The United Benefice of Foots Cray with North Cray PARISH MAGAZINE November 2014 50p All Saints, Foots Cray St James, North Cray Website: www.allsaintsandstjames.org.uk PARISH STAFF The Rector: Telephone Churchwardens: The Rev Ann Uphill, The Rectory, Rectory Lane, Sidcup DA14 5BP [email protected] Tina Hewett (St James) [email protected] Ted Rowlands (All Saints) [email protected] Sally Schepke (All Saints) [email protected] Pastoral Assistant: Sally Schepke Secretaries: Janet Setter (All Saints) Suzy Higgs (St James) Treasurers, Freewill & Covenant Secretary Gift Aid Officer: Director of Music: Sacristans: Bothy Bookings: Vacant 8300 7096 01322 273104 8289 3853 8302 5847 [email protected] 8302 5847 8289 3853 [email protected] 8302 5719 (St James) Sam Edwards (All Saints) [email protected] Suzy Higgs (St James) (email as above) Reg Boulton [email protected] Stephen Hills (St James) Sandra Cochrane (All Saints) Jackie Pentland 01689 838566 8302 5719 01322 614260 8302 7236 8300 1204 8300 4820 Churchyard Superintendent: Please contact the Rector for Churchyard matters. All Saints Churchyard: Ray & Francine Gull Parish Safeguarding Rhonda Collins (St James) Officers: Tricia Lyall (All Saints) Editor: 8302 4061 01322 527352 Steve Blake [email protected] Sunday Services 9.20am Sunday School - All Saints (except 1st Sunday) 9.30am Parish Eucharist - All Saints (except 1st Sunday ) 11.10am Sunday School - St James - The Bothy (except 2nd Sunday) 11.15am Parish Eucharist - St James (except 2nd Sunday) All Age Services 9.30am All Saints (1st Sunday ); 10.30am St James (2nd Sunday ) On the 5th Sunday in the month Joint Morning Services will be held alternately at All Saints and St James. Venues, and amendments, will be announced in the diary. Joint Midweek Service Thursday 10.00am Holy Communion - All Saints (1st and 3rd Thursdays) - St James (2nd and 4th Thursdays) If there is a 5th Thursday in the month, the service will be held alternately at All Saints and St James. Venues will be announced in the diary. ST JAMES CHURCH and THE BOTHY 020 8300 9377 Our Rector has her day off on Mondays, and it would be appreciated if you did not contact her unless it is an emergency on that day. 2 SEAS OF RED Of all the events that have been held so far this year for the Commemoration of the First World War, I think the most memorable and stunning are the poppies in the moat at the Tower of London, entitled "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper. We first saw the installation on our TVs on 4th August and it has continued to grow since then – the target being that over 800,000 poppies (888,246 to be precise) will have been ‘planted’ by 11th November to commemorate those who died during World War I. Each poppy represents a British or Colonial military fatality during the war and I think the whole idea was a stroke of genius. The fact that so many people have volunteered to help ‘plant’ the poppies over the months between August and November I think just shows how many the project has touched, and I think part of the reason it’s touched so many is because of the sheer visual impact of the installation. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth a trip to the Tower of London to do so. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the scale of the losses in that war depicted so graphically, not even in the battlefields of Northern France, moving and breathtaking though they are in scale. It’s very easy to talk about numbers, but somehow seeing all those poppies massed together, each representing a life lost really brings home the sheer scale of it all. All those who died were someone’s husband or son or brother or father, wife, mother, daughter or sister. These deaths were not just an abstract idea, these were human lives that mattered to their families and friends and the communities from which they came. And of course many communities lost many of their young men; many families lost more than one member: we only have to look at the names on our war memorials to know that they mattered to those close to them. But they mattered to all of us as well. On Remembrance Sunday of course we don’t just remember those who died in World War I, but in World War II and other conflicts, although this year the focus has been on World War I because of the centenary commemorations. And when you think of the scale of human suffering and loss those wars involved, it seems obvious to me why we should never allow ourselves to forget them. Ann 3 The following poem was written by a friend of mine, who has given her permission for me to share it with you. Ann Reflections after a visit to the Battlefields of the Somme Little poppies dancing, dancing in the fields. Dainty scarlet petals flicker, By the soft stalks of grain, Burgeoning milky ears of wheat, Swelled by the gentle rain. Little poppies singing, singing in the fields. Their silent song borne on the breeze, Ruffling whiskery heads of corn, Eddying waves of bayonet leaves, The horizon of no return. Little poppies weeping, weeping in the fields. Petals drop as a thousand tears, Blood splashed in a muddy furrow, A soul consumed by a million fears, A waiting heart with sorrow. Little poppies dying, dying in the fields. The time is ripe, the harvest calls, The nation demands its bread, The living wheat defenceless falls, Its roots the dreamless dead. Little poppies laughing, laughing in the fields. They raise their heads towards the sky, A century of summers past Fields of stones, a sword on high, We stand with awe at death’s repast. With