Thinking of you

From the registers

Baptisms

Confirmations

Funerals

Snippets

Cynthia Betty Clarke

A letter from Bishop Nick Baines

The Anglican Communion

Daily prayer topics in November

Shibboleth

The new installation in the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London is a piece called Shibboleth by the Columbian artist Doris Salcedo. Physically, Shibboleth is a very dramatic crack, running the full length of the floor of the Turbine Hall, beginning with a hairline fracture and becoming an angry and wide scar about 4 inches wide. When you peer into the crack you see darkness edged by chain linked fence embedded in jagged concrete.

A shibboleth is defined as a “word used as a test for detecting people from another district or country by their pronunciation, a word or sound very difficult for foreigners to pronounce correctly”. The idea comes from the Book of Judges Chapter 12 when Jephthah the Gileadite identifies (and kills) the fleeing Ephraimites because they cannot say the word Shibboleth “correctly” (ie according to the way of Gilead). In other words, a shibboleth is something that is used to divide one party from another, a way of judging, of marginalising, of separating “us” from “them”. In our society there are many shibboleths – along the lines of pronounciation, language, colour, faith, education. Within peer groups they also exist : are you wearing the right trainers, do you have the right phone, did you attend the right university? In the church they are far from absent: do you sing the right sort of hymns, are you “right” about your views on homosexuality, the ordination of women.....? The list goes on and on, and certainly the press coverage of the Anglican Communion reinforces this idea of judgement and division of groups on a single issue. In this edition of the magazine you will find an article by Bishop Nick about the wounds bourne by the Anglican Communion and one by Margaret Freeman looking in the context of mission at the importance of all that holds us together

As I walked alongside the fault line in the Tate Modern, I was struck by two aspects of people’s response to it. The first was the way that most people seemed to walk with one foot on each side of the division, not wanting to be on one side or the other. The second was the way that so many people seemed to want to stroke the edges of the crack, in part of course to investigate how it was made, but also it seemed with a desire to heal it, to make what is broken back into one.

In November as we remember so many of the divisions that have scarred our society, perhaps the desire for healing and wholeness is the message of Shibboleth for us today.

Justine

What’s on in November?
Thu "	1 "	'Praise & Play' for pre-school toddlers - looking at Mary and the Angel's visit. Mothers' Union meet in the Centre for a talk by Cynthia Smith on her visit to Zimbabwe. (Non-members are welcome to come along)	10-11.30 am 7.30 pm
Fri	2	ALL SOULS DAY. Sung Eucharist	7.30pm
SUN	4	ALL SAINTS TRIO presentation and brunch. The Centre	11.15 am
Tue	6	TRIO presentation and supper. The Centre	7.30 pm
Wed "	7 "	TRIO presentation and lunch. The Centre Sutton Deanery Synod at St Dunstan's, Cheam	12 noon 8.00 pm
Sat	10	TRIO presentation and supper. The Centre	6.30 pm
SUN	11	REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Thu	15	'Praise & Play' for pre-school toddlers - looking at Joseph and families	10-11.30 am
Fri	16	Chapter Meeting in Church and the Centre	11.30 am - 3.00 pm
Sat	17	'Infinite Variety' Chimes Musical Theatre Concert in Church	7.30 pm
SUN	18	SECOND BEFORE ADVENT
Mon	19	PCC meeting. The Centre	8.00 pm
Thu	20	'Time for God' quiet worship. The Carew Chapel	9.30 am
Wed "	21 "	Mothers' Union Corporate Eucharist Poetry Circle. The Centre	9.30 am 2.00-4.00 pm
Sat	24	Christmas Fair. Church and Centre	11.00 am - 3.00 pm
SUN	25	CHRIST THE KING
Thu	29	'Praise & Play' for pre-school toddlers.	10-11.30 am
Fri	30	Kith, Kin & Kanine. Coffee and Cake in the Centre	10.00 - 11.30 am

