Contacts

(01380 unless stated)

Rector Vacant Gerry Lynch LLM

Parish Administrator Catherine Brown 724389

Licensed Lay Ministers Chris Cox 728716

Churchwardens Peter Crofts 725740 Jane Scorer 720168 Bob Simpson 725728

Hon. Treasurer Becky Edgington 722680

PCC Secretary Liz Overthrow 722404

Electoral Roll Officer Catherine Brown 724389

Organist Chris Totney 01672 562886 PARISH MAGAZINE Bell Ringers St John's: Liz Merritt 726767 St Mary's: Barry Osborn 725389

Flower Guild Heather Blyth 724347

Parish Magazine Distribution Peter Crofts 725740

Parish Magazine Editor Catherine Brown 724389

Mothers' Union Juliet Bazeley 829610

Children’s Church Catherine Brown 739253

Parish Safeguarding Officer Jerry King 723830

Health and Safety Officer Alan Martin 0755 7790 363

Representatives on Churches Together in Devizes

David Evans 721527

Parish Rooms: hire and information 724389 [email protected] 50p

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Bible readings for December

Contents 1 Isa.11.1-10 17 Gen. 49.2,8-10 Luke 10.21-24 Matt. 1.11-17

2 Isa. 25.6-10 18 Jer. 23.5-8 3 The Bishop of Sherbourne writes….. Matt. 15.29-37 Matt. 1.18-24 3 Isa. 26.1-6 4 National Holocaust Day 2021 19 Judg. 13.2-7, 24-end Matt. 7.21,24-27 Luke 1.5-25 5 God’s Piece (Walk on by) by Gail Foster 4 Isa. 29.17-end 20 2 Sam. 7.1-11, 16 6 & 7 Mark my Words: the Gospel for this Year Matt. 9.27-31 Rom. 16.25-end Luke 1.26-38 8 & 9 A Curate Writes…. 5 Isa. 30.19-21,23-26 Matt. 9.35-10.1,6-8 21 Zeph. 3.14-18 10 & 11 Ten Tips for a Green Christmas 6 Isa. 40.1-11 Luke 1.39-45 12 Cartoon 2 pet.3.8-15 22 1 Sam. 24-end Mark 1.1-8 Luke 1.46-56 13 Mistletoe 7 Isa. 35 23 Mal. 3.1-4,4.5-end Luke 5.17-26 14 & 15 Crossword Luke 1.57-66 8 Isa. 40.1-11 24 2 Sam. 7.1-5,8-11,16 16 Sudoku Matt. 18.12-14 Acts 13.16-26 17 Book Review 9 Isa. 40.25-end Luke 1.67-79 Matt. 11.28-end 25 Isa. 9.2-7 Titus 2.11-14 18 Psalms for December 10 Isa. 41.13-20 Luke 2.1-14 19 Bible readings for December Matt. 11.11-15 26 2 Chr. 24.20-22 Acts 7.51-end 20 Parish Contacts 11 Isa. 48.17-19 Matt. 11.16-19 Matt 10.17-22 12 Ecclus. 48.1-4,9-11 27 Exod. 33.7-11a Kings 2.9-12 John 1 If you would like to read this magazine electronically, please Matt. 17.10-13 John 21.19b -end go to this page on our website: 13 Isa. 61.1-4, 8-end 28 Jer. 31.15-17

1 Thess.5.16-24 1 Cor. 1.26-29 http://www.stjohnwithstmary.org.uk/about-us/church-life/ John 1.6-8,19-28 Matt. 2.13-18 overview-of-church-life and follow the link. 14 Num. 24.2-7,15-17 29 1 John2.3-11 Matt. 21.23-27 Luke 2.22-35 15 Zeph. 3.1-2,9-13 30 1 John 2.12-17 Matt. 21.28-32 Luke 2.36-40 16 Isa. 45.6b-8, 21b-end 31 1 John 2.18-21 Luke 7.18b-23 John 1.1-18 2 19

The , Karen Gorham

Psalms for December November is a time for remembrance and 11am on the 11th is always a poignant time as the nation stops for 2 minutes to remember those who 1 72.1-4, 18-19 have lost their lives in war.