countless others we wonder why those men and boys were doomed to die Little poppies glowing, glowing in the fields of death. E P M Verlander 4 Tea in the Bothy Garden – Sunday 20th July 1st North Cray Guides - Switzerland 2015 The Guides would like to thank everyone who supported them at the Tea in the Bothy Garden event in July. It was very well attended with many different types of cake available and many stalls, including the home made fudge and the personalised pencil cases. It raised over £500 towards the girls fundraising. The next event is a Race night which is being held at the Scout and Guide hall in Eden Road, Joydens Wood. Please see flyer for details. Your support would be most welcomed 5 ALL SAINTS CHURCHWARDENS NEWSLETTER Remembrance Sunday, on 9th November, is the day we traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today and the nation pauses to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Service men and women. On that day, after our 9.30am service, we will file from the Church to the War Memorial on Rectory Lane to commemorate Remembrance Sunday, and all it stands for. The Police will close Rectory Lane to traffic during our Act of Remembrance. Everyone is welcome to this event. Our thanks go to Ray Gull who organises our Remembrance Sunday commemoration each year, and to the Metropolitan Police for their support and understanding. Thank you all for your generous Harvest gifts, which were warmly welcomed at the Bexley Foodbank in Sidcup. Each year we donate our Harvest gifts to the food bank, and we also donate throughout the whole year. There is a black plastic bin in the Lady Chapel and you can put your donations in it on a regular basis, but do make sure that your donations have a long shelf life. The Sidcup Foodbank has a constant demand for food and household items, and we are pleased to support their work. This is Ann’s last month at All Saints and we are all going to miss her immensely. Her final service is at 9.30am on 30th November, here at All Saints. It would be lovely if the Church was full to say a final farewell and to wish Ann well for the future. With regard to the future we are still unclear what it holds for us. One thing we do know is that All Saints has an excellent future. Ann has put in place cover for our services until the end of February, by which time the way forward will have been determined. Over the next few weeks we will be having several baptisms, as people realise that Ann is retiring and they want her to baptise their children. On 4th October we had a visit from Bexley Archaeological Group’s junior section. They are always welcome, and they had a great time 6 identifying items of archaeological interest in and around the Church. The young people had an excellent feel for the history of our lovely Church. Well that’s about it for this month, folks. God bless Ted & Sally SEPTEMBER QUIZ NIGHT On September 13th we hosted another quiz night which although not quite as well supported as our previous one was very much enjoyed by all who were there. Our thanks must go out to our Question master Burt for all his hard work and also to Mike for allowing us to use the Bexley and Sidcup Conservative Club. We had a table quiz which consisted of cryptic clues for the names of towns in the UK. This caused great hilarity - whoever has thought of Blackpool as dirty water ! We managed to raise £160.00 for our church funds. Thank you for supporting this event. FUND RAISING IN NOVEMBER There is lots of fund raising happening in November. Plans are well in hand for the Elvis night and I have already sold 100 tickets which is incredible. If you want to come please get your tickets as soon as possible. This really is a major fund raising event and should be a really great night out. We are also selling tickets for the Christmas Tombola - £2.50 a ticket. Every ticket wins a Christmas themed prize. All prizes can be collected from the Bothy on November 29th which will be open from 11.00am to 3pm. Coffee and mince pies and homemade soup will be available for people to enjoy. Sally 7 All Saints Church in the Past 1500-1675 (Part 3) Like many other Churches, All Saints had the tradition that Cromwellian soldiers stabled their horses in the Church. It is doubtful if this is true, but the Church was badly damaged in the early years of the Commonwealth. It is known that the outer West door and the armorial stained glass windows depicting the arms of the Abel and Warner families were badly damaged or destroyed and that the inner door case along with the fabric and fittings of the nave and chancel were also damaged.. Sadly, also the De Vaughan altar tomb was so badly vandalised that all that now remains is the base and the top with the defaced effigies of Sir Simon and his wife. A period of neglect followed and it is recorded that concern was expressed as to the ravages to the Church caused by the weather being let in due to the damaged roof and the missing windows and doors. In 1650 a government enquiry established that the benefices of Foots Cray parish had been granted to a Master May (or Wray?) who was acting as preacher and that he had the use of the Rectory House and seven acres of land. By 1656 it seems that some efforts were made to repair the damage caused by the early excesses of the civil war. The West inner door was repaired and a new outer door fitted. A further sign of a return to normality was the interesting iron stone grave slab (of the type normally only found in the Wealden iron working areas) being erected in the graveyard