The Parish of Kidmore End & Sonning Common The Lamb and Flag - St John the Baptist Church, Kidmore End
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JULY 2020
The Parish of Kidmore End
& Sonning Common
The Lamb and Flag
The parish magazine of
St John the Baptist Church, Kidmore End
and
Christ the King Church, Sonning Common
50p
CONTACTING THE CLERGY OR CHURCH OFFICERS
Rector
Revd James Stickings Telephone 0118 972 1459
Email Revjstickings@gmail.com.
James will normally take Monday as a ‘day off’ so if you need advice or support that day,
please leave a message, or contact one of the churchwardens.
Associate Priest
Revd Sheila Walker Telephone 0118 972 4861
Email swalk2@btinternet.com
Churchwardens
Robert Lynch Telephone 0118 972 4699
Email R.lynch1@btinternet.com
Karen Broadbent Telephone 0118 972 4606
Email karenbroadbent@hotmail.com
Musical Director – St. John’s
Frances Brewitt-Taylor Telephone 0118 948 2743
Email francesbt@hotmail.com
PCC Treasurer
Nick Room Telephone 0118 972 2258
Email kesctreasurer2019@gmail.com
PCC Secretary
Jenny MacGregor Telephone 0118 947 2855
Email bramble2.jm@gmail.com
Parish website: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/166/
FROM THE RECTORY
Dear Friends
Things are changing so rapidly that, by the time you read this, other developments will
have moved to the fore. But at the time of writing this letter, one key change from a
church perspective has been the recent permission given by the government for our
buildings to open for personal prayer.
At the start of the crisis, the Archbishops placed strong emphasis on the fact that the
church does not consist of buildings. In an important way, they were correct. The
Greek word used for “church” in the New Testament is ekklesia (from which we get,
“ecclesiastical”), and it basically means “assembly”. Put more snappily, the Church
is people and not bricks and mortar.
This is correct but incomplete on its own. Most (all?) human cultures have sacred
places, and for Christians, our church buildings are the focus for our encounter with
the divine. This is not to say that we don’t meet God in other places – nature, for
instance. But it does suggest that our buildings are important for the expression of our
faith, and they are also vital in terms of mission. In a hectic world, the peace and
stillness of our churches offers comfort and an assurance that there is “something
more”.
Which is one reason why the closure of church buildings has hit us hard, and why it’s
good news that they can now be opened for personal prayer. The details for the three
benefice churches will be on the church website – do check for up to date information.
We are starting small by opening each church for a few hours once a week, to enable
us to abide by church guidelines on safety and hygiene.
The church is indeed people and not bricks and mortar, but it’s the bricks and mortar
which provide the space for us to meet, to welcome the stranger, to provide a peaceful
space for our communities, and our buildings are primarily where we are built up by
word and sacrament as we glorify God.
God bless
James
1
A MESSAGE FROM HIS HOLINESS, POPE FRANCIS,
DURING THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ONLINE SERVICE ON
31 MAY - PENTECOST
Dear brothers and sisters, with joy I join Archbishop Justin Welby and all of
you to share some thoughts from the heart.
This is Pentecost: we celebrate the day on which the Spirit of God came down
with power. Since that day, God’s life dwells among us, bringing us new and
previously unknown hope, peace, and joy. At Pentecost God ‘infected’ the
world with life. How different this is from the contagion of death that has
ravaged the earth for months now! Today, more than ever, it is necessary to
implore the Holy Spirit to pour forth into our hearts the life of God, who is
love. Indeed, if there is to be a better future, our hearts must change for the
better. On the day of Pentecost people who spoke different languages
assembled and encountered one another. In these months however we have
been required to observe appropriate and necessary measures to keep our
distance from one another. Yet, we have also come to understand better in
our hearts what others are experiencing: we have been brought together by
fear and uncertainty. How many troubled and broken hearts are in need of
comfort? I think of how, when Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit, he used a
particular word: paraclete, that is, comforter. Many of you have experienced
the consolation brought by the Spirit, that inner peace which makes us feel
loved, that gentle strength that always inspires courage, even amid suffering.
The Spirit assures us that we are not alone; that God sustains us.
Dear friends, we must give in turn the gift that we have received: we are
called to share the comfort of the Spirit, the closeness of God. How can we
do this? Let us think about all those things we long for: comfort,
encouragement, someone to care for us, someone to pray for us, someone to
weep with us and help us face our difficulties. Everything we would like
others to do for us, let us do for them instead. Do we want to be heard? Let
us first listen. Do we need encouragement? Let us give encouragement. Do
we want someone to care for us? Let us care for those who are alone and
abandoned. Do we need hope for tomorrow? Let us give hope today. Today,
our world is experiencing a tragic famine of hope. How much pain is around
us, how much emptiness, how much inconsolable grief! Let us then become
messengers of the comfort bestowed by the Spirit. Let us radiate hope, and
the Lord will open new paths as we journey towards the future.
2
I would like to share with you something about this journey that we are
making together. How greatly I desire that, as Christians, we can be more
deeply united as witnesses of mercy for the human family so severely tested
in these days. Let us ask the Spirit for the gift of unity for, only if we live as
brothers and sisters can we spread the spirit of fraternity. We cannot ask
others to be united if we ourselves take different paths. So, let us pray for
one another: let us feel responsible for the other. The Holy Spirit bestows
wisdom and good counsel. In these days let us invoke his aid upon those
charged with making complex and pressing decisions, that they may defend
human life, and the dignity of work. For this is what we must be invested in:
health, employment, and the elimination of inequalities and poverty. Now,
as never before, we need a vision rich in humanity: we cannot start up again
by going back to our selfish pursuit of success without caring about those
who are left behind. And, even if many are doing precisely that, the Lord is
asking us to change course. On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke with a bold
courage prompted by the Spirit. “Repent,” (Acts 2. 38), he urged, be
converted, change the direction of your lives. That is what we need to do: go
back, turn back to God and our neighbour, no longer isolated and
anaesthetised before the cry of the poor and the devastation of our planet.
