Hampton Methodist Church News
February 2018
Hampton Methodist Church Percy Road Hampton TW12 2JT
Hampton Methodist Church is a member of Churches Together around Hampton.
Church website: h p://www.hamptonmethodistchurch.org.uk Magazine editors: Liz Windaybank and Willem Sandberg
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Brothers and Sisters
Welcome to the first Hampton Church Magazine of the year and I hope that you had a blessed Christmas and New Year. One of my New Year’s resolu ons was to try to simplify my life and I have been using a system called the “easy ten”. The idea is that every day you get rid of ten things in your house by dona ng, recycling or throwing them away. Some mes I am quite shocked to discover that I have several versions of one thing (for example, why did I think I needed three can openers?) but then there are other things that I would not get rid of for love nor money, so it is also an interes ng way of discovering the things that ma er for you personally. For example, I am quite happy to get rid of spare can openers, but very possessive about books and music. Of course, that is the ra onale behind all of this, that the less “stuff” there is in a person’s life the easier it is to focus on the things that ma er.
In the Chris an faith, we too live with this concept of discarding the things that clu er up our lives to focus on the important. We discard lack of self-control to have be er health and a richer prayer life; we discard judging others to focus on loving them; we discard anger to focus on healthy rela onships and so on. In Biblical language, we would use words such as sin, repentance and redemp on but ul mately, whichever language we use, the le ng go of the things that get between us and the life God wants for us and the focusing on the things which are truly important are messages coming to us from the Bible and secular society. How we help secular society to understand this underlying truth to the Gospel message – that sin is the clu er that stops us seeing God, and Jesus helps us to remove that clu er from our lives – may well dictate the growth or decline of the Church in the coming years.
With every blessing for 2018
Vicci A Word from the Stewards
Why do we use funny words at Church? You know the sort of thing: we talk about pu ng something in the Narthex or checking the Lec onary or using the Collect for the day. Now, I know that you, dear readers, know exactly what these words mean, but try them on a non- church goer and they probably will not have a clue what you are talking about. Some mes these ‘churchy’ words are easy to understand but hard to define. Take the word ‘sacrament’ for example. In Church we o en use it; but just try (before you read on) to give a simple short defini on. My Concise Dic onary of Theology claims it comes from the La n meaning a “public pledge of fidelity”. Hmmm, I’m not sure that helps! It goes on to s ay that a sacrament is a visible sign ins tuted by Christ which reveals and communicates Grace (s ll with me?). Now we know about Grace, don’t we? It is an undeserved gi or help freely and lovingly provided by God, and above all else it is the u erly basic gi of being saved in Christ through faith (Romans 3:21-26.4:13-16,25). But you see what I mean about the problem of ge ng a short defini on! Perhaps if we think about examples of sacraments, it will all become clear. However, there is a bit of a problem here too. You see for our Roman Catholic friends there are seven sacraments: bap sm, confirma on, eucharist, marriage, holy orders, anoin ng of the sick
2 and penance. But for Methodists and indeed most Protestants there are only two: bap sm and the Eucharist (or Holy Communion as we tend to call it). I was mulling over the idea of what we mean by the word ‘Sacrament’ when at a recent “Insights” Bible Study, Vicci led us in Holy Communion. It was a deligh ul piece of Chris an remembrance and devo on, and well suited to a group undertaking Bible study. But the odd thing was that the book in the Bible we were studying was the Gospel of John, and John’s Gospel does not men on the Lord’s Supper at all! So why did we have Holy Communion? Well, we were studying the amazing Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel which starts with the feeding of the five thousand plus; and some scholars argue that John is hin ng that this huge outdoor event was a form of sacrament. This is quite an interes ng idea. What if we were to think about our very popular Breakfast Church and Friday Focus as a form of Johannine-style sacrament. Yes, I know we don’t get five thousand a endees, but we do have a gathering of Chris ans, sharing food together, with Worship or devo ons. Worship and devo on which are a reminder of the free gi of salva on on offer to believers in Christ. This li s the meaning of these Church events to another level, and takes them from an enjoyable, fun and tasty fellowship to a sign of God’s Grace. Our humble ac vi es have a part to play in the global message of Chris anity. When we worship, sing, pray, talk and eat we find me to reflect on God’s love for all of humanity. And we can call that a sacramental lifestyle. Mark Gilks Christmas at Hampton Methodist Church
Christmas probably seems like ages ago now but there was a lot going on at church, some things we usually do, as well as new ac vi es. On Remembrance Sunday Vicci blessed the 34 shoeboxes we had filled for Opera on Christmas Child. This year they went to Liberia, which has a popula on of 4.7 million of which 44% are under 15. It is a low-income country with 54% of the popula on living below the poverty line and it has one of the highest rates of primary school aged children not in educa on. Just think how much they must have loved receiving the pencils, felt ps, colouring books and paper that we included!
A UK visitor to Liberia said, ‘There is no doubt that those boxes are an incredible blessing and an indiscriminate sign of love to those children – whatever faith they do or do not have. They were overjoyed. I remember watching one child take the photo of the family who sent the box (included in the box) and stare at it and then dance with it and then show their friends – even before they got to the gi s! It meant that much to them that somebody would send them something.’