to commemorate Martin Manning and his wife, Barbara. With the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660 the dispossessed Rector, John Rowland, returned from exile in Holland to reclaim his church and the Parish records started to be kept again. However the Walsingham family were considered by the Parliamentarians to be Royalist by association, and they had to keep a low profile during the Commonwealth, spending much of this period 8 on the Continent. Upon their return they soon re-established themselves as one of the leading local families. The local people were unaware that nothing would ever be the same again due to the Civil War – they viewed the restoration as a return to the “Good Old Days”, and that this return to what they considered normality was welcomed by the local parishioners cannot be doubted, for in 1662 they raised the sum of £12, which would have been a considerable sum of money in those days, for repairs to the Church windows and books. The repairs to the Church continued, and it is recorded that in 1666 the nave was extended and repaired, (although there is no visible evidence for the enlargement of the nave during this period) and the arch into the north chapel blocked up. It is more probable that during the repairs the nave was internally remodelled to enlarge the available space for the congregation’s use. At the same time the space under the arch supporting the North wall of the chapel was cleared and extended outside the Church to create a niche to accommodate the remains of the vandalised De Vaughan altar tomb. In the same year it is recorded in the Church register, that on 26th August Cornelious Vanderlain of the Hague was buried in the North chapel. Alongside this entry written in a different hand it states: “Buried in the chantey belonging to the Walsingham family”. It is also recorded that on 1st June 1673 Osmond Walsingham was “buried in the chapel belonging to his house”. (The North chapel). It has been suggested that Pike Place had its own family chapel, though this is highly unlikely. Further repairs were made to the Church in 1670, when the Churchwardens, Nicholas Manning and Stephen Firth authorised £12-5s-4d for works in the chancel and north wall to be undertaken. This work included the enlargement of the windows in the chancel and rood loft stair well, also the adding of light buttresses to the eastern chancel wall in an attempt to alleviate the problems caused by the weight of the roof. Ted Rowlands With acknowledgement www.bag.org.uk to Bexley 9 Archaeological Group. Book Mark The Wilderness Within - meditation and modern life By Nicholas Buxton, Canterbury Press, £12.99 The Wilderness Within offers an original approach to the what, the why, and the how of practising meditation today. Meditation is not a form of 'spiritual technology' to help us achieve our personal goals, but simply sitting quietly before God. It is not a means to an end, but an end in itself. Though it can be learnt in a few minutes, it is likely to take more than a lifetime to master. Drawing extensively on the teachings of Jesus and other biblical narratives, The Wilderness Within takes a deeper look at what meditation really is and what it actually involves. It emphasises the need to create a positive and balanced spiritual discipline in our lives. Ultimately, it is about becoming more fully who and what we really are. Christians in the Firing Line By Dr Richard Scott, Wilberforce Publications, £5.90 What do a doctor, an electrician, a beautician, a magistrate, a nurse and a counsellor have in common? These are just some of many professional people who have encountered serious problems at work because of their Christian faith. Some have even lost their jobs. Marginalisation of Christians in Europe is becoming more common. This book tells the stories of 13 people who have been warned, blacklisted, suspended or dismissed for refusing to compromise their biblical principles in the face of the new ‘god’ of political correctness and secularism. Hear My Cry Various Contributors; Bible Society, £3.99 Here is an excellent stocking filler to mark the Centenary of the start of WW1. Hear My Cry is a beautifully illustrated collection of over 40 Psalms interspersed with poetry, personal stories from the war, archive photos and pictures, prayers and hymns. The majority of the personal stories are drawn from original research among families whose ancestors fought or died in the War. Many of the soldiers' Bibles have survived, some with dramatic evidence of the part they played. Sister Wendy Beckett provides a commentary on paintings by Pieter Bruegel and John Nash, and the moving words of poets such as Wilfred Owen, Eleanor Farjeon and Siegfried Sassoon are represented alongside other voices from the war years. Hear My Cry also features a Foreword written by General the Lord Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff 2006-2009. 