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From the
Rector
May is going
to be a very rich month for us! We are hosting two
concerts, which will both be much enjoyed. The first of
those is by Cantemus who perform on Saturday 7th
and then on Friday 20th the guitar sound of
HAGO can be heard.
In addition
we are holding two very significant services in the life
of the church. On Thursday 5th there is a
special Eucharist for Ascension Day (at 7:30pm).
The feast of Ascension celebrates our Lord’s ascension
into heaven signifying the end of his bodily presence
with us on earth. But just 10 days later, at Pentecost,
we celebrate the dynamic announcement of the presence of
the Lord’s spirit (or Holy Spirit) with his followers.
In this season, then we are reminded powerfully of the
presence of God with us at all times through the Spirit
of the Lord, which calls us into service in his name.
The feast of
Corpus Christi on Thursday 26th, which will
also be celebrated through a special Eucharist (at
7:30pm), commemorates the institution of the Eucharist
itself. It may seem excessive to celebrate the
institution of a ceremony, especially as the Last Supper
was remembered on Maundy Thursday just 9 weeks earlier,
yet to do so expresses the centrality of the Eucharist
to our lives as Christians. So why is it so central?
It is so because, like no other service, it celebrates
our sense of community, defined by faith in Christ,
lived in service to others and bound together as the
body of Christ.
When we come
together to receive the body and blood of Christ we
acknowledge the ways in which we have not lived as
people who know God to be present to them and receive
his assurance of continuing support (through the
confession and absolution). We hear the Word of God
from the Scripture and expounded upon in the sermon and
we offer our prayers to God, profoundly declaring our
dependence upon God’s love. We share with each other
the peace of Christ – something so rare in our lives,
but so sought after. Then we come together, around the
table of the Last Supper, and share in Christ’s offering
of himself by offering ourselves in his service. In so
doing we take part in the life of the living Spirit of
Christ and receive the nourishment of God through the
Sacrament of Christ’s body (bread) and blood (wine).
Finally we are sent out to live to Christ in the world
with our neighbours, friends, colleagues, family and so
on. This really is a way of life more than merely a
weekly ‘service’. It is a celebration, a liturgy, which
calls us into it and all it represents about being in
the body of Christ. So please join us to celebrate this
wonderful sacrament.
With best wishes, David
About The Parish
Can it really be 60 years this month since the Second
World War ended in Europe? The German forces
surrendered to Field Marshal Montgomery on Luneburg
Heath, Germany on 5 May, although it was not until 8 May
that, with Hitler now dead, the German Head of State,
Admiral Doenitz, formally surrendered on behalf of his
Nation, thereby ending the War in Europe. The 8 May
became V-E Day and was a scene of massive celebration in
the country, with church bells ringing out from packed
churches as the people gave thanks for their
deliverance. This day was a Public Holiday and the
streets were thronged with deliriously happy revellers.
I cannot say too much about them but I can about the
children.
I was just 6 years old when the war started and at an age
when I was just beginning to understand the world around
me. It was a world of uniforms because the bulk of
young men were in the forces. Servicemen were admitted
to cinemas, football matches and other places of
entertainment for half price and civilians were always
ready to buy them a pint in the pubs. There was no ice
cream, although I remembered it from pre-war days;
likewise we never had bananas during the war. We were
rationed for food and clothes and this continued for
several years after the war, with the country virtually
bankrupt.
But all this was in the future and V-E Day was a time for
celebration. For the children, this meant street
parties. I am not sure of their origin but certainly
there were street parties in 1937 for the coronation of
King George VI, father of our Queen, who as a young
princess slipped out of Buckingham Place, with her
sister Princess Margaret, on V-E night to join the happy
revellers around the fountains in Trafalgar Square.
There were very few cars around during the war so it was
easy to have tables in the centre of residential streets
for the parties. People brought out their own tables
and chairs for the meal, together with the jelly,
custard, blancmange, homemade cakes, sandwiches, etc.,
which we consumed with great joy. (Yes, she was there
too but not at my party!) All great fun for both the
children and the adults. Most families in those days
seemed to have pianos and these were trundled out on to
the pavements to provide music for the singsongs. The
adults had a goodly supply of drink and their street
party started when the children were safely tucked up in
bed.
There was a wonderful innocence about it all, in
contrast to the bombing and horrors of war. Sadly peace
had only been secured in Europe and war was still going
on against the Japanese. However the dropping of two
atomic bombs just three months later brought that
dreadful war to an end. V-J Day saw a final eruption of
celebrations and another street party for the children
and adults. But to repeat myself, can it really be 60
years ago! Roger Bryant
V-E
Day/WW II Memories
As It Was.
