Saints and Commemorations in November
Readings for Sundays in November
Swedish American Advent Recipe
Re-membering
Memory is a powerful thing.
It takes us back so strongly to laces where we have been, people we have known
and loved. We can remember sights, sounds, touch and perhaps most evocative of
all, smells. The smell of the perfume my mother used to waer
when I was little can take me right back to Sunday mornings as a child
snuggling up in our pew in church. I can see the church, smell it’s dusty smell, see the floor boards and the view from the
gallery, remembering the twists and turn of the stairs, and Mrs Paton my Sunday School teacher. I can remember the book I
won as a prize – a doll in a pram, holding a book with a doll in a pram holding
a book on the cover, and I remember wondering where it all stopped – would I
ever get to the last doll. And all conjoured
up by a whiff of perfume…
November is the month in the
Church’s year that focusses on remembering. In
addition to our weekly remembrance of the passion and resurrection of Jesus in
the Eucharist, we remember all those recognised by the Church as saints as we
celebrate All Saints Day. We remember too the saints we have encountered in our
daily lives, those we have loved and lost in the faithful departed of All Souls
Day. Finally as the nights draw in, we remember those throughout the world and
throughout history who have lost their lives as a result of war, as we join
with thousands of others on Remembrance Sunday.
Remembering is part of what
makes us human. Through it we trace our history, we know who we are, what we
have learned and hopefully we don’t make the same mistakes again (although
being human we may well do so!). History is what gets us ready for the future,
ready to move on and to change from the past, holding
on to the good, knowing it can never be taken away from us, yet moving on into
uncertainty with a degree of confidence.
It’s that uncertain future
that seems to impinge on us so much, as we look at a world around us that seems
so new and precarious. Financial institutions that seemed so solid, so much
part of our landscape have toppled, even countries are seeking loans and where
we go next is far from clear. What is clear is that there will be times of
stress ahead for most if not all of us – rising prices, falling incomes,
uncertainty over jobs and mortgages. It’s a time when tensions and divisions
can increase. Historically, it’s when people and nations tend to look for a scapegoat,
someone to take the blame, someone to be cast out with our sins, our worries
and concerns so that we don’t have to deal with them. Recent commentators have
remarked on increased problems for asylum seekers and for those who look, sound
or behave differently to the mainstream.
Perhaps that’s where the
other part of re-membering comes into it. Re-membering in the sense of putting back together, drawing
the members of a family, a community, a culture back together, re-membering ourselves as ultimately being part of one race,
one community, where divisions only hurt the whole.
As we remember those who
have died and give thanks for their lives, so let us re-member the communities
we are part of – family, church, local community. Let us give thanks for our
differences, rejoicing in what makes us unique, and let us be on the watch for
what threatens to set us against each other, lest our memories become full of
pain.
2 November : Sunday
8:00 and 9:30 am All Saints Services
6:30 pm All Souls Service of
Remembrance
5 November : Wednesday
10:00 Eucharist Carew Chapel
6 November : Thursday
10:00 Praise and Play - Mary
and the Angel
Church Centre
9 November : Sunday
Remembrance Sunday
Usual Service Times
10 November : Monday
2:30 pm Magazine Meeting at 32
Waterer Rise
7:30 pm Theological Book
Club at 32 Waterer Rise
11 November : Tuesday
9:30 am Time for God Carew
Chapel
8:00 pm PCC Meeting Church
Centre
12 November : Wednesday
10:00 am
Eucharist Carew Chapel
16 November : Sunday
2nd Before Advent
Usual Service Times
18 November : Tuesday
7.00 pm Confirmation
Rehearsal Holy Trinity Wallington
19 November : Wednesday
10:00 am
Eucharist Carew Chapel
2-4.00 pm Poetry for
Pleasure Church Centre
20 November : Thursday
10:00 am
Praise and Play - Sharing the special news
Church Centre
7:00 pm Confirmation Service
at Holy Trinity Wallington
22 November : Saturday
St Mary’s Christmas Fair
