Welcome to our new Minister, Rev Dr Calvin Samuel
An occasional newsletter to keep you in contact with Hockley and Hawkwell Methodist Church
3rd September 2020 No. 87 Edition 225
Hockley & Hawkwell Methodist Church Main Road Hockley Essex SS5 4QY 01702 205870 [email protected] www.hockleyhawkwellmethodist.org.uk www.facebook.com/hockleymeths Minister – Rev Dr Calvin Samuel
Rev Calvin Samuel’s Pastoral Letter
The beginning of September is often a time of great movement. For us Methodists, September, of course, marks the beginning of the new Connexional year. Methodist ministers, as you know, are itinerant, which means we can be stationed anywhere in the country, going wherever we’re needed most. So, every August hundreds of Methodist ministers and their families relocate across the country, ready to begin new appointments at the beginning of September.
This week we welcomed into our Circuit here in Southend and Leigh, a new ministerial colleague, Deacon Sarah McDowall. Sarah will be working in a number of projects in the Southend Section of our circuit including a mission chaplaincy to the Southend Sea Front, including Adventure Island, and developing a new worshipping community on the Whittingham Avenue Estate.
September is, of course, also the beginning of the year if you’re a teacher. Last minute COVID restrictions allowing, all this week teachers and pupils will be returning to Schools in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, joining their Scottish peers who returned last month. Universities and Colleges will follow suit in a few weeks’ time. Across our circuit some of our churches are making plans to return to their buildings, though there are others who feel that the time is not yet right to return, and some are still in the process of making a decision about what’s best in their specific circumstances.
This is the background against which I’ve begun my exercise of ministry among you as Minster for Hockley from the first of September. New beginnings and endings are very much part of life, aren’t they? We move from one stage into the next. Most of the time these movements feel like a natural progression. Every now and then, however, we experience a major change, where it’s not a natural progression, but we’re required to change in unforeseen and unforeseeable ways.
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This is where I think we stand; on the cusp of major change, in a world that has already changed in ways that were unimaginable only a few months ago. The pandemic has radically altered the ways in which we operate as well as our outlook on life.
Things we took for granted, freedom of movement, or the stability of global economies, proved to be illusory. Items, previously of little significance, suddenly became premium goods. Who could have predicted that toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, and eggs would number among the most highly sought goods in the Spring of 2020?
One of the things that the pandemic and #Lockdown have begun to teach us is how to live with uncertainty. In truth, the pandemic has not increased uncertainty. Rather, it’s exposed how little we actually control, despite our best efforts to the contrary. This pandemic is a lesson in learning to live in the now, because the future is as unpredictable as it has ever been.
I’m very much looking forward to getting to know you in the coming weeks and months and to discerning together God’s future for us. I’ve no idea what that is, but I’m fairly certain that it involves significant change for us. Some of those changes will be joyous and life giving whilst others may well provoke feelings of profound loss. In either case, let’s do our best to hold fast to the God who alone holds the future.
God of beginnings and endings, Creator of Time and Space: in your Wisdom, give us clarity of insight to discern and to focus on those things that matter most. Enable by your Spirit us to elevate the important above the immediate and to expend our energies on building a future better than our past. Amen.
Calvin Samuel
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Prayers for this week
For our world where there is tension and lack of freedom, USA, Belarus, Hong Kong, China, Lebanon and The Yemen, as well as those places where there are forest fires (California and Brazil) and health issues, other than Covid-19 (an outbreak of polio in parts of Africa).
For all the young people, and staff returning to schools this week and those contemplating their move into higher education, where there are many uncertainties and many things are very different form "normal". May there be patience and understanding at all levels.
For those we know who are unwell, Chris and Ron Holloway and June Waterfield; for those alone and isolated at home, Kath, Eunice; for all our members and friends, as we cautiously step out into the world we knew, seeking to find our place in the new normal, and looking for ways of safely being able to worship together again
From the Worship team
During August, our Sunday Zoom services continued. At the beginning of the month, Anne led them but then later, we joined the Circuit Zoom services, led by Rev Peter Moorhouse (our superintendent) and then Rev Chris Sandy.
