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Issue 77/January 2021
Becket News
The Anglican Church of
St Thomas à Becket
Zeughausmarkt 22, 20459 Hamburg
www.anglican-church-hamburg.de
In this issue
An update from churchwarden Madeleine 3
New chaplain for St Thomas à Becket 5
Christmas sermon by Revd Dr Maija Priess 6
A different Christmas – Ethiopia 8
Christmas sermon by Bishop Trevor Mwamba 10
A different Christmas – Australia 13
Christmas sermon by Revd Canon Dr Mark Dimond 16
Christmas Eve for seafarers 17
Bizarre bazaar beats corona blockade 19
Bringing joy – produce and hampers 21
Extraordinary result for cards project 23
Money matters – where we start 25
Apart but not alone – Zoom on Saturdays 26
Faith, hope and love on a mask 27
Church recording project completed 28
Safeguarding team needs your help 29
Healing racism and embracing diversity 31
Remembrance Sunday 2020 and Obituaries 32
Who’s Who at our church 35
Cover: Bishop Trevor Mwamba and Revd Dr Maija Priess,
Photo by Madeleine Resühr
Our church receives no income from Kirchensteuer
(church tax) and is entirely dependent on donations.
Church Bank Account: Englisch-bischöfl. Gemeinde –
Hamburger Sparkasse,
BLZ 200 505 50, Konto-Nr. 1280146422
SEPA – BIC: HASPDEHHXXX,
IBAN: DE46 2005 0550 1280 1464 22
Becket News 2 Issue 77/January 2021
A message from the editor
EVEN though it’s January and we’re fast heading for Candlemas,
this seems to be something of a Christmas edition of Becket News.
It was an unusual Christmas in so many ways, and thus it’s only
fitting that two of our articles are about Christmas in traditions
unfamiliar to most of us – Ethiopia and Australia. We have not
one Christmas sermon, but three constrasting ones from three of
the priests who have helped to look after us these past months. Our
churchwarden Susanne tells us about Christmas this year at the
Mission to Seamen and about the challenges the virus has posed
for their work. To continue the Christmas theme, there are reports
on the Bazaar, which took on a wholly new guise and exceeded all
expectations. As we go to press, the church is closed for services, but
Madeleine updates us on plans for the next few months and we
profile our chaplain-to-be. Plus the Arts Society Church Record is
finally finished – Pat Pledger reports – and more. Enjoy the read!
An update from churchwarden Madeleine
T his Advent and Christmas
season has naturally been like
no other, and, as I write, the church
Revd Jules A. Barnes, who will be
coming to St Thomas à Becket in
March. She will be officially installed
will be closed until the middle of by Archdeacon Leslie Nathaniel on
February. Because of the ongoing 21 March. We are eagerly looking
pandemic, we made the decision to forward to meeting her in person
close the church following the advice (instead of only on Zoom) and she
of our locum, Revd Canon Dr Mark is looking forward, just as eagerly, to
Dimond, and after discussions with meeting the congregation. We were
members of the Church Council. very pleased to have Mark Dimond
Under the circumstances, it was the with us for that service.
only rational course of action. In November/December we
There is, however, very good news were delighted to welcome Bishop
as well! On the third Sunday in Trevor Mwamba to Hamburg for
Advent, serendipitously St Nicholas’ three services of Holy Communion
Day and a particularly happy day in and hope that he will be able to
Germany, we were able to announce come back to St Thomas’s again in
that we at last have a new chaplain, February if we are able to open again
Becket News 3 Issue 77/January 2021
then. Bishop Trevor is at present in Also during Advent, Fr Mark
Zambia, but planning to return to invited interested members of
Germany soon. the congregation to his Advent
On Christmas Eve, Susanne Theologies, a series of talks and
Hergoss led Evening Prayer for a reflections (on Zoom) on four
small group of worshippers. German saints, St Boniface, St
Our reliable local locum, Revd Mechthild of Magdeburg, St
Dr Maija Priess, led the services on Hildegard of Bingen and St Ansgar,
13 and 20 December and also on who is particularly well known in
Christmas Day, a Hamburg. The series
happy service which was very interesting
began with young and also gave those of
Ario Ghazaei bringing us who participated
Baby Jesus to the the opportunity to
crib and his father, meet some past and
Hossein, doing the present members of
readings and lighting the congregation of
all the candles on the St George’s, Berlin.
Advent wreath. Let’s To get the church
hope that we’ll be ready for Christmas
back to normal this and then return it
year and will be able to ‘normal’ after
to have Midnight Epiphany, the St
Mass and a children’s Thomas à Becket
service with Nativity family once again
Play as well! proved that many
The two Sundays willing hands make
following Christmas light work. On the
were Morning Prayer, led by 1st Sunday in Advent, the Advent
Dorothee Möller and Susanne wreath was ready for the first candle
Photo: Madeleine Resühr
Hergoss. to be lit, the tree was up and decorated
A highlight of the pre-Christmas and the crib set up. On the Sunday
season was, of course, our mini- before Epiphany, a cheerful group
bazaar, both online and in the reversed the procedure, leaving the
church, which proved to be very church tidy and ready for our return
successful and good fun (see p.19). as soon as safely possible.
Becket News 4 Issue 77/January 2021
A new chaplain for St Thomas à Becket
R evd Jules A. Barnes says she’s
absolutely delighted to be tak-
ing up the post of Chaplain to the
Anglican Church of St Thomas à
Becket Hamburg. She comes from
the Diocese of Chichester in Eng-
land where she has been parish priest
in charge of St Margaret’s Warnham
for the past four years. Prior to that
she was Chaplain to the Bishop of ral Eucharists’, when we may once
Bristol and a minor Canon at Bris- again sing in church.
tol Cathedral, with a range of dioc- Jules brings with her a breadth of
esan involvements. She started her pre-ordination work experience, too,
ordained ministry ten years ago, in having worked in contexts from the
Wilton, Salisbury. London Stock Exchange to easyJet
‘I can’t wait to move to Hamburg and from NHS project management
and to take up my new role as Chap- to media and family history research.
lain to St Thomas à Becket Anglican Her initial university was Dur-
church. I look forward to getting to ham, where she read music as an
know you all, and the city, and to our undergraduate. This was followed by
future mission and ministry together. I an MBA. Later, when her calling to
want the church to be a sign of hope, ordained ministry was discerned, she
that deals in abundance of life, and studied theology at the Cuddesdon
welcomes all who come there.’ College, University of Oxford.