Memory can play tricks on us; things, events not really
as we remember them, and sometimes secondary elaboration
becomes a remembered truth. May 8th 1945
however is a date that remains fixed in my mind, as it
does with many others. It was the day which marked the
end of nearly six years of war with Nazi Germany – six
years of death and destruction for millions of people.
V-E Day was the day when that dark cloud which hovered
above us was lifted – that all pervading presence which
had so affected our lives – now there would be no more
bombs, no V1s or V2s to threaten us. There was still
Japan – we all knew that – but for now sufficient unto
the day.
For many,
like my mother, the war years were a time of constant
struggle – a struggle to maintain the family at a time
of separations, a struggle to feed the family on
rations, a struggle against fear in the air raids and a
struggle to keep confident and optimistic during the
dark days. I came later to know that I didn’t really
appreciate or acknowledge the depth and fullness of the
love, strength and sacrifice of my mother and the
millions like her throughout those six long years.
I was almost 18 years old, under training in the Royal
Navy but not yet qualified or ready to serve in a ship.
On V-E Day I was at home in Portsmouth and went out
early to join a group of friends – all about my age and
waiting for their call-up papers – so today was a day to
be celebrated, let the future be what it may. Our
activities that day were not those of reflective, sober
minded, well brought up young men – on the contrary we
were somewhat self-centred, wilful and mostly
indifferent to any respectable adult censure. We made
our rounds of the pubs in Rudmore and Stamshaw – and
then moved on to North End – some pubs were short of
beer, and some of glasses. At one pub we helped to open
the trapdoor outside and hoist up a barrel of beer which
was promptly set-up on the pavement – we didn’t stop to
sample it. The rest of the day included visits to our
respective families – we all lived near to each other –
and later we went ‘out’ again, to the Guildhall Square,
then on to Southsea, to South Parade Pier – I think!
Everywhere we joined in the celebration and goodwill.
We were young, happy and confident, and although our day
may not have met approval from our strait-laced brethren
– or, looking back, our sedate selves today – it was a
joyful, happy day of celebration, thankfulness, goodwill
and hope.
JB
Fareham. On V-E
Day, the 8th May 1945, I was15 years old
living with my parents in Fareham and attending lessons
in St. Bartholomew’s Church halls in Southsea, because
our school had been completely destroyed in an air
raid. The 8th May was a day of great joy and
celebration, although for some it was tinged with
sadness because they had lost loved ones during the
war. My mother was looking forward to the end of food
rationing and the return of many items which were
unobtainable for the previous five years. We were now
able to reclaim our spare bedroom which had been
commandeered by the billeting officer to provide
sleeping accommodation for people seeking shelter during
the bombing of Portsmouth and local military
establishments. Amongst them were sailors from HMS
Collingwood, a WAAF, a Wren, a family of five from
Portsmouth, a family from Gosport, a “land girl”
and many others who came and went during those turbulent
years.
Shortly
after the 8th May, we had a street party and
somehow the ladies managed to provide sandwiches and
cakes and we all sat at tables in the road to enjoy the
spread. Afterwards there was dancing in the road (very
difficult on a gravelled road) to records and the music
was relayed over loudspeakers and we all sang the
popular songs of the day. The music soon attracted
several sailors from the pub at the end of the road and
they joined in enthusiastically. One of the “local
characters” who was somewhat inebriated climbed on
to the roof of one of the brick air raid shelters and
tried to stand on his head and had to be forcibly
removed for his own safety.
There were 47 houses in our road and everyone knew
everyone else and there was an unforgettable spirit of
friendship amongst the people at that time. Last year,
I returned to that road and found that not one of my old
friends and neighbours remained there but that is hardly
surprising after 60 years.
Peter Appleby
Isle of Skye. We were war weary – weary of air raids, news of torpedoed ships and
cramped air raid shelters and shattered houses.
It was
half-term in May 1945 when two of the senior prefects at
Keswick School asked me if I would join them on a trip
to Skye where we could do some climbing on the Cuillin’s.
I couldn’t refuse. I joined them at Mallaig where we
boarded the little ship that would take us “Over the
Sea to Skye”. We then made our way to Sligachan,
climbed up the foothills and pitched our tent by a
little stream. Next morning we started our climb
up the mountain – after a while we came to a sheer rock
face – Peter tied his rope round his waist and
climbed it like a spider – he threw the rope down to me
– “your turn Griff” he said. I had done some
rock climbing before, but never as high as this – I got
to the top! Val followed and we proceeded to the
summit. The view was breath-taking – beneath us was a
large stretch of water – an inlet from the sea, and on
it a little rowing boat. We scrambled down to the
beach. The lone fisherman was there waiting for us.
