HOLY TRINITY TAUNTON

April 2021

Holy Trinity Service Times

During lockdown public services are as follows:

Sunday 10.00am

Saturday 6.00pm

Services will also continue to be streamed:

Sunday Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am and 6.30pm 10.00am

Services for Holy Week and are listed after the Calendar

To access streamed services:

@ Holy Trinity Taunton

Holy Trinity Taunton

Fr Julian can be emailed directly: [email protected]

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2021

FR JULIAN WRITES…

Easter is nearly upon us, and for many people, this will likely be the most pleasurable event for some months. Warmer weather, birdsong and spring flowers all make us feel better, after what has been a very hard and dark period of a winter lockdown. It may be that this could be relaxed in the coming weeks, but its cause will be with us for some considerable time.

We have recently ‘held’ the first full Parochial Church Council (via Zoom) since January last year. Since then we have made decisions on an ad hoc basis. Although for some people, a PCC meeting isn’t the definition of joy unbounded, for me this has given me a sense of renewed hope. After a year of being reactive, I sense that we are all becoming used to the idea of being proactive again, actually doing, rather than being done to.

This balance between activity and passivity, doing or being done to, is very much the basis of a marvellous book by W H Vanstone, ‘The Stature of Waiting’. In it, he points out that the verbs applying to Jesus in St John’s gospel are in the active – Jesus doing. Until… Until the moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is ‘handed over’ (that’s really the meaning of the Greek verb, ‘paradidomi’). We may be more used to the translation ‘betrayal’.

From that moment on, Jesus is in the passive, is done to. He is arrested. He is tried. He is flogged. He is mocked. He is taken to the crucifixion site. He is crucified. He dies. He is buried. But then, there is a triumphant return to Jesus’ being active – he rises from the dead.

Vanstone points out that there are often many ‘paradidomi’ moments in our lives. These may be rites of passage as we get older, starting school. Getting a job. Getting married. Having children. Buying a house. But then there is that moment, or moments, as significant to us as for Jesus in the Garden. That might be changing circumstances due to health problems. Breakdowns in relationships. Loss of job. Retirement. All these things change who we thought we were; we may feel that we have lost control and that we are victims. For all of you, there is a tipping point, a ‘paradidomi moment’.

Without doubt Covid 19 has been one such. It has adversely affected not only our own lives, but that of our nation’s and our world. No longer can we take previous expectations for granted, and we have had to re-think our lives. We have felt out of control, and that we were powerless. So let’s just think once more about the message of Easter, and Jesus’ return to being a ‘doer’.

Too often our lives get out of control, sometimes without us even noticing. We get drawn along a certain route, and after a while we have no power, seemingly, to resist. And then it comes to a crunch – the ‘paradidomi moment’. The resurrection shows us that hope is unconquerable, and will always win out. However, hope does not turn the clock back to a rosy past which probably never existed. Hope enables us to embrace and live a renewed future.

After his resurrection, Jesus wasn’t the same Jesus is some respects, and neither were his disciples. They had to adjust to a new relationship with Jesus but founded on the previous givens. Remember his words – ‘Don’t touch me!’ This renewal of life for him, for them, for us, is the result of our acceptance of being active and passive. None of us is either one or the other, and although I may have painted a black and white picture, I know that life is grey! However, we would often think of ourselves as one or the other.

We have to have the grace to accept that God is working within us wherever we are, not just in physical terms. Psalm 139 tells us, ’If I go down to the grave you are there also’. Nowhere is outside the activity of God, as we can see in life around us at the moment, and resurrection of Jesus.

Happy Easter!

With my prayers and all good wishes Fr Julian CRY HARRY FOR ENGLAND AND ST GEORGE

Perhaps you, like me, had to study Shakepeare’s Henry V at school, or have seen either Olivier or Branagh in the film versions. In which case you will recognise this title as the closing part of Henry’s rallying cry to his troops at Agincourt. It’s part of that speech, the beginning of which everyone knows – ‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends…’

We all know that St George is the patron saint of England. As we had Dewi Sant last month, it seems only right that we have quick peek at St George (apologies to Celts across the Irish Sea, but St Patrick does seem to have higher profile than either David or George!). However, St George isn’t quite the great nationalist saint that we might imagine.