During August, we were under the pastoral care of the superintendent, as Rev Michael Moon had left, but we were not technically yet with Rev Calvin Samuel. I spoke fairly frequently with both Peter and Calvin during August, and some leaders and the Worship team have had Zoom meetings and discussions with Calvin over that period, most of which have also involved Rochford and Rayleigh.
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As of this Sunday, we will be returning to having our own Zoom service, led by the preacher assigned us on the plan. This week it is Bob Briant and it will be at 10.30am.
You will see elsewhere in the magazine, that the Church Council is considering opening up for Worship from 13th September. Our new minister, Rev Calvin Samuel is planned for then and the following Sunday. Then on 27th September Anne and the Worship team will lead a service based on the All We Can materials in preparation for a harvest service (but not as we know it!) the following week, 4th October.
If we do not open for Worship on 13th, then the plan is that the same preachers will lead the Zoom service but some times may change, as not all churches are opening, and not all preachers and ministers are returning to the plan. You will need to be vigilant and check on times if and when you receive information.
Just recently, the Friday Club have been meeting on Zoom, and last week Calvin joined us in a getting to know you exercise. None of the group were involved in the results fiasco so that was a relief. It has clearly been a difficult time for all of them and they feel the constant pressure of needing to be successful in their academic work.
You will remember that some of them completed leadership training either side of Christmas, and the plan was that at the Church Anniversary, Peter Moorhouse, who led the training, would lead a celebration service and they could be recognised by us all as assistant leaders. This has not been forgotten,
Neither have we forgotten that we need to say an official goodbye to Rev Michael Moon, but government regulations are making this difficult. Watch this space!!
Muriel
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Re-opening Church for worship?
All members and friends have been sent a copy of a draft of “Hockley and Hawkwell Methodist Church is Re-opening for Worship” and a brief questionnaire asking for your views on whether or not you would attend a service – provisionally on 13th September – bearing in mind the conditions that would have to be in place.
On Friday 4th September the Church Council is meeting via Zoom to review the responses and decide whether or not to re-open the Church for worship. You’ll be told what is decided shortly after the meeting.
If the decision is to re-open for worship, we will have a busy week putting in place all the measures that are necessary to make sure everybody who comes to Church can do so safely. The Church has carried out a risk assessment to highlight what needs to be done and that’s what we’ll be putting in place to make the Church Covid-19 secure.
If we decide to re-open for Worship, this Sunday’s Zoom Service will be our last, at least for the time being; we may need to Zoom again if there is any resurgence of the virus - and perhaps in winter when it’s difficult to get to Church?
Whatever the decision we’ll continue for the time being at least with our Wednesday Morning Zoom Chats and, for as long as Ray’s willing to think up the questions, with Ray’s Friday Quizzoom.
So don’t forget:
Wednesday Morning Social Chat at 10:30am An opportunity to meet friends and find out how they are and find out what they’ve been doing. We had 11 at this Wednesday’s Chat.
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Ray’s Friday Quizzoom at 7:00pm Five rounds of five questions in each - with everything from TV soaps to quantum mathematics! There were 13 quizzoomers and a dog last Friday and Ros was Quizzoomer of the week with 21/25.
If you haven’t got a Zoom account go to https://us04web.zoom.us/signup Any problems installing it phone Mike on 07798948236. Don’t be put off by the technology, once it’s going it’s not complicated.
Before each Zoom you’ll get an email with a meeting ID and password and full instructions on how to join in.
You can join either of these events on your landline (or mobile), you don’t need a pc, laptop or tablet. Ask Mike and he’ll give you the number to call (it’s a UK number) and the meeting ID and password. You ring it at the start of the event; you get instructions as you go along till you reach a “waiting room” and Mike will let you into the event from there (this is a security measure to keep out unwanted “guests”). June Waterfield has regularly joined us on Sunday and Wednesday mornings without any difficulty. If you need persuading or any help in joining us (or even a practice session) phone Mike on 07798948236.
