As you read this, Lent will have just begun. We often see Lent as a time for despondency, a time when the church concentrates on doom and gloom, denying joy and simply focussing on what is bad in our lives. It's that sort of attitude that gives credence (!) to the slogan on the "Atheist Bus": There probably isn't a God: Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

I think that they've missed the point. There is a God: Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. The God of Christianity isn't a God who denies life, or hope or joy or laughter. The God of Christianity, the God revealed in Jesus Christ, isn't about doom and gloom but rather about life and life in all its fullness and wonder. And that is what Lent's about; an opportunity to pause in the midst of the busyness, to step back, reflect and recognise what life is really about - where our priorities are and where they should be.

Lent is an opportunity for spring cleaning our spiritual life; a chance to weed out unhelpful habits and attitudes that drag ourselves and others down and to replace them with ones that let in hope and growth - that let in God.

So this Lent I hope that you will take the opportunity to live a holy Lent - at the beginning by attending our Ash Wednesday or Sunday services; during Lent by attending our Lent courses that help us reflect on God's presence in every aspect of our lives, and at the end of Lent, by taking part in the ceremonies of Holy Week that will help us to remember the love of God revealed in the Cross and, most importantly, in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Most of all, I hope that through this season of Lent, you will be able to lay aside your burdens and rejoice that God is with us, leading us on and leading us into life. So stop worrying - and enjoy!

What’s on in March

Sun March 1 Lent 1

3.30pm pm Lent Course 158 Richmond Road

Mon March 2 10am – 12 Literature Course. The Centre

2pm Lent Course 18 Bloxworth Close

Tues March 3 MU Spring Council at Mary Sumner House

7.30pm Fundraising group meets

Weds March 4 10.00am Eucharist

10.45am Lent Course 8 The Ridge

Thurs March 5 2.30pm St Mary's Guild

10.00-11.30am Praise & Play

7.30pm Mothers' Union AGM

8.00pm Lent Course. The Centre

Fri March 6 Women's World Day of Prayer. Services:

10.30am St Elphege's

7.30pm Wallington Girls' School

Sun March 8 Lent 2

3.30pm Lent Course 158 Richmond Road

Mon March 9 10am – 12 Literature Course - Centre

2 00pm Lent Course 18 Bloxworth Close

2.30pm Magazine Panel

Tues March 10 9.30am Time for God

Weds March 11 10.00am Eucharist

10.45am Lent Course 8 The Ridge

Thurs March 12 8.00pm Lent Course. The Centre

Sat March 14 10.30 am -12 MU Roadshow at Croydon Parish Church

Sun March 15 Lent 3

3.30pm Lent Course 158 Richmond Road

Mon March 16 2.00pm Lent Course 18 Bloxworth Close

Tues March 17 8.00pm PCC

Weds March 18 10.00am MU Corporate Eucharist

10.45am Lent Course 8 The Ridge

2.00pm Poetry Circle looks at "Nature Poetry"

presented by Hugh Hargreaves. The Centre

Thurs March 19 10.00-11.30am Praise & Play

8.00pm Lent Course. The Centre

Sun March 22 Mothering Sunday

3.30pm Lent Course 158 Richmond Road

4.00pm ‘Sweet Treats for Mothering Sunday’.

Musical entertainment followed by afternoon tea in Centre

Mon March 23 2.00pm Lent Course 18 Bloxworth Close

Weds March 25 10.00am Eucharist

10.45am Lent Course 8 The Ridge

2.30pm MU Lady Day Service at St John's Belmont

Sat March 26 MU Quiet Day at St Mary's, Sanderstead

Sun March 27 Passion Sunday

3.30pm Lent Course 158 Richmond Road

Mon March 28 10.00am Literature Course - Centre

2.00pm Lent Course 18 Bloxworth Close

Saints and Commemorations in March

1 David, Bishop of Menevia, Patron of Wales, c.601

2 Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, Missionary, 672

7 Perpetua, Felicity and their Companions, Martyrs at Carthage, 203

8 Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln, 1910

8 Felix, Bishop, Apostle to the East Angles, 647

8 Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, Priest, Poet, 1929

17 Patrick, Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460

18 Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, Teacher of the Faith, 386

19 Joseph of Nazareth

20 Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 687

21 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, Reformatiom Martyr 1556

24 Walter Hilton of Thurgarton, Augustinian Canon, Mystic, 1396

24 Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, Martyr, 1980

25 THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

26 Harriet Monsell, Founder of the Community of St John the Baptist, Clewer, 1883

31 John Donne, Priest, Poet, 1631

Readings

For Principal Sunday Services in March

1st March

First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 9:8-17

1 Peter 3:18-22

Mark 1:9-15

8th March

Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Romans 4:13-25

Mark 8:31-38

15th March

Third Sunday in Lent

Exodus 20:1-17

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22

22nd March

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Numbers 21:4-9

Ephesians 2:1-10

John 3:14-21

29th March

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Hebrews 5:5-10

John 12:20-33

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Praying for you

Every Sunday in March we pray for people living and working in two or three roads in

the parish.