Food usually features in our celebra ons and it started with the Ladies Guild Christmas meal at Piazza Firenze in Hampton Hill. The food was very enjoyable and there was much mirth about the paper hats and how they were worn by some of us. At Tea and Memories we enjoyed singing carols instead of the usual songs and it was good to see David joining in without looking at the words whilst endeavouring to finish the par cularly tricky puzzle we were doing. The last me we were to see him before his unexpected death the following week.
Next was the Friday Focus Christmas lunch. Hazel as ever excelled herself with fes ve napkins and crackers, pre y table decora ons an d a li le ed bundle of sweets for everyone, as well as the
3 delicious Christmas dinner itself. (We did miss Alan’s usual sausages though.) It was great to welcome old friends Joan and John Hart, and Gwen and May who now worship at Teddington Church and a er the meal we again enjoyed singing the tradi onal carols.
The Extra Mile had a very hec c few weeks before Christmas but appeals via social media brought in the resources we needed for the families. We some mes use the stage to store larger items l ike cots and buggies but had to clear this area for Messy Church, so every available nook and cranny of the church buildings had to be used as temporary storage. People may have wondered why there was equipment for babies around the place but it is a sign of the commitment of Hampton Methodist to meet the needs of local people in Jesus’s name and that the church is not just for Sunday morning.
25 children came and had fun at Messy Church, firstly with the cra s and then taking part in or watching the Messy Na vity in the church, where the angels looked adorable and a brave dad very ably took on the role of several innkeepers and Janice excelled as a Wise Man! The children all le with a li le ‘bauble book’ featuring one of the characters in the Christma s story. Special thanks to the whole Se m family for all of their input.
The following day was the carol service by candlelight with packed pews. The music was superb with Bronwen on violin and her friend Roger on piano, Rebecca on flute and solos from Mark and Vicci and the unexpected duet of ‘Away in a manger’ from Issy and Struan. Fortunately, Hazel had the presence of mind to take a photo, which is worth including here even though it is not of the best quality. It was also wonderful to have most of the readings read by our children and young people and they did a brilliant job. The re ring collec on for the Vineyard Community Centre in Richmond, which tries to meet the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable members of the community, raised nearly £70.
New this year were 80 small kni ed and crocheted angels that sat amongst the greenery at the front of the carol service. These had been kni ed by Janice, Liz and Wendy and crocheted by Pam. The idea originated ‘up north’ – the Christmas story is filled with angels bringing messages, and yarn bombing an area was a way of sending these li le messengers out to bring unexpected gree ngs to those who found them and gave them a home. At the end of the carol service Vicci invited the congrega on to take them and leave them around Hampton. Some put them on bushes in their front garden, somewhere they knew that they would be found by children or on the railings of Hampton Cemetery! Someone le a comment on our Facebook page to say, ‘We have given one of your angels a home. Lovely surprise. Happy Christmas and thank you.’ We will be repea ng the angel bombing next year, so if you enjoy a spot of kni ng, find the pa ern at h p://www.christmasangel.net
I hope you all had a blessed Christmas with family and friends and I conclude by wishing you all a very belated Happy New Year!
Liz Windaybank
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Our Christmas 2017
Introducing Rev David Innes who joined our circuit last September
I’m not exactly new to the Circuit. Five years ago, our District Chair Micky Youngson asked me to take a few services in the circuit whilst Peter Clark was unwell. I was chaplain at Southlands College in Roehampton University at the me. Our services in the college were on Sunday evenings, so it was easy for me to come across. I only had the chance to take a couple of services at Hampton, but some of you may vaguely remember the fun that we had with a Spirit Level as the children went around tes ng the church (a modern equivalent of the plumb line in the book of Amos). At Easter, the children recreated for us Caravaggio’s famous pain ng of the Supper at Emmaus. I’m looking forward to coming next quarter to lead one of your Breakfast Services as my first offic ial visit as a minister in the circuit, but I have already enjoyed speaking at Friday Focus – not least because of the fantas c lunch that I was given.
I’m originally from Sunderland. Whilst I was growing up I was taken to Sunday School at a small back street church in a derelict part of the town in the next street to where my mother had grown up. I enjoyed Sunday School as we made lots of things, usually from toilet roll holders and it was normal to fill them with sweets. When I was 10, the lesson that I heard was on prayer. We can just talk to God! – and I began to do that every morning, simply telling God about what was coming up each day.
At 15, I met some members of another church in the circuit who had a lively faith. They had something that I didn’t have. That was the beginning of a journey over the next six months when my faith became real. There were a couple of talks that spoke to me. One was on “Salva on by Faith” which is the key Methodist doctrine. Trus ng in God is what ma ers. The other w as about Paul’s visit to Athens. He saw that there amongst all of the different shrines there was even an altar to the Unknown God. I realised that, though I prayed to God every day, I didn’t know God. At the Harvest Fes val, the ques on was “How deep are your roots in Jesus?”. I didn’t have any. That was when I made my own commitment to be a disciple of Jesus.