In her current role, Jules has also Somewhere in the midst of all that
specialised in vocations work, pre- she also became a registered nurse, in
paring postulants who feel called to order to have some first-hand clini-
offer for ordination, and serving at cal knowledge, before joining the
national level on the selection pan- NHS as a project manager.
els. Another interest is liturgy and Jules looks forward immensely to
music, and she relishes any oppor- living in the port city of Hamburg,
tunity to create bespoke worship and has previously lived and worked
for special events or gatherings. Her in Berlin (where she worshipped and
tastes are wide, but she will be keen then was churchwarden at the Angli-
to see some ‘Evensongs’ and ‘Cho- can Chaplaincy of St George).
Becket News 5 Issue 77/January 2021
The light shines in the darkness
Sermon on Christmas Day 2020 by Revd Dr Maija Priess
The following is the sermon by my grandfather Revd Jaakko Haavio (1904–
1984) that he preached early on Christmas morning 1939. It is translated from
Finnish into English and suits the actual worldwide situation well.
(Background: The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union (USSR)
and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939,
three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half
months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940.)
D ear friends,
You may have noticed that
when the Bible tells us about the
God wants to say to us through
the Gospel of today: The Redeemer
is born to you who are sitting in the
birth of the Redeemer of the world darkness. This is the eternal message
it takes us into a dark night, but all of Christmas but it suits this current
of a sudden a powerful light starts Christmas and the people sitting in
shining. the darkness especially well.
The prophet of the old covenant The shepherds found Baby Jesus
already said: ‘The people who in the middle of a dark night.
walked in darkness have seen a great They started walking in the dark
light; those who lived in the land night, having as their guide the
of deep darkness – on them light divine proclamation, the Gospel
has shined.’ [The Hebrew verb can of Christmas. In the light of the
be translated as ‘to live, to sit, to Gospel they found the way to the
prevail’ or ‘to walk’.] Child wrapped in bands of cloth
The Gospel of today tells us: and lying in a manger. In Him they
‘There were shepherds in the same found new hope.
country staying in the field, and Christmas still comes into the
keeping watch over their flock by darkness. The darker the night, the
night. Then an angel of the Lord brighter the stars shine. The deeper
stood before them, and the glory the darkness around us, the more
of the Lord shone around them.’ wonderful to us is the holy birth of
The Evangelist John says the same Jesus, His life, His death and His
as follows: ‘The light shines in the resurrection.
darkness’ (1:5.). We can say that Jesus achieved
Becket News 6 Issue 77/January 2021
His biggest victories by night. the darkness of hopelessness. Jesus was courageous and dared Jesus was born at night. He has to go out into the night. When loved and suffered in the night of He had momentous decisions to the world. If He had not descended make, He stayed the whole night into the night of hell, we would not praying alone on a mountain. He have any hope. introduced Holy Communion The message of Christmas is the in the night he was betrayed. message of hope now when we are When the night around Him had worried about the coming weeks deepened, He established the Last and months; what is behind the Supper of love in remembrance non-transparent curtain separating of the new covenant that offers us us from the future. Is ‘night the forgiveness of sins through His [already] coming, when no one can blood. work’ (John 9:4)? Or, will the Lord Jesus dared to go out amongst His still be merciful to us? betrayers. In fact He trembled and Dear friends, fear not! Jesus is sweated blood in Gethsemane when with us even at night. He is full of the cup of anguish was not taken mercy and truth, every day with away but he had to drink it up. To us. The powers of darkness that are His enemies He said: ‘This is your opposing Him seem to hold the hour and the power of darkness’ power sometimes, but their time (Luke 22:53). But in this darkness is short. When the Lord moves his indeed the light was shining: Jesus hand, they stop: up to here, not took away the sin of the world, our further! And according to the holy sin. And when in Golgotha the sun word, the day will come when ‘the darkened and ‘darkness came over Lord Jesus will overthrow the lawless all the land’ (Matt 27:45) Jesus cried one that works in accordance with in loud voice: ‘It is finished’ (John Satan, and destroy him with the 19:30). The world was reconciled. breath of his mouth’ (2 Thess. 2: Starting right from this darkest 8, 9). moment of humanity when the Great powers are moving. [Here I Son of God died on the cross the leave out description of the war at light has shone until now, even that time.] for us in this difficult time of our [My addition: As Ethiopians lives. The light of the cross of Jesus always comfort each other, ‘the is the only one that can eliminate Lord God is there’, let us trust in Becket News 7 Issue 77/January 2021
our Heavenly Father who knows the message of Christmas flow among
way out of corona according to His us here courageously and joyfully!
good will. Let us pray for each other, Let this word: ‘The light shines in
for the worldwide Church, and for the darkness’ make us into one big
all people.] ‘This is the victory that family, the family of God because of
has overcome the world, our faith’ the common faith. After the night
(1. John 5:4). comes day. Christ will be the light
Dear friends! First of all we need of that morning.
power to become children of God
and then remain His children. The
Lord gives it to us through the I wish you all a blessed
message of Christmas. May the Christmas.
A different Christmas: Ethiopia
R eligion in general plays an
important part of life in Ethio-
pia. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewa-
observed by the clerics only.
At Lalibäla, Gänna is celebrated
in attractive ways due to the birth
hedo Church (EOTC) has unique date of King Lalibäla (late 12th–
and impressive festivals which early 13th century). It starts with a
provide colourful ceremonies and spectacular procession, priests and
celebrations. People dress in tradi- believers marching throughout the
tional white costume and celebrate entire night, from one church to
festivals across the country such as another. Several hundred families
Enkutatash (New Year 11 Septem- walking toward churches dressed
ber), Meskel (Finding of the True in a sea of brilliant white cotton
Cross), Lidät (Christmas), Timket
(Epiphany) and Fasika (Easter).
Christmas, called Lidät or
Gänna (‘Nativity, Birth’) in Ethi-
opia and celebrated on 29 tahesas
(7 January), is the celebration of
the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one
of the major feasts of Our Lord.
