Easter 2019

www.stmaryletower.org.uk Dear Friends,

Is there life after Brexit? From the way that some people carry on passionately about Brexit, whether a supporter of Remain or Brexit, it might appear that many people fear that not getting everything they want will indeed be the end of the world, or at least the end of the Country as we know it, and so compromise becomes unthinkable. As I write, the UK has just been granted a seven month extension to Article 50. Remainers are relieved; Brexiters are furious; and still there is no solution in sight. Moreover, the tribal nature of British party politics means that the majority of our MPs, who are actually in the broad centre of the political spectrum, are also unwilling to compromise for fear either of splitting their own party, or else handing another party significant political advantage, or even being deselected by their constituency party members. And behind this is the fear that the days of broad-based political parties are numbered, as increasing numbers of voters feel unrepresented by such broad-based groupings. On top of all this, we can now see that the Referendum campaigns both for Leave and for Remain were actually awful both of them. Project Fear on one side and Project Fantasy on the other, meant that there was a very high degree of unreality about the whole debate. This is the real reason why the Referendum result has completely failed to bring the country together; no one now thinks that the right debates were had, and this is hugely frustrating for everyone. Brexiters didn’t talk about a difficult no-deal Brexit leading nevertheless to a better long term future for the Country. And Remainers didn’t talk about it being worth sharing sovereignty to achieve a better future as Global Britain in Europe. This, the real Brexit debate, has still actually to take place, but the idea of another referendum is now so politically charged as to be not a viable solution. And so both sides are stuck fighting a political battle of attrition and trench warfare, hoping either to wear the other side down, or for something to turn up.

Weathering the Storm Meanwhile, make no mistake, the political storm is still gathering strength. This extreme political storm for our country, like other extreme weather events, will indeed leave the landscape much changed. We cannot yet tell how the political landscape will look after the storm has passed, but the political life of our country will certainly need rebuilding, and the wounds will need to be healed. Continued on page 2 1 There will indeed be life after Brexit and we will all in fact be part of it. The most important question is what kind of people do we need to become, to help to heal a bruised and divided country. What are the healing strategies that can start even now? Firstly, we need to be ready to start working together again despite our differences. That’s what people do after storms have passed; come together and work together to rebuild; even when the storms are self-inflicted and the thing that really needs rebuilding is trust. And the key thing for everyone to re-learn here is that our unity as a nation matters more than our political differences. Perhaps the storm will have to get worse before enough people remember this. Secondly, rather than just getting angry, it is better to own up to the sadness of what has happened to our country in the Brexit storm. This is not easy as there is plenty to be angry about. But all the expression anger is not doing our Country or its people any good. It’s destructive rather than constructive. Rather it is time simply to be sad at what has happened to us, it’s time to mourn. Sadness, and not anger, will help us to be more ready to work together once more. Thirdly, it is time for a bit more humility from everyone. Things have not gone well and many mistakes have been made by all sides. It’s time to stop blaming the other side for our own mistakes. Brexiters need to recognise that they got their own Brexit strategy wrong and have failed to carry the country with them, and Remainers need to acknowledge that they lost the Referendum because they failed to articulate a positive vision for staying in the EU, and indeed are still failing to do so. And fourthly, it is time to reach out to those with whom we profoundly disagree. Rather than just moaning within our respective tribes, and rather than just trying to tell those with whom we disagree, how stupid or unpatriotic we think they are (or imagining such conversations), try asking them why their view is so very important to them. We need to talk together about our sadness at how disunited we have become as a country. We need to climb out of our political trenches and make friends of our neighbours once again. It’s time to recognise that our common humanity matters much more than anything else. At Holy Week and Easter, Christians celebrate the great reconciling work of God in Jesus. In Christ we, all of us, are reconciled to God (not the other way round) and logically this must include being reconciled to each other as one family. In fact we cannot really have the first without the second. Canon Charles 2 PARISH DIARY APRIL Mon 22nd Bank Holiday. Church Closed. Tues 23rd Choir Holiday. No midweek choral services until Mon 6th May Sun 28th 8am and 10.30am services as usual. Choir Holiday. No Choral Matins or Evensong. 3pm Annual Scouts celebration service. Tues 30th 7.30pm Annual Parochial Church Meeting in Tower House MAY Fri 3rd 8.30pm Choral Compline (monthly on the first Friday) Sun 5th Normal Sunday services resume with Evensongs at 6.30pm. 6.30pm Choral Evensong with Communion (BCP) Mon 6th 6.30pm Midweek Choral Evensong services resume (Mon and Tues) Tues 7th 1.10pm Lunchtime Concerts summer season starts. Sun 12th 10.30am Parish Eucharist led by , of Ipswich Thurs 16th 7.30pm PCC Meeting Sun 19th 10.30am All-age Eucharist Mon 27th Half Term. No midweek choral services this week, except: Thur 30th Ascension Day. 6.30pm Choral Eucharist JUNE Sun 2nd 6.30pm Choral Evensong with Communion (BCP) Mon 3rd 6.30pm Midweek Choral Evensong services resume (Mon and Tues) Fri 7th 8.30pm Choral Compline Sun 9th Pentecost Sunday. Service times as usual. Sun 16th Trinity Sunday. Service times as usual. Sun 23rd 6.30pm United Prayer Eucharist with Burlington Baptist Church @SMLT Sun 30th 10.30am All-age Eucharist JULY FESTIVAL OF LITURGY AND MUSIC Fri 5th 8.30pm Choral Compline Sun 7th 9.30am Choral Matins 10.30am Mission Shaped Eucharist 6.30pm United Vespers & Benediction with St Mary-at-Elms @SMLT Tues 9th 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert, Tower Chamber Choir. Sat 13th 9.30am-4pm PCC Awayday Sun 21st Last Choral Services of Term.