10 • • • • • • • • • • • • • Electrical Testing Installation & Repairs General Electrics Lighting Security Re- Wires Fault Finding Garden Electrics Security Alarms and Cameras Fuse Boards Telephone Points Plumbing and Gas Maintenance and Repairs Domestic & Commercial 11 News and Issues Poverty cannot be tackled without fighting climate change: new report As world leaders recently met in New York at a summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the global fight against climate change, a new report highlighted the crucial role a new set of Sustainable Development Goals must play in meeting the challenge. It says the goals, to be agreed next year, offer a vital opportunity for the international community to tackle the way that climate change is driving people into poverty. Written by CAFOD, CARE International, Christian Aid, Greenpeace, Practical Action and WWF-UK, it says it is now clear that without action to tackle climate change, efforts to eradicate poverty will be severely compromised. The report, The Right Climate for Development: why the SDGs must act on climate change, says rising sea levels and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as typhoons and floods – all the result of global warming – are claiming lives, damaging and destroying homes and infrastructure, reducing crop yields, and ruining employment prospects. These impacts will only increase, it warns, if action is not taken to cut carbon emissions and support is not given to the most vulnerable countries to adapt to the changes that they are already experiencing. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the expected successors to the Millennium Development Goals which expire at the end of 2015, must therefore include a stand-alone goal on tackling climate change New lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr John Inge, has accepted the invitation of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to succeed the Bishop of London as the Church of England’s lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings with immediate effect. Bishop John will become the lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings. He will support the Cathedrals and Church Buildings 12 Division, ChurchCare, and all who help to maintain the Church of England’s 16,000 parish churches and 42 cathedrals. Bishop John said: “Our Cathedrals are breath-taking spaces of awe and wonder with a rich history offering beautiful and vibrant worship. Together with the parish churches of our land they are an unparalleled treasure. They provide space for people to meet, reflect, pray and engage with the heritage of our nation – as well as serve their communities in all sorts of ways.” Listening is crucial first step to tackling poverty, shows new national pioneering project Networks of relationships with family, friends and others in the community are vitally important to people struggling to make ends meet, a pioneering church project in Birmingham supported by Church Urban Fund, the Church of England’s poverty charity, has found. The process was carried out using the Listen Up! Project designed by Sheffield Diocese and Church Action on Poverty. The project helps church groups to hold in-depth conversations with people in their community aimed at understanding their livelihoods and the way they use the resources at their disposal to sustain a living. The programme aims to have a transformative effect both on people living in poverty and on church congregations by forging new relationships. Details at: www.church-poverty.org.uk 13 Canon David Winter ponders the history of a famous locomotive…has anyone in your church have memories of it? Would they like to share them with your readers? THE FLYING SCOTSMAN Eighty years ago this month, on 30th November 1934, to be precise, a scheduled express train, pulled by a locomotive called the ‘Flying Scotsman’, broke a notable rail-speed record. On its journey northwards from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley it touched 100 miles per hour. I was a bit too young to see that journey, but a few years later, perched after school on a wooden fence just north of Wood Green station, I would often watch spellbound with my friends as the same train sped past, a mere matter of yards away from us, belching steam and deafening us with the roar of its wheels and engine. Sometimes the driver or the fireman would wave to us, but the privileged ones in the dining car, already addressing their late cooked breakfast, were oblivious of our envy. It was a highlight of our Saturdays and an unforgettable memory. To us boys, it was all about noise and power and speed, a magnificent piece of engineering but above all something that had never been done before. These new streamlined locomotives were built for speed, and speed was what they offered. A century earlier people wondered whether it was truly safe to carry passengers in the first steam trains at 60mph. Could the human frame survive at such speeds? It could, though a few who were not seated safely did blow off the uncovered carriages in the slipstream! Now we could see that 100mph was perfectly possible on land (it had already been done in the air) - and who could imagine what speeds human beings might be able to travel at in the future? The great race for speed, to knock minutes or hours off journey times, had begun It has, of course, gone on. We can now travel vast distances by air, getting from London to New York in not much longer than the ‘Flying Scotsman’ took to get to Edinburgh. We move heaven and earth to save five minutes (and often pay a small fortune for it, as well) and then wonder what to do with the time we’ve ‘saved’. Since those exciting days back in the thirties, I wonder what our obsession with 14 speed has truly added to the sum total of human happiness? Yet I have to admit that there was something special about that great clanging monster, just as there was about the elegant sight of Concorde on its supersonic way across the Atlantic - and I must also admit I would never choose a slower train for a journey. I suppose it’s not so much ‘saving time’ that matters, as what we do with it when we’ve