Edition 267

“The Church in the Park – Growing in Faith, Hope and Love”

JULY 2021 [email protected] A MESSAGE FROM DAVID

Hello everybody, On 13.6.21, we announced the great news that Jane Burns is to be licensed to our two parishes in the autumn. Jane is currently at Finedon but lives in St Peter & St Paul Parish and was very much involved in it before her ordination. Jane is a 'Minister in Secular Employment': she has a full-time job elsewhere but is also engaged in parish ministry. Her new role will be rather unusual: she will be offering help to parishes in the Kettering Deanery in need of support. But her base will be our two parishes and she will be with us at least one Sunday a month. Jane will be licensed by John at All Saints Church on 31 October. We're delighted about this news. (See also David’s article on Confirmation later in the magazine)

A MESSAGE FROM FR BRIAN My journey to ordination began one day in August, 1977, just a few days before my 40th birthday, when my late wife Hazel asked the question “Had I thought of going into the church?” It had been on my mind for a while but it was good to know that my family, including our daughters Zaneta and Andrea, would be supportive for what could be a difficult and uncertain period. At the time I was churchwarden at the parish of St. Peter, Calow near Chesterfield. There was an interregnum so I could not discuss this matter with my incumbent which is usually the first step. By a stroke of good fortune, the DDO {Diocesan Director of Ordinands} had written in the Derby Diocesan newsletter inviting anyone who felt called to the church’s ministry to contact him. A telephone call soon had me attending several interviews which resulted in the Bishop recommending me to ACCM {Advisory Council for the Church’s Ministry} for selection. I attended a three-day selection conference at Ecton, then the Peterborough Diocesan retreat house and conference centre and I remember being interviewed by an archdeacon, the headmistress of a school in Liverpool and a farmer from East Anglia who seemed to be impressed by gardening skills?? The letter confirming my successful application, arrived on Maundy Thursday, 1978 advising me to make contact with several theological colleges which were recommended for mature students. I opted for Lincoln where housing would be provided for students with families and we moved there at the end of school term in July. For students of my age, the training was a two-year course, without final exams but with copious amounts of reading and writing of essays. For two years I studied Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Ethics, Worship and Pastoral studies. It was a fascinating time for all of us and a joy to be so close to that beautiful cathedral. At the end of the two-year training I had to look for a parish that would take me on as a curate. After several false starts, I found accommodation at the Parish of Duston and on St. Peter’s Day, 1980 was ordained by Bishop Douglas Feaver in . I had to serve as a deacon for twelve months before I could celebrate communion, marry or baptise, and then, on the week after St. Peter’s Day, 1981 I was ordained Priest. I served Duston as a curate for three and a half years during which training continued with an experienced priest and P.O.T {Post ordination Training} with Carnell, which became known as “Carnell Knowledge”. At the end of 1983 the bishop invited me to consider the parish of Spratton, a village of 1,200 people, but with the promise {or threat} of additional responsibility. I was licensed as Priest- in-Charge in February 1984. Additional responsibility soon followed, and I was licensed to the Parish of Creaton in July the same year. The church of St. Andrew was in a poor state of repair with a crumbling tower, inadequate heating and lighting and very little in the restoration fund. An appeal had been launched with little response until English Heritage took an interest, and, after much fund raising and some generous donations, the task was completed in 1990. In 1985 I had the assistance of a NSM curate and when bishop Bill Westwood introduced “pastoral reorganisation” it was decided that the parishes of Maidwell, Lamport, Scaldwell and Draughton should be added, temporally, to Spratton and Creaton. This took place in 1988, in 1989 the curate left for pastures new leaving me with 5 parishes which I served as Priest-in- charge for 13 years. In 1994 the bishop asked me to be rural dean for 5 years which was extended for another two years as a replacement was not forthcoming. This was an onerous task involving many meetings to deal with pastoral reorganisation. In 1998 bishop invited me to become an honorary Canon of the cathedral and I was able to celebrate communion on a number of occasions {mid-week only} in that wonderful building, I even preached once at Evensong. The time for my retirement soon drew close but I was able to delay this due to Hazel’s illness until 2006, Hazel died in 2005. I moved to Kettering and soon found myself being used to cover interregna, beginning at Rothwell, followed by Irthlingborough, St. Marks Wellingborough, St. Peter and Andrew Corby, St. Michaels Gt. Oakley and several parishes in the Brixworth Deanery, I also took one or two services at All Saints after Fr. Ron had died. From the beginning of my retirement I attended St. Mary Magdelene at Geddington where I was able to assist the vicar. I also joined the choir until the vicar retired and it was time to move on. At this point I found my way to All Saints where Fr. Andrew made me welcome and I was able to assist him until his retirement when I then covered the interregnum until Fr. Tim‘s arrival. It has been a privilege to be able to serve the church in my retirement years and to be associated with All Saints for the last 8 or 9 years. Thank you all for your love and support. Fr. Brian Isaiah 61 vv1-3 Psalm 145 - response “I will exalt you O God my King” 2 Corinthians 5 vv14-19 John 20 vv19-23 The Christian Chronicle Faith – Defend or Reform?