11:00 am—3:00 pm
23 November : Sunday
Christ the King
Usual service times
26 November : Wednesday
10:00 am
Eucharist Carew Chapel
29 November : Friday
10:00 am
Kith Kin and Kanine, Church Centre
30 November : Sunday
First of Advent
Usual Service times
6:30 pm Advent Carols
1 ALL
SAINTS' DAY
2 Commemoration
of the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day)
3 Richard
Hooker, Priest, Anglican Apologist, Teacher of the Faith, 1600
6 William
Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher of the Faith, 1944
8 The
Saints and Martyrs of England
10 Leo
the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith, 461
11 Martin,
Bishop of Tours, c.397
16 Margaret,
Queen of Scotland, Philanthropist, Reformer of the Church,
17 Hugh,
Bishop of Lincoln, 1200
19 Hilda,
Abbess of Whitby, 680
20 Edmund,
King of the East Angles, Martyr, 870
23 Clement,
Bishop of Rome, Martyr, c.100
29 Day
of Intercession and Thanksgiving for the Missionary Work of the Church
30 Andrew
the Apostle
2 November
All Saints/All Souls
Revelation 7 9-17 : 1 John 3 1-3
: Matthew 5 1-12
9 November
Remembrance Sunday
Wisdom 6 12-16 : 1 Thessalonians 4 13-end : Matthew
25 1-13
16 November
2nd Before Advent
Zephaniah 1 7, 12-end : 1 Thessalonians 5 1-11 : Matthew
25 14-30
23 November
Christ the King
Ezekiel 34 11-16, 20-24 : Ephesians 1 15-end : Matthew
25 31-end
30 November
1st of Advent
Isaiah 64 1-9 : 1 Corinthians 1 3-9 : Mark
13 24-end
Every Sunday we pray for
people living and working in two or three roads in the parish.
2 November
Mallinson Road & Mellor Close
9 November
Derry Road & Harrington
Close
16 November
All
Industries, shops and those who work in the Parish.
23 November
Crispin Close & Crispin
Crescent
30 November
Beddington Lane
11th October 2008
Natalie Jane Hicks and
Oliver Christian Beales
12th October
Madison Lucy Willow Rice
Fletcher William terence Rice
19th October
Olivia Ann Pamela Cheeseman
30th October
Julie Ann Turker RIP
Jean Kimber writes ‘On
looking through my tower record book, I discovered that Beddington was the 2nd
tower I rang in (after Trumpington, where I learnt)
and that my first visit was on August 31 – the day we celebrated in church!!
What a coincidence!’
Three members of the Poetry
for Pleasure Group, have selected poems by Irish,
Scottish and Welsh poets for discussion at their next meeting. Everyone welcome on Wednesday 19th November
2pm to 4pm.
‘ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND
BEAUTIFUL’ Is the title of the CD featuring the boys of the St Mary’s
Choir. This professionally recorded CD
will be on sale at the Christmas fair for £10.
You can also buy it from Andrew Wilson or by mail order from Alpha
Records, telephone 07932965280.
The CD includes haunting
folk songs and popular show numbers as well as much love dcarols
and sacred music. It is rounded off with
two Christmas pieces when the boys are joined by Alto, Tenor and Bass singers.
‘THE SHADOW OF THE GALILEAN’ BY Guy Theissen is this months book in the Theology Book Club. It will be discussed at 32 Waterer Rise 7:30pm on 10/11/2008 everyone welcome. Contact Justine or Paul for more
information. The book is published by
SCM Press and costs £12.99.
The September Open Coffee
Morning raised a record £302 for the Macmillan Nurses. Thanks are due to the ‘Kith, Kin and Kanine
Team’ and to everyone who came. So far the initiative we took part in has
raised £5 million for the Charity and money is still coming in they hope to
raise £8.5 million in total. Macmillan Nurses provide practical medical
emotional and financial support for people affected by Cancer.
Kith Kin and Kanine:
Friday 28th November
Friday 19th December
10:00 to 11:30 The Church Centre
Christmas Fair
Saturday 22nd November 2008
11:00am to 3:00pm
Advent Carols
Sunday 30th November 2008
6:30 pm
Meeting for Parish Parents
Thursday 5th December 2008
7:30pm Church Centre
Refreshments provided!
Childrens Christmas Party
Sunday 7th December 2008
Church Centre
Further Details soon!
Christingle Service
Sunday 7th December 2008
4:00pm in Church
The winners of the Sense
Awards have just been announced. The awards are organised by Sense in
recognition of exceptional achievements. Nominees have campaigned, volunteered
and worked for and on behalf of deafblind people,
sometimes for decades. David Blunkett MP presented
the winners with their awards at a special ceremony in London on Thursday 23
October.
