London already recommending:

- Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter for haddock and chips

- Fullers 1845 for steak

- Schneider Weisse for fish cakes

… surely the day of the beer snob is not far away!

Daily prayer topics in October

Sun 1 Thanksgiving for the fruits of Harvest

Mon 2 Those whose harvest will fail through drought or flooding

Tue 3 Spiritual guides and counsellors

Wed 4 The Order of Fransciscans

Thu 5 The homeless and refugees

Fri 6 Our neighbourhood in which we live

Sat 7 Our friends and our families

Sun 8 Our Guides, Brownies and Rainbows

Mon 9 The ethical use of medical and scientific knowledge

Tue 10 Our local hospitals, doctors, nurses and chaplains

Wed 11 District Nurses and home carers and their patients

Thu 12 Prison governors, prisoners and their families

Fri 13 Police and firemen dealing with road traffic accidents

Sat 14 Families who have lost loved ones through drink driving

Sun 15 That we may seek God and so enter into life eternal

Mon 16 World Food Day - pray for all who go hungry

Tue 17 The eradication of poverty from our world

Wed 18 Thanksgiving for the Gospel of Saint Luke

Thu 19 The Deanery Synod Meeting tonight

Fri 20 That we may be generous and willing to give

Sat 21 All who are denied basic human needs

Sun 22 One World Week begins - pray for unity

Mon 23 Christian family life

Tue 24 The United Nations

Wed 25 Fair Trade for third world countries

Thu 26 The abolition of child labour

Fri 27 Education and freedom to play for all children

Sat 28 The suffering of peoples of Iraq, Palestine and the Lebanon

Sun 29 All those being Confirmed today at St Paul’s, Roundshaw

Mon 30 A greater desire to read and study the Scriptures

Tue 31 Our link Diocese in Zimbabwe

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From the Rising of the Sun to its Setting...

A People Place

What’s on in October?

Your prayers, please

Readings for Sundays in October

A Big ‘Thank You’ From The Church

Apologies

Saints, Commemorations and Feast Days in October

Thinking of you

Autumn Parish Garden

A Rector’s Repast (or Burgers at Beddington!)

It’s amazing what a difference 28p can make

A Sense of Place

The Friends of Beddington and The Grange Parks

Concert

Autumn Serenade

Families at St Mary’s

Rainbow Party

‘The Amazing Mrs Pritchard’

The MU Wave of Prayer

From the registers

Weddings

William Tyndale

St Crispin’s Day

Twenty Years Ago

Dogs v. Men

A Good Day for Learning Prospects

Are you frightened that Friday the 13th is coming?

Signs & Symbols in Church : Stoops

It is like golden straw with a hint of lemon sherbet…. great beer!

Daily prayer topics in October