From the Rector - Sacred Space

This month sees the start of an experiment in church to remove the four rows of pews under the tower and to relocate an altar in the space provided.  The scheme is part of the work of the Property Development Group, a sub committee of the PCC, which is working on proposals for the reordering of the church and the design of an additional building in the churchyard. The trial period of January and February was unanimously agreed by the PCC in order to test whether we should make the change to a nave altar permanently.  Obviously the location of the altar is a very significant part of the overall plans, and so it is important to establish as soon as possible how we want to proceed.

But why is the PDG proposing these changes?  For most of the life of St Faith’s church the altar has been placed against the East end, so that worshippers could face east, along with the priest presiding over the worship.  But reforms of the 60’s, following the Second Vatican Council have challenged the old norms in an attempt to recapture the Biblical practices and the essence of the early church.  But these forty years of change have also demonstrated a desire to show respect to the wisdom of the intervening 2000 years of church history.  What then are the foundational principles upon which the way we layout the church should be based?

In the celebration of the Eucharist, the main service of worship in our church, we come together to give thanks to God, to hear God’s word and to celebrate, through the sacraments of Christ’s body and blood, the outpouring of God’s love for his world shown in the death and resurrection of Christ.  The sacraments take us into the life of Christ, or as some writers put it, the movement of God, so that we become ever more obedient to the will of God, according to the model of pure obedience shown in the life of Jesus.

It is important also to notice the Trinitarian action of the Eucharist.  We are called into obedience to the will of the Father.  We enter this divine movement through our faith in his son, Jesus Christ, specifically by partaking of the Eucharistic meal offered to all who share in this faith.  And we are empowered to do so through the life giving activity of the Holy Spirit.

If the sacraments are so central, an obvious question is why does all the action take place in the sanctuary, at the East end, as far away as possible from the bulk of the congregation?  At the last supper Jesus was among his disciples, around the table with them, as he told them to eat bread and drink wine ‘in remembrance of me’.  Jesus was in the midst of them not far away and remote, just as the Father is intimate and close to us, not remote as the God of the Old Testament was often made out to be.  In the same way the altar and the priest, who acts in the place of Christ as well as the people, should be close to the congregation, rather than detached and remote.

This intimacy is not always comfortable, and some would rather that they were detached from the action, but God’s call to loving service is a risky business.  Following Christ is not a get-away-from-it-all, Sunday-morning only pass time, it is a life-giving, all-demanding commitment to Christ’s principles, way of life and self-giving.  The centrality of the altar symbolises this self-giving as a reminder of our commitment to Christ.

Furthermore the altar at the ‘top end’ of the church surrounded only by the priest, other clergy and servers (all robed), separated from the people by the also robed choir (angelic host?) gives the impression that the ‘really holy people’ are those in the sanctuary, and that the congregation in the pew are very much second class Christians.  Of course those of you who have been attending church for years may not feel this, but honestly, what impression does this give to the newcomer or uninitiated?  If we really believe that all are loved and valued by God and that all we have to take on for salvation is faith, then the way we lay out the church needs to reflect that.  Again, the nave altar signals the fact that all are welcome at Christ’s table, and that the bread and wine is only body and blood for us because of the faith of the community, rather than because of the incantation of certain mystic words uttered by a holy man.  It is important that we are clear in advertising the availability of God’s saving love in Christ for all, so that all can find the altar, and the church itself for that matter, accessible.

I implore you, then, in this trial period to take a fresh look not only at the way we worship but also at your own discipleship.  Being called to serve as a disciple of Christ means assisting others in their journey of faith as well as being supported by others in our own.  I hope you will see the liturgy of our worship in a new light and attempt to see how God is present in the Eucharist.  Above all remember this is a trial and that what you think about it is important, so please let me know how you feel.

With every blessing for this New Year,                                                                                              David

United Service with Havant URC and Methodists

About The Parish

In my youth, Hollywood used to like to make films where characters from real life or fiction met - "Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper", "Dracula meets Frankenstein", etc.   In the pages of "Faith Matters" last year, we speculated about whether St. Paul met Jesus.  Certainly they were both in Jerusalem at the same time but Paul, being a Pharisee, would not have been attracted to the ministry of Jesus.  Last year, we had the celebrations of Nelson and Trafalgar but there was another British hero of the Napoleonic Wars - the Duke of Wellington. 

