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F LI O TT F R I E N D S O F S L D E N G E LITTLE GIDDING I D I D R F I N NEWSLETTER E G H November 2012 ç T BISHOP LEADS LITTLE GIDDING PILGRIMAGE About a hundred people gathered for This year, Stephen Conway, Bishop this year’s Pilgrimage, back on a cool of Ely and President of the Friends, day in May. Each year since it was led the day, preaching at Leighton revived in 2006 numbers have grown, Bromswold and Little Gidding, and as more and more people return giving short reflections at the five sta- bringing their friends to experience tions on the walk. Despite the cool the beauty and holiness of Little Gid- weather a great day was had, and we ding and the surrounding countryside. look forward to next year. 1 This Newsletter is published by the Friends MEMBERSHIP Nicholas Ferrar Day and the 2012 AGM of Little Gidding. As another membership year draws Nicholas Ferrar died at Little Gidding The Society of the Friends of Little Gidding towards its close, may we encour- in the early hours of Monday 4 Decem- is a registered charity, number 1102857, age everyone to consider setting up a ber 1637. This year’s commemoration Ferrar House, Little Gidding, Huntingdon, Standing Order, and where possible, and celebration at Little Gidding will, pe28 5rj. to ‘Gift Aid’ your membership and as usual, be held on the nearest Sat- The Friends of Little Gidding was other donations to the Friends? For urday, 1 December. The AGM of the founded in 1946 by Alan Maycock, further details, please write to Sally Friends will follow in the afternoon. with T S Eliot as patron. The Society Seaman, our Membership Secretary, We hope to see many of you there. was reconstituted in 2003 and seeks at <[email protected]> or The Revd Mary Jepp, who is incum- to celebrate the life and memory of c/o Ferrar House (address top left). bent of the group of parishes that Nicholas Ferrar and those who in the CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER includes Little Gidding, will preside seventeenth century formed the first at a celebration of the Eucharist at Little Gidding community, making Contemplative Prayer was in the news 10.30am, assisted by the Very Revd it a holy place; to help maintain the recently when the Archbishop of Can- Mark Bonney. We are very pleased to fabric of Little Gidding Church; to terbury spoke about it. In July 2013, in welcome Mark, who was installed assist Ferrar House; and to celebrate the run-up to the Pilgrimage, the Fel- as the Dean of Ely in September, and and Nicholas Ferrar three times in the connection between Eliot and lowship of Contemplative Prayer will managed to mention Little Gidding his installation sermon. The Dean Little Gidding. lead a two-day retreat at Little Gid- will also give the address. This will be The main income of the Society is ding, and share their approach with Mark’s first visit to Little Gidding and subscriptions and donations from us. It will take place from Wednesday we very much look forward to having its members – people who love Little 10 July to Friday 12 July and further him with us. Gidding, whether for its history, its details are available from Tony Hodg- After lunch (soup, rolls, fruit) the air of spirituality, its peaceful beauty, son on <[email protected]>, or AGM will be held in Ferrar House, its place as the inspiration for one 01832 275343. commencing not earlier than 1.30pm. of the twentieth century’s greatest STEEPLE GIDDING The officers and committee for the pieces of English poetry – or for the coming year will be elected. If you wonderful hospitality provided at Steeple Gidding Church was closed are interested in helping out a little Ferrar House! in the early 1970s, but remains a con- then do get in touch – but first and Please help to support the Friends in secrated building in the care of the foremost come and commemorate their work by visiting and by encour- Churches Conservation Trust. Nicholas Ferrar. aging friends and groups to visit, On Sunday 2 December 2012 at perhaps as pilgrims, for a quiet time, 11am, a service of Holy Communion or for an organized retreat or confer- is being held to celebrate the Feast ence; and by encouraging them to of St Andrew, the apostle to whom consider joining the Friends of Little the church is dedicated. All are very Pictured above, the Very Revd Mark Bon- Gidding. welcome. ney; top right, the Revd Mary Jepp 2 3 THE DAILY OFFICE SSF one to pray alongside the Franciscan the Spirit intercedes for us’. (Romans 8.26)” ’ communities. No one