Welcome back to the Christian Chronicle. We left the last report in the summer of 1517 just as things were hotting up, and I don’t mean the weather! I anticipated stuff was about to happen but didn’t realise how soon – the big event came in just the autumn of the same year when a German priest and theologian really nailed it when it comes to creating a stir. I’ve actually jumped forward 10 years to 1527 so I can bring you all the fallout as well. I also need to tell you what’s happening in England, where King Henry VIII is getting quite a reputation – both good and bad. Martin Luther comes from a small town in central Germany and was educated at the University of Erfurt until, in 1505, aged 21, he was nearly struck by lightning. The event had a dramatic impact - he left university, sold all his books, and entered the nearby monastery just two weeks later. He was ordained priest within two years and, in 1508, the Dean of the University of Wittenberg sent for him to teach theology. He progressed quickly and became Professor of Theology in 1512. Luther was particularly vexed by the activity of Johann Tetzel, especially as Tetzel had the support of Luther’s own Bishop, Albrecht von Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz. It wasn’t just indulgences Luther objected to, but this was a big part. On the evening before All Saints Day, Luther wrote to the archbishop in protest, enclosing 95 theses titled “A Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”; in line with academic debate process, and to push the matter home, he also nailed these theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg – the day before its patronal festival. Much of what Luther proposed had come forward before through the likes of John Wycliffe, Jan Hus and Peter Waldo, but it seems the time is now right because Luther’s action really stirred things up. The Archbishop didn’t reply to Luther’s letter but, having checked carefully for heresy, he forwarded the documents onto Rome. Pope Leo X had various people exam Luther’s text and question him at length before finally excommunicating him at the beginning of 1521. But Luther’s challenges caused difficulty in the secular world as well as in the church; so Luther had to face the Diet of Worms. That’s not some nutritional challenge or punishment - a Diet is a form of court of judgement held by the Emperor, in this case Charles V, and Worms is a German Rhineland town. Luther refused to recant his position and between the papal excommunication and the Imperial Edict from Worms he was declared a heretic and an outlaw. Luther challenged the absolute authority of the Pope over the church, particularly in relation to indulgences; he maintained that salvation was by faith alone and not related to good works or penance; and that the sacraments were a means to Grace. Luther also challenged the authority of the church with the stance that all doctrines/ dogmata not founded in scripture were invalid. Luther found sanctuary at Wartburg Castle and translated the Greek New Testament into German before returning to Wittenberg in 1522, by which time a wind of change was starting to spread through Europe. Luther’s efforts inspired others - in Switzerland Huldrych Zwingli is also postulating a reformed church. this time there seems to be momentum for change. Meanwhile, in England, the Tudor Dynasty has moved forward. In short, Henry Tudor defeated Richard of York (War of the Roses) at Bosworth Field, Leicestershire, in 1485 to claim the throne as Henry VII. Of Henry’s seven or eight children, only four survived infancy, Margaret and Mary became Queens of Scotland and France respectively; his son Arthur was Prince of Wales, and then there was Henry. By the age of four Henry was titled Duke of York and held numerous other titles and positions - a way of his father retaining personal control. Arthur had been married to Catherine of Aragon at the age of 15 but then died suddenly just five months later – Henry was just 10. The marriage had been arranged to form an allegiance with Spain and now that was under threat. The King re-engaged in negotiations with his Spanish counterpart and in June 1503 Henry, still not quite 12, was betrothed to his brother’s widow. Papal dispensation would be needed, but this wasn’t seen as a major obstacle. As soon as Henry was 14, and of legal age, he objected to the marriage. However, when his father died in 1509, the 17-year-old, now Henry VIII, declared that he would marry Catherine and proceeded to do so at haste - within weeks, without the papal dispensation being completed. Catherine had numerous pregnancies, but many resulted in miscarriage or stillbirth; a boy, also Henry, died after just 7 weeks and the only child to survive infancy was Mary. Henry’s been known to have many mistresses and even illegitimate children by them; Henry even made one of them Duke of Richmond recently. This failure to produce a male heir, together with an eye towards Anne, the younger sister of one of his existing mistresses, Mary Boleyn, has pushed Henry to seek to end his marriage. Catherine is a devout Catholic and Henry’s also gained favour with Pope Leo X following his writing of a “Defence of the Seven Sacraments” in 1521. The Pope rewarded Henry with the title “Fedei Defensor” meaning ‘Defender of the Faith’ – it’ll be interesting to see how long that title lasts! More recently Henry’s been troubled by consideration that his marriage to Catherine, his brother’s wife, was contrary to Leviticus 20 v 21; Henry’s become convinced that the failure to achieve a male heir is divine retribution. As a result, Henry’s just appealed to Pope Clement VII seeking annulment of his marriage; his cause, however, is not helped by the fact that Emperor Charles V is Catherine’s nephew. Papal intervention has been denied. The church is facing considerable upheaval across Europe and now the previously supportive English King seems to be getting frustrated. This doesn’t look like a stable situation, we’ll have to see where it goes.

