New Forum Copy Deadlines for 2017

Diary Jan - Feb 2017

Sun 1 Jan 10.30 am New Year’s Day Worship at Maidenhead URC. Joint with Maidenhead URC. (No service at Christ Church) The Minister Weds 4 Jan 8 pm Elders Meeting Sat 7 Jan 9 am Prayer Breakfast Sun 8 Jan 10.30 am Family Worship with Holy Communion. The Minister Sat 14 Jan 9 am CTM Prayer Meeting at Christ Church 3.30 pm CTM Messy Church at Christ Church Sun 15 Jan 10.30 am Family Worship. Ms Nichola Connolly 18-25 Jan Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (see page 5 for details) Weds 18 Jan 7.30 pm CTM Unity Supper at St Peter’s School Sun 22 Jan 10.30 am Family Worship. The Minister. Followed by Church Meeting 6.45 pm CTM United Service at All Saints Marlow Sat 28 Jan 7 pm Burns Supper at Christ Church Sun 29 Jan 10.30 am Family Worship. Mr Scott Wheeler Weds 1 Feb 8 pm Elders Meeting Sat 4 Feb 9 am Prayer Breakfast Sun 5 Feb 10.30 am Family Worship. Ms Linda Jackson Sat 11 Feb 9 am CTM Prayer Meeting at Christ Church 3.30 pm CTM Messy Church at Christ Church Sun 12 Feb 10.30 am Family Worship with Holy Communion. The Minister Sun 19 Feb 10.30 am Family Worship. The Elders Sat 25 Feb 7.30 pm Piano Duo concert at Christ Church – see page 8 Sun 26 Feb 10.30 am Family Worship. The Minister Tues 28 Feb 11.30 am CTM Pancake Day at Marlow Methodist TBC Fri 3 Mar 11.30 am Women’s World Day of Prayer service at St Peter’s Church Sat 4 Mar 9 am Prayer Breakfast Sun 5 Mar 10.30 am Family Worship. Major David Scott (Salvation Army) Advance Notice: Church AGM will be on Sunday 23 April

New Forum copy deadlines for 2017 19 Feb, 23 Apr, 18 Jun, 20 Aug, 22 Oct, 17 Dec

2 December 2016

Dear friends,

The new schedule for the Elders and Stewards came out at the end of November with me down to do this letter. I started to think about 2016 world events and things at home. The commemoration of the Somme, the brutal and bloody battle that caused the death and maiming of thousands on all sides … and a hundred years later Aleppo, another barbaric slaughter of not just fighting men but of innocents caught in it. Over and over again we realise we learn nothing from history, and in years to come the word Aleppo will resonate with the same horror and grief as the word Somme.

The list of disasters and wars is very long, so is there any light?

Yes – as a Church we were able to bring some relief to a little corner of the world. In Zimbabwe, Dominic and his brothers are no longer eating mouse pie. We sent fertiliser and seed – and thanks to the phones we were able to donate, we have seen pictures of the fertiliser being used and already the maize growing. We also watched a video with friends giving thanks and a young man who is blind singing Merry Christmas to us. We thank God for Johnston Simpson who inspires us and many other churches in our mission to Zimbabwe.

We celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a community party, a successful and joyful occasion.

For our church the best gifts must be our new Minister, David, and his wife Jo. David brings us a sense of renewal with his positive approach and enthusiasm (not to mention his sense of humour). David took the service on Advent Sunday, always an uplifting event with the start of the waiting and the promise of the new birth of our Lord. This year we had the added dimension of unforeseen fun, starting with “hunt the candles” and Janet dashing to Sainsbury’s for supplies after instructing the Elders to “chat amongst themselves”. Candles in place, the service started, and after reading the lesson Judith prompted the Minister in a loud stage whisper, “Light the candle”. David began his talk hoping the situation was under control, only to be interrupted by some unruly visitors (his parents and sons) singing “Why are we waiting”. His father has a very loud voice! It was a joyful beginning to Advent.