Things moved fast from then on. I began preaching shortly a er I’d turned 18 and was fully accredited as a Local Preacher at 20. I began candida ng for the ministry when I was 22. I’ll save the story of how this all came about for another me! My journey took me to Wesley House in Cambridge to train for the ministry. (You probably know someone else who trained there!) From there, I was sent to be a Circuit Minister in Edinburgh and then on to Glasgow where I met my wife, Dorothy.
For the next 15 years, I was out of circuit work and serving in educa onal chaplaincy. First at Culford School near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, and then at Roehampton which is where I began this ar cle. I’d never intended to be out of circuit ministry for quite that long and it is wonderful to be back working with local churches, principally with Teddington and East Molesey, and around the circuit too.
So I’m looking forward to working with you and especially would like to invite you to join me for the Circuit Prayer Course which will run at Teddington during Lent on the Wednesdays that you are not having your Bible Study (28th February, 7 th and 14th March). Prayer started me on the fantas c adventure that I’ve described above, and it is through prayer that we will together discern God’s leading for where we go next as individuals, as churches and as a circuit. I hope you can make it to these special evenings.
David Innes
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A Coffee Morning Original
Many of us are very aware of the marvellous work done by Macmillan Cancer Support and Macmillan Coffee Mornings have long been popular at Hampton MC. Our efforts add to a huge na onal campaign to raise essen al funds for the charity.
One such Coffee Morning was held at our Church on Saturday 14 October but it was no ordinary Coffee Morning. Yes, of course, the highly skilled bakers at the Church produced a dazzling display of gorgeous cakes and the place buzzed with folk enjoying the best coffee in the Circuit! Yet there was more, much more, than that.
The Coffee Morning was combined with the sale of the artwork of our beloved sister Janet Butler. Aun e Janet’s array of talents are very well known to us: talents that included teacher, preacher, counsellor, silversmith, baker, cook, bee -keeper, seamstress and, of course, ar st. Indeed, at the bo om of Janet’s garden sat a large studio. Janet used it for many ac vi es, but primarily for play - counselling and for pain ng.
When Janet’s family came to clear her house, they found the studio was chock-a-block with her pain ngs. The family chose the ones they wanted to keep and then made the kind offer that the remainder (over 100 pieces) could be passed to the Church to be sold for the benefit of Macmillan Cancer Support. On the evening before the Coffee Morning the pain ngs, which included landscapes, abstracts, s ll life and even a few very discrete nudes, were put on show in the large hall, by Wendy, Liz and Eunice. The display was simply magical. It covered the whole of the stage wall, the sides walls to the stage and beyond. The team organising the event knew they had to deal with a clash of date (the price you pay for being a very ac ve Church) as that Saturday was also the “Extra Mile” refreshments shi at Mum2Mum at All Hallows Church in Twickenham. The team were indebted to Claire Kilvington from Teddington MC who stepped in so that our hard-gra ing team could concentrate on the Coffee Morning.
This amazing event raised £635.65 for Macmillan Cancer Support. A totally brilliant result. However, there is perhaps an even greater result than this huge sum of money. You see, so many local families now have on display in their home a Janet Butler original. Janet prac ced what Paul urged in his le er to the church in Rome (Romans 12: 6). She used the gi s from God and she used them for the glory of God. So, if you are one of those fortunate people to own one of these originals, and an enquiring friend asks who painted it- please do tell them the ar st is the ‘original’ Janet Butler, who painted for fun, for Macmillan Cancer Support and for the Lord.
Mark Gilks
7 Life in Devon – Hilary Everi
It was August 2015 when I bade farewell to friends at HMC before moving to Crediton and here are some musings from those first 2½ years of life in Devon. Where to start? Let’s begin with Crediton Methodist Church (CMC) (photos above). When you’ve a ended one church for 38 years (which I had at HMC), it’s easy to forget how it feels to start afresh somewhere else. On our first Sunday in Crediton, when John and I walked into CMC, we were warmly greeted at the entrance, but it was an odd feeling to be a newcomer, a stranger. However, once the service got underway, things were reassuringly familiar and I felt a wonderful sense of being part of the world-wide body of Christ (even though we were only in south west England), with Chris ans worshipping together, one in the Spirit. At the end of that first servic e, again it was a li le strange not knowing anyone, and as we talked to various people it all became a bit of a blur, trying to take in names and snippets of informa on. CMC has a larger congrega on than Hampton, about 70, and the one thing that s cks in my mind is that there seemed to be a dispropor onate number of ‘Margarets’ and ‘Marjories’ so when names eluded me, I decided to try one of those! During the ensuing weeks and months I gradually got to know people be er (including those with names beginning with le ers other than M!) and started ge ng involved in the life of the church. In the no ces I saw there was a house-group that met fortnightly on Thursday evenings and decided to go along. I packed my Bible and a torch (essen al round here) and set off in good me but, frustra ngly, couldn’t find the house and had to return home defeated. I subsequently made enquiries as to its whereabouts and had success in loca ng it on my second a empt! Again, an interes ng experience joining a group where I knew no one, but a lovely sense of unity, par cularly in prayer. I now feel very much at home there. I knew that ‘the Ark’ (Messy Church) was held monthly on Saturday a ernoons as Sarah (my daughter-in-law) takes Primrose and George there. It wasn’t long before I volunteered to help and now have my own ‘corner’ for a cra ac vity. Here were more names to learn (including two sets of toddler twins to add to the difficulty!), but I’m gradually making progress. You’d think helping to clear up would be straigh orward, but I had to ask many ques ons. Where is the light switch in the broom cupboard? How high and where should the chairs be stacked? How do you persuade the church key to lock the hall door? A steep learning curve! CMC is fortunate in having several musicians and, when it became known that I could play the piano, my name was added to rotas for Sunday services and for the a ernoon Friday Fellowship. The la er is a thriving group of around 20 ladies who meet weekly for a sort of mini church service – three