Richard Brook, Chief
Executive of Sense said “These awards show that our passion for supporting and
empowering deafblind people is still at the heart of
everything we do. Our partners and volunteers share this enthusiasm. I would
like to congratulate all those who were nominated for their exceptional
contributions.”
Partnership – Community
Winner – Rev Justine Middlemiss and congregation at
St Mary’s Church, Church Road
What is SENSE
Sense is the leading
national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind. We provide expert advice and information as well
as specialist services to deafblind people, their
families, carers and the professionals who work with them. We also support
people who have sensory impairments with additional disabilities.
Our services include
on-going support for deafblind people and families.
These range from day services where deafblind people
have the opportunity to learn new skills and Sense-run houses in the community
– where people are supported to live as independently as possible. We also provide leading specialist advice, for example on education
options and assistive technology.
Now on sale! The picture is a 6 by 4 picture of the
Nativity Scene in the ‘Bryant’ Window in the South Aisle, near the Font.
The photograph is mounted on
good quality card, and is blank inside for your own special message. The card is the right size to be sent 1st or
2nd class post.
The cards will be available
after Sunday Services and at the Christmas fair. Cost £3 for a pack of 5. If you cannot get some at these times please
‘phone 86693220 to place your order.
All proceeds go to church
funds.
On Thursday 20th November
2008, some of our congregation young and a little older will be Confirmed at Holy Trinity Wallington. Service at 7:00 pm,
please support them if you can.
As quoted in Hamlet Rosemary
is for remembrance, and that is just one of the many sayings about this common
garden shrub. Rosemary was once a sign
of fidelity and worn by wedding couples or given to their guests to signify
love and faithfulness.
Rosemary comes from the
Mediterranean. Its botanical name is , Rosemarinus, which means sea
dew and it is often found on sea cliffs. It is believed that the Romans brought
Rosemary to England. The Romans burnt it in sick rooms to freshen the air. It is still used in shampoos because it is
used a s a hair and skin tonic. Rosemary oil is used a
s an insect repellent.
Rosemary grows best in a sunny
spot on well-drained soil. It is an
attractive low hedge. There is a legend
that Rosemary grows for 33 years, the length of Christ’s life, and then dies.
It is better to replace it more often as it becomes very ‘straggly’.
In the kitchen Rosemary combines
well with meat, especially Lamb, with roast potatoes and with tomatoes, but
only use the tips of the stems. The
woody parts impart a bitter taste. Save
those for the barbecue where burning them can produce a delicious aroma.
This is now the third
edition produced since I started, and I want to thank everyone who has
contributed and helped me. There is an increasing number of contributors but I still would
like as many people as possible to give me contributions large or small, recipes,
memories, topical comment or news. Remember it is your magazine let it reflect
all the diversity of our community. God
Bless you all
Paul
Sri Lankan churches face challenges amid raging war
The World Council of
Churches’ (WCC) General Secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia,
lit a peace candle during an ecumenical celebration at the Anglican cathedral
in Colombo. He was there as part of a WCC delegation, meeting with Sri Lankan
church and civil society leaders. "The trauma is deep and so is the
bitterness. The inflicted wounds cut very deep," Kobia
said at a public address delivered at a Bible Society auditorium in
Colombo. "All these, one could say,
are the consequences of a protracted civil war, but the fact is that the
hatred, the bitterness, the pain are still there and one cannot wish them away
or ignore them," said Kobia. Although "one
is left with the chilling feeling that this country sits on a social time
bomb," he added, that churches "by the very nature of their gospel
mandate, have a responsibility to promote peace and work towards the
transformation of conflicts."
Source: World Council of Churches
Zambian churches urged to be non-partisan in presidential campaign
A Zambian bishop has said
churches in Zambia must be non-partisan during the campaign period for the
forthcoming 30 October presidential election, and another church leader has
urged citizens to turn out and vote. Bishop Joshua Banda of the Northmead Assemblies of God in Lusaka made his plea after
some church leaders openly endorsed presidential candidates. Banda said it was
wrong since churches had diverse memberships with different political
affiliations.
At an 18 October service in
Lusaka to celebrate 44 years of Zambian independence, the Rev. Moses Mwale, chairperson of the Council of Churches in Zambia,
said, "Let us not stay away from elections. We should all take part in
voting, and also avoid receiving bribes from those contesting elections. We
should just vote with conviction."
