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From the Ministry Team
Dear
Friends,
Writing
this on
the Feast of Pentecost I am aware that over the past seven weeks since
Easter
we have been celebrating, in joyful manner, the resurrection of Jesus
Christ,
and recalling his many appearances to the apostles. As they recognised
his
presence, their hearts burned within them and they were filled with
comfort,
reassurance, inner peace and strength. The feast of Pentecost (or Whit
Sunday)
recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in the form of a
roaring
wind and tongues of fire.
The first
reading appointed for the day (Acts
2:1-11) describes the spectacular baffling effect on the
disciples
by the coming of the Holy Spirit. The change in their lifestyle was
startling,
as the Spirit urged them to be their very best selves. They threw aside
caution, were no longer afraid and rushed out to begin their mission of
preaching the Good News, boldly proclaiming their faith in a
crucified
Christ. Suddenly there was no longer uncertainty, everything fell into
place
and made sense. At that moment the church was born. The Spirit of God
had
filled the disciples with new hope and courage.
New
hope, new
vision and new courage is something we desperately need as we, along
with many
other Churches (not only Anglican) face the challenge of witnessing to
the
Christian Faith in 2003. The first disciples received the power and
strength
necessary to set off into the world and enthusiastically continue the
work
which Christ had begun.
They
werent
concerned with buildings first and foremost as we so often are!
Proclaiming and
witnessing to the Gospel was their inspiration. The coming of the
Spirit on
that first day of Pentecost was not a once and for all event, but the
beginning
of his permanent presence in the church. By virtue of our baptism, the
Holy Spirit
is closer to us than we dare imagine.
Wherever there are hearts open
to receive him, the
Spirit of God is poured out, inspiring minds to undertake their
mission as
Christs representatives. This feast brings home to us that God calls
us to a
deeper relationship with him and wants us to share in his life. It
is an
invitation to enkindle the fire of love and to stir up the grace of our
baptismal calling.
We do not always know when the
Spirit moves us, yet we
are frequently surprised by the power that drives us into action. When
ever we
go beyond our own selfish indifference and reach out in genuine concern
for
people in trouble, then the Spirit of God is at work guiding us, giving
us
renewed strength to turn upside down accepted human values and the will
to move
along in a new direction.
As we celebrate the gift of the
Spirit we must pray
also with penitence for the divisions we find in the church. Looking at
our own
Churches Together in Waterloo and Seaforth can we honestly say that
five
Anglican, two Roman Catholic, and two Free Churches is the best way of
displaying Christian Unity? It must pierce the very heart of God
himself that
there are so many unhappy divisions within the Church of Christ. (Not
to
mention those who secretly want even more divisions!)
The early church was fraught
with tensions and power
struggles: people following one leader rather than another one style
rather
than another. It happens in practically every Church. Yes, it is human
nature.
But that doesnt mean that divisions are right. Does our vision for the
church
put our own preferences first, or the greater good? Do we indeed have a
vision?
One of the Old Testament writers
says: Where there is
no vision, the people perish. That could easily be adapted to read
Where there
is no vision, the church, or parish, perishes. Any Church, our own
included,
is only as healthy as the people who are 100% committed to it!
Half-heartedness
and religion-on-our-own-term is not what the Gospel of Jesus Christ
is
about. Sorry to upset some of you!
Christ has promised that the
power of the spirit will
come if we ask for him. Its essential that in prayer we leave the door
of our
hearts open to invite him in. Then we become different persons and
changed
people to the extent that we allow the Holy Spirit to disturb our
complacency,
uproot out mediocrity and make way for fresh growth. What the spirit
will do,
if we permit, is to lead us in joy, peace and love.
On Pentecost Sunday we thank God
for the gift of the
Holy Spirit who works in countless hidden ways to deepen our faith and
give us
strength to renew our lives and the life of our parish. But do we have
the
courage to open our hearts to Him? If we do it means being led by God,
not
ourselves!
With my love and prayers,
Father Neil
Faithful God,
who fulfilled the
promises of
Easter
by sending us your
Holy Spirit
and opening to
every race and
nation
the way of life
eternal:
open our lips by
your Spirit,
that every tongue
may tell of
your glory;
through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Open
Gardens 2003
Last
year, in one of those St Faiths experiments that seems likely to
become a
tradition, Fr Neil persuaded seven households to open their gardens for
the
afternoon at the end of June so that everyone else could wander round
them and
marvel at the miracles they beheld. It was cold and wet most of the
time,
including the evening session at the Vicarage, where Pimms and Punch
were
imbibed and folk gazed through the window at the glory of the Vicarage
Garden.
This
year no fewer than four of last years gardens proved unavailable due
to
strategically-taken holidays, but replacements have been found and on
Saturday
June 28th, from 2.00 to 6.00 pm, six gardeners are opening their doors
(or
gates), serving tea and buns and, of course, praying for finer weather.