The funeral of Jean Lewis took place the following day. I felt privileged to be at both the crematorium and the memorial service in church, both taken by David, who hardly had a chance to meet Jean. I was Jean’s Elder for the last few years, I got to know about her life and thought I knew her quite well, but listening to her nephews, her neighbours, Gladys and other church members who spoke about Jean, I learned 3 more. Speaking to one of her neighbours over tea, I heard about how Jean kept her Bible and readings by her bed and how much she loved the study group and enjoyed her tea parties, which Jean had told them all about. What I found interesting about the neighbours is that they are, and I quote, “Christian people” of different denominations who are forming a Bible reading and prayer group to pray for their local community. I came away from Jean’s funeral uplifted and cheerful.

I was unable to go to any of the Christmas services at Christ Church but I did listen to the service from King’s College Cambridge on Christmas Eve, which as always starts so beautifully with Once in Royal David’s City.

We welcomed 2017 with a joint service with Maidenhead – what a good and appropriate start to the New Year with growing fellowship with our friends in Maidenhead.

I look forward in hope for a better world and wish you and your families a good and healthy year.

In fellowship, Carole Bailey

Jean Helen Lewis 24 December 1931 – 1 November 2016 It is with sadness that we record the death of Jean Lewis. As Carole mentions above, the service of thanksgiving for her life, held at Christ Church on 28 November, was a joyous occasion on which many people recalled Jean’s quietly caring nature.

Jean worked for an estate agent in Marlow and was later a PA in London for Dutch Shell. She was also for many years a Junior Church teacher at Marlow Methodist Church, where her brother (who was nine years older than her) was Sunday School superintendent. Neighbours recalled how Jean loved to play with young children. Her nephews Ivor and Matthew, both Borlase School alumni, shared fond memories of an aunt who discreetly kept her distance but was always there for them. She was a kind and thoughtful friend.

As a member of Christ Church, Jean was a regular on the flower rota and enjoyed being part of the Ladies Friendship Group. We will miss Jean’s friendly smile and we send our sympathy to her family at this time.

4 Churches Together in Marlow Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The material for the Week of Prayer has been produced by the churches in Germany. There are 50 million Christians in Germany who traditionally have belonged to the Roman Catholic or one of the Protestant State Churches. Recent developments, particularly the reception of refugee and asylum seekers, have begun to alter the balance and other Christian traditions are finding expression.

The Week of Prayer will begin with the Unity Supper at St Peter’s School on Weds 18 January at 7.30 pm. The speaker will be Neil Graham from Embrace the Middle East. They are engaged in a wide variety of work in Lebanon, Israel/Palestine and Egypt. During the week, prayer meetings at 12.30 pm will take place at Marlow Methodist Church, and there will be a United service at All Saints’ Church Marlow on Sunday 22 January at 6.45 pm.

York Course for Lent 2017

‘To all who received him … he gave power to become children of God.’

This raises big questions. Aren’t we all children of God anyway? Just how can we receive Christ? What does it mean to have a relationship with Christ? The course comprises five sessions. The course booklet, written by Canon John Young, is accompanied by a CD containing five 14-minute radio-style starters for group discussion. The CD features Nick Baines (Bishop of Leeds), Margaret Sentamu, and Ken Howcroft (former Methodist Conference President), with closing reflections by Theodora Hawksley (RC Sister and theologian). Study groups will be formed to start in the week after Ash Wednesday and application forms will be available at the Unity Supper.

5 Liz Ferris says a huge thank-you to everyone who helped with the Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal. 139 boxes are on their way to families in Eastern Europe.

More volunteers are needed to help at Tiddlywinks, which meets on Monday mornings at Marlow Methodist Church. For further information, get in touch with Liz Ferris (Tel. 471325).

The next Men’s Breakfast will take place at 8.30 am on Saturday 28 January at Harleyford Golf Club, with a speaker from Frontiers (Jesus for Muslims).

The Women’s World Day of Prayer service will be held at 11.30 am on Friday 3 March at St Peter’s Church. The service comes this year from the Philippines, and the theme is “Am I being unfair to you?”