Source: Ecumenical News International
A former Anglican archbishop
of Cape Town has described poverty in
South Africa as being worse than ever. Having met communities affected by
poverty across the country, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said South Africa was in "a state of emergency".
"The anger, the frustration and the feeling of hopelessness especially
among young people is a recipe for possible disaster," he said.
Official figures suggest
around 25% of South Africans are unemployed. "Never before in the history
of South Africa have such large gatherings of people consistently said 'we have
no food,'" said the archbishop.
"In a country where huge amounts can be spent on [the 2010] soccer
world cup or increasing salaries, it is unthinkable that so many can go without
food."
A man who stole thousands of pounds of lead from a church roof in
County Durham just days after it was installed has been jailed for five months.
It took the congregation of St John's Church, Seaham,
10 years to raise more than £100,000 for the roof repairs. Lee Everist, 22, was among a gang who took the lead worth
£20,000 in April. Durham Crown Court Recorder Ian Atherton described the theft
as "quite a horrendous crime in social terms". Local people held
countless jumble sales, pie and pea suppers, Christmas fairs and lunches to
raise the £102,050 needed for extensive repairs on the Grade II-listed church,
which was built in 1835.
Story from BBC NEWS:
New Church of England
statistics published 23/10.08 show increases in the number of clergy being
trained and ordained. They also show increases in the amount parishioners are
donating towards the mission of the Church. The figures confirm the changing
patterns of church attendance, published earlier this year.
I - Vocations
Official Church Statistics,
published today on the Church of England website, show increases in the number
of clergy being trained and numbers being ordained. The Church recommended 595
future clergy for ordination training in 2007, the greatest number for more
than a decade and maintaining the upward trend since the mid-‘90s. In 1994, 408
candidates were recommended for training.
Part of the increase is made
up of younger candidates, with 243 of those recommended for training in 2007
being under 40; compared with 239 in 2006, 209 in 2005 and 188 under 40 in
2004. To further encourage young vocations to the priesthood, the Ministry
Division of the Archbishops’ Council has developed the Call Waiting campaign
including the website www.callwaiting.org.uk, a glossy magazine with essential
information for prospective clergy, and a series of eye-catching posters. Audio
interviews with young trainee priests, curates and vicars on the Call Waiting
website chronicle the journey from initial sense of calling through discernment
to training and ministry.
The Church ordained 552 new
clergy in 2007, an increase on the 481 ordained in 2006 and the highest number
since the year 2000. Overall, 262 women and 290 men were ordained in 2007,
though just over half (52%) of these were ordained to non-stipendiary ministry.
Of those ordained to full-time, stipendiary ministry, 162 were men and 102 were
women.
At the end of 2007, there
were 20,355 ministers licensed by Church of England dioceses, including clergy,
readers and Church Army officers: one minister for every 2,500 people in
England. “The nation continues to enjoy the spiritual ministry of an increasing
variety of Church of England ministers, many of whom also contribute to the
health of their local community in a wide range of voluntary capacities,”
observed the Revd Lynda Barley, Head of Research and Statistics for the
Archbishops’ Council. The total does not include almost 1,600 chaplains to
prisons, hospitals, the armed forces and in education, nor around 7,000 retired
ministers with permission to officiate.
II - Finance
Average weekly giving by
Church of England parishioners increased to £5.38 in 2006. Statistics released
today show that direct giving to parish churches averaged £5.38 per electoral
roll member per week and tax-efficient giving increased to an average of £8.64
per subscriber per week (up from £5.08 and £8.26 respectively in 2005). The
number of parishioners subscribing to tax-efficient regular giving through Gift
Aid rose to a further record of 527,000.
“Direct giving to parishes
continues to increase year on year, with a five per cent increase in weekly
giving and a similar increase in the tax-efficient giving of more than half a
million people regularly Gift-Aiding to the Church,” said Dr John Preston, the
Church’s National Stewardship and Resources Officer. “Church members give
generously to charitable causes compared with the population at large and it is
far too early to tell if the current economic turbulence is affecting giving,
but the Church is grateful for the committed support given by so many to their
local church. While our givers on average donate just over
three per cent of their incomes to the Church, that is still somewhere short of
the five per cent of disposable income recommended by the General Synod since
1978.
