From the Rector - The Sustainable Life?
On Sunday 7th January we will continue with
the Eco-Congregations programme in our Family Service
(at 9:30am), when you are invited to bring to church
your completed Personal Pledges. These pledges were
issued on 19th November at the launch
service, when our Preacher, Revd Alex Hughes, invited
us to consider carefully our influence upon the
environment. Alex reminded us, as if we needed
reminding, that global warming threatens us all,
especially our children and grandchildren’s futures.
Are we the first generation in history that has seen
the standard of living decline for our children?
Whether this is the case or not, it is definitely true
that we need to use less energy, reduce our landfill
waste and lower emissions into the environment. The
point is that we need to act now and with
determination, before we pass the point of ‘no
return’.
You may recall that the November service was followed
by members of the congregation discussing, in small
groups, particular areas of the churches life and
asking how we can reduce energy usage, and recycle
more. Many good contributions were made and
recorded. The working group set up by the PCC to
manage the process are sifting through the feedback to
produce a set of recommendations to the PCC. They
will prioritise the actions so that we can work on a
bit at a time, to make a concerted improvement over
the next two years and more.
The service on the 7th January focuses upon
us as individuals and families. How can we do more in
our homes and personal lives to foster more
sustainable living? The pledges distributed in
November will have been completed over Christmas and
you can bring them to the altar to offer our pledge to
God. We will then be given a ‘saver flush bag’
as a symbol of the commitment we are making
individually and corporately to sustaining the
environment.
But the work for us all and for the group will
continue. One of the challenges for us particularly
is to reflect theologically upon this. What does our
faith tell us, and how does God want us to react?
Clearly this starts with the idea that God made a
beautiful world and us as its stewards –a
responsibility to which we have patently failed.
Beyond this, however, it may be argued that the
Gospels of Jesus argue against a sustainable life.
After all Jesus’ life stands for death and
resurrection – a somewhat disposable approach? The
letters of Paul call us to put on the ‘new man’
and let go of the old, sinful life. While we know
this is metaphorical it could be seen to reinforce the
sense that only ‘new’ is good, and that second
hand is lesser. We hardly need any encouragement in
this direction, but this small inducement may be
critical.
I should like to be more persuaded, however, by other
references to sustainable living, such as Jesus’
peripatetic ministry, advocating to his disciples to
take only what is necessary for the journey –
travelling light. In a country that survived the
Second World War through rationing, we should know all
about limiting ourselves to the essentials. This, I
feel, is a Gospel prerogative, and one that we can
take into all walks of our Christian ministry. To do
less, but to do it really well is a challenge I should
like to lay before us all for the year ahead.
With every blessing for this New Year,
David
About The Parish
Last month we finished with the
then Prince of Wales on a visit to South Wales seeing
the grinding poverty of the unemployed and saying
publicly “Something must be done about this!”
For a member of the Royal Family to make, in effect, a
political statement of this nature was something of a
sensation in those days. The Government finally took
action with the Unemployment Act of 1934 which took
help for the unemployed out of politics by removing it
from central and local government control. Instead a
body of six members, who were non-politicians drawn
from public life, ran an Unemployment Assistance Board
(UAB), which was manned by civil servants in a network
of local offices throughout the country. The
conditions for receiving Unemployment Assistance were
very stringent but at last the unemployed were
receiving a form of benefit. With the rearming of our
forces putting the country on a war-footing,
unemployment dramatically reduced until it finished
completely with the outbreak of war in 1939,which
eventually leading to conscription of both men and
women.
In 1941 a group of civil servants met under the
chairmanship of a Liberal peer, Sir William Beveridge,
with the task of producing a blueprint for universal
social security in post-war Britain. It was an
extraordinary act of faith that in the midst of a
world war of epic proportions that we were preparing
for the fruits of victory. The Beveridge Report was
published in December 1942 and identified five giants
that had to be destroyed – Want, Ignorance, Squalor,
Idleness and Disease. Our concern is with the first –
Want. Beveridge recommended a flat rate of national
insurance contribution in return for which
contributors would receive flat rate retirement
pension, sickness and unemployment benefit at a rate
above a subsistence level. After the War, the
government of Clement Attlee passed the 1946 National
Insurance Act but the reality of the real world soon
dispelled the vision of Beveridge.