Online Worship
Even if Church is re-opened some members and friends will be unable to get to Church but you will still be able to follow services at Wesley’s Chapel in London. Several Services are “streamed” from there during the week and can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA.
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In addition, the Circuit Zoom service is continuing till the end of September. It starts with social chat at 10:30am, then worship starts at 11:00am. The joining details are the same for each week: - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84166449486?pwd=SlhvK2VlbkE0ZU9xeU8yMkl0aHU0 QT09 Meeting ID: 841 6644 9486 Passcode: 322853 One tap mobile +442039017895,,84166449486#,,,,,,0#,,322853# +441314601196,,84166449486#,,,,,,0#,,322853#
Dial on your landline 0203 901 7895 United Kingdom 0131 460 1196 United Kingdom 0203 051 2874 United Kingdom 0203 481 5237 United Kingdom 0203 481 5240 United Kingdom Meeting ID: 841 6644 9486 Passcode: 322853
Rev Calvin Samuel’s and Rev Michael Moon’s previous YouTube services will still be available at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Rev+Calvin+Samuel and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAsvGVGfFr6KIESXEKS36XA.
And there are other services you can watch or listen to at home, for instance:
Methodist Central Hall https://www.youtube.com/user/MCHWevents
plus Songs of Praise every Sunday on BBC1 TV Radio 4 Sunday Worship at 8:10am
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Link to the Past
For this week’s entry I go back to Issue 48 dated April/May 2017 Only three years ago and so many things have happened during that time, both happy and sad. Many of you will know Ron Holloway and like most of us we have not known each other’s life history. Well, Ron’s life history has certainly been interesting so I will now sit back and let you read Ron’s Link submission from three years ago.
It was a long time ago January 1965 was a day of note, seeing at the end of the month, the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. I remember seeing the TV pictures of the sombre proceedings , but it was a day of note for me, as it was my first day of my 32 years service in the police service starting making tea and many other duties which oiled the wheels of Constabulary Matters.
Things were different then;: in April 1965 the force lost Romford division, which became part of the Metropolitan Police and the Essex County Constabulary underwent considerable changes of which I was a very small part . I became a Police Cadet at Basildon, one of four cadets working in the front office, operating the switchboard and many tasks that “the Cadet can do.”
I was living in Vange and worked Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at Basildon Police Station , and attended Chelmsford College of Further Education on Wednesday and Thursday.
It wasn’t long until “interesting” jobs came my way’, I can remember spending all night searching for a missing child - found safe and sound just as dawn was breaking.
Occasionally, very occasionally, I would go with a patrol car crew , Black Austin A60’s with single channel VHF radios. Basildon had three cars and throughout the division an assortment of LE Vellocettes (Noddy – Bikes) and a couple of small cars. I may be painting a peaceful picture but this was a fast growing area with fast roads into London and the town of Southend on its doorstep.
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Throughout my 32 years service I worked with Essex County Constabulary, Essex and Southend On Sea Joint Constabulary and finally Essex Police but never moved outside this area (politics and mergers.)
As time went on I had become a first class driver and was able to drive fast cars , I was fortunate enough to become a forensic science officer as a Detective Sergeant which gave me many challenges - but that’s another story.
Whilst stationed at Harlow Traffic I was “asked” by Chris to take some cheese straws to the traffic garage for a social event that evening. I arrived at home to collect them in a Land Rover; Chris was convinced that it had no suspension as when they arrived they were just crumbs.
Whilst stationed at Epping we organised a fete every year to raise money for small donations to disadvantaged people both young and old, raising thousands of pounds. We also started “Crucial Crew” which taught primary school children how to deal with emergency situations.