Saints and Commemorations in November

Sun 4 ALL SAINTS DAY

Tue 6 Leonard, Hermit, 6th century

" " William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher of the Faith. 1944

Wed 7 Willibrord of York, Bishop, Apostle of Frisia, 739

Thu 8 The Saints and Martyrs of England

Fri 9 Margery Kempe, Mystic, c1440

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

Tue 13 Charles Simeon, Priest, Evangelical Divine, 1836

Wed 14 Samuel Seabury, first Anglican Bishop in North America, 1796

Fri 16 Margaret, Queen of Scotland, Philanthropist, Reformer of

the Church, 1093

" " Edmund Rich of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1240

Sat 17 Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200

Mon 19 Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680

Tue 20 Edmund, King of the East Angles, Martyr, 870

" " Priscilla Lydia Sellon, a Restorer of the Religious Life in the

Church of England, 1876

Thu 22 Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c230

Fri 23 Clement, Bishop of Rome, Martyr, c100

Fri 30 ANDREW THE APOSTLE

Top of the Document

From the registers

Baptisms

23 September

Jouan Hamilton

7 October

George Marcus Elliott & Harry Ronald Elliott

14 October

Georgie Joe Forshaw & Izabelle Louise Hood

Confirmations

by the Bishop of Southwark

14 October

Tina Tatool & William Harding

Funerals

1 October

Cynthia Clarke

8 October

Clifford Salisbury

Snippets

On Thursday, 1 November at 7.30 pm, Cynthia Smyth will be speaking at the MU meeting in the Centre about her recent visit to Zimbabwe. As our thoughts and prayers continue to focus on that country's dire situation, all are invited to join the MU to hear Cynthia's first hand account of the conditions she and other members of the diocesan party found there.

Mrs Ede has delivered church magazines for 30 years! What a record! Thank you so much! However, having suffered a broken arm and recently a broken hip, she has had to give up. This means that I need somebody to take over her round of 11 deliveries at Guy Road, Church Lane and one to The Brandries. If you feel you could help with these, please ring Pam Vernon on 020 8669 1549.

St Mary's has just had its Quinquennial Inspection - which means, simply, that our architect has spent several hours examining the building - from tower to boilerhouse, inside and outside, looking at every aspect of the church and its 'fixtures and fittings'. His next step is to send his report to the Rector and Churchwardens and to the Archdeacon. The report includes recommendations both about major building work and routine daily maintenance.

As the name implies, these inspections have to be done every five years - just another useful means of reminding us of our responsibilities for looking after our church buildings and a help in prioritising the work we do on them.

A date for your diary:

On Wednesday December 12th Bishop Nick is coming to Beddington for his periodic Visitation. This is a chance for the Bishop to get to know more about what we’re doing in the parish both as a church and in the wider community, a chance for us to meet him and a chance for us all to learn from each other. Part of the day’s events will involve an opportunity for us all to meet informally with the Bishop over a meal and glass of wine and later to talk with him over matters of specific importance for our parish life. More details to follow soon, but please note this date in your diary.

Cynthia Betty Clarke

7 October 1929 - 17 September 2007

Cynthia was born in Southampton, just two streets away from where Peter, her husband-to-be, was born. Cynthia left school at 14 to join the Post Office and it was here she met Peter. On their first date they went to the Cinema where the film - 'I'll Be Your Sweetheart' had the theme tune:

I'll be your sweetheart if you will be mine

All my life I'll be your Valentine

Bluebells I gather them and be true

And all my life I'll be in love with you.

…… and that's how it was and always has been for them. Cynthia and Peter married on 8 October 1949. With rationing still on it meant scrounging coupons for the reception, wedding dress and furniture.