The new insurance scheme did not have the flat rate
contribution envisaged by Beveridge. Instead, there
were different rates for men, women and the young.
Indeed, there were different rates for married and
single women. Benefits were likewise at different
rates for these categories. Something occurred which
Beveridge could not have anticipated and this
virtually destroyed the concept of a flat rate
benefit. With the destruction of so much of the
country’s housing stock by enemy bombing, coupled with
the huge increase in marriages now that the men were
being demobilized from the Armed Forces, rents
rocketed and flat rate benefits were well below the
subsistence rates anticipated by Beveridge. It
quickly became clear that an element of means-testing
was necessary to make provision for rent and this came
in with the National Assistance Act. As a result of
this legislation, the National Assistance Board (NAB)
started in 1948 and was based on the old UAB with
civil servants (including me from 1959!) manning a
network of local offices throughout Britain (Northern
Ireland had its own system of national assistance).
The NAB was the only government department without a
political head and questions in Parliament were
answered on behalf of the Board by the Minister of
Pensions. The concept of taking Beveridge’s “Want”
out of politics was unrealistic and in 1966 the Social
Security Scheme brought it into the political arena.
Poor Law had finished with the setting up of the NAB
yet the concept of parish relief is still with us in
the form of Housing Benefit paid by the local
authority.
Roger Bryant
The ‘Send a Cow’ Initiative
I fully understand Helena’s concerns in our November
magazine about the environmental impact of commercial
animal farming, particularly the effects of forest
clearance – although I would point out that the land
that is made available is often used to grow soya
crops for the production of artificial milk!
However, the ‘Send a Cow’ Initiative is not
involved with vast herds of beef cattle – the idea is
to provide families, often consisting of young
children having to look after themselves because their
parents have died, with an animal that can provide
nourishment in the form of honey, milk or eggs, as
well as manure, the latter enabling them to improve
their impoverished soil to such an extent that they
can grow the vegetables and grain that they need.
There is more than “anecdotal evidence of some
success with the scheme” as claimed last month.
The support given by the charity involves so much more
than sending cow, goat, sheep, bees, etc., (all bred
in Africa), but includes such things as seeds, food
trees, equipment, wells, animal shelter, training in
animal care and farming methods, veterinary advice,
etc.
The ‘Send a Cow’ scheme has been running for
many years now, since a group of Christian farmers
first sent a few of their own cows to Africa, and it
is now such a success that several other charities
have started their own schemes although I doubt that
they have such a comprehensive variety of possible
gifts.
Ruth Tunks
Dear Colin,
In your editorial “Faith Matters” November 2006, you
gave some examples of the guidelines said by the
Archbishops’ Council in the report “Responding to
Domestic Abuse”, an advice given to clergy
consequent upon this document.
Leaving aside the question of how to refer to God;
consider the marriage service. Is advice to strike
out the promise to “obey” to be followed by
advice to delete until “death us do part” and
“let no man put asunder”?
As for the revision of hymns and sermons the most
cherished of these are those which have stood the test
of time. It is not words from Scripture, the Prayer
Book or the English Hymnal which open the door to
domestic abuse, but the lack of commitment and
adherence to solemn pledges made before God.
Yours
sincerely,
John Bradey
The Soldier and the Pack of Cards
Sheilah Legg found this in her
grandfather’s scrapbook dating back to the 1890s. The
story was not new even then because it was in response
to a request from a reader of the Whitby Gazette. Max
Bygraves, and others, have sung a song with similar
words.