The
usual frantic weeding/tidying up/scurrying round garden centres for
last-minute
instant colour is taking place and, of course, a great time will be
enjoyed by
all on the day. Tickets are only 5.00, including the evening
refreshments, and
for a mere 1.00 you make partake of tea on a variety of lawns.
Proceeds to
church funds: please come and support this rather special event.
Charity
Fun Day
Saturday 12th
July at 12.30 pm following the
lunchtime recital
We reprint the
Vicar's words
from last year when the first Charity Fun Day was being planned. They
are
equally appropriate to the 2003 Grand Event. Watch the nptices and
local
publicity for further details of the activities being planned and the
charities
which are to benefit this year. Ed.
When Christians
consider the
way they give financially to the Church, many try to take as their
inspiration
the Biblical principle of tithing, that is, giving a tenth of what
they have
to the Church. Often many parishes try to do the same with their money
(to give
away 10% of what they have) to charities, whether home or overseas.
For many parishes
- certainly
S. Faiths and S. Marys - that is quite difficult when we are
constantly
raising money to pay the bills! However, after a few years of not being
able to
give anything away we managed at S. Faiths 2001 to give away our
Christmas
collections to Afghanistan and we have raised the best part of 3,000
for
Malawi since Easter (2002), so our outside giving is I think back on a
healthy
and realistic footing we must thank God for that (and of course thank
our
Treasurer for her diligent book-keeping).
The idea of the
CHARITY FUN DAY
is that members of both our churches work together towards a day which
can be
great fun (what could give you more pleasure than a good BBQ hamburger
and then
throwing a wet sponge at the Vicar? Nothing! Ed.) but would
also be an
opportunity to give to charity.
All ideas and
offers of help
gratefully received, whether you come to church regularly or not! This
can be
and will be a great community event. If you can make something or
donate
something whatever it is please let us know. Many of the stalls
will need
prizes raffle, bingo, tombola etc so please do what you can to
help. There
may be a stall which you can run which isnt yet included. Let me know!
Lastly - please
support this
event and publicise it as widely as you can.
Vocation ..
and the Changing
Face of
Ordained Ministry
We print below the
text of a
sermon preached at St Faiths on Vocations Sunday by the Revd
MADALAINE
BRADY, rector of St Maelogs Church, Llanfaelog on Anglesey.
Economists have
been defined as
people who tell you tomorrow why what they said yesterday didnt happen
today.
Unfair maybe, but thats the perception. Sadly, its also some peoples perception of the church. The
church is seen by many, many people as an institution set firmly in the
distant
past that is predicting a future as unlikely as the wildest science
fiction
an institution with no relevance to the present. Thankfully, we are
trying to
take a long, hard look at ministry, a look that is careful and
prayerful, that
asks God to help us discern the way forward and to make us relevant to
his
world as well as to our heritage and to
his kingdom. The God of yesterday, today and tomorrow can have no
desire for
his church to leave out the today bit. Traditionalists neednt be
afraid.
Tradition isnt a matter of living in the past. Itsw a matter of
building on
to the good things of the past, and of adding our part to a growing
tradition.
The church needs to look at its patterns of ministry to see if they are
still
relevant, and this can start with a good look at the past. A good look
at the
early Christian church can teach us a great deal about relevance.
Hands up those who think that
collaborative ministry
is just a current fad. Other hand up if you think that lay ministry is
just a
panic measure because of shortage of clergy! If you think either of
these
things, I suggest you read Corinthians and Ephesians. Its pretty plain
from
these passages, and from most of the New Testament, that the active
ministry of
all believers is whats expected. All baptised Christians are called to
a
ministry, and ordained ministry is one ministry among many. Its an
important
ministry, and a ministry in which it is a great privilege to serve. If
any of
you who are contemplating it think it will bring you wealth forget
it! If you
think it will bring you an easy life forget it! If you think that God
is an
equal opportunities employer
forget it! If you think you will ever join
the work force who say Thank God its Friday forget
it! If you think that it is a privilege
to be servant of Gods people often ungrateful and demanding people
then it might be for you. If you
think that being part of a
team of people who serve, part of a wide group of people of different
talents,
interests, enthusiasms and skills, part of a group who will never
really accomplish
their aim but who will know that they are part of something much
greater than
they can ever be, then maybe its for you. But be aware of this. The
days of
the mediaeval prince are over. The days of the parson being rated with
the
village squire and solicitor are over. The days of posh parsonages and
doffed
caps are over. The days of being the undisputed decider of all parish
matters
are over. On the other hand, the days of being the jack of all trades
are over.
The days of leading all services, running jumble sales, teaching Sunday
School,
doing the accounts, cleaning windows, mending gutters, organising
fetes,
dishing out advice on every subject and taking tea in seventeen
different
houses in a week are over or should be!
