The Rock
Magazine for the Parish of Tettenhall Regis
April 2014
Sunday Services at St. Michael’s
8am Holy Communion (last Sunday 1662) 10.30am Parish Communion 6.30pm Evensong
(During Lent, there will be special services at 6.30pm, which will include the use of art, music and poetry to assist our Lenten worship and reflections.)
Sunday Services at Christ the King
9am (1st only) Holy Communion 10am (1st only) Family Service – no Communion 10am Family Eucharist 6.30pm (3rd) Healing Service
Sunday Services at St. Paul’s
10.30am
Monday 8.30am Tuesday 9.15am Wednesday 8.30am 9.30am 10.30am Thursday 8.30am
Worship together with Holy Communion Children’s groups most weeks.
Weekday Services
Morning prayer at St. Michael’s Eucharist at St. Michael’s Morning prayer at Christ the King Eucharist at Christ the King Eucharist at St. Michael’s Morning prayer at St. Michael’s
The parish online St Michael’s:
www.stmichaels-church.org.uk www.facebook.com/stmichaelstettenhall
Christ the King:
www.facebook.com/groups/271483382878032
St Paul’s:
saintpaulspendeford.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/groups/6760299671
Messy Church: www.facebook.com/messychurchtettenhallregis 2
Love is come again. Out for my weekly Friday morning run along the canal from Tettenhall I have watched the arrival of spring. One Friday I followed the electric blue light of a kingfisher skimming the water, moving ahead of me in stages. I followed it for more than half a mile through Pendeford. In the middle of March I heard for the first time this year the distinctive song of the chiffchaff (it often marks the coming of Easter but Easter is late this year) and the insistent song of the skylark overhead with the drumming of the greater spotted woodpecker providing background percussion. The song thrush, tits, greenfinches and wrens were all in good voice too. Nothing like a run along a local canal bank to lift the spirits in spring. It feels like the Lenten season of grace, the return from exile (for the chiffchaff and other warblers), and the intimation of resurrection. The natural world is singing the praise of its creator. As the Song of Solomon puts it in a passage I read at my first wedding of the year, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land.”
for the joy of morning or evening passers by. The deadness of winter is changing to the fresh greenness of spring. Enjoying the wonder of the created world and the change of seasons speaks to me of the closeness of the creator and it helps me to feel that if my heart is lifted in praise it shares in the praise of all creation. It speaks too of the Easter theme of new life from the dead, or again in the words of the Song of Solomon,:“Love strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.” ‘When our hearts are wintry, grieving or in pain, then your touch can call us back to life again, field of our hearts that dead and bear have been: Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.’ (JMC Crumb) Richard Reeve
As April arrives the hedgerows are budding. The wild honeysuckle is coming in to leaf, that later in the year will spread its exquisite scent 3
There’s light at the end of the tunnel! “Three days that changed the world,” being held again in the parish on 12th April 10.00am -2.30pm at Church Cottage, when we shall be ‘walking through’ the story of Holy Week using scripture, prayer and poetry readings. Just bring a packed lunch and roll up on the day.
I remember as a child living near a disused railway tunnel and, with friends, daring each other to walk through to the other end. To start with you could see your way but gradually it became pitch dark and very scary (who knew what was lurking in the shadows?) and it took a lot of courage to press on. Then a small bright dot appeared ahead gradually got bigger … but nothing could prepare one for the dazzle of the daylight as we emerged and the joy and relief to have got through safely.
On Tuesday evening of Holy Week 15th April at 7.30pm we shall be using paintings by the German artist, Sieger Köder, as a focus for reflections on the Stations of the Cross.
Travelling through the days of Lent has since reminded me of that experience. The more we are prepared to reexamine our own faith and let go of any false self-certainty; the more we are willing to enter in to the darkness of the story of Jesus’ last days; the more we will experience the light and joy of Easter Day.
For younger children and families the Easter story will be brought to life with fun and craft activities on Thursday 17th April 10.00am -12.00 at an “EasterKids” event at Christ the King. Do book your place as soon as possible. During this past month we have said good-bye to two faithful and longstanding members of Christ the King, Jean Rhodes and Eileen Darley, whose funerals services have been held in church. They will be much missed. As they go before us may they rest in peace and rise to experience the light and joy of the resurrection.