particular scheme or prayer “To share in the daily prayer of the Church is It has been an enormous privilege book can contain all that the Spirit to be drawn into something that shapes and to have a lifelong companion to share wills for each of us in our life of prayer forms us. It strengthens our hold on eternal in the daily office and on those rela- and we must allow ourselves to be led life. It deepens our communion with Chris- tively rare occasions that we have not by the Spirit. tian brothers and sisters and our experience been able to start the day together, the For anyone seeking a rich resource of the mystery of God.” DOSSF (or the pocket edition of CCP of material to help in individual or This is the opening paragraph of the when travelling) has been our ‘staple’. corporate prayer, the DOSSF can be foreword to the second edition of The Often shared with our children as recommended and experienced for Daily Office SSF published in 2010, writ- they grew up has been the night office any joining in morning or evening ten by the Bishop Protector of SSF (the (Compline). prayer in the church at Little Gidding, Society of St Francis) Michael Perham, As we are reminded in the 2010 edi- where it is used daily when the warden Bishop of Gloucester. tion of DOSSF, ‘We are only able to pray is in residence. For much of our 50 years of mar- because we are in the Spirit: the Spirit of Richard Scott ried life, Margaret and I have shared Christ, the Spirit of the whole Church, the The Daily Office SSF was published by in the daily office, using material from Spirit present in each baptized person. “We Continuum International in 2010 various sources, including Taizé, the do not know how to pray as we ought but ISBN 978-1906286156, list price £20.00 Northumbria Community, Little Gid- ding as well as SSF (of which we are CLARE COLLEGe – Trinity Sunday 3 June Third Order members). has provided a richness of psalms, Some 20 or so members of the Friends non White, pictured between his wife The Daily Office was first printed canticles and prayers that has sus- joined others at Clare College, Cam- and the Revd Gregory Seach, Dean of in 1970 for the use of the First Order tained our prayer life each morning. bridge (where Nicholas Ferrar had Clare. Canon White, an old member brothers and sisters of the European DOSSF provides materials for midday, been an undergraduate and then a of the College and now a canon of Province of SSF and many members of evening and night prayer as well as fellow) on Trinity Sunday, to mark Westminster Abbey, elegantly wove the Third Order availed themselves of morning prayer, but it is the start of the anniversary of his ordination as a together the themes of Trinity Sunday that book. Two revisions were made in the day we have found to be the best deacon. The preacher was Canon Ver- with those of Ferrar’s life, and his con- the 1970s and a third in 1981, after the place for our office. tinuing relevance to today’s students. publication of The Alternative Service The 2010 edition uses the Com- After the service we were entertained to dinner in the Hall at Clare, and then Book 1980. In 1992 a further revision mon Worship lectionary taking the in the fellows’ Senior Combination of The Daily Office SSF (DOSSF) was pro- user through the colour and rhythm Room, where a portrait of Nicholas duced alongside Celebrating Common of the seasons, providing a wide selec- hangs in pride of place. Prayer (CCP) reflecting the advance in tion of canticles from scriptural and All in all, an excellent evening, and liturgical understanding within the other sources. For those wishing to we are very grateful to Dr Seach and church at large as well as in SSF. follow the Franciscan celebrations an Clare for their hospitality. We hope to Throughout these revisions and Ordo is available at a modest annual continue to explore links with Clare particularly in the last 20 years, DOSSF cost from the Hilfield friary, allowing next year. 4 5 LITTLE GIDDING CALENDAR COMPANIONS OF LITTLE GIDDING Saturday 1 December 2012 Nicholas Ferrar Day What could be more tranquil than Church on 8 June, led by the Revd 10.30 am Holy Communion, followed by lunch the Church and House at Little Gid- Mark Mills-Powell, now Vicar of Des- Speaker: the Very Revd Mark Bonney, Dean of Ely. ding and the glorious unspoilt acres borough. This attracted respectable 1.30 pm AGM of the Friends of Little Gidding of Huntingdonshire surrounding it? It numbers and for the most part was The AGM will begin after lunch, not earlier than 1.30pm.