It is celebrated after 43 days fast-
ing called Tsoma Gähad (Advent)
Becket News 8 Issue 77/January 2021
is a common sight throughout the country. The Liturgy (Qeddase) begins at 6 a.m. and lasts some 3–4 hours; everyone stands throughout the service. The priests, deacons and däbtära (scholars versed in the liturgy and music of the church) lift their voices in hymn and chant. Also the believers sing in dialogue with the celebrants. After the service, people go home to chicken or lamb or beef accom- panied by injera (a sourdough pan- cake like bread made from a local grain called t'eff, Ethiopian millet), watt' and the traditional drinks (i.e. t'älla (homemade beer made from Especially in the rural areas, a barley) or t'äjj (homemade mead, or popular game, yaGänna Chewata honey wine). The meal is served in (hockey), is played with a curved beautifully decorated baskets or on stick and a round wooden ball and big plates. The family members and is conducted between two teams visitors sit together and eat from of young men and boys. Accord- a common plate with their right ing to Ethiopian legend, when the hands. The injera is used to scoop shepherds of the biblical Christmas up the watt'. After the meal there is story were informed of the birth of strong, aromatic Ethiopian coffee. the Messiah, they expressed their The festive mood usually continues overwhelming joy by using their until the late hours of the evening. staffs to break into a spontaneous The celebration of Ethiopian Christ- game that resembles field hockey. mas is marked by activities such Now Christmas has also come to be as horse racing and authentic folk known by that name Gännä. dancing. The joy of giving and shar- Only the children may receive ing extends beyond religious beliefs presents, such as clothes. and spreads the spirit of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind Text and photos: throughout the world. Revd Dr Maija Priess Becket News 9 Issue 77/January 2021
A new kingdom of peace, love and justice
A Christmas sermon preached by the Rt Revd Dr Musonda Trevor
Selwyn Mwamba, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lusaka,
Zambia on Friday, 25 December, 2020.
O n this Christmas Day may I
invite you to meditate with me
on verses 2 and 6 of the 9th chapter
In the wise words of the Sufi mystic
Rumi: ‘Christ is the population
of the world...there is no room for
of the book of Isaiah: hypocrisy.’
The people that walked in darkness Darkness in the sense of conflicts;
have seen a great light: they that dwell conflict between races, between
in the land of the shadow of death, tribes, between nations, between
upon them hath the light shined. political parties; between individuals;
(Isaiah 9:2) and within individuals. As portrayed
For to us a child is born, to us a son in this indigenous American parable:
is given, and the government will be A Cherokee grandfather was teaching
on his shoulders. And he will be called his grandson about life. ‘A fight is
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, going on inside me,’ he told the boy.
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ’It is a terrible fight and it is between
(Isaiah 9:6) two wolves. One is evil – he is anger,
The birth of Christ our Saviour envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
occurs for us in our darkness. This self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,
metaphor of Isaiah’s is a very relevant lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.’
one for us and our time because we He continued, ‘The other is good –
also, God knows, are a people who he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
walk in darkness. humility, kindness, benevolence,
Darkness in the sense of a people empathy, generosity, truth, compassion,
who have lost their values; in the and faith. The same fight is going on
sense of a people who are very scared inside you – and inside every other
and uncertain of the future; darkness person, too.’
in the sense of our failure to see and The grandson thought about it for a
appreciate that every human being minute and then asked his grandfather,
whatever their gender, race, religion, ‘Which wolf will win?’
tribe, nationality, political affiliation, The grandfather simply replied, ‘The
are all children of God the Creator one you feed.’
of all things. The reality of life is that we are
Becket News 10 Issue 77/January 2021inclined to feed the evil one. ‘Thanks be to God through Jesus As the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Christ our Lord!’ Jr., said: ‘I don’t care who you are, I The people that walked in darkness don’t care where you live, there is a have seen a great light: they that dwell civil war going on in your life. And in the land of the shadow of death, every time you set out to be good, upon them hath the light shined. For there is something pulling on you, Jesus Christ is the Light of the world telling you to be evil. Every time who dispels the darkness of the you set out to love, something keeps world and our inner darkness. pulling on you, trying to get you For to us a child is born, to us a son to hate. Every time you set out to is given, and the government will be be kind and say nice things about on his shoulders. And he will be called people, something is pulling on you Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, to be jealous and envious and to Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. spread evil gossip about them. There This means God has entered our is a civil war going on.’ human chaos; our world of darkness This is the darkness of our lives. is where God has chosen to be born We are all familiar with it. It’s inside in to redeem it, to make us right, to me, and inside you, and every other make us good, to make us loving. person, too. He does so because the other name St Paul with penetrating of the Prince of Peace is Immanuel – insightfulness wrote about this God with us – our Shepherd. darkness in his letter to the Romans, The Christmas story reminds us ‘I do not understand my own that our Shepherd who knows and actions. For I do not do what I want, loves us comes to feed the good wolf but I do the very thing I hate.’ in us; and assures us of ‘His Power He went on to say, ‘For I know beyond ourselves’ that is present in that nothing good dwells within me, life for us. Always. that is, in my flesh. I can will what In the hymns we sing, the prayers is right, but I cannot do it. For I do we pray, the readings and sermons not do the good I want, but the evil we hear, the Eucharist we celebrate; I do not want is what I do.’ He cried these all lift us to the Divine, the out in desperation, ‘Wretched man Power beyond ourselves. And in that I am! Who will rescue me from every act of worship God’s presence this body of death?’ Then he pointed in our lives and world is refreshed. to where hope and salvation lies: Albert Einstein once said science Becket News 11 Issue 77/January 2021
can tell us a lot about the universe, God is here with us. Our life is how old it is, how vast it is, what bundled up in the Life of God. laws of physics control it. And The birth of the Prince of Peace he went on to say that science is, brings about a new way of living however, powerless to answer the for us. It brings about a radical new most important question of all: Is ethic of love for enemies. the universe a friendly place and St Paul in his letters affirmed this supportive of human hopes and radical new ethics proclaimed in aspirations? Jesus: ‘Do not repay anyone evil for Well, the Wonderful Counsellor, evil…live at peace with everyone… Mighty God, Everlasting Father, do not revenge my friends…do not Prince of Peace...Immanuel, our be overcome with evil; but overcome Shepherd, answers this important evil with good.’ (Romans 12:17-21) question. God who created the Peace is the message of Christmas. universe is present, loving, caring, at Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is born the centre of everything. for us to give us his peace. It is a gift God’s everlasting presence is with that the world cannot give. And His us in the good and bad experiences peace is both personal and national of our lives. and global. Rabbi Harold Kushner said: ‘God’s Translated in Hebrew peace is promise was never that life would be shalom. This gives us a richer and fair. God’s promise was that, when multifaceted meaning which is we had to confront the unfairness of lacking in English. The word suggests life, we would not have to do it alone peace is complete well-being, for He would be with us.’ physical, psychological, social, and Yes, our world may not be a perfect spiritual; and flows from all of one’s world but it’s God’s world and that relationships being right with God, makes all the difference. God is here with oneself, and with others. This is to take care of us, to help us, even peace wholesomeness. as a shepherd cares for his sheep in This is what Christ offers us a world of dangerous predators and personally. The most exciting thing threats of accidents. about peace is ‘Even the smallest Yes, we live in a frightening world person can change the course of the and this year we have seen lives future.’ ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic; You see small acts of love, kindness but it is less frightening knowing and peace are very impactful. And Becket News 12 Issue 77/January 2021
can make the world a better place by Peace, our Immanuel, our Shepherd
ending suffering at the hands of war, may we rededicate ourselves to be
hunger, human rights violations, peacemakers in our homes, in our
and injustice. communities, in our nation, in our
Every act of kindness we express world. So with the help of God we
creates a ripple effect that spreads can bring into existence in our world
from person to person with no end a new kingdom of peace, love and
in sight. It touches generations to justice.