saved it. Now there’s a thought for the 80th anniversary of a land-speed record! Rachael Farmer Mobile Hairdresser Shampoo and Set, Blow Dry, Cuts, Colours, Foils and Perms Tele: 020 8303 1395; Mobile: 07961069743 David Hemsley Building Service and Property Maintenance Internal & External Painting & Decorating Fencing • Block Paving • Crazy Paving • Decking Walls • Paths • Patios • Drainage Qualified Plastering Service Available Free Estimates Insurance Work Undertaken 24 Hour Call Out Service Tel: 020 8303 9459 Mobile: 07710 431 956 15 DATES AND NOTICES 2014 Saturday, 8th November - 7pm - Scout and Guide Hall A Night at the Races (see p.23 for details) Thursday, 13th November - 2pm - The Bothy Fun & Fellowship Saturday, 15th November - 7.30pm - Foots Cray Social Club Elvis Night Sunday, 14th December - 10.30am - St James, North Cray Grand Christmas Draw 16 ALL SAINTS SUNDAY SCHOOL SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HELD HELD EVERY SUNDAY DURING TERMTERM-TIME EXCEPT THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 9.30AM ALL SAINTS CHURCH EVERYONE AGE 22-9 ARE WELCOME CONTACT SARAH PALLETT ON 01322 555765 FOR MORE DETAILS DOORS AND DESIGNS By Specialist Glass Co INTERNAL – EXTERNAL UPVC COMPOSITE – OAK – HARDWOOD – PINE STAINED GLASS – BEVELS – SANDBLAST General glazing and repairs Call for a free quote Tel; 0208 309 5678 Email; [email protected] HOLLYTREE PHARMACY OPEN 9.00am - 7.30pm MONDAY - SATURDAY Free Prescription Collection & Delivery Service COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES INCLUDING:*Domiciliary Oxygen Service* Pregnancy Testing* Surgical Supplies-Colostomy, Urostomy, etc.* Appliances etc for the Elderly and Disabled* Ask an Expert - Ask your Pharmacist for Advice AZIM ADATIA BSc (HONS) MRPHARMS Telephone: 020 8300 6857 2 Hollytree Parade, Sidcup Hill, Foots Cray 17 DIARY FOR NOVEMBER 2nd November All Saints Sunday – All Saints 4th Sunday before Advent – St James 9.30am All Age Worship 11.15am Parish Eucharist Thur 6th All Saints St James 10.00am Holy Communion 7.30pm Churchwardens’ Meeting 8.15pm United Benefice Council 9th November All Saints The Rectory The Rectory Remembrance Sunday 9.30am Parish Eucharist 10.00am All Age Worship Both services will include an Act of Remembrance at 11.00am. Please note earlier start time for the service at St James Thur 13th 10.00am Holy Communion 2.00pm Fun & Fellowship Sat 15th 7.30pm Elvis Tribute Night 16th November All Saints St James St James The Bothy Foots Cray Social Club 2nd Sunday before Advent 9.30am Parish Eucharist with Baptism 11.15am Parish Eucharist with Baptism All Saints St James Tues 18th 8.00pm All Saints PCC meeting The Bothy th 8.00pm St James PCC meeting The Bothy Wed 19 th Thur 20 10.00am Holy Communion 23rd November Christ the King 9.30am Parish Eucharist 11.15am Parish Eucharist Thur 27th 10.00am Holy Communion Sat 29th 11am- 3pm Christmas tombola prizes to be collected 30th November 9.30am All Saints All Saints St James St James The Bothy 1st Sunday of Advent Joint Benefice Eucharist 18 All Saints EARLY DECEMBER Thur 4th 10.00am Holy Communion All Saints Please note that during the interregnum, and until further notice, there will be only one midweek service of Holy Communion each month: at All Saints on the 1st Thursday of each month, except on 1st January. On the third Thursday of each month, there will be a service of Morning Prayer at St James at 10.00am 7th December Thur 11th Second Sunday of Advent 9.30am 11.15am 3pm-6pm 2.00pm 14th December 9.30am 10.30am Toy and Christingle Service Parish Eucharist Afternoon Tea and Carolaire Fun & Fellowship All Saints St James The Bothy The Bothy Third Sunday of Advent Parish Eucharist Toy & Christingle Service All Saints St James W. UDEN & SONS LTD INDEPENDENT FAMILY OWNED FUNERAL DIRECTORS THE FAMILY BUSINESS THAT STILL OFFERS A PERSONAL SERVICE 64 HIGH STREET, SIDCUP PRIVATE CHAPEL OF REST - MONUMENTAL MASONS Telephone: 020 8300 2002 24 hour service BRANCHES IN SOUTH-EAST LONDON, PETTS WOOD AND BIGGIN HILL 19 The Way I See it By Canon David Winter How do we ‘Remember’ what we’ve never known? This has been a year of ‘remembering’. Up and down the land, local events and national commemorations have reminded us again and again of the Great War which cast such a dark shadow over Europe a hundred years ago - a shadow which spawned a second and equally destructive conflict barely twenty years later. The problem with remembering is that in the end we can’t. What I mean is, we can’t remember what we’ve never experienced, whether that’s a song, a person or a place. Nor can we, in a literal sense, ‘remember’ events which happened before we were born. And that, in a nutshell, is the problem of having a Remembrance Sunday (as we do this and every year) or being urged to ‘remember’ those who died on the battlefield of Flanders and the Somme a century ago. I can, personally, remember my father, who was there, but I can’t possibly remember what he went through fourteen years before I was born. Yet oddly enough every Sunday millions of people all over the world go to church specifically to ‘remember’ an event that took place not a hundred but nearly two thousand years ago, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. ‘Do this’, he had said, ‘in remembrance of me’. And in his memory bread is broken and wine shared, exactly as he commanded, in order to evoke and represent the profound significance of what he did. We ‘remember’ not because we were there and saw if happen, but because (like the dark shadow of war) the event itself still matters, still changes things, still touches our lives. That kind of ‘remembering’ demands a response. We should not simply remember the horrors of two world wars as phenomena of the past, but as challenges to us to change the future. To remember and do nothing is not really to remember at all. True remembering changes us, and in changing us it may, please God, eventually change the world. 