The concert series ‘Lunchtime at the Tower’, begins on Tuesday 7th May with Nicholas Freestone on organ, and continues through the Summer with concerts every Tuesday at 1.10pm. Admission is free with a retiring collection. Refreshments are available from 12.20pm.

3 INSPIRING IPSWICH Inspiring Ipswich is the name that is being given to a 7 year project to turn around the decline of church membership in Ipswich deanery. And unlike previous drives to do this, this time the is putting in serious development resources locally, over £3 million, to fund the leadership and organisation needed. At last the scale of the task has been recognised, and clergy and laity are not just being told to work harder with fewer people. These posts are already being established, and the most high profile of these is the new , Rhiannon King, who will be with us at SMLT on Sunday 12th May at the 10.30 service. There are significant targets for this work. The project aims to reach a situation in which 10% of the population is being touched by the Church of England’s service to the wider community (like with Tower House); and 5% is actively involved in growing their Christian discipleship, their intentional following of Jesus, in some way. To achieve this, the project will support the planting of a significant number of new congregations, either as part of existing churches, or as separate entities, as there is considerable evidence that growth happens more dynamically in smaller church units. THE DEANERY LEARNING COMMUNITY However it is recognised and strongly affirmed as well that all this will not happen without the strengthening of existing congregations. And so the deanery has established two Learning Communities who will work over the next two years to strengthen the ability of every church in Ipswich to grow new disciples for Jesus. The team from SMLT comprises, Cathy Moss, Eunice Forsyth, Jo Jones, Sonia Docherty, and Vicky Moss, together with Canon Charles. There is room for one more, and it would be good to balance the team with another male or young person. The first session of our Learning Community took place as a day conference on Saturday 6th April, and each church has taken away some actions to work on. Our partner churches in this Learning Community are St Mary Stoke St Francis with St Peter (SWITM), St Mathew All Saints with Triangle (SMAST), St Thomas, St Mary Whitton, St Bartholomew, and St Augustine. In September a second conference will take place and we will reflect together and learn together from the experience of the initial activities, and formulate our next steps. For SMLT, our team has decided on a process of interviews and surveys to ask people about where they see God at work in the life of SMLT. The thinking behind this is that in becoming more aware and more focused on where we see God at work in our church life and in our service to the wider community, not only will we see more clearly where God is calling us to join in more with his mission, but we will actually become more faithful disciples of Jesus ourselves. Canon Charles 4 Music Notes