Holy Week itself is a particular tunnel; from recalling Jesus’ joyous welcome to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through his last days, trial and crucifixion to the amazing evidence of the empty tomb three days later. To take part in as many of the Holy Week services as possible will help carry the worshipper through this extraordinary emotional journey and make the joy of Jesus’ resurrection that much more real.
Liz Rathbone
If you are not able to attend many of the Holy Week services (and you will find all those listed elsewhere in this magazine) you might like to join a reflective day, 4
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& 13-20 April 2014 In the churches of the parish of Tettenhall Regis:
St. Michael & All Angels, Tettenhall Christ the King, Aldersley St. Paul, Pendeford Palm Sunday St. Michael’s
8am – Eucharist with the blessing of Palms 10.30am – Palm Procession and Sung Eucharist 6.30pm – Choral Music and Meditation on the Passion
Christ the King 10am – Holy Communion with Procession of Palms
St. Paul’s 9.30am – Eucharist 10.30am – Palm Sunday service with dramatised readings 7
Maundy Thursday St. Michael’s
7.30pm – Eucharist of the Lord’s Supper with foot
washing
Christ the King 6.30pm – Simple communal supper 8pm – Maundy Thursday Holy Communion & Stripping of the Altar
St. Paul’s 7pm – Eucharist, with foot washing and stripping of the altar
Good Friday St. Michael’s
10.30am – Family Service
with Passion Play for children 12pm – Church open for Prayer and Reflection 2pm – Good Friday Liturgy
Christ the King 9am – Placing of Passion symbols on the Cross outside church 12pm – Prayers at the Cross at Blakeley Green House & walk of witness to Christ the King 2pm – Holy Hour Devotions
St. Paul’s 10am-12pm – Children’s Easter activities 2pm – Hour at the Cross
Easter Night St. Michael’s
8.30pm – Lighting of Easter Bonfire and Vigil Service with
First Communion of Easter
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Easter Sunday St. Michael’s
8am – Eucharist with hymns 10.30am – Sung Festival Eucharist, with Easter egg hunt 6.30pm – Evensong
Christ the King 5.45am – Sunrise celebration of Holy Communion with lighting of the
Easter Bonfire 10.00am – Family Communion
St. Paul’s 6am – Sunrise service with lighting of Easter fire 10.30am – Celebration Eucharist
Activities for the young at heart St. Michael’s
Monday-Thursday, 4-5pm – Passion Play Workshops
Christ the King Maundy Thursday, 10am-12pm – EasterKids
Crafts activities for Mums & Toddlers and younger children with parents (£1.00 per child to cover costs)
St. Paul’s Good Friday, 10am-12pm – Children’s Easter activities
Craft, games, songs and storytelling.
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“Aladdin” Reports because they were still talking about him days after. That just highlighted the quality of his performance.
I was fortunate to obtain tickets for my friends and family to attend the evening performance, and I can truly say it was money well spent!
The two ladies Bessie and Flo played by Jim Perry and Allen Roberts were excellent, I was crying with laughter!
Who can honestly say that they have had an evening out, with over two hours of fun packed entertainment, and experienced highly professional performances for less than a fiver?
It is apparent that a lot of hard work and commitment had gone into the Script, Production, rehearsing and preparing for the performances.
The costumes were well-crafted and the colours vibrant, they represented a true reflection of the original story.
The cast are ordinary people with day jobs and they gave truly professional performances, Pendeford Church, and community should be proud!
My granddaughter age 3 years and my friend’s daughter age 6 years attended, I was a little concerned that they would become restless and unsettled, my concerns were unfounded because they were mesmerised.
There is a proverb used by actors “it will be alright on the night” the Pantomime was better than alright it was brilliant!! Although I only mentioned a few names, they are all stars that shone brightly, on the night. They produced Oscar winning performances.
The ‘Baddie’ (in their words, “he is not a nice man”) Ababazar played by Phil Clayton, they took every opportunity to Boo and Hiss when he came on stage, he left a lasting impression on them,
Del Moore
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one! I trust the Archdeacon and Bishop do not get to know of their antics and activities. It would be interesting to know who Flo was based on – I can more than guess!