20 THE BOTHY Are you looking for a small hall for a function? The Bothy (in St James Church Grounds) has all the facilities you need and can seat 35 people. If you need further information please contact Jackie Pentland on 020 8300 4820. Easi Lock Ltd (Locksmiths) All locks opened, repaired and replaced UPVC door and window lock specialist Security bars and grilles supplied and fitted Police CRB checked Member of British Locksmith Association Telephone: 0800 44 88 132 - Mobile: 075905 33 222 Web: www.easilock.com FRANCIS CHAPPELL & SONS A TRADITIONAL FUNERAL SERVICE FROM LOCAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS PROVIDING HELP AND GUIDANCE IN YOUR TIME OF NEED • Telephone quotes available • International repatriation specialists BROMLEY 231 HIGH STREET BRI INZ TEL: 020 8460 1720 • Memorial advice and products • Pre-paid Funeral Plans ORPINGTON BOUNDARY PLACE SEVENOAKS RD BR6 9JW TEL: 01689 875116 FARNBOROUGH 332 CROFTON ROAD BR6 8NW TEL: 01689 853277 ORPINGTON 87 THE WALNUTS BR6 OTW TEL: 01689 823777 SIDCUP 48 HIGH STREET DA14 6EH TEL: 020 8300 4661 and over 50 associated branch locations throughout South and South East London Part of Dignity plc. A British company www.dignityfunerals.co.uk Members of the National Association of Funeral Directors 21 22 23 NOVEMBER CROSSWORD PUZZLE Across 1 and 20 Down ‘Lord of all — , Lord of all — , whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy’ (11,3) 9 Moses’ question to a fighting Hebrew labourer: ‘Why are you — your fellow Hebrew?’ (Exodus 2:13) (7) 10 Acclaimed cellist who contracted multiple sclerosis at the height of her fame, Jacqueline — (2,3) 11 ‘At even — the sun was set, the sick, O Lord, around thee lay’ (3) 13 A descendant of Gad (Numbers 26:16) (4) 16 ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but — for the gift my Father promised’ (Acts 1:4) (4) 17 Clambers (Jeremiah 48:44) (6) 18 Peter’s response to questioning by the Sanhedrin: ‘We must — God rather than men!’ (Acts 5:29) (4) 20 Christian paraplegic author, artist and campaigner, — Eareckson Tada (4) 21 Bird partial to the nests of other birds (6) 22 ‘Such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat — — ’ (Matthew 13:2) (2,2) 23 Infectious tropical disease (4) 25 Tree (3) 28 ‘No fear of me should — you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you’ (Job 33:7) (5) 29 For example, to Titus, Timothy or Philemon (7) 30 Week beginning with Pentecost Sunday, according to the Church’s calendar (11) Down 2 ‘O Jerusalem… how — I have longed to gather your children together’ (Matthew 23:37) (5) 3 Way out (4) 4 Exhort (Romans 12:1) (4) 5 Done (anag.) (4) 24 6 Highest of the four voice-parts in a choir (7) 7 Concerning the study of God (11) 8 Uniquely, it has Abbey, Cathedral and Chapel (11) 12 Admonish (Matthew 16:22) (6) 14 Frozen (3) 15 Established form of religious ceremony (6) 19 Inscription often found on gravestones (7) 20 See 1 Across 24 Behaved (Joshua 7:1) (5) 25 Time (anag.) (4) 26 Lists choice of meals (4) 27 ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the — of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23) (4) (Solutions on page 32) 25 ST JAMES THE LEAST OF ALL On why the C of E should never combine parishes The Rectory St. James the Least My dear Nephew Darren I suppose it had to come, but combining parishes is now firmly on the agenda for our villages. I had always wondered what the first Earl of Stowe was trying to prove, building a church here in 1347 to accommodate 800 people when the total population has never exceeded 250. In the short term – which in this village is measured in centuries - it seems to have been to house the tombs of his 13 successors. I now realise it was to make uniting with adjoining parishes in the twenty-first century more difficult. Clearly the first Earl had formidable foresight. None of our neighbouring churches seem too keen to share their reserves to help maintain our cathedral-sized building. The threat of the closure of St. Herve the Bard has, inevitably, caused outrage – not so much from its regular congregation of three, but from all those in the village who would never think of attending. People do so like to have a church not to go to. St. Bregowine, built by a wealthy parishioner in the 19th century because she did not like the high church practices of the parish church of St. Iwig, is refusing to re-unite, even though the two churches stand only 100 yards apart, in a village with a diameter of 300 yards. If only they could get over the trauma of seeing the incumbent putting water in the wine on Easter Day in 1894. Although it must be conceded that the Bregowinians were equally affronted that when the daughter church opened in 1895, they found that the Iwigers had provided no brass troughs at the end of the pews for umbrellas. That they have subsequently refused to install them has only compounded the offence. Meanwhile St. Plegmund is in discussions with the Church of South India as a way of avoiding uniting with anyone. Should it happen, I will 26 be interested to see what travelling expenses the new incumbent claims. It will be difficult to tell