Did you know that they met on one occasion?  (John Bradey does because he told me so, although it was not in Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club!)  Instead it was in the ante-room of the Colonial Office in Downing Street and it was in 1805 on the day that Nelson travelled to Portsmouth bound for glory and immortality.  Fortunately, Wellington made a record of their meeting.  To be precise, Nelson met Sir Arthur Wellesley, destined to become the Duke of Wellington and victor at Waterloo.  For the purpose of this narrative, we will use the name of Wellington.  The latter instantly recognised Nelson from the many likenesses of him in public places, for Nelson was a very vain man who enjoyed sitting for painters.  Wellington was equally vain.  At the height of his fame, he was walking down the Strand one day when a complete stranger stopped him, saying "Mr Smith, I believe!"  To which Wellington replied, "My dear sir, if you believe that, you will believe anything!" and walked on.

Although Wellington recognised Nelson, it was not mutual because Wellington was virtually unknown, despite his highly successful military campaigns.  Nelson proceeded to show off in front of the stranger, talking about himself in a very vain and silly manner, at least that was Wellington's opinion.  Nelson excused himself and left the room to return a few minutes later.  Wellington recorded that Nelson had obviously asked someone who the stranger was because his manner on his return had changed markedly.  They were both kept waiting to see the Secretary of State for almost an hour which gave them time to converse about affairs of state and the problems ahead on the continent. 

Wellington's admiration for Nelson was immediate and he recorded that he never had a more interesting conversation with anyone.  He noted that if the Secretary of State had seen Nelson promptly and they had only had the short initial conversation, Wellington would have thought of him as a light and trivial character.  Instead, he recognised that Nelson was a very superior man.   Sadly, we shall never know what Nelson thought of Wellington but it is safe to assume that if he had survived Trafalgar he would have recognised the achievement of Wellington at Waterloo.  What we do know is the verdict of History on these two remarkable and Christian men.                  

We know the destinies of these great men but not our own.  What does 2006 hold for us?  Only time will tell but certain things we do know.  We know of the everlasting love of God and of His presence in all we do, now and always.  Do have a happy, prayerful and peaceful New Year.

Roger Bryant

Correspondence Column

Sheilah Legg would like to thank Father David and the members of St. Faith’s for kind prayers, ‘phone calls and letters received after breaking her ankle.  They were all much appreciated and she is pleased to say she is well on the road to recovery.

Chairman Buildings Management Committee

Bob Wilson will be standing down as Chairman of the Buildings Management Committee (BMC) at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in April.  Being chairman of the BMC is not time consuming and is mainly managerial.  Should you be interested in taking on this important post in the parish please contact Bob on 023 9248 2614 for details and go along to the BMC meetings before the APCM in April.

 House in Tavernelle to Rent

Situated in NW Tuscany, in Apennine Mountains.  House forms part of medieval historic centre of Tavernelle, nearest main town Aulla.  Sleeps up to six comfortably.  Two bedrooms upstairs (one with TV), one bedroom downstairs. One main bathroom with bath, sink, WC and washing-machine downstairs, other with walk-in shower, WC and basin (upstairs).  Shared courtyard.  Fitted kitchen with gas hob and electric oven, fridge, immersion heater.  River runs through village.  Ideal for those who love walking in the countryside amidst peaceful, unspoilt surroundings.

Price - £20 per person per night.  Discount of 10 % on total cost if up to 5 or 6 people staying. Contact Helena Youle on 023 92471977: e-mail: helena.Youle@virgin.net

News from Nottingham & Derby

Biblical Hebrew spoken with a Scottish accent is an interesting combination.  I have started learning Hebrew this term, and our teacher has warned us that we will be unable to avoid catching his strong Scottish accent when we speak Hebrew – although for now I’m finding it pretty difficult to pronounce with any accent at all!  All I knew about Hebrew before was that you read it from right to left and that there are no proper vowels, but I have already learned some fascinating facts, such as the fact that the word for “God” in the first verse of the Bible (and elsewhere) is a plural word. 