A private soldier by the name of Richard Lee, was once
taken before the magistrates of Glasgow for playing
cards during Divine Services. A sergeant led the
soldiers to an English church, and when the minister
had read the prayers he took the text. Those who had
Bibles took them out; but the soldier had neither
Bible nor Common Prayer Book, so, pulling out a pack
of cards, he spread them before him. He first looked
at one card, then at another. The sergeant of the
company saw him and said “Richard, put up the
cards, this is no place for them.” “Never mind
that” said Richard. When the services were over
the constable took Richard in charge, and brought him
before the magistrate next day. “Well,” said
the bailie, “what have you brought the soldier here
for?” “For playing cards in church” – “Well,
soldier, what have you got to say for yourself?” –
“Much I hope.” – “Very good; if not I will
punish you severely.” “I have been” said
the soldier, “about six weeks on the march. I have
neither Bible nor Common Prayer Book. I have nothing
but a pack of cards, and I hope to satisfy your
worship of the purity of my intention.” Then
spreading the cards before the bailie, he began with
the ace. “When I see the ace, it reminds me that
there is but one God. When I see the deuce, it
reminds me of the Father and the Son. When I see the
three, it reminds me of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
When I see the four, it reminds me of the four
Evangelists that preached – Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John. When I see the five, it reminds me of the five
wise virgins that trimmed their lamps. There were
ten, but five were foolish, and were shut out. When I
see the six, it reminds me that in six days the Lord
made Heaven and earth. When I see the seven, it
reminds me that God rested from the great work on the
seventh day. When I see the eight, it reminds me of
the eight righteous persons that were saved when God
destroyed the world – viz., Noah and his wife, his
three sons and their wives. When I see the nine, it
reminds me of the nine lepers that were cleansed by
our Saviour. There were nine out of ten that never
returned thanks. When I see the ten, it reminds me of
the Ten Commandments which God handed down to Moses on
tablets of stone. When I see the king, it reminds me
of the King of Heaven, which is God Almighty. When I
see the queen, it reminds me of the Queen of Sheba,
who visited Solomon.” “Well,” said the
magistrate, “you have described every card in the
pack except one.” – “What is that? – “The
Knave.” – “Oh, your honour must know well that
that represents the first and greatest, the father of
all knaves – Satan. When I count the number of cards
in a pack I find 52 – the number of weeks in a year.
I find there are 12 picture cards in a pack,
representing the number of months in a year; the four
suits of cards represent the four quarters in a year,
and the 13 cards in each suit stand for the number of
weeks in a quarter. So, you see a pack of cards
serves for a Bible, an almanac, and a Common Prayer
Book.”
God – as seen by an 8-year old boy
This was written by an 8-year old, Danny Dutton of
Chula Vista, CA, for his third grade homework
assignment. The assignment was to explain God.
One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes
them to replace the ones that die, so there will be
enough people to take care of things on earth. He
doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies. I think because
they are smaller and easier to make. That way He
doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching
them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to
mothers and fathers.
God’s second most important job is listening to
prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some
people, like preachers and things, pray at times
beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to
the radio or TV because of this!
God sees everything and hears everything and is
everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you
shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over you Mom
and Dad’s head asking for something they said you
couldn’t have.
Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t
think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there
aren’t any who come to our church.
Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work
like walking on water and performing miracles and
people finally got tired of Him preaching to them and
they crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like
His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t
know what they were doing and to forgive them and God
said O.K.
His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done
and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He
didn’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could
stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad
out by listening to prayers and seeing things which
are important for God to take care of and which ones
He can take care of Himself without having to bother
God. Like a secretary, only more important. You can
pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you
because they got it worked out so one of them is on
duty all the time.
You should always go to church on Sunday because it
makes God happy and if there’s anybody you want to
make happy, it’s God. Don’t skip church to do
something you think will be more fun like going to the
beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t
come out at the beach until noon anyway.
If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist,
you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go
everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is
good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the
dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into
real deep water by big kids.
But…you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do
for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me
back anytime He pleases.
And…that’s why I believe in God.