“The five per cent aim was
based on the Christian tradition of tithing or giving away 10 per cent of
income and the recommendation was to give half of that to the Church in thanks
for God's gifts and half to other charitable works.”
The total income of
Parochial Church Councils in 2006, the figures show, rose to £826million. Total
expenditure rose to £792million, of which more than £46million was devoted to
charitable giving by the PCCs to other charities and
mission organisations, 7.5 per cent of their recurring expenditure of
£618million.
III - Attendance
Church Statistics 2006/7
confirms the provisional 2006 attendance statistics first published in January
2008, showing congregations at Christmas and Easter increased by seven and five
per cent, but weekly congregations down one per cent.
The blood red poppy was
chosen as the emblem of remembrance because the Flanders fields were covered
with them. Poppies grow in disturbed earth. Which battles had caused their
growth?
Who makes the red poppies?
When was the first
Remembrance Day?
Exactly when did the guns of
Europe fall silent after WW1?
Who designed and built the
Cenotaph?
What does
"Cenotaph" actually mean?
What is the three-word
inscription on it?
WW2
On which date did Britain
declare war on Germany?
Ration books were introduced
in January of which year?
What name was given to
flying bombs?
Which famous battle was
fought in July 1942?
When was D-Day?
In which month
of which year were HMS Hood and the Bismarck sunk?
When was the Battle of
Britain?
Which famous raid took place
in May 1943?
When was VE Day?
For all parents there are
many times when being a parent is fulfilling and enjoyable. But for some parents
the responsibility for caring for their children is daunting, and there are
often times when they feel isolated and under pressure as they try to work
through problems or difficult situations.
Mothers' Union is committed to offering support to families and works to equip
parents with support and skills, giving them the confidence they need to do the
most important job they’ll ever undertake. It has established a range of
projects to offer support networks, practical help and social contact and encouragement
for parents:
In 1999 Mothers' Union
discovered that whilst there were many resources available for parenting group
facilitators, there was little training available to them. This led to the
introduction of the Parenting Training Programme. Now operating in Britain and
Ireland, Uganda, Rwanda, West Indies and Kenya, the course is designed to equip
members with the skills they will need to facilitate parenting groups. Once
trained these members go on to set up groups that parents can join, to share
ideas, pick up practical tips and make friends. Within the UK and Ireland
trainees completing the course have the opportunity to gain external
accreditation through the Open College Network London Region.
Mothers Union is exploring
the possibility of bringing the Parenting Course to St Mary’s but some ground
work needs to be done before that happens.
1881 –1944
It was said of William
temple ‘it was not his great intellect or his astonishing gift of understanding
that made the deepest impression but the fact of his holiness.’
William Temple, Bishop of
Manchester, Archbishop of York and then of Canterbury was the son of a previous
Archbishop Frederick Temple. Educated at Oxford where he taught before becoming
Headmaster of Repton School. He commented ‘I doubt
whether Headmastership is really my line’, but retained a life-long interest in
education and contributed much both formally and informally.
From Repton
he became Vicar of St James Church Piccadilly, and ministered throughout the
1st World War Sharing with people the concerns of reconciling a God of Peace
and Love with the horrors of the Western Front.
At the same time he began
much of the work which would mark his life: bringing together people in the
Church separated by their different views, widening the churches sphere of
activity, and lobbying to give the Church greater freedom from state control.
In 1920 he became Bishop of
Manchester. Here his passion for social
justice found expression in his concern for the poor and the welfare of the
coalminers. His outspoken preaching brought charges of ‘political
interference’. He had also joined the
Labour Party and agreed that ‘some of my recent utterances have not been liked
in political circles.’
In 1929 he became Archbishop
of York and increasingly involved in national and international affairs.. He continued with
his work of church reconciliation and this led to the founding of the World
Council of Churches. He was also
involved in the debates about the revision of the Book of Common Prayer.
Despite all the controversy
he caused in 1942 he became Archbishop of Canterbury, like his father. In the two years he held the post, before his
death, he continued to court controversy.
He criticised the banking system at a large meeting in the Royal Albert
Hall. He was most effective in a
committee helping to overhaul the countries education system, which led to the
1944 Education Act.
Many wondered that ‘among
all the work of diocesan administration , church and
national committees, he was still able to exercise his great gifts as a
preacher and writer.’ His last book
‘Readings in St Johns Gospel is still regarded as his greatest memorial and as
a great work of spirituality.