We have just finished a course in Homiletics – preaching (from “homily”).  Highlights of this course included comparing videos of preachers and stand-up comedians to see how similar their techniques are, and writing and performing a song about the use of visual aids in sermons.  And I never thought I would hear myself say that listening to 15 sermons in a row was fun, but that is what happened in our final session, and it was fun: we each had to do a two-minute sermon which we had prepared on a Bible passage of our choice – a very useful discipline, though not at all easy.  We each spent, on average, two hours to prepare a two-minute sermon.

My placement at Derby Cathedral has enabled me to put Homiletics into practice.  The first sermon I did there was in the medieval Bridge Chapel down the road from the Cathedral.  Just before the sermon, I had to read the gospel, which involved using incense.  I don’t know whether I was slightly too enthusiastic with the incense, but throughout my sermon I was struggling not to choke in the resulting cloud hovering around me.

A few weeks later, I preached my first sermon in the Cathedral proper, at Evensong.  This was a slightly terrifying experience, it being only my fourth sermon ever, but people were very encouraging. 

On All Souls’ Day (2^nd November) I had my first go at being sub-deacon.  In a cathedral, the sub-deacon is one of the three ministers who dress up in vestments – the other two people being the President (who presides at the Eucharist) and the Deacon (who leads the people’s prayers and reads the gospel).  In Derby Cathedral, the sub-deacon is a lay person like me, unlike the President and the Deacon, who are both ordained priests.  The sub-deacon’s main job is to look after the President, which was quite amusing on my first go, as I needed the President to look after me looking after him.  For this particular service, the choir sang Rutter’s Requiem, which was so beautiful that once or twice I almost forgot to do my sub-deacon bit.

A landmark occasion for the Cathedral was the installation of Alastair Redfern as the new Bishop of Derby Diocese on 12^th November.  He moved to Derby in September, but he could not become the Bishop officially until he had jumped through various legal hoops, including paying homage to the Queen.  The word “cathedral” comes from “cathedra”, which means a bishop’s seat: every cathedral has a special seat which belongs to the diocesan bishop, and he is officially made the diocesan bishop by being formally installed in his seat.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many clergy in one place: there were rows and rows of bishops, diocesan clergy and clergy from other denominations, as well as assorted mayors, sheriffs, Dukes and other people in interesting costumes.  The processions into the Cathedral at the beginning took 15 minutes – five processions, all planned in meticulous detail and timed to end on the dot of 3pm.  As part of the home team, I was in the fourth procession, by which time the verger in front of me was on his third lap.  Finally, Bishop Alastair appeared at the west door and the Dean of the Cathedral, bellowing from the chancel, invited him in.  He was then given a cope, a mitre and a pastoral staff (like a shepherd’s crook) and formally installed in his cathedra seat.

I had already met Bishop Alastair before his installation service – in Derby Gaol of all places.  Derby Gaol is the old 17^th century prison, now a museum.  I got commandeered, along with the Cathedral Precentor, Bishop Alastair and other local bigwigs, to go and be locked in for a publicity stunt, the details of which were not fully explained.  In fact, they didn’t get round to locking us in, but instead plied us with rather nice coffee, and then we had our photo taken for the Derby Evening Telegraph.  

I had another brush with the media when I went along to BBC Radio Derby to be interviewed about my research into the theology of Christmas Carols.  I have a passion for Christmas carols, but until this year I had never really thought about the theology that they teach us; so I have seized the opportunity to do some proper research.  The Cathedral Precentor, who is super­vising my placement, presents the Sunday morning radio show, so he thought it would be fun to have me introducing some carols and telling people what they really mean.  Thankfully, we decided to record the interview in advance, rather than doing it live; as it was, it was pretty scary. 

Rachel Phillips

Burns Evening.

On Saturday 21^st January we shall be remembering Robert Burns with an evening of Scottish dancing, including the Southsea Reel Group, and a traditional supper.  Venue is St. Faith’s Church Hall from 7pm.  Tickets cost £7 and are available from Ann Buckley or Sandra Haggan.  The event is jointly organised with the Denvilles Eccumenical Church.

