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FAITH MATTERS The Parish Magazine of St. Faith, Havant with St. Nicholas, Langstone APRIL 2004 (Internet Edition)

From the Rector Kairos – Seizing God’s Moment for Growth In looking through the information pertaining to Kairos on the Diocesan website (you can access it through the St Faith’s web site or directly: www.portsmouth.anglican.org) I was struck by the obvious – that the moment to which Kairos refers has more than one meaning. It refers to now – this year or month in which we recognise God’s call to serve in a radically new way, or through a profoundly fresh vocation. But there is also the sense that only we can define that moment – it is something between us and God. And when I say us, I mean us – all who worship in St Faith’s and St Nicholas, all who read this magazine, all associated with the church in even remote ways and now, through this initiative, we are linked to the Emsworth and Hayling Island Anglican parishes. The corporate nature of this endeavour has perhaps never been clearer to me – parochialism just isn’t adequate any more (if it ever was). The significant challenge for us is not how do we make St Faith’s and St Nicholas churches survive, but how can the church in these areas serve the community around us with the gifts we are given and the gospel of Christ? It is less about our survival and more about our self-giving and service. And as we try to make sense of this and live it out we have to grapple with the ‘we’ part – how do we (the church) do this – or more accurately how is God willing us to do this? Of course these questions are not completely new to us, but it is good to be helped through these issues again. The Kairos educational material is available to us now and we shall be considering it in two groups through May and June – one group during the day and the other group in the evening. The day time sessions are from 1-3pm each Friday from 14th May to 18th June at the Rectory and hosted by me. The evening sessions are from 7.30pm-9.30pm on Thursday 13th May, Tuesday 18th May, Thursday 27th May, Thursday 3rd June, Tuesday 8th June and Thursday 17th June, place to be decided, and hosted by the Curates. Each session has a short video from the Bishop introducing the material and notes for leaders and participants. Please put these dates in your diary now and make every effort to attend these discussions. It is hoped that lay people will take the lead at these sessions. The material for our young people will also be made available to them. The titles of the six sessions are: God Openness and vulnerability Meeting people where they are Worship Being disciples Pilgrims travelling light As we think of the impending task I would suggest two things to you. Firstly please pray for the Kairos process. The following prayers have been selected by the diocese for our use at this time: God of the past who has fathered and mothered us We are here to worship you God of the future who is always ahead of us We are here to trust you God in the present, here in the midst of us We are here to praise you God of all time God beyond and behind time May we all know what is too late and what is too soon May we always recognise the right time In the light of your timeless love Amen. Secondly I should also like to say a huge thank you and congratulations for all that we have achieved over the last three years. There has been an enormous amount of sacrificial giving, praying and hard work. As we celebrate Easter this year I hope we will have a moment to savour the success of the past years before we move on to the next challenge. In Christ’s resurrection we see both God’s calling to his disciples to take on Christ’s mission, reflected in our Kairos and mission efforts. At the same time, however, we also see a moment for celebration, for praise and reflection – a pause in which those disciples wonder at the marvellous work of God – a work done in both the resurrected Christ and in them, for it is they also who are transformed from somewhat clueless followers to dynamic missionaries. Let us bask for a few days in the glory of God and soak up his wondrous love that we might too be world changers in Christ’s name.                                                                 Fr. David About The Parish The old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me!" does not always hold good and we all know of instances where people are distressed and hurt by name-calling. Happily, I have not heard of it happening at St Faith's but, if it were to, I would ask everyone concerned to remember two occasions when great honour was bestowed on soldiers by name-calling. In the First World War, the small but highly professional British Expeditionary Force, assembled prior to national conscription, was described by the German Kaiser as a contemptible little army. The British troops immediately embraced the title and called themselves "The Old Contemptibles". Sadly, very few veterans are around from the First World War but for these men there was no greater honour than to have been a member of "The Old Contemptibles". (I mentioned mobilisation and it reminds me