We need to be united in facing all those pandemics that are spreading, that
of the virus, but also those of hunger, war, contempt for life and indifference
to others. Only by walking together will we be able to go far.
Dear brothers and sisters, you are proclaiming the Gospel message of life and
you are a sign of hope. I thank you from my heart. I ask God to bless you and
I ask you to pray that he may bless me. Thank you.
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY’S DAY OF PENTECOST
SERMON
Come Holy Spirit as we look at your word, as we think about the gift of your
presence to us today. Amen.
The fall of the Holy Spirit on the disciples gathered in Jerusalem at the first
Pentecost was an outburst of divine creative energy which has, ever since,
set hearts on fire and changed the world. The Holy Spirit is the life of God.
The Holy Spirit creates, puts things as they should be, gives direction, sends
the world in the right way. In our time, again in 2020, the Holy Spirit calls
us forward, leads us out to be changed internally and to change the world.
3
We celebrate the evidence of the work of the Spirit all around us. We’ve seen
such an outpouring of community, of service and love from carers, essential
workers, people staying locked down. We’ve seen the Church of England
being the Church for and with England. St Peter’s Church in Brighton, whose
building is used to prepare and send out 2000 meals a week to those living
in hostels, the foodbank in Whitehawk scaling up their provision massively
so 60 volunteers make sure 600 people have food each week, and on my
doorstep the phenomenal care of hospital chaplains at St Thomas’s. Three
instances amongst thousands of the Holy Spirit turning the church inside out
for the sake of God’s suffering world. This is the same fire from God that
touched the disciples. The presence of the Holy Spirit turns humans from
being turned in on themselves, to being turned out towards the world,
founded in communities of love such as we heard of at the end of the reading
(Acts 2.) This year it would be so easy to talk of hopes dashed. There is deep
grief at the loss of so many human beings. There is deep fear at the economic
cataclysm that is falling upon us. The disciples feared. Struggle and suffering
cause fear for every generation. Yet God answers, “yes, but I will build the
future. I do this as I pour out my life upon you. Choose to receive from me,
choose to depend only on me”. God says to God’s church: “Here is the power
to go into the world, to build my Kingdom of love, peace, mercy, justice and
righteousness. Here is the power to see my will on earth as in heaven.
Now is the time to look forward and cast ourselves into the hands of God.
Now we must pray “Holy Spirit, come.” At its heart must be dependence, not
dependence on ourselves, dependence on God through Christ. No tricks, no
idols, not wealth, power or prestige, simply raw, undiluted God, poured upon
us, shown in love for God, for each other, even for opponents and enemies.
Pentecost marks the end of the period of prayer between Ascension and this
Sunday. Ten days of prayer for people to be so touched by the Spirit of God
that their hearts open to the abundant life of Jesus Christ. We’ve each been
called to pray for five people - let us continue to do so that they may find the
reality of this transforming love of God. A nation or a world that puts its trust
in anything that it has created itself will find that it has built an idol which
will fall. It may be wealth, it may be finance, it may be an economy, it may
be any human institution. It will fall. Peter’s message on that first Pentecost
was a call to “repent”, literally, to turn around; to change direction. Now is
the time to turn from anything other than dependence on God. Now is the
time to seek God, to receive the very life of God. An individual, a church, a
4
society, a world that puts trust in God, revealed in Jesus Christ, full of the
Spirit of love, will see a new explosion of purpose and hope. This is a purpose
which costs everything and returns more than we can imagine. It cost Jesus
everything to give this life to us. Our response means we can share in that
life. We are caught up in more abundant life than we can imagine. We
become the people of God for a world seeking light in darkness.
BISHOP COLIN’S NOTE TO ALL IN THE DORCHESTER
AREA
Bishop Colin wrote these very warm and wise words to parish ministers and
officers in late May.
Dear Fellow Travellers through COVID
Now that we are moving through Ascensiontide to Pentecost and into
‘Ordinary Time’ may I take this opportunity to thank you for all that you
have been doing, and will continue to do in response to COVID-19 and all
its ramifications.
Thank you for maintaining the worshipping life of our churches and
for your prayers.
Thank you for the partnerships you have formed and the initiatives
you have taken in caring for members of our communities.
Thank you for the many ways you have supported our key workers
and also those whose lives have been affected by the virus whether
through illness or by bereavement – whether face to face, virtually,
by letter or by phone.
Thank you for keeping a watchful eye on our church buildings.
Thank you for keeping your hand on the tiller financially and for
every contribution towards the Parish Share.
I could, as I know, extend that list very considerably, and I apologise if
anyone feels left out. This is a great joint effort and I have been excited by
the news I have been receiving day after day of loving, creative, sacrificial
responses in so many of our towns and villages. Thank you for everything.
5
I have also been struck in recent days – and this is the reason why I am
writing now – by the fact that many people, both members of our churches
and those are who are not, are beginning to find the going increasingly tough
at the moment. The initial rushes of energy and adrenalin have
peaked. Streaming services has gone well in many cases but do we now aim
to stream them from our churches (with the problems many encounter
through poor internet connections) or keep them flowing from homes? What
will it mean practically over the rest of this year as we gradually move back
into our church buildings? How will we cope with our resources being
stretched both humanly and financially? What can we take forward from the
partnerships we have strengthened locally to benefit our communities in the
years ahead? How will we respond to the large numbers of funerals,
memorial services, and postponed weddings and baptisms?
Those are questions I hope that we will be touching on in our PCCs, Benefice
Councils, and Deanery meetings. They need to be being asked from now
on. But from what I am noticing I do not think they are the key questions to
respond to now.
I was struck the other day when ‘Dwelling in the Word’ with some of my
colleagues, by part of Paul’s speech to the Elders of the Church in Ephesus
(i.e. a group of people similar to yourselves). He said this: ‘Keep watch over
yourselves, and over all the flock’ (Acts 20:28). What stood out for me was
the order of his wording. ‘Keep watch over yourselves’ comes first – and
then ‘keep watch over all the flock’. Without doing the first – spiritually,
physically and mentally – we won’t be successful, at least in the longer term,
in doing the second.
