One of the things I don’t miss about commuting into London is standing on a cold, wet, dark platform on a winter’s morning waiting for a train that never seems to come. The two minute wait for the train always seemed like an eternity, which was then replaced by an everlasting journey with my nose pressed into someone’s back (or worse). None of it was good – at least not in my memory. Patience is a virtue they say, but a necessity for a commuter.

But in our society patience and waiting aren’t really seen as virtues. They are seen so often as a waste of time when we could be off and doing something, filling in the void with something, anything. We need to be on the move, to be rushing to the next thrill, the next acquisition. We are constantly attracted to the things that make life go faster, feel fuller, have more “added value”. We learn, as the writer David Runcorn puts it, “to fear the spaces in our lives that might deepen the present moment…It is so easy, so unthinking, to turn on the television, pour a drink, pick up a phone, the moment a space opens up for just too long to be comfortable.” *

It’s a diagnosis that rings true for me - a house isn’t a home without the radio on – yet half the time I don’t hear it, it’s like aural wallpaper. Being still, stopping, listening to ourselves so we can discover what we truly want and truly desire and even listening and testing the still small voice that might be God - all these opportunities are lost to us (perhaps avoided by us) if we don’t stop and wait.

If we risk pausing then what is true and genuine can grow and develop, what was a mere craze or infatuation can burn itself out. If we wait we will be tempted and tested and tried. but at the end we will discover more about the strength of our feelings, the source of our needs.

The season of Advent is one which teaches us about the stature, the strength of waiting. Like Lent it’s a period of preparation – not of house, present list and Christmas tree as the adverts would have us believe, but of ourselves. It’s a period when we should be trying to get ourselves ready to receive afresh the gift of God among us and within us at Christmas. I’ve no doubt that it was always a period of frustration – come on, hurry up, let’s get to the feast. But in these days when Christmas seems to have been with us for months already, when the girls have been putting on their party gear and eyeing up Antonio Banderas for ever, it seems even longer. Surely it can’t be another four weeks to go? Surely Christmas can be whenever we want it to be and we can start partying now?

That’s why the Church’s observance of Advent as a separate season from Christmas is so important. It reminds us that the preparation is important, that the waiting and longing and anticipation has value. It reminds us that while we wait on the threshold there is important work to be done on and with ourselves so that we might be ready to receive God on Christmas Day. If we don’t stop and think about it now, the real train might go without us.

Justine

* David Runcorn “Choice, Desire and the Will of God: What more do you want? SPCK 2003, p91

What’s on in December?
SUN	2	ADVENT 1 Advent Carol Service	6.30 pm
Tue	4	Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	10.15 am
Wed	5	St Mary's Guild Advent Meeting. St Mary's Court	2.30 pm
Thu	6	'Praise & Play" Christmas Party. The Centre MU&OG. An evening of Carols and Readings. The Centre	10-11.30 am 7.30 pm
SUN	9	ADVENT 2 Families at St Mary's Christmas Party Christingle and Toy Service Sung Compline	1.45-3.45 pm 4.00 pm 6..30 pm
Tue	11	Carew Manor School Christmas Service	10.30 am
Wed	12	Bishop Nick's Parish Visit
Fri	14	Link School Christmas Service in church	10.30 am
SUN	16	ADVENT 3 Sung Compline	6.30 pm
Mon	17	Sherwood Park School Christmas Service in church 'O Come Emmanuel' Advent meditations	10.30 am 9.30 am & 7.00 pm
Tue	18	Beddington Infant School Christmas Service in church 'O Come Emmanuel' Advent meditations	10.30 am 9.30 am & 7.00 pm
Wed	19	Mothers' Union Corporate Eucharist. Carew Chapel 'O Come Emmanuel' Advent meditations	10.00 am 9.30 am & 7.00 pm
Thu	20	'O Come Emmanuel' Advent meditations	9.30 am & 7.00 pm
Fri	21	'O Come Emmanuel' Advent meditations	9.30 am & 7.00 pm
SUN	23	ADVENT 4 Christmas Carol Service	6.30 pm
Mon	24	Carol and Crib Service Midnight Mass	5.00pm 11.30pm
TUE	25	CHRISTMAS DAY Eucharist with Carols	9.30 am
Fri	28	'Kith, Kin & Kanine'. Coffee and Cake in the Centre	10.00- 11.30 am
SUN	30	CHRISTMAS 1

From the Registers

Baptisms

11 November

Samuel Roger Light

Funerals

31 October

Roy Malcom Croney, age 81 yrs

28 November

Francis Peter Clarke, age 80 yrs

30 November

Phyllis Mary Shaw, age 86 yrs

Francis Peter Clarke

It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Peter so shortly after the loss of Cynthia.