2019 has been a very exciting year so far. Since the new year, we have had number of choristers join the choir, toether they now number over 30! We have also welcomed another choral scholar (soon to be another organ scholar) to the bass section. The choir is certainly in rude health! Term started with a bang, with the choristers and sopranos singing Britten’s Ceremony of Carols on Epiphany Sunday. The bespoke service also included music for the full complement of forces such as Cornelius’ Three Kings and a sequence from Mendelssohn’s Christus. The Epiphany carol service was swiftly followed by the Mayor’s service, then Candlemas – including the annual Choral Scholar Concert which takes place before Evensong and Communion. The Choral Scholars and Senior Choristers were a credit to themselves and the choir. They sang very well indeed and presented their solo performances with confidence and polish. A huge thank you to Katie Smith for preparing them so well and Matt Heyburn for accompanying them. After Candlemas, the musical focus for the choristers was to start learning Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. The non-musical focus was, of course, our Pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday! Our efforts were directed towards preparations for Ash Wednesday when the senior choristers, choral scholars and adults performed Allegri’s iconic Miserere mei Deus. Not pausing for breath, the choir then turned its attention towards the county Justice Service. We had been invited by the High Sherriff, George Vesty, and the Cathedral choir to sing at the service. It was a pleasure to work with James Thomas (Director of Music at the Cathedral) and his choir. It was a rare treat to sing to over 700 people and to listen to a sermon preached by the head of MI6. Such was the success of the occasion, we have been asked to take part in future ventures! Mothering Sunday was a wonderful occasion at which we admitted 9 choristers to the choir. Seeing all these young musicians with great potential was a fantastic occasion and bodes well for the future. Next stop on this term’s agenda is our tour to Oxford. We will sing Eucharist at Keble College; Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral and the girl choristers will sing with the Merton Girls Choir for a concert as part of their Passiontide Festival. On our return all the choristers will reprise the concert in St Mary-le-Tower, after our Palm Sunday service at Christchurch, Tacket Street.

5 As always, we look forward to the fantastic music we will sing during Holy week and at Easter, ranging from seasonal classics such as Wesley’s Blessed be the God and Father, to Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of the spiritual, Where you there when they crucified my Lord? Congratulations to Chloe Beeston and Michael Harland for attaining very good marks in their Bishop Chorister Award exams. They will receive their award from the Bishop on Saturday 4 May, in Bury St Edmunds. As always, a huge thank you to William, Matthew, Lis, Donna and the ladies of the Sunday school, who look after the musical aspirations of the department, the choristers, choral scholars, choir members, parents (and me!) so well. A special mention for Lis, who seems to be constantly sewing cassocks with the influx for new choristers! They don’t stop growing!

Christopher Borrett

APCM (ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING) 7.30pm TUESDAY 30th APRIL in Tower House

Elections, Accounts, Reports, Questions and Discussion An occasion to give thanks for the past and look to the future All church members and regulars welcome but to speak and have a vote you need to be on the Church Electoral Roll. CALLING NEW PCC MEMBERS! There are currently a good number of vacancies on the PCC which meets around 6-8 times a year to consider the life and mission of our church and to make key policy decisions. The PCC shares collaboratively in the leadership of the parish with the Vicar and churchwardens and in particular has control of financial matters. PCC members have functions of trusteeship, representation and consultation, and should be ready to be examples of committed practical support in the life of the church as well as attending PCC meetings. We are also calling for nominations/volunteers for the position of churchwarden. To register your interest or for more information on the role of churchwarden, please speak to Katrina.

Application and Nomination forms are available at the back of church.