I know that bishops can issue any number of encouragements to a better
work-life balance but may I repeat them once again.
For me there are, I confess, elements of the lockdown that I’ve valued. I’ve
had a good walk almost every day; I’ve stopped work and gone to bed earlier;
I’ve kept a broad rhythm to life going – and varied it very deliberately on my
day off. I don’t claim for a moment that I’ve been 100% successful but there
are things from it that I don’t want to lose in the future.
6
And let’s feel free (here I speak, possibly particularly to Clergy and LLMs)
to give ourselves a break. Please feel free not to stream a Sunday service
once a month or once every two months or whatever (including your own
holiday period) and to point people elsewhere instead (the diocesan ones will
continue well into the autumn) to take an extra Sunday off in addition to your
allotted number – Call it a Corona-Sunday or whatever to keep your holidays
booked in – and your retreats – and to turn off the emails and keep out of the
study to work with deanery colleagues to share the workload wherever
possible.
Archdeacon Judy, David Tyler and I are developing a rota so that one of us
will be providing a short, recorded reflection on the Gospel for the Day on
every Sunday for the next two months starting initially at Pentecost which
you can patch into your virtual services. Just let Sarah Brennan know if you
would like to have this (sarah.brennan@oxford.anglican.org).
If there are other ways we can help please tell us.
Look after yourselves – and many, many thanks, once again for all you are
and all you do.
+Colin
THE ELECTION OF BISHOP STEPHEN COTTRELL AS THE
98TH ARCHBISHOP OF YORK ON 9 JULY
Do tune into to the virtual service via the Church of England website. The
service will be in two parts. The first is a legal ceremony with readings,
prayers and music; and then secondly, there is a film marking the start of
Bishop Stephen’s ministry as Archbishop.
The service will include music from York Minster Choir and Manor Church
of England Academy School (York). Young people from across the North of
England, will read a letter written by the medieval religious scholar Alcuin
of York. Bishop Stephen will offer his first address as Archbishop of York.
Prayers will be offered for the Archbishop, the Diocese of York and the
Northern Province of the Church of England as well as for the wider world
in these difficult times.
7
The Confirmation of Election is the formal legal process that completes the
appointment of senior bishops. Prior to the confirmation, the College of
Canons of York Minster will have elected the Archbishop Designate as the
Queen’s nominee for the post. At the start of the proceedings, he will give
his consent to his appointment. Following the reading of the Queen’s Letters
Patent, legal documents supporting the appointment will be produced to
show that all necessary procedures have been followed. At the conclusion,
the election will be confirmed, and Bishop Stephen will become the
Archbishop of York. The service would ordinarily take place in York
Minster, the seat of the Archbishop of York. Arrangements for an
enthronement service will inevitably have to wait until later in the year.
Generous God, we give you thanks:
you have heard our prayer,
guided your people
and raised up Stephen
to serve as the next Archbishop of York.
By your Holy Spirit, grant to him
good counsel, holy insight and
joy in the gospel,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
KIDMORE END CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
I was asked in this article to give some insight into school life over the past
months – I can start by saying that nothing I have ever experienced in over
20 years of teaching has prepared me for the situation we have experienced
and continue to face not only as a school but as a nation and in fact as a
worldwide community.
In times like this, all we can do is return to our core values. When school
closed to most pupils in March we reflected on courage – and we have seen
countless examples of this in everyday life, not least from the amazing staff
working for the NHS who are truly demonstrating what it is to be brave. Our
children can learn a lot from the ordinary people showing extraordinary
courage in the current crisis, including an understanding that being brave
might mean still being worried or scared. I believe this is an essential lesson
for young people.
8Our value after Easter was responsibility. We are all making many
responsible decisions each day at the moment, contributing as far as we can
to preventing spread of coronavirus, and keeping our families safe, well and
happy in this difficult situation. It has given us an opportunity to reflect on
what we value most, and to consider who actually bears the most
responsibility in our society. We have seen countless acts of selflessness
carried out with great humility, particularly from those from across the world
who work in the NHS and care sectors. I hope we can help our children
remember the respect shown at this time for critical workers, from
supermarket staff to refuse collectors. I hope we can continue to value people
for their impact on the community around them, rather than for their wealth
or material possessions.
However, there is a place for all our values at the moment. Thankfulness
that the majority of our families can be together, and enjoy safe homes and
gardens in this lockdown period. Hope that we will get through this, with a
better understanding of the things that really matter in our lives. Truthfulness
in our dealings with each other, as we navigate through the guidelines, advice
and risk assessments with wisdom in the coming weeks. As we reached the
events to commemorate VE Day in May I reflected on the relief that must
have been felt by the country 75 years ago, and how it signalled the beginning
of the end of a unique period in history. We are living through another
historic event now, and whilst I’m uncomfortable with comparisons to a war
situation, I do think we have much to learn from the resilience and fortitude
of those who lived through WW2.
And, finally friendship, our value for the last half of the Summer Term. I
know that staff and pupils have all missed the friendship of others at school
hugely over the past weeks. Many children (and parents) have used digital
means to stay in touch which is lovely to hear, and teachers have been kept
busy writing and responding to emails from their classes, with some
wonderful examples of home learning. As we open more widely, it is lovely
to see the children greet each other and to slip quickly back into playing and
learning together, despite the many adjustments to school life to ensure
safety. We are planning the best ways to say a proper goodbye to our Year
Six children as they leave us for secondary school, and how best to ensure
the welcome given to our new Foundation children and their families is
9reflective of the best our school has to offer. It is fortunate that we have
access to technology to support all this, but nevertheless I know it will be a
very special day when we are all back together in the playground!