8 hymns (which they sing with gusto), prayers and a talk. I have been very impressed by the variety of speakers and range of topics I’ve heard (e.g. someone involved with a charity for the blind in Jerusalem, a slide show of crosses the speaker had photographed on her travels, a worker from the homeless project in Tiverton). I was asked to join the list of speakers this year and my ‘inaugural talk’ was very well received. About a year ago I was appointed a church steward. Again, lots to learn. One of the primary tasks, of course, is to ‘greet the preacher’. Perhaps I should explain that there are 28 churches in our Exeter Coast and Country circuit, widely distributed and covering a large area from Dartmoor in the west, Exmouth to Seaton along the south coast, plus Honiton, Axminster and many market towns and villages in between. There are 12 ministers, over 40 local preachers, and about 20 supernumeraries, so I obviously don’t know them all yet and, indeed, for some it’s their first me at our church. Hence, before I can ‘greet’, my challenge has some mes been to ‘iden fy’ the preacher! One morning the church was filling with congrega on and I s ll hadn’t found the person named on the Plan who was due to take the service. We quite o en get holiday visitors and, on this occasion, a young couple with a toddler arrived who I hadn’t seen before. They were welcomed and shown to an area near the front where there is an ac vity table for children. It was while I was s ll walking around seeking “Abigail” that another steward informed me that the mum of that li le family was the local preacher for our service! Let me briefly tell you about some other aspects of my life here. I belong to the Crediton Singers choir and enjoy our Monday evening prac ces, termly concerts and ad hoc social events. I volunteer with CISCO (Crediton Social and Cultural Organisa on) and teach English to a small group of beginners on Thursday mornings. On Wednesdays I con nue my associa o n with Riding for the Disabled by helping with classes at Oaklands Stables in Exeter. I’ve become part of a lovely band of volunteers and we’ve got some great horses that provide immense benefit for riders of all ages with a wide range of disabili es. I also meet up periodically with a friend from my schooldays who now lives in Cornwall and two friends from my me at Southampton University who, amazingly, have also moved to Devon – one to Teignmouth and the other to Paignton. I began by wondering where to start this ar cle and now it’s a case of how to stop! With so much to explore and enjoy in the local area, I’ll conclude with words describing Devon as quoted in the ‘Official Guide’ - “This is a stunning county of great contrasts, with two Na onal Parks, five official Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, beaches that can’t be beaten, both north and south, plus glorious green countryside in abundance, rolling hills, boun ful farmland and craggy moorland.” I hear ly recommend it!
9 My Desert Island Discs 1 My love dwelt in a Northern Land, Op18, no.3, Edward Elgar This is a wonderful example of late Victorian choral wri ng. We used to sing it at school and it s ll brings back wonderful memories of working with some stunning musicians. 2 Sheep may safely graze – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I found this by accident when I was looking for the Bach cantata. It is a great reflec on on the way in which securing safety for one country or one sec on of society can also result in the lack of safety for another. 3 Bruch violin concerto no.1 in G minor – Maxim Vengerov For days when I want to do relaxed, focused work, there is li le to beat this wonderful piece of music. Vengerov plays with a pre y perfect mix of musical accuracy and extrovert flair. 4 Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen This is a song about the dangers and the nostalgia of the best bits of life being in the late teens and early twen es. I recognise the seduc on of ge ng together with friends from that period of my life and musing on the “glory days” but it also reminds me that I don’t want to spend my whole life looking backwards to an earlier me. 5 Man in Black – Johnny Cash A reminder of the importance of con nuing to work towards social jus ce for all, this probably sums up why I do what I do most accurately of any song. 6 Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back – Meat Loaf For those days when I am just hacked off… 7 The Good Old, Bad Old Days, Anthony Newley, sung by Anthony Newley I love this reminder that in ten, twenty or thirty years’ me we will look back on today and it will be “the good old days” some mes and “the bad old days” some mes and that is how life is and always has been. 8 Clancy of the Overflow – Peter Dawson When we were young we had access to very li le recorded music. My father was a great Peter Dawson fan and all his songs speak to me of my youth. I learned all of them and used to sing along to the tapes at the top of my voice at the age of 9 and 10. Clancy of the Overflow speaks of that feeling we o en have of “the grass is always greener”. 9 Laudate Dominum – Mozart – Katherine Jenkins Mozart is and always has been, one of my favourite classical composers. There is a clarity to his composi on that has been scien fically proven to be excep onally good for the brain and it is truly beau ful. This par cular aria is one of my favourite pieces of religious music.