6 CHURCH LEADERS GIVE BLESSING TO

PLASTIC-FREE FAITH EASTER EGG The Archbishop of York and the lead Bishop for the environment have welcomed a “plastic-free” version of The Real Easter Egg. Out of the 80 million eggs sold in the UK every year The Real Easter Egg is the only one which includes a 24 page copy of the Easter story in the box, is Fairtrade and supports charitable causes. And now, this year the Real Easter Egg is going plastic-free. The change is in response to a survey which found that 96% of Christians think it is important for Easter Eggs to be plastic-free and news that 11.5 million tonnes of food packaging waste is produced every year. David Marshall from the Meaningful Chocolate Company, who make the Real Easter Egg, said: “Easter eggs don’t have to cost the earth. We have replaced plastic bags, tamper-seals and Best Before stickers with paper versions. There is still the same amount of chocolate in the Real Easter Egg and the box sizes are the same, but the redesign means our Dark and Original Egg will save at least 5 tonnes of plastic and 175 tonnes of card in the next five years.” The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said; “I am delighted that an Easter Egg, which shares the Story of Easter, is leading the way by reducing packaging.” The Bishop of Salisbury, The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, said; “As the lead bishop on the environment for the Church of England I am delighted that an Easter Egg, is taking seriously the care of our planet.” Choral Evening Prayers with the Choristers of the choir Mondays and Tuesdays (during term-time) at 6.30pm Choral Compline Every First Friday of the month 8.30pm

Simple evening services (about 20-30 mins) to end the day Come for spiritual refreshment towards the end of the day. 7 Forthcoming Events and Special Services 3rd May - 8.30pm Choral Compline (Monthly on the 1st Friday) 12h May - 10.30am Choral Eucharist led by Rhiannon King (Archdeacon) 19th May - 10.30am Choral Eucharist with All-age address 30th May - 6.30pm Ascension Day Service. 23rd June - 6.30pm United Service with Burlington Baptist Church @ SMLT 30th June - 10.30am Choral Eucharist with All-age address 5th - 7th July Festival of Liturgy and Music (see Parish Diary)

CHURCH OF ENGLAND INVESTS £35 MILLION IN NEW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES The Church of England is to fund a bold series of projects to spread the Christian faith – from a new congregation in a nightclub area to a weekday church – as part of a £35m investment in mission. The biggest investment so far by the Church of England’s Renewal and Reform programme is intended to help it reach tens of thousands of people in city centres, outer estates and rural areas. The grants will pioneer new types of churches – which may be far from the traditional image – along with outreach by the Church of England, from a social media pastor to work with school and community choirs. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “Hearing and responding to the good news of Jesus Christ unlocks new joy, new belonging, new purpose and new life. “These projects show the dynamism and drive of the Church of England’s mission to share this good news with people throughout our dioceses and parishes. “We are committed to this work because we want everyone to know how much they are loved by God through Jesus Christ, and how they can find that love for themselves.” The areas which will receive the funding boost include Birmingham, Bradford, Gateshead, Ipswich, Leeds, Portsmouth, Preston, Rotherham, Southend and Stockton-on- Tees. Several of the grants will boost the C of E’s presence in areas with high student populations. In Durham, St Nic’s Church, in the centre of the city, will seek to engage with the further education sector, building on existing work amongst university students. Debbie Clinton, Director of the programme, said: “From a church in a nightclub area to weekday congregations and a social media pastor, the Church of England is not afraid to try something new to ensure it continues to serve every community in the country. We believe that everyone should have a chance to experience the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the fellowship of belonging to a Christian community wherever they live, whether in an urban city centre, an outer housing estate or in remote rural areas.” 8 WERE YOU THERE?