"War of the Worlds - The Crusades"

Last month, we left Jerusalem in the hands of the Crusaders but a large Egyptian army was on its way to relieve the beleaguered city.  The Crusader army was now down to some 12,000 knights and 9,000 infantrymen.  Nevertheless, they took the audacious ploy of marching out to surprise the Egyptians and surprise them they did, for the enemy troops were asleep in their camp when the Crusaders fell upon them.  There was a virtual massacre and the Egyptian army was destroyed as a fighting force, with very few soldiers escaping back to Egypt.

For almost a century, Jerusalem and many of the surrounding towns remained in the hands of the Crusaders.  However, as the 12^th century developed, the Moslem armies increased in strength and valour, notably under Imad ad-Din Zengi.  On Christmas Eve 1144, his troops stormed into Edessa, indiscriminately massacring the inhabitants in their thousands, reminiscent of the Crusaders actions on the capture of Jerusalem.  In 1147 the German Emperor Conrad and King Louis VII of France started the Second Crusade to defeat the Moslem armies of the East.  Setting off with large armies, they marched across Hungary bound for the Holy Land.  A small English army also set off for the Holy Land but first assisted the Duke of Portugal who had waged war against the Moslems for years on the Iberian Peninsular.  He had laid siege to Lisbon, with the help of English and Flemish troops, and eventually persuaded the Moslem defenders to surrender on condition that their lives would be spared.  They duly surrendered and were murdered to a man and all in the name of Christ!

The two armies of Crusaders reached Byzantine territory, where the German army pillaged and killed everyone they encountered.  They even destroyed a monastery killing all the monks.  The French army behaved properly and were appalled by the excesses of the Germans.  Eventually, the two armies arrived at Constantinople, where the Emperor Manual urged them to unite.  Instead, the two armies travelled on separately until the German one reached Dorylaeum.    Exhausted in the heat and after a long day's travel, they were surprised by a Seljuk Turkish army which fell upon them without warning and virtually destroyed them, with very few survivors escaping to Nicaea.  Meanwhile the French army left Constantinople and met up with the remnants of the German army.  The two monarchs agreed to unite and the now one army struggled on in 1148 to reach the shelter of Attalia on the Mediterranean coast.  The journey was a nightmare.  The terrain was rocky and difficult, they were desperately short of food and water and the Turkish cavalry picked off the stragglers, the sick and the wounded.  They finally arrived at Attalia, where King Louis, with most of his cavalry and knights, took ship to Syria, leaving the foot soldiers to fend for themselves.  Thus the Second Crusade gradually collapsed with indecision and enmity between the leaders.  The Turks continued to win all the minor skirmishes, leaving the Crusaders demoralised and defenceless.  Louis and Conrad returned to their own countries.  Astonishingly, a wave of hate sprang up in France against the Byzantine people, with even prospects of another crusade.   This time Christians against Christians!  Emperor Conrad and the Pope both refused to support it.

In 1169, a charismatic leader emerged in the East, whose name has lived on through the centuries.  He was Turkish, the Sultan of Egypt and a great soldier.   But more than this, he was a man of great humanity and compassion, unusual for those barbaric times.  His name was Saladin.  In 1174 he captured Damascus and in 1183 Aleppo.  In 1186, he declared a holy war and advanced on Jerusalem, promising his hordes endless booty.  The small garrison of Crusaders, now numbering less than 10,000 men advanced to do battle at the Twin Horns of Hattin.  When Joy and I went on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Father Tom and the good people of St Joseph's a few years ago, we saw the site of the battle, dominated by the "horns" of twin peaks of a hill.  Our Israeli guide explained that, apart from facing an army many times their own size, the Crusaders fought in heavy armour in searing heat which exhausted them in no time.  Saladin had a massive victory and in 1187 Jerusalem surrendered to him.   Unlike the Crusaders, Saladin showed great magnanimity in victory and ordered his soldiers not to harm the Christians in the city.  His orders were obeyed and the Christians were allowed to buy their freedom with small sums of money.  Soon he had driven the Crusaders out of Palestine and most of Syria.  He was an outstanding soldier and leader, who ruled the Moslem world with justice and humanity.