come. Kindness is contagious like For unto us a Son is born who is
a virus in which the outcome is God’s loving presence in our lives;
divinely beautiful. who soothes broken hearts, who
A heart of kindness is peaceful binds up wounds, who renews us in
with the power to transform chaos life. This is a gift that we can all give.
to order; despair to hope. When this gift is given, God’s love
On this Christmas Day as we is present and Christmas happens
celebrate the birth of the Prince of daily.
A different Christmas: Australia
C hristmas in Australia is very
different from Christmas here
in Europe because, not only is the
beautiful native flowers like Christ-
mas bush and Christmas bellflower,
cute animals like kangaroos and
whole continent upside down, the koalas and parrots and cockatoos
seasons are, too. So Christmas is in featuring prominently.
summer, 30°C or more in the shade, So how is Christmas celebrated
perfect beach weather and definitely in Australia? The Christmas tree is
not a snowflake in sight. a bit of a problem because of the
Growing up in the southern hemi-
sphere, I longed for a white Christ-
mas and, in spite of the heat, we
sent each other Christmas cards
with lovely snowy, glittery pictures
and robins for the sake of tradition
but completely out of character in
that climate. I’m glad to say that I
now get Christmas cards from down
under with Australian scenes, the
Becket News 13 Issue 77/January 2021heat. European pine trees are natu- at 6.30 a.m. and the next at 7.30
rally hard to come by and, even if a.m. As 80 per cent of the Austral-
you manage to find one, it’ll be dry ian population live within about 50
as tinder after about three days and miles of the coast, thousands head
drop its needles all over the floor for the beaches on Christmas Day,
well before Christmas Day. We once often taking a picnic lunch of cold
tried using a branch from a euca- turkey, prawns, salads and plenty
lyptus tree, but the result was the of beer. A BBQ lunch is also very
same. The desiccated leaves curled popular and the cry of ‘Let’s throw
up, then fell to the floor, forming a few shrimps on the barbie!’ can be
a sad, grey ring around the ‘tree’. It heard all over the country.
was a sorry sight, with the coloured After church, we went home and
lights and baubles hanging on bare opened our presents, then headed
brown twigs! We eventually resorted for Mermaid Beach, south of Bris-
to an artificial ‘umbrella’ tree that bane, where my aunt and uncle
only had to be unfolded and stayed had a holiday house and the whole
green for many years, although it extended family got together.
did get rather tatty after a while. I The presents from the rellies were
must admit, though, that I do prefer predictable – shorty pyjamas for the
our fresh, real Tannenbaum. girls, home-sewn by Auntie Conty,
Many families start Christmas who had always wanted a daugh-
Day by going to church – even if, ter to sew frilly clothes for but had
just as here, it might be the only three sons, and summer shirts or
time they go all year. Services start books for the boys.
early in the morning – in my par- A hot Christmas dinner was out of
ish in Brisbane the first service was the question, so the mums (hardly
any men cooked in those days – it’s
a long time ago!) spent the days
before Christmas roasting chickens
and ducks and turkeys and, instead
of roast potatoes, etc., we had
potato and rice salad, green salad
and coleslaw, tomatoes and devilled
eggs – much more suitable on a hot
summer’s day and much easier than
trying to prepare anything much in
Becket News 14 Issue 77/January 2021the tiny kitchen with two tempera- patio for a postprandial snooze mental hot plates and an equally while we kids headed for the beach temperamental assortment of aunts for some sun, surf and an extended and cousins. game of beach cricket, hoping the The only thing that was served hot washing-up would, by some mira- was the Christmas pudding. Cousin cle, be done by the time we got Betty always made the pud the old- back, as that was traditionally our fashioned way, boiled in a muslin job. This ploy worked occasionally, cloth and with sixpences hidden but the ‘oldies’ could be pretty stub- inside. It was doused in brandy, born about it and waited patiently set alight as tradition demands and for us to come home. Fair enough, served with gallons of custard and as they say down under. It’s decades a good spoonful of brandy butter. since I was in Australia for Christ- If you found a sixpence and didn’t mas, but they’re good memories of crack a tooth biting on it, you a childhood in the sun, and I really would have good luck the following enjoy seeing the photos my family year. Then came the annual toast send me of them throwing those to the queen, Auntie Joan’s single shrimps on the barbie and tucking cigarette of the year, lit with great into all sorts of good things outside ceremony and applause from all and on the verandah, in the park or on sundry, and finally brandies for the the beach. grown-ups, after which they all col- Text and photographs: lapsed in easy chairs on the shady Madeleine Resühr Becket News 15 Issue 77/January 2021
‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’
Sermon on Christmas Day 2020 by Revd Canon Dr Mark Dimond
(Isaiah 52.7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1.1-12; John 1.1-14)
‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’
W e can imagine Christmas
with Jesus, because we have
the stories in the Gospels of Luke
that it was this confluence of planets
that fashioned a star above Bethle-
hem at the first coming of Jesus.