Our thoughts and prayers are once again with his family as they cope with the shock and grief of losing two much loved members so soon after each other.

Peter's funeral took place on Wednesday, 28 November and we will reflect on his life in

January's magazine.

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Saints and Commemorations in December

Sat 1 Charles de Foucald, Hermit in the Sahara, 1916

Mon 3 Francis Xavier, Missionary, Apostle of the Indies, 1552

Tue 4 John of Damascus, Monk, Teacher of the Faith, c749

" " Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, Founder of the Little Gidding Community, 1637

Thu 6 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c326

Fri 7 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Teacher of the Faith, 397

Sat 8 THE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thu 13 Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304

" " Samuel Johnson, Moralist, 1784

Fri 14 John of the Cross, Poet, Teacher of the Faith, 1591

Mon 17 O SAPIENTIA

" " Eglantyne Jebb, Social Reformer, Founder of Save the Children, 1928

Wed 26 Stephen, Deacon, First Martyr

Thu 27 JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

Fri 28 The Holy Innocents

Sat 29 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr, 1170

Mon 31 John Wyclif, Reformer, 1384

Readings for Sundays and Festivals in December

Sunday, 2 December

Advent

Isaiah 2 : 1-5 Romans 13 : 11-14 Matthew 24 : 36-44

Sunday, 9 December

Advent 2

Isaiah 11 : 1-10 Romans 15 : 4-13 Matthew 3 : 1-12

Sunday, 16 December

Advent 3

Isaiah 35 : 1-10 James 5 : 7-10 Matthew 11 : 2-11

Sunday, 23 December

Advent 4

Isaiah 7 : 10-16 Romans 1 : 1-7 Matthew 1 : 18-25

Monday, 24 December

Midnight Mass

Isaiah 9 : 2-7 Titus 2 : 11-14 Luke 2 : 1-14

Tuesday, 25 December

Christmas Day

Isaiah 52 : 7-10 Hebrews 1 : 1-12 John 1 : 1-14

Sunday, 30 December

Christmas 1

Isaiah 63 : 7-9 Hebrews 2 : 10-18 Matthew 2 : `13-23

Thinking of you

Every Sunday we pray for people living and working in two or three roads in the parish.

The roads in December will be:

Sunday 2 December

Mallinson Road & Meller Close

Sunday 9 December

Derry Road & Harrington Road

Sunday 16 December

All industries, shops and all those

who work in the Parish

Sunday 23 December

Crispin Close & Crispin Cresent

Sunday, 30 December

Beddington Lane

O Come Emmanuel

This year we are offering the opportunity to pause and rest a little during the frantic build up to Christmas, a chance to orient ourselves towards God rather than Tesco and remember the true meaning of Advent and Christmas. For a week beginning on 17 December, at 9.30 in the morning and again at 7.00 in the evening, we will be holding a short service of prayer and meditation based on the Great or “O” Antiphons which are the basis of the hymn “O come, O come Emmanuel”. Each short service will last for half an hour, and will be followed in the evening by a short service of Compline.

The ancient antiphons or refrains are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers or Evensong in the week leading up to Christmas. Their exact origins are not known, but they were in common use by the eighth century.

Each Antiphon is addressed to the Messiah using a different title. Each reflects the various ways in which God acts in the world and our lives and calls out with longing that the Messiah will come.

We hope that you will find these short services a helpful time to relax, to refocus and to reach out with eager longing for the events we celebrate at Christmas when we celebrate Emmanuel – that God is with us.

The Titles of the Great Antiphons

- OSapientia (O Wisdom)

- O Adonai (O Lord)

- O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)

- O Clavis David (O Key of David)

- O Oriens (O Rising Sun)

- O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)

- O Emmanuel

A further aspect

The titles of the antiphons and their arrangement is not random. If you start with the last title and take the first letter of each one – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore I, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” The Antiphons which prepare us for Christmas in our worship are therefore fulfilled.

Acknowledgement: Rev William Saunders “What are the ‘O Antiphons’?” Arlington Catholic Herald.