To begin with, St George only became our patron saint in 1350, when Edward III founded the Order of the Garter, a cult furthered by Henry V’s victory at Agincourt. Previously, England was under the patronage of St Edmund, a ninth century East Anglian king, who was martyred. St Edmund is the patron saint of kings, and also, appropriately for today, of pandemics.

St George was commonly accepted in both Greek and Latin traditions as a Roman centurion who refused to accept pagan worship. He was of Greek descent (from Cappadocia, now in Turkey) with a Syrian mother who was from Lydda in Palestine. He was martyred by beheading in 303, on April 23rd. One of the witnesses to this was the Empress Alexandra, who converted and paid the same price.

He was formally declared a saint by Pope Gelasius in 494, who claimed he was one of those 'whose names are justly revered among men but whose acts are known only to God'.

He is also considered a prophetic figure in Islam, and is revered widely in the near Middle East, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Catalonia, Aragon, and Moscow by Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, Lutherans and the Druze.

The infamous dragon only appeared around the 11th century, but has been the stuff of popular legend ever since, partly due to a translation of the story by William Caxton.

Following his martyrdom the remains of George were taken to Lod (formerly Lydda) in Israel. The Church of St George in Lod became a major focus of veneration for centuries.

Various relics of George reportedly are housed in both Western and Eastern churches worldwide. However, in April 2019, the parish church of São Jorge, Madeira Island, Portugal, solemnly received the relics of George, patron saint of the parish. During the celebrations, the 504th anniversary of its foundation, the relics were brought by the new Bishop of Funchal, Dom Nuno Brás.

At least he’s getting physically closer to England! Fr Julian

EASTER LILIES

Once again, we have not been able to commemorate loved ones through Easter lilies, as they just are not available. Last year, churches were closed – clergy even couldn’t go in – so we are at least in a slighty better position today.

In order that we may have some opportunity to remember our dear departed, cards are available at the back of church for you to write their names on. These will then be made into a suitable display for Easter.

If you can’t get to church physically to complete a card, please email your names to the parish office, and they will be entered on a card for you, but please do so before Maundy Thursday.

Hopefully, next year…! Fr Julian

CALENDAR FOR APRIL

The Sundays, readings and themes, and Saints days for April are listed below.

1 MAUNDY THURSDAY Theme: The Last Supper Readings: Exodus 12.1-4,11-14; 1 Cor 11.23-26; John 13.1-17&31b- 35 2 GOOD FRIDAY Theme: The Crucifixion Readings: Isaiah 52.13-53.12; Hebrews 4.14-16 7 5.7-9; John Passion 3 HOLY SATURDAY Theme: Light from Darkness

4 EASTER DAY Theme: The Resurrection Readings: Acts 10.34-43; 1 Corinthians 15.1-11; Mark 16.1-8

5 Mon in Easter Week 6 Tue in Easter Week 7 Wed in Easter Week 8 Thu in Easter Week 9 Fri in Easter Week 10 Sat in Easter Week

11 EASTER 2 Theme: The Victory of Faith Readings: Acts 4.32-35; 1 John 1.1-2.2; John 20.19-31

12 Mon S. Zeno, Bishop of Verona (371) 14 Wed S. Caradoc, Welsh Monk (1124) 16 Fri S. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, Nun (1879)

18 EASTER 3 Theme: Our Advocate with the Father Readings: Acts 3.12-19; 1 John 3.1-7; Luke 24.36-48

19 Mon S. Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr (1012) 21 Wed S. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, Monk & Writer (1109) 22 Thu S. Theodore, Monk & Bishop (613) 23 Fri S. George, Martyr, Patron of England (303)

25 EASTER 4 Theme: The Good Shepherd Readings: Acts 4.5-12; 1 John 3.16-24; John 10.11-18

26 Mon S. Cletus, Bishop of Rome, Martyr (1st Cent) 28 Wed S. Peter Chanel, Missionary, Martyr (1841) 29 Thu S. Catherine of Siena, Teacher (1380) 30 Fri S. Erkenwald, Bishop of London (693)

SERVICES FOR HOLY WEEK & EASTER

Monday in Holy Week 7.00pm Holy Eucharist & Address – streamed only

Tuesday in Holy Week 7.00pm Holy Eucharist & Address – streamed only

Wednesday in Holy Week 7.00pm Holy Eucharist & Address – streamed only

MAUNDY THURSDAY 7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper – streamed only

GOOD FRIDAY 10.00am Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion – public service and streamed

2.00pm Last Hour Before the Cross – streamed only

HOLY SATURDAY 8.00pm Easter Vigil & First Mass of Easter – streamed only

EASTER DAY 10.00am Parish Mass for Easter – public service and streamed 6.30pm Evensong & Benediction - streamed only

MISSA LUBA AND THE BALLERINA

I shall always associate the African setting of the Latin Mass with the ballet dancer Doreen Wells whose house I visited in the winter of 1970/71 over 50 years ago.