and Matthew to draw from, as At Christmas, we usually have our
well as from other sources at the loved ones around us, like a close
time. At Jesus’s birth, it was not a planetary formation. This time, in
crowded scene. In fact, it was quite our quiet, if not lonely Christmas,
the opposite. We might imagine the we have to rely more on the star than
innkeeper was the only one around, on the planets. And God is that star.
handing over, as it were, the key to He comes to meet us individually,
the manger. Though really there was and gives us fresh eyes. This is the
no key: there was no security. There meaning of Logos, the Word made
was a bit of basic shelter, with a few Flesh, when we could begin to make
animals around, and that is all. It sense of the world through the eyes
was lonely, at least until the shep- of God. We don’t have to think too
herds and the wise men turned up. hard about it. It’s a simple gift to
Loneliness, Einsamkeit, is our situ- us, like the nursery rhyme ‘Twin-
ation today. Loneliness is an unfor- kle, twinkle little star’. Jesus would
tunate part of the Covid experience, have had that dazzling twinkle in his
for some worse than others. Here in eye, as he met person after person in
Tenby, a coastal seaside town in west adulthood. ‘I am with you now.’
Wales, normally buzzing in the sum- It is this possibility-made-reality
mer, it is very quiet, especially in the that heaven and earth are together
evening. Not a soul walks about the that comes through in music. I
streets in the dark. The only thing know that Thomas à Becket Church
that accompanies you is the howling misses its music, and we can be
wind off the Atlantic Ocean. And of thankful that there is at least an
course, on a clear night, you can see opportunity to listen to the Five
this strange and unusual alignment Lessons and Carols online. One of
of the planets Saturn and Jupiter, on the most uplifting hymns is Hark
the south-western horizon. It is said the Herald Angels Sing. It is often the
Becket News 16 Issue 77/January 2021last hymn at the end of a carol serv- Christmas is the humility of
ice, and if you don’t have a hoarse God coming to us in the baby
voice after singing it you’ve done Jesus, the humility of Mary in
well. Mendelssohn’s version of it accepting her role, the humility of
is wonderfully uplifting, a human Joseph not bowing to public pres-
response to the wonderful gift God sure, even the humility of the self-
has given us – ‘glory to the new- effacing donkey. In a sense, God
born king’, or, relating to the stars, has it all covered at Christmas, in
‘join the triumph of the skies’. And whatever state we are in. We have
if we feel hoarse after singing it, it is been humbled this Christmas, but
perhaps because we can’t thank God the love of God is there in all its
enough! audacious humility, piercing, like
So, if we feel downhearted this the Bethlehem Star. And out of
Christmas, because it’s not like it this star radiates the light of God,
normally feels, because we cannot the love, the joy, the peace and the
sing, feast and laugh, in abundance, hope, and much more!
then remember what Christmas is Amen.
at its core.
Christmas Eve for seafarers
T he year 2020 was an excep-
tional year for seafarers and for
the three registered associations of
recording of the online Christmas
service for seafarers. We started at
5.00 pm with a short meeting, then
Deutsche Seemannsmission (DSM) the recording started: readings, ser-
and Stella Maris. mon, prayers, etc. Everything was
On 10 December there was a recorded twice or three times. So it
took until 11.45 that
evening. The music
was recorded the
next day. You’ll find
it online: https://
duckdalben.de/ –
just scroll down a
little.
In November the
campaign by the
Becket News 17 Issue 77/January 2021Deutsche Seemannsmission started
Photo: Susanne Hergoss
in the newspapers about donat-
ing presents to seafarers on board
the ships, called ‘Weihnachten
im Schuhkarton’. People donated
warm stockings, gloves, beanies,
toothpaste, shampoo, soap and of
course sweets. All in all, more than
1,400 packages arrived at the dif-
ferent stations of DSM and were
brought to the seafarers on board
the ships.
When I was asked to join the crew
to bring these packages to the ships,
I agreed to help. Then I was asked
to prepare papers (and myself ) for
a short service to be held when sea-
farers ask for it on this special day, chance to leave the ship, because of
24 December. After a short brief- restrictions in the different ports.
ing at 8 o’clock we packed all the And most of the seafarers do not
gifts into cars and started our tour. even have a chance to go home soon
I didn’t know that, due to corona, either because there were no flights
the seafarers would not be allowed or flights were and will be cancelled.
to come down to the pier. So we On Christmas we celebrate the
had to climb up the long gang- birth of Jesus, a baby boy. Most of
ways to bring everything on board the seafarers have not yet been able
the ships. Do you know how high to hold their own new-born sons
ships are? Endless for a person who and/or daughters in their arms. And
is afraid of heights – but of course, on top of all that, most of them
I survived! A well trained colleague have to stay in quarantine so that
of mine was my anchor. We visited they might have the chance to get
five ships somewhere in the port of a flight. For most of them it means
Hamburg and we looked in smiling staying in their room and contact
faces – after very long terms of work just by electronic media. And yet
at sea. Some have been working for there is no timetable for a change in
more than 12 months without any their situation. These are the people
Becket News 18 Issue 77/January 2021who give us the chance to have fresh house. All of them got a little pre-
fruit for our Christmas meals … serving jar with a blue ‘ocean’ and a
In the afternoon there was a little little globe inside. This was meant
break before I went to St Thomas to be the world stuck in the corona
à Becket to lead Evening Prayer. pandemic, sometimes feeling una-
About 20 people attended and eve- ble to escape (closed glass), but the
rything went well. orange ring has the same colour as
Afterwards I went to my work- the lifebelt on board a ship to save
place at Seemannsheim Kray- them. And of course they got a little
enkamp. The cook had already explanation in German and in Eng-
started to give people the very Ger- lish, their calendar for 2021 with all
man meal for Christmas Eve: Kar- the addresses and phone numbers
toffelsalat und Würstchen. Because of the Deutsche Seemannsmission
of corona there was no big gather- worldwide and the sweets as every
ing like in former years. Everybody year. After a long chat with the
had to take the meal to his room. At reception’s nightshift, I went home,
9 p.m. I started to take the Christ- tired but happy.
mas gifts to every seafarer in our Susanne Hergoss
Bizarre bazaar beats corona blockade
A s the last edition of Becket
News went to press, we were
in a ‘will it or won’t it?’ dilemma
lished for Christmas cards, a web
store ingeniously implemented in
Google Docs to sell handicrafts,
regarding whether or not a physical British produce was imaginatively
Mini-Markt could take place on the packaged in the form of hampers
date of the bazaar, 21 November, as promoted as gift packs (see arti-
planned. Corona prevailed and it cle overleaf ) to turn them into a
was indeed cancelled.