Two children followed: Dennis, born in 1950 and Susan in 1953. When the children had grown up Cynthia went back to work for the Inland Revenue. Peter was promoted to Croydon and the family moved from Hampshire to their home in Croydon Road. Cynthia transferred to Croydon Inland Revenue where she made many friends. They also joined St Mary's where both Cynthia and Susan became flower arrangers, and when the new church Centre was built in 1995 she became Letting Secretary - a role she maintained until just a few weeks before she died.

Cynthia had many loves:

She loved to travel and when she and Peter were first married they would watch the ocean liners come and go in Southampton, and dream. Peter promised that one day he would take her around the world, and this they did in 1988.

She loved people and never forgot a birthday, anniversary, congratulations or remembrances. Everywhere she went she would visit the card department to stock up.

She loved flowers and could not wait for Spring, her favourite time of the year with snowdrops, daffodils and tulips, but she couldn't wait for the tulips to open so she would pop the heads to make them flower earlier!

She also loved clothes and dressing up and spent many hours looking for bargains or that special outfit, always making sure everything matched up. It was wonderful to see her arrive at church on Sunday morning always looking totally immaculate - maybe a leftover from her childhood when her mother who was very particular would not let Cynthia get dirty - one speck and her clothes would be changed and washed straight away.

As the first verse of the poem on the back of Cynthia's funeral service booklet said:

"You can shed tears that she is gone

or you can smile because she lived"

Many people will have a lot to smile about for having known Cynthia. She will be missed by all the family and her many friends.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Cynthia's family at this time

of sadness following her death and continued anxiety as Peter remains

in hospital following his recent accident

A letter from Bishop Nick Baines

24 October 2007

The Church’s One Vocation?

Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas? I realise how irritating it is when the shops start putting up the decorations in the summer; but we have had no summer, have we? So, I suppose it is OK to start thinking about Christmas without embarrassment now even though there are several months to go and even Advent hasn’t appeared over the horizon.

I am thinking about Christmas because of something Bishop David Jenkins once said. In speaking about being a Christian and fulfilling our calling in the world he said: ‘We are not up to it. But God is down to it.’ And, that, in one sense, sums it up. Or, as he once summed up Christian belief in a pithy ‘creed’: ‘God is. God is as he is in Jesus. So there is hope.’

I don’t quote these just for the fun of it or because I don’t know what else to write about. I quote them because I (and we) need constantly to be recalled to the heart of what we are about as Christians in a church which appears to the world outside to be characterised by argument, conflict, resentment and self-righteousness. Yet the Church has one primary vocation (into which worship, witness and service all belong) and that is to be the body of Christ. This is not just a nice religious phrase used to denote the ‘holy’; rather, it is intended to denote the ‘unholy’ mess that Jesus found himself part of when walking the earth. I’d probably better explain myself.

The logic of the Scriptures could be summed up as: ‘If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what Jesus is like, read the Gospels and look at the Church.’ When people come into contact with the Church (what we say, what we do and how we say and do them) they should find some reflection of the Jesus they read about in the Gospels. And that applies to local communities of Christians as well as diocesan, national and international communions. The Church is called to be Christ-ian.

It is here that it all becomes a bit embarrassing. We know that we frequently represent a reminder of the world’s bad news and fail to be the embodiment of the good news of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. But it has ever been thus and it shall ever be thus. We fail a million times, yet are still called ‘the Body of Christ’. And perhaps it is here in particular that the good news becomes evident: God, in Christ (even the risen Christ), bears the wound marks of the world’s violence and sin, unashamed to invite the Thomas’s of this world to touch. The Church is to be open and unashamed of its wounds because it is here that we can speak with humility and gratitude of God’s mercy and grace - allowing us to start again, to reconcile what looks broken, to bring hope where despair seems the only natural course.

Advent is coming and Christmas will follow. We will remember that God opted into the world, not out of it. We will hear again the story that brings hope – that God is on our side and invites us to show the world what this looks like.