What is now community event and tradition, the annual pantomime, was held at St. Paul’s Church in February. This year it was Aladdin. Geoff Cresswell, responsible for the script and production, proved again what a vivid and contemporary imagination he has.
All other members of the cast gave a performance which was certainly appreciated by the audience. Thanks also to all those involved in the construction, backstage, scenery, props, costumes, lighting, keyboard, front of house and refreshments. Without their contribution “Aladdin” would not have been performed.
Aladdin (Martyn Lowe) and Princess Yasmin (Georgia Cresswell) remained together despite the dastardly scheming of Abanazar (Phil Clayton). Other characters: Phlee Sam, Doh Gee Dealer, Ripamov, Ay Yam, Yoo An, Ding Dong, Shon Long, Loo Pong, Wa Shing, Hi Ning, Dar Ning and Blee Ching certainly lived up to their names!
Well done to everyone for the contribution made in so many ways to yet another successful community event.
In addition, the characters, Bessie (Jim Perry) and Flo (Allen Roberts) were certainly a tonic – in more ways than
Ian Claymore Councillor for Oxley Ward.
Grave Talk Café On a beautiful sunny afternoon in February, 20 brave and curious people met at Christ the King Aldersley, to have a cup of tea (or two !!), a slice of cake and to chat – about life, death, and various other interesting topics. (Society, funerals and grief to be precise).
People sat around tables in groups of 4 or 5 people and worked through some question cards to get the conversation going. It was fine to get up and pour another cuppa, or to move tables if you wanted (although on the whole people chose to stay in their original group).
The two hours passed by very quickly and the feedback from people was that of enjoyment and feeling uplifted. The format of the cafe is to create a relaxed and safe space to talk together about the often taboo topic of death. I used an opening and closing prayer provided by the pilot project, and found this helpful in framing the time available.
I really enjoyed running the cafe, and would like to thank everyone who helped and those who came along. I plan to run another Grave Talk Café, again at Christ the King on Friday 27 June 2014, 2-4pm. Look forward to seeing you there! Roberta Evans, Churchwarden 11
Home Safety Check – A Life Saving Service A Home Safety Check can sound daunting to many people, especially the elderly; however, the following will explain what the check entails and how you go about having one carried out.
We will also run through a night time routine and an escape plan, if you do not already have one. This includes what to do when a smoke alarm activates in the night, and is very important to ensure the whole family responds in a planned way.
A Home Safety Check is where members of your local Fire Service visit your home, at a convenient time. They carry out an inspection of your home to identify possible causes of fire.
You can make a referral on behalf of another person – however unless you are responsible for that person, you will need to obtain their permission before you proceed. We are particularly looking for referrals from elderly, those living alone and people with sensory or mobility issues. Have a word with everybody who you know and please promote this service to them.
Home safety checks are completely free and you may be eligible for free smoke alarms to be fitted where required. You will not be sold anything, and the staff will carry identity cards. The visits focus on three key areas: • Identification and awareness of the potential fire risks within your home.
Many people think they have suitable detectors in the right place but we often find they are not in the best place, or are not working effectively due to their age or have no batteries
• Help you to know what to do in order to reduce or prevent those risks. • Work out an escape plan in case of fire does break out and ensure you have working smoke alarms.
All we need are the contact name, address and phone number being passed onto the West Midlands Fire Service Free phone number and our central team will follow up and agree an appointment time with the resident. So call for free on – 0800 389 5525 – Quote TRACS number 1708. This will help us to identify your call with this Parish Magazine article.
The inspection of your home is not as intrusive as it sounds. We will visit your home, sit down and talk to you about fire safety issues, covering areas such as electrical safety, candle safety, cooking safety and the use of electric blankets. We will then, with your permission, look at the various rooms within your home paying particular attention to areas such as overloaded plug sockets or wires trapped under carpets. You are welcome to ask any questions that you have, in respect of your home safety.