The Western world stirred itself for the Third Crusade to be jointly led by the French and English monarchs.  Rallies were held and crowds were raised to fever pitch by stories about Saladin's men abusing the holy places of Jerusalem.  In England, men were encouraged to go on the Crusade by the introduction of a tax - Saladin's tithe - on all citizens but those who joined the Crusade were exempt from payment!  Next month we look at this Crusade and at one of our most heroic and loved Kings, despite only spending a few months in England on just two occasions in his 10 year reign.  He is, or course, King Richard Coeur de Lion.                                                         Roger Bryant

“Anastasis” (Resurrections) is currently in South Africa, taking fresh supplies on board read for her next visit to Liberia.

“Caribbean Mercy” was berthed in Alabama when hurricane Katrina struck.  She was uniquely placed to provide accommodation for relief workers.

“Africa Mercy”.  We are hoping that this latest, and most exciting addition to the fleet, will be launched in April 2006.  Staff is being recruited, and much donated medical equipment is being taken on board.  The Rotary Clubs of the UK are donating an ophthalmic operating theatre, and the Methodist Church congregations in our area have saved enough money to buy an operating table.

The Annual Report for 2004 has just been published.  For those without access to “the Net”, you may like a few figures. 

Surgery performed: Ophthalmic 731, Laser 106, Maxilla-facial 428, Orthopaedic 291, VVF/Gynaecological 88, Prosthetics 892, Medical Treatments 19,203, and Dental Treatments 12,263.

Community Development Services: Water wells/tanks 19, Latrines 16, plus thousands of tons of supplies.

Education Services: Villagers taught about health and hygiene 6,149, Health educators trained 1,463.

With its support of Mercy Ships, our congregation at St. Faith’s Church in Havant is helping to bring Hope and Healing to some of the poorest people on earth in Jesus’ name.          Joan Medley

Bible Study

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 25 January at 2pm at 26 Snowberry Cresent.

Tearfund Sponsored Walk

We all hoped Saturday 3 September would be a nice, dry day for the Tearfund sponsored walk, and it was!  Four of us from St Faiths, Sandra Haggan, Katie Walsh, Theresa Aichison and Jill Lovett, set off from Hawkley village, complete with rucksacks, socks and sunglasses, to walk the 7 miles from & to Buriton, along Hangar Way – little did we know what lay ahead.  We set off at a fair pace literally “over hills and dales”.  I personally have never climbed so many stiles in any one day!  Part of the walk took us through shady woods which was very welcome as the sun was so hot, sometimes through fields trying hard to avoid the inevitable cow pats!  There were several very steep hills which saw some of the group, me included, lagging somewhat at the back and having to make frequent stops, however the view from the top was spectacular, and the sense of achievement when we finally reached Buriton made the whole day worthwhile.  The walk was less than half the distance walked daily by many people just to get water, and I think it made us all realise how very lucky we are to have such a simple commodity “on tap”

Jill Lovett

Langstone Chapel – Ted Manning

After 30 years of loyal and steadfast service to St. Nicholas Chapel, Ted has decided it is time to retire from active service as Warden of the Chapel.  On behalf of the congregation we would like to thank Ted for all of his years of devoted service, his friendship and kindness.  He is an Example of a “churchman” to us all.

Gill Falconer has been appointed Warden in place of Ted and will assist me in looking after the Chapel and the preparation for our monthly services.                                                          Anne Plater

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

I have a strong desire to share with you all some of the reactions to a horrific video of animal abuse shown by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) at their recent conference in Canada.  I have not personally watched the video as I am too much of a coward; the person who was brave enough to watch it, Debbie Jones, and afterwards tell the world has my undying admiration, and echoes my sentiments entirely.  It is slightly paraphrased and of necessity shortened.  Helena Youle

“On returning from the conference I am more inspired than ever to make a difference for the voiceless billions who suffer at the hands of man every single year.  I couldn’t believe it when I heard that some 45 billion animals are slaughtered for food in the world every year!  And the animal abuse doesn’t stop with the animal products we eat, abuse is live and well every time man comes into contact with living creatures, in the name of profit, in clothes, entertainment and laboratories.  These animals are routinely tortured, starved, beaten, mutilated, skinned alive, tortured beyond your wildest nightmares.  I saw the evidence with my own eyes and weep as I write this.  I know many will think that I am exaggerating, but, if these things were not commonplace, PETA would be sued and would be no more.  The abuses I witnessed were not the worst abuses, because they are not allowed to show the worst!