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10 Welcome to Burlesque – Burlesque Original Mo on Picture Sound Track – Cher Cher is a great favourite, there is something about her rich contralto which I really like. Burlesque is one of the more recent film musicals which really understands the role of the song as reflec ng the actor’s thoughts. 11 If I Never Sing Another Song – Shirley Bassey Again, one of the great singers in the popular idiom. When I le professional singing in order to become a minister, this is one of the songs which helped me to reflect on the decision. 12 Let’s Start the New Year Right – Holiday Inn – Bing Crosby One of my favourite film musicals and a gorgeous singer. I feel as if my book ought to be a spiritual one, and yet my favourite book in the world is The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and if I really could only have one book apart from the Bible and the Complete Works of Shakespeare then that would be it, without a shadow of doubt. However, assuming that I could then have one more, it would probably be “If Only God Would Answer” by Steven Mosley. This autobiographical reflec on on prayer really helps answer some of the perennial problems we may have faced in our own prayer lives. My luxury item would without a shadow of doubt be a piano, preferably a grand, and goodness knows how it would stay in tune! Vicci Davidson
Singing the Faith
If anyone associates anything with Methodists, it’s singing. From male voice choirs to gospel, Methodism is synonymous with hymn singing. And if before a service, you’ve read through the preface to our current hymn book Singing the Faith, you’ll know a little bit about why this tradi on is so central to the Methodist story.
The 1933 Methodist Hymn Book records that “Charles Wesley wrote the first hymns of the Evangelical Revival of 1738 when he and his brother John were ‘filled with the Spirit’”, and ever since then hymn-singing has been an integral part of Methodist life. Indeed, the tle Singing the Faith is inspired by this heritage; the idea that the scriptural breadth of our hymns, star ng with those of Charles Wesley, have enabled us to sing our faith. Yet, as the authors of Singing the Faith point out, the way in which we express our faith has changed greatly since the 18th century and so whilst it’s important that we con nue to draw on the wealth of hymns and songs from the past, we also need to express our faith in ways that are relevant to us now in the 21st century. Singing the Faith was born from a desire to balance the tradi onal and the contemporary, balance historical insight with modern expression and give congrega ons the opportunity to mix the old with the new.
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Crea ng a new hymn book is no small challenge. The current collec on owes its origin to the Methodist Conference in 2004 which ini ally authorised the prepara on of a supplement to the then hymn book, Hymns and Psalms. In preparing this, so much new material was discovered that, following a report in 2007, the Conference authorized the prepara on of a new collec on of hymns and songs to succeed Hymns and Psalms and in 2009, a er a lengthy debate, they agreed that this should be turned into a hymn book. The group responsible for the development of this new collec on – the rather unimagina vely- tled ‘Music Resources Group’, with support from the more austerely tled “Faith & Order Commi ee” – thus set about pu ng together a collec on of music for worship to reflect the huge diversity of musical styles and texts, examining thousands of texts before deciding on what would make the final cut. Criteria were developed to help with the selec on of new songs, in par cular, with new texts expected to be “in contemporary English using appropriate language, theological reference and metaphor”, and to “express the fundamentals of the Chris an faith in new and fresh ways”. The final list was put to Conference for authoriza on in 2010.
The hymn book isn’t just intended to be used for public worship, but also to “enrich private devo on”, and I’m sure many of us can recount many situa ons in which we turn to well - loved hymns, whether it be in the shower, whilst out for a walk in the hills, or in mes of need. Or maybe that’s just me. And Singing the Faith doesn’t just include hymns and songs. It also includes a sec on of liturgical se ngs and sung responses, as well as can cles and psalms.
It isn’t perfect. We miss the guitar chord nota on, and I’m not convinced by some of the arrangements, some of which I find overly fussy, and others which seem to me more suited to an organ and choir, a combina on not usually found in a Methodist Church on a Sunday morning. But there are some gems, new and old, and I for one am glad to find my favourite hymn, “All my Hope on God is founded”, set by the wonderful composer, organist and teacher, Herbert Howells, now included, with its beau ful line “Me through change and chance he guideth, only good and only true”. Howells named the tune Michael, in memory of his son who died suddenly at the age of nine from polio, which he contracted during a family holiday. Howells was deeply affected by Michael’s death and channelled his grief into music, composing much of the large-scale choral work which was to become his famous Hymnus Paradisi in the three years following his son’s death. If I knew more about music theory, I’d be able to tell you exactly how Howells’ chord structure communicates these complex emo ons, but next me we sing this hymn, listen for yourself to how Howells conveys joy, hope and sorrow in the melody, and uses this to bring out the meaning in Robert Bridges’ words.
I hope your favourite made it in there; please do let me know if there are any hymns, songs or pieces of music, religious or otherwise, that you’d like to hear before or a er our services. For though we o en make a dis nc on between religious and secular music, I’d argue that much music, from Bach to Mahler, Bob Dylan to Kate Bush, is wri en in response to and inspired by the desire to understand what it means to be human.