It came about this way. I was working in London for the Inland Revenue Valuation Office, and my job was to inspect houses in Chelsea and Kensington under the old rating system when domestic rates were based on the rental values of dwelling houses.

I made appointments to visit a number of terraced houses in First Street, Chelsea which in those days was in an area of gentrification which meant that as the original inhabitants left or died, their old unmodernised three and four storeyed Victorian houses, let out in parts, were being bought by celebrities and others and modernised for single family occupation. This was at a time when there were power cuts in London and quite often I stumbled across candle-lit basement dining rooms where the well-heeled had just finished a late breakfast.

Despite the social differences, I gained an impression that this was a friendly neighbourhood. On one visit to a titled lady she told me she couldn’t stay very long as she had promised to take her elderly neighbour from the poorer side of the street to a hospital appointment.

I was welcomed in another well-appointed house by the renowned dancer, Doreen Wells of the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet. She was listening to an LP recording of the then popular Missa Luba and when I finished my survey of her property she gave me a cup of coffee and invited me to listen to the music about which I had expressed an interest.

The Missa Luba is a setting of the Mass composed by Fr Guido Haazen, a Franciscan Friar from Belgium, and sung in styles traditional to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It became very popular in the late 1960s and featured in a number of films. The Gloria featured in Pasolini’s ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew’ in 1964.

The Sanctus and Benedictus spent eleven weeks in the British charts in 1969.

I remember the haunting sound of that music as it echoed throughout the house and I shall always link it with my meeting with the famous ballerina.

Doreen Wells married the 9th Marquess of Londonderry in 1972 and still retains the title of Marchioness. George Coles

AN EASTER PRAYER

Loving Lord, today we remember the veil of darkness transforming to the brightest light. The most dreadful end becoming the most beautiful beginning. We remember with trembling hearts the depths of despair fading to reveal hope everlasting. The curse of death defeated by eternal life. Today we remember with thankfulness your willingness to be pierced for our sins. We sing with abounding joy of your miraculous rise, from death’s tomb to resplendent life. Thank you for the promise of heaven and your generous invitation of eternal life for all. Amen.

MAGAZINE DEADLINE: Wednesday 21st April

A RECIPE FOR APRIL

EASTER ROCKY ROAD

Many of us may have a treat of something chocolatey over Easter, so here is an Easter version of Rocky Road for you to try.

Ingredients 175g/6oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces 125g/4½oz milk chocolate, broken into pieces 2 tbsp golden syrup 75g/2¾oz unsalted , diced 160g/5¾oz sugar-coated mini chocolate eggs 200g/7oz digestives or rich tea , broken into pieces 75g/2¾oz mini marshmallows 50g/1¾oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped 75g/2¾oz raisins

Method 1. Line a 20x30cm/8x12in baking tin with baking paper. 2. Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces in a large heatproof bowl, add the golden syrup and butter. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water - don’t allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Stir from time to time until all ingredients are melted and the mixture is smooth. (For speed, I often use the microwave to melt these instead of the above method.) 3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes – if this is too hot the marshmallows will melt. 4. Cut the chocolate mini eggs in half (leaving a few whole) and set aside one third of the eggs, including the whole ones for decorating. Gently fold in the chocolate eggs, biscuits, marshmallows, nuts and raisins into the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread level using the back of the spoon. Scatter with the reserved whole and halved mini eggs. 5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until completely firm. Cut into squares to serve. Jane Laurence

HOLY TRINITY WINNERS

February 2021 1st Pat Franklin £39.50 2nd Wendy Burge £23.70 3rd Richard Tomlinson £15.80

EASTER FAITH

Three years after the Russian Revolution of 1917, a great anti-God rally was arranged in Kiev. The powerful orator Bukharin was sent from Moscow, and for an hour he demolished the Christian faith with argument, abuse and ridicule. At the end there was silence.