1st March

Crichton Avenue & Rookwood Avenue

8th March

Queenswood Avenue & Queen Elizabeth's Walk

15th March

Royston Avenue & Sandhills

22nd March

Iberian Avenue & Goidel Close

29th March

Plough Lane & Plough Lane Close

From the Registers

Funerals

Susan Muchenje 6th February 2009

Elsie Hewitt 9th February 2009

Snippets

The Oasis Bookshop in Wallington has been in the town for 25 years. They are holding an informal service to celebrate on Sunday 29^th March at 3pm at St Patrick’s Church, Park Hill Road. Light refreshments will be available. All invited to celebrate.

The Theology Book Club next meets on April 20, when they will discuss "God's Continent - Christianity, Islam and Europe's Religious Crisis" by Philip Jenkins, (OUP £16.99).

In spite of its rather daunting title, this book is both lively and readable and the discussion promises to be fascinating.

If you would like to join the group, have a word with Justine or Paul and start reading now!

Betty Walker would like to thank everyone who has given her stamps over the past year. The foreign ones go to USPG (one of the missionary societies St Mary's supports) and the British ones go to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Please keep them coming.

Lent Course 2009

Where is God?

This year, Lent courses are being run at a variety of different venues and at different times to allow as many people as possible to attend.

The course this year is called, "Where is God…..?" and looks at where we can find God in a variety of different situations in our lives - when times are good or hard; when we face our own mortality and when we try to make sense of life. If you would like to attend a course, please contact Justine.

Course material will cost £3.50 per person/household.

Dates and Venues

(You only need to join one group! )

Sunday 3:30 pm. Starting 1st of March. 158 Richmond Road

Monday 2pm. Starting 2nd of March. 18 Bloxworth Close

Wednesday 10:45 am. Starting 4th March. 8 The Ridge

Thursday 8pm. Starting 5th March. St Mary’s Centre

There's probably no God. But then again....?

Most people have heard about the new atheist bus campaign, recently launched in Central London. Many bendy-buses now carry the slogan : 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' all over London.

The campaign was the idea of the British Humanist Association and has been supported by prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins.

Christian response to the bus campaign has been mixed, and includes:

A Church of England spokesman said: "We would defend the right of any group representing a religious or philosophical position to be able to promote that view through appropriate channels. However, Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life. Quite the opposite: our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective. Seven in ten people in this country describe themselves as Christian and know the joy that faith can bring."

The Roman Catholic newspaper The Universe quotes Fr Stephen Wang, of Allen Hall Seminary, as providing the official RC response: 'He said he believed the campaign had started as a "bit of fun" and was not sure how seriously atheists were really taking the idea. "But I think it is great to get people thinking. I love the idea of this bus winding its way through the streets of London, and someone stopping to think, 'Mmm ... Maybe there is no God ... But maybe there is'....

"My only sadness is that these posters betray such a negative view of religion - as if religious believers are walking around oppressed by worry all the time...Hard-line atheism doesn't make sense. It's simply not rational to say, for example, that there is no ultimate cause behind the whole universe, or that there is no deeper meaning to our lives. I like this advert because it is so hesitant, and in its own casual way it opens you up to very serious religious questions."'

For the Methodists, the Rev Jenny Ellis, the Methodist Church's Spirituality and Discipleship Officer, is quoted as saying: "We welcome the atheist bus campaign as an opportunity to talk about the deepest questions of life. The God many atheists have rejected is not the God we recognise and this campaign has opened up a dialogue between Christians and atheists which allows these types of misconceptions to be challenged."

One Christian summed it up well: "Isn't it great these rich atheists are using their own money to put the name of God on the sides of buses across London?"

Statistic of the Month: "Yes We Can"

Time magazine, in its issue of 22nd December, voted a sentence in the new American President's victory speech on 4th November 2008 as the Number One Quote of the Year. "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America." The magazine also voted his slogan "Yes We Can" as the outstanding slogan of the campaign.

Wouldn't it be great for that magazine, or any other, to vote the Christian church as the Number One Organisation of the Year 2009? What might we have to do to make that happen?

