THE PARISH MAGAZINE OF Price ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS 60p CHURCH Watford Take the helmet ofsalvation and the sword ofthe Spirit which is the word ofGod Ephesians 6: 17 JUNE 2014 CONTENTS 3. Pastoral Letter 5. Parish Quiet Day Production Team 6. Celebrate 100 Rob White 7. In Focus Sylvia Moring 11. 17th Watford Brownies Father Geoff Vicki Matthews 12. Hertford Posy Festival Graham Mordue 14. Diary of Events Subscriptions 16. Sung Eucharist Duty List Valerie Alvarez 17. An Update from your Churchwardens Diary and Rota Sylvia Moring 18. Watford Celebration 2014 20. The Farmer and the Soldier Crossword Peter White 21. Some Notes on a Parish History Distribution 22. Alice Schreiber Dennis Beach 24. Crossword Rob White Contributors Violet Allen-Smith Final Copy Date for Dennis Beach Canon John Brown July edition of SWORD Father Geoff Kristine Jenkins 22nd June 2014 Andrew Kiddle Graham Mordue Please submit copy or email to: Sylvia Moring Marilyn Tozer [email protected] Rob White Printers DPD Printing 2 A Pastoral Letter Dear Friends, The 'phone rang and the door bell rang just as I was about to get my supper out of the oven! All a bit chaotic - but, as usual, it was sorted out in the end and it did give me a starting point for this letter. Life does seem to become a bit hectic at times and it can be busy and sometimes noisy too. Some noise can be friendly and re -assuring, like the twins playing in their garden next door, or my neighbour mowing his lawn. But some noise is very intrusive. There are very noisy cars, perhaps a too loud radio or TV, and sometimes there is a late night celebration in the Sports Club. Even people standing and talking very loudly on their mobile 'phones can be distracting. We may not be happy with any of these - but they are part of life today so we have to learn to live with them. That is why it is sometimes good to find a place where we can get away from the noisy world. It may be a walk in our lovely park, away from the main paths to a quieter part where we can just hear the birds and enjoy the colour and shape of the trees. It could be just sitting in our own room. Our Thursday morning Communion Service also gives us a space for peace and prayer and quiet thought. But what I find most helpful and refreshing is a Parish 'quiet day' away from Watford and in a Convent or centre where prayer and worship are a regular part of each day. It is a step aside from the every day world - from the busy hustle - to a relaxing quietness. It can be a precious knowing and growing time. The writer of the book of Isaiah said, "in rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust shall be your strength." In the psalms we find "be still and know that I am God." 3 In a 'quiet day' our thoughts and prayers are led by short talks and readings and then we have time to be on our own to think, consider to pray or to read. At some point we come together for a quiet service of Holy Communion. Last year, Fr. Geoff made himself available for anyone who wanted to talk to him privately. The time seems to pass too quickly - but those who have shared the time together have something to take away, something that will be with them as they cope with the noisy and sometimes worrying world. A quiet day could be a day of reflection, perhaps a day of prayer and renewal or it might be a day when a problem could be solved. Or it could just be a simple day of peace spent in the company of friends who also want time away from the busy world. We are hoping to arrange a quiet day on August 2nd - so do think about it carefully. With Love and good wishes, Violet Saturday 21st June Pilgrims wishing to be part of this special event should register via the Cathedral website. Visitors can also download the Alban Pilgrimage Information Booklet 4 Parish Quiet Day at the beautiful Burnham Abbey (Taplow, Near Maidenhead) - on Saturday 2nd August Cost will be £5.00 per person, bring your own packed lunch, tea and coffee available all day. Transport will be arranged. Further details in due course, please put the date in your diaries 5 The St Albans Diocese will celebrate its centenary on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 August 201 4 with a Festival Day of Fun and Praise. It will be the largest ever gathering of parishioners from across the St Albans Diocese. The event and all activities are free and will take place in 60 acres of beautiful Bedfordshire countryside at the The College Equestrian Centre at Keysoe, north of Bedford. Marquees will be provided for seminars and displays will showcase talents and interests from across our Diocese. We have speakers, musicians, an orchestra, choirs and Christian performers including 'Songs of Praise' presenter Pam Rhodes, singer Jonathan Veira, children's worship leader Duggie-Dug-Dug, speaker Canon J John, the Very Revd. Dr. Jeffrey John and the Holy Kapow Circus. Throughout the day there will be many displays on Church crafts and attractions, including displays by the acclaimed Essex Dog Display Team. Classic cars from across the past 1 00 years will be on show, with a history of MG cars. There will be free fairground rides for children to enjoy, It's a Knockout and much, much more. The three Bishops will also take part in a sheep herding event. The focus throughout the day will be events on the main stage, flanked by two large screens. The climax event will be an open air worship service which will include a Eucharist at which Bishop Alan will give an uplifting address. There is a back-up indoor arena in the event of inclement weather. The event starts at 1 0am and ends at 5pm. Festival goers may wish to arrive early and stay later to avoid potential traffic congestion. 6 Welcome to the latest edition of In Focus, a monthly newsletter from the Church of England. Our aim is to help you keep in touch with the activities of the National Church Institutions. Do hava a look at In Review, our sister publication, designed as an A3 version for notice boards. Guidance on challenging homophobic bullying in Church schools launched The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a “Less than a year ago I set out my concerns report from the Education Division of the about the terrible impact of homophobic Church of England “Valuing All God’s bullying on the lives of young people and I Children: Guidance for Church of England made a public commitment to support our Schools on Challenging Homophobic schools in eradicating homophobic stereotyping Bullying.” and bullying. The guidance, which has been given to all “Since then an enormous amount of work has Church of England schools, provides 10 key gone into producing this guidance so that recommendations which should be adopted by commitment can be turned into action. I am schools in combating homophobic bullying as extremely grateful to all those who have worked well as sample policies for primary and so hard to produce it and I particularly want to secondary Church schools. Published by the thank the schools and young people who have Church Of England Archbishops’ Council contributed. Education Division, the guidance involved “Church schools begin from the belief that consultation and involvement with a number of every child is loved by God. This guidance aims Church of England schools with existing good to help schools express God’s love by ensuring practice. that they offer a safe and welcoming place for Speaking at a Church of England Secondary all God’s children. This is a task we are called School at Trinity Lewisham Archbishop Justin to share and I know it is one our schools take said that the publication of the guidance immensely seriously. I commend this guidance fulfilled a pledge he made last July when as a contribution to that work.” addressing the Church of England’s General The full report is available at: Synod. http://bit.ly/1iIKi20 CUF release Poverty Sunday resources The Church Urban Fund has launched a Find out about poverty near you by using new set of resources for Poverty Sunday our online poverty look up tool. which takes place on June 22nd. -Poverty impacts every aspect of people’s The campaign, which is calling on the lives. You can find out how we define Church to reflect on issues of poverty in this poverty and how we respond. country and how it might respond, has Further resources including prayers and developed new resources including a tool to sermon outlines will also be available on the look at poverty in your parish, and details of Church Urban Fund website, at: how churches can support CUF. http://www.cuf.org.uk/get- Online resources include: involved/act/resources/poverty-sunday -How does poverty affect your local area? 7 Archbishop Sentamu backs new 'Dept Trap' report A new report backed by the Archbishop of The report coincides with The Children’s York identifies the effect that debt is placing on Society’s launch of ‘The Debt Trap’ - a family relationships, damaging children and campaign lifting the lid on the massive impact trapping families in a downward spiral of of debt on children’s lives.