The Winter 2017 Winter

Sunday Services Beating a hasty retreat 8 am Eucharist Towards the end of October, the BBC showed 10 am Parish Eucharist a three-part series entitled ‘Retreat: followed by refreshments Before you start researching how your Meditations from a Monastery’. The series ______television can pick-up Norwegian or Czech was part of what is called ‘slow television’: a channels, let me reassure you that BBC4 has Church Open term used to describe programmes which produced its own slow television. In 2014 it Unfortunately for the time being show ordinary events, at a slow pace with no showed a three-hour tour of London’s the Church has to be kept narrator or music to distract the viewer. This National Gallery, and has since produced a closed except for during phenomenon began in Norway in 2009 with a two-hour canal trip and a series on skills such services. For details please see seven-hour train journey from to as glass blowing and the making of similar article on page 2 being screened in objects by hand. ______real time, with no All of these breaks, music or Christenings, programmes keep dialogue. It might to the slow Weddings, sound about as fun television rules of as watching paint Banns of Marriage no music, no dry, but it was please contact voiceover and incredibly popular, The Revd Felix Smith everything shown with 20% of the Telephone: 01903 753653 in real time. ______population of Reviewers were Norway watching at Editor divided on these least part of the The Revd Felix Smith new programmes, programme. St Michael’s Vicarage some described Norwegian 117, Penhill Road them as ‘the most television then developed this theme, with Lancing, BN15 8HD boring television ever’, others made them further train journeys around the country and E: [email protected] their ‘pick of the week’, describing them as even episodes of reindeer migration and a ‘oddly absorbing’ and ‘soothing’. Either way, pork rib being cooked, all in real time! In the www.stmichaelslancing.org.uk they were a ratings hit, and proved to Czech Republic, slow television even has its be some of the most popular programmes own channel, showing such delights as: a /stmichaelslancing on BBC4. lubricating rails in , a bird feeder in Cizova, and a runway at Prague airport (the ‘Retreat: Meditations from a Monastery’ was @smaaalancing last being the most popular of the latest on this theme. In three separate its programmes!). episodes, each sixty minutes in length, it

The Net 2 showed the inner workings of three Benedictine Abbeys quality which helps people to ‘tune in’ to a more reflective state throughout the UK: Downside, Pluscarden and Belmont. We of mind, and so experience something of God. In our prayers saw the monks go about their daily lives: waking up, eating, and worship we seek to achieve our own version of a retreat, praying, singing and so on. We also saw the beauty of the even if it’s only for an hour on a Sunday, by providing a space Abbeys, the buildings and their grounds; lengthy shots of the for stillness, reflection, joy and prayerfulness which is so sunlight streaming through the windows of the chapels or the desperately needed in our busy and overcrowded lives. flowers being watered. It showed how each monk is involved in a different area of the community’s life, and there were long scenes of Father Christopher making bread and Father Michael carving a prayer desk. I watched the first episode with my hand on the remote, expecting to be so bored that I would want to switch over to something else within the first few minutes. However, within five minutes I was hooked! Watching the slow movements of the monks, their prayerfulness and their silence made me feel calmer, more relaxed and at peace. In a sense, I felt like I had been on retreat with them.

Focus on what matters Retreat is a word with mixed meanings. We sometimes hear the Make your own retreat phrase ‘beating a hasty retreat’, meaning running away from So whether you’re into slow television, or you like to live life in something we don’t want to deal with. In the Christian the fast lane, St. Michael’s church is somewhere where you can tradition, however, a retreat is a positive thing. It’s not a retreat from the worries and busyness of everyday life, and find method of running away from the ‘reality’ of our day-to-day a space for silence, solitude and reflection. The church is a lives, but a way of stepping outside the noise, the busyness and wonderful place to visit for silent prayer or just to sit quietly, the distractions of the world around us, to focus on the things and our short midweek services provide a time for prayerful that really matter. Christians believe that, when we do this, we reflection. Sometimes in life we need to ‘beat a hasty retreat’, can often begin to hear our true selves and become more not to escape or run away from something but to put our lives attuned to recognising God’s presence in our lives. into perspective, and to realise once again what has true The monks do this daily, through their reading of scriptures, meaning to us. It’s by doing this singing the prayers of the day (called the Divine Office) and that we can begin to discover who their manual work. For the rest of us, this can be more difficult, we really are and, through this, who as we seek to find a space for quiet reflection in our busy lives. God is too. For Christians, coming to church serves as a chance to have a Father Felix Smith mini-retreat each week. People often say when they come into St. Michael’s church, that they feel a great sense of peace and stillness; there is a sense that the building itself has a special A new heating system for St Michael’s