There is much talk about the rise in numbers in a congregation at Cathedral Worship throughout the nation. Weekday Evensong at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral often attracts between 500 and 1000. Sunday Eucharist at St Paul’s Cathedral needs up to six Communion stations – especially on a Festival. Parish Church congregations however continue to decline except where Worship is relaxed and led by a Worship Band. People of Ipswich do not need to go to a Cathedral as, in the case of St Mary le Tower, the Cathedral comes to them. I say this because I am writing on behalf of all those who had the privilege to conduct Evensong during Canon Charles’ sabbatical. I officiated twice; the first Service was entirely Plainsong which might not be well received by some people. It was directed by Matthew with William at the organ. The music was beautifully presented and flawless – a wonderful response to God’s Love. The second was simply mind blowing – Psalms sung to an excellent standard and a delightful setting of the Canticles to Brewer in F. The climax of the Worship that day was the singing of the Allegri Miserere with Christopher directing Choir II in the south west porch and William directing Choir I in the Stalls. The top C from the Choir 2 Soprano was spot on, the blend of one Choir with another was excellent – another human gift in response to the Love of God. Yes, St Mary-le-Tower, through the work of the Music Trust, have made this the Church’s mission. But I sense that this mission and outreach is the glue which holds the Church Community together. May be I am wrong, but does Ipswich in general realise the treasure which lies within its Civic Church? Does it realise that there is professionalism a plenty to be tapped into in the very high standards of Worship in its Civic Church? Is it not time to pass the word around the community that here you will find the way to Almighty God through the excellency of singing? The first Service I presided at was sung by the Altos, Tenors and Basses. The young Choral Scholars receive singing lessons as part of their work. Again, the standard is very high – in fact as high as some Cathedrals. It is a well-known fact that if you give a teenager a job to do in the Church, they will stay. That could be seen on the last Sunday in March when the fantastic new organ scholar aged only fourteen played Evensong so that, from the congregation, I was sure that William was presiding at the organ. At the same Service another fourteen year old choral scholar sang the Responses and the Collects. Contrary to general perception, teenagers can summon just as much responsibility as those of us of riper years. Thank you, Christopher and William – the perfect team(!) – for the standards you demand and the care you take over the young people. To all readers, come to Evensong and be part of a team which give Glory to God and open the gate of Heaven to all believers. Martin Ellis 9 THE MAN WHO BUILT LONDON’S SEWERS The creator of London’s sewer network – as well as several notable bridges, embankments and streets – was born 200 years ago, on 28 March 1819. He was the civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, a man whose name deserves to be far better known than it is, because of the huge benefits he brought to the health of thousands of people. With the growth of London’s population in the early 19th century, no provision had been made to deal with the large amount of sewage produced each day, and this resulted in cholera outbreaks and in particular the Great Stink of London in 1858 – a result of the Thames having become little more than an open sewer. As Chief Engineer on London’s Metropolitan Board of Works, Bazalgette created a carefully designed sewerage system to transport waste further down river. The wide, egg-shaped, brick-walled tunnels meant that a big increase in volume could be coped with. Much of the system is still in use. Bazalgette’s work also changed the appearance of riverside London by creating embankments and updating and modernising bridges. He also created new streets to deal with the congestion caused by horse-drawn traffic. He lived in Wimbledon, where he was churchwarden of St Mary’s Church for many years.

FROM A CELTIC LITURGY Carry the cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you. Thomas a Kempis

My dearest Lord, Be thou bright flame before me Be thou my guiding star above me Be thou the smooth path beneath me Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me Today and evermore. St Columba (521- 597) THE JUSTICE SERVICE

On Sunday 17th March, we were invited to sing at St Edmundsbury Cathedral with the Cathedral Choir at the Justice Service. We had loads of fun. There was loud music and instruments, trumpets, drums and more. It was a big occasion with many important people; the Mayor of Ipswich, the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chairmen of District Councils, the President of the Suffolk and North Essex Law Society, Judges, visiting Mayors, the Australian High Commissioner and many, many more. Even though we were all tired, we did really well, and in my opinion, it was worth taking part in this service because everyone enjoyed our singing. Amelia Grzesiak

CLEAN WATER Clean water is one thing we take completely for granted. After all, when did you last turn on the tap and expect filthy water to come out? But sadly, bad water is still a daily reality for billions of people. The United Nations wants to help them by ensuring that everyone can access clean water by 2030. It is part of the so-called ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, and an enormous challenge. Meanwhile, this year each one of us can do at least something to help on 22nd March. A donation to Water Aid will help provide safe water to marginalised communities worldwide. Simply go to: www.wateraid.org/uk 11 BBC TO RUN A ‘YEAR OF BELIEFS’

The BBC is going to ‘shine a light’ on faith and spiritual values in Britain today by running a year of programmes dedicated to religion and ethics. The move comes a year after the BBC promised to ‘raise our game’ in the way that it treated religion. That promise followed a year-long review of its religious and ethics output. So what series should we look out for? Here are just some: On BBC 1, Earth’s Sacred Wonders will look at the rituals and monuments of faith around the world; Medical Ethics will be a documentary filmed at Great Ormond Street Hospital; and Pregnant and Platonic will be a documentary on people who have children without being in a romantic relationship. On BBC 2, Inside the Vatican will show a year in the life of the Vatican community, including Pope Francis; and the popular Pilgrimage series will return. The Bishop of Repton, the Rt. Revd. Jan McFarlane, who chairs the Sandford St Martin Trust, welcomed the BBC’s plans. Especially “bringing issues of faith, belief and ethics to as wide an audience as possible.”