“I am going fishing for mackerel” he said, “Will
you come with me?” We filled the net, and then
rowed for the shore. He gave us a few of the fish, and
then rowed away.
We decided
to eat the fish – there and then. Peter lit a fire, we
found what looked like a wok, but I was convinced it was
part of a ships boiler – a torpedoed ship I thought, but
this I put out of my mind – not now I said to myself.
We then made for our little tent. When we saw it in the
distance there was a man standing by it.
“I am a
newsman”,
he said. “I am staying at the Inn and saw your
little tent up the mountain.” His face was dour.
“I felt I must tell you the news” – then he
grinned all over his face, - “Germany has
surrendered. There is peace in Europe,” he said!
We sat round the fire and talked and drank the brackish
water from the stream. After our guest had gone we had
a bowl of porridge, and then snuggled down in our
sleeping bags.
No more doodle-bugs, no more blackouts and casualty
lists; and thank you God that these two young people
will not have to join up to fight. Tonight we will
sleep peacefully under the stars and tomorrow we will go
home and join in the celebrations.
Molly Griffiths
An Animal Lover.
When the air raids on London began in the forties the
National Air Raid Precautions for Animals Committee (NARPAC)
was set up to rescue and care for the animal victims of
the blitz. One of NARPAC’s members was Father Derek
Brown’s mother who was also in the WVS and responsible
for rehousing and blanket distribution for families who
had been made homeless in Deptford. Fr. Brown was 13
when bereaved pets were brought to his home to be cared
for until they could be rehomed. Having been in the
Home Guard from the age of 14, he joined the RAFVR and
served in the Far East. Whilst in India he befriended a
“pariah” dog and found the cruelty to animals
heartbreaking.
Since his early days Fr. Brown has loved all creatures
great and small, especially dogs.
A Jew from Tarsus
We have now almost reached the end of Paul's wonderful
ministry. We left him last month preparing to go to
Jerusalem with the fortune he had collected from the
churches in Asia for the poor of Jerusalem. The
practical difficulties of taking money were formidable
with brigands lying in wait for vulnerable travellers,
not to mention the problem of carrying large quantities
of heavy coins. The answer was to reduce the bulk by
converting money into precious stones and gold which
could be sewn into garments. The safest form of travel
was by ship because the crew and travellers remained the
same during the journey. Also, there was nowhere for
thieves to flee until a port was reached.
Paul decided to travel partly by ship but also by land to
give him what proved to be the final opportunity to see
his churches and converts. This was a risky venture
but, happily, he arrived in Jerusalem in AD 56, it is
thought just before Pentecost (11 June). Paul was wary
of the reception he would receive from James (brother of
Jesus) but he seems to have handled the situation very
well. The two agreed that it would be wrong to
dispense money to individuals and they decided to spend
it wisely for the benefit of the whole community. Next,
Paul volunteered to undertake a seven day ritual of
purification. However, before he completed his seven
days, he was set upon in the Temple by non-Christian
Jews who tried to lynch him. Fortunately, Roman guards
intervened and took him into their fortress where they
were proposing to interview him under torture when he
claimed his rights of Roman citizenship. He was then
imprisoned for more than two years until he was
eventually freed, although the circumstances of his
imprisonment and freedom are not known.
In the following years, Paul continued his travels, going
to Spain but mostly revisiting scenes of his early
ministry. In AD 65, Paul heard of the appalling
suffering of Christians in Rome, following huge fires in
the city which the Emperor Nero blamed on them.
Christians were popularly called depraved and were a
scapegoat for Nero, who had them put to death in
appalling and degrading fashion in his Royal Gardens as
a spectacle for the masses of Rome. By the time Paul
arrived in Rome, the persecution had largely finished
but the high-profile stance he adopted won him few
friends in the Christian community, who were fearful
that he would precipitate another period of persecution
from Nero. When he was finally arrested by the Romans,
not a single Christian came to his aid and he was
chained as a habitual criminal. However, one man,
Onesiphorus, came from Ephesus to see him but after
frequent visits, he was murdered in a back street by
robbers, leaving Paul alone again.
Just one letter survived from his period in prison, when
he wrote to the loyal and devoted Timothy, telling him
that only Luke had remained with him in Rome. Paul was
now over 70 and in AD 67, he was summoned before a
magistrate who sentenced him to death. Under Roman law,
he had a choice of either death or permanent exile, on
pain of death if he returned illegally. However, it is
thought that this right was withheld from him but he was
allowed the dignity of death by beheading, as befitted a
Roman citizen. Paul once wrote, "For me to live is
Christ and to die is gain". He had striven
throughout his ministry to manifest in the body the life
of Jesus and it was his supreme grace to have the
opportunity to die in witness as Jesus had done. He had
kept the faith!