At last the church has taken
stock. At last the church
has begun to evaluate. At last the church has begun to realise that
clergy
arent perfect at everything. At last the church has begun to realise
that
other people besides clergy can do things. That other people besides
clergy can
think. That other people can plan. Good heavens, that other people can
even do
theology. In other words, that other people can even have a ministry.
In fact,
it goes further than that. The realisation is dawning that other people
not
only can but do have a ministry, and that the clergy are failing in
their duty
if they do not help and enable people to fulfil that ministry. Every
one of us,
as baptised Christians, is called to some kind of ministry in the
church, some
kind of participation in being the body of Christ. Each of us is
unique, and
each of us has a unique part to play. Thomas More once said, and I
paraphrase a
bit, God has committed to me a charge which he has committed to no-one
else.
If I fail, it is possible that some part of Gods work will go undone.
Sobering thought. And so, it follows
that if we neglect to encourage the members of the body of Christ to
fulfil
their ministries, we might be encouraging them to neglect that part of
Gods
work committed to their charge.
Most of us, when we feel the
stirrings of a sense of
vocation, feel called to do something dramatic. Becoming a cleric can
seem
quite dramatic, when placed longside other career choices! Some other
Christian
ministries can seem equally dramatic and reassuringly valid.
Missionary, doctor
in Outer Thingummy, nurse under fire, peace negotiator yes, now these
are
ministries. No, ministry isnt always a big deal. Ministry is doing
that to
which we are called, whatever it is, and sharing our talents and
enthusiasms,
as well as our dedication, for the good of the body of Christ and the
bringing
in of the kingdom. When I was talking
to a group from one parish about Lay
Ministry Team training, an elderly lady said to me, It sounds great,
love, but
lass, youre no good to the church when your legs have gone! She went
on to
explain that ministry was for those with all their faculties
questionable on
the evidence! but when we unpacked this, her friends were quick to
reassure
her that she did in fact have a very valuable ministry, a ministry of
welcome.
She wasnt very mobile, but she faithfully sat near the back of church
welcoming everyone who entered, greeting visitors and baptism parties,
finding
pages, showing children pictures in her old Bible, and generally making
everyone feel comfortable. She was delighted to hear this referred to
as a
ministry, a ministry of welcome. But the point was made.
Everyones ministry counts, and
it is only together
that we can be the body of Christ. The ordained ministry is a special
joy and
privilege, but it, like all other ministries, is a ministry of service,
and we
ought never to forget it. Collaborative
ministry means that ordained clergy can be freed up to do more of that
to which
they are called and trained, to be the spiritual leaders of their
communities
and to preach, teach and preside at the Eucharist. Clergy are thinner
on the
ground than they used to be, and we have to face the fact that, even if
there
were enough clergy to have one priest to every church, we couldnt
afford them
and their pensions. Sometimes necessity can be God's way of giving us a
nudge.
Let my people go, he could be saying. Let them be what they can be,
and do
what they can do. You have plenty to do dont spoil it by wanting to
be in on
everything, like a spoiled kid at a birthday party. To be an effective
priest
in todays church requires a sense of vocation, a lot of preparation
and
training, great dedication, and prayer, and it also requires a great
generosity
of spirit. Footwashing starts here. But we mustnt make a virtue of it
and
refuse to let anyone else supply the soap and towel. Were all in this
together, clergy and lay. The great collaboration of the Trinity gives
us the
clue. The incarnation gives us another. The incarnation, wasnt a
condescension, it was a collaboration, a collaboration to which Mary
said,
Yes. Collaboration is at the very heart of God himself, so
collaborative
ministry must be the way forward for us.
I think this is a most exciting
time to be part of the
church. Were getting back to Biblical models, were being freed to be
what we
can be, not to conform to patterns that we can't honestly fit. Were
beginning
only beginning to get rid of the phrase Im only a lay person, or
to realise
that. if thats true, then some of us are only clergy. But together
we are
the body of Christ. Clergy dont have all the answers, but we can
encourage
people on towards better sets of questions and we can learn in the
process.
Collaboration, the active ministry of all baptised Christians, is
surely the
way forward and the way back.
Funny
you should
say that...
As
is probably all too well known, Newslink enjoys
printing a wide range of doubtful jokes, occasionally of a
vaguely religious nature, from a variety of sources. We are grateful
for those
who send them to us: this months crop comes from RON CRAWLEY
on the
Wirral and ANGELA CAPPER at Wakefield, with a more thoughtful
contribution from SHEILA BARKER at St Mary's, Davyhulme at the
end.
Fishy Footnotes GoodNews,
St John the Baptist, Meols, Wirral.
Two fish are in a tank. One says
to the other: You
drive, Ill fire the guns.
Two fish swim into a concrete
wall. One turns to the
other and says: Dam.
What do you call a fish with no
eyes? A Fsh.