2 23 Last month I was walking by the South West Coastal path in Dorset, and I 3 118.18-27a heard 2 boys speaking as they were running towards the cliff edge; what 4 27.1-4, 16-17 they said shocked me. One warned the other not to go too close to the edge 5 146.4-9 of the cliff, and the other said ‘What a perfect way to die!’ They then 6 85.1-2, 8-end proceeded to sing a song by . That song itself is about a victim of 7 85.2-end gun crime, about his death and those left behind. It is interesting that if you put the words of the song into a certain search engine, the number for the 8 96.1-10,10-end Samaritans comes up on screen. 9 103.8-13 10 145.1,8-13 What is life, when we have become somewhat immune to death? It is tragic that even children are wondering what the point of it all is and when we look 11 1 back at the numbers of those killed in war – 20 million in the first world war, 12 80.1-4,18-19 and 70 – 85 million in the second world war, and 17 million in the holocaust, 13 126 it is easy to skate over them.

14 25.3-8 Covid-19 is making us all think, and I hope it helps us think differently. So far 15 34.1-6,21-22 over 1 million people have died, and every death is someone’s child, parent, 16 85.7-end grandparent, brother or sister. Life is precious as we protect ourselves, and 17 72.1-5,18-19 our neighbours particularly the elderly and the most vulnerable. Everyone is 18 72.1-2,12-13,18-end made in God’s image, and death is definitely not nothing at all, as we are 19 71.3-8 discovering as we anger over not being able to visit loved ones in nursing homes and are so grateful to those who have held hands of relatives dying 20 89.1-4,19-26 in hospital. 21 33.1-4,11-12,20-end 22 113 Many have found comfort at such a time from a prayer, anointing with oil or 23 25.3-9 holding a cross in their hands, because God’s love promises much more than sentimental songs. Christians stand alongside those in the trenches, 24 89.2,19-27 those in hospital, those at the graveside because life is precious, death is 25 96 hard and hope eternal. 26 119.161-168 Let us take the opportunity to make this month a month when we truly 27 117 remember everyone who had died and enable our local communities to 28 124 remember too, not just with the sounds of bugles and silence, but by 29 96.1-4 reminding people of God’s promises, that everyone is special and ‘that 30 96.7-10 neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things 31 96.1,11-end to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Romans 8:38,39 +Karen 18 3

Next year's Holocaust Memorial Day is Wednesday 27th January 2021 Book Review

Let it Slow – an Advent calendar with a difference By Stephen Cottrell, CHP, £6.99

Christmas is one of the most joyful times of year, Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is the international day to remember and it can also be one of the most stressful. This the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the mil- understanding and uplifting book offers another lions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in genocides way to approach Christmas, and to discover how that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 27th January its joys and promises can restore our lives, not marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the larg- add to their burdens. est Nazi death camp.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide, and says:

"The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable Free at Last and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the lan- By Asia Bibi, Authentic, £9.99 guage of hatred must be challenged by us all. HMD is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn Here is the remarkable story of the woman who more about the past and take action to create a safer future. We know refused to renounce her faith and unwittingly they learn more, empathise more and do more." became the global symbol of the fight against religious extremism. The www.hmd.org.uk website gives ideas for holocaust and genocide observance, in school, at work, with others, or privately. This year, After drinking water from the same glass as a there are ideas for recipes for remembrance, not just for Shoah victims Muslim woman, Asia Bibi, a Christian, was (Jewish Holocaust), but also to remember victims of Bosnian, Rwan- sentenced to hang by the Islamic Republic of dan and other genocides. More here. Pakistan in 2010 on charges of blasphemy.