12 ST BRIOC 1st MAY St.Brioc was a Celtish saint born in Cardiganshire during the 6th century AD. His father, Cerpus was a wealthy nobleman from a Roman family and he and his household continued to worship the Roman and Celtic gods. One night his wife Eldruda received a vision an angel who told her that she had been chosen by God to give birth to a special child, a son -“a son dear to God and of great merit”. The angel told her to persuade her husband to give up his idolatrous ways and prepare for the coming child. Cerpus was scornful and dismissive. The angel then appeared to him and began to scourge him for his disobedience and Cerpus quickly changed his mind and destroyed the gods. When the little boy was born it quickly became obvious that he was indeed special. He was intelligent and quick to learn and his parents sent him to St. Germanus in Paris to advance his learning. In Paris Brioc learnt his lessons well and the monks were amazed at his generosity and strength of faith. Even as a child he is reputed to have performed many miracles. When, as a young man, he was ordained by Germanus, that great churchman was amazed to see a pillar of fire reaching to the roof of the church, hovering over the head of young Brioc. At the age of twenty five Brioc also experienced a vision of an angel, who told him to return to Wales and convert his parents. On his return he did indeed convert his parents and many of the people, who were amazed at his power to heal and by his teaching. He set about establishing a monastery and many churches and became greatly revered in his own country. After a while he decided to travel once more and crossed Cornwall and journeyed to Brittany. Here too he built a monastery, possibly at Treguier, and here he proposed to settle. But a deputation from Cardigan came to him in great urgency, telling him of disasters at home, and Brioc returned once more to Wales. On his return the people begged him to stay, but once the problems were over Brioc set off yet again for Brittany. Landing on a different part of the coast, he and his party were intercepted by some men serving Count Rigual and were taken to the Count’s dwelling. Rigual was ill, tormented by agonising pains,but when Brioc came into his presence the pains abated and he was restored to health.

13 . THE WORLD’S CRAZIEST EASTER TRADITIONS Whip-cracking in the Czech Republic and Slovakia - If you're a woman in the Czech Republic or Slovakia on Easter Monday, it is perhaps best to stay indoors. The local men and boys roam the streets with gaily decorated willow switches, adorned with ribbons, looking for girls to 'lightly' whip. This is not intended to be painful, but instead is meant to encourage good health and beauty. You may feel otherwise.

The butter lambs of Russia - In Russia, the Easter meal is accompanied by a knob of butter fashioned into the shape of a lamb. It dates back to ancient times when it was considered a lucky omen to meet a lamb. Why a lamb? Because you can be certain it's not Satan in disguise. Old Beelzebub can take on the form of all animals, except the lamb because of its religious symbolism.

A feast unlike any other in Colombia - Strangely in Columbia the temptation of chocolate eggs and bunnies is non-existent. They observe Easter by tucking into iguana, turtles and big rodents. As you do.

The Easter Bilby from Australia - In an attempt to raise awareness about the dwindling Bilby population, confectioners in Australia have taken to making chocolate likenesses of this small rabbit-size marsupial. Every bite the Australians take is helping to save an endangered species.

The world's biggest Easter omelette in France - Every Easter Monday, the residents of Haux crack more than 4,500 eggs into a gigantic pan to create a massive Easter omelette that serves over 1,000 people. Each family breaks the eggs in their homes in the morning and they gather in the main square where the eggs are cooked.

A time to splash out, Hungary - In Hungary, women dress up in traditional clothes on Easter Sunday and get splashed with water. Suppose it beats getting whipped.

The witches of Easter-wick in Finland - Halloween comes early to Finland as children dress up as witches and wander the streets with broomsticks in the hunt for treats. The tradition is said to have come from the belief that witches would fly to Germany and cavort with Satan. Bonfires are meant to scare them away.

Tobacco trees in Papua New Guinea - Trees at the front of churches are decorated with sticks of tobacco and cigarettes instead of chocolate. These are handed out after the service.