Roger Bryant
News from
Nottingham
If you were
to attend a Sunday morning service at the church I
currently attend, you would notice that half the
congregation are in wheelchairs or beds and the other
half are rather nervous-looking trainee clergy. That is
because the “church” is the chapel at the Queen’s
Medical Centre - the biggest hospital in Nottingham -
where we are working with the chaplaincy team for a
term. The multi-faith chaplaincy team is very active
and includes chaplains from several different Christian
denominations, as well as other faiths. Each week we
collect patients from their wards and bring them to the
service. Then, after the service, we visit “our”
wards: mine is a general surgical ward (male and
female). At first, we were all a bit apprehensive about
“cold calling” on patients, but actually most
people are only too happy to talk when I do my round and
I have met some lovely people. And I achieved a
personal first when an elderly lady on my ward called me
“me duck” – a Nottingham term of endearment which
proves that I am now a real local.
An
unexpected bonus at the hospital one-week was a
deputation from the Salvation Army band, who led the
hymns, including requests from the congregation. This
almost made up for the time last term when we attempted
to go to a Salvation Army service, but arrived too late
and ended up in the pub instead.
Hospital
chaplaincy has been giving us practical experience
alongside the pastoral care course, which we have been
doing for the first half of this term. The course has
introduced us to the huge range of ways in which we will
serve people and has got us thinking about the church’s
role in caring for people. We have also learned and
practised practical things, such as listening and prayer
ministry.
The other
main area we have been studying this term is ethics.
This has encompassed everything from war to abortion to
euthanasia. It has all been fascinating - made more so
by the fact that every day the news gives us new issues
to discuss.
As part of
the ethics course, we had to get into groups and lead
discussions on ethical issues. Three of us decided to
lead a discussion about the ethics of gambling, looking
particularly at the mega-casinos, which will be
permitted under the new Gambling Bill. This topic had
the added advantage that I was able to get help from the
Bishop of Willesden, who has spoken out against the
proposal to include a mega-casino in the new Wembley
Stadium (and I chose not to delve too deeply into the
ethics of getting my sponsoring bishop to do my homework
for me). Slightly unethically, before revealing that
the discussion was going to be about gambling, we
tricked the audience into betting on the outcome –
although we did provide them with gambling chips, in the
form of chocolate (always a useful tool in a theological
college).
Having been
a lawyer for many years, I had a good grasp of ethics
from a legal point of view: rules, rights and
responsibilities. But Christian ethics add an extra
dimension, because everything also needs to be assessed
from a Biblical perspective. Sometimes legal ethics and
Christian ethics give the same answer, but sometimes the
answers are very different. We are learning that in our
ministries we will need to ask and answer some tough
questions.
So, what
happens in a theological college on Ash Wednesday? The
day started with a traditional Holy Communion service,
with the imposition of ashes. Later in the day, we had
a visit from our college President, Mike Pilavachi, the
founder of the youth church movement, Soul Survivor. He
is a brilliant speaker, who spoke for an hour during
which no one got bored. He also showed us a short film
about Soul in the City 2004, the hugely successful youth
mission in London last summer. Later that evening, we
had a special service aimed particularly at teenagers; a
lot of teenagers came, including children of students
and staff and teenagers from churches where students are
on placement. The service included some very
imaginative stuff with lighting, pictures and music –
and Mike Pilavachi preached and held everyone’s
attention for a further 45 minutes, without using
notes. The teenagers loved it and we were very pleased
that they had been brave enough to visit a theological
college.
During Lent,
we are using the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) for Morning
Prayer in the college chapel. For some students, this
is the first time they have used the BCP on a regular
basis and it has been interesting observing people’s
views and reactions. Some of the students leading the
services have used the BCP in new and creative ways,
which has helped me to look at it afresh, whilst also
showing how the 450 year old liturgy still speaks
powerfully to people today.
And finally,
a Shrove Tuesday story. A mother is making pancakes,
while her two young children, Peter and Paul, argue over
who is going to have the first pancake. “What Jesus
would do” says their mother “is let his brother
have the first one.” So Peter turns to his younger
brother and says in the kindest voice he can muster
“You be Jesus”.