Our Diocesan Inter-Faith Adviser Bill Cave will not only encour- Bibi's case polarised all of Pakistan and mobilised age and assist for HMD 2021, but also on other holocaust-related mat- international support from across the globe, including politicians, ters, as well as God’s Unfailing Word (the Faith and Order commission journalists, and countless organisations. For nine long years, Bibi statement on Christian-Jewish relations) and other inter-faith issues. awaited death in prison until she was formally acquitted in January 2019. Now a political exile, Bibi is reunited with her family in the West, but she Contact: [email protected] or 07721 658879. will never be allowed to return to her homeland. 4 17

Sudoku

God’s Peace (Walk On By)

The church is empty, Pilgrim, walk on by ‘I heard a baby cry, and saw a light And heard a bell, and saw a star in flight Be still, and then come falling from the sky!’ Good Pilgrim, in the corner of your eye Are many mysteries. ‘But candles bright Burn inside on the altar!’ In the night The mind makes many images. ‘But why?

If nothing is within, did angels bring Me here, if not to watch me as I grieve? It’s Christmas Eve!’ In what do you believe My dear? ‘I hear the choirs of heaven sing And see a light, and hear a baby cry!’ God’s peace be with you, Pilgrim, walk on by

© Gail Foster 14th November 2020

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13 ‘They all — and were satisfied’ (Luke 9:17) (3) Mark my Words: the Gospel for this Year 16 Eliphaz the Temanite was one; so was Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite (Job 2:11; 16:2) (4,9) Every Advent we start hearing a different Gospel Sunday by Sunday, 17 National Association of Evangelicals (of the USA) (1,1,1) following the ecumenical lectionary used by most western churches. 19 Popular song for New Year’s Eve, Auld — — (4,4) This year is ‘Year B’, or ‘the Year of Mark’. Almost certainly the earliest 24 Able dock (anag.) (8) 25 The number of stones David chose for his confrontation with Goliath (1 Samuel written account of Jesus’ life and death, Mark’s short, pacey, 17:40) (4) mysterious story will be heard around the world – leaving listeners, 26 Elgar’s best-known ‘Variations’ (6) and preachers, to wrestle with its riddles. 27 Soak (Isaiah 16:9) (6)

Reading it like this, in short weekly chunks, is actually rather odd. Down Mark (whoever he or she was) wrote the story to be read aloud in a single session: more like going to the cinema than going to church. So 1 Money owing (Deuteronomy 15:3) (4) the ideal way to prepare this Advent for the Year of Mark would be to 2 Conciliatory (Titus 3:2) (9) listen. (It takes less than two hours, and there’s an excellent 3 ‘Do this, whenever you — it, in remembrance of me’ (1 Corinthians 11:25) (5) performance by the famous actor David Suchet available on YouTube: 4 A group assisting in the governance of the Roman Catholic Church (5) www.stpauls.co.uk/marksgospel). Failing that, you could read it to 5 One of the gifts Joseph’s brothers took with them on their second journey to yourself, preferably in a new or unfamiliar translation. Egypt (Genesis 43:11) (4) 6 ‘Reach out your hand and — — into my side. Stop doubting and believe’ (John What impact might that listening or reading have? Of course it varies 20:27) (3,2) from person to person. But you’re very likely to feel a bit exhausted. 10 Be outstandingly good (2 Corinthians 8:7) (5) Exhausted by the speed of the narrative (‘immediately … immediately 11 ‘What — — that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for … and then …’); but also by the strangeness of the story, the him?’ (Psalm 8:4) (2,3) 12 Horse’s feet (Judges 5:22) (5) darkness of its climax, the difficulty of working out what Mark or what 13 Notice (Deuteronomy 17:4) (9) Jesus means. 14 Comes between 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah (4) For instance, Jesus is clearly renowned as a teacher. But, compared 15 One of Israel’s northern towns conquered by Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 15:20) (4) with the other gospels, Mark gives us very little of his actual teaching. 18 Narnia’s Lion (5) 20 One of the two rivers in which Naaman would have preferred to wash (2 Kings He announces the ‘kingdom’ or ‘Rule of God’ in parables, or riddles. 5:12) (5) But hearers keep missing the point – and it even sounds as though 21 Avarice—one of the evils that come from inside people (Mark 7:22) (5) they are meant to (see Mark 4:11-12). Jesus brings joy and 22 Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George (1,1,1,1) amazement as he heals people and performs dramatic exorcisms. But 23 Jacob’s first wife (Genesis 29:23) (4) almost from the start enemies plot against him and evil forces abound.

