U N D E R R I V
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U n d e r r i v e r news sheet The Church of St Margaret, Underriver Vicar: Rev Serena Willoughby St Lawrence Vicarage, Stone Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0LQ Telephone: 01732 761766 Email: [email protected] Church Calendar FEBRUARY 3 Candlemas White 9:45 All-age Family Service (Joint benefice)— at St Lawrence’s Readings: tbc 10 5th Sunday after Epiphany White 8:00 Holy Communion (BCP) Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 & Luke 5:1-11 11:15 Matins(BCP) Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 & Luke 5:1-11 17 6th Sunday after Epiphany White 11:15 Short Family Communion (CW) Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-10 & Luke 6:17-26 24 7th Sunday after Epiphany Whte 11:15 Parish Communion (CW) Readings: Genesis 45:3-11,15 & Luke 6:27-38 3 Mar Sunday next before Lent White 9:45 All-age Family Service (Joint benefice) Readings: tbc 6 Mar ASH WEDNESDAY Purple 10:00 Ash Wednesday Service at St Lawrence Key: BCP = Book of Common Prayer - a service using traditional (17th C) language and form; CW = Common Worship - a service using contemporary (21st C) language and form St Margaret’s Church Website St Margaret’s now has its own website. To keep up to date about services and events please see www.stmargaretsunderriver.org.uk 2 FROM THE VICAR Hello everyone, In February some people may celebrate Valentines Day, I remember the agony as a teenager of waiting to see if the postman weaknesses, virtues and vices, right? brought me a card! My daughter’s If you’re looking for perfection, birthday is Valentines Day and it you’re in the wrong shop. Maybe now has a very special meaning for Esther’s birth day being on us as a family. Valentines Day serves a lesson to me We talk about love a great deal, as a mother that I am not perfect at the media talks about it all the time it and many times I get it wrong but (sadly usually in not a positive way in she keeps on loving me anyway, people’s lives) and most pop songs definitely as a parent there’s that are based around the theme of love. unconditional love that just seems to But of course there are different grow and grow (fortunately in time kinds of love and perhaps if we don’t for the teenage years!). want to think about Valentines Day The only way to have a successful we could take a while to reassess relationship with someone is to love our friendships and relationships in and accept them ‘as is’. Don’t buy the light of what the Bible tells us into the myth that most folks are about how we could love one ‘normal’ except the ones in your life. another. Based on that idea, relationships are Have you ever been in a discount an endless quest to sort each other shop where merchandise is labelled out, control others, or pretend they ‘slightly irregular’, or ‘purchase as are something they’re not. Thomas is’? They don’t always tell you where Merton said, ‘Love is letting those the flaw is. And once you buy it you we love be perfectly themselves, can’t return it. You have to make the and not twisting them to fit our own decision there and then that you’ve image. Otherwise we love only the committed to it as an item that is reflection of ourselves we see in just as it is. them.’ Well, in a way we all live in the ,‘as A hallmark of real love is is’, department. Stop and think acknowledging that nobody is about the people in your life. We’re perfect as we ourselves are not a mixed bag of strengths and (Continued on page 4) 3 (Continued from page 3) support them in their areas of struggle. ‘What about their flaws?’ perfect and committing to love you may say. ‘…Love covers a others in spite of it. St Paul writes (in multitude of sins’, says St Peter. the Bible): ‘Be gentle and forbearing When we think about it long and with one another and, if one has a hard it’s quite a challenge isn’t it! difference (a grievance or complaint) Maybe a challenge that would be against another, readily pardoning good to take up this Valentines day? each other; even as the Lord has Love to you all, [freely] forgiven you, so you must also forgive’ Colossians 3:13. Serena x To love someone, ‘as is’, means to focus on their areas of strength and Prayer Times Tuesday 12th February 2.30pm at the vicarage Thursday 28th February 2.30pm Brian and Mary’s 50 The Crescent LENT COURSE: The Prophetic Voice of the Church 5 SESSIONS starting Monday March 11th 2019 Be inspired and challenged! Do join us for this year’s course. 7.30 – 8.45pm Sessions will be held alternately between Stone Street and Underriver. Please put the dates in your diary and let Serena or Gretel know if you are able to attend. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you. More details in the March magazine. 4 THE NEW CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL Every six years, all Church of England parishes prepare new Church Electoral Rolls. Those who wish to be on the new Roll (or to stay on it) will need to apply to do so, using a special form. We are starting on this process now; and it will be finished in April. The Church Electoral Roll has nothing to do with the Electoral Roll used for central and local government elections or for referenda. The Church Electoral Roll is the list of those qualified to attend and vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. This meeting is held in April; and it is where elections take place for the Parochial Church Council, the two Church- wardens and the Parish’s two Deanery Synod representatives. Any person enti- tled to attend that meeting may raise any question of parochial or church inter- est. Being on the Church Electoral Roll is one of the ways in which people can show their support for our lovely little Church and for keeping it alive in Under- river. We have a legal obligation to display the names – but not the addresses – of those on the new Church Electoral Roll on the Church notice-board inside the Church Porch for two weeks in April. We are writing to everyone on the present Church Electoral Roll to ask them whether they wish to remain on this Roll - and we will be sending them a form in the hope that they will! We are also writing to some others. However, if you’re not on the Church Electoral Roll at present and would like to be on it, please don’t wait to get a letter! Give me a ring - or even better email me. You may also wish to know that at the same time we shall be writing to all whose data we hold in connection with Data Protection (as we are required to do by law). Arthur Rucker, Secretary to the Parochial Church Council. 01732 833227; [email protected] 5 St Margaret’s Church Underriver Report to parishioners on the 2017 150th Anniversary Appeal and Church works The total amount raised as previously reported was: - Lump sums including Gift Aid £21,244 Increased regular giving including Gift Aid £12,350 per annum Following the Appeal the PCC resolved that all the lump sum donations and half the increased regular donations should be credited to the Church Repair Fund. The quinquennial inspection of the church in 2018 revealed the need for some substantial expenditure on repairs. The main items are:- • External stonework requires treatment because it has been flaking. This treatment is known as defrassing using brushes to remove all loose material. It is not thought that as a result any stonework will need to be replaced. • The redecoration of the vestry including the removal of a defunct radiator, replastering the west wall, which is cement rendered. This is not good on stone walls. The floor will be sanded, restained and polished • Some interior redecoration to the East wall of the chancel, the SE corner of the nave and some remedial work to the N wall plus some rather more substantial work to the NW corner above the flower room • Substantial upgrades to the rainwater goods including enlarging the downpipes and gutters, which frequently get blocked. Gullies will be raised and covers provided and an additional downpipe on the north wall. • Cleaning the porch roof and then replacing such roof tiles as necessary. • Repairing the floor of the porch, which has subsided leveling it and retiling as necessary. • Sundry other minor matters. The total cost of all this amounts to £51,536 including VAT. All the VAT should be recovered as the church is listed. The repairs commenced on 7th January and are estimated to be completed by 29th March. There will be some disrup- (Continued on page 7) 6 (Continued from page 6) tion while the repairs are being done and the PCC has made provision that this should be minimized and all services will be held as usual. During the year the electrical system has been upgraded with anti surge boards and RCDs. A total of 10 unsafe gravestones and crosses have been made safe and the large cross on the right hand side of the path is to be raised to ground level to eliminate the water problem in heavy rainfall.