From the Rector — May 2011 Every year at the Annual Meeting of the Church I give a report as Rector. Most years I've given an account of the year passed in the life of the church and some indication of what the coming year holds. But this year I took a different approach to the idea of a report - more like a school report - when you get an evaluation of how well you have been doing, and what you need to do to improve. So I reported on how well this church been doing in the last year; and what challenges are facing us if we are to improve. But there was a catch in the way I framed the question. “How well are we doing?� The mistake is to think that church is all about doing. But church is a community first, even if a community in action. So a really important first question is: what kind of church are we being? How well are we being church? Because we know that we can only be church through God's gift to us of grace and mercy in Jesus then this is really a question about us as a church and God. How closely are we living in the presence and power of God, as a church? In other words how well are we being the body of Christ; and corporately exhibiting the character of Jesus? When people come into contact with our church community how clearly are they encountering Jesus; who welcomes, reaches out, accepts, forgives, heals, blesses, and empowers? What has been happening over the past year to show how far we are a Jesus-shaped community , that is a church community being shaped by Jesus, and being shaped to be like Jesus? I am encouraged that we are being shaped by Jesus because in the last year we have deliberately worked on improving the worship, prayer life, and opportunities for learning from Jesus as a church. One example is the Sunday Plus mornings. These are extended Sunday morning sessions after the 9.30am service which offer a time of learning, fun together, and fellowship culminating in a shared lunch. All three to date
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have been memorable occasions in their own right – the Harvest Sunday with its home-grown soup, bread and jam making, and knitting flowers; the Advent quiet morning of prayer and holy reading, and the Carnival Sunday just before Lent. Each of these have had an all-age element so families with children have taken part too. These Sundays extend our opportunities for learning and being a church community together. I'm looking forward to the next one in June about Saint Paul! Another example this year is a new Sunday service. A new congregation within the All Saints church community has been planted and hopefully will grow - meeting for the short informal family service at 11am on the first and third Sundays of the month. Its aim is to be thoroughly accessible worship for families with small children especially offering a provision for those who have recently had their children baptised. If these developments are examples of how well we are being a Jesusshaped church, what are the challenges? Where do we need to improve? Above all perhaps the challenge is delivering on our hopes and aspirations All of us are caught up in the demands of our work, or dealing with a lack of work; our family commitments; the needs of other areas of our lives, or struggles with our own issues in life. As a church can we support one another to live gospel-centred lives; where our church community life is not a demanding burden, but is what empowers us and strengthens us to be faithful Christian people serving God's work in this community and in the wider world? One challenge we have identified during the last year has been the need to improve our pastoral care support as a church. There is a meeting on 14th May for all those involved at present in pastoral care in the church. The challenge as ever is one of priorities. Was it Woody Allen who said that 90% of success was just showing up? Showing up is more than just being “in church� but it's about being church; showing up mentally, emotionally and spiritually, giving God's church a good slice of our allimportant care, concern and prayer; shining the spotlight of our most important thoughts and feelings on the needs of God's work in Wokingham. It is about having the conversation with God, ourselves, our families, and our church sisters and brothers about what we can and should be offering to our church community of our time, talents, and
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money in whatever way God is calling us – because the more engaged we all are the more sustainable being church becomes. Read a summary of the second part of the report - the doing part, the work of our church - in the June edition. or read the whole report on the church website. David Hodgson
MAGAZINE INFORMATION Please leave items for publication in the Magazine tray in the Parish Office or email directly to the editor on or before the Copy Date please. Contributions can be typed, handwritten, or e-mailed. All Saints PCC Wokingham, is a Registered Charity, Nbr. 1127585
Editor:
Andrew McKenna (977 3812) Email: editor@allsaintswokingham.org.uk
Distribution:
Sheila Longley
(978 4193)
Advertisements:
Andrew McKenna (977 3812)
Collation:
Sheila Longley & team
(978 4193)
Copy Date for June:
May 15th, 2011
Collation:
May 27th, 2011 3
Clergy and Officers Parish Clergy Rector Associate Priest Honorary Asst. Curate Honorary Asst. Curate
The Revd. Canon David Hodgson The Revd. Caroline Kramer The Revd. Colin James The Revd. Helen Charlton
Attached Clergy Deanery of Sonning “Fresh Expressions” Mission Priest The Revd Michael Johnson Church Wardens Parish Administrator
Jo Robinson John Smith Vacancy Jo Asplin