Linda Hull
12 JULY - IT’S SEA SUNDAY
In times like this when we are having to adapt as best we can to a ‘new
normal’ it is easy to forget the extraordinarily huge dependency that we all
have on hundreds of thousands of seafarers. Much of what we consume
reaches the UK by sea. Ports such as Southampton and Felixstowe service
millions of container movements every year. Container vessels handle about
90% of the world’s non bulk cargos and today’s largest container vessels can
be up to 400 metres long, that’s four football pitches. These huge vessels can
carry around 24,000 containers, have sophisticated technology that can set
the most fuel efficient and safest route, and low carbon technology to reduce
harmful emissions.
The modern-day Mission to Seafarers ministers to those who earn their living
at sea and their families working in 200 ports across 50 countries. Working
at sea accentuates many of life’s problems, money worries, mental health and
loneliness. The work can be dangerous with threats of piracy, shipwreck and
abandonment. Things which we take for granted like email communications
and social media are often unavailable on board many older and smaller
ships.
The Mission to Seafarers has its origins in the Bristol Channel Mission
established by the Revd John Ashley in 1836. By 1856 other Anglican
ministers had joined the effort leading to the establishment of the Mission to
Seamen. The movement grew with the increase in maritime activity. The
change of name in 2000 recognised the role of the Mission to all at sea
regardless of role and gender. It is now one of the largest port based welfare
operations in the world. So please remember seafarers and give thanks for
the work of the Mission to Seafarers, especially on 12 July this year.
HOW DID THE HYMN ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE
COME ABOUT?
William Whiting (1825 – 1878), an English clergyman, wrote the lyrics in
1860. He was born in Kensington, London and educated at Clapham and
10Winchester College. Whiting spent much of his adult life near the coast and
experienced a frightening sea incident in 1860. Later that year when head of
Winchester Chorister’s Choir School he was asked for pastoral and
emotional support from a US student about to embark on what for him was
a fearful voyage to the USA.
Whiting felt inspired by the words of Psalms 104 and 107 verses 23 – 26 and
used these to draft his lyrics to Eternal Father, strong to save. The timing
was fortuitous as the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern was
published in 1861 and Whiting’s hymn, adapted by the editors, appeared in
that seminal work.
The hymn needed a strong tune to match the stirring lyrics and the Revd Dr
John Bacchus Dykes specially composed the tune Melita as its setting in
Hymns Ancient and Modern. As many know, Melita is an ancient name for
the island of Malta and the site of a shipwreck involving St Paul recorded in
Acts 27 and 28. The tune is acclaimed for its melodic sequences and
harmonies that flow so well into each other.
The hymn has been widely adopted for use in the Royal Navy and US Navy.
It has often been sung in the USA at prominent funerals of presidents and
senior politicians with naval backgrounds.
ST SWITHUN – 15 JULY
We ought to afford St Swithun some white space this month. He may have
been born in 800 and died in 862 or 863. His posthumous legacy is the folk
lore that if it rains on St Swithun’s Day it will rain for the next 40 days. His
life is scarcely chronicled during his life time. However, it is believed that
he was consecrated Anglo Saxon bishop of Winchester in 852 and remained
in post until his death. He is a pre-reformation patron saint of Winchester
Cathedral and there is a modern shrine in the cathedral retrochoir where other
saints relics were kept.
Those of an energetic disposition may like to note that St Swithun’s Way
which starts at the Cathedral was opened in 2002 and proceeds 34 miles to
Farnham in Surrey following much of what was part of the former Pilgrim’s
Way.
11ST MARY MAGDALENE – 22 JULY
There is something of an irony that this woman, mentioned several times in
the Gospels, has been the subject of renewed interest and attention in recent
years. In 2016, Pope Francis raised her prominence in the liturgical calendar
from a memory to a feast day. And in 2018 a film produced by Iain Canning,
Emile Sherman, and Liz Watts and starring Rooney Mara was released to
mixed reviews. Whilst critics acknowledged reverence for the subject, the
general view was the film lacked sufficient depth of character to make it
interesting.
Although many accept that Mary Magdalene was a real person very little is
actually known about her. There are no contemporary accounts and what is
recorded is mostly set out in the Gospels. Mary was a common Jewish name
and Magdalene implies that she came from Magdala, a village on the west
shore of the Sea of Galilee about 120 miles north of Jerusalem.
The Gospel accounts vary; Luke 8 mentions that Mary had been healed of
demons by Jesus and she, along with other women, were followers of Jesus
and his disciples. On the other hand, Mark’s Gospel does not mention her
until the crucifixion. All the Gospels record Mary’s presence at the
crucifixion and they relate her presence at the Resurrection. But it is John’s
Gospel which gives significance to her presence on that first Easter morning.
Mary noted that the stone had been rolled away, and ran to tell Simon Peter.
Witnessing an empty tomb Simon Peter went home leaving Mary on her own.
The risen Jesus approached her and she mistook him for a gardener. But
after he said her name she called out, Rabbouni, meaning teacher. Obeying
Jesus’ request not to touch him she is reported to have left the scene and went
to the other fearful disciples, declaring perhaps to their sceptical disbelief, “I
have seen the Lord.”
The Gospel references to Mary Magdalene by name can be said to emphasise
her importance as one of Jesus’ trusted disciples. Moreover, she was one of
Jesus’s earliest followers, present at his crucifixion and present again to be
the first witness to the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene stood by Jesus even
when some of the disciples went into hiding at the end of his ministry. It is
worth recalling that in those times women were often disregarded which
makes Mary’s ministry and support for Jesus all the more significant.
12Unfortunately for Mary Magdalene later history, and depictions in art, have
not treated her well. Possibly because of confusion with an unnamed, sinful
woman in the Gospels she became tarred with a reputation of ill repute. Pope
Gregory I in 591 took this further attributing sins of a sexual nature. And
down the ages, this reputation persisted in popular culture. The 1969 revision
of the General Roman Calendar started to revise matters by declaring that the
memorial day – 22 July – should only refer to Mary Magdalene and omit
references to the sister of St Martha and the unnamed sinful woman. And as
mentioned the Roman Catholic Church now gives her day ‘feast’ status.
There are over 200 churches dedicated to St Mary Magdalene in the Church
of England.