November 6
Leonard was a Frankish noble
in the court of Clovis I, King of the Franks. He was baptised, together with
Clovis, at Christmas 496, by St Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. Leonard asked Clovis to grant him the right to
liberate prisoners he considered worthy of it.
He secured the release of a
number of prisoners, for whom he now considered to be the patron saint. He
declined a bishopric, entered a monastery near Orleans and then became a hermit
in the Forest of Limousin.
As a favour, Leonard was
given land at Noblac in the Limoges
area and he founded an abbey, around which a village grew, named Saint-Leonard
de Noblac in his honour.
Many released prisoners came
to him, some still with their chains. A considerable number stayed with him and
were given parts of his forest to clear and make ready as fields where they
could have the means to live an honest life.
Today, Saint-Leonard de Noblat, Haute Viennes, is on of
the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
November
17
Hugh was born about 1140
near Grenoble in the foothills of the French Alps. At
the age of 25 he became a Carthusian monk at the
nearby Grande Chartreuse.
From there he was invited by
King Henry II of England to take charge of Charterhouse (the Carthusian monastery) in Somerset. It had been founded in
reparation for the murder of Thomas à Becket and was
struggling to survive.
In 1186 he became Bishop of
Lincoln and proved to be a bishop of massive energy. He re-founded the Lincoln
theology school, visited extensively, took responsibility for rebuilding
Lincoln Cathedral after an earthquake (doing some of the work himself), tended
the sick and calmed an anti-Jewish riot. He rebuked kings (even once shaking
King Richard I) and royal officers when necessary.
He died in 1200 in Lincoln
and is often portrayed in art with a swan, which he had had as a pet in his
manor at Stow.
November
23
St Clement was a Roman by
birth but claimed to have been of Jewish extraction. He is known to have
written a letter to the Corinthians and it is one of the oldest Christian
documents still in existence outside the New Testament. Tradition identifies
him as the Clement that St Paul mentions in Philippians 4:3 as a fellow labourer.
He is believed to have become Pope some time between 88 and 92 AD. He was
martyred in 100 AD by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea.
St Clement
Danes
This famous London church is
the home of the Royal Air Force. It also claims to be the one featured in
Oranges and Lemons although the church of St Clement, Eastcheap,
also makes that claim.
How did it get its name? The
first church on the site was reputedly founded by Danes living nearby in the
9th century. The location on the river between the City and the future site of Westminster, was home to many Danes when nearly half of
England was Danish. Being a sea-faring race, the Danes named the church after
St Clement, the patron saint of mariners. His symbol is the Mariner's Cross,
also called the Cross of St Clement.
This letter came from a poor
old bricklayer who had suffered an accident. He has been besieged with the
bureaucracy of an insurance company in filling out the forms for a Workmen's
Compensation claim.
"I am writing in
response to your request for additional information. In Block 10 of the
accident reporting form I put 'poor planning', as the cause of my accident. You
said in your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the
following details will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade.
On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six story
building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about five hundred
pounds of bricks left over.
Rather than carry the bricks
down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using the pulley, which
fortunately was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.
Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, slung the barrel out,
and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground, untied the rope,
holding it tightly to assure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick.
You will note that in Block
11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh 135 pounds. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the
ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind, and forgot to let go of the
rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a
rather rapid rate up the side of the building.
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured skull and broken
collar bone.
Slowed only slightly, I
continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were
two knuckles deep into the pulley.
Fortunately, by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was
able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.
At approximately the same
time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of
the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the
bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately fifty pounds. I refer you again to my weight in Block
11. As you might imagine, I began a
rapid descent down the side of the building.
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles
and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the
barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of
bricks. And fortunately, only three
vertebrae were broken. I am sorry to
report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand,
and watching the empty barrel six floors above me, I again lost my presence of
mind and let go of the rope.
I missed Harvest at St
Mary's this year because I was "harvesting" a new crop of bells in
Cornwall. For the past 44 years the same group has been touring round the
country ringing bells on the first weekend in October. From Cornwall to Co.
Durham, from Wales to East Anglia, we have met up to ring together each year.