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Compline

On Sundays the 9th and 16th December we will be holding services of Compline at 6.30 pm rather than our usual Choral Evensong. Although this service is an ancient service of the church, it is perhaps somewhat unknown within the Church of England.

The service of Compline dates from around the second century. It is the final service of the day, literally its completion; a time to reflect and to recognise ourselves to be in God’s keeping and presence as we head towards evening, home and bed.

Parts of the service, for example some of the responses and the Nunc Dimittis, are very familiar to Anglican congregations. These were the elements which Thomas Cranmer combined with the earlier evening office of Vespers to create the service we know as Evensong.

The service at St Mary’s will begin with a hymn and meditation on an Advent theme, followed by the service itself. This is sung by the minister, choir and congregation, and uses some very simple and very beautiful Plainchant settings for the Psalm and the Nunc Dimittis.

We hope that these services will provide an opportunity for some space and quiet reflection in the run up to Christmas, a chance to be still with God.

Bishop's Parish Visit

On Wednesday December 12th Bishop Nick is coming to see us as

part of the cycle of parish visits. It’s a chance for us to share with

him all the things that we have been doing as a parish and to think together about the things we do, or could do better to help make God’s love known here in Beddington.

In the afternoon we will be visiting Carew Manor School and in the evening the Bishop will be visiting the choir during their practice and also will be having an informal supper and discussion with members of the parish. It’s an open invitation, and it would be wonderful if as many people as possible could be there to celebrate St Mary’s together.

Please sign up on the list at the back of church so we can cater appropriately

Snippets

The Poetry Circle will not be meeting this month, but will recommence on Wednesday, 16 January 2008 when they will be looking at the work of the poet, John Clare. Everyone is very welcome to come along.

The choristers have been enjoying more 'friendly footie' followed by a hearty tea for players and their supporters. Recent fixtures have been with St Elphege Cubs and the Boys Brigade. Thank you so much to all the mothers from all the teams who have always had the kettles boiling and the hot dogs ready just in time for the final whistles.

Congratulations to the Cantate Voices, who won their section at the recent Sutton Music Festival. (This is a mixed choir of youngsters aged 11 to 18, directed by Tamasine Kimber and accompanied by Chris) They were awarded the Gold Medal and will receive a trophy for their efforts at a special ceremony.

Choir coffers got heavier (and the purses of the Sunday morning congregation got much lighter) after the Choristers' Sponsored Swim at the end of October. Well done boys.

The TRIO Campaign Team would like to thank all who gave their time to attend one of the presentations and listen to us 'tell the story' of how planned giving is so important to the future of St Mary's. Those who were unable to attend will be contacted and invited to participate in the campaign.

Top marks for initiative. Sam and Emily de Ritter decided to do their own thing to raise money for their school charity - Turn on the Tap, a project run by Samaritan's Purse to provide safe, accessible drinking water in the developing world. Sam did a sponsored run and Emily a sponsored swim which raised a whopping £150 for the charity. Sam and Emily would like to thank everyone who sponsored them.

St Mary's Christmas Fair came a little early this year - on 24 November - but thanks to a forest of artificial Christmas trees on loan for the day, Church and Centre took on a colourful festive look. Craft stalls, tombolas, crazy competitions and the refreshment corner were all kept busy. The takings at time of going to press were £1,680 and still counting. The GREAT BIG THANK YOU goes to EVERYONE who helped in any way at all, from cooking beforehand to sweeping up afterwards and, of course, to everyone who came and entered so generously into the fun of the day.

Very early on Christmas Eve, a small group of very young singers from Collingwood School will set off for the GMTV studios. They will be performing live at around 7.00am and 8.00am. Tamasine Kimber will be directing them, accompanied by Chris on the piano. Switch on for a familiar face or two.

An Infinite Variety

……… of goose-pimples

It was good to welcome back Chimes Musical Theatre on 17 November, bringing with them the familiar faces and talents of Selwyn and Cassie, as Chimes celebrated its 20 years of music making in aid of numerous charities.

It was a wonderfully entertaining programme - from soaring sopranos to a competition between Ellis Pike and Rhodri on his tuba as to who could produce the lowest note of the evening. Not sure who won that one! And who could forget the entire Periodic Table sung at a cracking pace - quite a useful little number to learn before taking a chemistry exam.

