NEWSLETTER February 2012: No
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Little St Mary's, Cambridge NEWSLETTER February 2012: No. 439 Price: 25p Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, a light no darkness can quench! ‘As we turn in the coming Lent from Christ’s Birth to his Passion, grant that we who are marked with the Cross may share more deeply in his Death and Resurrection.’ CONTENTS Highlights and preachers....................................2 From Fr Mark Bishop......................................3-4 People for our Prayers; Candlemas.....................5 Services and events to note..............................6-8 Electoral Roll; encouraging developments.........9 In the community..............................................10 Calendar and Intentions...............................11-14 Street Pastors; Christian Giving Review..........15 Parish Centre Development Fund................16-17 Society of Mary...........................................18-19 The Curate’s Fall.........................................19-20 Deification through the Mass............................21 Three thoughts for Lent....................................22 Whom to contact and Services....................23-24 1 Highlights of February Are they all in your diary? Thursday 2nd: Feast of the PRESENTATION of OUR LORD: CANDLEMAS: 7.45am Low Mass; 7.00pm High Mass with Candlemas Ceremonies Saturday 4th: 3.30pm Children’s celebration of Candlemas (see page 6) Wednesday 8th: 9.45am/10.00am Ministry of Healing Thursday 9th: 7.30pm Society of Mary: Vespers of Our Lady and Benediction Tuesday 14th: 7.30pm Guild of All Souls: Vespers of the Dead and Benediction Friday 17th: 8.00pm A Musical Soirée: Cabaret and Cocktails (see page 16) Tuesday 21st: Shrove Tuesday: 7.00pm Pancake Party (see page 7) Wednesday 22nd: ASH WEDNESDAY: Solemn season of LENT begins: 10.00am Low Mass and Imposition of Ashes; 7.00pm High Mass and Imposition of Ashes Tuesday 28th: 7.00pm PCC meeting (following 6.30pm Low Mass) Wednesday 29th: 7.00pm First session of our Lent course, “Strangers and Pilgrims: Being a Christian in the world today” Preachers in February 2nd Feb. 7.00pm: Fr Mark Bishop Candlemas 5th Feb. 10.30am:The Revd Professor Huw Jones, Rural Dean Septuagesima 6.00pm: Tanya Hockley, Lay Pastoral Assistant 12th Feb. 10.30am:The Revd and Worshipful Dr Rupert Bursell QC, Sexagesima Chancellor of the Dioceses of Oxford and Durham 6.00pm: t.b.c. 19th Feb. 10.30am:Tanya Hockley, Lay Pastoral Assistant Quinquagesima6.00pm: Sue Munro, Reader 22nd Feb. 7.00pm: Fr Mark Bishop Ash Wednesday 26th Feb. 10.30am: Fr Mark Bishop Lent I 6.00pm: t.b.c. 2 From Fr Mark Bishop Dear friends, February begins with the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple when, with candles lit, we think of the infant Jesus and His parents journeying up to Jerusalem. When they get to the Temple they are met by old Simeon who takes the Infant and declares that his eyes have now seen God’s salvation, a light for the Gentiles and glory to God’s people Israel. From this ceremony of light and hope which draws to a conclusion our celebrations of Christmas and the Epiphany, we then come towards the end of February to Ash Wednesday when we follow Jesus as He begins another journey up to Jerusalem – but one which leads to His death on a Cross. I am interested in the idea that we are all journeying through this world, and to that end our Lent Course is on the theme ‘Strangers and Pilgrims: being a Christian in the world today’. In Hebrews, the writer describes how the ancient leaders of Israel had died without coming into the possession of that which had been promised by God, yet “they confessed themselves no more than strangers or passing travellers upon the earth. Those who use such language show plainly that they are looking for a country of their own. If their hearts had been in the country they had left, they could have found opportunity to return. Instead we find them longing for a better country – I mean the heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has a city ready for them.” (Hebrews 11.13) Why is it that Christians speak of journeying on through a land that is not their own with their eyes on a heavenly destination, yet they seem so immensely interested and committed to the realities of justice, freedom and peace in the land through which they journey? Christians do not shrug their shoulders when they see suffering and continue with the journey, but seem to pause and want to do something about it. We are fortunate that four members of our congregation will be able to give us such interesting insights into the realities of the journey for some