Children and Youth Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Children’s Advocate Margaret Raggett Crêche Leader Rachel Garlish Junior Church Co-ordinator Harriet Swinyard Youth Church Co-ordinator (Acting) Revd Michael Johnson Friday Night Youth Drop-In (FDI) Co-ordinator Lorraine Hodgson Worship and Music Director of Music (inc. Choir) David Rance Music Group Leader Gail Houghton Head Server Chris Gilham Deputy Head Server Ruth Smith Bible Readers’ rota Joyce Baldry Tower Foreman John Harrison Flower Guild Chairman Pam Gilbey Worship Rota and Prayer Lists Co-ordinator Revd Colin James Lay Co-Chair of Worship & Music Development Liz Rippon PCC Secretary Deputy PCC Secretary PCC Treasurer Deputy PCC Treasurer
Parochial Church Council David Atkinson John Smith Stephen Smith John Alp
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979 2999 979 9956 978 1515 978 9153
979 0098 978 9730 979 0948 — 979 2797
962 9378 978 2602 962 9313 979 0098 979 2999 947 6734 979 2797 978 3948 978 7065 978 8506 978 5520 978 5694 978 1515 979 2797 954 0466 979 0948 979 4407 979 2797
Clergy and Officers PCC Treasurer’s Team Stewardship Co-ordinator Gift Aid Co-ordinator Stewardship Recorder Electoral Roll Officer Leadership Forum Convenor Asst. Stewardship Recorder Asst. Gift Aid Coordinator
Margaret Hawkins Dickon Snell Jo Robinson Peter Whittaker Jim Creech Joyce Baldry Barbara Smith Chris Westgate Chris Westgate
962 9792 978 1044 978 9730 978 6225 377 4194 978 8506 979 4407 977 1041 977 1041
Pastoral Care contacts Home Communion Barbara Smith 979 4407 Healing Prayer Group Jack Hayley 978 3939 Pastoral Care contact Jo Robinson 978 9730 Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals Parish Office 979 2797 Churchyard Steward John Smith 979 0948 Transportation Volunteers needed to assist other parishioners. Please help. Clergy days off:
David Caroline Colin Michael
Thursday Friday Thurs/Friday Saturday
The Parish Office (0118 979 2797), in the Cornerstone, can be contacted about church related issues (Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals). It is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.15 am to 1.00 pm and for urgent matters or by telephone on Monday and Thursday from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon. e-mail: Postal address: All Saints website:
parishoffice@allsaintswokingham.org.uk The Parish Office, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham RG40 1UE www.allsaintswokingham.org.uk
The Cornerstone : For room bookings and general enquiries please phone 0118 979 7778. Administrator Monica Martin is in the office: Monday 2-5pm, Tuesday 12.15-4.30pm, Wednesday 2-5.30pm, Thursday 1.45 - 6.00pm. e-mail: info@thecornerstonewokingham.org.uk
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Worship at All Saints Services at All Saints' Church embrace a wide range of formats. An outline is given below but for details and information about occasional services, see the weekly leaflet.
Sunday Services 8.00 a.m. 9.30 a.m.
11.15 am. 11.15am
Holy Communion. A said service with a brief address using the traditional language version of the Common Worship Order One Eucharist Parish Communion. The service is sung, with hymns, and follows Common Worship Order One Eucharist. Children are catered for in the Crèche and Junior Church. The last Sunday in the month is Parish Communion for the Whole Church and often includes Parade, children are present throughout, and contribute to the worship. Prayer for Healing with Laying on of Hands is offered regularly at certain Parish Communion services (see diary). Coffee is served after the service and this is the weekly 'social gathering' of the Congregation. Please come and meet us there if you are a visitor to the church or would like to get to know us better.
(1st Sunday) No Service (2nd Sunday) Holy Communion. A said service using the Book of Common Prayer.
11.15am
(3rd Sunday) No Service
11.15am
(Some 4th Sundays)
Occasionally Baptisms will take place during this time Matins using the Book of Common Prayer, usually sung and including a sermon.
6.30 pm.
(1st - 3rd Sundays) Evensong using the Book of Common Prayer with sermon. Choral Evensong is sung usually on the first Sunday of each month (An alternative form of worship on 4th & 5th Sundays ; and Services of Healing)
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Weekday Services Morning and Evening Prayer are said, using Common Worship Daily Prayer, at 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. each day from Monday to Saturday. All may, and are encouraged, to attend. These services may be led by a Priest or members of the Laity.
Holy Communion is celebrated as follows: Monday Tuesday
9.30 am. 9.30 am.
Wednesday 10.00 am.
Friday
(Common Worship Order One) (Common Worship Order One with short address, followed by coffee) (Simple form of Common Worship Order One and short address (particularly for parents and child minders of babies and pre-school children)
in various Residential Homes
Major festivals are also marked by additional celebrations of Holy Communion. Please see the Parish Diary elsewhere in the magazine, or for whole year’s dates, see leaflet “Days to Remember at All Saints”.
Home Communion: If anyone knows of a housebound parishioner, either temporarily or long term, who would like to receive Holy Communion, please contact the Parish Office (979 2797).
Confirmation, Welcome or Growth Groups: Anyone interested in confirmation, a refresher course, or learning about the Christian faith is invited to join one of the Eureka! groups or a confirmation course - contact Barbara Smith on 979 4407.
Baptisms: are usually conducted at a special afternoon service on the last Sunday of each month; or occasionally in Sunday morning services if requested. Baptisms can be booked via the Parish Office (979 2797).