It is standard practice to mutilate animals without anaesthetic for meat and dairy, and inevitably their lives become by-products.  When life has no worth and is actually something to be disposed of, does anybody really believe that these creatures are treated with respect and compassion?  I used to be so scared of speaking the truth as I felt people would hate me for ‘preaching vegan’, so I only spoke out when invited.  Now I know it would be wrong for injustice to be silent because I must be the voice of all beings who I see suffering, both human and non-human. 

I write this for all those animals who are victims of horrific abuses, mutilated for the sake of taste – beaks, teeth, tails snipped off and castrations, all without anaesthetic, crammed into cages so small they can barely move, so crippled from genetic modification they can barely walk, going insane with the boredom and, then for their pains, sent to die, in terror and often agonising pain.  In my mind, this isn’t just wrong, this is evil, even for those who live ‘better lives.’

I write this for all those trapped inside the confines of factory farms, in laboratories, those creatures caged and used in entertainment, for they are the voiceless who live and die for our own selfish gains.  No living being wants to die, all beings flee from the knife and all animals who die inside a slaughterhouse die in terror.  This is a fact which no one who has seen an abattoir can deny.

We have to ask ourselves- do we want these atrocities to happen in our names?  And shouldn’t we also be asking ourselves at least to take a look at what happens to the animals to get them to our table, or wardrobe or television sets?  Don’t we at least owe them this much?  If we watch and we see and then we decide we feel it is OK, then so be it, but let us watch what happens to the animals who die in our name.

For me, making a conscious decision not to support animal suffering is a question of integrity.  I would not torture, maim, mutilate, and then kill an animal for the sake of my taste buds and I do not expect another living being to do all that for me.  If you think it would be painful to take a peak at what happens to these animals, then imagine how awful it must be for those animals who live it and die it.  Animal factories are hell on earth for these animals.

These living creatures who are suffering right now need all the voices they can get because they have nothing and no one without the people who open their eyes to their suffering and start shouting about it.  This is a violence all of us can stop, and now.”            

California, Here I Come! – Part 1

Perhaps, now that I am home again, that should read, 'California, there I went!' My visit was with two relatives, David and Elizabeth, in a party of 43 on a conducted tour, with Titan Tours.  It was led by the Tour Manager, Peter Graham., who organised everything along the way, and generally smoothed our path.  He was also a fount of information on all that we saw.  Our very skilful coach driver, an American, was called Mark.

It began on Sunday, 9^th October at 4.15am, when I had to get up, as I was being collected by the Titan minibus at 5.40.  Calling for David and Elizabeth in the north of Hayling Island, we picked up two people, bound for a tour to Australia, in Haslemere, then headed for Heathrow and a proper breakfast!  Our Boeing 747/400 on Flight BA283 took off at 11.55 for its non-stop flight to Los Angeles, arriving some ten hours later, when the time was 10pm BST, but only 2pm Pacific Time.  The Immigration Officer being satisfied - he told me I didn't look like Osama bin Laden! - we joined the tour coach for a 2½ hour journey to our first hotel in San Diego.  I was glad to go to bed at 8 o'clock, having been awake for 24 hours, and slept for nine hours. The hotel was built on a 'rain forest' theme, with lush vegetation, waterfalls, and pools with large tropical fish in open spaces within the walls.  There was a lack of adequate signs, and more than once! I lost my way going to the restaurant or to my room, and found myself going round these central areas time after time.  I managed to learn the route by the time we left!

Next morning we toured San Diego in our coach with a local guide, and ended in the Old Town.  The Spanish influence is strong in the south of California; most of the staff working in the hotels is Mexican, while many of the buildings have a Spanish look.  After a second night in the same hotel, we set off on Tuesday morning to cross the Sonora Desert, passing within a few miles of the Mexican border, into Arizona.  In Phoenix, the State Capital, we visited the State Legislature building before going to our hotel.