Then a man rose and asked to speak. He was a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He went and stood next to Bukharin. Facing the people, he raised his arms and spoke just three triumphant words: ‘Christ is risen!’

At once the entire assembly rose to their feet and gave the joyful response, ‘He is risen indeed!’ It was a devastating moment for an atheist politician, who had no answer to give to this ancient Easter liturgy. He had not realised he was simply too late: how can you convince people that God does not exist when they have already encountered Him. From the Parish Pump

FOOD PARCELS

Akulah Agbami would like to thank all her friends at Holy Trinity for their very generous response to her appeal for donations towards the provision of food parcels for vulnerable schoolchildren in the locality. Children from several local schools will benefit from your kindness. EASTER CUSTOMS AROUND THE WORLD Part 1

How do we celebrate Easter? Well, in addition to the special services we have during Holy Week and Easter, in the UK we celebrate by having hot cross buns on Good Friday, simnel on Easter Day, as well as Easter biscuits and chocolate eggs delivered by the Easter bunny. Whilst thinking about preparations for this great festival, I began to wonder what people in other places around the world did to celebrate, what traditions they have and what foods they eat. The following is some of what I discovered.

It seems that the one thing in common with most countries is the use of eggs, symbolising resurrection. In France they have the ‘cloches volantes’ or ‘cloches de Pâques’, and not the Easter bunny, which brings the Easter eggs. This stems from a tradition that no church bells are rung before Easter, and to explain their silence children are told the bells have flown to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. The bells then ring out again on Easter Day having flown back to France loaded with sweet treats which they drop into gardens for the children.

In Greece, on Holy Thursday, families boil and dye eggs a deep crimson red, symbolising the blood of Christ. These eggs can be used in the cracking game, tsourgrisma, which involves players trying to crack each other’s eggs while keeping theirs intact. Whereas in Germany families may have an ‘Ostereierbaum’ or Easter tree which is decorated with hand painted eggs.

Finland and Sweden however have a more unusual ritual. They have a centuries-old folk ritual that looks very similar to Halloween, when children dress up as Easter witches (påskkärring) and go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods in the hope of receiving chocolate.

There are some similarities in the celebrations held in Italy and Spain. Both countries have religious processions in which people dress in ancient costumes or hooded robes and parade artefacts, statues and carry religious floats depicting Biblical scenes. In addition, on Maundy Thursday in the Spanish town of Verges the ‘dansa de la mort’ or death dance is performed. This parade lasts 3 hours during which everyone dresses in skeleton costumes and scenes from the Passion are re-enacted.

Food also plays an important part in celebrations for all countries. For the French traditional food revolves around lamb, cheese, potatoes and chocolate. In the town of Bessières thousands of people gather to make a giant omelette, usually consisting of 15,000 eggs and 40 cooks!

Italians enjoy a traditional cake called . This is shaped like a dove, and is stuffed with candied fruit and then sprinkled with almonds and pearl sugar. The dove shape is a symbol of peace and also of the dove bird that flew back to Noah with an olive branch. For something savoury, a pizza chena is an Easter pie filled with Italian meats, cheeses and egss, all encased in a buttery, flaky pastry crust.

As well as the red eggs mentioned above, Greeks have tsoureki which is an egg-enriched bread, made from individual strands of dough braided together. The three-strand braid symbolises the Holy Trinity. The red eggs may be used to decorate the tsoureki. They also have Koulourakia in Greece which are buttery Easter biscuits.

For the Germans it is traditional to eat something green such as chervil soup on Holy Thursday. They also have an enriched and spiced sweet bread over Easter whereas in Austria they have a dense called reindling. Austrians also eat ‘osterschinken im brotteig’, a cooked ham baked in bread dough which may be stewed with sauerkraut.

In Spain rosquillas de Semana Santa or Easter doughnuts (Semana Santa means Holy Week) are popular. Rosquillas are similar to doughnuts, but have a denser texture as they’re made without yeast. They can be dunked in flavoured icings, cinnamon sugar or left plain. They also have torrijas, which are a variation on French toast. As well as these the mona de Pascua cake, originating from Catalunya is a decadent given from godparents to their godchildren. It resembles a bread basket or large doughnut, topped with as many brightly coloured eggs, feathers and figurines the cake can hold.