Rachel
Phillips
(is the
niece of Alan Hakim) |
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Havant During World War II
To mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II
we are having an exhibition in church 1st-5th
July 2005 about Havant during the war. We are looking
for anything connected with Havant during the war years
- your memories, photographs, memorabilia from school
days, evacuees, the Home Guard, Air Raid Wardens, the
hospital, weddings, the armed forces, the camps,
factories, buildings taken over by the War Department,
the VE & VJ street parties, HMS Havant - in fact
anything you might like to share with us.
If you can help us in anyway please call Sandra Haggan
023 9245 5161
Kairos
In mid March we submitted our cluster plans to the
Diocese, following their approval by the PCC. These
plans have been considered by the Deanery of Havant in
order to form ‘deanery plans’. These in turn
will be submitted to the Diocese, who will celebrate the
establishment of Diocesan plans at a special service in
the Cathedral on 17th July. The cluster,
which consists of the parishes of Warblington with
Emsworth, along with the Group ministry of the Hayling
parishes and us, is now meeting to begin the process of
communicating those plans to the cluster. Obviously we
are waiting to see whether the plans are accepted in
their entirety or are revised before you see them.
Whatever form the final plans for our cluster take we
will not start work on them before September. By that
time not only will you have had a chance to examine the
plans but also to begin to explore ways in which you may
be able to involve yourself. Most of the ideas in our
plans involve community projects with schools or the
elderly and making our churches more accessible. The
plans are not radically new but they are exciting and
play to our strengths – so we can look forward to them
with optimism rather than fear! Enough said for now but
look out for more in the coming weeks and months.
David
Celebration of Healing 7th May in the
Cathedral - Programme
10.00am Arrive & sign up for work shops
10.20am Address - "Healing and Wholeness in the
Context or Eternity" by Beatrice Brandon
11.00am Coffee
11.30am Workshops (followed by lunch)
a. Reconciliation & Healing within the Worshipping
Community
b. God's Healing in Sight
c. Deliverance Ministry
d. Introduction to the Carisbrooke Priory
e. Pastoral Healing and Death
1.45pm Eucharist for Healing & Wholeness
DO COME! Bring your own lunch. Tea & Coffee provided.
Do you need a lift?
Sybel Laird 023 92472 489
Walsingham 2005
On Friday 1st April, six pilgrims from St.
Faith’s boarded a coach. We had joined 29 others with
the same aim – to visit the Shrine of our Lady of
Walsingham in Norfolk. Our fellow travellers were from
St. George’s, Waterlooville, in the care of Father Mike
Sheffield, and members of St. Albans, West Leigh, which
included Mary Close the Parish Reader. Our group from
St. Faith’s were looked after by our Curate – Father
Charles Keay.
After a short service led by Father Charles, we joined
the others on the excellent (Lucketts) coach and off we
went. Around 1pm we arrived at Ely Cathedral. We were
able to admire the wonderful windows and the painted
wooden ceilings (finished in 1865). The unique feature
of Ely – the Octagon – conceived by ‘Alan of
Walsingham’ is an amazing feat of engineering and
the medieval craftsmen deserve our awe and admiration.
After a celebration of Holy Communion in the surprising
Lady Chapel (having eaten lunch in the Cathedral Café),
we continued our journey on to Norfolk.
When we were about 20-minutes from our final
destination, we joined together in singing the
Walsingham Pilgrim Hymn. It tells of the history of the
Shrine, its birth, its troubles during the reformation
and its subsequent re-building after 300 years of lying
in ruins. (Further details on request!)
Suddenly, we had arrived. The sun was still shining as
we gathered in the entrance to be welcomed after our
longish journey. We then had our first visit to the
Holy House – a surprising place lit by candles and
filled with an air of mystery and wonder. This was
followed by the very earthly business of finding our
rooms and the Refectory for tea! By the way, what a
nice tea it was, home made scones, jam and cream,
sandwiches and a very welcome cuppa!
The whole experience was beyond my expectation. The
services; the processions in the grounds at night by
torchlight and in the day by sunlight! We shared the
beauty, the peacefulness, the companionship, laughter
and tears. The walks in the countryside to the Slipper
Chapel, to the village shops and around the hyacinth
scented gardens. I will simply have to revisit next
year. What about you – will you join us?
Shirley Caunter
The Joy of a Hug
A hug is one of life's sweet treasures
A source of great blessings
And infinite pleasures
A hug is a cosy shelter
On a cold, blowy day
And a pocketful of sunshine
When the clouds are dark and grey
A hug can lighten any load
Pay back any debt
But the very best
thing
About a hug is
that it's as
Good to give as
get!
With thanks to the
works of "Winnie the Pooh".
Joy Bryant
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