of a remark of a regular Royal Navy man who once said to me, "The Navy was fine until they let the civilians join!") In the Second World War, the British traitor, William Joyce (known to us as Lord Haw, Haw!), broadcast from Germany, gloating over the killing of civilians in bombing raids over our towns and cities, the sinking of unarmed merchant ships, etc., etc. After the War, he was hung as a traitor and, although I am against capital punishment, for Joyce I would make an exception. When General Morshead and his 9th Australian Division were gallantly defending Tobruk in the Western Desert, Joyce in a broadcast described them as, "Ali Baba Morshead and his Twenty Thousand Thieves, living like rats in holes and the scum of the earth." The Aussies took to the title with great glee and one soldier even wrote a poem to celebrate it, which contained the following verse: Old Jerry had us on the run, the news was far from hot; He had his feet in Egypt and the Sphinx was on the spot. The GOC, despondent, sent signals out in sheaves; Send me Ali Baba Morshead and his Twenty Thousand Thieves! In 1967, Field Marshal Montgomery wrote of the 1942 Battle of Alamein: "When all did so well, it would hardly seem right to single out any for special praise. But I must say this - we would not have won the battle in ten days without that magnificent 9th Australian Division." Praise indeed for Ali Baba Morshead and his Twenty Thousand Thieves!                                                Roger Bryant Animal Welfare Service Sunday 22nd February 2004 The above theme, that of recognising the vast scale of animal suffering in the world today, was incorporated into the 9.30am Eucharist service. Father David has for the second year running held this service on the Sunday just before Lent in order to link it in with the annual Veg4Lent campaign (closely affiliated to the Christian Vegetarian Association), a campaign to persuade Christians to follow the ancient tradition of renouncing meat and fish for the six weeks of Lent, thus sparing those millions of animals who are sent regularly to the slaughterhouse to die in our name if we eat meat. The original impetus for such a service stems from the ASWA’s (Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals) annual service held regularly now on the first Sunday in October in many churches. This vital step forward in the ethos of the Christian church therefore embraces all animals and birds in God’s creation, not just those lucky enough to be our pets! Father David’s sermon dealt very sensitively with the issue of the slaughterhouse and also the reflection that factory-farmed chickens (and indeed other poultry such as ducks, geese and turkey) cost a third of the price of that of poultry raised organically (that is to say – free-range and fed an organic diet), and asked us to look beyond our purses. In fact, people may not be aware that 80% of pigs are factory-farmed, and if meat does not state ‘organic’ on the packaging, then it has been raised cruelly. Labelling meat ‘farm assured’ and/or with the little red tractor logo does NOT mean that pigs have been reared free-range (Compassion in World Farming). Father David also mentioned the ecological perspective – that worldwide livestock production causes deforestation and pollution from waste run-off and consumes 10 to 1000 times more land, water and energy than a vegetarian diet and that every person on Earth could be adequately nourished if grain and vegetables were fed directly to people and not to animals (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Due to lack of time Father David was not able to mention the health argument – that the world’s biggest killers – heart disease, stroke and cancer - could by cut by up to 90% by eliminating the intake of cholesterol found only in meat and dairy products (PETA) - another very good reason for us to become vegetarian. The congregation also prayed during the Intercessions for the wide-scale abuse of animals (as well as those factory-farmed, those used in animal -testing laboratories, animals tortured and killed for their fur, animals hunted for pleasure and used in ‘entertainment’, and long-distance export of animals, including horses, ponies and donkeys, in dreadful conditions in journeys of regularly 60 hours or more, to be slaughtered upon arrival). After the service, in St. Faith’s Hall, a video produced by CIWF was shown to the children, showing how intelligent pigs and chickens are when they are allowed to follow their natural instincts. Magazines, leaflets, books and scrumptious vegetarian recipes were all available free for people to help themselves to. As a very important footnote, on the very same Sunday earlier in the day, the chairman of Veg4Lent, Don Gwillim, gave an interview on Radio Solent and he mentioned our Service at the end of his interview! This was pure coincidence as he was only asked to give the interview on the preceding day! He then came on to our service and some of you met with him.                                                                                                                                                           Helena Youle Mothers Union