Wycombe Homeless / One Can Trust update

Wycombe Homeless Connection has limited storage and are only able to accept donations of items that they can use. The list of usable items is displayed on their website and changes frequently as supplies and stocks fluctuate. Currently the website says that thanks to generous donations, they have adequate stocks of food, clothing and bedding except for a few items such as fleece blankets, large rucksacks or holdalls, strong supermarket bags for life or ‘refugee bags’ (pictured above), deodorants, shaving cream, razors, men’s jogging bottoms, briefs or boxers, ladies’ jogging bottoms, winter pyjamas and pants small and medium size. Also, self-heating camping meals are highly appreciated, plus peperami sausage snacks, long life milk in 500 ml containers and small bottled water. A microwave in good working order is also needed.

When I tried recently to take food items collected at Christ Church to Wycombe Homeless I was redirected to the One Can Trust who collect items food items needed for short-term, emergency support in our community. There is now a box in our foyer for placing food items for the One Can Trust. On the box you will find a list of the food items that are particularly appreciated. Please consult this list which may change from time to time. Currently they have plenty of soup and dried pasta. If depositing clothing items in this box please bear in mind the specific needs noted above. (ed.)

6 Christ Church Chat

Muriel Burdell

We were sorry to learn of the recent death of Muriel Burdell, aged 96. We send sympathy to Muriel’s family at this sad time. The funeral will be on Thurs 5 January and we hope to include a tribute to Muriel in the next New Forum.

Burns Supper – Saturday 28 January, 7 pm

Our annual Burns Supper will be on Saturday 28 January at Christ Church. Tickets £10 are available from Pauline Wyllie. We look forward to sharing the dancing and entertainment this year with our friends from Maidenhead URC.

Treasurer’s Update

This is the point in the year when your Treasurer has to put a cold towel over his head and start to pull together the annual accounts for 2016. With that pleasure to anticipate, no figures are given here. Fortunately, most of our payments and receipts are up to date but if you have any outstanding expenses to claim please make sure I receive the details as soon as possible. The resulting accounts will be available in time for the AGM in April.

Major items of recent expenditure include the transfer of funds to help Artpeace in Zimbabwe, and a commitment to purchase new lights for the worship area. These should make things a lot brighter once delivered and installed, which we hope will be in the next couple of months. The management committee has also made arrangements for contract cleaners to take over the job previously done by our part- time employees who resigned with effect from the end of 2016. All necessary paperwork has been completed in respect of the end of their employment. If you have any comments (positive or otherwise) about cleaning over the coming weeks, please do make sure to speak to one of the committee so that we can follow them up with the new contractor.

Big Day Out – Saturday 1 July

The Wessex and South Western Synods of the URC are organising a day of activities and fun for all ages following the 2017 URC theme, Feasts and Festivals. It is to be held on Saturday 1 July at the Burgate School in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. Do put the date in your diary. More information from [email protected]. Four Hands, One Heart 7 Our first concert of 2017 will be on Saturday 25 February at 7.30 pm, when we will be entertained by a duo from Oxford called Piano à Deux who spend a fair chunk of each year entertaining passengers on board giant cruise liners. Some of you may even have heard them when on your hols. We have been fortunate to catch them between a Saga cruise to Acapulco and a visit to Dubai and Naples on the Queen Mary II ... Their programme for us is called “Meet me in Paris” and we are promised music by Bizet, Fauré, Bach, Chopin, Poulenc, Liszt and Gershwin: expect a focus on lighter pieces, a bit of musical theatre and plenty of sparkle, nothing too hard-going for the audience!

The duo comprises Robert Stoodley and his Singapore-born wife Linda Ang Stoodley. Robert studied with Alfred Brendel among others, won the Premier Prix from the Conservatoire de Lyon and is known as a composer of songs as well as a performer. Linda Ang studied at the Guildhall School of Music, has broadcast extensively and has no fewer than seven solo CDs to her name. They met through internet dating, married in 2008 and started performing as a duo two years later.

Here’s what they say about themselves: “Solo and duo playing are like playing Singles and Doubles at tennis: totally different ball games, with different mindsets and different requirements of skills”.

Their website adds: “One piano keyboard, four hands – with fingers flying, Piano à Deux’s repertoire covers both grand and light classical pieces, opera and operetta, right through to popular themes from the world of musical theatre and film. Their performance is woven together with interesting facts about the music, all delivered with wit, fun, drama and charm”.

So, come along and be doubly entertained! Tickets are £10 from Martin or Jean.