Wedding Bookings: Clergy are available in the Cornerstone on Monday from 6.30 pm - 7.30 pm and on Saturday from 10.30 am - 11.30 am on an appointment basis. Please book via the Parish Office on 979 2797
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Flower Guild Very many thanks to everyone who donated either money or their talents to make the church look so beautiful for Easter – it is always a pleasure to have such lovely arrangements after the plainness of Lent and I especially love the windows and font when they are decorated with spring flowers. Even though we have fewer weddings booked this year, we already have two requests for pew ends – I will be looking for help on the evenings of Thursday June 23rd and Thursday July 14th. Pam Gilbey
Thursday June 16th Guild Meeting th Wednesday Sep 7 Guild Meeting
Dates for your Diary
Flowers in church during May May 8th Mrs G Jones Mrs L Draper GJ th 15 Mrs S Anderson Mrs S Shields AW 22nd Mrs S Newman Mrs A Wade HM 29th Mrs M Whitaker Mrs V Briault MW/VB Mrs M Hughes
For information contact Pam Gilbey (978 5694) Hazel Matthews (978 6700) or Lucille Taylor (978 6847)
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Mothers’ Union
Bye Buy Childhood update On 14th March, Worldwide President Rosemary Kempsell, accompanied by Mothers' Union members and four MPs (all sincerely committed to the cause), handed in the ‘Bye Buy Childhood’ petition to10 Downing Street. The petition has more than 18,500 signatures and calls the Government to keep its promise to tackle the commercialization of childhood and to stop children being targeted with or exposed to sexualised media and marketing. Again thank you to everyone in this parish who signed our petition, which formed part of this significant national effort. The Bailey Review, the independent review on the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood commissioned by the Government and headed by MU Chief Executive, Reg Bailey, is due to be published this month. Branch News For our May meeting we are delighted to welcome Chris Pape as our guest speaker. Chris works on projects in our parish including projects at the Eustace Crescent Community Flat: as she is involved in a number of initiatives in the community, she knows a lot about what is happening in the Norreys area and Wokingham generally. Anyone is welcome to join our meeting on 25th May. More information on The Mothers Union’s work worldwide can be found on the website www.themothersunion.org. For branch information or a lift to meetings, please call Valerie (978 7363) or Mary (978 2678). Upcoming Dates Tues 10th May
9.30am Corporate Communion.
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Tues 17th May – Thurs 19th May Wed 25th May
Diocesan retreat – details from The Priory Room or branch committee. 7.45 for Branch Meeting – Talk by Chris Pape 8pm
Walk the Country Christian Aid Sponsored Walk 2011 This year the Christian Aid Sponsored Walk will be on Saturday May 21st. There will be a choice of 5, 10 or 15 mile routes, all of which will start and finish in BIX (just off the A4130 to the north-west of Henley-onThames) at the village hall. The walk routes pass through varied undulating (but not too demanding) countryside and are mostly confined to footpaths although some use is made of minor metalled country lanes. In addition to raising money to help the less fortunate people of the world, this event provides an opportunity to get out and enjoy rural tranquility : Nature Reserves : a good choice of picnic spots (and some swathes of Bluebells should still be visible under the trees). Application forms, maps and, most importantly, the Sponsorship Forms, will be available in good time before the date; start sounding out your boots, walking-legs, and friends and relations now. For more information please contact David Cupper : phone 0118 978 5866, email davidcupper@hotmail.co.uk, and usually in the Cornerstone after 9:30 service on Sundays. The organisers are always pleased to hear from folk who are willing to help with the walk, both at BIX and as Marshals along the route. Should you be interested in helping out this year or in the future please contact David Cupper who can pass your details to the appropriate committee member. David Cupper
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...from Caroline Mission Prayer Network There is a wonderful definition of mission which is that we figure out what God is doing in the world and join in. The everyday work of the Church - the Missio Dei - occurs wherever the People of God are. The word mission comes from the Latin word for sending so we, as Christians, are in a very real sense called to mission, to being those who are sent out - both as a church but also as individuals in the places where we find ourselves every day. As a church we at All Saints will be taking a closer look at our mission over the next few months. We believe that all mission is from God and, of course, the only way to know what God wants is to ask and listen to the answer. This means prayer and a lot of it. The Mission Prayer Network is being set up to complement the ongoing work of Morning and Evening Prayer in Church. We know that most of you cannot be in Church every day but if you feel you can say a prayer or two for our Church in your regular prayer time then this is for you. You will receive a fortnightly email with prayers and prayer topics which specifically relate to the life and mission of the Church. No Internet? Let the Parish Office know and we can get a paper version to you. To sign up email the Parish Office (please only call if you do not have email) parishoffice@allsaintswokingham.org.uk. You contact details will be passed to the Mission Prayer coordinator but will not be used for any other purposes. Rev. Caroline Kramer
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Have you booked your holiday yet? Where are you going for your holiday this year? A few weeks abroad, or maybe you are going to rein in a little and have a day here and a day there in places that are not too far away? Recently the South Downs was the latest area to be added to our list of National Parks. It is a lovely part of the country, but as well as beautiful scenery there are popular seaside places to visit, as well as Fishbourne Roman Villa if educational visits for your children (and you!) are your interest. And, of course, there is the Cathedral at Chichester, a small but very beautiful building set in an elegant but small city just a few miles from the Downs, the sea and Fishbourne. A perfect day for some would be to visit Fishbourne in the morning, have a picnic lunch on the Downs, afternoon at the seaside, and then … to visit the calm of the Cathedral and listen to the choir singing Evensong before you wend your way home. The Choir at All Saints visits different cathedrals each summer to sing the services. You could have the opportunity of hearing them in a cathedral setting as Chichester is the venue this year. How impressed the casual visitors and the cathedral staff would be to see that our Choir is supported by lots of members of All Saints. And how encouraging it would be for members of the Choir, after a long day of practising, to see at least one row of faces that are familiar to them. Even if you don’t fancy a whole day out, it would still be lovely if some could arrange to bring a car-load of supporters on one day or another – there is a whole week of services to choose from! The dates are as follows: Monday 1st – Saturday 6th August (but not Thursday) Choral Evensong at 5.30 p.m. (lasts about 35 minutes) Sunday 7th August Choral Mattins at 10 a.m. (lasts about 40 minutes) Cathedral Eucharist at 11 a.m. (like our Parish Communion) Choral Evensong at 3.30 p.m. All Saints’ Church is a family, isn’t it? And if your family members were playing in a sports event in Chichester you’d go and support them … wouldn’t you?