Out
of the Mouths... Wakefield Cathedral News
Childrens answers to questions
about the Bible.
When Mary heard that she was the
mother of Jesus she
sang the Magna Carta.
Jesus was born because Mary had
an immaculate
contraption.
Jesus enunciated the Golden
Rule, which says to do one
to others before they do one to you.
The great miracle of the bible
is when Joshua told his
son to stand still and he obeyed him.
The seventh commandment is thou
shalt not admit
adultery.
Solomon, one of Davids sons,
had 300 wives and 700
porcupines.
The Egyptians were all drowned
in the dessert.
The people who followed Jesus
were called the 12
decibels.
The epistles were the wives of
the apostles.
Sitting Target Focus,
St Mary the Virgin, Davyhulme
He is always down front near the
pulpit, uninspiring,
silent, unsupportive in every way - and disturbing. He is the mortal
enemy of
the preacher. He is a visible testimony that someone doesnt care. He
cannot be
moved. The only way to get rid of him is to fill him. He is the empty
seat.
Scotlands
Oldest
Christian Town
Barbara
Wolstenholme
It is said that seven kingdoms
can be seen from the
Mull of Galloway: Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man,
Ayrshire
and Heaven!
Whithorn, a small town in
Galloway, now quiet and
tranquil was centuries ago at a cultural crossroads. Close to the sea,
and with
sheltered anchorages nearby it was, in the fifth and sixth centuries,
involved
in trade with other parts of Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa.
The Priory at Whithorn was one
of the most holy places
in Scotland, having been founded by Saint Ninian in 397AD, the first
Christian
settlement north of Hadrians Wall. Ninian is thought to have been the
son of a
Roman soldier stationed on the Wall. Born in Galloway, he went to study
in
Rome, then on his way back home through France, stayed at Tours for a
time with
Saint Martin who influenced him greatly.
On his return to Galloway,
Ninian, with the help of
masons from Tours built a whitewashed stone church (at a time when most
buildings were of wood). This became known as Candida Casa (site of
the
shining bright place), which in the local language
became Whithorn.
From
this church, Saint Ninian and his monks
evangelised their neighbours, with much success. He was known
for his
miracles, once curing a chieftain of blindness and many were converted.
After his death, Christianity
continued to flourish in
the area. A cathedral was built to house the saint's remains and
Whithorn
became a centre of pilgrimage until the sixteenth century.
During the Reformation, in 1581,
pilgrimages were
banned in Scotland. Saint Ninians shrine disappeared and Whithorn
became
isolated. But pilgrims still visit Whithorn today to see the ruins of
the
cathedral, treasures such as the 12th century bishops crozier and
rings and
ancient commemorative stones, including the Latinus Stone which is
inscribed
Te Domine laudamus (We praise you O Lord). This was found at Whithorn
in the
1880s and remains the earliest evidence of Christianity in Scotland.
Many of todays pilgrims walk
across the moors from
Whithorn to the coast about three miles away. Here there is a cave to
which
Saint Ninian retreated when he was in need of peace to meditate and to
pray.
The editor has explored Galloway
and the
ancient sites described above
and can recommend a
visit to this beautiful, quiet and little-visited corner of south east
Scotland.
News
from Oz
Last months issue featured a
prayer found by Fr
Dennis in a drawer at Ince Blundell Convalescent Home (possibly while
looking
for the Satterthwaites pie cache? Ed.). We have now learnt that the
prayer is
in fact the Collect of the International Federation of Business and
Profesional
Women (IFBPW), an organisation founded in 1930 with Great Britain as a
founding
member. The information comes from Liz (Gale) Prideaux, whose aunt was
Jessie
Gale (Robert Runcies primary school teacher, and of beloved memory to
older St
Faiths members).
Liz tells us that she is a
church warden at St
Peters, Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Australia, an inner-city
anglo-catholic
church and a member of IFBPW, having held positions in that
organisation at
State, National and International level. She accesses our website
regularly,
reading the magazine there, and so is probably our most distant reader!
She
comes from Liverpool, was taken to St Faiths by Jessie from time to
time, and
hopes to visit Liverpool and St Faiths when on holiday in Britain next
year.
Its a small world....
The web address of St Peters is
www.stpeters.org.au
Fireside
Poems
It was good recently to welcome
back CAPTAIN BRIAN
HEATON-JONES, making a return visit to St Faiths to sit in the
pew where
his family worshipped many years ago, and to the Garden of Remembrance
where
several members of his family members are at rest. Brian sends his best
wishes
to all at St Faiths, and we print below one of the poems from his
collection
Fireside Poems.
The
Lords Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name;
Father as it is in Heavn, may
It be on earth the same.
Pray we may have our daily bread,
Forgive us our mistakes.
May we forgive those who hurt us,
We pray for goodness sake.
O God it is Thy universe,
Thy power and Thy glory.
For all infinity of time,
Thy credit and Thy story.
