April-May 2016
NOTICE board
Mystics under the spotlight
ROBERT BEAKEN is parish priest of St Mary the Virgin, Great Bardfield, and St Katharine, Little Bardfield, in Essex. He holds a PhD from King’s College, London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of seven works, including Cosmo Lang: Archbishop in War and Crisis (2012).
Front cover: The Burial of the unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, (detail), oil painting by Frank O Salisbury © Estate of Frank O Salisbury. All rights reserved, DACS 2015. Image courtesy of Palace of Westminster Collection WOA 2957 www.parliament.uk/art Back cover: Unloading wounded soldiers at St Botolph’s Station
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The Church of England and the Home Front, 1914-1918: Civilians, Soldiers and Religion in Wartime Colchester By Robert Beaken Foreword by Terry Waite CBE
BOOKSHELF
THERE is nothing new about the tendency of some to portray our history in purely secular terms. Alistair Bruce, the historical adviser to Downton Abbey, is on record as saying that the producers deliberately kept religion out of the show to avoid alienating viewers. That is why the Crawleys are rarely shown sitting down to dinner: they would have had to be seen saying grace. It is therefore very refreshing and enlightening to read an account of Colchester ‘Robert Beaken provides an elegantly written account of an important aspect of how English society coped with the 1914–1918 war on the home front. In his study of parochial life in Colchester during the period, Dr Beaken tests and demolishes a number of myths, tracing their origins to the late 1920s, a period of disillusionment and literary reconstruction of the war years. His final chapter on the dubious contrast between a “bad” First World War and a “good” Second World War for the Church of England makes an important contribution to remembering those who endured and fought in 1914–1918, without condescension but with honesty and compassion.’ The Right Rev. and Right Hon. Richard Chartres KCVO DD FSA, Bishop of London ‘In telling the story of the Church and its people in Colchester, a garrison town, Robert Beaken enlivens our understanding of the First World War – not only as a clash of mighty forces, but also at a personal and communal level.’ The Very Rev. Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster
‘An admirable book. In a year when we are encouraged to assess or reassess our attitudes to the Great War, it is useful to have this timely account of how the Church of England faced its wartime duties.’ The Right Hon. Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE
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Robert Beaken
amongst other themes, with creative and unusual suggestions for putting ideas into practice for individuals and groups. This is a beautifully written book, making a potentially weighty subject accessible and captivating. 'Fragile Mystics' is available at the Chelmsford Christian Bookshop at a special price of £9 (RRP £10.99), plus postage and packing of £1.50, from 01245 294405 or bookshop@ chelmsford.anglican. org. l The reading group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 1pm in the Library at the Diocesan Office. Please call the bookshop on the above number for details and encouragement. RACHEL ORFORD Manager, Chelmsford Christian Bookshop
THE CHURCH OF ENGL AND AND THE HOME FRONT, 1914–1918
THE Chelmsford Christian Bookshop’s Reading Group will turn its attention to 'Fragile Mystics', a new book by Magdalen Smith, at its April 6 meeting. The book's subtitle 'Reclaiming a Prayerful Life' hints at the writer's intention to connect our prayer life with the Mystics and holy people of the past. Her introduction explains that she chose the book’s evocative title because “it is my guess that many Christians have a thirst for experiencing the presence of God essentially in mystery, as opposed to certainty, as did may Holy people of the past”. Each chapter tackles a topic in an absorbing and readable way and the author, who as well as being a priest has a background in the visual arts, draws on examples from art and film as well as the work of the Mystics. Chapters address stillness, adoration, darkness and gratitude
Wartime leaders were a rich variety of eccentrics THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND THE HOME FRONT 1914–1918 CIVILIANS, SOLDIERS AND RELIGION IN WARTIME COLCHESTER
Robert Beaken Foreword by Terry Waite CBE
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local clergy as ‘a rather mixed group of men, of varied temperaments and abilities, who nevertheless responded to the challenges of the First World War with courage, imagination and self-sacrifice, and who enjoyed a fair degree of success’. Robert therefore challenges the old assumption that the Church of England had a bad First World War and, in the garrison town of Colchester at least, reveals just how significant the Christian faith was culturally and personally. Robert also challenges other often repeated myths about the church in the First World War. Whilst admitting that the Church of England The Church of England is popularly believed to have had a bad First World War. This book challenges that tired orthodoxy. It examines the relationship between parish churches and the army during the war, using the important garrison town of Colchester as a case study. Colchester in 1914–18 was a microcosm both of English society and of the Church of England, in all their diversity. The presence of the army also meant that wartime experiences and trends which were noticeable elsewhere in England were sharply felt in Colchester. For the generation of Britons who lived through the Great War, Christianity was an important part of their culture, world view and, in many instances, personal lives. To understand life on the home front during the war, it is vital to understand the part played by Christianity, and particularly by the parishes of the Church of England. With the help of newly discovered archival material, this book reassesses the relations between clergy, soldiers and civilians, to show that, contrary to widely-held belief, the clergy and their parishioners responded to the crisis of 1914–18 with courage, common sense, and self-sacrifice: their ministry kept much of the population going during the Great War.