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We believe in life before death
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 15–21 May 2011 ‘Help people in poverty out of poverty’ ■ ■ ■
Millions of envelopes delivered and collected; Millions of pounds raised and Thousands of people helped on their journey out of poverty.
For example, thanks to you, in Jinotega, Nicaragua coffee farmers are getting a fairer price for their coffee and ploughing the profits into health centres, schools and a better future for their children. Please support Christian Aid Week whether collecting or giving ― every little helps. Come to the Christian Aid lunch at Rose Street Methodist Centre 20 May 12.30 – 2.00 p.m. Help at the money counting (contact Valerie Kemp 978 2586) 21 May 8.30 – 12.30 p.m. There are still many roads in need of collectors ― contact Valerie Kemp to see if there is a road near you. The FINCHAMPSTEAD SUPPORT GROUP will be holding our SUE RYDER LUNCH in aid of SUE RYDER CARE, NETTLEBED at the Finchampstead Memorial Hall on FRIDAY 3RD JUNE at 12.00 for 12.30pm. Our speaker this year is DAPHNE PAYNE with her labrador GOLDIE who will give a talk on HEARING DOGS FOR DEAF PEOPLE. We look forward to seeing you and your friends at this very popular annual event. Tickets cost £10 and are available from 0118 9788227/9733238 Janet Gill Finchampstead Support Group
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National Youth Ringing Contest March 2011 was celebrated by ringers worldwide as the centenary of the foundation of The Ringing World, the ringers’ weekly newspaper. It’s first editor, John Sparkes Goldsmith, was both a prolific ringer and a journalist, as proprietor of the Woking News & Mail. After his death in 1942, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers continued publication, and established it as a company limited by guarantee in 1983. On March 26th, despite the TUC march, ringers from across the country congregated in London. Over 2000 ringers attended the centenary service in Westminster Abbey, and the reception in Westminster Central Hall, which were the high point of a day of ringing, exhibitions, recitals and city tours across London. Perhaps the most notable event in terms of the future health of ringing was the first ever National Youth Ringing Contest, which attracted twelve teams – almost 100 teenage ringers – from across the country. We were proud that one of our ringers, Mhairi Miller, was selected to ring in the Oxford Diocesan Guild team, which won the method ringing category. John Harrison ST. DUNSTAN’S DAY QUIZ St. Dunstan’s day is May 19. He is patron saint of goldsmiths, jewellers, locksmiths, blacksmiths, musicians, and the blind, so this quiz centres around the word ”blind”. Secular answers are odd numbers, Biblical ones even numbers. 1. Who hosted TV programme ”Blind Date”? 2. What Jesus said would happen if one blind man tried to lead another? 3. Which 60’s supergroup included Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood? 4. What was the name of the blind man Jesus healed outside Jericho? 5. Which blind poet wrote ”Paradise Lost”? 6. Who was blinded on the road to Damascus? 7. Which hymn contains the line ”Was blind but now I see”? 8. Who was blinded by the Philistines in Gaza? 9. Who cut off the tails of the 3 blind mice? 10.Which group did Jesus describe as ”blind guides”? (Answers pg. 32)
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Music List May 2011
Sunday
Easter 2 - 1st May
Org
Service
Eucharist:
DMC
Hymns
532, 287, 282, 500 ** NO CHOIR **
Final Voluntary
Service
Said Evensong with Piano
---
Sunday
Easter 3 - 8th May
Service
Eucharist: Archer - St. Mark's Setting
Hymns
310, 337, 26, (249a), 81 HON
Music
Broken for me - Janet Lunt, arr. David Rance
Final Voluntary
A Trumpet Voluntary - John Stanley
Service
Sung Evensong: Ferial Responses (McKie Amen)
Psalm
48
Hymns
161, 336, 170 AMNS
Music
Locus iste - Bruckner
Final Voluntary
Short Prelude & Fugue in G minor (BWV 558) - J S Bach
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DAR
DAR
Music List May 2011
Sunday
Easter 4 - 15th May
Org
Service
Eucharist: Archer - St. Mark's Setting
DAR
Psalm
23
Hymns
77, 484, 272, (356), 56 HON
Music
Brother James' Air - Bain
Final Voluntary
Prelude & Fugue Op 18 - CĂŠsar Franck
Service
Said Evensong with Piano
Sunday
Easter 5 - 22nd May
Service
Eucharist: Archer - St. Mark's Setting
Hymns
309, 201, 45, (97), 186 HON
Music
Jesu, my truth, my way - Malcolm Archer
Final Voluntary
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel
Service
Said Evensong with Piano
Sunday
Easter 6 - Rogation - 29th May
Service
Whole Church Communion
Hymns
HON
Music
O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit - Tallis
Final Voluntary
Scherzo Symphonique - Alexandre Guilmant
Service
Healing Service
---
DAR
---
DAR
---
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Parish Diary May 2011 Sunday
Easter 2
1
Monday to Saturday
(no Choir)
2
Mo
08.00am
Holy Communion
3
Tu Serendipity
09.30am
Parish Communion
4
We
11.00am
Family Service (11:45 Baptism)
5
Th Julian Group
06.30pm
Said Evensong
6
Fr
7
Sa
9
Mo
8
Easter 3 08.00am
Holy Communion
10
Tu Mothers' Union
09.30am
Parish Communion (with Baptism)
11
We
11.15am
BCP Eucharist
12
Th
3.00pm
**No Service
13
Fr
6.30pm