A few years ago I managed to contact our twin Mothers Union Group we had lost touch over the years. So all I had to go on was the name of the church and where it was in Western Australia (WA). Whilst having a cup of coffee in a shop in Sydney, I wrote addressing a card to the Vicar of St. Stephen’s, Toodyay, WA. I was thrilled when on arriving at our friends in Perth a letter was waiting and so our contact was renewed. The next trip out we had a whole day with the group, because it was summer and they do not meet for 3 months, as many as could come, came. Toodyay is a very rural part of WA, sheep farming and vineyards; they make a wonderful Port. The day was unforgettable, we, Bill and myself, were made so welcome, and were shown the town and the old jail, etc. We came home with lots of momentous, including a bottle of the local Port, which we shared at our next meeting. A shame our Mothers Union no longer meets, but I still keep in touch with Natalie and her group and friends of the church and hope to visit again later this year when we are off to Western Australia again. Bishop Hale consecrated St. Stephen’s Church of England in 1862.                                                    JGS An April Appeal from the Parochial Church Council As you know, both Jan and Carmen Stuart are members of the PCC and we find that having two members at one address improves our efficiency and is a great saving in postage and telephone calls. The PCC has therefore decided that members will in future share accommodation, with a minimum of two to an address. Our first priority is to find an address for the two living furthest from the parish - Peggy Sparks and Chris Churcher-Brown. We hope to start the new arrangements from 1 April and anyone able to provide accommodation for Peggy and Chris are asked to urgently contact the PCC Billeting Officer, Audrey Currie. Growing a Healing Ministry Some members of the congregation attended this 6-week course, held at St Faith’s. The material used was from the Acorn Christian Foundation and was run by Revd Bill Day. It is a course, which is worthwhile for any member of the congregation to do, because it makes us aware of how central healing is to the Gospel. The healing and wholeness ministry is carried out in the context of a caring community, and if that is what we profess to be, we need to explore how to be respectful, how to listen, and to understand that Jesus’ ministry was holistic. Christian healing is concerned, not just with physical cure, but with relationships, reconciliation, the environment, lifestyle, attitudes etc. Every member therefore has a part to play. Worship itself is healing. The focus is not on ourselves but on God. Christ himself is the healer. The foundations for a healing ministry are prayer and teaching. There will be no effective healing ministry without an undergirding of prayer. A group of praying people, meeting either as a group or as individuals in a prayer chain are needed to pray for those with particular needs, and for the ministry itself. Strict rules for confidentiality apply. Preparation for engaging in the healing ministry is an ongoing process, including the biblical basis and understanding of healing and wholeness, as well as the practicalities of how the ministry would be available. In all, we explored many different aspects of this ministry in a gentle and caring way and prayed too that this may be the way forward for St Faith’s. After the course finished we met with the Rector who was enthusiastic and encouraging. He will ask the PCC to endorse a healing ministry within the Parish. As a start to this process, a group will form to meet and pray about this venture, and also for the sick in the Parish, after 9.15 Morning Prayer on Mondays, starting after Easter. It is anticipated that this meeting will last about ½ hour. Please come if you are interested in joining, or speak to one of us.                                                                                         Sybel Laird & Sandra Haggan Newspaper Snippets Britain is one of the world’s least religious countries, with some of the lowest levels of belief and church going. Only 46 per cent said they have always believed in God, higher than only Russia and South Korea. The average in a poll of 10,000 people in ten countries was 73 per cent. The UK also recorded the highest number – 52 per cent – who said they found it hard to believe in God with so much suffering in the world. Only 21 per cent attend religious services, the second lowest behind Russia, where it was just 7 per cent. The highest figure was 91 per cent for Nigerians while the average was 46 per cent. Meanwhile, a third of atheists admitted they sometimes pray. (Daily Mail 27 February 2004). Couples that include a partner who has changed sex will be allowed to marry in Anglican churches under legislation set to be passed soon. The Gender Recognition Bill, which became law in January, would allow weddings for those who have had sex-change surgery and those who are convinced their body is the "wrong" gender. They would be entitled to marry after having their birth certificates amended to reflect the change of sex. In addition to weddings in register offices, Anglican church weddings in England and Wales will be affected as Anglican priests have the legal powers of a registrar. In other religions, a wedding service is not legally binding until the civil registrar has approved it. Muslims, Catholics and others could therefore continue to deny religious marriages to transsexuals without such couples’ civil rights being affects. Although some Anglican bishops have backed the measure, traditionalists fear it will change the basis on which people's identity is defined. Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester, said: "When the bill passes into law, for me the words woman and man will no longer mean what they have always meant and the government will have introduced marriage between two people of the same sex." (Sunday Times 29 February 2004). Publicity Help Needed The restoration committee needs help as follows: Leaflet distributors - we want to set up a network of distributors who could post leaflets to advertise the major restoration appeal events. Can you post a leaflet in each house in your road or street? Could you distribute packets of leaflets to street distributors? We anticipate that this would be needed about three or four times a year. Poster distributors - we need to place posters around Havant for our major events. If you could help to identify poster locations, or place posters and remove them, please contact me. Media contact - we need someone to regularly contact the various local news media to inform them of forthcoming events and report back afterwards. If you feel you can help, or need more information, please contact Paul Utting. Songs of Praise Songs of Praise was recorded in Portsmouth Cathedral in October 2003 and will be screened on BBC Television on Sunday 25 April 2004. Hymns include Christ Triumphant, All I Once Held Dear (Knowing You), Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us, My Jesus My Saviour, Blest Are The Pure In Heart and Jesus Is The Name We Honour. Cosmo Gordon Lang and the Miracle of "The Centurion's Servant" Continuing with the interpretations of the Miracles of our Lord by Cosmo Gordon Lang we now consider "The Centurion's Servant". Not everyone is too familiar with the accounts in St Matthew's and St Luke's Gospels, so briefly the story is that a Roman Centurion sent elders of the Jews to Jesus in Capernaum to beseech him to come to his home to heal his servant who was grievously ill. Approaching his home, Jesus was met by friends of the Centurion bearing a message from him, "Lord trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof...but say the word and my servant will be healed". Jesus turned, saying to his followers, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." When the friends returned to the Centurion's home, they found the servant healed. Lang is very taken by the Centurion. He describes him as kind-hearted, yet stern as befits a soldier; used to giving commands and yet compassionate, every inch a Roman yet friends with his Jewish neighbours. A simple, straightforward man, yet with the grace of humility, a quality unusual in those harsh days. Lang makes the point that "Jesus was touched by the readiness and simplicity of faith in this uncircumcised Gentile - so striking in its contrast with the prejudices and obstinacy of the Jews. Jesus made inward personal character, not outward orthodoxy of belief or privilege of position, the final test." The importance of this miracle is its demonstration of the power of faith. The Centurion believed and trusted in the power of healing of Jesus. Lang puts it very well. "The Centurion was content that Jesus should only speak the word. The word was at one moment spoken and fulfilled. Jesus said Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee, and the servant was healed in that hour." Lang expressed one of the laws of the Kingdom of God in these words, "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." He considered that the higher the expectation, the larger the results, summing it up with these words: "We cannot have on earth the conditions of heaven. The utmost that a man can give, or that God expects, in loyalty to his ideal, is sincere wishing and honest trying. But if there be wishing and trying, there will be movement - there cannot be stagnation: and if there be movement; it is progress; for then the Spirit of God can act; and what He begins He will end." Amen.                                                                                                                                             