Nick Baines
Bishop of Croydon

Top of the Document

The Anglican Communion

With all this talk about the Anglican Communion, here is the “official definition” of what the Anglican Communion actually is (taken from the website of the Anglican Communion www.anglicancommunion.org/leaflet).

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

OUR FAITH

Anglican/Episcopal churches uphold and proclaim the Catholic and Apostolic faith, proclaimed in the Scriptures, interpreted in the light of tradition and reason. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ, Anglicans are committed to the proclamation of the good news of the Gospel to all creation. Our faith and ministry have been expressed through the Book of Common Prayer, received and adapted by local churches, in the Services of Ordination (the Ordinal), and in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, first expounded at the Missionary Conference in Chicago in 1886, and revised by the Lambeth Conference of 1888. The quadrilateral sets out four essential elements of the Christian faith:

1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as “containing all things necessary to salvation”, and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith.

2. The Apostles’ Creed as the baptismal symbol; and the Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith.

3. The two Sacraments ordained by Christ himself - Baptism and the Supper of the Lord - ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.

4. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of His Church.

Central to Anglican worship is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper or the Mass). In this offering of prayer and praise, the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ are made a present reality through the proclamation of the Word, and the celebration of the Sacrament. Anglicans celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, with water in the name of the Trinity, as the rite of entry into the Christian Church, and celebrate other sacramental rites, including Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Ordination.

Common prayer is at the heart of Anglicanism. Its styles may vary from the simple to the elaborate, from evangelical to catholic, charismatic to traditional. The various Books of Common Prayer give expression to a comprehensiveness found within the churches, which seeks to chart a via media in relation to other Christian traditions.

It is the interpretation of these concepts on practice and across a wide variety of cultures that is at the heart of the divisions that face the Communion at this time.

Mission and Giving

Betty Walker and I went recently to a Friends of Southwark Cathedral meeting. The speaker, the Sub-Dean Andrew Nunn was reporting on the conference he had attended in South Africa. The purpose was to consider how the Anglican Communion could contribute to furthering progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These goals include the ending of poverty - at least for the millions who subsist on less than one dollar a day, clean water, health, and primary education for all. The achievement of any one aim depends heavily on progress in the other areas. For instance, Andrew had seen that in India girls had less chance of schooling because they had to fetch water for the family.

Andrew conveyed clearly the effects the conference had had on him. He admitted that before he went he had wondered whether, if the Anglican Communion broke up, it would matter to him. He came away convinced that it would matter to all members: Anglicans from North, South and Central America, India, Sri Lanka, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK. Archbishop Rowan's opening address recalled Paul's words, '…. members of one body ….. if one member suffers, we all suffer'. To reach the Development Goals requires the support of governments and money, but resources are only effectively used by people and this is where the Church can contribute. Church people know the needs of the communities of which they are a part and can use the money to good effect. Andrew said our government knows this and will support financially projects to meet needs.

Andrew went on to highlight the effectiveness of women within the church as being the ones who get things done, very often through the Mothers' Union. Years ago, at our Deanery Synod, Bishop Ishmael from our link diocese of Zimbabwe, made precisely the same point. When considering what contribution Anglicans might make, Andrew urged that the role of women should be taken seriously as indeed it had been at the conference. He spoke highly - 'they were fantastic' - of two women speakers, one a UK delegate June Osborne, and of the whole-hearted support given by the Bishop of Panama and the Archbishop of Central America to the young woman priest from Panama who presided at one eucharist.

Andrew was also deeply impressed by the generosity manifest at the conference. On arrival, he learned that he was taking the first day's communion, held very early to avoid the heat of the Johannesburg day. Even though the retreat centre was a green oasis, albeit a gated one, it was in the centre of a poor township. At the start of the service, nothing was available - no elements, no chalices, only the conference members and the people of the township - about 3,000 in all. But the necessities appeared - just in time. The service progressed and through the smell of the incense, Andrew caught other tantalising smells - breakfast. For 3,000? All were fed.