There is nothing like a challenge
to unleash talents and agility. Unde-
terred, bazaar stallholders mobilised
their talents to make the best out
of the situation and find new sales
channels.
A mail-order operation was estab-
Becket News 19 Issue 77/January 2021best-seller and the book shop was of home-baked biscuits and cakes opened on demand. Opportunity to take away. was provided to pick up and pur- All this paid off. Net income chase items after the church service from sales excluding Christmas on Sundays, all carefully managed cards was just under €3,800. The to conform with corona regulations Christmas card income was almost and keep everyone safe. Many of exactly the same as in 2019, with the regular bazaar visitors came to many taking the opportunity pro- pick up their orders and were grate- vided on the form to add a dona- ful for the opportunity. Although tion, which yielded an additional we were not able to sell food to eat €700. Donations made in associa- on the premises, a major source tion with the other purchases, plus of income from our usual bazaar, generous support from Claus-G. our redoubtable churchwarden and Anne Budelmann and Nick Madeleine ensured sufficient supply and Linda Teller as compensation Becket News 20 Issue 77/January 2021
for lost bazaar income, yielded a community spirit and the chance
further €4,600. to welcome the many regular visi-
So all in all, the amazing sum of tors and newcomers to the bazaar,
€14,000 was raised during the pre- but the corona experience has got
Christmas corona lockdown. us trying new ways of doing things.
A big thank you to Judith, The online sales operation has ena-
Nicki, Wendy, Arwen, Valerie and bled us to reach out to a wider
Madeleine for leading the charge, to community and made it possible
the bazaar working group that came for people not located in Hamburg
up with ideas for how to cope with to buy things. We have established
the situation; to Victor and Monica new levers for our goal to increase
Emilia who served as stallholders income from the bazaar in the
in church and who were extremely future.
persuasive sellers, and to the many, Extraordinary times call for crea-
many supporters who made things tive talents and we are blessed to
to sell and helped spread the word. have these in abundance.
But perhaps the biggest thanks go to Thank you!
all those who shopped with us, tak-
ing the new format in their stride. Text and photographs:
Of course we missed the buzz and Monica Schofield
Bringing joy – produce and hampers
I t all began with a video call
with the STB Bazaar Group in
September – the idea of preparing
the congregation, in particular
Ellen Ziesmann and Mary Sand-
erson, very kindly made at home
Christmas hampers was born when and delivered regularly to the West
the ‘Virtual Bazaar’ was discussed. Room at the back of the church.
The idea was originally to sell the The virtual orders came pour-
British produce through the ham- ing in in early November, and we
pers but, because the produce was were extremely pleased to see the
so popular in its own right through number of people who also wanted
the order form system, we had to to be included on the church mail-
source separate goods for the ham- ing list.
pers! The only common product Keeping weekly stocktakes of
were the chutneys, jams and mar- products, we had to order via the
malades which several people from Internet, mainly from British
Becket News 21 Issue 77/January 2021proud of and our thanks go to the
team behind the scenes and selling
Sundays from the end of November
right through to Christmas (mainly
Victor, Monica-Emilia and Fiona).
It was a wonderful way to get the
young adults involved. They were a
fantastic help and we hope they will
be with us next time, too.
Our biggest customer, who sent
20 hampers to her customers, sent
us a voice message saying how much
joy we had brought and how much
positive feedback she had received
Shopping, Geesthacht who gave us on giving them – and she would
15% discount. Our thanks go to like to order 20 again for 2021.
them for their support here. Rob- Thank you to all who contributed
ert Berridge (English Books) also to the British produce and hampers
supported us with teas and choco- by making, donating, selling or
late goodies. The wine was sourced buying them.
from Vino in Osdorf who also sup- Text and photographs:
plied us with the hamper straw Wendy Sprock
whenever we needed it.
Sourcing the hamper boxes was
a challenge. At first, we bought
cheaper boxes left over from last
Christmas but we soon cleared out
the stock of these in the shops and
had to find more at a higher price.
Each week our Saturday mission
became finding more tartan boxes!
In total we bought 85, exceeding
our target of 30 by over 50!
A total of around €2,500 was
taken in after costs on the produce
and hampers. This we can be very
Becket News 22 Issue 77/January 2021Extraordinary result for card project
W hat started as an ordinary
year in January 2020 for us
all – pre-corona – ended with a
continues throughout the year in
an almost seasonal rhythm. We’re a
fairly small team – Debbie Faddul,
totally unexpected and extraordi- Jane Harding, Sarah Meister, Linda
nary result just before Christmas for Rainer, Mary Sanderson, Cathy
the church’s recycled card project. Schierholz, Katrin Schnetzer, Ellen
The interim net profit was virtually Thomas, Lorna Yadzani and Caro-
the same as in 2019 and, together line Yarnold. Some of us live quite
with the extra donations, amounted centrally, others further away – Mary
to €5,654.56. And then early in in Altes Land, Debbie in Schleswig-
the New Year we received a further Holstein; and Caroline, a former
generous donation from the former member of the congregation, and
Honorary British Consul and his back in England since 1998, con-
wife, Claus and Anne Budelmann, tinues to collect used cards in her
bringing the final total for the 2020 village, sort them rigorously, and
card project up to €6,500. chop them to size. Most of us have
For newcomers to Hamburg, the been working on the card project
project for recycling used Christ- for a long time, even decades. We
mas cards, and selling them in aid think recycling cards makes sense,
of ‘The Historic English Church of and not only ecologically. Old used
St Thomas à Becket’ was started in cards could be thrown into the blue
1986 when we sold 300 cards, with bins, but one wouldn’t throw away
a net profit of DM 145. In the past €5,500. We come from various con-
few years about 5000 cards have fessions and religious backgrounds
been made annually. but we all want to continue helping
‘After the bazaar is always before
the bazaar.’ A friend from the hand- We need your cards
icrafts group at the Norwegian Sea- But please hang on to your
men’s Church in Hamburg told me used cards for us until we
know when the church will
this in the 1970s, and it certainly
be open again, when they can
applies to the cardmakers. Work be safely taken there. And
starts mid-January – after Twelfth no cards with glitter or spar-
Night by tradition – by appeal- kle, please, as it rubs off onto
ing for people’s used cards, and it other cards.