The Easter Bunny sees red in Greece Easter is known around the world for multi-coloured, decorated eggs. But in Greece you will find only red eggs. Red is the colour of life, you see, as well as a representation of the blood of Christ. From ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of the renewal of life, and the message of the red eggs is victory over death.

14 A CHILD’S STORY OF THE BIBLE

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one’, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden - not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something. One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check. After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some roast beef. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat. Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbour's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humour thy Father and thy Mother.

15 One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Gerry.co.uk and the fence fell over on the town. After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me. After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale that then sicked him up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about. After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mum is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.') During his life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Liberal Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him. Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Liberal Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead. Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminium. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Funny bone: ● One Christmas Day, a man rang Jesus College Oxford to be greeted with the reply:' Good morning, Jesus here!’ ● Seen outside a local hostelry:Psychic night – cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances! ● A Liverpool newspaper carried this notice: 'Mersey ferries cancelled owing to bad weather; a replacement bus service will be laid on instead' ● Commuter: A person who has a complaint of longstanding. – Anon ● What do you call a sleeping bull? A bulldozer

16 A CHORISTER ABROAD

Rome – the Eternal City. This was to be the venue for my first foreign tour with the SMLT choir. As something of a history buff imagine my excitement; all those ancient Roman relics to see – the Coliseum, (one of the Choral Scholars was heard to say as he gazed up at the ruins of the once grand Coliseum:” It’ll be a lot better when it’s finished!”) the Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and of course St Peter’s Basilica. I suspect, that it was too much to expect the younger choristers to share my enthusiasm. Indeed, one of the youngest ones was so overwhelmed that he slept through the mass we sang in St Peter’s.

February 2009 - St Mary-le-Tower Choir outside St Peter’s Basilica

Our arrival at the airport was a little disappointing in an architectural sense. The terminal resembled a rather drab 1960’s shopping mall. However, my excitement was renewed by the views from the coach window as it took us to our excellent accommodation I will make no effort to go through the schedule in chronological order. Firstly, I don’t think it is necessary, and secondly, after ten years or so, I can’t remember it. You will find that food is mentioned frequently; an important feature for me as well as for the choristers. For me, the highlight was singing in St Peter’s Basilica, probably the most famous church in the world. We were shown to our vestry (in reality a space behind the organ of the side

17 chapel where we were due to sing) by some rather haughty and officious stewards. After having changed into our red cassocks, and were free to explore, we passed the same rather unhelpful ushers who bowed and showed us much greater respect; they thought we were cardinals! After the service, we were pointed towards some relatively cheap restaurants. Obviously, when in Rome... so a small group of us sought out a nearby pizzeria. All was going well, until one of the choristers went to the toilet (I should point out at this stage that the toilet door was in full view of the adults, so we were not being negligent!). After a while, shouting could be heard accompanied by banging on the toilet door. So a rescue party was organised, and with the help of the staff, a combination of pidgin English, garbled Italian and some tools, released a rather panicked young man from his prison cell. After one of our masses, there was a prearranged photo call on the steps. We caused quite a stir as a flock of very excited (mostly oriental –somewhat stereotypically) tourists descended upon us. They seemed convinced that we were the regular choir from the church. In the days before the ubiquitous internet, photos of our choir could be found all around the world. We also sang at the Anglican church which attracts its congregation from the ex-pat English speaking community in the city. Architecturally, the church was not spectacular, being made of anonymous brick, rather than the stone of other more spectacular buildings. However, the welcome we received was second to none. There was an amazing crypt beneath the church and much to the choristers’ delight there were tables groaning under the weight of food which had prepared for us. They thought they had made too much but they had not reckoned on our hoard of ravenous children. The classicists among you may remember pictures of Roman legions marching proudly under banners with the legend SPQR. It was the standard bearer’s task to protect it with his life. This stood for Senatus Populusque Romanus (The senate and the people of Rome). This lofty title now has a rather more prosaic use; it is to be found on municipal services such as manhole covers and dustcarts. The value of such a tour is indisputable; there are musical, educational and social benefits. We sing every day, which improves us for months to come. The whole choir has the opportunity to see some of the most amazing places in the world and new friendships are forged which can last for years.