Pray Father give us strength in
faith,
To put our trust in Thee.
And Father, bless the ones we
love,
When on a stormy sea.
Youth News Mike Carr
Lets be honest now, an AGM is
not generally something
to look forward to, is it? Well the Crosby & District Scouts AGM
was an
exception to this rule, at least for the Cubs and Scouts of St Faiths.
The AGM
was held at Litherland Town Hall during May and after the mundane
business of
speeches, accounts and elections, came the presentation of awards for
the year.
The Silver Chief Scout Award and
the Adventure Crest
Award were presented to 11 Cubs from our group. These awards are the
highest
that a Cub can achieve and are earned over a period of up to three
years, by
completing a series of activities and challenges to the best of their
ability,
ranging from first aid skills to back to basics camping.
The Cubs and Scouts from our
Group were also presented
with the following trophies and awards:
Cubs District Skills day
competition
Winners
certificate
Cubs Rough Rider competition
Winners
trophy
Scouts Swimming Gala
Winners
certificate
Scouts Rough Rider competition
Winners trophy
The Bobcat Cub Pack (Thursday
Cubs) also won the Cub
Pack of the Year Award.
But, thats not all! George
McInnes was presented with
a long service award for 15 years service as a Leader. George has
undertaken
many roles in the District over the last 15 years, including terms as
Assistant
District Commissioner for Leader Training and District Commissioner,
and is now
our Scout Leader. The night was rounded off for us all when Helen
Kibbey, Cub
Leader with the Bobcats, was presented with her Wood Badge following
the
completion of her training as a Cub Leader.
A great deal of effort, on the
part of the Cubs,
Scouts and Leaders of St Faiths Scout Group over the last year is
reflected in
these awards.
Well done everyone!
The Mayor of
Abergele Ron Rankin
About six years
ago the Mens
Group (a select and devout group formed to enjoy drinking and
eating
under various covering activities. Ed.) were
debating the
problem of finding a priest to lead their discussions, prayers and
worship at their
next weekend in North Yorkshire. I suggested that we ask Fr Charles
Billington,
a former vicar of St Faiths. I knew he was retired and, though he
lived near
Abergele, this was not seen as a problem. So it proved, Fr Charles
accepted the
challenge, there was an instant affinity and he has led every weekend
since. In
fact he now refers to himself as our Honorary Chaplain.
On the weekend in
February 2002
he told us that in May he would become Deputy Mayor of Abergele and,
twelve
months later, May 2003, be made Mayor. However, later in the year we
learnt
that he had cancer and would have to have his bladder removed. But Fr
Charles
is nothing if not resilient and this February he was again in North
Yorkshire
with the Mens Group. Considering what he had been through he looked
extremely
well and assured us he was still going to become Mayor. Consequently,
on May
22nd, four of us: Denis Griffiths, Kevin Walsh, Geoff Moss and myself,
went to
Abergele to see it all happen. It was an interesting day and Fr Charles
mentioned the Mens Group in his acceptance speech. We now look forward
to
returning for the Mayoral Civic Church Service on June 22nd.
A Summer Reflection Fr Dennis
Arnold Toynbee, in
his study of
history, listed a succession of civilisations that had come to an end
because
the people involved in them had become soft and comfort-loving, and
were unable
or unwilling to meet the challenges of their respective eras. They had
no
vision of the future to inspire and sustain them. As one of the
Biblical writers
says: Where there is no vision, the people perish.
The prophets saw
clearly the
consequences of present actions and policies and warned people to
change their
ways while there was still time. They spoke the word of God to their
own
contemporaries; they had a vision of the divine purpose - an age of
rightness
and peace, leading to happiness and prosperity.
One of them looked
forward to
the outpouring of spiritual power, not only on priests and prophets,
but on
all, young and old, slaves and free, a spiritual democracy. In that
great
Pentecost your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall
see
visions. One might perhaps wonder about the distinction between a
dream and a
vision, and about the assignment of dreams to the old and visions to
the young.
Dreams, we have
been told,
often express deep desires, things that one wants to happen. As people
grow
old, they perhaps lose the opportunity of influencing events, but they
dream of
hopes being fulfilled, and pray that they shall be. In this way they
continue
to play an active part in the spiritual dimension, the real sphere of
decision
and creativity. Younger people see visions, ideals, hopes and goals for
which
to work, with half a century before them. The dreams of their
grandparents can
encourage them to hold on to these visions.
It is good
occasionally to ask
what is the vision which inspires and sustains myself, the dream I want
most
for the world - a world at peace, abundant life for all, a true
democracy in
which the majority considers the rights and needs of the minority, an
all-embracing humanity which over-rides differences of race, gender,
colour,
class, sexual orientation, political allegiance and religion in the
conviction
that we are all children of God, created, valued and loved by Him.