Sung Evensong
14
Sa
15
Easter 4
page
10
16
Mo
08.00am
Holy Communion
17
Tu Serendipity
09.30am
Parish Communion (Laying on Hands)
18
We All Saints Fellowship
32
11.00am
Family Service
19
Th Healing Prayer Group
23
3.00pm
**No Service
20
Fr
6.30pm
Said Evensong
21
Sa
23
Mo
22
Easter 5
08.00am
Holy Communion
24
Tu
09.30am
Parish Communion
25
We
11.15am
Choral Matins
26
Th
3.00pm
**No Service
27
Fr
6.30pm
Said Evensong
28
Sa
29
30
Mo
Holy Communion
All Saints Sunday
31
Tu
09.30am
Parish Communion for Whole Church
1
We June
11.15am
**No Service
2
Th
3.00+4:30 Holy Baptism
3
Fr
4
Sa
08.00am
6.30pm
Healing Service
Forthcoming Events 15 May: Christian Aid Week begins
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JONATHAN AITKEN – PRISONER OF COMPASSION At their February monthly meeting this year, the Men of Rose Street entertained Jonathan Aitken as their speaker. It was a very moving account of his experiences as an ex-Government Minister serving an eighteen months jail sentence for the crime of perjury. The most impressive aspect of his talk was the way his Christian faith and his sense of compassion towards his fellow beings were so deeply developed. He gave a brief account of the circumstances leading up to his being found guilty of giving false evidence during the proceedings of his libel case against the Guardian newspaper in 1997. This lead to the trauma of not only being sentenced, 2 years later, to a jail sentence of 18 months, but also of being made bankrupt. In describing his first experiences of entering Bellmarsh jail he came to the conclusion that, “The key to survival in Britain’s highest security prison was to go quietly with the flow of life as you found it.” One of his more amusing experiences was, when he was being interviewed by the prison psychiatrist to assess his liability to suicide, he was asked whether anyone other than his family knew he was in prison. When he replied that he thought that 10 or 15 million people knew he was in prison, this produced a further question from the psychiatrist, “May I ask you, do you suffer from delusions?” The system of being introduced to a jail is known as induction which led to his making the following comment; “Induction is a word that survives in only two British institutions: the Church of England, which inducts new vicars into churches, and Her Majesty’s Prison Service which inducts new convicts into jails. Their rituals are rather different as I was about to discover.” A part of his induction included a literacy test in the education department. The opening question of the first written paper was: The fat cat sat on the m-t. Fill in the blank. The later questions became a little
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harder, but he did pass! He was also given an oral spelling test, and had to read an excerpt from a children’s book. The lady teacher said, “I don’t think you need attend one of our remedial classes.” Whilst at first thinking what a waste of time this was, he subsequently came round to the view that the results of literacy testing offer some of the best insights into the causes of crime. He was made aware of the shocking statistic that one-third of all prisoners in Britain’s jails cannot read or write; another third can read or write but only to the standard of an 11-year-old schoolchild. On his return to his cell following his literacy test he there found a small queue of fellow prisoners who had been recommended to him by the education officer for his skills as a ‘joined-up writer’. This led to his spending a big proportion of his time in jail in reading other prisoners letters and writing replies. It meant that he became privy to the most confidential affairs of his fellow prisoners and made him a popular member of the community. After three weeks in the top security Bellmarsh prison he was transferred to the D-cat prison of Stanford Hill in Kent. He described the next six months at Stamford Hill as, “…one of the most enriching periods of my Life.” The first 11 days were spent on a tedious induction course, at the end of which the new comers where invited to apply for jobs or for education courses. He applied to continue his New Testament Greek course in preparation for his studies for a degree course in Theology for which he had been accepted at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. To his great disappointment, when the assignments were announced, his name did not appear on the education list. On asking for an explanation as to why his name had not been included he was told, “The officers feel that you should not be seen to get special treatment. You must qualify to do education by doing a proper job first. You can reapply for an education course in a few weeks time.” At this time Jonathan’s prison life and activities were particularly newsworthy with the media and strange stories about him were continually being published in certain national newspapers. It became