For a number of years the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St means there will be heat this winter but the church will have to Michael and All Angels, Lancing has looked for the opportunity remain closed outside of service times for safety reasons. This to renew the heating system in the church. It was served by the is not a decision we have taken lightly and we plan to reopen original “John Grundy” system (1924) which was so inefficient the church once the new heating system is installed or we no and noisy that it had to be shut off before the start of a service. longer need the temporary heaters. The building then cooled rapidly, particularly in the cold winter Fundraising has already started and so far the congregation months leaving the congregation extremely cold. have collectively pledged over £11,000 towards the costs of In 2015 the PCC received a legacy from a late member of the this work. We are also actively applying to grant-making bodies congregation of £20,000 which the PCC decided to dedicate to for assistance from them. replacing the heating system. We were advised to bring in a Having a new heating system will make such a difference to the heating consultant to draw up a detailed specification for our church and our community. It will revolutionise the ways in new system to ensure that we got value for money but above which we can use the church building for concerts, recitals, art all to make sure that it would keep us warm. exhibitions, talks and so much more. Plus anyone attending a Our consultant suggested that an asbestos survey focused on service or event in the church will be warm throughout the removal of our old system would be needed. As a result their visit. asbestos was discovered and needs to be removed before any If you would like to make a donation towards the heating fund work on installing a new system can be started. The affected please send a cheque payable to St Michael and All Angels areas are all self-contained and access is now restricted. The c/o St Michael’s Vicarage, 117 Penhill Road, Lancing, BN15 8HD cost of the removal work is around £16,000. Five quotes are or visit https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/ also being obtained for the new system which could be in the stmichaelandallangels where you can donate online. region of £71,000. Unfortunately our old system is no longer usable but we have borrowed Calor-gas space heaters which The Net 3 5 Minutes with…Aedan Kerney My wife Jill and I have lived in North Lancing, just above couple of ladies – one with a very stylish red hat - used to St James the Less Church, for the past 42 years. Before this approach me every week to let me know how little they had we spent five very happy years living in The Paddocks in enjoyed the hymns that week (too slow, too fast, too South Lancing. boring, sung to the wrong tune, etc.) and from then on I have always personally tried to find at least one thing I I love being involved in activities in our village. In the past really like in every piece of church music I play or sing. Now few weeks I have visited Boundstone Nursery School - I genuinely find every piece of music a favourite of mine. where I’m a governor- several times, run a WI Singing Day, given a talk about Lancing 100 years ago using a power- I like the motto of my Scottish Ramsay family: “Ora at point created from old slides and conducted a concert of labora”. It’s really simple and means “Pray and work”. I think “Music from the West End” with The Boundstone Chorus. it originally came from the Benedictine monks and for me the worlds of prayer and work have always been deeply Teacher intertwined. I taught at Boundstone Community I find particular resonance in the College for 41 years. This meant that opening verse of Psalm 121: “I I could get to know many will lift mine eyes to the hills from generations of Lancing families really whence cometh my help.” It was well and was also able to develop a favourite verse of mine as a musical traditions which meant a child and when teaching I would great deal to the whole community – often look out of my classroom such as the sell-out “Seeboard Big window towards Lancing Ring. It Band Nights” at Worthing’s Pavilion always gave me that same sense Theatre on the final Friday evening of perspective and hope. of every January; the annual Tours around the UK and Europe where Laus Deo our young people were able to I suppose that as a musician the perform to audiences in some great composer Joseph Haydn amazing churches, cathedrals, has been a real inspiration to me. theatres and outside venues; the For all his long adult life he stunning candlelight carol concerts worked every day in a really each year in the School Hall where disciplined way to create the the voices of our young people beautiful music which has made sounded their blessing on the world a richer place for us all our community. - thirty minutes prayer on his knees beside his piano when Music and worship he first woke up, three hours fiddling around on the piano and creating little bits of music which he wrote down so I’m probably best known as the ”Music Man” at St that they might come in useful later, a large lunch, an Michael’s. Music is very, very important to me and I find afternoon of putting all those little musical bits together in that I can become very close to God through music. When an inspired way to create his great masterpieces, a live singing or playing all my energy becomes totally focused performance most evenings – and always at the end of spiritually. However, I’m also a Eucharistic Minister and for every piece he completed he wrote “Laus Deo” – “Thank several years had the privilege of taking communion to an you, God”. elderly couple in their home in Lancing. The sincerity and strong faith of those lovely people was moving and those Dinner with Gandhi times together were like a still point in my very busy life at If I could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, it would that time. be Mahatma Gandhi – he is still such an inspirational person My wife Jill and I decided that whatever else would happen and his belief in non-violence in achieving great ambitions to us in our marriage we would worship together. I come is still as relevant as ever today. (my grandparents once from a Quaker background and Jill had belonged to an stayed for two nights at a conference centre in Birmingham Anglican Church in Lincoln. We visited a number of in the very room where Gandhi had slept. They swapped churches locally but found something very special at their single beds for the second night so that they could St Michael’s which “spoke to us”. We are still worshipping at both say that they had slept in the same bed where Gandhi St Michael’s forty-seven years later. had previously slept – only to be told that he had slept on the floor!). Of course, now that I have thought about it this Favourite hymn would probably be a very frugal meal! Very strangely I suppose I don’t have a favourite hymn or worship song. When I was first the organist at St Michael’s a The Net 4 Pantomime Quiz Can you answer these pantomime themed questions? (Oh yes you can, Oh no you can’t!)

