THETrinity TIMES The Parish Magazine of Holy Trinity Church, Henley-on-Thames - June 2021 - Holy Trinity Church Henley-on-Thames
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THETrinity TIMES
The Parish Magazine of Holy Trinity Church, Henley-on-Thames
June 2021
THE VICAR’S LETTER
Dear friends,
I wonder what your hopes are for this transformation - resurrection - out of
year? – a lifting of restrictions, a the most traumatic and devastating of
chance to see family in the flesh, a situations.
holiday maybe…
The Bible tells us that we can
For most of us the last year has been essentially live with one of two
an incredibly hard year, and although opposing worldviews. You can either
we may remember some positive live with hope in “the world”, where
moments when the sun shone, the evil and darkness is always
birds sang and we clapped for the rampaging - where we try and fix the
NHS on Thursday evenings, the ever-increasing list of social ills in our
reality of the hardship of this last year own strength, relying on our good, but
has been immense. inadequate understanding of the
universe and our part in it.
The separation from loved ones, the Or we can live with hope in a God of
huge increase of mental ill-health grace - where we put our trust in the
problems, the economic turmoil not creator of the universe and allow our
seen since the years after the second lives to be formed and transformed by
world war, the loss of basic human his Son.
interaction - all these things have hit
us hard. Most of us in Henley have I am not saying that only Christians
been incredibly fortunate to live in can have hope! In fact, there is much
such a wonderful part of the country in our world to admire in examples of
with the river and beautiful human endeavour and courage - but
countryside on our doorstep, but no the key difference between people of
one has been immune from the these different worldviews lies in the
detrimental effects of the pandemic. It foundation of our hope.
is very important to acknowledge just
how hard it has been and how our When things are going wrong, as they
levels of resilience have been worn may, Christians know that God
down. remains in control. They know that He
can bring healing to those who are ill -
The psalmist asks, “Where does my peace to the worried - he can break
help come from?” (Psalm 121) the power of bondage to addictive
And the answer for Christians has behaviours. Even if we find ourselves
always been and continues to be: ‘feeling’ desolate we know we are
2
My help comes from the Lord, truly not alone.
the Maker of heaven and earth..
Psalm 121 speaks of God as ‘a
Christians are called to be people of helper’.
2
hope because we know that God is My help comes from the Lord, the
more than able to bring Maker of heaven and earth.
2
This is important. When I am anxious And, finally the Psalm describes God
it is often very difficult to clear my as a preserver:
mind of the struggles I am facing.
7
Things buzz round and round in in my The Lord shall preserve thee from all
mind. I can lose sleep by being evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
unable to clear my mind of worries.
What the psalm encourages is that How does the LORD preserve us?
the first thing to do is orient ourselves First, He preserves us from all evil.
towards God. We are encouraged to This corresponds to the Lord’s prayer
look to God first. Then we will be able where it petitions “deliver us from
to look at our problems in the light of evil.”
who God is – our helper..
But the psalm goes on:
8
The psalmist also speaks of God as a The Lord shall preserve thy going
keeper: out and thy coming in from this time
3
He will not let your foot slip - he who forth, and even for evermore.
watches over you will not slumber; And notice, this not some broad
The reason why it was necessary to address to the church as a whole;
establish first the sovereignty of God “You lot will be ok” – a pat on the
before this verse is apparent. The head in the face of trouble. No, it is
LORD must be able to help us. A singular “your coming and going” (In
person might be willing to help the King James version it reads: 8 The
someone in need, but if that person is Lord shall preserve thy going out and
unable to do anything about the thy coming in from this time forth, and
problem, then all we have is someone even for evermore.) In other words,
to cry with us in our difficulties. His this is God’s personal commitment to
being willing to help is not enough. those who travel with him.
But once we grasp the fact that God Christians may face hazards. Some
is sovereign the question remains may face death. But we can (and
would he be willing to rescue us? If must) rejoice that our relationship with
not, there will be no rescue. This the Lord is secure in Jesus Christ –
verse underlines the wonderful fact for all eternity!
that we serve a God who is both able
and willing to rescue those he loves – Best wishes,
and to guard our eternal security.
Duncan
The Reverend Duncan Carter
3
Children’s Pages
Saint Alban – the first British martyr
Persecution of Christians worldwide is rising fast, so it is worth remembering Saint
Alban, the first British martyr. Alban was a Roman citizen living in England when
the Roman emperor, Diocletian, began a fierce persecution. Soon Alban found a
desperate priest on his doorstep, hunted by local soldiers. Alban gave the priest
shelter, and within days was converted. When the soldiers arrived, Alban took the
priest’s place, refused to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was condemned to
death. Alban went to his execution on 22nd June 250 A.D. with such serenity that
one of the executioners was converted. He died on the site of the Hertfordshire
town that now bears his name.