Although the 1549 version of the Book of Common Prayer had a feast day
for Mary Magdalene it disappeared in the 1552 version and was not restored
until the last century. This appears to have started with the proposed or
deposited revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 which never
received parliamentary approval. The Shorter Prayer Book (an abridged
version of the BCP) published in 1946 includes the feast day with the name,
Saint Mary Magdalen and there is BCP Lectionary provision for holy
communion, morning and evening prayer services. The Church of England’s
Common Worship Lectionary marks the feast day of St Mary Magdalene as
well. The Common Worship Collect for the day is:-
Almighty God,
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of mind and body
and called her to be a witness to his resurrection:
forgive our sins and heal us by your grace,
that we may serve you in the power of his risen life;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
13NOTE OF THANKS TO THE SJB FLOWER LADIES
ST JAMES THE APOSTLE 25 JULY
James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee
– the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous
characters and fiery tempers. The family home is assumed to have been
Bethsaida, a town possibly located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee
although other sites have been suggested. James was one of the first disciples
to follow Jesus.
James also stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples
who witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ. Jesus took him, along with
Peter and John, to ‘watch’ with him in the garden of Gethsemane. Finally,
he went on to be the first apostle to die for the Christian faith, when in AD
44 King Herod Agrippa put him to the sword in Jerusalem at Passover time.
14In the centuries following his death, James became associated with the
evangelising of Spain, and as a powerful defender of Christianity against the
Moors. The heyday of the cult of Santiago de Compostela was from the 12th
to the 15th century, and the pilgrimage to Compostela became one of the
most important of medieval Christendom. This in time transformed the
iconography of James, and his emblems became the pilgrim’s hat and the
scallop-shell of Compostela. Over 400 English churches have been
dedicated to James.
ST CHRISTOPHER – PATRON SAINT TO MOTORISTS – 25
JULY
The legend goes that St Christopher was a Canaanite who lived in the
3rd century. He was a giant of a man, of fearsome appearance. At first he
decided to serve the devil, but when he discovered that the devil was afraid
of Christ and His Cross, Christopher decided to serve Christ instead. A
nearby hermit instructed Christopher in the Christian faith and assigned to
him a place near a river: Christopher’s job was to help travellers cross it
safely.
All went well, and Christopher helped lots of people on their way until one
day a child came along and asked to be carried across. Christopher put him
on his back and set off, but was soon staggering under the astonishing weight
of this child. The child then told him that He was in fact Jesus Christ, and
that He carried the weight of the whole world. The Christ-child then told
Christopher to plant his staff in the ground: the next day it bore flowers and
dates – confirmation that the child was indeed who He claimed to be.
After some time more of helping travellers cross the river, Christopher went
to the city of Lycia, where he preached the gospel with such success that the
Roman emperor (Decius?) had him arrested and imprisoned – especially
when Christopher refused to sacrifice to the gods. Two women sent into his
cell to seduce him came out converted Christians instead. So, Christopher
was beaten, shot with arrows and finally beheaded.
Christopher has been well-loved of the English down the centuries. Many
wall-paintings of him have been placed on the north wall of churches,
opposite the porch, so that he would be seen by all who entered. There was
15good reason for this: as patron saint of travellers, it was believed that anyone
who saw an image of St Christopher would not die that day. As the ancient
saying goes: ‘Behold St Christopher and go thy way in safety’.
A kind of daily insurance policy against death – this was so good that in due
course St Christopher became the patron saint of motorists. There is even a
church in the Javel area of Paris where Citroen cars are made, that is
dedicated to St Christopher. In modern times, with the increase in air and
motorway travel, Christopher has remained popular. When in 1969 the Holy
See reduced his feast day, there was a sharp protest in several countries, led
in Italy by a number of popular film stars. If you ever travel in a taxi on the
Continent, look out for a little St Christopher hanging from the rear-view
mirror beside the driver. Now you know why it is there!
DEAN OF THE ARCHES AND AUDITOR OF THE CHANCERY
COURT OF YORK
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are delighted to announce that
Morag Ellis QC has been appointed as Dean of the Arches and Auditor on
the retirement of Charles George QC. Morag took up her duties on the 8 June
2020.
Morag was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1984 and appointed Queen's
Counsel in 2006. She began her career at 8, New Square (now Cornerstone
Barristers) before moving to Francis Taylor Building in 2014. Morag was
appointed Commissary General of the Diocese of Canterbury in 2011, and
Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese of Southwark in 2013. In 2015 Morag was
appointed as a Panel Chair to Clergy Discipline Tribunals and became a
member of the Legal Advisory Commission of the General Synod in
2016. She was appointed as QC Church Commissioner in 2019. She is also
a Reader licensed in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
The Archbishops would like to express their enormous thanks to Charles for
his remarkable service over the last 11 years and wish him well as he steps
down from the role.
The Dean of the Arches (Province of Canterbury) and Auditor (Province of
York) is the most senior ecclesiastical judge in England and as Master of the
Faculties is responsible for the regulation of the notarial profession in
16England and Wales and some overseas jurisdictions. The appointment is
made jointly by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York with the approval
of Her Majesty the Queen.
COVENTRY DIOCESE – CONSISTORY COURT JUDGEMENT
In early June a ruling by the Consistory Court on a matter involving a parish
in the Diocese of Coventry drew a short comment from the National Church.
The background is this. Margaret Keane died in 2018 and her family sought
permission from the incumbent and PCC of St Giles, Ash Green (a village
about 4 miles north of Coventry) to have a short inscription in Gaelic on the
headstone and an Irish cross. The English translation of the Gaelic expression
was ‘in our hearts forever.’ The PCC decision was narrowly in favour, six
votes for five votes against, and seven abstentions. However, the Diocesan
authorities became involved and the matter was eventually dealt with in a
consistory court case with a ruling given by Stephen Eyre QC. He ruled that
the inscription could only be permitted if an English translation was included,
if necessary, in a smaller font size. His summary ruling was reported in the
following terms:- “[This] memorial is in English-speaking Coventry. Should
I permit an inscription which will be incomprehensible to almost all its
readers? Not only would the message of the inscription not be understood,
but there is a risk of it being misunderstood. Given the passions and feelings
connected with the use of Irish Gaelic there is a sad risk that the phrase would
be regarded as some form of slogan or that its inclusion without translation
would of itself be seen as a political statement.