Joint
PCCs Away Day
Joan
Tudhope
Faithful God, in baptism
you have adopted us as your
children,
made us members of the body of
Christ
and chosen us as inheritors of
your kingdom:
empower us by your Spirit
to witness and to serve,
and send us out as disciples of
your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On Saturday, 24th May, members
of the PCCs of St.
Marys and St. Faiths met together for a joint away day to discuss
matters and
concerns affecting both our churches. The venue for the event was St.
Lukes
Church in Formby, which is situated on the edge of the pine woods. The
day was
lovely and sunny and the scene was set for a good debate.
We began the proceedings with a
celebration of the
Eucharist and an excellent homily given by the Area Dean of Bootle,
Canon David
Parry.
The first session Mission,
maintenance and money
matters was led by Ian Leadbetter from the Liverpool Diocesan
Resources
Department. In his presentation he looked at the weekly planned giving
and
direct debit/ standing order giving in both churches.
He pointed out that if every person in those schemes moved up a
step, i.e. gave an extra 1 a week the financial situation would be
very much
improved Moreover he emphasised that by
placing cash on the collection plate, whilst very much appreciated,
there was
no way of claiming tax relief from those who are tax payers and it was
very
difficult to forward budget.
It was agreed that the budget
setting would be
undertaken by the PCCs and that the PCCs would make a presentation to
the whole
congregation. This would be followed by
the setting up of small groups and individuals to undertake work to
plan for
2004.
In the second session: Where
have all the younger
people gone?, Fr. Paul Robinson from St. Thomass Lydiate, gave us a
very
lively and thought provoking presentation.
He said there was no easy answer, but that children needed to be
encouraged as much as possible to join in the worship and do things;
not be turned
away just because adults find them distracting, and that they wanted to
be
treated as equals and not patronised. A number of suggestions were made
as a
result of this session. The PCCs agreed that some services each year
would be
devised and run by young people and that visits to alternative options
for
worship would be arranged. The PCCs
would explore the possibility of sourcing funding for a youth worker.
Following a picnic-style lunch
in the grounds of the
church Fr. Mark Waters led the final session Where do we go now?
when he
brought together the many strands of the morning into a workable
format. A
Mission audit would be undertaken to ascertain what there is in the
community
and beyond and that a Mission group would be set up.
The day ended at 2.30 p.m. with
closing worship and a thanksgiving
for our baptism. Most of us dont relish the idea of giving up a
Saturday.
However it was a worthwhile time and for those of us on the PCC there
is plenty
of work ahead. A challenging day and one which we hope will benefit the
future
growth of our united benefice.
Sermons
from St
Faiths
A reminder that this new
publication is now on sale
from the back of church or by post from the editor. It contains the
text of
thirteen sermons preached at St Faiths: one sequence covering the
sacraments of
the church, the other being the words preached at Holy Week 2002.
Ar a price of only 2.50, and
the proceeds going to
Medic Malawi, this is an ideal opportunity both to support our special
good
cause and to remind ourselves of some of the highlights of the Ministry
of the
Word at St Faiths in recent years.
Less
Sex Please, Guys
MIKE HOMFRAY has submitted this
article from a recent
issue of The Guardian (partly, he says, to break the Daily
Telegraph monopoly in Newslink!) Writer KIRSTIN AUNE wonders why
the
Anglican church spends more time arguing over gays than spreading the
word
about God?
If,
lets imagine, you were visiting Britain from another planet and came
across
some cuttings from the Christian press, you would be forgiven for
thinking that
church had something to do with two things: gay sex and arguing.
A paragraph in Rupert Shortts
biography of the
Archbishop of Canterbury has Rowan Williams admitting that a small
adjustment
to the church's teachings on sexuality in order to accept lifelong,
monogamous
gay relationships might be worthwhile. Such fine-tuning would, says
Williams,
be akin to allowing church remarriage for divorcees. Grounds for a
public
lynching? Some Christians seem to think so, and a row has raged since
before Williams
was appointed.
Back in September Williamss
predecessor, George
Carey, warned that within the Anglican community the disagreement over
whether
or not to accept gay relationships could precipitate a schism. The
evangelical
body Reform issued a pamphlet, Rowan Williams: A Godly Concern,
asserting
that the archbishop in effect believes in a different God and another
gospel
than that revealed in scripture. Williams is responsible for the
worldwide
Anglican division, the pamphlet claimed, and this threatens to
exacerbate what
is already a troubling situation.
This argument was repeated last
week, with the
appointment of the so-called gay rights advocate Canon Jeffrey John
as
Suffragan Bishop of Reading. Johns appointment met with anger from
those
opposed to gay equality, in particular from evangelical groups, which
said it
would hasten the collapse of the Church of England.