Alban Diocletian gods died
martyr priest condemned site
persecution converted death town
Roman soldiers execution name
emperor sacrifice serenity doorstep
Parish Pump
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Children’s Pages
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SERVICES in JUNE
The Vicar, the Reverend Duncan
Carter, will lead the morning services,
with the assistance of the Licensed
Lay Minister, Michael Forsdike.
The Reverend Sam Brewster, will
lead the Trinity at Four services. WEDDING
29th May James Thomas
SUNDAY 6th JUNE Herring-McEwen
First Sunday after Trinity and Sian Elizabeth Chalk
10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP FUNERALS
14th May Peter Alan Smith
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR 25th May Roy William Booth
SUNDAY 13th JUNE
Second Sunday after Trinity
10:00 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION Reverend Duncan Carter
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR Holy Trinity Vicarage
Church Street
SUNDAY 20th JUNE Henley-on-Thames
Third Sunday after Trinity Oxfordshire, RG9 1SE
Tel: (01491) 574822
10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP The Vicar is always glad to see
anyone needing help or advice.
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR
Talking through problems and praying
SUNDAY 27th JUNE with people are his top priorities. Do
Fourth Sunday after Trinity not feel worried about sharing your
problems, whatever the concern, large
10:00 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION or small. For your reference, his day
off is Saturday.
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR
SUNDAY 4th JULY
Fifth Sunday after Trinity Our 10:00 a.m. services are available
to watch live on You Tube. Go to:
10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP www.holytrinityhenley.org.uk/
services-1.html for the link.
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR
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Howard Rippener
We are sorry to hear that Howard Rippener, a former
member of our congregation, has died. Some churchgoers
may remember the tall Rippener family who moved to Henley
and joined our church in 1987. Howard and his wife Liz with
their two children Karen and Julien were active members of
our church. Julien used to play the organ for us at services;
Karen led the singing group, amongst doing other things, Liz
helped with “The Chimes” Music Group, and was our
missionary link organiser, whilst Howard served on the
P.C.C, was a sidesman, and helped with the running of the
youth groups. Howard and Liz retired to Devon in 2002, and,
later, moved again to Scotland to live near their daughter
Karen. We send our condolences to Liz, Karen and Julien on
their sad loss.
JB
What do you think will happen after Covid?
You can take your choice: a recent The new research has found that
survey has found that a third of us “people feel a stronger sense of
think that society may never go connection to their neighbours and
back to the old ways, a third of us community. …We found a clear
think we will go back to exactly as public appetite for a society in which
we were before, and a third of us we are more connected to each
think that we will be keener than other, and the community spirit of
ever to stay together. 2020 is kept alive.”
The Together Coalition, chaired by It also found that around 12.4
the Archbishop of Canterbury, has million people have volunteered
been working for the past year on a during the pandemic, 4.6 million of
piece of research to track just what them for the first time. And 75 per
has happened to communities cent of those volunteers would be
during lockdown. happy to do so again.
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WHY AM I A CHRISTIAN?
when I pray God gives me the
strength I need to carry on.
I’m not judging anybody else. I know I
need forgiveness as much as anyone
– but I know God loves me and that is
very special!
I don’t say I am a Christian to blow my
own trumpet. It’s more an expression
of the fact that I know I need God to
I am a Christian – not because I have be my guide through life, and I have
all the answers. I don’t think I know it found He will never let me down –
all. I have studied as hard as I can - I even when life is tough.
have degrees from two universities to
prove it – but I still have lots of I still have questions: I don’t know why
questions. I am still learning. God has allowed this pandemic. I
don’t know why He allows any of the
I’m not claiming to be better than suffering we see in the world. But, I
anyone else. I’m not bragging. I’m know Jesus himself suffered unjustly,
admitting I have failed in lots of things and that He understands these things
in life, and I can’t ever make up for even if I do not.
the debt I owe to others or to God.
You might say that for me being a
I’m not claiming to be perfect. I’ve got Christian is a profession. But God
a long way to go! I’ve got lots of faults found me way before I started
– just ask my children! I know some working for the church. He reached
things that need to change – the rest I out to me – not because I grew up
still need to be humbly taught. in a Christian family, but because of
I’m not in myself an especially strong what Jesus had already done. I
character. It’s not that I relish standing knew the history - that he lived and
out from the crowd because of my died and rose again – these are
faith. But I do that when it is right. facts from the pages off history –
but I found that they still mattered
By contrast, I am not especially even across the centuries. You
‘needy’. I’ve been hurt really badly in could say He found me, and I found
life and I still feel the pain of His love. That is why I am a
heartache. But I’m fine. I know that Christian!
