HONG KONG ST JOHN’S REVIEW Petertide 2010 A CONUNDRUM FOR LITURGICALLY INFORMED LAYPERSONS Two priests, faced with the challenge of retraining themselves in a newly required liturgical dance for forthcoming Eucharists (The Harringay Rite), sat down over coffee and used what was to hand to sort out the steps. What does the formation in this picture represent ? The first correct answer emailed to Elisa, the Dean’s secretary, wins a dinner on the town with the Editor and a clergyperson of even greater refinement and charm. Please note: Clerics, remunerated members of staff and MENSA members should refrain from participation. Elisa’s email address: [email protected] The Cathedral Ta ble of Contents 4 Garden Road Central Hong Kong The Dean’s Letter ...................................................................................................3 Tel: 2523 4157 Fax: 2521 7830 Editorial ..................................................................................................................4 www.stjohnscathedral.org.hk Annual General Meeting 2010 — Dean’s Report 2009/2010 ..................................5 Dean Mark Rogers joins us from Francophone Montreal..................................................8 The Very Revd Andrew Chan The Cathedral Choir — who are we? .....................................................................9 Chaplains The Revd John Chynchen From the Register ................................................................................................. 14 The Revd Desmond Cox The Revd Nigel Gibson Parish Notebook ................................................................................................... 15 The Revd Peter Koon 3176 Private Ronald Douglas Maxwell.................................................................. 18 The Revd Robert Martin The Revd Will Newman From the Archive .................................................................................................. 20 The Revd Canon David Pickering The Revd Mark Rogers Father ‘Cool’ Gibson breezes in from Milano ........................................................ 21 The Revd Dwight dela Torre Profile: Chris Everett, Bookstore Manager ............................................................ 21 Chaplains (Honorary) Cathedral: An update ............................................................................................ 22 The Revd Hugh Phillipson The Revd Philip Wickeri Interfaith Day of Peace .......................................................................................... 22 Assisting Clergy News in Pictures ................................................................................................... 23 The Revd Winston Ching The Revd Susan Hewitt The Revd Tony Hutchinson The Revd Jenny Wong Nam Administrator Mrs Viola Ip St John’s Review Volume 78 • Petertide 2010 Editorial Team Stuart Wolfendale John Chynchen Alexandra Tracy The St John’s Review is published by the Dean and Council of the HKSKH (Anglican) Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist, Garden Road, Hong Kong. Articles are published under the author’s copyright and any views expressed are not necessarily those of the Dean and Council, or the Editorial Team. Jazz Vespers at Pentecost Design/Production Polly Yu Production Ltd Tel: 2526 0206 / Fax: 2526 0378 E-mail: [email protected] FRONT COVER: St John’s Cathedral Choir. Cover ‘wall paper’: JSB’s St Matthew’s Passion manuscript BACK COVER: An ecclesiastical conundrum page 2 • St John’s Review • Petertide 2010 The Dean’s Letter Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, whoever; as individuals, playing on their own, they could never win anything, let When you read this edition of ‘St. John’s alone cup winners’ medals and huge salaries. Review’, the World Cup Final will have The very best of them need the other 10 been played and won. players. When we put our faith in Jesus we too become part of a team. In fact, the My friends know that I’m an avid soccer Bible uses a different way of saying just fan! Well, I can tell you — I’m not alone. that, when we read that we are all part of Many of my colleagues at St John’s are the body of Christ. St Paul says, ‘We all enthusiastic followers of the ‘beautiful play different parts, and we all need each game’ with our individual support intensely other.’ (1 Cor 12. 