2016 Parish Church of All Saints, Lanchester 40p monthly 0r £4 per year St. John’s Church, Burnhope Parish Church of LANCHESTER & BURNHOPE Incumbent Reverend Rupert Kalus The Vicarage, 1, Lee Hill Court, Lanchester DH7 0QE Tel: 521170 E-mail: [email protected] Curate Ali Miller 07557 148689 E-mail: [email protected] READERS TOWER CAPTAIN Peter Jackson, 23 Humberhill Drive 521156 Olga Walker, 9 Pineridge Avenue 01740 Doreen Park, 10 West Terrace 438564 Sedgefield 621865 Burnhope CHURCH WIVES GROUP Ann Sinclair, 16 Deanery View 521029 Brenda Craddock, 38 Briardene 520749 Stephen Burt, Reader Emeritus MOTHERS’ UNION BRANCH LEADER SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS’, LANCHESTER LANCHESTER Sunday 8.00am Holy Communion Margaret Brown, 31 Oakwood 529714 10.00am Parish Eucharist SECRETARY: 3.45pm Messy Church (3rd Sunday of month) Jill Finlayson, 21 The Barns, Stanley 284344 6.00pm Evening Service SUNDAY SCHOOL 10.00am every Sunday MOTHERS’ UNION BRANCH LEADER Wednesday 9.45am Holy Communion BURNHOPE 7.15pm Contemplative Service Elva Hockaday, 6 The Villas, 520019 & Eucharist (monthly) Burnhope HOLY BAPTISM & WEDDINGS - SECRETARY: by arrangement with the Vicar Muriel Molloy, 1 Whitehouse Avenue 521441 Burnhope SERVICES AT ST. JOHN’S, BURNHOPE SUNDAY SCHOOL Every Sunday weekly service 9.15 am Contact the Vicar 521170 Café Church (During Term time) on the first MAGAZINE EDITOR: Thursday of the month 6.00pm at Burnhope Pri- Rob Matthews 0191 3841998 mary School [email protected] PARISH ROOM SECRETARY CHURCHWARDENS Angela Lee, Fairfield Lodge 520032 Maiden Law Dennis Geer, ‘Rooks View’ 529025 CHURCH FLOWERS 51 Meadowfield, Burnhope Barbara Sproat, 37 Greenwell Park 520247 Pam Hasler, Clive Cottage, 528846 3 Ornsby Hill MUSIC GROUP Joan Littlefair 22 Briardene Janet Jackson, 31 Foxhills Crescent 521250 Lanchester 07534947145 MEN’S FORUM Peter Jackson, 23 Humberhill Drive 521156 VICE CHAIRMAN PCC Mobile 07762926130 Margaret Matthews, Delves House, Delves Lane 505448 HON. TREASURER Contributions to the Stephen Bailey, 40 Briardene 521884 HON. SECRETARY PCC Church Magazine To be confirmed are always welcome. ELECTORAL ROLL OFFICER David Baggott, 14 Woodlands 520646 Copy should be handed personally to Rob, or left in the tray at the back of the church or, pref- GIFT AID erably, sent by E-mail to: Miranda Donneky, 29 Bradbury Close 231570 Tanfield Lea, Stanley ORGANISTS [email protected] Craig Davies, 33 First Street Bradley Cottages Leadgate 07999596274 The deadline for copy for the [email protected] Valerie Collins, 7 Langley Avenue, 521289 July/August issue is Dr Ian Brunt, The Lodge, Durham Rd 521317 SUNDAY June 19th This is a way to learn to value and accept ourselves as we are not an exercise in self-improvement. God never expects us to be perfect. Learning to care for ourselves can make it easier to care for others too, but it helps us above all to know our own worth as his children. Why come to church? As part of our vision of Community, Contempla- tion and Compassion we are encouraging people Being Kind to Ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities for worship, I tried a little experiment at our Wednesday service prayer and silence our life together affords. The recently and I thought I would share it with some church building is now open every day and we more of you. I invited people to say the following have several prayer groups dedicated to helping us phrase to themselves: experience more deeply the life and love of God. May I be at peace Central to our life together is the Eucharist where we meet the living presence of Christ in bread and May I be safe wine. It is the most sacred and most human of cele- May I be well brations in which Jesus invites us simply to sit and eat with him. Sharing in the sacrament together is May I be happy. just about the most beneficial thing we can do for I then asked them whether they found this easy to our own spiritual well-being and that of others. As say or whether they felt a certain resistance. My the phrase goes, “we are what we eat.” As we sit sense was that most people, myself included, were and eat with Jesus we learn to know him better, slightly uncomfortable wishing themselves peace, love him more and grow more like him. Please do happiness and well-being. A part of us felt that it take advantage as often as you can of this invitation was somewhat selfish. We thought that it was ok to to dine at the Lord’s Table. wish these things for others, but to wish them for (However, please remember