ASH-CUM-RIDLEY AND NEW ASH GREEN
CHURCH NEWS APRIL 2008 The Rectory, The Street, Ash, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 7HA
Tel: 872209
My dear friends, I am not sure if is Global Warming or not but we certainly have had some pretty stormy weather recently. The Rectory was without power for nearly 36 hours, and a very large tree was blown down in Ridley Churchyard, and a smaller one in Ash burial ground - I hope that we have had enough excitement for a while! The trouble is that we so often seem to get misfortunes several at a time like proverbial buses! How do we handle such crises? My aunt always used to ask 'Why me?' - but my unspoken response would have been 'who else?' Sometimes we can go for months or even years with no personal problems at all - and, dare I say, it can get very easy to take such times for granted. (As in the poem 'footprints' when we only notice the tough bits). There are times, however, when life seems unfair for us or for our loved ones. What can we say? Pious platitudes are, I believe, worse than nothing at all. I do not believe that God sends such suffering to test us or to give us a stronger backbone. I do believe that He is with us, though, in our suffering. He knows what suffering is about - The Easter Cross tells us that. I always remember learning that the shortest sentence in the Bible is 'Jesus wept.' Yes, He is there with us - sometimes beside us as a friend, sometimes before us to show us the way, sometimes behind us when we need a shove, and sometimes under us when we need carrying - but always there when we need Him, and even there when life is going so well that we take little notice of Him. We are so fortunate at having so many caring services and organisations to call upon in this country - even those we may never use. Thank God for so many people who give their time and energy in the service of others. We are also so fortunate in having a loving caring understanding God always there for us whenever we need Him, whenever we call upon Him. There is a Hymn which begins with the question 'Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold their wings of strife? With God's help - YES IT WILL! Yours very sincerely, John A Peal.
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SERVICES AT ST. PETER & ST. PAUL’s ASH Time Type of Service 8.00 Holy Communion 10.10 Junior Church meets in Ash Village Hall, age 3 and over 10.30 Family Worship 10.30 Family Eucharist
When Every Sunday in month 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Sundays during term time First Sunday in the month 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Sundays
SERVICES AT ST. PETER’S RIDLEY Time Type of Service 9.15 Parish Communion 6.30 Evening Prayer
When Every Sunday in the month Second Sunday in the month only
diary dates Full details can also be found on the website. Mar. 30th Apr. 4th 8th 11th 15th 22nd
Clocks forward one hour Holy Matrimony Ash P.C.C. Meeting Lyra Concert Rota Meeting followed by Ministry Team Meeting Ash Church Annual Meeting Ash Village Hall
23Rd Ridley Church Annual Meeting 29th Ash P.C.C. Church Affairs Committee 30th Ash Church Church Affairs Committee May 1st Ascension Day – Holy Communion 6th Ash P.C.C. Social Evening 7th Covenanting Churches Committee - Ash Rectory th Jun. 28/29 Ash Fete and Patronal Festival Weekend th Sep. 27/28 Parish Weekend
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1.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 7.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m.
FROM THE REGISTERS CONFIRMATION Mar. 1st
Callum Wishart
Rochester Cathedral
HOLY MATRIMONY Mar. 15th
Robin Alexander Hambrook and Francesca Allbury
FUNERALS Feb. 26th 27th 28th Mar. 13th
Enith Alice Field Peter John Webb Maureen Mary Maynard Beatrice Mary Prance
aged 94 aged 72 aged 69 aged 91
May they rest in peace.
ANNUAL MEETINGS The Annual Parochial Church meetings for both of our churches are to be held this month. We will elect YOUR representatives onto the PCC and as Church Wardens, look at the accounts, discuss our vision, and, if you are there, listen to yours. Do join us if you can. ____________________________________________________________________ LYRA CONCERT Friday 11TH April at 8 pm in Ash Church Tickets: £5 for members of Friends of Ash Church, £7 for non-members - available from Bryan Parlett 873655 _____________________________________________________________________
CONGRATULATIONS To Amanda Bailey and Neil on their engagement
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MUSIC TO GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS! This might not be the most scholarly way to describe Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Sea Symphony but it does it for me. It is a truly stunning piece of music. The work is set to a poem by Walt Whitman, and will be performed by Gravesham Choral Society and Orchestra in a concert to celebrate the life of this great English composer on Saturday April 26th in Rochester Cathedral starting at 7.30pm. Also in the programme are Serenade to Music, The English Folk Song Suite and The Lark Ascending. Gravesham Choral Society, under the direction of Alan Vincent, consistently delivers polished performances and I am sure this occasion will be no exception. Especially as the Kent Chamber Choir and violinist Anna Coleman will also be performing. So, please make it a date in your diary. Come early and have a meal in Rochester before the concert or book a table for afterwards. There is a lovely Italian restaurant just down the road from the cathedral which welcomes late diners! Tickets are £14 with a concession of £5 for students and the box office numbers are, 01622 752126 and 01474 816684. Alternatively John and Alison Harding or I will be happy to purchase tickets for you. Jan Kennedy ________________________________________________________________________ GUYANESE COCONUT BREAD 350g SR flour 225g Demerara Sugar 1tsp vanilla essence 2tsp cinnamon 150g shredded coconut (I used desiccated) 2 eggs 300ml milk 75g melted butter Method: Pre-heat oven at mark4.5, 190c (I did mine at 170 as I thought 190 was a bit hot) 1. Mix together the butter, sugar, essence, cinnamon, eggs, milk and coconut to a smooth consistency 2. Fold in the flour 3. Turn the bread into a greased loaf tin 4. Bake until tested with a knife. If ready the blade should come away clean. 5. Turn on to a cooling tray and leave to cool. Eat as you would bread. Jacky Richardson made this cake for Women’s World Day of Prayer Service and everyone enjoyed it. She used a 2lb loaf tin which it filled and came over the top! Page 4 of 7