But the greatest wonder of the evening was how the Chimes ladies in their fine evening dresses withstood the chill of an unheated church without murmur or suggestion of a shiver. Real troopers all.

Come back soon - we'll understand if you insist on a summer event next time!

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Sutton Deanery Synod

St Dunstan's Church, Cheam

Wednesday, 7 November 2007

We were welcomed to Sutton Deanery's November meeting by the Area Dean, Canon Christopher Wheaton. Canon Wheaton was applauded for his elevation as a canon of Southwark Cathedral. Heather Cosgrove, the Lay Chairman, led the opening prayers.

The Rector of St Dunstan's, Fr Darren Miller, gave us a brief talk about his church. The present building was built in 1864 but it was the site of Saxon church, of which the only reminder is the Lumley Chapel in the churchyard. He felt that the Saxon link gave the people much comfort as they looked to the challenge of the future. The other churches in the Team Ministry are StOswald's and StAlban's.

Domestic Violence at Synod

One of the main topics for the evening was the emotive issue of Domestic Violence. The Revd Charlotte Elvey from Christ Church, Worcester Park, introduced her mother-in-law, Jennifer Beresford, from the Oxford diocese. She had been a social worker and very involved in domestic violence groups and counselling. She gave us some interesting, yet disturbing, facts.

About one in four women experience domestic violence at some time in their lives. There is no difference between social, educational or racial groups when it comes to domestic violence. It cannot necessarily be recognised in the perpetrator, as they are often among the most apparently upright citizens. (She admitted that women weren't the only sufferers, but they were the issue under discussion).

Most abused women will have suffered, on average, 35 times before seeking help. They usually believe it is their fault and are too ashamed to report it. This is often reinforced by the perpetrator, who prevents them doing the things they used to do by exerting power over them. He will not allow them to drive the car, see friends or even go out alone. He undermines their self confidence and makes excuses by telling friends they are neurotic.

When he first abuses, he will be contrite, apologise, bring flowers and chocolates, but it will almost certainly continue. Very, very few abusers stop; once the cycle is established, there's no going back.

Two women a week are killed by their abusers.

Many are unable to escape; they have no financial support; there may be children to consider; others are too afraid to do anything about their situation.

A group called Women's Aid is there to help. The group works with the police and social workers but they need information. We need to watch out for possible symptoms. Does she have any unusual bruising? Does she keep her arms/neck covered? Does she suddenly stop joining in things? There is not just physical or sexual abuse - there's emotional abuse too.

If there are children involved, not necessarily as victims of the abuse but spectators, the police should be told at once. It is considered child abuse if they are witnesses of violence. It is up to every one of us to be vigilant and to have information to hand if someone asks for help. Useful phone numbers and websites will be available in church soon.

We must not ignore this - it happens in churches too. We were told that many clergy wives have been victims, let alone members of the congregation. Please be aware.

Jean Kimber

Deanery Representative

Lucy

13 December

Lucy was the daughter of honourable wealthy parents and was born in Sicily in 238AD. She devoted her life to the Christian faith and was martyred for it in 304AD.

Lucy means "light" (from the Latin "lux") and many Scandinavian countries hold celebrations on her special day. A girl portraying St Lucy, wearing a crown of candles, walks ahead of a procession of white-clad women, all carrying candles and singing songs.

In the Julian calendar, December 13 was the longest night of the year and in Nordic countries the nights are very long and dark and the idea of light overcoming darkness was appealing. It drew together Advent and the coming of the Christmas season, so at the change of calendar, St Lucy's Day remained on the 13th.

The tradition appears to have started in German families, with girls dressing up as angels and handing out presents. The Swedish variant seems to have begun in the 1700s. Public processions in the cities started in 1927 in Stockholm. A traditional kind of bun made with saffron is eaten on this day.

In Denmark, "Luciadag", the Day of St Lucia, was first celebrated on December 13, 1944. It was an attempt "to bring light in time of darkness", in other words, it was a passive protest against German occupation in the Second World War but has been a tradition ever since.

In this country, many people have adopted the Scandinavian tradition of bringing light, by placing the Swedish wooden candelabras in their windows. We hold Christingle services with their theme of light, although these have their origins in the Moravian church. But as our days get shorter and darker, let us remember St Lucy and bring some light to our darkness.