We live as far apart as
Nottingham. South Wales, Hampshire and Romney Marsh but the organisation is
centred in Kent. Stewart and I were among the very few who did not originate in
Kent.
So how did we get involved?
Ringers don't only ring in their own towers. Many visit other towers to join in
their practice nights, either to improve their own ringing or to help out. I
used to go regularly to West Wickham practices and so
became involved with many of the Kent ringers.
I have rung in so many
towers that I have lost count. At first I kept a record but one mislaid
itinerary and that was it. It's well over 1,000, maybe
nearer 2,000 - I rang in my 600th tower 38 years ago!
St Mary's is a
"traditional" belfry set-up; the tower is at the west end of the
church and we go upstairs to an enclosed ringing room. This is not the case in
many churches. Of the 14 towers we rang in over our weekend in Cornwall, 11
were rung from the ground floor. Although there are no stairs to climb (oh joy)
there is often a long draught of rope to contend with. Sometimes there are rope
guides several feet up to help.
However, if there is a
central tower with a ground floor ring, we often find ourselves ringing in
front of the chancel steps. Imagine that on a Sunday morning! You can't hide
your mistakes - everyone's watching! And it's difficult to walk out before the
service. In St Mary-de-Crypt, Leicester, one ascends and descends through a
pillar in the middle of the congregation.
Other central towers have
"interesting" access. At St Paul's, Bedford, along with others, you
have to cross the roof to get into the ringing room. Great, as long a it's not raining! Cathedral access is often up through the
walls, round the choir, through the roof and up more stairs (eg Southwark Cathedral). Washington Cathedral supplies a
lift, a walk through the roof, where they have constructed a 100-seater
theatre, and up another lift. Very thoughtful.
At Pershore
Abbey, you ring from a cage suspended high up under the tower. It's accessed
via a staircase in the walls and a "cat-walk" across to the cage -
not suitable for those with no head for heights! St John's Lane in Dublin has a
free-standing iron spiral staircase, leading from a platform overlooking the
congregation, and up through a trap door. There are no rails - health and
safety would have a field day.
The Post Office Tower in
Washington, standing in a large Shopping Mall, has a lovely ring of 10 and is
reached via a glass lift. Tours are organised by the National Parks Service and
we were escorted up by a uniformed Ranger.
Some country churches are
not actually in the villages but in fields, by rivers or on privately owned
estates. Horsmonden in Kent,
lies isolated due to the Plague. The village was wiped out and rebuilt up on
the main road. St Hydroc in Cornwall is within the
National Trust grounds of Lanhydrock House. Ringers
therefore get free access to the beautiful gardens.
Some bell towers are not
actually connected to the church they serve. They are usually known as
Campaniles. Chichester Cathedral, Ledbury, Biggin Hill and Pembridge in
Hereford are among them . The latter two are large
wooden structures with little or nothing between ringers and bells. They are
very noisy and one develops sign language for instructions.
My recent favourite is St
Winnow. The church stands on the banks of the River Fowey
and with the bells ringing and the evening sun shining on the water, it proved
an idyllic setting. Indeed, it has been used for some scenes from the BBC Poldark series. It certainly made a lovely start to our
"harvest" weekend.
Jean Kimber
Still awaiting contributions
….. see next month’ article on Beddington Wildlife
Centre.
Church Bulletins the editor
missed.
‘The ladies of the Church
have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the Church
basement every Friday.’
‘Don’t let worry kill
you—Let the Church help’
‘This afternoon the service
will take place in the North and South Aisles of the Church. Children will be baptised at both ends.’
This being Easter Sunday, we
will ask Mrs Jones to lay an egg on the Altar.
A short while ago a friend
of mine received a communication from the Royal British Legion. As would be
expected this was an appeal for a donation but an appeal with a difference.
In the letter was a large
flat cardboard poppy and they were invited to write the name of any relatives
and friends who had lost their lives in war on the card. Once all these cards were returned they would
be taken to the Menin Gate in Ypres
and be offered in the November 11th Service of Remembrance.
John and I went on holiday
some years ago and visited some of the 1st World war Battlefields. It was strange to be walking across ground on
which our own fathers had fought all those years ago. Passchendale, Mons, Hill 60 and others. Then to see the almost
countless numbers of graves in the cemeteries there.
Down the centuries many
poets have written on the theme of remembrance, both in his sonnets and the
famous quote from ‘Hamlet’:
‘There’s rosemary, that’s
for remembrance, pray love, remember.’