Martin Ashford

Social Events

8 Your Social Events Committee is hoping to repeat the popular Poetry, Puds and Promises evening held some years ago. We were planning this for March but then discovered that our chosen date Saturday 18 March clashed with the annual Scouts Quiz Evening at Maidenhead URC. As we know that several of our congregation would like to take part in the quiz evening again this year, we’ll try again for a date for our PPP evening and invite the folks from Maidenhead. So please put 18 March in your diary if you like quizzes and watch out for announcements about the Poetry and Puds event. In addition, we will have either a daffodil or a bluebell walk when the weather improves!

Molly Hill

I would like to apologise to Molly for missing out her fifth and youngest grandchild, Toby, in the article in the last issue of New Forum. Sincere apologies to Toby too, and to make amends here (below and overleaf) are some amusing bits that both Grandma and Grandson might enjoy:

Wear out

Three little boys were bragging about how tough they were. “I’m so tough,” said the first boy, “that I can wear out a pair of shoes in a week.” “Well,” said the second boy, “I’m so tough, I can wear out a pair of jeans in a day.”

“That’s nothing,” said the third boy. “When my parents take me to see my Grandma and Grandpa, I can wear them out in just one hour.”

Open Wide

A lady was very nervous about her appointment at the dentist. She sought courage from her Bible. The verse her finger landed on was Psalm 81:10: “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.”

What did the egg in the monastery say? “Out of the frying pan and into the friar!”

A Riddle

9 What is greater than God, more evil than the Devil, the rich have none of it, the poor have plenty, and if you eat it, you die?

(Answer next issue)

Books of the Bible

In the winter months why not spend a few minutes finding 17 books of the bible in the passage below? 16 of them are easy – the first one is highlighted:

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu, kept people looking so hard for the facts, and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books are not capitalised, but the truth finally struck home for numbers of readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a Minister to find one of the 17, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are 17 books of the Bible in this article.

(One preacher found 16 books in 20 minutes. It took him three weeks to find the 17th!)

The final word in this issue goes to Victor Hugo. This extract from Les Miserables was one of the readings at David and Jo’s wedding last November.

“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love.

Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. And even loved in spite of ourselves.”

Duty Rota Jan - Feb 2017

10 Date Elder Steward Steward 1 Jan At Maidenhead 8 Jan Mrs Blair Mrs Wyllie Mrs Willshire 15 Jan Mrs Brownridge Mrs Reed Dr Johnson 22 Jan Mrs Connolly Mrs Waters Mrs Jones 29 Jan Mr Flett Mrs Inman Mrs Wendes 5 Feb Mrs Hunt Mrs Bowes Mrs Beck 12 Feb Mrs Smith Mrs Milne Miss Milne 19 Feb Mr Ashford Mrs Reed Mrs Willshire 26 Feb Mrs Bailey Dr Johnson Mrs Wyllie 5 Mar Mr Beck Mrs Jones Mrs Wendes

Communion duties: Table preparation Serving 8 Jan Mr Flett Mrs Bailey 12 Feb Mrs Connolly Mrs Blair

Flowers Please sign up on the notice board to celebrate your birthdays etc. If you would like flowers arranged for a special occasion, please arrange this with Janet Milne, Judith Inman, Alison Jones or Nicki Connolly.

1 Jan 8 Jan Vic Sharp 15 Jan Nicky Connolly 22 Jan 29 Jan George Flett 5 Feb 12 Feb 19 Feb 26 Feb Vic Sharp 5 Mar Brenda Reed

New Forum Please send copy for the March-April issue to the editor by Sunday 19 Feb – hand to me at church or email [email protected]

11 Christ Church United Reformed Church Oxford Road, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2NL

Sundays 10.30 am Morning Worship - Family Service and Junior Church Holy Communion every second Sunday in the month

Minister

Revd David Downing Manse phone: 01628 634281 Mobile: 07967 502710 Email: [email protected]

Hon Secretary Hon Treasurer Martin Beck Martin Ashford 11 Clarefield Drive 24 Squirrel Rise Maidenhead Marlow Bottom SL6 5DW Bucks SL7 3PN 01628 620066 Tel: 01628 486227

Hall bookings Email: [email protected] Check your bookings via our website:

www.christchurch-marlow.org.uk