1. What told Dick Whittington to 'turn again'? ______

2. In which pantomime does Maid Marian appear? ______

3. In Cinderella, what is the name of Prince Charming's friend? ______

4. In Jack and the Beanstalk, what does Jack get in exchange for his mother's cow? ______

5. What is the name of Aladdin's mother? ______

6. When Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on a spindle, what happened to her? ______

7. What does Cinderella's Fairy Godmother turn into a coach? ______

8. Who is the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime? ______

9. Who eats the Gingerbread House? ______

10. Which pantomime character marries Alice Fitzwarren? ______

COMPETITION CONDITIONS - Entries will only be accepted from addresses with postcodes BN15 8__ or from persons whose names are entered on St Michael's Church electoral roll. Only the first entry received per household will be accepted. The entry form is the whole of Page 4 of The Net. Do not tear or cut the page - a copy may be made, or one may be printed from St Michael's Church web site: www.stmichaelslancing.org.uk/communitynewsletter.htm

Send your answers to The Editor, St. Michael’s Vicarage, 117 Penhill Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8HD. The first entry drawn on 2 January 2018 will win a £10 High Street voucher.

Name ______

Address______

______

Odd One Out and Why

The winner was Matthew Elvidge

The answers were: 1. Bulls (Chicago) all others American football team; 2. Octopussy , all others have themes sung by Shirley Bassey; 3. Gigi, all the others by Rodgers and Hammerstein; 4. Beethoven, all the others were blind; 5. Montana, all others are tribes; 6. Port Vale, all others London Clubs; 7. Taboo, is Polynesian others are Indian in origin; 8. Helen Mirren, Not an Avenger; 9. Great eastern, it was a ship, others are trains; 10. Aria, its a solo singer or instrument others are more than one; 11. Aldofo Celli, all others played chief villain Blofeld The Net 5

Christmas services

Sir Robert Woodard Academy Carol Service Monday 10 December, 7 pm

Seaside Primary School Carol Service Tuesday 19 December, 7 pm

The Boundstone Chorus Christmas Celebration Saturday 23 December, 7.30 pm

Sunday 24 December - Christmas Eve 5.30 pm Candlelight Crib Service 11.45 pm Midnight Eucharist

Monday 25 December - Christmas Day 9.30 am Eucharist with carols

Friday 26 January / Friday 23 March 3.30 - 6 pm St Michael’s Church Hall, South Street, Lancing

Messy Church is for everyone - young and old alike. If you are a child you will need to bring an adult with you ACTIVITIES / No charge - donations welcome for food SONGS / FOOD Further details 01903 761913 / www.stmichaelslancing.org.uk

Builders Merchants and DIY Suppliers Throughout Sussex 2-16 Penhill Road, Lancing, BN15 8HJ 01903 755 774

Timber Electrical Tool Hire Ironmongery Housewares Bathrooms Building Supplies Garden Centre Door Showroom

www.gardnerandscardifield.co.uk The Net 6 Our Winter Gardens Christmas