Scams Alert
Newsletter editors are often asked to pass on warnings
about scams. You all know the ones about the
persistent child who demands your attention while her
“uncle” rifles your bag. Or the apologetic
stranger who bumps into your hotel breakfast table,
knocking over the sugar, and while he is helping to
clear it up his mate takes your bag from beside your
chair. Here are a few new (newish?) ones.
● Some people have received a letter
from Spain purporting to be from the International
Lotto Office and saying they have won a large sum of
money. They are invited to send in their bank account
number – it goes without saying that one should not
send anyone your account number unless you are sure
they are reputable. In any event –whoever heard of
winning a lottery when you haven’t even bought a
ticket!
● A financial firm phones you so often that you begin
to treat the charming caller as a friend. However
long this goes on, don’t part with any money. The
Times reports that several people are known to have
lost large sums of money by making “sensationally
good” investments, and more may have been too
ashamed to admit to what they have done. Even when
the company being promoted exists, the “friendly
adviser” pockets the money herself. Invest only
through FSA-authorised firms.
● You get a phone call from someone
who purports to be your bank or credit card company,
saying that an unusual payment or withdrawal has been
made. This may be perfectly genuine – or it may be a
fraudster trying to get you to give him information so
that a withdrawal can be made.. Don’t give ANY
information, e.g., about numbers on the back of your
card. Confirm that you have not made the suspect
payment, but no more, and then check with your bank or
credit card that it really was a call from them.
Electoral Roll 2007
As printed in the December edition of “Faith
Matters” the Electoral Roll becomes invalid as
from the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) on the
22nd April 2007. Application Forms for
inclusion on the Roll are now available from the
undersigned. When completed please return the Form to
me by the 25th March to enable you
name to be included on the 2007 Roll. Names received
after this date cannot be included until after the
Annual Parochial Church Meeting. I would remind
people who are on the PCC and other Committees they
should ensure the Forms are completed and returned to
me by the above
date. Audrey Currie Electoral Roll Officer
Burns Night
We shall be celebrating Burns Night on Saturday 27th
January in St. Faith’s Church Hall. There will be
dancing, entertainment, a piper and supper. Tickets
cost £7.00 - there will be a limit on numbers so get
your tickets early. More details and information from
Sandra Haggan 023 9245 5161.
The Selkirk Grace
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
News of People
Archdeacon John Gibson retires on 7th
January 2007. He was much loved and respected when he
was an assistant priest in Havant from 1971 to 1973.
Canon Brown has sent an old print of St. Faith’s
Church to Australia which will be presented to him at
his retirement party with much affection from those
who knew him in Havant. He is to remain Archdeacon
Emeritus.
Joseph Nicolson (1719-1791)
(Trevor Hopkinson produced this
article after reading Roger Bryant’s interesting
article in the November magazine about the poor laws)
Joseph Nicolson was my great, great, great, great
grandfather. He lived in the small market town of
Wolsingham, in the county of Durham. !n addition to
having his own business, he was one of the Overseers
of the town, the equivalent of a town council, and
also the Parish Clerk at the local church, an office
he held for 40 years. He was succeeded by his son,
John, who served for 36 years, when he was succeeded
by his son Joseph, who served for 48 years. He
in turn was succeeded by his nephew John, who served
from 1875, but I do not have a note of how long he
held the office. However, over 125 years in one
family must be something of a record.
There is a memo. in the Town Records dated 1770 as
follows: ‘To the expenses of Joseph Nicolson about
the Poorhouse at Chester - 8s. 0d.' (I think this
must refer to Chester-le-Street, a village north of
Durham, and presumably he went there to find out how
it was run.)
A further memo. in the records dated 1772 says:
'Memo. of an agreement dated May 18th
between the 24 Churchwardens and Overseers of the
Parish on the one part, and Joseph Nicolson: for £190
Joseph Nicolson agrees to take into the Poorhouse and
there keep and maintain for one year all the poor of
the Parish. He has to provide meat, drink, washing,
lodging, firing, and wearing apparel, and bury them
when dead at his own charge. He can have and enjoy
the workhouse, and have the profits of work done after
allowing the poor 2d. in the shilling.'