WMFS
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How do we work for a more just society? Income Inequality Soars With Five UK Families Wealthier Than Bottom 20%
up by only a few pounds a week. The average UK salary is £26,500r. Ben Phillips, Oxfam’s Director of Campaigns and Policy, said: “Britain is becoming a deeply divided nation, with a wealthy elite who are seeing their incomes spiral up, whilst millions of families are struggling to make ends meet. “It’s deeply worrying that these extreme levels of wealth inequality exist in Britain today, where just a handful of people have more money than millions struggling to survive on the breadline.” Oxfam has called for this week’s Budget to show a redoubling of efforts to clamp down on companies and individuals who avoid paying tax and a hike in the minimum wage to a living wage. The findings echo a previous report report published ahead of this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, which revealed revealed that the richest 85 people on the planet own the same amount between them as half the world’s population – 3.5 billion people. Ben Phillips said: “While many rich people use a portion of their wealth to support individual good causes, this should not be used as an excuse for governments failing to tackle the problem of growing inequality.”
The UK’s five richest families have more cash between them than the poorest 20% of the entire population, 12.6 million Britons, with new research showing the chasm between rich and poor is growing wider. The gap between the rich and the rest has grown significantly over the last two decades, according to new figures published today by Oxfam. In the last 20 years, the wealthiest 0.1 percent have seen their income grow nearly four times faster than the least well off 90 percent of the population. The five richest families in Britain have a combined wealth of £28.2 billion, according to Forbes, and the poorest 20% of the UK population, 12.6 million people,have a combined wealth of £28.1 billion. Those families and individuals are: • Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor & family (£13bn) • David & Simon Reuben (£11.5bn) • The Hinduja Brothers (£10bn) • Charles Cadogan & family (£6.9bn) • Michael Ashley (£5.5bn) In real terms, that means a wealthy elite have seen their income grow by £24,000 a year, enough to buy a small yacht or a sports car, whilst the bottom 90% of Britons’ incomes have gone
By Jessica Elgot
Posted on The Huffington Post UK 17th March 2014 14
Parish registers Funerals S t. Mic h a e l’s 13th March Beverley Swift
61
19th Eileen Rogers
88
21st Samuel Grainger
91
26 Doreen Chell
84
27th Gordon Bates
84
C h rist t h e K ing 25th Eileen Darley
95
Bushbu ry C re m atoriu m 4th Joyce Borg
87
th
12 Dorothy (Jean) Rhodes
86
18th Olive Badger
91
18th Mildred Mansell
94
20 Reginald Smith
71
21st Ronald Oakley
82
Go rn a l Wo o d C re m atoriu m 28th Doris Sheridan
95
th
th
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Parish Information Parish Office, Church Cottage, Church Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 9AJ tettenhallregis@gmail.com | 01902 751622 The office is open 10am‑12pm Monday-Friday.
Clergy Rev’d. Richard Reeve. . . . . . . . . . . . 742801 Rev’d. Liz Rathbone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562469 Rev’d. Jim Perry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562133 Rev’d. Patrick Bryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689550 Readers Mrs. Stella Salt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751407 Mr. John Vickers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651790 Mrs. Dot Clayton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780920 Mr. Keith Whitehouse . . . . . . . . . . . 831135
Rev’d. Simon Douglas . . . . . . . . . . 741028 Rev’d. Allen Roberts. . . . . . . . . . . . . 765741 Rev’d. Jack Lloyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765612 Rev’d Ruth Brooker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399644 Mr. Peter Rowley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751762 Mrs. Christine May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397031 Mr. Marcus Woodhouse . . . . . . . 759379
Parish Wardens Mr. Cyril Randles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758797
Mrs. Dawn Parsons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822390
St. Michael District Wardens Mrs. Roberta Evans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758711
Mrs. Paula Timmins. . . . . 07782 512013
Christ the King District Wardens Mr. Ivor Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753960 Mrs. Dawn Corfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753433 St. Paul District Wardens Mr. Eddie Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829040
Mrs. Joan Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785844
Magazine Contacts St. Paul’s Mrs. Sue Ellick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578822
Christ the King Mr. Martin Bristow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833411
St. Michael’s Mrs. Sue Randall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829589
Subscription & Distribution Mrs. Elaine Dovydatis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757775
The May edition of the Rock will be available on Sunday 4th May. All contributions by Friday 25th April to stmichaeltetregmag@gmail.com The views and opinions in the magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the clergy, editor or PCC. The electronic version of the magazine is sent via email 12 times a year, at no cost. To subscribe go to: http://stmichaels-church.org.uk/rock/ A paper copy is available, costing £3 a year for 12 copies. Speak to one of the contacts.