A W

18 BOOK REVIEWS

Thomas Cochrane and the Dragon Throne - confronting disease, distrust and murderous rebellion in Imperial China By Andrew E Adam, SPCK, £10.99 In 1897, Tom Cochrane, a young doctor, arrived with his bride in Inner Mongolia, China’s northernmost territory. Three years later, after labouring single-handedly in a mud- floored dispensary, he realized that his work was a drop in a sea of suffering. A radical new approach was needed. He was gripped by the vision of a Western medical college and teaching hospital in Peking. In 1900, the Boxer uprising broke out. Fanatics roamed the countryside crying, ‘Kill the foreigners! Kill them before breakfast!’ The Cochranes and their three little boys fled as thirty thousand Christians and hundreds of missionaries were butchered. Undeterred, Tom returned to Peking in 1901 to treat beggars and lepers in converted mule stables. After bringing a major cholera epidemic under control, he won allies at the imperial court. With the help of the chief eunuch, he gained the support of the dreaded Empress Dowager. In 1906, Cochrane established the Union Medical College in Peking, China’s first Western medical school. It still stands today, a prestigious academic centre, its missionary origins forgotten, but it is one of countless seeds planted by Christians in China.

The Story of the Holy Land – a visual history By Peter Walker, Lion Hudson, £12.99

This is a highly illustrated, visually led guide through the story of the Holy Land, from Bible times to the present day. The Holy Land frequently features in today's headlines as a much fought-for territory. Many know part of its story, as recounted in the Bible, but what happened after Jesus' time? This book explores the OT and NT history of the Holy Land, as well as everything that happened later - the Muslim conquest, the crusades, and the modern rediscovery of Bible sites - unearthing the rich layers of history of this sacred place.

19 THE TESCO TOKEN I was shopping recently with my wife at the local Tesco store. Having paid for our goods we were given a blue token, which my wife explained we could place in the donation box of a local good cause as we left the shop. Sure enough, near the exit were three large plastic containers into which we could drop our token, each representing a different charity needing support. The more tokens they receive, the bigger the donation they will be given from the supermarket, so it was a weighty choice! I chose the local Youth Choir. I am in the habit, just before I sleep, of looking back over the day that just finished. That night as I went to sleep God reminded me about the blue token and my concern to use it wisely. As I get older I am increasingly aware of the importance of every day, that each new day is a gift from God to be enjoyed and cherished. None of us know how many days we have, but we do know they are running out. All the more reason, then, to use them wisely. As I thought about the token it seemed to me that with each new day I have been given the gift of a token from God, and I should do my best to use it for His glory. When we are young, with our lives stretching out ahead of us, it is as if we have thousands of tokens to spend (70 years, for example, would be 25,550 tokens), so to waste a few is not such a disaster. However, now that I am in my 69th year, there may not be so many tokens left! I need to spend each one wisely. Moses, who lived to the grand old age of 120, prayed to God like this: “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).”

20 Vicar: Revd Canon Charles Jenkin B.Sc. 18 Kingsfield Avenue, Ipswich, IP1 3TA Tel: 01473 225610 Email: [email protected] Associate Priest & St Lawrence Preacher: Revd Tel: 07710479497 Email: [email protected] Director of Music: Mr Christopher Borrett Tel: 07917 355 946 Email: [email protected] Parish Administrator: Mrs Donna Joyce Tel: 01473 225610 Email: [email protected]

SUNDAY SERVICES

08.00 am Holy Communion (BCP) 09.30 am Choral Matins (BCP) 10.30 am Parish Communion (CW) followed by coffee served in Church 6.30 pm Choral Evensong (BCP) 1st Sunday including Holy Communion

WEEKDAY SERVICES

Monday: 6.30pm Choral Evening Prayers (Girls’ Voices) (20min) during term time

Tuesday: 6.30pm Choral Evening Prayers (Boys’ Voices) (20min) during term time Wednesday: 10.30am Holy Communion (BCP) (45min) followed by coffee in Church House Friday:: 8.30pm Choral Compline (20min) First Friday of each month

www.stmaryletower.org.uk