For years John stood in
Carshalton High Street in the week before November 11th, with a poppy
collecting tin. He always came home with
stories about the people who had given, all of them
full of memories and gratitude for the sacrifices made for us who remain.
John’s father and mine were
‘Old Contemptibles’ and John met many who also had
relatives who had been among the first to go to France in 1914.
Finally to close, Lawrence Binyon’s famous words:
‘At the going down of the
sun,
And in the
morning.
We will remember them.’
And we must continue to do
that.
Mary Tapp
In Flanders fields the
poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days
ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Oh! you
who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy
red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy
Red
We wear in honor of our
dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
Svenska Pepparkakor (Swedish
Gingerbread Snaps)
From Solweig von Minden, Byram
Township, NJ
Makes 60 cookies
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons boiled, cooled water
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
21/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
11/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Cream together first 2
ingredients. Add molasses, water, and lemon rind.
Sift dry ingredients
together. Add to creamed mixture, a little at a time, blending well. Chill
overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll dough really thin on lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake on
buttered cookie sheets for 9-10 minutes, or until browned.
November
1988
Having found nothing
suitable for his monthly column, Stewart Kimber had produced an interesting
article from 1968 about the differences between a Rector, a Vicar, a Parson and
a Curate. (Maybe you've been involved in discussions as to why Paul is the
Assistant Curate!)
An article on Remembrance
began with a poem by elder son when aged 12. See page 17. We had visited the
battlegrounds and cemeteries of WW1 and had decided people should not be
allowed to forget, no matter what the current thinking was in the press. By
focusing annually on the outrage of war, it might help us and future
generations to avoid confrontations of such magnitude.
Harvest celebrations had
been greatly enjoyed and £200 had been sent for Leukaemia Research. The church
had looked beautiful and gifts had been sent to parishioners, St Mary's Court,
the Haven, the Cedars, Wives Refuge Home and Wel-Care.
(Some forgotten names there!)
There was a
"welcome" article about our new organist. He was a very young man
(18) called Stuart Thompson. Although a local boy from Cheam, he had been a chorister
at Winchester Cathedral, where he had taken up the organ. His first impression
of St Mary's was that it was the friendliest congregation he had come across
but he felt something was missing. It lacked a sense of cohesion. What do
newcomers, or anyone else for that matter, feel 20 years on?
The Episcopal Church in the
USA had appointed the Revd Barbara Harris as Suffragan
Bishop of Massachusetts. This had apparently taken many by surprise. How
surprised will we be if and when the Anglican church
follows on?
I see from Carousel that:
- John Sharples,
the recent organist, had become engaged to Helen Virago. (John became organist
at Betchworth where Helen took up ringing.)
- Frances Drake had been
appointed County Commissioner for the Guides
- it
was going to be warmer in church following the installation of a new heating
system (oh for such an experience in 2008!)
- the
choir of Gatton School (the Alexandra & Albert
School) was to join our choir for Evensong on November 13
and there was a Thank You from the Guide Dogs for the
Blind for help received from St Mary's.
Father, we pray for the many
who are trapped by growing burdens of debt,
who see no way out, and who despair for their future:
give them courage to tackle the problems they face,
clarity in taking decisions which will turn their situation
around,
and faith that, as they cry to you in their trouble,
you will deliver them from their distress;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O GOD our heavenly Father,
whose love sets no boundaries and whose strength is in
service;
grant to the leaders of the nations wisdom, courage and
insight at this time of darkness and fear.
Give to all who exercise
authority determination to defend the principles of freedom,
love and tolerance,
strength to protect and safeguard the innocent and clarity of
vision to guide the world into the paths of justice and peace.
This we ask through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
If we had a fraction of the
faith in you that you have in us
then this world would be transformed, Lord.
If we showed a fraction of
the love that you show to us
then this world would be transformed, Lord
If we possessed a fraction
of the patience that you display with us
then this world would be transformed, Lord.
If we shared just a portion
of the blessings that we have received from you then this world would be
transformed, Lord.
If we showed as much trust
in others as you have shown in us
then this world would be transformed, Lord.
If we claimed just a
fraction of the power you promised to your Church then this world would be
transformed, Lord.
Transform us first, Lord,
that we might transform this world
through your love and your power.