Bronwen Fisher
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Vera Love
Vera was well known in Hampton, someone who was always out and about and who loved being with and talking to people. I got to know her in the later stages of her life when, despite limited mobility, she had such determina on to keep going that, if her walking frame had recorded her mileage, I think records might have been broken for distance travelled! She m ade sure she had a daily ou ng, some mes catching the bus to Hampton Court and walking round the grounds, along the river or in Bushy Park. Otherwise at least ‘round the block’ of Percy Road, Tudor Road and Broad Lane. Some Saturdays she would catch the bus to Kingston and walk through the market to a church where there was a coffee morning which offered her the opportunity to indulge in her favourite ac vity of mee ng people and cha ng. She was a regular a ender at Linden Hall for the same reason and also the Friday Focus lunches at HMC which I used to organise. Some mes she’d arrive as early as the cooks, happy to have some company and to sit with a cup of tea, knit and chat (as in the photo). Occasionally, if she wasn’t well enough to come out, she’d appreciate a ‘Friday lunch’ delivered across the road to her flat. I remember returning to collect the dishes once and she was feeling be er, so invited me in. What a wonderful conversa on we had. She showed me photos of her much-loved family, reminisced about the ups and downs over the years and I le having received a deeper insight into the life of dear Vera. She kindly gave me a pair of gloves that she had kni ed, with love. They are red, with a long cuff to keep my wrists warm. Thank you, Vera, and God bless you.
Hilary Everi
Vera had a lovely, if cheeky sense of humour and always made me laugh. I remember my parents visi ng and being highly amused by her an cs! I was really sorry to hear that she has gone, but no doubt she'll s ll be dancing and cracking jokes in heaven! I know she'll be missed by those who knew her but I'm sure she'll manage to cause a smile or a chuckle for many years to come!
Rev Ben Haslam
13 Baby Basics
Baby Basics now has 28 centres across England and Wales. Together it is es mated that they have provided 4606 Moses basket starter packs to families in need since 2009. We started in Sunbury in 2014 and we have delivered 450 in the area. The Hampton based project “The Extra Mile” has grown out of the Baby Basics ini a ve and supports families with children from three months onwards. We work closely with them and par cularly appreciate the support of Liz and Wendy who volunteer for both groups.
It costs at least £10 to send each basket out as we purchase new ma resses and towels. Other items are donated (toiletries and clothes) and we use Facebook to raise the profile of the work we do. More and more agencies are hearing about our work and so the geographical area we cover is expandin g. We have supported families seeking asylum, those who have suffered domes c violence and other hard mes.
We have been fortunate to receive financial backing from a number of sources in 2017, including some standing order payments, Church groups, schools and local community groups. We are planning a fundraising event on Saturday 3rd March at 12.30 which will be a Soup Lunch with entertainment at Sunbury Methodist Church. Please put this date in your diaries and come along to support us. Speakers from a Children’s Centre will also be talking about the work they do and how Baby Basics and The Extra Mile work with them.
Please accept our thanks for all your dona ons and prayers and please keep them coming. Mary Somerville
Baby Basics Sunbury
07770 168 115 [email protected] The Extra Mile
On my bookshelf at home sits a deligh ul book called “The Secret of Happiness.” It’s a children’s book by Jan Godfrey and Honor Ayres. It tells the tale of a li le boy called Reuben who is listening to the Sermon on the Mount; the story is brilliantly illustrated and as you might expect from the Bible Reading Fellowship who publish the book, its message is both simple and profound. The language of the Sermon on the Mount is well known beyond church circles, “turn the other cheek,” “love your enemy” and “walk the extra mile,” are familiar phrases; even if many people don’t realise their source. This children’s book clearly gets its message over in the tle of the book, for it proclaims that following Jesus’s teaching is in fact the secret of happiness. Our amazing charitable outreach “The Extra Mile,” gets its name from the Sermon on the Mount (Ma hew 5:41), it plays a key role in how we as a small faith community carry out Jesus’s teaching. “The Extra Mile “story has been inspira onal for us, from the early days of realising the great need in our community; recognising the call to respond in the Lord’s name and building on the excellent work of “Baby Basics” to a posi on whereby we have
14 helped over 350 children in the local area, in just over two years of opera on. What this small team of volunteers has achieved is quite simply miraculous! We work through professionals like social workers, health visitors and midwives to provide pre-loved clothes and equipment (cots, baby baths, travel cots, cribs, play mats, bouncy chairs, high chairs, prams, buggies) toys and books etc o en to families with absolutely nothing. The stories we hear from the professionals about the condi ons of these families and their children are o en painful to hear, including horrible cases of domes c abuse and human trafficking in addi on to the impact of a benefit system seemingly devoid of compassion. The old phrase “the working poor” has made a resurgence and reflects the huge rise among those families living in rented accommoda on with parents in full- me employment who are suffering enormously from the rise in the cost of living and are now considered by many to be “very vulnerable.” The small but significant difference we are making to the lives of these families more than makes up for all the hard work of our brilliant team of volunteers and the occasional mess we make in the church! The demand on TEM in the period leading up to Christmas and New Year was colossal. Frankly, we can’t see the demand falling off. This is where you come in! TEM is appealing for volunteers. We need people with a big heart for Jesus to come along at 11.00am on Mondays and/or Wednesdays for an hour or so working on sor ng dona ons and preparing deliveries. We know you all do so much for the Lord, but we would prayerfully ask you to offer an extra mile. A er all – it is the secret of happiness! Eunice Gilks [email protected] 07467 190170
15 Women’s World Day of Prayer 'All God's Crea on is Very Good'
There are eight churches in our area who take it in rota on to host the service and each year women in a different part of the world prepare the worship material. The material for this year's service was prepared by the women of Suriname, previously Dutch Guiana, which is a beau ful country. It boasts wonderful forests and mountains and has great rivers with impressive rapids. It is a country rich with flowers and animals, and provides enough food for all. In this service the women of Suriname urge us to cherish God's exquisite gi of Crea on and to commit ourselves to caring for God's world responsibly, so that we may pass it on, unspoiled, to future genera ons.