Roger Bryant From the Editor There was plenty of glitter and excellent dance routines in the South Downe Musical Society production of Gershwin’s "My One and Only" seen by 18 parishioners on Tuesday 9th March at the King’s Theatre. An enjoyable evening was had by all – thank you Sandra for organising the coach, tickets and ice cream once again. The Quiz Night on Saturday 13th March was well supported with 14 teams competing – thank you Sandra and Ann Buckley for organising another enjoyable evening. As a result the Restoration Appeal is £583 better off. There was standing room only at All Saints’, Catherington on Monday 15th March when over 250 people attended the Kairos roadshow for the Havant Deanery. It was a very good presentation and briefed the audience on the goals and expectation of Kairos (see the Rector’s article). I was very pleased to get a response to my editorial of last month regarding lack of news from parishioners/worshippers of St. Nicholas Chapel when Joan and Dennis Doney wrote to me. Their fascinating cruise on the ‘Saga Rose’ appears further on. Please keep the articles coming. The regular pages of "Members of the PCC" and "Who’s Who" have been omitted in this issue as changes will be made after the Annual Parochial Church meeting on 28th March. A happy and peaceful Easter to all our readers.                                          Colin Carter Chancellor Brown supports St Faith’s – Official Many of you already know that contributions to the Church made by taxpayers under the Gift Aid Scheme enable us to reclaim the tax you have paid, and add it to your gift. At present, that is worth more than 28% extra money to us. Those who pledged donations through last year’s Stewardship campaign will be adding to their regular contributions in this way. However, starting this month there is an additional way you can give money to St Faith’s, with the explicit blessing of the Chancellor and the Taxman – in fact, we wouldn’t have known about it if they hadn’t written to invite the PCC to join the scheme. As from the new tax year starting this month, if you are lucky enough to be owed a refund of Income Tax, you can choose to give some or all of it to a charity of your choice. And, as the one who does the paperwork for the Parish tax reclaims, this is the bit I particularly like: any money you give under this scheme is automatically treated as a Gift Aid donation, with no further forms to fill in. And that means the Parish will receive 128% of your tax refund. All you have to do is to indicate on your tax form that you wish to have a specified amount or all of any tax refund paid to St Faith’s, and quote the PCC’s reference code: XAH87WG. This isn’t a very memorable number, so if you wish to look it up when the time comes, you can find it on the Inland Revenue Internet website (www.ir.gov.uk). Or you may prefer just to ask me.                                                                   Alan Hakim Havant Remembered High Days and Holidays An exhibition is to take place in the Church on 24th and 25th April to include photographs and memorabilia under the heading of Havant Remembered – High Days and Holidays. If you have anything which we might be able to use please contact either Ann Buckley or Sandra Haggan. We would like to make a special feature of weddings in St. Faith’s Church – did you or someone in your family marry here? We are hoping to have a special preview evening on Friday 23rd - (there will be a charge of £5) – more details to follow. We are hoping to serve tea and coffee during the weekend and will also need help with stewarding the exhibition – if you can help in any way please let Ann or Sandra know. Correspondence Column In the March edition of "Faith Matters" you mention the lack of news from parishioners of St Nicholas Chapel - whilst we are no longer parishioners, we remain worshippers at the Chapel each month so it may be you will be interested in a cruise we took at the end of 2003. In October we took a three-week cruise aboard Saga's own ship 'The Saga Rose' to the Ancient Wonders of the Mediterranean taking in some of the Holy Places. In addition to three Professors of Archaeology we were fortunate to have with us Canon Len Black, the Dean of the Anglican Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness in the highlands of Scotland. Although we enjoyed the talks by the Archaeology Professors the highlight of the cruise was the talks given by the Reverend Black who had prepared a Chronology of the Life of St Paul through the years 36-45AD all the way to his trial and death 67-68AD. In brilliantly delivered talks he took us through Paul's travels from Jerusalem (Gal: 1:17-20) via Caesarea, Tarsus, Syria, Cilicia, Antioch, Seleucia, Lystra, Derbe, Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia, Troas, Philippi, Amphipolis, Apolloniia, Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, Corinth, Cenchrea, Ephesus, his being shipwrecked in Malta and on to Rome. (2 Tim 4:14-18 and 1 Tim 4:6-8). All four of his talks were illustrated by slides and biblical references and were so popular that the ship's theatre had to be used to accommodate those listening to him and on each occasion the theatre was 100% full. When we arrived at Kusadasi the Revd Black accompanied us and our Archaeological team to Ephesus (which we had visited some ten years before). Much more had been opened up but this visit was the more enjoyable as, in addition to an excellent local guide, Len was with us and amplified much of the guide's information. It was always difficult to realise that we were standing where many of the Saints had been 2000 years ago. Although we were able to visit Mary's house we were not able to go inside - even at Ephesus some visitors