Years ago, an unfortunate year group had an RE lesson with me on a Friday afternoon - most unwelcome! They came up with the idea of studying the church in other lands so I got acquainted with the work of USPG, UMCA and other societies. I don't know whether the students learned anything but they had taught me and ever since I have supported USPG, now Anglicans in Mission. I believe other members of St Mary's do also, but do we contribute as a church? I know we did. Our giving lapsed when our finances were at the lowest ebb but the money did go eventually.

I agree with the PCC's decision to send 20% to Zimbabwe when the time comes, but this is from fund-raising not from our regular giving. I urge, as I have done in the past on the PCC, that we should, as a church, give - perhaps even more than we think we can afford - my opinion.

An afterthought on the value of the Mothers' Union: the cathedral congregation want to start a branch - I hope they succeed.

Margaret Freeman

Top of the Document

William Blake

the man who put 'Jerusalem' into the WI's 'Jam and Jerusalem'

And did those feet in ancient time
        Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
        On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
        Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
        Among those dark Satanic Mills?

The man who wrote the 'theme-tune' for the Women's Institute, William Blake, was born in London 250 years ago this month, on 28 November.

Of course, when Blake was living and writing in London at the turn of the 18th century, the Women's Institute was the last thing on his mind. He was not an establishment sort of person. Though a firm believer in Christianity, with a great affection for the Bible, this visionary poet was very hostile to the established church of the day.

Instead, William Blake was fascinated by Mysticism and the growing Romantic Movement. His poetry and print-making reflect his highly idiosyncratic view of life. His spirituality was intense and very personal: he produced a magnificent illustrated version of The Book of Job, but believed that he could talk freely to the Old Testament prophets.

Blake would undoubtedly have raised a few eyebrows if he'd ever been let loose in a Women's Institute, but his poetry has been loved by millions over the past two centuries. As well as Jerusalem, there are the immortal lines:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Holy Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour

And also, his famous poem which begins

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Give thee life and bid thee feed
By the stream and over the mead

Though largely ignored during his lifetime (he died in 1827) Blake's work is seen by many scholars as highly significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts. Indeed, William Blake was voted 38th in a poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, organised by the BBC in 2002. One modern critic has even called him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced."

William Blake gave the Women's Institute 'Jerusalem'. In return, he would probably have appreciated their jam!

Twenty Years Ago

November 1987

Entitled "Pilgrims Progress", there was a short report of a very special meeting calling itself, "the broadest assembly of British and Irish churches ever to meet in these Islands". The Archbishops of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church were among the 350 delegates there. So were the leaders of all the major Free Churches and the Afro-Caribbean churches. This was the climax of the Inter-Church Process called, Not Strangers but Pilgrims, held at Swanwick, Derbyshire, in 1987.

A declaration after the gathering included the statement, "Our earnest desire is to become more fully, in His own time, the one Church of Christ, united in faith, communion, pastoral care and mission." Those who made that statement were the ones who could open the most doors to help the rest of us to take the initiatives. Full proposals were promised to reach the churches by the following year, making it a Leap Year in more sense than one. How much of a leap do you think has been made in 20 years?

In her Guides & Brownies report, Kath Chilcott recorded thanks to several people who had done sterling work of varying kinds, from Brown Owl and Unit Helpers to Young Leaders. All were moving on to pastures new.

Brownie Pack holidays had taken place, one at Heartsease, where a friendly fox had eaten up their scraps and one at Blackheath, where they'd gone one better and stroked a local's pet lion!

Carew Manor had become the new home for the Boys' Brigade, for which they were most grateful. The lads had spent a morning having a grand clear-up at the Rectory Lane Hall. It was so successful, people actually noticed!

In Twenty Years Ago, Stewart compared the Harvest displays of 1987 rather unfavourably with those of 1967. The absence of home-grown fruit and vegetables caused him to query if people had given up tending their gardens and allotments in the same way. (I was away and missed ours this year but saw several magnificent arrangements in a number of the 14 different churches I visited over the weekend!) No doubt our flower arrangers and other contributors did us proud in 2007.