It does not make clear whether the £190 was paid to
Joseph, or was an investment on his part. I am
inclined to think the latter. I like the expression
'have and enjoy the workhouse', as well as
'bury them when dead' - I hope he would not have
done any other!
"Three
are the Gifts"
How hardly the rich can enter in
Bring ye the gold to present to Him,
Ye that love riches......find riches in Him!
Dost hunger and thirst for beauty within?
Frankincense brings to present to Him.
Ye that find beauty.....find beauty in Him!
Blessed the mourners, mourning for sin
Bring ye the myrrh to present to Him.
Ye that go mourning.....find comfort in Him!
Anne Wainewright
The Great South Run Challenge – Part 2
(Here is the second part of Jeremy’s article; the
first part having appeared in the December 2006
edition of “Faith Matters”)
Race Day.
On the day of the race the foot felt OK. No aching,
no irritation, just a psychological battle to wage
between me and ‘it’. The weather forecast was
bad. The skies were dark and showers were on the
cards. We parked the car near Canoe Lake and Claire,
the girls and me all walked to the start area at
Clarence Esplanade. The atmosphere was vibrant and
charged with excitement. Hundreds of people
stretching and jogging, pinning on their numbers and
strapping their Champion Chips to their ankles (The
Champion Chip is a computerised device that records
your official race time by registering when you cross
both the start and finish line mats).
I pulled on my Saucony running shoes and headed
towards the ‘Orange Wave’ start point, where I
met a couple of work colleagues who were also running
the race with me in aid of the Sue Ryder fund. Rob
and Neil were relaxed. They told me to think of
nothing other than running and to forget about my
foot. I did my best, but I knew it was weak and that
it might spoil my day.
The 10-mile race started for ‘Orange Wave’
runners at bang on 10:30am. For me it was to be
eventful…and wet!
Mile 1. A solid start out along Clarence Esplanade
and on into Old Portsmouth. Mostly light drizzle,
however as we turned into Old Portsmouth High Street
the heavens opened…and remained open for the remaining
9-miles! I went through the 1-mile marker in 7:40…a
steady start.
Mile 2. Out onto The Hard and through the Dockyard
gates, we ran right by Nelson’s Flagship and came back
out of the Dockyard at the other end of Queen Street.
At the 2-mile marker I was comfortable at 15:34
Mile 3. Past Victoria Swimming Baths and on up
Winston Churchill Avenue. As the field headed toward
the 3-mile marker the large, motivational electronic
sign told us all to ‘keep going…you’re doing great’.
At 3 miles my watch told me 23:20. My foot was
holding up. My T-shirt was soaking!
Mile 4. Up to the Fratton Road roundabout and an
about turn back down Winston Churchill Avenue towards
Hampshire Terrace. I’m getting a twinge in my foot
but I’m holding a reasonable pace. At the 4-mile
marker my split time is 31:10
Mile 5. Right along Hampshire Terrace and then left
towards Osborne Road. I completely miss the 5-mile
marker and am unable to check my split time as a
result.
Mile 6. I ask the guy running alongside me if we’ve
gone past 5-miles. He tells me we passed it over 2
minutes ago and that it was ridiculously positioned
behind an overhanging tree, making it hard to spot. I
check my watch to find that I probably went through 5
in about 39 minutes. I go through the 6-mile marker
in 47:30. At this point I feel like I’m slowing a
little.
Mile 7. Mile 7 is past the Queens Hotel and out
towards South Parade Pier, and it provides me with an
opportunity to check my 10km time. Bearing in mind
that I had run the Bognor Prom 10k in 51:09 earlier
that year, I’m pretty pleased to pass the 10km marker
in 49:20. Soon after this I pass police and ambulance
staff tending to someone who’s obviously overcooked
their pace on the day. I’m feeling a little more
comfortable than that, however I’m very wet and now my
foot is definitely causing me problems. Even so I
pass through 7 miles in 55:50 and, although it’s a
minute slower than I would have liked a this stage, I
believe I can still get under my 80-minute target by
very carefully pacing myself at 8-minute miles.