The art work was designed by 70year old Alice Pomstra-Elmont and shows hands symbolically receiving the divine gi ready to pass on to future genera ons. The sun shines and vegetables and fruit tell us that there is enough food for everyone. The blue frog is one of the protected species only found in Suriname. The humming bird, white ibis and macaw represent the many bird species the country boasts.
Na ve to the country is the red and yellow heliconia, as is the majes c kapok tree- a beau ful giant of the forest. In the distance the Voltzberg can be seen - one of Suriname's many granite mountains. The seven women symbolize all women in Suriname who cherish this gi to pass on to their children. Seven also symbolizes the seven days of God's crea on.
In the back of the service book there is a list of grants that have been given to a wide range of chari es ranging from MAF UK to Cafod, Tear Fund to Leprosy Mission and to projects in many countries around the world. The local commi ee meets over the autumn and winter to help the local host church prepare the service and to take part in it. There will be some familiar hymns and some new ones to learn. This year the service will be in the a ernoon of Friday 2nd March at St. Richard's Church and everyone is warmly invited to attend.
Margaret Thorn
16
Dates for your diary around the circuit and beyond
Messy Church dates: 13 February, 10 April, 29 May. 10.30 am to 12.
Spring Concert at Hampton on Saturday 17 February at 7 pm raising money for our Ladies Guild. Sale of homemade cakes in the interval suppor ng the Leprosy Mission’s Purulia Hospital. Tickets £5 in advance or £6 on the door.
The Circuit Prayer Course at Teddington Methodist Church led by Rev David Innes. 28 February, 7 and 14 March. An opportunity to explore different styles of prayer together. 8 – 9.30 pm.
Women’s World Day of Prayer is on the a ernoon of Friday 2 March at St Richard’s Church. The material this year has been prepared by the women of Suriname. Speak to Janice or Margaret for more informa on.
Soup Lunch at Sunbury on Saturday 3 March from 12.30 to 2 pm raising funds for Baby Basics and The Extra Mile. Speakers from a Children’s Centre will also be talking about the work they do and how Baby Basics and The Extra Mile work with them to support local families.
Also, on 3 March there is a charity concert at East Molesey Church at 8 pm (doors open at 7.30 pm.) The band Follow the Son will perform a mix of both Chris an and popular music from Elvis to Adele, songs from Les Misérables and more.
The next Fish and Chips Film Night at East Molesey Church is on Friday 9 March at 6.30 pm. The film will be ‘Lion’ starring Dev Patel. Advance booking required for the meal (£6). Speak to Mark if you would like to go.
Lou Fellingham is at St Richard’s Church on Friday 23 March at 8 pm. This is a great opportunity to see Lou locally with her ‘This Changes Everything’ tour. She is a worship leader, singer and songwriter. Her heart is to communicate the love of God through song and her desire is to express truth, feed the church and bring revela on of God through her singing and songwri ng. Tickets £12 plus booking fee. £14 from 23 February. Book online at www.strichardshanworth.org/loufellingham
Early morning Hot Cross Bun giveaway at Hampton Sta on will be on Tuesday 27 March.
Maundy Thursday Service at Hanworth at 7 pm. (29 March)
Good Friday Service at Sunbury at 11 am. (30 March)
Easter Sunday (1 April). Come and enjoy a special Easter morning breakfast at Breakfast Church (9.15 am). Later service is at 10.45 am.
East Molesey Church is holding a Book Fair on 14 April between 11 am and 2 pm.
There will be a Teddy Bears Picnic at East Molesey Church from 3 – 5pm on 12 May.
Annual Church Mee ng 27 May a er the morning service. Everyone welcome.
Back by popular demand at East Molesey Church on Saturday 14 July at 8 pm will be a concert by the John Hacke Band. John (brother of former Genesis guitarist Steve Hacke ), performs with band members Nick Fletcher, Jeremy Richardson and Duncan Parsons as part of their na onal tour.
17
Books These are all books I have read and enjoyed in the last few months. They are all available to borrow from the stand in the narthex.