VIRTUAL HOUSE GROUP BY ZOOM

The House Group, we will be continuing virtually on Zoom in July on Wednesday 7th and 21st July as we conclude looking at Galatians. There will be no House Group in August. New members are always welcome – please contact Alan & Lyn for further details.

Summary of PCC meeting June 2021

Officers elected: All re-elected and remain the same (see back of Saints Alive!) Sunday Services - Following present Government Covid guidelines are to continue. A risk assessment to enable the opening up of another toilet and one handbasin was requested to avoid congestion. Bell Tower - Repairs remain of concern with further plant growth in the cement. Organ/piano - Needs urgent attention and will be discussed at the July PCC. Jinny Wade - The family have made a donation in memory of Jinny and it was agreed it should be put into the Tower Fund. Jinny had requested a Requiem Mass at All Saints, this will be arranged on her first year's anniversary 30th July. Stewardship Envelopes - It was agreed that the Church will no longer purchase these as they are expensive. Alternative envelopes will be provided for giving if required. Finance - The Treasurer paused payment of June's Parish Share and requesting a lower payment for July to assist our financial status.

Hall Matters - Despite interest, no agreement to hire the Hall has been reached. The charges have been slightly reduced. The Frances Lunch Club will resume on Tuesdays and Thursdays during school holidays. Rainbows will resume once risk assessments have been agreed with Girl Guiding. Fabric - A quote is to be sought for scaffolding to enable repairs to roof tiles and removal of plant growth. Passing of the Peace without physical contact post-Covid restrictions - For the time being the recommendations of the must be followed. This will be raised again at the July PCC.

CONFIRMATION

Inevitably many local churches have not now had confirmations for a couple of years. And so later this year - on Sunday October 17th at 3 pm - there will be a deanery confirmation service at St Peter & St Paul's. We invite members of All Saints who have not been confirmed to consider confirmation this year. In this diocese, the age of confirmation depends on the choices parishes make about Holy Communion. For parishes like ours where children are already receiving communion, confirmation is expected to happen rather later than for parishes in which confirmation is the gateway to receiving communion. So this is an invitation for adults and older teenagers. Confirmation candidates will need to prepare and we have set aside the following Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm as preparation sessions: 20 July; 7, 14, 21, 28 Sept; 5, 12 October. We'd also like candidates to attend a Sunday morning service at which the rest of the Church can pray for them on 3 October. And to commit themselves to follow-up sessions after the Confirmation. We're holding the following evenings (again 7.30 pm on Tuesday evenings): 26 October; 9, 23 November. If you have questions about any of these arrangements, do be in touch with Carol Walters ([email protected]). Let her know if you'd like a conversation with one of the clergy team first. It may be possible to be flexible about some of the details, but we will need to work out what is possible. Thank you. David.

SMILE PLEASE!

A new vicar was going from door to door to introduce himself to his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no one came to answer his repeated knocks at the door. So, he took out a business card, wrote “Revelations 3:20” on the back and put it through the letterbox. In the collection the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was “Genesis 3:10.” Checking it out he started laughing. Revelation 3:20 says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Genesis 3:10 reads “I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.”

PULLING TOGETHER

Hebrews 10:24 – Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Father in heaven, give us eyes to see and strength to help each other in the race of faith today. (These above two articles are submitted by a mystery person! Sorry, I didn’t recognise your handwriting!)

God’s Garden

The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God’s heart in a garden, Than anywhere else on earth.

Written by Dorothy Frances Gurney (1858-1932). The daughter and wife of Anglican clergymen, a convert to Catholicism with her husband in 1919, and a writer of both poems and hymns.

Drive/Walk/Ride or Stride

Please consider this, it could be a good fundraiser for us. This year it is taking place on Saturday September 11th. You could enjoy a look at Historic Churches in and around Kettering and be sponsored, and All Saints will benefit from half of the sponsorship. Taking part also enables us to be eligible for grants for the church. Richard will have the sponsorship forms soon! Please let him know if you would like to join in. Why not take a picnic and arrange to meet up for lunch at a certain time and place? REQUIEM MASS FOR JINNY WADE

We are holding a Requiem Mass on 30.7.21, on the evening of the anniversary of Jinny’s passing at 7pm at All Saints Church. You may not have had opportunity to go to her funeral due to Covid. Please book your seats as usual with Angela.