He is asked for a sign of his authority but refuses to give one. And

repeatedly when people recognise him as from God he forbids them to Leah. 23, GCMG. 22, Greed. 21, Abana. 20,

tell anybody. Aslan. 18, Ijon. 15, Ezra. 14, Attention. 13, Hoofs. 12, man. Is 11, Excel.

1, Debt. 2, Peaceable. 3, Drink. 4, Curia. 5, Nuts. 6, Put it. 10, 10, it. Put 6, Nuts. 5, Curia. 4, Drink. 3, Peaceable. 2, Debt. 1,

DOWN:

What kind of good news is this? Who is this Jesus? As in many

detective stories, Mark gives the reader clues which the characters Drench. 27, Enigma. 26, Five.

s comforter. 17, NAE. 19, Lang Syne. 24, Blockade. 25, 25, Blockade. 24, Syne. Lang 19, NAE. 17, comforter. s ’

miss. The very first verse announces ‘the beginning of the good news Job 16, Ate.

1, Depend. 4, Canopy. 7, Beak. 8, Irritate. 9, Zedekiah. 13, 13, Zedekiah. 9, Irritate. 8, Beak. 7, Canopy. 4, Depend. 1, of Jesus Messiah, the Son of God’. Then a heavenly voice addresses ACROSS:

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Jesus at his baptism, ‘You are my son, the beloved’. Later on the mountain three followers hear the voice, ‘This is my son the beloved: listen to him’. And a third time Jesus is declared Son of God; but remarkably this is by the soldier overseeing his execution.

For Mark is insistent that the way of this Son of God leads to Jerusalem, his enemies’ stronghold, and to Golgotha, the Place of a Skull. Halfway through the story Jesus begins talking about this destiny. Peter tries to dissuade him but is fiercely rebuked, and Jesus insists that ‘those who want to save their life [or ‘soul’] will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the good news, will save it’. Disciples are those who literally ‘go behind’ Jesus on the same way (see Mark 1:17; 8:34; 10:32). And the closest disciples, the Twelve, fail pretty badly in Mark’s story both in following and in understanding.

But there are characters who respond in faith. Many of them are anonymous women – like the one with a haemorrhage, the Greek woman with a possessed daughter, or the woman who anoints Jesus before his arrest. And at the end three women follow Jesus to the very end, all the way to his tomb.

There the story ends in mystery and fear, with a message that Jesus is risen and is going ahead but no actual sight of him (for the original ending of Mark’s gospel is 16:8, and anything printed after that in our Bibles are additions by other writers, probably frustrated at such an abrupt conclusion). The women flee, and it’s over to us the readers to follow Jesus: to Galilee, to Jerusalem, and beyond, making his story our story, his death our death, his life our life. That uncompromising storyteller Mark is our guide and our goad. Crossword Clues Christopher Burdon

Across

1 Rely (Psalm 62:7) (6) 4 ‘He stretches out the heavens like a — , and spreads them out like a tent to live in’ (Isaiah 40:22) (6) 7 What the dove carried the olive leaf in, when it returned to Noah’s ark (Genesis 8:11) (4) 8 Annoy (1 Samuel 1:6) (8) 9 Judah’s last king, who ended his days as a blind prisoner in Babylon (Jeremiah 52:11) (8) 14 7