that Jesus is inviting ourselves was somehow wrong. I then tried the us to share with him not demanding our attendance. second half of the experiment and asked everyone As with all the groups and services which take to think of someone they cared for and to wish that place in church this is an invitation not an expecta- person peace, happiness and health. As expected tion. It is an invitation not an obligation. Because everyone found this easier. Jesus loves us he invites us to share ever more But if we believe that God loves us and cares for deeply in his life and love. The reason we have in- us surely we believe that he wants us to love and troduced more groups and services is to afford as care for ourselves too. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus many occasions as we can for all of us to grow says, “Would any of you who are fathers give your closer to the one who knows us best and loves us son a snake when he asks for a fish. Or would you most. It is about increasing the opportunities for give him a scorpion when he asks for an knowing Jesus better not increasing the demands egg?....you know how to give good things to your we make of members of the congregation. To quote children. How much more then will the Father in a phrase I like a lot, “We come to the Lord’s Table heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” because we may, not because we must.”) One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to bring com- Rupert fort. And when we show compassion to others we are helping to offer that comfort to them. Does it not make sense that God wants us to share that compassion with ourselves too? During the coming month I encourage you to try saying this phrase to yourself as you go about your daily business. Try- ing wishing yourself the same peace, joy and well- being that God also wishes you to know. Similarly in Revelation 5.8 the golden bowls of incense are mentioned in the context of worship and they contain the prayers of the saints no less (see also Rev. 8.3-4). Now, as I have joked with some of you, I was the only Anglo-Catholic in the village that was Cran- mer Hall, the evangelical theological college where I trained. But note: incense was in use at that peaceful service of Compline long before I arrived there, highlighting for me that its use really does (and should) have nothing to do with church tradition, or denomination, whatsoever. One of my dearest friends, a fellow curate in York, is a char- Holy Smoke! ismatic New Wine worshipper and she cannot get enough of the holy smoke. Use of incense is on the My favourite night of the week, for the two years rise, especially so in cathedrals, as we recover its I was an ordinand, was always Wednesday. No potential for enhancing our worship. Yet of course contest. This was the night in which we said we have to remain aware that it can be difficult to Compline in the chapel. It was completely student appreciate if one has chest complaints or breathing -led: by the students, for the students. There was difficulties. Since I have been with you we have nothing remotely tick-box about it. We said it be- used incense just for the very special dates in the cause we wished to, not because we had to or church year - the principal feasts. Incense can aid were expected to. We varied in number, anything us in increasing the multi-sensory aspects of the from 5 to twenty of us. Sometimes we drew in liturgy, thus enabling us to worship God with eve- undergraduates from John’s, particularly around ry aspect of our being. I think that worshipping the time of deadlines or exams. through our senses rather than relying on intellect Why was it so special? Cynics may say it was the makes it more accessible. However for me one of not retiring to bed in silence afterwards that the nicest things about the use of incense is this: I made it so – we would hotfoot it to the common love to step into church after a service and discov- room for port and cheese. Of course that was a er a hint of lingering fragrance. It evokes memo- great part of the evening! But the big draw was ries of worship, of peace, of being close to God just being with God in that space, and we cultivat- and at the same time in awe of God. It is redolent ed that space carefully so we could find God of prayer and reverence. Holy things have hap- through all the senses. We would gather near the pened here. altar on benches or on cushions on the floor Next time, by popular request: the colours of the (underfloor heating is wonderful).