Eglantyne Jebb

1876- 1928

17 December

"Every generation of children offers mankind a new possibility of rebuilding this ruin of a world" …. the words of Eglantyne Jebb whose life's work brought her into contact with a great deal of this ruin. We commemorate her on 17 December for all that she did for generations of children caught up in poverty and suffering.

Eglantyne Jebb read history at Oxford, then trained and worked as a primary school teacher - but not for long. Ill health caused her to give up teaching and move back home with her family in Cambridge. Here she became interested in social work and she also had the time to indulge her wanderlust. Her travels took her to Macedonia where she found a land and its people devastated after two wars and she stayed to help with relief work.

1914-1918 saw Eglantyne home again and, as she studied news of the war in Europe, she became increasingly aware of the effects of the fighting army on the innocent people in its path, particularly the children. Contemporary studies indicated that up to 5 million children were literally starving and Eglantyne Jebb felt compelled to do something about it. She became co-founder of Fight the Famine which raised over £4 million to help feed thousands of children and fund work in hospitals and schools.

By 1919, Fight the Famine had become Save the Children - now a household name and the organisation which Eglantyne led for the rest of her life. She wrote a Children's Charter which was adopted by the League of Nations and which became known as the Declaration of Geneva. At the time this document was seen as very radical and attracted much opposition but is now enshrined in the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its special importance is still in relation to poverty and youth justice.

Save the Children is now the leading international children's charity. In their own words:

'In a world where children are denied basic human rights, we champion the right of all children to childhood. We put the reality of children's lives at the heart of everything we do.

Together with children we can help build a better world for present and future generations."

In practical terms this means emergency relief, long term development and prevention work to help families and communities become self sufficient.

Eglantyne Jebb became ill in July 1928 and died in Geneva the following December. It was said at the time that she was, quite simply, exhausted.

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God loves a cheerful giver…

Irrespective of anything, across the world and even in countries indifferent to the Christian faith, people love Christmas. Why? It is universally a time of giving, where we save up to buy our beloved ones gifts which we think will please them. And we who are Christians celebrate Christ’s birth two thousand years ago, that greatest of all miracles, God come to earth in human form, the greatest gift of all time and eternity, Emmanuel, God with us. We are the recipients of incomparable treasure.

Jesus said that: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Mt. 13:44)

No details are given in this story except for the man’s emotional state. He has discovered treasure buried in a field. How did he find it? Was he employed by the owner of the field? We do not know. We only know three things: he covered the treasure up; he was delirious with joy; he was so excited that he sold everything he possessed in order to buy the field.

Here is a picture of reckless sacrifice, of wild abandonment of all a man possesses. Yet it is clearly not so much a picture of renunciation as it is of re-evaluation. Up to this point in his life the man had doubtless valued his possessions highly. Like all of us he would have clung to them and only parted with them under exceptional circumstances. He might have lent to a neighbour in distress, or sold something to help a close friend or relative; but by and large his life had consisted of the abundance of the things he possessed.

It is only when he discovers buried treasure that his perspective changes. Suddenly his possessions look cheap and paltry. A joy is rising in him and an excitement that makes him sweat and tremble. There may have been momentary regret about a cherished piece of furniture or a family heirloom. But it is only momentary. The choice he faces lies between his worthless bits and pieces and the field with buried treasure. There is nothing noble about his sacrifice. There would, on the other hand, be something incredibly stupid about not making it. Anyone but a fool would do exactly as the man did.

God gave his beautiful Son, his incomparable treasure, to us. If we could grasp what glories he has for us, wouldn’t we realize how silly we are to cling to the ephemeral – money, property, cars, comforts, prestige, a good job?

“What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a poor man, I would give a lamb
If I were a rich man, I would do my part.
What can I give him?
Give him my heart.”

Twenty (Deep) Questions:

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteriesare flat?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know therenot enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion,but check when you say the paint is wet

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a gun at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

What is the speed of darkness?

If you send someone 'Styrofoam', how do you pack it?

If it's true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing?

If someone with a split personality threatens to commit suicide, is ithostage situation?

Can you cry under water?

What level of importance must a person have, before they areassassinated instead of just murdered?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured outwould be a good idea to put wheels on bigger suitcases?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake uptwo hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money into look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors, when they ask you to strip, leave the room or close thecurtain while you change?........ they're still going to see you naked anyway?