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT To Jessica (Nee Neilson) and David Martin, the gift of a wonderful baby daughter, CARA NIEVE MARTIN on Monday, 25th February 2008. As her Daddy has said: 'May she grow up to be as beautiful and amazing as her mother'. With God's love, I'm sure she will. From a very proud (and totally besotted 'new' Granny).........Wendy Neilson ________________________________________________________________________ CHRISTIAN AID COUNTRY WALK 2008 The walk will take place on SATURDAY 10th MAY 2008 The route covers the beautiful countryside around Meopham and is divided into two circular walks, both starting and finishing at St John’s Centre, Meopham. The first part in the morning starts at 8:30 am and is approximately 14 miles long via Longfield, Fawkham, Ash and Ridley. Walkers will have the once-a-year opportunity to walk on private farmland and see some delightful scenery that is unavailable to other walkers. The afternoon route will encompass Meopham, Cobham and Luddesdown churches- a walk of approximately 6 miles and will start at 2:00 pm. This encompasses the stunning view of Luddesdown from the scarp face. If you feel that you or your family cannot walk 6 miles, you could walk a short a section from Meopham to Cobham. A lift back to Meopham by car could be arranged by speaking to the organizers in advance. As usual, printed directions and maps of the route will be provided at check–in. Please ask a friend to accompany you. This is a wonderful opportunity to walk with good companions and to make new friends. Last year, 122 people walked and raised £7,694 (excluding Gift Aid refunds) for the Christian Aid projects in Tanzania. This year the organizers are hoping to exceed that so please help them to achieve that by participating in, or sponsoring walkers on SATURDAY 10th MAY 2008. You can DOUBLE YOUR DONATION (at no additional cost) by sponsoring on line at http://www.justgiving.com/meophamwalk08! One of our walkers, Paul Thomas, is able to obtain matched giving from his employer, Microsoft UK. Page 5 of 7
Donating via the site guarantees that your sponsorship will be doubled (and tax will be reclaimed on the basic donation). If you would prefer not to donate on line, but would like to double your donation, then please send your pledge by email to paulnth@hotmail.com. Alternatively sponsor him on the day. Taxpayers can increase the value of their sponsorship or donation through the Gift Aid scheme. Photographs of previous events, news of the 2007 walk and entry forms for 2008 can be seen on our website: www.cadswalk.co.uk. Alternatively, for entry forms and further information please contact Peter Kettle on 01474 813632, or e-mail: twokettles@hotmail.co.uk _____________________________________________________________________ A WORD FROM WINCHESTER As I write this the final preparations are under way for a truly exciting event that is set to take place here in Winchester on Good Friday. The Winchester Passion is a monumental achievement, fifteen months in the planning. It is a joint effort from every church in Winchester plus the University and BBC Radio Solent, and even the army will be present. Six hundred cast members will act it out, with a slightly smaller number of back stage staff supporting them and, God willing, double that for the people who turn up to watch it and follow it around the city. Obviously by the time you read this Easter will have been and gone, and the last physical remains of the Passion will have been cleared up. But this is where the true work begins. The churches here have already made three plans for the after effects of what will no doubt be a magnificently stunning performance: Alpha Courses, Café Bible Study groups and invitations to church on Easter Sunday for church goers to give to at least two of their nonChristian friends who will already have been invited many, many times to come and bear witness to the outdoor spectacular that is the Passion. So why am I writing this to you now? Because I have just been incredibly encouraged by one outstanding factor that has contributed to the success of this project: unity. Every church – and I mean every church, and we have a lot of churches here in Winchester – is playing a part in the Passion, be it the seemingly smallest of jobs, like delivering invitation leaflets, to providing the actor playing Jesus and his family a place to live here for a month. No squabbles, no petty arguments between different denominations. The churches here truly are united. Psalm 133, a psalm that’s been buzzing around our campus recently, starts with this wonderful verse: How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! Page 6 of 7
We let petty arguments get in the way of what really matters, of what we are all united against: that we are God’s people, that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for every single one of us. That’s it. That’s all that should matter. Sadly, I’m not that naïve. We do not live in a perfect world, and these debates are going to continue for generations to come. But shouldn’t this mean that we stand up straighter, that our unity bonds tighter across Ash and New Ash Green and Longfield and Hartley and Fawkham… A lot of my friends here were slightly taken aback when earlier this year the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, defended our Archbishop Rowan Williams during the media mess that was the Sharia law debacle. I was pleased as punch. There’s unity, I thought, right there in the two leaders of the biggest church denominations in the United Kingdom. What an inspiration, what a challenge. But ‘how wonderful…how pleasant’. Mark Nurdin 3/03/08 ________________________________________________________________________ CHURCH CLEANING Are there any members of our congregation who would be willing to spare 1 hour every 6 weeks or so to join the church cleaning rota? This is not difficult or heavy work and the cleaning teams are a friendly bunch. If you can help please give your name to Joan Mills in church or 872455 _______________________________________________________________________ CHURCH DIRECTORY The new church directory is now ready. Many thanks to Ian and Debbie Nurdin. If you do not receive yours electronically there are copies at the back of church.
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