So many things happened to me during my service, sad, happy, funny, exhilarating, challenging and satisfying but the one thing that remained constant was my faith given as an example to me by my parents when I was young, and without the love and support of Chris, daughter Tasha and my extended family I couldn’t have done it.
Ron Holloway
More news from The Link next week.
Ray Williams
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Scouts at Hockley & Hawkwell Methodists
A few weeks ago the Link included a short note from me about the origins of the Boy Scouts organisation. Reading it again brought back memories of how it started in our church.
Some time in the fifties we were very happy to hear that our church was to be provided with its own minister and its own manse. The manse was actually a new-build bungalow opposite the church at 48 Main Road and was completed just in time to house the new minister, Rev Arthur Bryant, a Welshman, and his wife and daughter Susan. At that time quite a large number of children attended morning service, staying for about 15 minutes before leaving for their own service. When Arthur took the service he often told a story of the adventures of Olwen, a Brownie in the Tylwyth Teg which I'm told is Welsh for 'Fairies', presumably one of the Brownie sixes. He was also an enthusiast for the uniformed organisations and keen to see them established in the church.
A request for leaders brought forth a surprisingly large number of volunteers, including Michael's uncle Frank who with Harold Collingridge started the scout troop and his aunt Kathleen who took on the cubs. Since then of course many good folk have taken up the challenge, including Carolyn Sturgess and Kath Walker. I remember too Kathleen Cross, who was I think the first Akela, and her daughter Margaret who ran the guides.
Some of you will I hope also remember Derek and Edna Evans who devoted many years to the Scouts and Cub movement and more recently Jean Saunders' daughter Jane who currently runs Beavers. But there are no doubt many more and it would be interesting to hear of them too, perhaps in another issue.
Kay Deedman
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hairy plin publications’ shares plunge on stock market
Following the highly successful floatation of this prolific publishing firm from Boggart Hole Clough, Manchester, its 50p ordinary shares rose sharply to a high of 123½p, buoyed by expectations for its eagerly awaited blockbuster “Noddy – the Opera”. However, end of day trading on Wednesday saw the price languishing at 13¼p.
The company’s new film vehicle, “Hairy Plin Movies”, “Noddy - the Opera” was in advanced pre-production, with Benedict Cumberbatch lined up as Noddy (it’s surprising what can be done with CGI – Ed.) and Martin Clunes as Big Ears. Rumours circulating about copyright problems were confirmed on Tuesday by a spokesperson for well-known profiteers trusted, specialist stockbrokers Fleasem, Pockitt, Tall and Scramme who revealed that the project had been abandoned. He said that it was just hard luck for those millions of children who’d persuaded bank of Grandpa and Grandma to invest in their childhood hero – “what goes up must come down (except for our fees, of course)”.
Managing Director Cecelia de Mills (no relation) said she was as sick as a budgie and had burnt all her Noddy books in disgust. “This is the end of a dream for me, but there’s always another movie to be made, and I’ve been asked to direct “Peppa Pig – the Ballet”. When asked about her redundancy package she declined to comment.
More details on Fleasem, Pockitt, Tall and Scramme’s website www.fpts-crux.org.uk.
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Ray’s Quizzoom For those of you who missed Ray’s last Quizzoom, here it is (no cheating – use of smart phones not allowed!) as well as the answers to Quizzoom 15
Quizzoom 16 Friday 28th August
ROUND ONE - WHO’S THAT LADY Q.1 This American lady became an English M.P. in 1919 and is known to have said "I married beneath me. All women do." Q.2 This world renowned opera singer from New Zealand has sung at many major events which included singing at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Q.3 This American tennis player defeated Bobby Riggs in a tennis match in 1973 which became known as "The Battle of the Sexes." Her maiden name was Moffitt. (3 words) Q. 4 Which young Scottish girl shouted her way into the U.K. charts in 1964. Her backing group were The Luvvers. Q.5 In this American animated sitcom "The Flintstones" Fred was prone to shout "Yabba Dabba Do." What was the name of Fred's wife.