Mile 8. Is the stage where I feel like I’m genuinely
struggling. My foot is now hurting quite a bit and,
as a result, I’m probably leaning too much on my right
leg. This is creating some muscle soreness in my
right thigh. As I go past Canoe Lake and along by the
Pitch and Putt course I’ve definitely dropped my pace
a little too much. At the 8-mile marker at Eastney my
split time is 65:10. I’ve just run a horribly slow
mile and am now right off the pace.Mile 9. As I turn
onto Eastney Esplanade the wind and rain explodes into
my face. I’m hurting now and for the first time in
the race I really want it to end. I battle down the
Esplanade and share some conversation with a couple of
the other runners. This helps take my mind off the
pain in my foot and the disappointing realisation that
I won’t make my target. As I pass through 9-miles I’m
at over 74 minutes.Mile 10. With Canoe Lake once
again in view, I hobble towards South Parade Pier and
the finish close to the Pyramids. As I approach the
pier I’m conscious of an ‘800m to go’ marker.
Psychologically I guess this is much better than a
sign reading half a mile, however the metric
conversion isn’t lost on me! I battle on, and even
find the strength to ‘windmill’ my right arm as
my Wife and Daughters cheer me in at the finish. I
spot the digital timing clock over the finish and
somehow find enough strength to break the line in just
under 83 minutes at 82:58.
It’s been enjoyable for the most part and, but for my
foot injury, probably wouldn’t have been tinged with
the disappointment of missing my target time. It’s
been wonderful to be part of a fantastic event and to
run around a course steeped in history. It was also
wonderful to run as part of a group of work colleagues
and raise £2,500 in aid of the Sue Ryder Charity and
in memory of another colleague who was sadly killed in
a road accident earlier this year
And now, as I recall the day, I do feel proud of my
efforts. To run with an injury and come in at 82:58
was a strong achievement and has made me determined to
tackle the challenge again next year. However I
really can’t wait that long for the opportunity to
break my 80-minute target. That’s why I’m running the
Hayling Island 10 Mile on 26th November!
Here’s hoping that an injury free Jeremy can bust his
target then. I promise to keep you updated!
Jeremy Toole
Riding in the Wadi Rum
In 2006, Faith Matters has told us about
various sponsored activities by members of the
congregation, concerning people and even bulls. So I
shall start 2007 by asking for your support for
horses.
I am going on a Bedouin Challenge ride in the
Wadi Rum (Jordan) in March. If you remember the film
of Lawrence of Arabia you will know what it is
like. We shall be riding for five days, and they say
we shall have seven hours a day in the saddle. I am
riding my own horse Khamseen here as often as possible
to get in training for this adventure.
The challenge is in support of The British Horse
Society (BHS) Welfare Fund. This is a cause close
to my heart. At our stable in East Ashling we keep
the horses in excellent conditions, and most of them
live into an active old age. Even Khamseen is 19, and
we think of him as a young horse.
The BHS Welfare motto is “Prevention through
education”. You may have seen some broken-down
horse in a weed-filled field, and this is usually not
deliberate cruelty, but because the owner doesn’t know
the right way to treat a horse. The BHS has about 120
welfare volunteers throughout the UK. When they hear
of equines in distress, they can provide a rapid
response to relieve the sufferings of the horse (or
donkey) as well as giving advice and guidance to horse
owners.
They also represent concerns at a national level about
transportation of animals and the control of disease.
If you would like to sponsor me for this cause, I
should be very grateful. I am usually in church at the
9.30am service on Sunday, or you can donate by credit
card on the Internet by going to my web page:
www.justgiving.com/FrancesHakim
A number of parishioners have already sponsored me.
Thank you very much for your generosity.
Frances Hakim
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