Lillington Parish Magazine St Mary Magdalene’s Church SEPTEMBER 2018 1 2 FROM OUR MINISTER Dear All, I am delighted to be writing my first letter in this wonderful publication. Reading through the back copies of Crosstalk in preparation for my interview was most informative. Time is now flying by and, as I write this article, we have been resident here in the Vicarage for three whole days! Boxes and bubble wrap surround us at every turn but we are gradually finding places for everything. We are very excited about joining you all in September and have already been made to feel most welcome by lots of the neighbours. Growing up in Leamington and having passed through the parish every day for seven years on the bus to school means that there is already a great sense of being back home. Tricia and I were married in Leamington at St Paul’s, whose spire we can see from our bedroom window. Since 1990 we have worked in a variety of contexts in Coventry and latterly just a twenty-minute walk east of the Cathedral in Stoke. For the last nine years I have been Team Rector with oversight of four churches in a parish of thirty thousand. One of these churches was St Mary Magdalene, which at over nine hundred years, is the oldest church in Coventry. Mary Magdalene’s story is one that has a particular fascination for me, so to come here to Lillington feels right on many different levels. Ahead lies a new chapter for us all and I am very grateful to all who have worked so hard during the interregnum to ensure that worship has continued uninterrupted, the building and grounds have been well cared for and the parish in general has been well served. This, I am sure, has involved considerable time, effort and sacrifice. We come among you as fellow workers for the Kingdom and I am keen to listen and learn the story of the journey so far. Charlotte left, having loved and led with great skill and care and I am grateful for her ministry and the foundations she helped lay. I would value your prayers now as I seek to discern where God might be leading us in the years to come. With every blessing, William 3 The Induction of The Revd William Smith By The Bishop of Coventry Wednesday 5th September 7.30 pm in church Come and welcome our new Vicar WARDEN’S WORDS “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” Isaiah 57 Churchwardens everywhere dread the news that the Vicar is leaving – they have usually had no experience of what lays in store for them and how they are going to cope. It is also true that welcoming a new Vicar – whilst a joyous occasion - is uncharted territory! As Churchwardens, Godfrey and I are charged not just with maintaining the fabric of the building, but with the care and encouragement of the congregation. In fact it does feel somewhat the reverse and I certainly have been so very fortunate that as a church family you have been so supportive … and forgiving! Even more fortunate that I know someone very well who was the churchwarden in the last vacancy (“Reader, I married him”). But why the Isaiah quote above? Well it does feel like we have been preparing the way, making sure that things go smoothly (removing the obstructions!), working with the Diocese and Old Milverton to find the right person for our church in the future. Building up people by giving them new chances and opportunities, and caring for each other along the way. William (just William, he says) will be here soon and I know that you will all support him in his new role. He is not Charlotte – just as she wasn’t Tim; preparing the way is about going forward and being ready to accept whatever blessings the Lord has in stall for us. If you do look up the Isaiah passage, do read to the end – because it shows that the churchwardens will still be working after 5th September! Carol Innes 4 CROSSWORD 24 Disgrace(Psalm44:13)(8) 25 First month of the Hebrew calendar (Exodus13:4) (4) 26 Christianity of the Britons before Augustine arrived from Rome (6) 27 Mean (Numbers 35:23 Down 1 ‘Whoever finds his life will — it’ (Matthew 10:39) (4) 2 ‘My lord the king, let the — — on me and on my father’s family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt’ (2 Samuel 14:9) (5,4) 3 O raid (anag.) (5) Across 4 ‘If two of you on earth — about 1 ‘Unless the Lord builds the anything you ask for, it will be done house, its builders — in vain’ for you by my Father in heaven’ (Psalm 127:1) (6) (Matthew 18:19) (5) 4 Season of the year (Psalm 84:6) 5 Take care of (1 Samuel 17:15) (6) (4) 7 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with 6 What the older son heard as he sorrow to the point of death. — came near the house the day his here and keep watch with me’ prodigal brother came home (Luke (Matthew 26:38) (4) 15:25) (5) 8 It came over the whole land 10 ‘Do not think of yourself more from the sixth to the ninth hour on highly than you ought, but rather the first Good Friday (Luke 23:44) think of yourself with — judgment’ (8) (Romans 12:3) (5) 9 Paul invariably did this in the 11 Do ten(anag.)