Then theres what another
Christian paper charitably
calls the oxymoronic Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) a
movement
which, because of the strength of opposition, has to campaign on a
single-issue
platform. The movement has recently
been arguing, unsuccessfully, that religious organisations should not
be
granted exemption from the 2003 employment equality (sexual
orientation)
regulations. Its next activity is its Halfway to Lambeth conference
in the
autumn, aimed at persuading Anglican bishops to incorporate the
experiences of
lesbian and gay Christians in the next Lambeth conference. Good luck to
the LGCM,
but frankly Is a shame it has to exist.
Ten years ago, the debate over
women priests was
attracting a similar hullabaloo. Thankfully, at least as far as most of
the
Christian press is concerned, weve got over the women issue. Those
female
priests can finally do what they wanted to do in the first place
without being
caricatured as bra-burning militants every time they open their mouths.
Theres
nothing wrong with militancy, but sometimes consolidation is just as
effective.
Now, it is absorption with
sexuality that is giving
the church a bad name. If the church really cares about what it is
supposed to
represent, it should take a look at Jesus. Jesus wasnt unconcerned
with sexual
ethics. After all, he came down pretty heavily on the bloke who was
trying to
find an easy way to divorce his wife; he talked about celibacy as a
positive
option; and he wasn't too keen on adultery. But generally, talking
about sex
wasnt Jesuss thing. He issued no injunctions about gay sex.
Homosexuality,
which gets half a dozen verses in the Bible, is really not a big deal.
As for all this bickering, how
about turning the
other cheek or doing unto others etc? Forgiveness and reconciliation
between
people, and between people and God, were two of Jesuss strongest
themes. If
Christians would channel the energy that goes into their sexuality
debates into
doing something useful, such as working for world peace or the
elimination of
poverty in the developing world or, even, talking to people about God
they
might have more credibility among a population increasingly suspicious
of the
institutional church.
So, guys (since its mostly guys
doing the
squabbling), cant you agree to differ about sexuality and move on?
Lets have
less about sex and more about Jesus. (And keep up the good work,
Archbishop.)
A
Thought
...
for the Feast Day of St Benedict, 11 July
I believe profoundly in academic
excellence, and the
pursuit of it as important just for its own sake. It will be a sad day
if we
fall into the trap of assessing the importance of things such as higher
education solely in terms of their usefulness. We need men and women to
explore
the secrets of the universe and to work relentlessly to discover truth.
There is, however, another
knowledge, a different
wisdom. It comes to those who have glimpsed something of God in prayer.
It is a
knowledge of him as the ultimate truth; it is a wisdom which gives
proper
perspective to the created universe. St Benedict once had a vision as
he looked
out from the tower at the monastery at Monte Cassino. He saw the whole
world
as if gathered into one sunbeam. St Gregory commented. Animae videnti
creatorem, angusta est omnis creatura To the soul which sees the
creator,
all creation seems small. If we catch a glimpse of the glory of God,
we see
the world, its peoples and events in their true perspective. We see
them as
they really are. Alone in his cave, Benedict learned that the prayerful
study
of God leads to a partial understanding of who and what he is. It is no
more
than a small shaft of light breaking through the cloud of unknowing. It
is an
exploration of that Reality which gives meaning to all else.
The call to be a hermit is a
rare one; it requires a
balanced mind, a tough constitution, an ability to stick at it in
moments of
darkness. None the less, there is something which we can learn from it.
It is
that each of us needs an opportunity to be alone and silent, or even,
indeed,
to find space in the day or in the week, just to reflect and to listen
to the
voice of God that speaks deep within us. Ours is a noisy and hectic
world.
There is too much clamour, too many preoccupations and distractions. So
much so
that God is squeezed out of our lives, if indeed he had ever been
admitted into
them. Of course, people want to know whether there is a God before they
seek to
admit him into their lives, where he can be found, what he is like.
Oddly
enough, it does not always work that way. Very often the starting point
is a
constant and prayerful search for God. We search precisely because we
have not
yet discovered the object of our seeking. In fact, our search for God
is only
our response to his search for us. He knocks at our door, but for many
people,
their lives are too preoccupied for them to be able to hear.
Cardinal
Basil Hume, Address
to
the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship
A
Prayer for the
Departed
Following the
recent deaths of
John Price, Kathleen Vickers sent Jean Price this prayer by John Donne,
the
16th century poet and priest. Jean has asked for it to be printed in Newslink,
and we do so not only in Johns memory, but as a tribute to Wilf Newton
Jones
(Susie Greenwoods father), Hazel Sutcliffe (Betty Sutcliffes
sister-in-law),
Vic Winsor (husband of Betty Winsor) and, most recently, Queenie
Goodwin, all
of whom have also passed away in the past few weeks. We send our love
and
prayers to all who mourn their loss.
Bring us, O Lord
God, at our last
awakening,
into the house and
gate of heaven,
to enter into that
gate and dwell in that
house
where shall be no
darkness nor dazzling
but one equal light;
no noise nor
silence, but one equal music,
no fears nor
hopes, but one equal
possession;
no ends or
beginnings, but one equal
eternity;
in the habitations
of thy glory and
dominion,
world without end.