Once again, Finland has something more unusual. It is a traditional dessert for Easter called mämmi. Made from water, molasses, malted rye, rye , and orange zest, this needs to be prepared 3 or 4 days in advance to chill.

Part 2 in the next issue of Outlook - looking at the traditions of Eastern Europe, Asia and the Americas. Jane Laurence

☺ EASTER SMILE LINES ☺

Nice: The nice thing about becoming forgetful is that you can hide your own Easter eggs.

From a church newsletter: This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Brown, our church warden, to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

From the Parish Pump

SPRING (An acrostic Poem)

Spring has arrived with armfuls of blossom, Petals of every colour and hue, Rain and sun caressing the earth Inspiring spring bulbs to come into view Now is the time of new beginnings Giving us pleasure all season through.

By Megan Carter from the Parish Pump

ALL IN THE MONTH OF APRIL

It was:

• 1900 years ago, on 26th April 121 that Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome (161-180AD) and Stoic philosopher was born. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good Emperors, and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace and stability. • 500 years ago, on 27th April 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese explorer, died aged 41, at the hands of natives in the Philippines. • 300 years ago, on 3rd April 1721 that Robert Walpole became the first British Prime Minister. • 250 years ago, on 13th April 1771 that Richard Trevithick, mining engineer and inventor of the first steam locomotive, was born. • 125 years ago, from 6th to 15th April 1896 that the first modern Summer Olympic Games were held in Athens. • 95 years ago, on 21st April 1926 that Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London. • 90 years ago, on 14th April 1931 that the first edition of the Highway Code was published in the UK. • 70 years ago, on 17th April 1951 that the Peak District National Park was established. It was Britain’s first national park. • 60 years ago, on 11th April 1961 that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann went on trial in Jerusalem. He was convicted on 12th September and executed in June 1962. • 50 years ago, on 6th April 1971 that Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer, died. He was one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. • 40 years ago, on 11th April 1981 that the Brixton riot took place in London. 5,000 youths rampaged through the streets, attacking police officers, damaging buildings, looting and setting cars alight. • 30 years ago, on 3rd April 1991 that Graham Greene, novelist, short story writer, playwright and journalist died. • 20 years ago, on 7th April 2001 that NASA launched its Mars Odyssey spacecraft to search for evidence of life and volcanic activity on Mars. • 10 years ago, on 29th April 2011 that the wedding of Prince William and Catherine (Kate) Middleton took place at Westminster Abbey in London. From the Parish Pump

HOLCOMBES CAR MART LTD

Taunton’s longest established used car dealer.

We are a family owned business that has been established since 1935. We specialise in supplying low mileage vehicles which have been carefully owned and well maintained.

74 East Reach, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3HA Tel: 01823 284530 www.holcombescarmart.co.uk

PARISH DIRECTORY

VICAR Fr Julian Laurence 337890

READER Mr Michael Hemsley 251722

LAY PASTORAL Mrs Jane Laurence 354800 ASSISTANTS Mrs Jenni Llewellyn (Church Office)

CHURCHWARDENS Mr John Godley (Church Office) 354800

PARISH OFFICE Tues & Thurs 9.00am–11.00am 354800 Administrator:

PCC Vice-Chairman Mr Geraint Jones 284376

PCC Treasurer Mr John Rudge 664558

PCC Secretary Mrs Trudi Watkins 354800 Electoral Roll Secretary Mr Richard Tomlinson (Church Office)

Organist & Choir Trainer Mr Stephen Price 07452 994114

Editor of 'Outlook' Mr George Coles 288091

'Outlook' advertising Mr David Gill (Church Office) 354800

Sacristan Mr Peter Deal 278385

Captain of Bellringers Mrs Margaret Jordan 289519

Church Flowers Mrs Sylvia Paul 279436

Hall Booking Secretary Church Administrator (Church Office) 354800

Junior Church Mrs Pat Deal 278385 Mrs Sylvia Paul 279436

Data Protection Officer Mr David Watkins 354800 Safeguarding Officer Mrs Liz Clarke (Church Office)

Trinity Church School Trinity School, South Street 284128 Head of School Mr Steve Morton

Trinity Scout Group Mrs Stacey King 07984 170912