(5) synagogues he visited on his 12 Architectural style first used in missionary journeys (Acts 17:2) (8) Greek temples in the sixth century 13 ‘It is God who works in you to BC (5) will and to — according to his good 13 Capable of being purpose’ (Philippians 2:13) (3) used(1Kings7:36)(9) 16 Members of the Church of 14 ‘Each one should — his own Scotland (13) actions’ (Galatians6:4)(4) 17 ‘Now when he saw the crowds, 15 Among the items imported by he went up on a mountain side and Solomon’s fleet of trading ships (1 — down’ (Matthew 5:1) (3) Kings 10:22) (4) 19 Mock (Luke14:29)(8) Contd. overleaf 5 Crossword clues, Down contd. 20 Outstanding 18th-century hymn writer, — Watts (5) 18 ‘But I am afraid that just —— 21 One of the four sons of Asher was deceived by the serpent’s (Genesis46:17)(5) cunning, your minds may somehow 22 Be distressed (Proverbs 24:19) be led astray’ (2 Corinthians 11:3) (4) (2, 3) 23 He was the father of Gaal, who threatened rebellion against Abimelech (Judges 9:28) (4) Solution on page 7 Organ Recitals in September & October Wed. 12th September, 7.30pm Organ recital. John Wilderspin. Worcester Cathedral. Wed. 19th September, 7.30pm Organ recital. Adrian Moore. Holy Trinity Leamington Spa. Wed. 26th September, 7.30pm Organ recital. Michael King. St. Mary Magdalene Lillington. ANNIVERSARY RECITAL SATURDAY 6TH OCTOBER 7.30pm PETER SUMMERS Organist Emeritus Holy Trinity, Stratford-on-Avon. Interval with cheese and wine. 6 Continuing his series of profiles, Roderick Clark interviews the Dean family A couple who met at Warwick University and joined St Mary Magdalene’s last year are now contributing significantly to our church’s work with young people. They are Lucy and Patrick Dean, who come with their own young family, Jack and Daisy, both lively members of our Sunday Club. Lucy was born in King’s Heath (Birmingham), and her parents have a firm tradition in Christian work – first with Open Doors, an organisation which supports persecuted Christians round the world, and then in the administration of overseas Christian mission visits. As a girl, she says she was “conscientious” and “extrovert”; she played ‘pop’ guitar a bit and enjoyed craftwork. Her twin interests of Physics and French combined very nicely with a gap year at an engineering company, and then a university course in Civil Engineering and European studies, including a study year in France. Patrick started life at Ealing (west of London) but then his family of six moved into the countryside in Great Missenden and then Wendover (both Buckinghamshire). His father was a railway manager and transport consultant, also enjoying voluntary work with steam trains. Patrick was (and still is, I sense) outdoorsy, enthusiastic and energetic. He gained satisfaction from schoolwork well done; enjoyed, in particular, ‘alternative sports’ such as karate and rock climbing; and was “mainly well-behaved” (I like the ‘mainly’!). Blessed with good friends, he adds that he knew he had people who loved and accepted him. His mother’s role was as a powerful Christian influence on him, in a family which is divided – but in a friendly way – over religion. Patrick chose to follow God, join a church youth group, attend Christian festivals and help in a children’s holiday club. 7 He moved on to the University of Warwick to study Physics – where he first got to know Lucy over a period of time. She was “a lovely, lovely person – the more I got to know her, the more I liked her”, he explained. Later on, “He gave me a great big hug and I asked for his number and sent a message,” adds Lucy. And that was it! They quite quickly made the surprising decision to get onto the property ladder and buy a house between them – and Lucy moved into it. After two-and-a-half years they got engaged; Patrick’s idea was to pop the question in the centre circle at Twickenham Stadium during a U2 concert – but he lost his nerve and did it outside Barclays Bank “Patrick’s idea was to pop the instead, fluffing his lines question in the centre circle at even then! But he still got Twickenham Stadium during a U2 the right answer concert” immediately.