when the present incumbent resigns, as he has not been seen at a clerical meeting for the last 30 years. Some of my colleagues suspect he is mythical, that a bloodless coup took place in the 1980s and that the church is now entirely run by the Mother’s Union. The church of St. Maximus of Constantinople in our nearest town has rather grandly offered to take all of our churches under its wing, but as a parishioner has pointed out: how could we possibly consider joining with a parish that fought on the other side at the Battle of Bosworth. In the meantime, we will serenely carry on, as we seem to have done for the past six centuries; parish mergers and reductions in numbers of clergy seem to be of less interest than debating the suggestion that we change the brand of coffee served after Services. Your loving uncle, Eustace 27 The Rev Michael Burgess is surveying works of sacred art that can be found in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The image can be seen by googling the title of the painting and the artist GOD IN THE ARTS ‘He gave us eyes to see them’: The Ten Weepers When Isabella of Bourbon, the wife of Charles, Duke of Burgundy, died in 1465, she was laid to rest in St Michael’s Abbey, Antwerp, in an imposing tomb surrounded originally by 24 bronze figures. They were lost in the iconoclasm of the 16th century, and then ten of them reappeared in Amsterdam in 1691. Today they are in the Rijksmuseum: attributed to Renier van Thienen in 1476, they are known as the Ten Weepers. They are arrayed in different costumes of the Burgundian court, but the death of a loved one has united them into a group of mourners who represent the sorrow and sense of loss of all who are bereaved. In this month of November we remember the departed at All Souls, and in this anniversary year of the First World War, we remember particularly those who gave their lives in that conflict. Many who enlisted in August 1914 imagined they would be home by Christmas, and their families were no doubt proud to see them depart for the war front. But pride turned to sorrow as the conflict went on for four long years, changing the face of Europe, claiming the lives of over 9 million combatants, and bringing sadness and loss to families on both sides of the war. Memorials in villages and towns mark out these deaths and the impact they made on their communities. These ten figures gathered around Isabella’s tomb to weep and mourn stand for those grieving families, just as they stand for all of us when we are bereaved. Death unites us because we each have a story to tell of loved ones - parents, partners, children, friends – taken from us by death. There is an ancient story of a young woman who gave birth to a baby boy. The child grew sick and died, and the mother went mad with sorrow. She went from house to house begging for a medicine that would bring her dead baby back to life. Eventually someone sent her to a holy monk nearby. ‘Yes,’ he told the mother. ‘I know of a medicine. It is the ordinary mustard seed.’ Her heart leapt when she 28 heard of the remedy. But the monk continued, ‘You must get it from a house where no son or daughter or parent or slave has ever died.’ The mother set out to find such a seed. But wherever she went, she could find no house free from death. Silently and sadly she went into the forest and buried her child. When she returned to the monk, he asked, ‘Have you found the mustard seed?’ The mother replied, ‘No, master, but I have found the medicine. I have buried my sorrow in the forest and now I am ready to live in peace.’ Sadness and sorrow are part of the human lot. The Ten Weepers in the Rijksmuseum tell us that, just as war memorials and family graves do. The mother in that story felt alone in her sorrow, but as she travelled from house to house, she drew comfort from the well of sympathy offered by those who opened their doors to her. For in death we can lean on each other for support and strength that will help us to see that death is part of the human pilgrimage. In the company of ten weepers or a hundred, we can find peace and hope as we realise the human pilgrimage here reaches out into the arms of our heavenly Father, whose love and life are eternal. LESLIE EASTON & CO. LTD DOUBLE GLAZING * ALUMINIUM WINDOWS PATIO DOORS * MIRRORS * LEADED LIGHTS PICTURE FRAMING * POLISHING GLASS OF ANY DESCRIPTION CUT TO SIZE5 - 7 HOLLYTREE PARADE, SIDCUP HILL, FOOTS CRAY, KENT. Telephone: 020 8300 3955 & 020 8300 9345 CURTAINS MADE DRESSMAKING AND ALTERATIONS Reasonable Prices All those sewing jobs you have been meaning to do for ages. MOLLY : 020 8300 9942 29 This poem is based on the story of one soldier, Alexander Rae, who died near Overloon in Holland on 12th October 1944, at the age of just twenty. A Distant Grave A distant grave, a foreign land Kept neatly, with respect Though not at all what he’d have planned Yet what he did accept. The Yorkshire lad, from Rotherham Just twenty short years old Like thousands of his fellow men Fought up a beach, named ‘Gold’. And he survived, though many died He fought his way through France And, though quite likely terrified To Holland he advanced. Then ‘Market Garden’ – a quaint name For brutal deeds of war But none heard those brave troops complain In darkest forty-four. And there our soldier met his fate His life cut short too soon; A shell fell close, to detonate At far-off Overloon. And so he lays, so far from home So far from kith and kin But he, with fallen comrades showed The way to fight and win. For none of these have died in