Reverend Duncan Carter
8
On Getting to Church at a Social Distance
The Rectory
Saint James the Least of All
My dear Nephew Darren
Since your parishioners mostly live in fuss these days about having job
an area of half a square mile, where descriptions at all.
their only concern in getting to church
is whether to take the underpass, or to Major Crompton’s devotion to his new
risk a dash across the ring road, you sit-on lawnmower has inspired him to
may have little understanding of the travel to church on it. Since he is unable
problems our folk have in travelling our to uncouple the mowing apparatus, the
long country lanes to church, especially tarmac on his two-mile drive is acquiring
as we are keeping our social distance interesting patterns. His drive at two
from each other. miles per hour along narrow lanes
means he arrives leading a procession
Several parishioners have decided that of cars with drivers given the opportunity
they can’t possibly share cars even to exercise the Christian virtue of
with their own spouses, as in their 15- patience.
room homes they have successfully
(and in some cases, happily) avoided Mrs Pendleton, on the other hand, leads
each other for months. So the lane a small but select group from the
outside the church has filled up each Mothers’ Union who are all keen
week with Mercedes nudging Audis, cyclists. They all arrive on a whoosh of
and Land Rovers easing in between fresh air, their hair in total disarray, but
Bentleys. with pink cheeks glowing with health.
Nobody in church minds sitting near
Others arrive on horseback. But they them, as anyone who can manage to
are careless about leaving their horses peddle an old three-gear bicycle up the
to graze in the churchyard, and I have hill to our church is most unlikely to be
had to remind them twice that flowers sickening for anything.
in memorial vases are not fodder. The
horses do help to keep the grass down, Finally, of course, the majority arrive on
but unfortunately our verger now foot, having negotiated fields, stiles and
objects to standing outside during assorted cattle on the way. The
Mattins, holding the reins of half a countryside may well praise God, but
dozen horses. He says it is not part of one does wish they wouldn’t bring quite
his job description, which only confirms so much of it into church.
my view that there is entirely too much
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
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PARISH JOTTINGS
Lockdown restrictions eased Bishop of Oxford’s Appointment
There is not a lot of church news these The Lord Bishop of Oxford, the Rt
days to record for the church magazine Revd Dr Steven Croft, is among the
archives, but some good news is that thirteen peers appointed to the ‘Lords
on May 17th, after we had endured Select Committee for the Environment
three national Lockdowns, a significant and Climate Change’. Bishop Steven is
relaxation of the restrictions took place. a leading advocate of fossil fuel
We hope that we are now at least at divestment within the Church of
the beginning of the end of this England and has previously called for
challenging pandemic thrust upon us. ‘nothing less than an ecological
conversion of every person and every
Limited numbers of people can now part of society’.
visit friends’ and families’ homes, and
even stay there overnight. Pubs and
restaurants, museums, theatres,
cinemas and hotels are now fully open
again, and going on foreign holidays to
some countries is now possible. In all
the above cases, precautionary
requirements must be observed.
Our church, Holy Trinity, maintains its
Sunday services both in church, and
on-line, whilst many churches 25 Years of NOMAD
throughout the country, for various This year, NOMAD is marking 25 years
reasons, have remained closed. Our of helping young people. ‘Nomad
services are reasonably well-attended, Youth & Community Project’ is a local
and all required precautions are taken charity supported by Holy Trinity
to keep churchgoers safe. church. Its headquarters is at the D:two
centre in Henley-on-Thames. In 2005
Nomad gained its own charitable
status. NOMAD runs Henley’s Food
Bank, and last year distributed over
1300 food parcels. The aim of the
Parish weather charity is to help people to become full
The parish, in keeping with most other and useful members of our local
places, has had topsy-turvy weather so community and society as a whole, to
far this year. Snow in March, hardly improve the conditions of their lives,
any April showers, a cold wet and including their physical, mental, and
windy May, some days having a year’s spiritual capacities. Their work includes
selection of weather - frost, rain, wind, working in schools and providing
hail, snow, and hot sunny spells, all in parenting and family support and after-
one day. Gardeners are not pleased, school activities.
and when going out, you haven’t
known what to wear for the best. JB
10June flowers, wisteria and roses in the riverside gardens, Holy Trinity parish
11THE Trinity TIMES
The current parish magazine of Holy Trinity church, Henley-on-Thames.
Published monthly throughout the year. This issue is Number 318.
Holy Trinity church parish magazines have been produced since 1890.
CONTACTS AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
Vicar
The Reverend Duncan Carter Holy Trinity Vicarage 57 4822
Minister for Trinity at Four
The Reverend Sam Brewster 29 Gainsborough Hill 07899 843461
Licensed Lay Minister
Michael Forsdike 1 Brookside, Watlington 61 2161
Churchwardens
Barbara Williams 14 Lovell Close 57 4533
Michael Forsdike 1 Brookside, Watlington 61 2161
PCC Treasurer Stefan Kotas 07539 822201
Magazine Editor Richard Young 57 8422
The STD Code for Henley telephone numbers is 01491
Holy Trinity website : http://www.holytrinityhenley.org.uk
Readers are invited to contribute articles, features, notices, etc., for
publication in the Trinity Times. Submissions should be delivered to
Richard Young, 11 Saint Mary’s Close, (Telephone 578422), or E-mailed to
the Trinity Times mailbox at ‘magazine@holytrinityhenley.org.uk’.
For inclusion in the next magazine, submissions must be received by
Sunday the 13th of June.You can also read