Amen
Summer
Saturdays
The
programme of
concerts for the next few weks is as follows:
June 28
Colin Porter
(organ)
July 5
Ranee Seneviratne
(soprano)
July
12th
James Firth
(piano)
July
26th
John Knight
(organ)
August
2nd
Ian Dunning
(baritone) and Derek Sadler (piano)
The steady growth in numbers at
the Saturday Open
Mornings and Recitals is continuing, with numbers sometimes topping 70,
enjoying refreshments, food and drink and, of course, top quality
entertainment. If you haven't yet sampled these sessions (now in their
sixth
successful year) why not drop in, have a cup of coffee, and swell the
numbers
(and the profits)?
STOP PRESS...
Auditions for the 2004 United
Benefice Dramatic
Society Pantomime will be held at 3.00 pm on Sunday July 13th in St
Marys
Hall.
Christian
Aid Week
2003 Fred Nye
This year the door-to-door
Christian Aid collection in
the parish raised the magnificent sum of 950. Please could I say a
very
heart-felt word of thanks to all our faithful band of collectors, some
of whom
must have volunteered for every Christian Aid week for the last thirty
years or
more! Believe it or not it is a very rewarding task to witness in this
way
(although perhaps even more rewarding to count and bank the money when
its all
been collected!) There is a real commitment to relieving third world
poverty
among St. Faiths people and the collection is a practical and tangible
way of
expressing that commitment. Having said that I still wonder every year
why it
is that more of St. Faiths congregation (and dare I say it, more of
the
younger members) dont want to get involved. Im obviously rubbish at
marketing. Perhaps we should hold an open meeting so that a Christian
Aid rep.
could talk to us about their work and what it achieves. If you think
this might
be a good idea, or have any other suggestions, please let me know my e-mail address is at the back of this Newslink).
Meanwhile another big thank you to our loyal volunteers.
Flower
Festival
2003 Mary Crooke
There will be a meeting for
ongoing planning for the
October Flower Festival on Thursday 31 July at 8pm in the Upper Room. Please try and be there.
From the Registers
Funeral
21 May
Grace
Jones
30 May
John
Price
6 June
Hannah
(Queenie) Goodwin
Burial
of
Ashes
29 May
Vernon
Ford
The
PCC and its Committees 2003/4
Fr Neil Kelley
Fr Dennis Smith
Mrs Margaret Davies (Churchwarden Vice Chair)
Mrs Joan Tudhope
(Churchwarden)
Dr Fred Nye
(Reader)
Mrs Jackie Parry (Reader)
Mrs Kathleen Zimak (Deputy
Churchwarden)
Mr Gordon Slater (Deputy
Churchwarden)
Mrs Margaret
Houghton (Treasurer)
Mrs Fiona Whalley
(Secretary)
Dr Michael Holland
Mr Mike Homfray
Mrs Audrey Dawson
Mrs Ruth Winder
Mrs Caroline Vitty
Mrs Margaret
Houghton (Treasurer)
Mr Mike Broom
Dr David Fairclough
Mrs Irene Taylor
Mr Rick Walker
Mrs Sue Walsh
(Deanery Synod)
Ms Kari Dodson (Deanery Synod)
Ms Wendy Trussell (Deanery Synod)
Mrs Angela Price
Mrs Elaine Jones
Mrs Mary Crooke
Mrs Maureen Madden
Mr Geoff Moss
Mrs Jill Deeprose
Fr Neil
Treasurer
Churchwardens
Secretary
Mike Homfray
Mike Holland
Premises Committee
Geoff Moss
David Fairclough
George Smith
Christine Spence
Kevin Walsh
Paul Jones
Ken Bramwell
Ruth Winder
Dennis Griffiths
Mike Holland
Fiona Whalley
Mike Broome
Denis Whalley
Gordon Slater
Fiona Whalley
Mike Holland
Finance and Stewardship
Committee
Chris Price
David Jones
Mike Holland
Margaret Houghton
Ruth Winder
Fiona Whalley
Betty Sutcliffe
Angela Price
Chris Spence
Rosie Walker
Linda Nye
Mary Crooke
Ada Slater
Irene Taylor
Lillie Wilmot
St. Faiths
Holiday Club
We are delighted
we are now
able to run the first St. Faiths Holiday Club which will take
place in
the week of 4th to 8th
August. It will be open to all children with connections with St.
Faiths
Church, the Uniformed Organisations and children in the surrounding
area. It will be operated on a first come,
first
served basis with a maximum of 60 children.
They will take
part in a varied
programme of activities and outings during the week. Flyers,
information and
booking forms will be distributed in the very near future.
We already have some helpers but would very
much welcome more. Please see Fr. Neil if you would be interested in
helping.