On Wednesday we had an early start, at 7.15am, so we stopped for breakfast at a place called Sedona, a town surrounded by red rocks forming some curious shapes.  On then to the Grand Canyon, where we had booked a flight over it, covering 100 miles.  The views were incredible, I had been told that pictures and descriptions could not do it justice, and that was certainly true.  It is 270 miles long, 10 miles wide and 1 mile deep.  The Colorado River in the bottom looks like a narrow stream, though it is actually 300 feet wide and 100 feet deep!  After the flight, we went to the rim and looked down into the depths, then to an IMAX cinema to see a spectacular film of its history and a re-enactment of the first exploration by boat along the river, by the one-armed Major John Wesley Powell in 1869.  After a memorable day, we went to the nearby small town of Williams and our hotel for the night.

Before leaving on Thursday morning we watched a mock 'shoot-out', Wild West style, and then were on our way to Las Vegas in Nevada, where our hotel was the Stardust.  My room was almost at the end of a corridor so long that I could get all the exercise I needed for the day just by going along to the lift!  That evening we were taken in our coach on a tour along the Boulevard or   as it is known, to see the lights. Many of the hotels have a theme - Egyptian, Venetian, Parisian, and so on, all with appropriate models outside, and some had fun-fairs on the roof.  We went in to the Rio Hotel and viewed the gaming floor from a gallery, and part of the floor show.  Next stop was the Bellagio Hotel to see the 'water-ballet' created by fountains moving in time to music.  Everything in Las Vegas is designed to attract visitors to the gaming floors, where there are hundreds of gambling machines as well as the card tables and other forms of gambling.  Even the Gideon Bible in my hotel room had a gold cover, instead of the usual red, green or blue, though whether by accident or design I don't know.  Friday was a 'free' day, as we were staying for two nights, so I went on an extra tour to the Hoover Dam a few miles away.  There is a main road across the top of the dam, which we should have used on our way to Las Vegas, but because of the present security measures, buses and coaches are no longer allowed on it, so we had to come by a different route.

We left Las Vegas on Saturday morning crossing the Mojave Desert back from Nevada into California, I was rather amused to see by the roadside, as we crossed the State Boundary Line, a sign saying 'Welcome to California', followed by five or six more signs pointing out the amounts of the fines imposed for non-compliance with various State laws!

Our first stop was at a place called Calico, a former silver mining town, but since the mines ran out, now a 'ghost town' made into a tourist attraction.  The original wooden buildings have been made into shops, restaurants, and museums’ re-creating what life was like there in the 19^th century.  We had our lunch served appropriately on enamelled plates, something I have not used since my Scout Camp days!  Crossing the desert and some mountains we entered the California Central Valley, rich farming land with mile after mile of fruit and nut orchards of every kind, and cattle ranches.  To put the icing on the cake for these prosperous farmers, oil and gas are extracted from under the ground.  We spent the night at a small town called Visalia.

On Sunday morning our first call was at the Mariposa Grove of giant redwood Sequoia trees for a conducted tour on a large trailer pulled by a tractor, with a commentary through headphones.  The afternoon was spent in Yosemite National Park, and then we went on to our next hotel at Sonora.

  Trevor Hopkinson

The 2^nd part of Trevor’s journey will appear in the next issue of “Faith Matters”

The Bishops Foundation Course

Have you ever sat in church (or anywhere for that matter!) with a confused look on your face, wishing you knew a bit more about the Bible; or what the Creed means; or what happened on the first Easter Day; or what you should make of certain moral issues?  Have you completed the Kairos education programme and would like to learn more?  Well, if you haven’t, maybe you should!  Because Christians need to understand their faith and be adult believers, rather than putting their heads in the sand.  If you DO have lots of questions or, just want to deepen your understanding of the Christian faith, then you may be interested in “The Bishop’s Foundation Course”.  The course will be held in St Francis’ Church Hall on Wednesday evenings from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.  The first session will be on Wednesday 11 January 2006.  If you are interested, please contact Mrs A E Hodson telephone 023 9282 2053.  The cost of the Course is £20 per term – there are 2 terms.