Fireworks are going off as I write this Some tender plants should now be taken Canapes article; we are two days from Halloween into the greenhouse or conservatory. I and I suspect that the flashes and bangs have neither structure so I will only buy Ingredients will last for another week at least. I hope plants or seeds that have the magic word Makes 12 that the trick-or-treaters keep to the “hardy” on the labelling. It is important to • 3 slices medium sliced bread garden paths and don’t tread all over the keep your greenhouse clean and bug • 2oz (50g) butter front flower beds, now carefully planted free to give all plants the necessary up with wallflowers and bulbs! I was conditions to over-winter successfully. • Salt & Pepper pleased with the Minnow variety of short narcissus (daffodil) and will be buying a FILLINGS few more. Most were left in after they Smoked salmon & soured cream flowered last spring but the problem with Egg & cress this is that I can never remember where Tuna & mayonnaise they are, so if the squirrel doesn’t dig Method them up I might do this myself by accident. You will need a 12 hole tartlet tin and a round pastry cutter to fit the tartlet Today has been a gloriously sunny day hole. and I have been in the garden all through it, clearing out annual flowers, weeding, Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4, 350F mowing and planting. I have lifted all the (180C) dahlias and when the corms are dry I shall wrap them in paper and store them Begin by placing the slices of bread over winter ready to be planted out again Winter primulas and pansies can brighten on a flat surface and roll them as thin next year. up pots and flowerbeds but if you want to add interest to larger areas consider as possible with a rolling pin. Stamp This has been a dreadful year for lawn grasses like miscanthus or shrubs like out the rounds. Next melt the butter weeds but it is too late for treatment viburnum; there are also winter flowering with the salt and pepper. Brush each now. Next spring apply some sort of cherries with white or pink flowers. bread round with the melted butter weed and feed granule or liquid, and do Pyracantha looks glorious throughout the and press firmly into the tin. Bake for not be tempted to exceed the winter, with its evergreen foliage and 15-20 mins or until crisp and brown. dosage recommended on the packet. orange berries; just mind the spines! Rake off any fallen leaves as these can Cool on a wire rack and store in cause disease and the grass may Jean Whale airtight tin for up to 2 weeks. die underneath. Add choice of filling from above or make your own fillings. Once filled Do Nothing... Christmas is Coming will keep crisp for up to 3 hours.

Do Nothing... Christmas is Contact Fr Felix Smith (see front Coming turns to what, for many, page for contact details) to order is the busiest time of the year. a copy (£7). For every day of Advent, Stephen Cottrell provides short, practical steps to help us slow down, take time out - and resist the pressure of the Christmas whirl. This eye-catching gift book is perfect if you need to slow down during Advent - of if you know someone else who needs an injection of calm!

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