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during the First World War that unashamedly speaks of the way that the life of the churches was woven into the fabric of the society. Despite the lack of much primary material, Robert Beaken is able to paint a picture of the
has long provided a refuge for ‘a rich variety of clerical eccentrics, as well as for priests who are plainly a bit odd’, he discovered no evidence that Anglicans of any churchmanship in the town regarded the war as akin to a holy crusade and found, through his extensive research, that anti-German preaching was – in fact – very rare. The book also includes a fascinating account of the ‘National Mission of Repentance and Hope’ including the role of district visitors in the parishes and the response of the town’s population. Robert also reveals that the situation facing the church in Colchester in 1918 was a lot less bleak than is suggested by national reports of that time. Church attendance in
Colchester kept up during the war and the vast majority of people in the pews were working class. Robert has produced a captivating account of an extraordinary time in our history. The thoroughness of his research is balanced by warm and endearing personal stories as well as by some wise and helpful reflections on the issues raised. He even includes some helpful pointers for bishops seeking how best to serve their clergy and people. Rt Revd Roger Morris Bishop of Colchester l Revd Dr Robert Beaken is Priest in Charge of Great Bardfield and Little Bardfield. l The book is available from the Chelmsford Christian Bookshop (details left) at a special price of £22.50.
DIOCESAN CYCLE OF PRAYER — APRIL-MAY 2016 Cycle of Prayer for daily use in Diocese of Chelmsford We can still say “Lord teach us to pray”. (Luke 11:1).
MOUNTNESSING ST MARY'S — Please pray for the clergy and congregation on May 25
APRIL
1 Friday of Easter Week ● NORTH WOOLWICH (St John w Silvertown)—Clergy: Princely Croos (PIC). ● Diocese of Bukavu (Congo). 2 Easter Saturday ● Today is the 'real' Easter Saturday – the Saturday of Easter Week (rather than the media’s version, where Easter Eve has somehow become Easter Saturday!). As we come to the end of this first week of Easter, we are invited to celebrate Easter not as a day but as a season, and to reflect on the Easter mystery through the weeks of this season in a way that helps us better bear witness to the person of the risen Christ. ● Diocese of Bukedi (Uganda). 3 THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER ● Please pray for the Friends of Chelmsford Cathedral, and give thanks to God for their work in the past and years to come. ● Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. 4 Monday THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD TO THE BVM ● WEST HAM (St Matthew)—Clergy: Christiana Asinugo (PIC), David Richards (AP). ● Diocese of Bukuru (Jos, Nigeria). 5 Tuesday ● STRATFORD (St John w Christ Church)—Clergy: David Richards (V),
Christiana Asinugo (AP), Annie McTighe (AP), Ivo Anderson (A), Readers: Rosemond Isiodu, Robert Otule, Carole Richards, Sheva Williams. ● Diocese of Bunbury (Western Australia). 6 Wednesday ● STRATFORD (St Paul) and (St James)—Clergy: Jeremy Fraser (V), Annie McTighe (AP), Jeanette Meadway (AP), Milen Bennett (A). ● St James Junior School: Shirley-Ann Jones (HT). ● Diocese of Bungoma (Kenya). 7 Thursday ● VICTORIA DOCKS (The Ascension)— Clergy: Dave Chesney (V). ● VICTORIA DOCKS (St Luke)—Clergy: Dave Wade (V), Emeka Ejinkonye (AP),
Ifeani Chukuka (AP), Reader: Carole Davison. ● Mayflower Centre, Canning Town. ● St Luke’s School: Theresa Aanonson (HT). ● Diocese of Bunyoro-Kitara (Uganda). 8 Friday ● WEST HAM (All Saints)—Clergy: Stennett Kirby (V), Stephen Chandler (AC), Reader: Ben Williams. ● West Ham Church School: Paulette Bailey (HT). ● BECKTON (St Mark)—Clergy: Peter Ngugi (PIC). ● Diocese of Busan (South Korea). 9 Saturday Dietrich Bonhoffer, Lutheran Pastor, Martyr,1945 ● Dietrich Bonhoeffer remains a deeply compelling voice for us, and still prophetic:
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” ● Diocese of Bugosa (Uganda). 10 THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER ● Please pray for the people who use their talents and skill to write hymns and music that enrich our worship. ● The Church of Ireland. 11 Monday George Selwyn, first Bishop of New Zealand, 1878 ● Retired clergy, Readers and lay ministers who live and work in the Deanery of Newham. ● Diocese of Butare (Rwanda). 12 Tuesday ● DEANERY OF REDBRIDGE—Area Dean: Marie Segal. Lay Chair: Jill Leonard. Asst Area Dean: Ian Tarrant. Chaplains: Barts Healthcare NHS Trust - Whipps Cross Univ. Hospital: Tristan Alexander-Watts. Barking, Havering & Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust: Tim Coleman, Philip Wright. East London NHS Foundation Trust: Stephen Chandler. North East London NHS Foundation Trust: Tony Rablen. ● Diocese of Butere (Kenya). 13 Wednesday ● ALDBOROUGH HATCH (St Peter)— Clergy: Kate Lovesey (V) (see page 4). ● Diocese of Buye (Burundi). CONTINUED ON PAGE II