ROUND TWO - 20TH CENTURY HISTORY Q.6 Which archbishop was elected as the President of Cyprus on the 13th December 1959. Q.7 On the 30th January 1969 which famous band performed live on the roof of the Apple Records offices in London. Q.8 The first test tube baby was born on the 26th July 1978 but what was the child's name. Q.9 In 1986 a nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded sending tons of radioactive gas and debris into the air. Where in the UK did this happen. Q.10 In 1992, in a speech to the nation, the Queen said it had not been a good year but what two word Latin phrase did she use.
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ROUND THREE - ALL AT SEA Q. 11 When visiting Venice, historically what specialised kind of boat would you most expect to see on its canals. Q.12 Which fictional cartoon pirate captain, formerly shown on children's TV, sailed the high seas on his ship called The Black Pig. Q.13 Which husband and wife team appear together on Channel 4's "Great Canal Journeys." Q.14 Which is the largest and deepest of our world's oceans. Q. 15 Which beautiful woman was said to be "The face that launched a thousand ships."
ROUND FOUR - FILM WEEK This is in respect of films shown on TV during the last week. Q. 16 In the film "Mamma Mia" which American actress played the part of the bride's mother. Q. 17 Which character did Peter Sellers play in the film "The Return of the Pink Panther." (two words) Q. 18 Which actor played James Bond in the film "A View to a Kill." Q. 19 Based on a bestseller by Frederic Forsyth, "The Day of the Jackal" starred Edward Fox as a would be assassin. What true life political figure was his target. Q.20 A remake of "The Magnificent Seven" was shown on ITV4 last night but who starred in the original film as the leader of The Magnificent Seven.
ROUND FIVE - THAT'S MY NAME In this round I have used the Christian name of some of our regular quiz attendees for some of the questions and answers. Q.21 What is the full name of the island, reached at low tide, just off the coast of Marazion in Cornwall. Ask Michael. Q. 22 This "Vivienne" is a well-known British fashion designer and businesswoman. Q. 23 Born in Trinidad, this Ros was a musician, vocalist and bandleader in Britain, and he directed a highly popular Latin American orchestra. Q. 24 David has been around for a long time and you might know him for the TV programmes" Life On Earth" and "Blue Planet" He had a brother named Richard. Q. 25 Who sang "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Hey Big Spender." Shirley you know the answer.
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ANSWERS to Ray’s Quizzoom 15
ROUND ONE - TRAINS A.l MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS A.2 YORK A.3 BRADSHAWS A.4 ST. PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL A.5 CENTRAL LINE
ROUND TWO - SPORT A.6 WEST HAM UNITED A.7 ERIC BRISTOW A.8 GLOBETROTTERS (HARLEM) A.9 RONNIE 0' SULLIVAN A.lO ESSEX
ROUND THREE - TREES A.11 MONEY A.12 DUTCH ELM A.13 MOUNTAIN ASH A.14 HORSE CHESTNUT A.15 NORWAY
ROUND FOUR - MIDDLE ENGLAND A.16 THE BULLRING A.17 ANNE HATHAWAY A.18 BAKEWELL TART A.19 SHERWOOD FOREST A.20 COVENTRY
ROUND FIVE - CHILDREN'S LITERATURE A.21 CHARLOTTE'S WEB A.22 WILLY WONKA A.23 HEIDI A.24 DR. SEUSS A.25 THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
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Newsletter No. 23 – still going!
Thanks again to everybody who’s contributed.
Please keep your contributions coming! Send items to us at [email protected] or phone 07798948236.
It may not be possible to keep producing the Lockdown Link every week, particularly if we do re-open for worship, but we’ll try to continue every week for the time being and then eventually we will revert to a monthly or bi- monthly publication.
Muriel & Mike
Page 16 of 16 hairy plin publications , boggart hole clough, manchester