Mistletoe

A Curate Writes……. This time of year you can see all sorts of traditions played out with regard to Christmas decorations. Strict adherents use holly, ivy and of course, mistletoe. While holly and ivy are to be found in gardens and hedgerows, mistletoe usually only appears in greengrocers' shops, or high in a tree well out of reach. It is difficult to keep Advent well in our culture. The round of Christmas parties consumes almost the whole of December, and in a Mistletoe is hemiparasitic, meaning that although its leaves enable normal year the shops will have started their Christmas displays as it to feed itself through photosynthesis, its roots invade the host early as October. We have become a very impatient people and few tree or shrub to extract water and other nutrients. Its favourite host things show this more clearly than the way that Advent, the season of trees are apple, lime, hawthorn, poplar or oak and it normally waiting, has been obliterated by the early celebration of Christmas. hangs as a large globe, tantalisingly high and totally visible once winter arrives and it is the only green left on the tree. There are We currently have no idea what sort of restrictions will be in place in some spectacular examples in Windsor Great Park, clearly visible from the path on the opposite side of the River Thames. Wiltshire after 2 December. It is, however, unlikely in the extreme that normal socialising in pubs or at parties will take place this year. One We all know about the almost translucent white berries, fleshy and silver lining of gloomy 2020 may be that, for once, we have the sticky, which form in the forks of mistletoe's many opportunity to keep a good Advent. Advent is about waiting in patient branches. While they are toxic to humans, they are attractive to faith for the promised new dawn that will come in a form that nobody birds. When birds have enjoyed the juicy flesh, they wipe the could have predicted, when God enters into the world as a vulnerable remaining seeds off their beaks onto the nearest branch tiny baby. [somewhat like small children wiping sticky hands on any surface close by – mummy's face or clothes?]. With luck the seed The theologian Bill Vanstone wrote The Stature of Waiting in the remains stuck to the bark and solves mistletoe's problem of early 1980s, partly as an argument against the culture of activism and reproduction. achievement that dominates the outlook of both Church and society. It is a book that looks particularly at Maundy Thursday and Good In Greek mythology, mistletoe gave access to the Underworld. Friday, and yet captures much of the spirit of Advent. He argues that Romans thought it represented Peace, Love and Understanding Christ redeems the world in the Passion not by doing but by being and perhaps that is how it has sidled into our Christmas done to - the words Passion and passive share the same Latin root. celebrations. The earliest documentary evidence for kissing under At the root of Christianity’s claims is that our salvation is not mistletoe dates from the sixteenth century. Some people think a accomplished by any effort of ours but by Christ, two millennia ago, berry should be removed after each subjecting himself to the actions of others. kiss. Given the small size of pieces generally available these days, So much of our lives involve patient waiting on the work of others. All perhaps that is a practice not to be of us started out life dependent on our parents or other caregivers. pursued! Most of us will endure periods of illness, or worklessness, or frailty, and some people will spend their entire lives utterly dependent on others. They are no less valuable to God and should be no less valuable to us, although sadly that is not always the case 8 13

At present, we are dependent on others for the administration of the vaccines that promise to liberate us from this strange time of bondage - on the talents of medical researchers, on the skill of those currently putting the logistics of a vaccination programme together, on the dedication of the medical personnel who will make it happen on the ground.

The readings at weekday morning and evening prayer in this season, especially from the Old Testament, are focused on waiting for liberation from exile and bondage. They speak profoundly to our current situation. They are easily accessible at the website daily.commonworship.com or via the Daily Prayer app.

I will be running an Advent Course via videoconference from 7-8.15 pm on the four Tuesdays of Advent, 1-22 December. This will focus on the four traditional Advent themes of Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. I like to think of it as "Everything you wanted to know about hellfire and damnation but were too afraid to ask!" In all seriousness, after a year with much death and fear, I thought it was important to take the opportunity to reflect on some of the most challenging realities of the human condition. It is based on a course run by Anna Matthews, the Vicar of St Bene't's, Cambridge, two years ago; those of you who know of her will know the sort of quality you can expect. Please contact me on [email protected] or 07521 440 622 for a link to join in.

