Ickenham Church News August 2017/September 2017
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UNITED REFORMED CHURCH ST GILES’ CHURCH OF ENGLAND Contact Secretary: Celia Miller Rector: The Revd Felicity Davies Tel: 01895 904556 The Rectory, 38, Swakeleys Road Administrator: Shellie D’Arcy Ickenham UB10 8BE Church: 01895 634280 Chu Tel: Rectory 01895 622970 am rch Tel: Church 01895 622971 nh Editor: Susan Owen-Thursfield N e Email: [email protected] ew cFork advertising: [email protected] or Tel: 07913 430989 s I For events and donations: [email protected] or Tel: 07913 430989 Donations may be sent to Patricia Lee, The Office, St Giles’ Church, Ickenham UB10 8BG Visit ICN Online at: www.ickenhamchurchnews.co.uk I Ickenham URC at: www.ickenhamurc.org.uk d cke lan nham St Giles’ at: www.stgileschurch.co.uk Eng URC rch of August 2017 covenanted with St Giles’ Chu September 2017 URC Daytime Services Sunday Evening Services St Giles’ Daytime Services Sunday Mornings 11.00am The two churches join together on Sunday evenings Sunday Mornings – 8.00am Holy Communion – inc Junior Church most Sundays as follows: – 9.45am Holy Communion (with Junior Church – Children’s space available during - 2nd Sun – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (6.30pm) and Crèche) – (1st Sunday: All Age Service) all services - 3rd Sun – ‘18:30’ Worship + The Word Service Thursdays – 10.00am Holy Communion – Holy Communion, 3rd Sunday of month at St Giles’ (6.30pm) KEEPING UP APPEARANCES There are over 500 graves and tombs in the Ickenham St Giles’ churchyard – of all shapes and sizes. The smallest ones are no bigger than small, paving stones, the largest are family tombs, longer than 10 feet. Nevertheless, they all deserve respect and care and attention - like all of the fabric of the ancient and beautiful building of St Giles’. The direct responsibility for this endless task falls to the Church Wardens. St Giles’ has two Wardens - Keith Arnold and Rosemary Hodgson. Rosemary tends to look after the day-to-day matters (of which there are many) while Keith tries to tackle the fixtures and fittings. This of course is no mean challenge in a fourteenth-century church and although its basic fabric is stone, even that does not last for ever. However, for the last ten years or so, even though the real responsibility for upkeep of the graves is that of the relatives, St Giles’ has employed a stone mason to undertake this activity. His name is Mark Hooper (pictured) and he’s based in Ickenham with a staff of five and St Giles’ makes use of his services about once a month on average. Stone masonry is one of the most ancient of arts and crafts, yet the fundamentals have scarcely changed in five or six centuries. Visit any of our cathedrals across the country and you will see masons hard at work at their trade, armed with little more than a wooden or polyurethane mallet and a selection of metal chisels. The stone that they use is quarried from the earth. There is, of course, a need for heavy lifting equipment and powered stone saws for slicing up the heavy blocks of stone they have to manage. With a limited budget, what to tackle next is very much a result of regular discussion between Keith and Mark. The priority is safety and Mark and Keith do their best to put right those stones which could constitute a danger to the public by toppling over or could cause injury with sharp edges, etc. Then they look for those gravestones which are not too deteriorated and which can be relatively soon put back to an attractive and readable state. And so the work continues. The churchyard is a peaceful and beautiful place and, with the ongoing help of Mark, Keith and the Holy Mowers we hope to keep it so. Hope springs eternal! AFN DROP-IN FOR THE BEREAVED – Third Monday in the month. Need to talk? St Giles’ Church Back Hall, 2.00pm-3.30pm. Come for a friendly and informal chat over WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN a cup of tea with other bereaved people and bereavement visitors. Just come along or, if you At St Giles’ Church on Thursdays from 6.00pm-8.00pm and Saturdays would like to speak to someone first, please ring 01895 622970. The next meeting is on Monday 21st August, then Monday 18th September (then Monday 16th October after that). from 10.30am-12.30pm. No appointment needed – just come in. 2 ICKENHAM CHURCH NEWS AUGUST 2017/SEPTEMBER 2017 “ALL IN TOGETHER GIRLS, NEVER MIND THE WEATHER GIRLS…” Dear Friends, The title above is part of a rhyme we used to chant whilst skipping in the school playground – and no, the picture isn’t us! Some days it was hard