“That is not appropriate and it follows that the phrase “In ár gcroíthe go deo”
must be accompanied by a translation which can be in a smaller font size.”
Relatives had submitted that the headstone was of insufficient size to
accommodate both the wording and an English translation.
The National Church was quick to issue a brief comment, “This was a
judgment from the consistory court of the Diocese of Coventry. “Consistory
court judgements may, with permission, be appealed to the Provincial Court
of the Archbishop, in this case the Arches Court of Canterbury. The Irish
language is an important part of the heritage of the Church of England. It
17was, after all, Irish speaking monks in Lindisfarne and beyond who played a
central role in establishing the Church in what is now England.”
As reported above, Morag Ellis QC has been appointed as Dean of the Arches
for the Province of Canterbury and this may be a matter for her to consider
if an appeal comes forth in respect of the Coventry ruling.
PSALM 46 – A PSALM OF COMFORT IN ANXIOUS TIMES
A reflection on this psalm by Canon Paul Hardingham
To say that we are living in uncertain times is an understatement! Psalm 46
speaks into our anxiety and fear, just as it did to Israel originally. At this
time, we must focus on God, who alone can deliver us in such times.
He is our refuge: ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble.’ (1). In the midst of our difficulties, God promises Himself to be our
refuge, strength and help. A ‘refuge’ is a place of trust, where God promises
to protect us. When the whole world is turned upside down, we can come to
Him without fear.
He is our resource: ‘There is a river whose streams make glad the city of
God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.’ (4,5). Jerusalem was able
to withstand enemy attack, because of the water that resourced it. For us, this
is a picture of the presence of God’s Spirit, who resources us when we are
under pressure. This psalm promises that God’s is with is in all our troubles
on a daily basis: ‘The Lord Almighty is with us…’ (7,11).
He is our ruler: ‘He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ (10). When we consider all
that God has done in the past, we can see the way in which He has worked
among us to provide, protect, and deliver us. We are called to ‘cease
fighting’ God and surrender our lives to God. Let’s worship Him, as we let
go fear and as we depend on Him in this current time of crisis.
‘A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid
the flood of mortal ills prevailing’ (Martin Luther).
18SEASONAL COOKING – FELICITY COOPER
19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his
brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them,
and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed
him. Mark 1:19-20
James with his brother John were amongst the first apostles called to follow
Jesus. Jesus dubbed them “Boanerges” which means Sons of Thunder
(Mark3:17)
After the crucifixion James made a pilgrimage to the Iberian Peninsula to
spread the word of Jesus. On his return King Herod Agrippa ordered him to
be beheaded. James is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the
New Testament (Acts 12:2)
The remains, or relics, of St James were then transported by his followers
back to Spain. According to legend they sailed on a rudderless boat without
a sail. They landed on the northwest coast of the peninsula and proceeded up
the River Ulla to land at Iria Flavia (modern day Padron) The Celtic Queen
Lupia ruled this area and the followers of James asked if they could bury his
body there, but she refused and sent troops after them. The troops chased
James’ followers over a bridge which collapsed killing them. Queen Lupia
then converted to Christianity and provided an ox and cart to transport the
body of James. Unsure of where to bury his body the followers of James
prayed for guidance and decided to let the ox continue until it chose a place
to rest. The ox finally came to rest under an oak tree at the top of a hill and
this is where St James’ remains were buried and the Cathedral of Santiago
was built.
The cross of St James represents a sword referencing his martyrdom. It is
topped with a Compostelan shell and has Fleuried arms.
The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, is a
network of pilgrims' ways leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the
Great. The way is marked by yellow arrows and scallop shells. In France the
scallop is known as Coquille Saint Jacques and in German as Jakmuscheln
(James’ mussels) It is thought that the lines on the Compostelan scallop
represent the many routes to Santiago. The scallop shell also had a practical
19use for pilgrims as it was lightweight and could be used to hold food and
drink.
St James is the patron Saint of Spain, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The feast of
St James is celebrated on 25 July.
Tarta de Santiago
This is a traditional cake from Galicia and is decorated with the St James
cross. It is gluten and fat free.
Ingredients
250g/9oz Ground Almonds
6 Medium eggs separated
250g/9oz Caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 0range and 1 Lemon
1 Teaspoon Amaretto liqueur (optional)
Icing sugar to dust the cake
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Line a 24cm/9” loose bottomed cake tin with parchment.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until light and pale. Fold in the ground
almonds and grated zest and amaretto.
In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff but not ‘dry’
Lighten the egg yolk mixture with a tablespoon of the egg white then
carefully fold the remaining yolk mixture into the whites.
Fill the tin, level and place in the oven for 30-35minutes until well risen. Test
with a skewer.
Leave in the tin to cool completely.
Turn the cake out and dust with icing sugar, you may use the template below
to make the cross of St James.
Serve with strawberries and whipped cream or crème fraiche.
2021
VICTIM SUPPORT TO RUN CHURCH SUPPORT SERVICE
FOR SURVIVORS OF ABUSE
Victim Support has been awarded the contract to manage Safe Spaces, a joint
Anglican and Catholic Church in England and Wales (CCEW) project to
provide a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse. This
leading national charity, well known for its specialist services and work with
people affected by crime, abuse and traumatic events, was awarded the contract
following a competitive process.
The decision by the Safe Spaces Management Board was taken in partnership
with survivor representatives from across both Churches (CCEW, Church of
England, Church in Wales). Their knowledge, skill and personal experience in
shaping the model for Safe Spaces alongside their commitment and support
during the procurement process was integral to finding the right organisation
to deliver the project.
The proposed model for Safe Spaces to be developed by Victim Support and
which will run for an initial two-year period, is:
A central hub helpline with skilled first response advocates trained in trauma
informed advocacy support and advice.