One hundred years ago in 1909, UK church membership stood at 9.5 million people, almost a quarter, 23%, of the then population of 41 million. In 2009 the projected church membership is 3.6 million, 5.8% of the country's 61 million people.

To reach the 1909 percentage of 23%, church membership would have to quadruple to 14 million. Maybe our slogan should be not "Each one reach one" but "Each one reach three"!

Each existing member would need to see a friend, a relative or a neighbour join him/her church every 4 months in 2009 to make that happen. Is that possible? Could revival happen again? Can people be brought back to church? Could new people join in? The answer is a simple YES to each of these questions, given the grace and energising power of the Lord in the process.

What are some of the problems? There needs to be a resurgence of confidence in the gospel. A willingness to talk to others about our faith. A warm welcome to newcomers as they visit our churches. Preaching that helps people understand what Christianity is about. Belief in the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. A strategy to do something today, and not leave it till tomorrow. Above all, we need a fresh vision of the risen Christ this Easter - and a realisation that the next time he comes will be in judgement.

Can this happen? Again a simple YES, "for nothing will be impossible with God" as the angel said to Mary. Amazingly, he deigns to use us in bringing about the impossible.

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Sundays don't just happen

Bells, the organ playing, flowers, someone to give you a hymn book - these are the first impressions as you come into church on a Sunday. Then, as the service begins, come servers carrying candles, the choir, people gathering up children for Sunday School, someone reading the Old and New Testament lessons, people carrying the Bread and Wine and the collection to the altar, not to mention the clergy preaching and presiding; and after the service, the coffee in the Centre.

That's quite a lot of people who have spent time beforehand learning, preparing, practising and rehearsing to ensure that our worship is as good as it can be for everyone. Over the next few months, we plan to tell our readers more about what is involved in some of these rôles. There may be something you would like to have a part in. Justine, Paul and the leaders of the various groups, are always pleased to tell you more about their activities. (See "Who's Who" at the back of the magazine)

And to start with, let's begin at the end ……

Coffee in the Centre.

Each week, teams of three or four people take turns to "do" coffee. Their turn comes round about once in eight weeks. The calm, "What would you like?" face at the counter masks much activity - kettle boiling, washing up, and replenishing the biscuit plate. Conversations are all carried out with humour in the busy kitchen.

The coffee and biscuits are bought in bulk from church funds. The customers' voluntary contributions cover the cost and nearly always provide a bit extra for our fund raising. When we have cake, it is usually to celebrate some one or some thing special - and it's surprising how often this happens!

If you would be prepared to join the "Coffee Rota", Pat Kingsbury would be pleased to talk to you about it.

The Women's World Day of Prayer

is on Friday March 6. The 10.30am event is at St Elphege's Church, Stafford Road and the speaker is the Revd Justine Middlemiss

The evening meeting is hosted by the Springfield Church in Wallington Girls' School, Woodcote Road. The speaker is the Revd Sue Henderson of the United Reformed Church.

All are welcome at these events.

St David, Patron Saint of Wales

1st March

Unlike the other national patron saints, George, Andrew and Patrick, David was a native of his country. Not a lot is known of his early life, except that he was conceived through violence and his poor mother gave birth to him on a cliff top during a storm.

David was educated under St Paulinus of Wales. He became a teacher and preacher, founding monastic settlements in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. He became a bishop and went on pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

The Monastic Rule of David was quite harsh. It said that monks should pull the plough themselves without draught animals, drink only water and eat only bread with salt and herbs. They were to refrain from eating meat and drinking beer and no personal possessions were allowed. His symbol - and that of Wales - is a leek.

His date of birth is uncertain but it is recorded he died on a Tuesday, March 1, probably in 589. It is believed he was about 100 years old and he was buried at St David's Cathedral, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages.

St Non

Non, the mother of David, was the daughter of a Chieftan of Menevia, whose lands included the peninsula on which the little cathedral town of St David now stands. David chose the site of his monastery in the 6th century, which means the foundations of St David's Cathedral were laid over 14 centuries ago, making it the most ancient cathedral settlement in Britain.

Non brought up her son near Aberaeron and together they founded a nunnery at Llanon. In later years she moved to Cornwall to be near her sister, St. She settled in what is now Altarnun, on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where she had oxen drag a stone altar (hence the name "Altar - nun") and she founded a monastery there.

She eventually travelled to Finistère in Brittany where she set up a third monastery. She died there and her shrine can still be seen in the parish church. She is remembered on March 3rd.

We may not be able to empathise with the strict rules of St David but maybe this Lent, we can refrain from overindulgence and ask God's help to observe this season appropriately.