Newspaper Report from 28.5.1900

JUST TAKE A MOMENT

For every single evil act of hateful mindedness There are a million unreported acts of human kindness Just take a moment to reflect upon this simple fact And see how high the stakes in doom and gloom are really stacked

For every single evil deed in this world taking place A million good deeds put a smile on this world's human face Just take a moment to reflect on what is truly real And you will see how good this life on Earth can really feel For every tortured soul with evil in their twisted mind A million good souls light the way for hope and all mankind Just take a moment to reflect and you will truly see That love is all you need to set your soul and spirit free

I see beauty in the trees and flowers that unfold I see beauty in the morning sun of red and gold Just take a moment to reflect upon this sacred land And see the wonder of it all in every grain of sand

I know love's the answer, but the question is unknown To those who go through life with hearts of rock and solid stone Just take a moment to reflect and gently meditate And you will comprehend that love of life is truly great

I see beauty underneath the sunny Summer skies I see beauty all around and in my children's eyes Just take a moment to reflect on everything you know Then take a ride to Heaven on life's starry dynamo

Yes, for every single evil act of hateful mindedness There are a million unreported acts of human kindness Just take a moment to reflect upon this simple fact And see how high the stakes in doom and gloom are really stacked

All rights reserved – Steve Howkins (from Rothwell)

PRAYER REQUESTS Bishop Stopford School faith | justice | responsibility | truth | compassion

Please pray for;

• Ms Silverthorne, the Governing body, the Senior Leadership team • New teachers and staff joining the school • Sally and the Chaplaincy • Pastoral care • Students in Years 11&12 • Students leaving the school • Year 6 induction days • Students who have fallen behind, their care and catch up • Mutual support of teachers and staff • Wisdom for teachers regarding changing circumstances, Government advice etc • Courage for Christians at the school, especially students • Encouragement in faith walk • Salvation, gospel preaching • Future of the praying parents and the chaplaincy

BANDS IN THE PARK

We will be selling tea/coffees and ice-cream and strawberries from church again this year. They start on Sunday July 25th until September 12th (Covid restrictions permitting). Keep praying for good weather! We usually get a good income from this and really need to get back into the swing of things on the fundraising front. Volunteers will be needed.

KETTERING PHOTO QUIZ £1.50

Angela has a black and white quiz of parts of Kettering. All of the photos can be seen somewhere in Kettering. To win the £20 prize, just name where the pictures are. Last date to hand in, is 1st August. The person with the highest score will be the winner. If there is more than one person with the same score, the winner will be pulled at random out of a hat.

All Saints Playgroup & Pre-school

It is with much sadness that All Saints Playgroup & Pre-school will finally close their doors at the end of this summer term. Unfortunately, with ever rising costs but no increase in government funding it has become unsustainable to continue, together with the impact of Covid-19. All Saints Playgroup & Pre-school was founded in 1973 by Mrs Doreen Dunk. In 1995, it was taken over by Sue Drage, and Gill & Carol who have run it ever since with Sue running it single-handedly over the last few years. With approval from the church, we have been able to develop a much-loved outdoor area which has been a valuable addition to the setting. One of our proudest moments was being graded as an ‘outstanding’ setting by Ofsted in 2014 which remains, as although due, we haven’t been inspected since. By coincidence one of the current children in our final cohort is Mrs Dunk’s great grandson, which seems fitting as we near the end of an era! As we close, we would like to say thank you to the church for their support over the years, and especially Angela and Richard, the church wardens. Sue Drage.

RESPONSE FROM THE CHURCHWARDENS: It’s such a shame that after 47 years All Saints Church will no longer be the home of the Playgroup and Pre-school. Many children have passed through the doors over the years, including both of our families, some even becoming regular attenders at services in the church. Things will not be the same without them. We give Sue and her staff our best wishes for whatever the future may hold for them. You will all be greatly missed.

______DEADLINE FOR COPY - Please send in your snippets, news, prayers etc to Angela. The deadline for the next edition of Saints Alive! is the 22nd July. The August edition will be ready from Sunday 1st August 2021. The following months are still available to sponsor: September onwards.

Email: [email protected] Website Address: https://kettallsaintschurch.chessck.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsparishchurchkettering/ Or follow us on Twitter @AllSaintsKett

This edition of Saints Alive is sponsored by Derrick & Pat Smith Remembering our loved ones who are no longer with us.

WHO’S WHO AT ALL SAINTS PARISH CHURCH

Priest-in-charge Rev. David Walsh Reader John Stapleton 520342 Lay Minister Alan Ridley 529426 Churchwardens: Richard Lewis 513703 Angela Brett 522158 Safeguarding: Julie Loake 07743400812 Hall Manager: Lyn Ridley 529426 Secretary: John Sockett 501851 Treasurer: Marie Morrison 725219 Saints Alive! Angela Brett 522158