The development of a ‘Safe Spaces’ website to provide information and advice
to survivors, families and professionals
Up to 10 community-based survivor led therapeutic support groups (both faith-
based and secular)
Diana Fawcett, Chief Executive of Victim Support, said: “The importance of
specialist services for victims of faith-based abuse cannot be understated.
Those affected by sexual, physical or psychological abuse face increased risk
of mental health problems, and are often denied justice.
Where trauma is compounded by disbelief, it is vital that victims can access
specialist services completely anonymously and independently from the police
or any faith-based institution. We welcome the introduction of this much-
needed specialist service, and recognise the importance of input from survivors
in the design and delivery of trauma-informed support.”
22The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, current chair of the Safe Spaces
Management Board said: “We are delighted that Victim Support will be
running Safe Spaces, their vast experience of working with victims and
survivors will be invaluable, and this is at the heart of this project. We know
that for some this project has not come quickly enough and as we have
previously said this is a matter of regret which the Church of England
acknowledges and apologises for. But it is good news that we now have a
charity with proven experience of putting survivors first.”
The Bishop of Leeds, Marcus Stock, vice-chair of the National Catholic
Safeguarding Commission and vice-chair of the Safe Spaces Management
Board said, “It is crucial that the Catholic Church constantly seeks to enhance
and improve the pastoral response and services provided to victims and
survivors of abuse. The appointment of Victim Support as the independent
provider for the Safe Spaces project marks an important step forward in this
endeavour. Our work though must be guided and advised by the needs which
survivors themselves have identified. As a leading independent charity with
considerable experience in supporting people affected by different forms of
abuse, Victim Support will be well placed to this joint project forward.”
The Bishop of Southampton, Debbie Sellin, deputy lead bishop coordinating
support for survivors, said: “I am very much looking forward to working with
Victim Support as Safe Spaces develops providing vital support and advice to
survivors.” Bishop Debbie will represent the Church of England as a trustee on
the board of the new company to be set up to oversee the project.
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, OLAUDAH EQUIANON, THOMAS
CLARKSON – 30 JULY
During the 18th century many people in England were involved in the
campaign to abolish the slave trade. The Church of England remembers
especially William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson –
three very different but all tireless campaigners against the evil practice.
Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846) was an Anglican clergyman and one of the
most prominent of the anti-slavery campaigners. In 1787 he helped form the
first Abolitionist Committee, and his energy and hatred of injustice made him
a ‘moral steam-engine’. He travelled hundreds of miles, gathering evidence
from people caught up in the slave trade, from ship captains to doctors.
23Olaudah Equianon (1745 – 1797) had been kidnapped in Nigeria, sold into
slavery and sent to the West Indies. When he finally escaped, he made his
way to London and became one of the most prominent black
campaigners. His brutal autobiography of 1789 ran to nine reprints, and was
translated into many languages, bringing home to people the horrors of the
slave trade.
William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833), of course, became the main figurehead
in Parliament. He came from a wealthy family in Kingston-upon-Hull, and
represented the town in Parliament. He was recruited by Thomas Clarkson,
who saw the need for a brilliant advocate within Parliament. Wilberforce
was an inspired choice: not only wealthy and well- connected, but a gifted
orator with a social conscience, especially after his conversion in 1785. He
made his first speech in Parliament against slavery in 1789, but it was not
until 1807, after a debate that raged for many years, that the Abolition Act
was finally passed.
LOOK AHEAD TO AUGUST – FEAST DAYS AND
COMMEMORATIONS
Principal feasts occurring next month are 6 August, the Transfiguration of
our Lord, 15 August, The Blessed Virgin Mary (unless celebrated on 8
September), and 24 August, St Bartholomew the Apostle.
Lesser festivals or commemorations include, 5 August, Oswald, King of
Northumbria, martyr, 642, 7 August, John Mason Neale, priest and hymn
writer – (see article below), 28 August 1866, Augustine of Hippo, Bishop
and teacher, 430, and 31 August, Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, missionary
651
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF JOHN MASON NEALE
(COMMEMORATION DAY – 7 AUGUST)
In summary, he significantly enriched the hymnody of the Church of England
with many translations of ancient hymns originally written in Latin, Greek,
and other languages, as well as writing his own compositions.
John Mason Neale was born in 1818, his father Cornelius Neale being a
priest. He was educated at Sherborne School and Trinity College,
24Cambridge. At the latter he became attracted to the Oxford movement and
was ‘high church’ in his sympathies. Although, following ordination in 1841,
he was offered the incumbency at Crawley, he suffered chronic illness which
prevented him taking up the post. In 1846 he became warden at Sackville
College which he held until his death on the Feast of the Transfiguration in
1866 at the age of 48. Sackville College was not an educational institution
but an almshouse dedicated to the poor.
During his life he was often the subject of verbal and physical attacks and,
sadly, he never attained any honours or preferment. In our more enlightened
times we can be truly thankful for his achievements and his faithful example.
His legacy to English speaking congregations is a veritable treasury of often
well-known hymns that he translated from ancient texts. Indeed, he is
responsible for providing us with one of the oldest hymns still sung, O Trinity
of blessed light often sung in plainsong. The original Latin text is attributed
to St Ambrose (340 – 397).
There are many others; here is a sample:- Jerusalem, the golden sung to that
wonderful tune, Ewing, Christ is made the sure foundation, often sung to the
tune Westminster Abbey, A great and mighty wonder, the Christmas hymn
derived from Greek text written by Germanus and probably dating from the
7th century. The tune is the German melody, Es ist ein ros entsprungen which
first appeared in 1599. The next time you sing, Good King Wenceslas you
are singing another of his translations from what was a Latin spring-time
poem. John Mason Neale gave us The day of Resurrection usually sung to
the tune Ellacombe. We could go on.