Jean Kimber

The Handbell Ringers' 20th Anniversary Concert

is on Saturday, April 18th at 7.30pm.

As mentioned in previous magazines, the group was formed to take part in the Parish Concerts of 1989. Most of the personnel has changed over the years, Heather Cosgrove and Jean Kimber being the only two original members.

We play a wide variety of music, so there will be something for everyone! It will be the first time we have given a concert in St Mary's - we've always been just "one of the acts". As we are not selling tickets, it would be useful for refreshment numbers if you would sign the list at the back of the church - or ring 8660 4254 - if you intend coming.

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The Friends keep a watchful eye on the Parks and promote them as public open spaces for use for walks and other leisure activities. We encourage the development and maintenance of the Parks and waterways and seek to improve the provision of amenities and facilities through public funding, public/private partnership and our own fund raising.

The Friends of Old Wallington Hamlet were incorporated into our group in 2008, following the completion of the restoration work on Elms pond. We have continued their work of overseeing the pond, in conjunction with Sutton Council, who are responsible for its maintenance.

Our recent successes in Beddington Park include the refurbishment of the tennis courts and the provision of a 5-a-side football and basketball court and a new picnic and barbecue area. Our next objective is the provision of an Adventure Playground for older children.

We meet about four times a year at the Grange in Beddington Park, where we openly discuss projects, parks maintenance, parks and neighbourhood policing and invite guests to speak on local topics.

Please help us achieve more by joining the Friends. Membership costs just £6 for an individual or £10 for a family: the membership is from January 1 to December 31.

Thank you for your support - Dee Hyatt

Twenty Years Ago

March 1989

March 1989 and the MOW (Movement for the Ordination of Women) was rumbling on. Pat Kingsbury had been to a Croydon Episcopal Area meeting, where she learned the bases of the Movement's aims. The fact that there were only 10 at the meeting left me wondering why!

There was a report form Eileen Reynolds about the work and deliberations of the PCC throughout the past year. We were approaching the APCM to be held on the 14th in the Rectory Lane Hall. Faculties had been prayed - and granted - for the heating, the amplification system, permission to retain the West Wing (the Site Hut outside the vestry), the use of the electric organ for a further two years, the removal of the front two pews on the lectern side and the renewal of the Carew Chapel floor. Oh, the power of prayer! Let's hope we are as lucky with our hoped-for new heating system.

As I write this, there is a foot of snow outside my house and the snow is still falling. In his Twenty Years Ago recording 1969, Stewart Kimber quotes "Waterbrooks" as saying the snow was getting thicker and thicker as he wrote his article in the middle of February. Two years ago it was much the same in February, as I remember sliding down to East Surrey Hospital to greet my new-born grandson. So what's all this about climate change?

Heather Cosgrove had written about her "Rare Treat" after she and others from St's had followed the Choir to the Church of the Epiphany in Merstham, where three choirs had combined for a sequence of Music and readings for Epiphany to Candlemas. The three choirs were our choir, that of the Epiphany and St Andrew's, Gatton. It was a great, well-attended service - thanks for the memory, Heather.

There was a veiled criticism of the content of the Parish Magazine. It appeared to be mainly targeted towards our own congregation rather than the community in the whole parish. (It may have been 20 years but the panel is looking into the style and content of the magazine, even as I write.)

Page 13 started, "If you were in church on Sunday January 28, you would have heard the Rector wish Margaret Mansfield a happy birthday." Twenty years later, history repeated itself! We gave her a card and sang to her - and to Jenifer - so however old she was then, she's 20 years older now and still going strong. Congratulations, Margaret!

There was a letter from Sister Susan Andrews at St Francis Hospital, Katete, Zambia, giving and interesting account of the happenings there over Christmas.

The Church

Our local community

The World

The whole of this month is the season of Lent

- let us pray in the words of the Collect for one of these Sundays:

"Almighty God….. mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the Cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace.

March 1 is St David's Day

- let us pray for the people of Wales, especially those hit by the recession in the individual areas.

March 17 is St Patrick's Day

- let us pray for the leaders and the people of Ireland, that there may be peace and understanding between people of different traditions and different denominations.

March 22 is Mothering Sunday

- let give thanks for our own mothers and pray for all mothers - especially those, who in difficult times and in troubled parts of the world, make great sacrifices for the sake of their children.

As we celebrate the day at St Mary's with music and afternoon tea, let us give thanks for musicians who bring music to us and for our families and friends.

Let us continue to pray for all who live and work in this parish, for the sick and for those who care for them.

