TANWORTH PARISH MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 70p The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene Tanworth-in-Arden Vicar: The Revd Paul Cudby, The Vicarage, Tanworth-in-Arden B94 5EB 01564 742565 [email protected] Churchwardens: Pat Saunders, Old Bell Cottage, The Green, Tanworth-in-Arden 01564 742406 Philip Terry, 3 Station Cottages, Danzey Green 01564 742049 Readers: Margaret Keighley 01564 742903 Mike Keighley 01564 742903 Paul Jones 01564 702698 Wendy Terry 01564 742049 Mandy Butler 07706 609604 Sacristan: Margaret Way 01564 742073 Headteacher of Church School and Nursery: Mrs Shelley Bamford ([email protected]) 01564 742284 (Out of school hours please ’phone Robert Prince 07799 348807) Children and Young Families Coordinator: Rachel Rollason 07512 057401 [email protected] P.C.C. Treasurer: Philip Littleford, The Old Bell House, The Green, Tanworth in Arden, B94 5AJ [email protected] 01564 742653 Planned Giving Secretary: Matty Thacker 01564 742508 Director of Music: Anne Ellis 0121 458 2331 Captain of the Ringers: Alan Hartley 01527 65732 Women’s Fellowship: Janet Rea 01564 742040 Magazine Editor: Annie Edwards 39 Falstaff Avenue, Hollywood, Birmingham B47 5EL 01564 205151 [email protected] Magazine Distribution: Pauline Rolt 01564 742586 Magazine Advertising: Diane & Colin Cleaver, Pastures Croft, Poolhead Lane, B94 5EH 01564 702936 [email protected] 07774 610449 Various meetings take place on weekdays. Details are normally published in this magazine and given out in notices in church. Websites: Tanworth Church: www.tanworthchurch.co.uk www.facebook.com/tanworth-in-arden church Tanworth School: www.tanworthschool.org.uk Birmingham Diocese: www.birmingham.anglican.org Cover photograph by Annie Edwards. Taken at Baddesley Clinton on 15th October 2017. View from the Vicarage I read about an interesting experiment undertaken by a teacher. We are all familiar with the current vogue for a desirable shape for a man, so this teacher showed her pupils a pin up from her youth. If memory serves I think it was Rock Hudson. Her pupils thought it highly amusing that Are we really that shallow? Well it’s someone who was certainly shapely certainly something that has got me but definitely not with well defined thinking over the years. As a youth muscles and abs could be thought of I had a number of friends who were as attractive. I wonder what they would mechanics and mad about cars, one have made of Johnny Weissmuller of whom did an engine transplant on then, an incredibly powerful swimmer my old Ford Cortina. So of course I and the archetypal Tarzan, yet even was immersed in the culture of what less shapely than Hudson but every was desirable in a car which was ultra bit as much a pin up for the 1940s. low profile tires and big wide alloy What does this tell us about desire? wheels. So of course that’s what To me it suggests that it’s culturally we all wanted. Except I remember influenced. I remember reading a driving home from work and being paper on this a few years back which passed by a car that looked just demonstrated that human desire is like that and in a moment of clarity based around wanting something thought to myself, ‘That car looks because the actions of other people ridiculous. It looks like it’s got pram have demonstrated it to be desirable, wheels!’ Just for a moment my mind not because it is in anyway desirable saw past wanting what everyone else in itself. A classic example of this is a found to be desirable to thinking for trick people can play when they are itself. That episode has never left me trying to get someone to notice them. because I now hear this little voice If you are interested in dating X but in the back of my head asking, ‘You they don’t seem all that interested in desire that? Why? Is it because you you, then get your friend Y to come like it or because everyone else does over in full view of X and pretend and having it would make you a part to start chatting you up. That will of their tribe?’ often alter X’s view of you because Desire is a difficult issue for somewhere deep inside something Christians. There seems to be a will be saying to them, ‘Look, Y finds subtext to our religion that desire is that person attractive therefore they evil, but is it really so simple? Without must be desirable’. X’s interest is then desire there would be no children! I piqued and you’re in with a fighting desire to be the best priest I can be. I chance of a date. desire to get to the end of my life and 1 be able to stand before God and give an article for Church Times. And of back that which I have been given course it can go the other way too, with a sense of, ‘I hope you like what the unconscious desire to impress I did with the cards life dealt me.’ I others by how little we care what they desire that all my family have good think by driving the oldest car and health. Desire is one of the drivers of having the most crumpled clothes, our humanity and without desire we even though that is still an expression would slip into apathetic non-action. of desiring to impress. All of these, But clearly, from what I’ve already and many other, expressions of the said, desire has to be understood. desire to be noticed and to impress We should be mindful of why we others imply that we are not at ease desire something and I think the with ourselves. most poisonous desire of them all is So what’s the remedy? Well first it the desire to impress others and this must surely be that we become aware is the one with which I wrestle more of these things. An Aussie preacher than any other. It can express itself in I once met loved art but he wrestled so many ways. There is the simplistic with every painting he bought to ask model that if I buy this car or that himself whether he personally liked house then people will see me in a the painting or whether he wanted particular light, but it can also be, can others to be impressed by it. So there I get into the office before anyone else is a need for mindful awareness. I think so my boss sees how dedicated I am? we also need to cultivate desire more Even though Covid-19 has shattered intelligently. Philippians 4: 8 says, our office-based style of working, ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever there are still people who say that is true, whatever is noble, whatever they feel they must go into the office is right, whatever is pure, whatever at least once a week so that they can is lovely, whatever is admirable — if be visible to their boss and impress anything is excellent or praiseworthy them, although we must recognise — think about such things.’ This is a that for some there is a sense of tall order but maybe we can work on vulnerability to this, that they need to interpreting that for ourselves as to be visible simply in order to keep their what we think of as true, noble, etc, job. And clergy are not immune to this, and make those things a focus for our perhaps expressed as conversations desires. with the archdeacon about some new idea they’re trying out or writing Prayers If you are worried about yourself or someone else — or would like to be included in our prayers — please email in confidence: [email protected]. Save the date… All Souls — 5th November at 8.00 pm. Further details in November magazine. Will be subject to Covid-19 restrictions. 2 Tanworth Services for October Sunday 4th — Climate Change 9.00 am Book of Common Prayer Church — restrictions apply 10.30 am The Stream Livestream via Facebook Wednesday 7th 7.00 pm Night Prayer Livestream via Facebook Sunday 11th 9.00 am Common Worship Church — restrictions apply 10.30 am The Stream Livestream via Facebook Wednesday 14th 7.00 pm Night Prayer Livestream via Facebook Sunday 18th — Harvest 9.00 am Common Worship Church — restrictions apply 10.30 am The Stream Livestream via Facebook Wednesday 21st 7.00 pm Night Prayer Livestream via Facebook Sunday 25th 9.00 am Common Worship Church — restrictions apply 10.30 am The Stream Livestream via Facebook APCM To be advised Wednesday 28th 7.00 pm Night Prayer Livestream via Facebook Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tanworth-in-Arden-Church YouTube: www.youtube.com/tanworthchurch Private Prayer The church is now open for private prayer on Wednesdays between 10.00 am – 12.00 noon. Note: Face coverings to be used unless you have an exemption. From The Registers Baptism You were baptised into union with Christ and now you are clothed with the life of Christ himself. 23rd August Jacobi Grainger Lidsey Wedding Those whom God has joined together let no one divide. 22nd August Carrie Ann Sadler and Daniel James Cronin Funerals/Interment of Ashes For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son So that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 29th August Luke Stephen Cox 16th September Margaret Haycock 3 ST MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH Tanworth-In-Arden LUNCHTIME RECITAL Thursday 8th October at 12.00 noon YUXIN CHEN (VIOLA) Socially distanced audience with limited numbers. Booking essential. Sign sheet in Church porch or telephone Anne on 0121 458 2331.