In 1987's Carousel was a quote heard on the Belfry stairs: Visitor - "We've been living here a couple of years now but every time we've come, the church has been shut." Ringer - "It's open every Sunday." Visitor - "Hey! Did you hear that, mum? It's open Sundays!" Twenty years on - are people any more clued in?

Jean Kimber

Top of the Document

William Temple

Archbishop of Canterbury

6 November

William Temple was born in 1881, second son of Frederick Temple (priest, one-time Head of Rugby School, Bishop of Exeter, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury 1896 - 1902). William suffered from gout from the age of two and it eventually caused his death. His eyesight was poor and a cataract which, formed in infancy, left him blind in his right eye at the age of 40.

Despite these handicaps, he was a well-educated man and an avid reader. He attended Balliol College, Oxford, from 1900 to 1904 and was President of the Oxford Union (the University Debating Society).

In 1906 he applied for Ordination but was refused by the Bishop of Oxford, who felt he was not orthodox enough in his beliefs. However, Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury, decided Temple's thoughts were developing in the right direction and took a chance on ordaining him priest in 1910.

His skills in debating enabled him to help people fight many different causes. In 1921, he was made Bishop of Manchester. The General Strike of 1926 was primarily against the social and economic policies of the country as a whole and in Manchester, this meant a coal stoppage. Temple worked extensively to mediate between the parties and helped to bring about a settlement which both sides regarded as basically fair.

He became Archbishop of York in 1929 and succeeded Cosmo Lang as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1942. He died at Westgate-on-Sea on October16,1944. He was the first Primate of all England to be cremated and his ashes are buried in Canterbury Cathedral.

A story from his life for us says that, in 1931, at the end of the Oxford Mission, he led a congregation in the University church of St Mary the Virgin, in the singing of the hymn "When I survey the wondrous cross". Just before the last verse, he stopped them and asked them to read through the words for themselves. Then he said, "If you mean them with all your heart, sing them as loud as you can. If you don't mean them at all, keep silent. If you mean them even a little and want them to mean more, sing them very softly." When the organ played, two thousand voices whispered,

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were an offering far too small,

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

What sound would be heard in St Mary the Virgin, Beddington?

Jean Kimber

Daily prayer topics in November

Thu 1 All who are leading dedicated lives

Fri 2 The faithful departed

Sat 3 Our loved ones and all who have cared for us

Sun 4 Thanksgiving for the lives and examples of the Saints

Mon 5 All who quietly service the Church and the community

Tue 6 That each may fulfil their vocation

Wed 7 The Deanery Synod Meeting tonight

Thu 8 The Saints and Martyrs of England

Fri 9 Youth work taking place in Southport until 11 November

Sat 10 All who work with young people

Sun 11 Thanksgiving for all who have given up their lives in service

of their country

Mon 12 The General Synod

Tue 13 The Army, Air Force and the Navy

Wed 14 The Church in North America

Thu 15 Our local clergy fraternity

Fri 16 The Church of Scotland

Sat 17 Lincoln Cathedral, Dean and Chapter

Sun 18 Prisoners and all who care for them

Mon 19 The families of prisoners

Tue 20 Anglican Religious Communities

Wed 21 All musicians, composers and conductors

Thu 22 Magistrates, judges and juries

Fri 23 All who are imprisoned physically, mentally or spiritually

Sat 24 The elimination of violence against women

Sun 25 Praise God for Christ our Heavenly King

Mon 26 The depressed, the anxious and the emotionally distressed

Tue 27 All who work for the National Health Service

Wed 28 That we may be watchful and faithful as we await the second

coming of our Lord

Thu 29 Thanksgiving for the Missionary Work of the Church

Fri 30 The Church and people of Zimbabwe

Top of the Document