Despite his illness, John Mason Neale worked tirelessly. He, more than
anyone else, has added breadth to English hymnody with many translations
of older texts. On his feast day on Friday 7 August, please say a prayer of
thanks for the life, faith and works of John Mason Neale. And, if you have a
hymn book on your book shelf, have a look at some of his contributions and
quietly reflect on the theology of what you read.
25CENTRE SPOT FOR CHILDREN
2627
NEW BENCH INSTALLED AT SJB IN MEMORY OF RON AND
BETTY BRINDLEY
28A new bench was installed in the churchyard of St John’s in early June in
fond memories of Ron and Betty Brindley.
Between them Ron and Betty contributed nearly 100 years of loving service
to the church. Ron was churchwarden for 28 years, and on his retirement
from the post became churchwarden emeritus. Betty acted as sacristan and
sang in the choir. They provided faithful and exemplary service to the clergy
and the people of the parish.
The bench was installed by Dave Youngs and Terry Russ seen seated above
after the fixing.
A pint of Brakspear’s has been promised to them both for their efforts once
the New Inn resumes business!
ARCHBISHOP OF YORK’S FAREWELL SERMON – CofE
ONLINE SERVICE - 7 JUNE
May I speak in the Name of the Son, In the Power of the Holy Spirit, To the
Glory of God the Father. Amen
I begin my reflection on the four passages of Scripture appointed for this
Trinity Sunday with a story. Not about anyone else but me. I was ten years
old when I responded to Jesus Christ’s invitation to become his friend and to
discover his plan for my present, and my future. To receive life in all its
fullness, in the present and to know the forgiveness of past sins, to own my
past but not be enslaved by it and to begin writing my future in hope. Sixty-
one years on, I truly know I was lovingly invited into God’s glorious
community of love, rooted in faithfulness and friendliness. And throughout
my life I have found God in these experiences: I found union with God,
encountering him as the Loving Father, as the Redeeming Son and as the
Energising Holy Spirit, ever ready to answer my call as the helper and
strengthener. Not three gods, but One God, present to me in three persons. I
found myself trusting in God with a new lifestyle, a life of obedience to the
pattern demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth who lived it out in the power of
the Holy Spirit. I found myself united with other followers of Jesus Christ
because I was, they were, we are, united with the Father, with the Son, and
29with the Holy Spirit. United in our witness and life together as disciples of
Jesus Christ, bound up with the worship of One God in three persons.
As we heard in the beautiful blessings at the end of our Reading from St
Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 13: 14), we live
together as followers of Jesus Christ because of the Grace, the unmerited
favour, of the Son; the Love of the Father and the Fellowship, the Shared
Life, we have with the Holy Spirit.
Believe you me, faith, trust, is not a crutch to lean on. It is the very act of
leaning. Faith is nothing better than sanctified common sense. It is the most
common-sense thing in the world to trust in the incomparable power and
majesty of God, in the infinite, unchanging love, and infallible truth of God
eloquently portrayed by Prophet Isaiah in our Reading. To trust anywhere
else needs a great deal of justification. But to trust in God needs no apology.
For as Gerald Manley Hopkins put it, “The world is charged with the
grandeur of God” (Poems and Prose, Penguin Classics, 1985).
No entity in heaven or earth compares to God, and, therefore, none can
prevent his justice and mercy to us. The God who created the earth and made
the heavens is mightier than the gods we are tempted to worship, money,
power, status, ethnic origin, competitive sport. Those gods, after all, are
created, not creators. And the wonder of it, as Psalm 8 sings majestically,
God’s Name, character, majesty and power is glorious throughout the world
and yet mortal humankind was made little less than divine (Elohim) and
adorned with glory and majesty, depicting humankind as God-like as in
Genesis Chapter 1 (verses 26-30). The wonder is that we are loved with a
love that is stronger than death by the One who went to hell and back – even
Jesus Christ. “Full authority in heaven and on earth has been committed to
him”, and he has promised us his power and presence, to the end of time.
Filled with this love and power he sends us out to go and make all nations
his friends and learners. He calls us to stand at the intersection where God’s
love and human need meet. Telling others that we are the hungry and the
thirsty ones, who have been led to the bread of life and the living water,
welling up to eternity. He also sends us out to become friends of the weak
and those who are marginalised. Jesus Christ is always at the centre, and at
the same time encompasses all - present on the circumference with all those
who are on the margins. This awesome God has touched and healed and is
healing my wounds by his greatest miracle in me: His constant forgiveness.
30He has taught me to welcome the person within me who is weak and poor in
spirit.
In Matthew 25, Jesus bids us to welcome him in the poor, the sick, the
hungry, the homeless, the naked, the prisoner and the stranger. As his
followers, this we must all do implicitly, and in a very small way I have given
it my best shot.
But, reflecting on my sixty-one years as a follower of Jesus Christ, I have
tended to shy away from recognising Jesus Christ in my own poverty of
spirit. I have stood alongside those who are in need without at the same time
acknowledging the poor and prisoner inside me. I now know it is both/and. I
have learnt , with wonder, to see Jesus Christ in my own poverty, hunger and
thirst for meaning and in my deepest needs; as well as all that is “strange”
inside me.
The Blessed and Glorious Trinity is beseeching me, beseeching you, to
welcome all this and not deny their existence in me, in you, and to accept
that they are there. Because on the very ground of our defeat is where we
meet the Healer who bears the marks of crucifixion in his body. Discovering
the presence of God in these very places of weakness is liberating!
God in Jesus Christ calls us to enter into the pain, the mystery of the Cross
and dereliction, forsakenness. Leading us to a compassion like his, so that
even in the midst of searing pain, we can focus our eyes on others and their
pain and be steadfast in love and care for them. As we grow in trust, we learn
to wait in hope and open our lives to the tender love of God and hear him in
the lament of his world.
God, the Holy Spirit, like a parent to their child, is a comforter to each one
of us. He interprets our deepest unuttered cry and draws us out of our inner
prison of fear. God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is compassionate and
gentle of heart. Therefore, we will not be afraid to open our wounded hearts
to him. Let us go to him for wholeness and healing as we put our trust in him.
Come! Come! I will go with you. Amen.
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