work. We’d stop and start over and over, failing again and over to synchronize our timing. When that happened the rope would jerk angrily on the ground, tripping us up. But some days we were really in tune with each other, and as the number of girls jumping over twirling rope grew we felt invincible. Those early lessons in working together were so important for us to learn. We can try to live as we please and do everything alone – but it’s so much more fun (and more fruitful) to do things together. At university I joined the rowing club. We encouraged each other as we trained in the gym, the pool and the weights room; and three times a week we climbed into the boat as a crew. In that boat we learnt another lesson in working together. Like the skipping it was all about timing. When we got it wrong and ‘caught a crab’ the boat wobbled precariously, but when we got it right it flew. Of course I’ve never actually flown… but as each oar cut through the water in perfect harmony, the boat would rise to skim and glide across the surface with the lightness of a feather and the speed of a fast cantering horse. We felt invincible again. Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, talks about the perfect harmony of Love in Action: of being devoted to one another in love, and of honouring one another above ourselves; of being joyful in hope, patient in difficulties, and faithful in prayer. “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Perfect love is humble, but does not have us act as a doormat, and is respectful but never over-awed. Perfect love casts out fear and brings unity. I believe that love can transform whole communities and that transformed communities can change nations. I dare to believe that if we all work together in love, and the timing is right, that changed nations might even bring renewal and restoration to the world. Well, I can dream, can’t I…? With love, Felicity 2017 SHOEBOX APPEAL As I sit in the garden and look around I hear and see so many wonderful things. The many colourful flowers with their own distinctive perfumes, vegetables to be enjoyed in the coming weeks and months and the different bird song and calls. Most of us have been given the gifts of sight and hearing so that we can appreciate and enjoy these wonderful things that form part of God’s creation. We all enjoy receiving gifts that often show how much we are loved but it can also be very rewarding to give gifts especially if it is the only present that person receives. The Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child is a charity that aim to give shoeboxes filled with simple gifts to children in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe who without this shoebox would have no presents at Christmas. Compare that with the children in this area. The United Reformed Church is supporting this charity again this year and would appreciate your help. We had fantastic support from the Community last year and ask you to help us again. You can help by donating gifts of soap, flannel, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, comb, exercise books, pencils, crayons, coloured pencils, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, toy car or lorry but not military types, tennis balls, skipping ropes, small dolls, colouring books, picture books but not pictures of wild animals, hat, gloves, scarf, and small packets of sweets but not chocolate because it would melt. All sweets must have a best before date of March 2018. All items must be new because of the export regulations. Any donations of gifts for the shoeboxes which we will use to fill shoeboxes can be left with the Church Administrator at the URC on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings between 10.00am and 12noon. If you prefer, you can fill a shoebox yourself and leave it at the URC. If you are unable to purchase gifts M04for the Ickenhamshoeboxes but would Flooring like to help – the Advert charity you change can leave afor monetary 201603 gift with M thearch Church Administrator to help to cover transportation costs, which are £3.00 per box. Leaflets giving full information of the type of things that can - and cannot - go into the shoeboxes and how to pack the shoebox will be available from the URC, St Giles’ Church and Ickenham Library from early September. March 2016 forward I have seen a video of the children receiving these shoeboxes and the joy on their faces is amazing. This would be the only Christmas present they receive. Some of the children are orphans and in some countries cannot go to school unless they have the necessary stationery items.