vain He and his fellow men; They died – but we have freedom gained We must remember them. By Nigel Beeton 30 VSJ MARQUEE HIRE SOMETHING THAT THE ENGLISH WEATHER CAN'T SPOIL. GUARANTEED! We cater for all your party needs. From the barbecue to the ball. Wedding to wake. TABLES DANCE FLOOR LIGHTING CHAIRS HEATING AND CATERING V VS 020 8304 8339 31 17th Gregory of Tours (539 – 94) - charity and compassion in dangerous times Danger of torture, assassination, lootings, floods, famines and epidemics… life in France in the 6th century was as turbulent and violent as many of the world’s hot spots are today. In the midst of all this Gregory was born into a senatorial family who lived in the Auvergne. He grew up seeing how the Church responded to all this social chaos at first hand: his family numbered several bishops, as well as saints (the two are not necessarily the same thing!). In due course Gregory decided to devote his life also to the Church, and was ordained deacon in 563 and elected bishop of Tours in 573. Gregory should be the patron saint of anyone who climbs to a powerful and privileged position – and then uses it in order to do great good. As a bishop of Merovingian Gaul he became an expounder and defender of the Christian faith and of public morality. He practised charity and compassion on a large scale. He repaired churches, including the great Tours cathedral, destroyed by fire, and built new ones. He restored the tombs of martyrs and saints. He visited monasteries and nunneries, and founded schools. In addition to all this, Gregory was a prodigious author of books. His ten volume History of the Franks is his most famous work, but he wrote on saints as well. He had an advantage on other medieval historians such as Bede in that he had first-hand experience of the court-life of his time. Courts were treacherous places, and Gregory had to deal with four civil rulers of Tours during his 21 years as bishop. He must have earned their respect: he was sent on diplomatic missions to other Frankish kings. Gregory made the most of every opportunity he had to bring Christian standards of living into those dark days in France. He was greatly loved, and long remembered. SOLUTIONS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS: 1, Hopefulness. 9, Hitting. 10, du Pre. 11, Ere. 13, Ozni. 16. Wait. 17, Climbs. 18, Obey. 20, Joni. 21, Cuckoo. 22, In it. 23,Yaws. 25, Elm. 28, Alarm. 29, Epistle. 30, Whitsuntide. DOWN: 2, Often. 3, Exit. 4, Urge. 5, Node. 6, Soprano. 7, Theological. 8, Westminster. 12, Rebuke. 14, Icy. 15, Ritual. 19, Epitaph. 20, Joy. 24, Acted. 25, Emit. 26, Menu. 27, Gift. 32 CROSS PURPOSES There are many different types of cross in pictures. Do you know what these are called? COVENTRY’S CROSS 1. The people of Coventry will always remember the dreadfully long night of 14th November 1940. It was the longest air raid of the World War II and when the light dawned the next morning, Coventry was in ruins. So many people were dead, injured or homeless; there wasn’t a person who had not suffered during that night. The medieval cathedral was a burnt out shell. Two of the burnt roof beams were tied together to make a cross and this makeshift symbol was set up where the altar had been. A cross was also made from the 14th century iron nails that had held the roof together and this Cross of Nails still remains today as a symbol of sympathy, forgiveness and reconciliation. Copies of the Cross of Nails have been presented to countries round the globe as a reminder that love and understanding bind us together and that we need to remember the horrors that happen when people forget that. 33 3. 2. 4. 6. 5. 7. 8. What’s green and hairy and drinks from the wrong side of the glass? A gooseberry with hiccups. What's the most common owl in this country? The Tea Towl (ouch!) Answers: 1.St Peter’s 2.Celtic 3.Papal 4.St Andrew’s 5.Jerusalem 6.Russian FROM THE REGISTERS All Saints Baptisms Weddings 27th September Robert Baines and Jade Michaelides Renewal of marriage Vows Funerals 15th October Samuel James Interment of ashes 20th September Martin Morris St James Baptisms 21st September Amy Louise Fawcett Ella Rose Fawcett George William Fawcett Weddings 28th September Ashley Wilson and Tina Evans Funerals 7th October Peggy Cook Interment of ashes - Year’s mind for November 2013 12th Irene Patricia Bradley 34 IMPORTANT NOTICE Advertisers and readers should be aware that an advertisement in this magazine does not imply the Church recommends or endorses the services being advertised. ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS If you are going to attend our church and you have accessibility needs please let us know and we will be happy to make arrangements for you. There is level access to both churches and the Bothy and we have a sound loop system and large print orders of service. Please feel free to telephone the churchwardens who would be happy to discuss the matter with you. All Saints: Ted Rowlands - 020 8289 3853 Sally Schepke - 020 8302 5847 St James: Tina Hewett - 01322 273104 CHOIR Director of Music: Reg Boulton Practices Tuesday 7.45pm - 9.15pm Venue alternates, see magazine or church door BELLS Captain of Bells: Ros Farmer - 01689 857311 Practices Wednesday 8.00pm - 9.30pm YOUTH AND CHILDREN The Cross Crew: Pam Sanders: 020 8304 8339 Sunday School: Sarah Pallett (All Saints) Articles for publication to be e-mailed directly to the editor or forwarded to the Rector. Please submit copy by 2nd Sunday 35 of each month. 36
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