12). We must always concentrated across a clutch of famous remember, as team players, not to hog the teams. A few of us actually play the game ball but to pass it to our neighbour. Never — all of us watch it! forget that when you become a Christian you join a team! As I have been watching the games in South Africa, it has occurred to me that as Thirdly, any winning football team has to we follow this ‘great global event’ every train hard. We may see them performing four years, we may become aware, well on the pitch. But, quite possibly, we The Very Reverend Andrew Chan somewhat surprisingly, that the World may not have spotted them training day by Cup reminds us of the Christian life! day throughout the year. We know what they have to do to achieve maximum First, there is a Prize to be won; every stamina and fitness — build up speed, command. We have to obey his commands. professional footballer dreams of holding muscle endurance, strength and From time to time we tend to forget we the Cup in his hands. The common goal of coordination. If they train well, they play have a Captain and think we can follow every player in the team is to win. It’s the well and enhance their ability to win. our instincts and do whatever we want. same for us Christians. In Philippians 3, St Sometimes the match is hard, we lose heart Paul the apostle says, ‘I press on toward the But in the Christian life it is a little different. and resign ourselves to defeat. That is goal to win the prize...’ St Peter, perhaps Our training starts after we have won grace when the Captain encourages us and urges Jesus’ senior disciple talks about this kind from God. Again, just like Paul told us on. Remember, the Captain is there for of thing in his letter, ‘you are receiving the Timothy, ‘Train yourself to be godly. For you to follow to victory. goal of your faith, the salvation of your physical training has some value, but souls.’ (Pet 1. 9). For us, winning means godliness has value for all things, holding I hope that you have enjoyed the World receiving grace from God and being with promise both for the present life and the Cup in South Africa, which has given Jesus for all eternity because we have faith life to come.’ (1 Tim 4. 8) hope and confidence to that emerging in the One who died for us and rose again. nation’s disadvantaged millions. And, in Day by day we learn to say no to what is arousing your interest in football, may it But there is a big difference between wrong. When we say no to what is wrong also have reminded you of various aspects football and the Christian faith. To win the we build up our godly muscles! When we of your Christian life. World Cup a team has to be good enough. choose to do what is right in God’s eyes we But to win Jesus Christ and to reconcile build up our godly muscles! We pray; we I wish all of you a sun-kissed and joyful ourselves with God and with our get together in church for Holy summer. neighbour, we have got to be bad enough! Communion; we study the Bible; we We have got to admit that we are weak and worship and pray. Every time we obey Yours in Christ that our Lord can help us and strengthen God our godly muscles are figuratively us. Ironically, if you admit that you are toned up. How’s your training going? weak — yet you trust in Christ, then you are a winner and you win the prize! Fourthly, in every team there is a Captain to follow. Off the pitch, the Coach is in Secondly, there is a team to play with. The charge. But on the pitch, the Captain is the Christian life can be likened to football leader. As Christians our Captain is Jesus because it also is a team sport. We must Christ our Lord. In fact, we address him as always remember that no match can be won ‘Lord Jesus’. The word Lord is a bit like the by one person alone. Football is about word Captain, but even stronger! The job teamwork. It doesn’t matter if it’s Messi, of Captain Jesus is to keep us playing well, Ronaldo, Kaka, Dempsey, Rooney or so we have to listen carefully to his every Andrew Chan Petertide 2010 • St John’s Review • page 3 Editorial hey say that whenever and wherever two English people up and running in time for The Feast of St John the Evangelist and Tmeet they never fail to exchange platitudinous observations Patronal Festival of St John’s Cathedral on 27th December 2010. concerning the weather. Apparently, it is a contagious trait, which over the past two or three weeks has been transmitted by This Petertide edition takes advantage of the improved definition denizens from the British Isles — it’s not only the English; the and colour balance achievable with the more advanced models of Scots, Welsh and Irish are also obsessed with the climate — to compact digital cameras that have become available in the last year well-nigh the whole population of Hong Kong. Because my job or so. This is an invaluable development for me personally as I description requires me to dress up rather than down, particularly struggle to fill the void left by the much lamented, recent on Sundays, my overall morale is hardly boosted by such well- departure of our resident photographer for many years — Mary meant comments as, “Oh! dear, you do look hot” or, “Hey, Haigh, our bonnie lassie. you’re sweating a lot!” Out there in Anglicanland, there has been no shortage of drama The Cathedral is subject to what may be called a greenhouse effect, since the last Review, just before Easter. The understated Pentecost which explains why both the air temperature and relative Letter from Archbishop Rowan Williams, which I would describe humidity are respectively 5°C and 5–8% higher inside the church as a rapier thrust, was met a swing of the ball and chain from than outside.