Gerry

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Ten Tips for a Green Christmas High street charity shops often have books and gifts that look like new; remember that second hand is always the most envi- 1. Buy recyclable wrapping paper! In Britain every Christmas we ronmental shopping choice! Gifts are tokens of affection; if you throw away 226,800 miles of wrapping paper. When buying pa- have time, something homemade is naturally personal. per, avoid shiny metallic or ‘foiled’ paper. Brown paper with a fabric (reusable!) ribbon looks super stylish. Or make the wrap- 7. Don’t give a gift at all! Talk to your friends and family about ping a part of the present by using a scarf or piece of fabric. what they really want for Christmas. Some people might be Remember to recycle the paper you’re given wherever possible. relieved to make a pact not to exchange gifts, saving money, As a rough guide, if you scrunch paper and it doesn't spring time and stress. Others might prefer to receive a charity gift, back, then it can be recycled. and feel good that their Christmas has helped people in the developing world or has planted a tree. Or you could agree to 2. Do a reverse Advent Calendar. Choose a charity or foodbank. exchange inexpensive experiences instead of objects, like tak- Get a big box or basket. Every day in advent, take it in turns to ing each other out for tea in the dark days of January. choose an item to place in the box. Donate the items to the charity. 8. Choose your Christmas tree carefully. Millions of Christmas trees, both real and artificial, are thrown away every year. If 3. Avoid wasting food. Each year we throw away the equivalent of you choose a real Christmas tree, consider buying a living one 4 million Christmas dinners in Britain, and the average UK fami- that can be planted after Christmas or find out whether your ly wastes £700 of food a year. Christmas is a time when we are council will compost your tree. You can even hire a tree that most likely to overbuy (and overeat!) and food waste increases goes back to be replanted after Christmas. Look for sustaina- even more. To avoid wasting food: Plan your meals and stick to bly grown trees (e.g. ones that carry the Forest Stewardship your shopping list. Love your leftovers! Cover, cool and store in Council ‘FSC’ logo). If you have an artificial tree, treasure it! the fridge (or freeze for future enjoyment – see it as a home- Look after it carefully and reuse it for as many years as possi- made ready meal). If you get given more chocolates than you ble. can eat, donate them to a food bank. 9. Save energy. • If you put up Christmas lights, choose LED 4. Include some vegetarian meals in your Christmas catering. If ones – they use 95% less energy than traditional bulbs. • Fibre you have time at home over the Christmas break, use it to do optic trees and decorations are the ultimate in energy efficien- some experimenting in the kitchen! Eating less meat is one of cy, often using only a single light bulb located at the base of the best ways to reduce our individual carbon footprint, and a the unit to light the entire decoration. • Wait until dark to turn veggie or vegan meal can be a refreshing change from meat- on your Christmas lights and turn them off before you go to heavy celebration meals. bed (set a timer if you forget). • If you have guests, you may 5. Give gifts that people actually want! Each year the UK spends find that you can turn the thermostat down thanks to the extra about £700 million on unwanted presents. Ask people what they heat provided by those extra bodies! • When using your oven, would like for Christmas. Buy things that they will enjoy using, bake several dishes at once. • When cooking on the hob, put rather than festive novelties likely to be discarded within days. lids on your saucepans to speed up cooking and save energy. Toiletries and socks may seem clichéd but they are likely to be 10. Remember the reason for all the Christmas chaos! Take time used! You can be doubly environmental by going for plastic-free to sit quietly. Say a prayer. Walk in the park. Listen. toiletries (soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars) available from

shops like Lush, or sustainable bamboo socks.

6. Give an ethically sourced or Fairtrade or homemade or preloved gift. There are many ethical and charity shops online, such as the Fairtrade Shop, Ethical Superstore, Ethical Shop, the Unicef shop.

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