Becket News 23 Issue 77/January 2021Photo: Monica Schofield
to maintain the pastoral and chari- from the printers in June. Glue was
table work that the Church of Eng- bought and sticking the ‘new’ cards
land congregation in Hamburg has started during the summer so that
been committed to since 1612. they would be ready for selling in
2020 started quite normally with the autumn in the various English-
collecting and sorting thousands speaking societies, the Bazaar and
of used cards – about 25,000 of the Victorian Christmas Market –
them – a lot from friends in Ham- or so we thought.
burg, but mainly from other church Fast forward now to the end of
communities and friends in Britain, September, and the ‘will it or won’t
where more cards are written. Mul- it’ Bazaar situation (see Monica’s
tiple large wine boxes of unsorted article on page 19). The decision
cards were brought back from the was taken to sell cards online with
UK in March – just before the first a separate order form, and pre-paid
lockdown. In our innocence we all postage, but also with the option
thought everything would be over for people to come and choose
by the autumn – so sorting and individually here and after church
chopping went ahead in the spring, on Sundays. Sarah and Ellen came
and new base cards were ordered (here) on nine days for a whole
Becket News 24 Issue 77/January 2021day in the autumn and we sorted others, who usually sell cards on
the cards into categories, and then our behalf, and who publicised our
packed them ready to take to the ‘new procedures’, and to those who
post – 47 packages altogether of even sold internally for us; to those
varying sizes – two even to the UK who produced the complicated
and several elsewhere in Germany. online form, and lastly to the truly
A similar number of cards was sold WONDERFUL card team – who
directly from here or after church. always work very precisely and pro-
And now to all the VERY heartfelt fessionally, and with such attention
thanks: to Mr and Mrs Budelmann to detail that we have so many regu-
for their continuous encourage- lar customers – even in a pandemic.
ment of the card project and for Finally, an appeal for used Christ-
their kind and generous donation; mas cards – with the hope that we
to all our fantastic old and new cus- can sell both directly and online
tomers for buying cards, and for the next autumn. It has been an extraor-
kind extra donations; to all those in dinary year and thank you to every-
Britain and in Hamburg who col- one who helped us.
lected their used cards for us; to all
the English-speaking clubs, and to Judith Holst
Money matters – where we stand
T here is never a good time to
have a pandemic, but if it has
to happen, from a financial point of
also resulted in a surge in donations
at the end of the year that rescued a
concerning situation.
view, having it in a vacancy period The overall income was €86,386:
helps. During a vacancy, the church 15% below budget, and the low-
saves on the stipend, and this pro- est in years, but the expenditure of
tected us from the full financial €69,835 was 29% less than planned
consequences of the corona pan- and about half that of a normal year.
demic. In fact, we ended the year Our past drive to get people to
with an operational surplus between donate by bank transfer helped
our income and expenditure of mitigate loss of income due to the
€16,552. The tremendous efforts church closure. On the other hand,
regarding the alternative bazaar and the downward trend in regular
mail order sales of Christmas cards donations observed pre-corona has
not only yielded sales income but continued. Corona also delayed
Becket News 25 Issue 77/January 2021development of a much-needed gathering of people, i.e. a return to
campaign for a donation recruit- ‘normal’. We pray this may happen
ment drive. by the second half of 2021, but we
In a year such as this, we can give need donors to ensure we have a
thanks for this result. Many chap- stable income.
laincies, particularly those more However, the glad tidings are that
reliant on events for income, have we remain solvent thanks to col-
struggled. However, our 2020 lective efforts and willingness to be
income is substantially less than generous even in challenging times.
what we need to meet our normal A big thank you to everyone who
annual financing needs. We will has managed to keep up their regu-
face challenges to cover our costs lar payments, large or small, and
in 2021. We did not plan a benefit especially to those who have been
concert for 2020 (fortunately), but so generous in compensating the
this plus the bazaar are key fund- bazaar income. We are very grateful.
raising events. Both rely on a large Monica Schofield
Apart but not alone – Saturdays on Zoom
D uring the first lockdown last
spring, a group of choir mem-
bers started meeting on Saturday
Compline gave way to evening
prayer as the days lengthened and
resumed as they shortened again.
evenings to say compline together, On 19 December, more than 30
initiated by Yotin and Arwen. of us from several continents met
Gradually the word spread and the for Nine Lessons and Carols and
group grew to include other mem- again on Christmas Eve for carols
bers of the congregation, friends of at midnight.
the church and family members. Our Zoom services have become
an important means of fellowship
for many of us. If you would like to
Photo: Monica Schofield
get the weekly invitations, includ-
ing to our Candlemas/Christingle
service on 30 January, please email
Yotin and Arwen: music@anglican-
church-hamburg.de
Jo Dawes
Becket News 26 Issue 77/January 2021Faith, hope and love
And now abide faith, hope and love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
S ometimes things just happen
without us even looking for
them. Anthony Peter contacted
The masks arrived in time for our
first Mini-Market selling day on 22
November and we sold a few imme-
me in church in early October and diately. We have sold around 20
asked me if we would be interested so far and we hope to sell more in
in face masks as a donation from his 2021.
son-in-law and I immediately said THANK YOU very much Mari-
yes, since I had already been think- ane and Anthony Peter and their
ing about this idea to raise funds for son-in-law Sebastian Schnetgöke
St Thomas à Becket in conjunction (Hersfelder Kleidewerke GmbH).
with the bazaar. Text and photographs:
Anthony asked me to create a Wendy Sprock
simple design and then literally cut
and paste this on the sample masks,
and his wife Mariane kindly mod-
elled the samples each time for me
to see what they would look like!