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Tracking Santa

Last Christmas Eve, my family and I followed Santa Claus's journey from the North Pole around the world. We visited many of the towns and cities where he was making his deliveries. If you would like to find out how we did that and to share those experiences this year, read on……..

You can track Santa courtesy of NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, whose site can be found on the internet. NORAD has been tracking StNicholas's sleigh for the past 50 years. Officials use the North Warning System, which has 47 installations across the northern border of North America, to check when Santa and his team depart from the North Pole.

NASA has a website dedicated to tracking Santa's movements. Last year, the Space Agency issued a press release announcing that its Debris Imaging Radar system, used in the Discovery mission, would be made available to Santa, should he need it.

Children can listen to messages from Santa on his special phone and check out his positions as he makes his journey around the world on Christmas Eve at santaspeaking.com. The elves at the North Pole have positioned cameras across the globe so that you can see exactly where Santa is and the site also allows you to watch Santa and his reindeer take off from the North Pole.

You can see where in the world Christmas Day has started and where Santa is delivering the presents. You can "drop in" and view the places he's visiting for yourselves. It's fun and it's educational.

You don't believe in Santa Claus? (or me?) Check out www.noradsanta.org for yourselves.

Jean Kimber

NB. This site only operates round Christmas - NORAD does have other things to do!!

Twenty Years Ago

December 1987

Following a plea the previous month for help with maintenance of the churchyard, there was an article by Chris Holmes and Heather Cosgrove reminding us that help was needed in other areas too.

They listed three in particular; one - we were without Servers and all ages were encouraged to consider taking on these important roles. Two - the once four-person dusting teams were fast becoming solitary dusters. Less than an hour every four weeks didn't seem much to ask. Three - the sidespeople were having to do duty much more often as the lists of the willing became ever depleted.

There was also a plea from Vera Stevenson on behalf of the Boys' Brigade. They wanted to start a band and needed bugles! At £75 each, lots of money was required and she asked for everyone's support of their fundraising events.

There was a reproduction of the "Swanwick Declaration", mentioned in last month's Twenty Years Ago. The conference had requested that the Declaration be read in every church in the land on a suitable Sunday.

Carousel reported that Stewart Kimber was no longer able to mastermind the newspaper collections, due to a change of job. Unfortunately, with no successor coming forward, the collections had ceased.

Also in Carousel was a welcome back to Betty Walker. She had taken a year off from St Mary's to study and travel. Her studies had taken her to Oxford and her travels to Japan. How well does she remember those exciting days now?

There was a thought-provoking article on the Lambeth Conference, which was to be held the following July. (There is one due in the summer of 2008, about which we shall no doubt hear more.) The main subjects to be considered were Unity, Mission & Ministry, Belief & Pastoral Concern and Social Responsibility. How, I wonder, will next year's differ.

Jean Kimber

Daily prayer topics in December

Sat 1 All who suffer from AIDS and those who care for AIDS orphans

Sun 2 That we may be prepared for the Second Coming of our Lord

Mon 3 International Day for Disabled Persons

Tue 4 All who care for the physically disabled

Wed 5 Pupils with special learning needs and their teachers

Thu 6 The Russian Orthodox Church on St Nicholas Day

Fri 7 That the church may be true to its mission

Sat 8 Thanksgiving for Mary the Mother of our Lord

Sun 9 The Children's Society

Mon 10 That all may enjoy basic human rights

Tue 11 World rulers, statesmen and politicians

Wed 12 The oppressed and all who are held captive

Thu 13 Wounded soldiers and their families

Fri 14 Save the Children Fund

Sat 15 Staff and pupils of Carew Manor

Sun 16 That we may grow in faith and love

Mon 17 All whose lives are restricted by poverty

Tue 18 All who will be alone this Christmas

Wed 19 The Salvation Army

Thu 20 All who maintain essential services at Christmas time

Fri 21 The safety of those who will be travelling

Sat 22 All who grieve the loss of a loved one at this time

Sun 23 That the true spirit of Christmas may dwell in our hearts

Mon 24 Thanksgiving for the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World

Tue 25 For harmonious and joyful family celebrations

Wed 26 All who are martyred for their faith in Christ

Thu 27 Thanksgiving for the Gospel of St John

Fri 28 Children who suffer as a result of wars and violence

Sat 29 Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Sun 30 The Church and people of Zimbabwe

Mon 31 For the blessings of peace in the New Year

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