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known that some prisoners were being bribed surreptitiously with substantial sums to provide stories about his activities, some with an element of truth in them, and others which were completely false. Even photographs taken inside the prison to support these stories. In the course of interviews with the governors about these incidents, he reminded them that his application to spend his time in the education department to continue his New Testament Greek studies had not been dealt with, even though the head of the department had said that it was his legal right to take it and that the refusal to let him take it amounted to discrimination against him. He also pointed out that working in the education department would protect him from the paparazzi. Whilst he was left without a decision on his application, he was suddenly appointed to the job of junior toilet cleaner, which was regarded as a promotion, and had the advantage of protecting him from the media activities. The job gave him a sense of stability and also enabled him to enhance his prayer life and his daily services in the prison chapel. Jonathan continued his services as letter reader and writer, which brought him in contact with many of his fellow prisoners and made him very popular. As a result of this activity several close friendships developed. With his upbringing in Ireland he found it easy to find common ground with the dozen or so Irish prisoners in Standford Hill. One in particular was Paddy who was looking to find a fresh meaning to life and asked Jonathan to teach him to pray. This led to the two of them meeting in the evening to pray together. Paddy came to appreciate their prayer meetings so much that he felt that he wanted to share it with his prisoner colleagues. This resulted in the formation of a group of about 12 young men into a rather unusual prayer group of very diverse characters. They called themselves the PFG, which stood for the Prayer and Fellowship Group. Their numbers increased so much that the had to split up into two groups, followed by a third which wanted to do bible studies which were led by the prison’s nonconformist pastor, Phil Cain. In addition to the visible changes in some of the PFG members, they witnessed some spectacular one-off answers to prayer. At this time
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Jonathan’s bankruptcy affairs were being threatened by the sale of his private letters and his collection of valuable books to help pay his creditors. He shared these problems with the PFG and on three or four successive meetings they prayed passionately about them and read appropriate verses from the psalms. When the books and letters case ended in victory they read the psalm again, giving joyful thanks for its promises coming true. . In another case the prison chaplain, The Reverend Clinton Davis, who used to attend their PFG meetings, told them that his father-in-law, an energetic and active man in his seventies, had badly dislocated his shoulder when climbing over a gate on a country walk. Various doctors and osteopaths had tried to get his shoulder working again, but without success. His family began to fear that the injury was permanent. Jonathan commented that the prayers of the PFG for Clinton’s father-inlaw were exceptionally fervent. When he saw Clinton Davis the following day he told him that the previous evening his father-in-law was in his bathroom when his shoulder suddenly clicked back into position. For the first time in weeks he could move his shoulder normally. Jonathan recalled with great delight the baptism of Paddy’s ten weeks old baby girl, which was allowed to take place in the prison chapel. All of the PFG members were present along various members of the prison staff, including the Catholic Chaplain who took the service. Jonathan was delighted that Paddy asked him to be the baby’s godfather. Because of a discovered threat to drug him and then to take photographs of him in embarrassing situations for use by the media, he spent the lst two weeks of his sentence in a neighbouring prison of Elmley. He was finally released on 7th January 2000 , having served 7 months of his 18 months sentence. Jack Hayley Members of the Group are Gill Allen, Maggie Bateman, Jack Hayley, Mary Hughes, Anne Penn, Joan Thomason, Joan Watts and Karen Wellman. Please let us know of any need for healing prayer support.. Confidentiality is assured. The next healing service will be held on Sunday 29th May at 6.30 pm. The Laying on of Hands will be made available at the Parish Communion on Sunday 19th June.
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The Stewardship Team give thanks to those of you who ...... • • • • • • • • •
continue to give on a regular basis contributed generously to our ‘Close the Gap’ appeal increased your pledge after the recent campaign started pledging for the first time give on an ad hoc basis are able to gift aid your donations give time gave positive feedback after the recent campaign gave negative feedback after the recent campaign
and don’t forget ....
• • • • •
you do not have to wait for a Stewardship campaign to change your pledges – you can do this at any time. we have a Stewardship section on the website for you to look at. the Church will now only receive 25% of gift aided donations. So, instead of your £10 being worth £12.82p to the Church it will only be worth £12.50p. to put the yellow laminated cards in the collection plate, if you have a standing order and would like your offering blessed. the Stewardship Team are ready and willing to answer any questions you may have.