Finding my Voice: Playing the fool, and other triumphs by Jonathan Veira
I knew nothing about the exuberant Jonathan Veira un l Wendy and I went to last year’s Chris an Resources Exhibi on and he was on the lunch me panel cha ng with Cindy Kent, which prompted me to buy this book. He also had an a ernoon slot singing, sharing stories and engaging with the audience.
He has performed in opera houses around the world for over 20 years and also takes his ‘Audience with Jonathan Veira’ around the country, sharing his music, his stories and his faith. He has a wicked sense of humour and of the ridiculous and the book is full of these stories. You certainly do not need to be an opera lover to enjoy the book. He says at the beginning, ‘This book doesn’t try to do anything but tell stories. My stories. Ul mately they are stories that involved many people in my frequent mishaps, momentous events and, o en, just plain silliness.’
English Lessons: the crooked path of growing toward faith by Andrea Lucado
What a racted me to this book is that Andrea is the daughter of American author and pastor Max Lucado, whose books I enjoy. As she says at the start, ‘Church was not a part of my childhood. It was my childhood. Church, growing up – they twine themselves in my memories.’ The year a er she graduated she spent a year at Oxford- Brookes University where her world was turned upside down, finding she was the only Chris an in her class. She says, ‘So many nights in Oxford, I felt like the details of my faith were ge ng fuzzier. Nights turned restless with the ques ons and the thoughts. I ques oned God’s existence, and the doubt was ge ng into my bones…’
The book is beau fully wri en as you might expect from an English graduate. Towards the end she says, ‘This is not a book about how to live, but a few pages reminding us that youth and its feelings of uncertainty, constant change, and insecurity are the perpetual way of the Chris an life. Learning never ends. Change is con nuous. The ques ons never stop. I’m not sure if that sounds hopeful, but it’s meant to. Our faith, how we feel about it and how we feel about God, was never meant to be sta c. We should never assume we have ‘arrived.’ Because the moment we do, something happens that we didn’t expect or don’t understand, and we are fla ened by the reality of our lack of knowledge once again.’
Jail Bird: the inside story of the Glam Vicar by Sharon Grenham-Thompson
When Ben visited us to take a service last year, in the course of conversa on he men oned this book and that he knew the author, so I decided to read it. It is a fasci na ng story and not en rely what you expect to find in the biography of an Anglican vicar! Formerly a solicitor, she was ordained in 1998 when lady vicars were less prevalent and she became chaplain at Bedford Prison in 2004, where she ul mately led a large mul -faith team un l 2016. She is very open about her turbulent and troubled life including two failed marriages and severe depression. She says, ‘I spent several months in a psychiatric hospital. Later that helped me understand how it felt for a pr isoner to be locked in.’ She has also been scriptwri ng and broadcas ng for BBC radio and is a regular on Pause for Thought.
The book gave an interes ng insight into the work of a prison chaplain and above all is a story of hope in spite of everything. She says,’ Working at Bedford allowed me to affirm myself,
18 acknowledging that bad experiences, wrong choices, even dreadful failures need not be the sum total of a person.’
Let me tell you a story: the best of Rob Parsons
Thirty years ago Rob founded the charity Care for the Family, which I have supported for most of that me. This book is a collec on of some of the stories he has told over the years, many about his own family life and each with a note about how the story came about. Some are gentle, others funny, encouraging, touching or sad. Each is only a few pages long. Adrian Plass says it is a, ‘Sparkling collec on of tales from years of speaking and wri ng. Rob doesn’t just tell his tales, he invites his readers to become part of the experience.’
Please let me know if you have read any good books that you would like to recommend in the next magazine.
Liz Windaybank
19
take 5
You’ve probably heard of St Pixels, the on line church but have you heard of take 5?
Forget the jazz standard, or time to take a break, take 5 is the monthly e-magazine for primary age children. take 5 is available by email or online. It has a bright colourful format with short articles and is aimed at primary school aged children in the Teddington Circuit. In it you can nd jokes, a puzzle, a ‘make’ and a message or Bible story as well as advertising upcoming children’s activities and events across the Teddington Circuit churches. It covers a range of interesting topics from top 10 facts to special anniversaries to charity information.
The idea for take 5 came at a time when numbers of children regularly in church were falling. It was an attractive and up-to-date way to keep in touch with church and to share the good news.
Initially it began at Molesey and was called ‘take 2’ following on from the church notices which are called ‘take note’. Parents were asked for emails and permission to email the magazine. The rst edition was published over 10 years ago in April 2007 focussing on Easter with a recipe for hot cross buns and a competition to design a logo. The winning logo was a red button divided by a cross with two small smiley faces in opposite corners.
The idea was well received by parents and children. It seemed too good to keep just in Molesey so in September 2009 take 5 was launched across the circuit with a new name and new look to reect the ve churches. It now appears on the circuit website.
We try to publish on the rst Sunday of the month but sometimes it is delayed when the take 5 team take a holiday! You can check when the new edition is out as it is announced on Facebook. We hope this will encourage parents and children to look on line or email us to ask to be on the mailing list [email protected].
Joyce Pegg
20