He ordered 200 for us so we can
sell them all year round and not just
for the Advent period leading up to
Christmas.
Becket News 27 Issue 77/January 2021Church recording project completed
A lot of water (and research) has
passed under the bridge since
the church recording team started
of hard graft, many team meetings
and work inside the church went
into this project and the final task,
this project, following the inaugural that of getting the record profes-
meeting, in June 2014. There have sionally bound, produced an inter-
been periodic updates to keep you esting reconnection with a former
informed, but we are now delighted member of St Thomas à Becket’s
to tell you that the record was fin- congregation.
ished and bound at the end of 2020. We had to find a book binder for
It is currently under wraps and we our record. Judith Holst informed
plan to present it to the church at us that Angela Sutton had her own
a special ceremony after the new book binding business in the UK.
chaplain starts. Many of you will remember Angela
A church record is a compre- and her husband, who lived in Ham-
hensive record of the interior of a burg from 1987–93. Angela sang in
church – the church furnishings – the church choir when Ruth Luecke
and involved the various members and Jill Knight were in charge of the
of the team researching, identify- music. Both Angela and her hus-
ing and recording the details of band were on the church council
everything inside the church. A lot at different times and Peter Sutton
was involved in the
fund-raising for
the restoration.
Angela Sutton
has been bind-
ing and repairing
books since 1971
and taught the
subject at various
establishments for
many years. She has
her own bindery in
Malvern, Worces-
tershire, where she
also runs courses
Becket News 28 Issue 77/January 2021and gives personalised tuition (www.
angelasuttonbookbinding.uk). Staying in touch
Angela was delighted to take on Missing the church dur-
ing Covid-19? Keep an eye
the job and said, ‘It’s nice to think I
on our website: anglican-
have been able to do something for
church-hamburg.de and our
St Thomas’s, as it was quite a cen- Facebook page: https://www.
tral part of our lives when we were facebook.com/stbhamburg/ If
in Hamburg, and I was always very you’re on Facebook, there’s
fond of the building’. an Anglican Church of St
The Arts Society Hamburg Thomas à Becket group you
Church Recording Team (Mary can join. And if you’re not on
Sanderson, Judith Holst, Eileen our emailing list, please mail
Broadbent, Peter Alexander, Liz communication@anglican-
Nietz, Beate Echt, Nicki Schiller, church-hamburg.de with your
first and last name and ask
Madeleine Resühr, Peter Eckford-
to be added. Finally, do you
Jones, Pat Pledger – coordinator)
know people in the congrega-
are looking forward to present- tion who don’t use the Inter-
ing the record to the church in the net or social media? Could
coming months and here you can you give them a call to see
see how beautiful it looks. if they’re feeling scared or
lonely or need some help with
Text and photograph: Pat Pledger shopping?
(hamburg@theartssociety.org)
The safeguarding team needs YOUR help
A re you an active member of St
Thomas à Becket? Are you won-
dering how you can be of service to
music to learn, cleaning to do and
the chaplain’s flat to set up, sadly
all seriously hampered by Covid-19
your church while the building’s regulations.
closed? Start a free safeguarding However there is something very
online course! meaningful that all parishioners
Behind the closed front door and can do, from the comfort of their
quiet sanctuary there’s a flurry of own homes: an online safeguarding
activity as the parish of St Thomas course – https://www.churchofeng-
à Becket prepares for the arrival of land.org/safeguarding/safeguard-
our new priest in March. There’s ing-training contd. overleaf
Becket News 29 Issue 77/January 2021Who should take the courses? ring: madeleineherring@t-online.de
Anyone who is interested, and or tel 040 279 6514.
anyone who has an active role in Thank you very much for your
running our church in any capacity. support and for taking safeguarding
seriously.
What do I need to complete Madeleine Herring
the first course C0?
• a computer with Internet
access European Anglicans
• about 2–3 hours, however the Want to read more? The Dio-
course can be stopped and cese in Europe’s ‘European
started again over months, if Anglicans’ Annual Review of
necessary 2020 addresses several of
the topics covered in this edi-
This is important preparation for
tion of Becket News including
the arrival of our new priest – to be reflections and recommen-
able to communicate the message dations from the Diocesan
to her that we take safeguarding Working Group on Racial
seriously and can prove it by show- Justice and safeguarding in
ing our parish course uptake (which the light of the IICSA report.
at the moment is very low). To read these articles and
Should you have any further ques- more, go to europe.anglican.
tions about courses, please do not org and search for ‘Annual
hesitate to contact Madeleine Her- Review 2020’.
Becket News 30 Issue 77/January 2021Healing racism and embracing diversity
R aising awareness of Cultural
Diversity, and Healing Rac-
ism: a big title for a big task!
Therefore many plans wait for
when we can meet, post-Covid.
To give us some context, one
Seven St Thomas à Becket parish- member, Yotin, discovered a
ioners are now members of the YouTube series called ‘Conversa-
new group, formed in response tions on Race’ that has been put
to the repercussions of George together by a clearly active Kings
Floyd’s death in the USA, and our Cross Church in London. These
Bishops’ paper on racial justice, videos have begun to offer us a
‘Breathing Life’. foundation for our discussions, and
The new group has met four times it feels very much like we have a lot
since its inception in August 2020. to learn and share, about racism,
Though the first meeting was in our experiences, about our respec-
person, the last three have all been tive cultures, and the diversity we
online due to Covid regulations. bring to the group.
The group had decided to arrange a The group is growing, with one
variety of events, from educational or two new people joining us each
to cultural, mixing social activities time we meet, and we welcome
with discussion of serious issues. more new members. There is an
easy-going commitment to attend-
ance, meaning members can attend
when it suits them, especially if
they have an interest in one of the
events. There is never any compul-
sion to share anything personal.
Our next meeting online is
Thursday 4 February from 18.15
to 19.45. If you have questions
or queries, please contact Yotin
Tiewtrakul (yotin@gmx.de), Mon-
ica Emilia, Valerie Müller (valbo@
Photo: Jo Dawes
hotmail.de) or Madeleine Herring
(tel 040 279 6514).
Madeleine Herring
Becket News 31 Issue 77/January 2021You can also read