Peter Whittaker, Jim Creech, Chris Westgate, Steve Smith, Judith Clark, Jo Robinson
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Pippa Liddell
ROWENA WELSH
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Qualified Surgical Chiropodist
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Email: rowenaywelsh@hotmail.com
0118 976 0099
CHIROPODIST
Gardening Expertise …..at your service
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Experienced local gardener has some availability • • • • •
M.S.S.Ch., M.B.Ch.A Registered Member of the British Chiropody & Podiatry Association And Health Professions Council
Overgrown areas tamed Beds and borders enhanced and maintained One project or seasonal service Graves tidied, flowers for anniversaries etc. Competitive rates
* * * * *
Modern surgery in Binfield Village 10 minutes from Wokingham Very easy parking Evening appointments Cryosurgical treatment for Verrucae and Warts
Tel: 01344 459 371 67, Knox Green Binfield Bracknell RG42 4NZ
Phone 0118 978 6371 31
All Saints’ Fellowship Our next meeting in the Cornerstone De Vitre Room is on Wednesday 18th May at 7.45pm for 7.55pm. The cost to visitors is £1.50 which includes coffee so come and join us for an interesting talk by Mr. Colin Parish entitled “The Cambridge Family – Queen Victoria’s Colourful Cousins”! CAKE STALL. Thank you very much to all who contributed to the April Cake Stall which raised £90 for The Children’s Society and Eustace Crescent Flat Children’s Projects. Contact for Fellowship is Diana Clifford 9792614
St. Dunstan’s Day Quiz: Answers (from pg. 18) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Cilla Black Both fall into a ditch (Luke 6,39) Blind Faith Bartimaeus (Mark 10,46) John Milton Saul (later Paul) Acts 9,8 Amazing Grace Samson (Judges 16,21) The farmer’s wife Pharisees (Matthew 23,16)
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HELP!
JUST 120 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME
Wokingham Volunteer Centre operates a low cost transport scheme to enable those who cannot use public transport get to their hospital/doctor appointments Due to the increase in demand for our help we have recently had to let some of our clients down. We desperately need more drivers (we naturally pay for your petrol). We would love to be able to expand the driving scheme to enable us to take people shopping or for a short outing to say a garden centre. However, to operate this service we do need the help of more drivers. If you can spare just a couple of hours a week to help with this scheme, or with any other opportunities available throughout the district we would like
to hear from you. For more information please contact us on 0118 977 0749
ARE YOU THE MISSING PERSON? If you are a caring person and would like to help those in the community who are less fortunate than ourselves, and enjoy a good social life as well, why not come along to one of Wokingham Lions Club’s meetings to find out more about us and what we do? We are well known for organising the Wokingham May Fayre – but due to this, and other successful events, we need more members to follow our international motto – “We Serve”. We meet at the Committee Room, Wokingham Town Hall on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. for 8:00. Or contact Wokingham Lions Club on 0845 833 7384 for further details. www.wokinghamlions.org.uk
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...from Colin Dear Friends By the time this appears we shall have completed what we called The Big Read. It was really encouraging that so many bought a copy of Tom Wright’s book “Lent for Everyone”. I hope that most of us managed to keep up reading a chapter each day and have learnt something valuable from it. Tom Wright wrote, “we may have to put our initial reactions on hold and be prepared to hear new words, to think new thoughts, and to live them out.” He offered help in this by giving us a new translation, to avoid the trap of allowing the over familiar to put us gently to sleep. One of the other benefits of The Big Read has been to let us look at the gospel together, sharing insights and questions and discovering things that might never have come to us individually. I have also been inspired by knowing that up and down the country Christians of many traditions have been engaged in the same way. One of the things that divides us is how we understand scripture, so that studying it together must be a good thing to do, if we are understand each other better and support each other as we try to commend the way of Jesus to a suspicious world. In his preface Tom Wright refers to the fact that this is the 400th anniversary of the appearance of the King James or Authorised Version of the Bible. He is only one of many to view this as a cause for celebration. I confess that last year I was looking forward to 2011 for same reason. We have so much to be grateful for that this great book has been so embedded in our national life for so long. Many of you may have seen one or more of the television programmes produced to mark the event. For me the most attractive to watch was Melvin Bragg’s. But I am not alone in thinking that most of the merits he attributed to the AV in terms of its influence on the life of the nation come from the Bible as such and not from this particular translation of it. What gave rise, eventually, to our ideas of democracy and human rights is traceable to the revelation given first to the Jewish people and then to Christians and has been received in many different languages down the years. Of course there is no denying the influence of the Bible on the English language itself. Many