widely different groups of Christians. Minas Monir will speak of being a Christian in Egypt, his own country, and the particular difficulties faced by Copts in that country today; Kate Greany will speak about being a Christian woman in Southern Sudan, a country to which she has travelled and which she has studied; and then by contrast Olivia Will and Bob DeWolf will reflect of being a Christian in the secular UK in the NHS and in business in a time of economic difficulty and limited 3 resources. We will conclude with a reflection on the theme and the course. The dates are: 29 February: Minas Monir: being a Christian in Egypt today 7 March: Kate Greany: being a Christian in Sudan today 14 March: Olivia Will: being a Christian in the NHS today 21 March: Bob DeWolf: being a Christian in business today 28 March: Fr Mark Bishop: reflections on the course I hope that there will be a good turnout in the Parish Centre: we will start at 7.00pm and finish by 8.30, with coffee/wine to stimulate our discussions. We will conclude with Compline. I look forward to seeing you there. The series of sermons at the Sunday High Mass will be ‘Aspects of the Father, as revealed in the Son’ with reference to the readings for the day: Lent I: The Beloved Lent II: Him whom we follow Lent III: An angry God? Lent IV: Saviour of the world Lent V: Drawing all to himself Our visiting preachers for Lent include Dr Stephen Hampton, Dean of Peterhouse (Lent II), Fr Darren Smith of the Additional Curates Society (Lent IV), and Dr Geoff Dumbreck (Lent V). By the time we have concluded our Lent courses we will be moving into Holy Week where we are fortunate to have as our preacher the Reverend Professor Graham Ward, currently Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics at Manchester University, but from October this year the Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. We look forward to being led through the events of Holy Week by him. I am pleased to say that there has been steady interest in the Lady Chapel after Mass from young people who are interested in exploring the start of the journey as a Christian with a view to eventual Confirmation. I would encourage all those who come to church and receive a blessing at the altar rail (and their parents who bring them and who may be reading this Newsletter) to think seriously about exploring the Faith in this way so that they can fully enter into membership of the Church and receive the sacraments and grow in their faith. And for adults who also want to explore taking this step, please mention it to me: it would be good to discuss it with you. This is the season for starting out on journeys! With my love: Fr Mark 4 People for our prayers Elaine Wheatley has been much in our prayers over many months and sadly died on 14th January. We continue to pray for Elaine, giving thanks for all that she contributed to this city and county, and for those who mourn her, particularly, of course, Tim. We have prayed too for Maurice Rayner in his illness and we were saddened to learn on 27th January, just as this Newsletter was ‘going to press’, that he had died the previous day. Maurice was elected as People’s Warden at LSM in May 1970, at the time being a regular worshipper at the 10.00am Parish Mass; he served as Churchwarden for 26 years until 1996, and was also our Treasurer until 2002 when he moved to Norwich with Mary, whom we remember in her loss. We pray that both Elaine and Maurice may rest in peace and be brought with all the Faithful Departed to a joyful Resurrection. It is good to have Barbara Chamier back with us on some Sundays with her daughter Catherine. We continue to pray for Barbara and her new home. It is always inspiring to see Laurence Fletcher, with his daughter Jane, so faithfully attending Mass week by week, and we pray for him and for Joyce. Please pray for too for Father Robert as he prepares to be our Vicar: we greatly look forward to his arrival amongst us at the end of May. Fr Mark CANDLEMASCANDLEMAS The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple Thursday 2nd February 7.45am Low Mass 7.00pm High Mass with Candlemas Ceremonies Nunc Dimittis, Blessing of Candles and Procession This is a glorious Feast: do be here so we can keep it well 5 Services and events to note FUNERALS: The funeral of Elaine Wheatley R.I.P. will be held in LSM on the Feast of the Presentation, Thursday 2nd February, at 2.00pm. The funeral of Maurice Rayner R.I.P. will be held in St John the Baptist, Timberhill, Norwich on Friday 10th February at 11.30am. HAIL TO THE LORD WHO COMES: At the start of the month falls Candlemas Day, the great Feast of the Presentation: Thursday 2nd February.