And in the wider world, we continue to pray for Zimbabwe; for everyone in that country and for the people of Gweru, the Capital city of our link diocese of Central Zimbabwe.

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Tom

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to be able to write to you once again about the Lent Call.

In Lent we are given an opportunity to reflect on our call to discipleship both as individuals and through our membership of the world wide Church. It is also a time when we might give some thought to personal sacrifice and how we might help those who are less well off than ourselves. The Lent Appeal offers us an opportunity to share in giving to others in different parts of the world.

The projects from around the world that have been selected to benefit from money raised are:

· Yangon Village School – Myanmar

· Music School – Trinidad and Tobago (USPG)

· ZimPro Vegetable Gardens - Zimbabwe

· Water Action – Ethiopia (A contribution releases further funds from Governmental sources)

· Helen Keller Hospital - Jerusalem

· Robes Project – South London

May I commend these projects to you and assure you of my prayers for a holy Lent.

With best wishes

Grace and peace †Tom

The Bishop of Southwark's Lent Call 2009

Diocesan Zimbabwe Links & ZimPro

In recent years the Bishop’s Lent Call has asked for your help and support for specific projects in each of our link Dioceses in Zimbabwe. The situation in Zimbabwe is still very complex and changing very fast. At present, money raised for Zimbabwe through the Lent Call will be of benefit to the people but the Bishops have had to consider how best to use it. So, because the situation has not improved in the last year, money raised for Zimbabwe should continue to go towards the reconstruction fund for the Church for when the situation is more settled. This year, however, the Diocese is additionally supporting a specific Christian Aid project, run through their partner organisation ZimPro, involving the setting up of school vegetable gardens, where the children learn farming skills and grow food to eat. This helps with the school meals that ZimPro provides, ensuring that the children get at least one decent meal a day and encourages parents to send them to school instead of keeping them at home to help with farming.

Helen Keller Centre, Jerusalem

The Helen Keller Centre in Jerusalem is a school for blind children with a reputation for excellence that has become both national and international. There are 65 pupils who currently benefit from the School’s services, with outreach to a further 15 in mainstream schools. The aim of the Centre is to provide an all-round education that answers the needs of individual pupils and that allows them to function as independent, well adjusted and worthy people in the adult world. Because of the high ratio of staff to children, all groups are small and individual attention allows them to develop at their own pace and reach their full potential. Pupils receive a holistic education – caring for all aspects of the child across medical, psychological, social and educational needs.

The Robes Project

The Robes ecumenical project of emergency winter night shelters in north Southwark and Lambeth was established in 2006 when churches in Kennington and Bermondsey joined together with with the Manna Centre, a well-known Day Centre for the homeless near London Bridge station. In December 2008 the third Project opened to run for 4 months, with 2 sets of 7 churches to host the guests.
In early 2009 Robes will become a registered charity. The Bishop’s Lent Call will help secure the expanded project for winter 2009-10, allowing the employment of a Coordinator and Advocacy worker for longer and building up funds of its own for the future.

Water Action, Ethiopia

Christian Aid is funding a project to bring clean, safe water to 55,000 people in Ethiopia through their local partner organisation Water Action. Part of the money is coming from the European Commission, who have agreed to give an additional £3 for every £1 Christian Aid raises from churches in the UK. With their help, Water Action will provide 55,000 people with accessible water within one kilometre of their homes.

5. School projects in Myanmar and Trinidad & Tobago

MENET supports a village school 9 miles from the centre of Yangon, called ‘Future Flowers’. It opened in 2003 for pupils aged 3-6 - there being very little education in the area. Having been to a pre-school a child has a better chance of getting into a primary school. It costs £1.60 a month to attend, which is not affordable to all, but with MENET’s help, no one is turned away. A government ruling means all pupils must wear uniform and as few can afford £2 for this, MENET purchased them to lend out.

USPG is supporting a new project in Trinidad & Tobago, which has its roots in work done between 2004-6 to develop music in the Diocese of Trinidad & Tobago. As part of this, Richard Owen started working with church schools, and from there the diocese decided that improving music in schools would be an important way in which it could benefit young people and build links between them and the local community. It has been developing the local infrastructure for the project in the intervening years and identified that Richard was the best person to lead the training element of the project in 2008.

Donations towards the projects supported by the Lent Call should be made during Lent via churches within the Diocese of Southwark. However, donations can be sent directly to:

The Hon. Treasurer
Geoff Hammond
c/o Bishop's House
38 Tooting Bec Gardens
London SW16 1QZ

Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Bishop of Southwark's Lent Fund'

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