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of the expressions we use every day and which have been taken over by writers started out in our Bible. But the translation which King James ordered to be made was rarely, if ever, where they first appeared. Much the greater part of the new version was not new at all, but followed a banned earlier version by William Tyndale. In particular it would be a mistake to suggest that Shakespeare was much indebted to the AV since he died only four years after its publication. Nevertheless the Authorised Version became established, as much by the force of law as by its own merits, as the only one available for hundreds of years. And as such it was surely a great force for good. That nevertheless leaves us with the question of what value it has for us in the twenty-first century. I still have three copies of the AV. The first was given me for Christmas when I was eight and travels around with me in the glove compartment of my car. The second was given me when I was confirmed at fifteen. The third came to me much later but is also much older, an enormous family Bible quaintly illustrated with Victorian line drawings. I should be lying if I suggested that any of these is often opened and read. But this is simply because I have many other versions which speak to me more directly and powerfully than the AV is any longer able to do. Pride of place among these still belongs to what we might call “daughter of AV”. As scholarship advanced the AV gave birth to the Revised Version. Next came the Revised Standard Version and more recently the New Revised Standard Version which is what we generally use at All Saints. It combines the virtues of the best of modern Bible scholarship and the clear family pedigree of the AV (oh yes, and of Tyndale). It is my strong hope that the experience of The Big Read and this year’s 400 anniversary celebrations will send many back to the regular study of the Bible, to offer them a unique source of inspiration and strength. Love and prayers Colin
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Group of the Month Thursday Evening Housegroup Members of the Thursday evening housegroup meet twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from Autumn to Easter, to share prayer and ideas as we learn more about a variety of topics connected with our faith. In a pleasantly relaxed and friendly atmosphere we share a cuppa and a biscuit, then join in a short prayer to focus our minds on the evening’s discussion. The topics we have explored vary from straightforward Bible study (The Epistles of John) and Bible related themes (Women of the Old Testament and the seven ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of John) to “Pilgrim’s Progress”. We have also studied courses from ‘York Courses’ and from the BBC, and Jewish festivals, which finished with a re-enactment of the Passover meal. The evening ends with a prayer time and finally, the Grace. We are a group of 12 woman who find our faith is deepened and upheld by our regular contact, both through our meetings and by social occasions such as a shared meal at Christmas time and a summer outing. We are always open to new members - even men if they are brave enough to join the sisterhood - and we would value the prayerful support of our fellow members of the congregation at All Saints. Su Mc Arthur
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Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals News of Animals from around the World In Canada Senator Mac Harb’s bill for ending the commercial seal hunt has been reintroduced. This has been the worst year on record for sea ice in eastern Canada and many seal pups died due to the disastrous ice conditions. It is to be hoped that Senator Harb’s bill gets plenty of support. Markets for seal products are dying which is a good thing. At the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Doha, Qatar, countries were called on to increase protection for a number of key species: tigers with decreasing numbers left in the wild, elephants threatened by new attempts to profit from ivory, and polar bears whose numbers are diminishing fast. Late-hatching penguin chicks are often abandoned at the end of the breeding season when their parents stop eating and start moulting, and no longer feed their chicks. Last season 141 abandoned African penguin chicks were taken to the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. They have been hand reared with a success rate of 86% returned to the wild. African penguin populations are plummeting due to depleted fish stocks from over fishing and changing ocean currents. Marcelle Williams
THE CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY TABLE The table will be in the Cornerstone following the 9.30am service on Sunday 8th May. NO MORE NEEDED!! Thank you many times over for the wonderful response to our request for old Christmas cards, cereal packets and cellophane wrappers. We now have enough but will probably need some other things in the future – so don’t go away. Diana Clifford
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Wokingham Choral Society A Night at the Opera Why not come and enjoy a Night at the Opera on Saturday 18th June at All Saints’ church in Wokingham? You can expect to be entertained by a rich and varied programme of famous arias and choruses from operas by Verdi, Bizet and many other well-known composers, including the rousing March of the Toreadors from Carmen and the Triumphal Scene from Aida. The choir, conducted by its enthusiastic Musical Director, Alexander Chaplin, will be joined by young soloists from the Royal Academy of Music This is a great opportunity to hear these stars of tomorrow right here in Wokingham. Adding a lighter touch, members of the newly formed Wokingham Choral Academy will be performing some songs from the shows, and as a grand finale, members of the Choral Society and the Academy will join together in a magnificent rendering of Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco. The members of the Academy have only been singing together since last September and this is their first public appearance. The Academy was set up by the Choral Society in response to the huge demand for a training choir which was generated by the Learn to Sing courses which it ran last year. The Academy has more than 90 members and is growing from strength to strength. Tickets are available from Bookends, Wokingham, Wokingham Information Centre, Sue Bryant 0118 934 0283 and any member of the Society or the Academy, priced at £13. Discounted tickets are available for those under 18 years or in fulltime education at £8 Please visit www.wokingham-choral-society.org.uk for more information.
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Actors from stage-fright perform their Passion Play in Wokingham Town Centre, April 2011
Binfield Singers Springtime Concert Sunday 15 May, 7:30pm St. Mark’s Church Binfield
An informal evening featuring a wide variety of music from Mozart to the Beatles. All profits will go to a local Charity
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Baptisms 27 March
Burials 11 March 14 March 16 March
Harry David Kendall Catherine Maley Aiden Justin Corio Abbie Jorja Corio
Mary Margaret Young June Elizabeth Oates Victor Charles Fullbrook
Burial of Ashes 18 March John Watkins
Age 86 Age 78 Age 89 Age 74
At Easthampstead Park Crematorium 15 March 30 March
Stanley Arthur Edward Ball Joseph Arthur Isherwood
Number of Sundays Sundays Week days
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Age 95 Age 78
5 836 163