think it clever to scratch their initials, etc., - so it is open only for exceptionally special people. It was Len's first visit to Ephesus and as we walked down the Street of the Curetes to the Library of Celsus I asked him his feelings walking in the steps of Paul and the others. He told me he felt something he could not describe and that he had no idea any place could affect him so. The whole city remains are truly wonderful and to be in the place where Mary, Mary Magdalene and St John all ended their days was hard to credit. Later in the cruise at Tunis we were able to visit Carthage which had been tidied up considerably since we were last there ten years ago. It is, of course, nothing like Ephesus and nowhere so impressive. Apart from his talks, the Reverend Black held three Communion Services for passengers and one for the crew who in the main were Filipino Catholics. Interestingly many Catholics amongst the passengers and crew were happy to receive Communion from an Anglican priest. As well as these services, which were all well attended, the Captain held weekly Songs of Praise, which also were attended by several hundred passengers. At all the services collections were in aid of the Saga supported orphanage in Manilla and the Mercy Ships. Father David and our Treasurer would have been delighted to receive the collections, which averaged £500 at each service!! Saga is not intending to repeat this exact cruise at the moment so we feel privileged to have been part of a wonderful trip with -such very knowledgeable speakers to assist us enjoy and understand the journey. A final bonus - when we called at Malta we heard the Basingstoke Male and Female Choirs who were giving a concert in the Pro Cathedral of St John. In fact a double bonus we both of us being Officers of the Venerable Order of St John and also we knew several members of the Choir from our days at Basingstoke in the 1960s. Joan and Dennis Doney - Hayling Island From Sendai, Japan Dear Prayer Partners. The Baptist church will finally be deciding in April whether to sell the property to us or not. In the meantime we have been told we can rent it for another year. This is very good news. Amy and Andrew safely arrived in India. Amy has been offered a place at Southampton University to study medicine and thanks you for your prayers. Andrew would like you to pray for his GCSE (O'level) exams he is doing in May. We have been told that the Westons (an experienced church-planting couple) would like to replace us while we are on furlough. Praise the Lord for his provision and their willingness, and for Him to bless their work here. Love from Rod & Glenda Thomas Faith Matters The Ministry Vision group considered the ‘Role of the Parish Magazine’ within the PCC’s Communications Strategy. It regarded Faith Matters as the primary communication media for the parish, with the weekly bulletin sheet as an important complement to the magazine. Likewise, the website www.stfaith.com forms an important role in communication, although it is realised that probably few of the congregation currently can access it. The group recommended: Format and Price. The format and price should continue as it is now. Contributors. Encourage more input by getting together a team of, say 24, contributors, who would each be prepared to write one article per year. Children’s Contributions. Encourage Sunday Club and Junior Choir to make regular input to a children’s page. Baptisms and Weddings. Ask if families would like to write an article or letter about their experiences. Church Announcements. Ensure that availability of new magazine is announced in church notices during services in the week prior to availability. Active Selling. Use selected choir children to sell Faith Matters as people leave church on Sunday morning. Ensure notices in church and weekly bulletin sheet inform congregation that the choir children will be selling the magazine as they leave. Prayer Page. Each month to have a new prayer written by clergy and others. Encourage congregation and visitors, baptism, wedding and funeral families to submit or request prayers for any reason. Letterbox in Church. Provide a suitable receptacle to enable letters, requests, visitor cards, feedback questionnaires, etc., to be safely deposited in church – initially during Sunday services only. Disposal of Unsold Copies. They should be given away, distributed within the parish and donated to Kingston prison. Clarifying Aspects of Service Traditions. Encourage parishioners to ask questions about the service for which they require clarification, e.g., why are the bells rung three times during the preparation of the bread and wine when "do this in remembrance of me" is said. The PCC has asked the Mission Vision Group to consider who the magazine is aimed at; the distribution of surplus copies to homes adjacent to other subscribers and to waiting rooms of surgeries; and offering parishioners the opportunity to pay an annual subscription for the magazine to be sent to distant friends and family with a Christmas card telling them who paid for it.

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The Parish Church of ST. FAITH in HAVANT