From the Rector - The Birthday of the Church and the Five-Fold Purposes on which it was Built

Happy Easter!  A bit late you might say, but actually we are still in the season of Easter until the 27^th May when we celebrate the festival known as Whit Sunday or Pentecost (to use the Jewish name meaning 50 days after Passover).  Another name for Whit Sunday might be the birthday of the church, because that is when we recall the story from Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the upper room like ‘tongues of fire’.  Those disciples, who had met the risen Lord, and witnessed his ascension into heaven, were waiting for guidance and inspiration when all of a sudden the Holy Spirit was upon them.  Then they were really energised and they charged off into the streets and spoke to people who had come into town from various parts of the Jewish world.  In Acts 2 verse 4 it says that these disciples spoke to people in their own language.

The significant thing here is that the disciples were transformed from their state of being terrified, guilt-ridden and confused after the death of Jesus to bold, courageous, innovative and passionate ambassadors of the love of God.  They were inspired to tell others of the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead, so that everyone might know of God’s transforming love.  This, then, was the first action, if you like, of the first church – telling people about God, and inviting them to join this community.  If we read further into the second chapter of Acts we can see how that new community occupied itself.  Take a moment to read Acts 2 verses 42 – 47.  You can see that this first church, led by the disciples was based upon five areas: service (sharing what they had with each other), worship (attending the temple, breaking bread in their homes and praising God), fellowship (being devoted to fellowship and gathering together), outreach (added to their number daily) and discipleship (devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching).  These five areas of the life of this new community has been the basis of church life ever since.

In the last six years we have experienced sustained and gradual growth at St Faith’s.  The congregation has grown in size to an average now of over 130 on a Sunday, with others attending mid-week.  Our main service of worship, the Eucharist, involves a large number of people in a variety of roles, serving, reading, singing, assisting with communion, leading prayers, welcoming people, decorating and cleaning the church.  The church shop is going very well and raising funds for the church.  We are supporting missions in Ghana and Japan, through prayer partners, and we hope to host this summer another visit, this time of lay people from our link church in Nsawam, Ghana.  The children and youth work has been largely responsible for the growth in the church.  The Sunday Club provides a superb experience of church for the young people and the Youth club gives them opportunity to relax and build relationships with each other.  We hope now to establish a Crèche for Sunday mornings and a team is being set up to assist with pastoral care, so that we can expand our provision and not rely too heavily upon the clergy.

These last two indicate the challenges of growing – there is always more we can and need to do.  Because we are getting larger, there are more people to minister to and care for.  There is a greater need for discipleship – to help people who want to learn more and go deeper into the faith, through Bible study, prayer or discussion groups.  Last Christmas our Christmas Eve service was so big we will have to put on two this year.  How long before we have to start putting on two services on a Sunday morning to provide not just room, but variety?  The Youth Club is finding that there is always another level to go to in providing a good, safe place for the young people to share fellowship, discipleship and worship.

Thus it is time again for us to review our purposes as a church and organise around them.  By the time you read this I will have charged the new PCC with the challenge of reappraising our purpose as a church based upon the five bible purposes from Acts.  I shall have suggested to the PCC that a working group be set up to carry out this reappraisal and to make recommendations to the PCC as to how we organise ourselves around these purposes.  In the meantime, and to help the group, it would be very good to have your views.  If you would like to answer the following questions and send them back to me I shall pass them on to the working group.  You can send them to: the Parish Office, Church House, The Pallant, Havant, PO9 1BE or to rector@stfaith.com (if you prefer e-mail).  Otherwise write them on a piece of paper and hand them in to Vicki at Church. 

At St Faith’s:

1. What works best?
2. What is the most important part?
3. How are you valued?
4. How would you like to be more valued?
5. What needs to be done better or added?
6. What would you like to see change?

Thank you for taking time to do this.  The earlier you can let me have your responses the better, as it would give the working group more time to consider them, please!

Continue to have a very happy Easter and I look forward to seeing you on the church’s birthday service on 27^th

  David

Wartime News!

Last month I mentioned the Evening News Building in Stanhope Road surviving the Great Fire Blitz of 10 January 1941 which destroyed the nearby Connaught Drill Hall, home of the Territorial Army, and I promised to write this month about the “Evening News”, as the “News” was called in those days.  Before doing so, let me tell you more about the Hall.  After the war, it was rebuilt and officially opened by the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 July 1951.  A very large crowd greeted the Princess and she then went on a seven mile tour of the city.  Crowds lined her route and she was late in her schedule because of delays caused by the huge crowds assembled to welcome her.  It was a very memorable visit.

In this age of television giving us instant news virtually as it happens, it is not easy to imagine the difficulties in wartime Britain of getting news and information.  Not easy, that is, unless, like me, you lived through the war, albeit as a child.  The radio, or wireless as people called it in those days, gave a very good news service, although this was subject to strict censorship.  However, it only provided national news; there were no local radio stations.  Likewise, we had a ten minute “newsreel” between the two feature films in the cinema.  This was either “Pathe News” or “Movietone News” but again this was national.  The only source of local news was the local evening newspaper and this provided an exceptional service of both news and essential information about local services.  Returning to the blitz of that Friday night, the following morning there was no transport available because roads were blocked by debris and fires were still raging.  People made their way to work, after a sleepless night, as best they could and the “Evening News” staff was no exception.  Arriving at work, they found the plant was intact but the processing room was blocked with soil.  After this was cleared, staff had to clear debris from the composing room.  Fortunately, the newspaper had its own generator to provide the lighting and power for the foundry, linos and presses.  Despite the windows being blown in during the blitz, the staff got the early edition of the “Evening News” on the streets soon after mid-day.  And so it continued throughout the war, appearing daily to keep us in the picture about events at home and on the battlefront.

Following this near miss on the “Evening News” building, it was decided to site an emergency office outside of Portsmouth where the newspaper could be printed in the event of the existing building being destroyed.  In a post-war publication called “Smitten City, The story of Portsmouth under the Blitz”, the “Evening News” reported on how it had set up the emergency office ”a few miles from Portsmouth in a copse deep in the countryside, yet close to a good road junction.”  Here was set up a building housing a stereo foundry, eight linotypes and one of the main printing presses from Stanhope Road.  In the event, it was never required.  So where was this copse?  Go to the Harvester Restaurant, Witchers Gate, Rowlands Castle, and look across to the Shell Garage on the opposite corner.  In the grounds of the garage, behind the forecourt and shop, you will notice an old building with a curved roof.  This was to have been the emergency office and it still stands today as a reminder of the remarkable foresight and courage of those dedicated people of the “Evening News” who defied the “Great Fire Blitz”.

                                                                                                                                      Roger Bryant

Doris Emily Colliver RIP

A very remarkable lady left us in March with the death of Doris Emily Colliver but she left the memory of a delightful and talented lady of music.  Doris was born on 23 November 1905 in the heart of London at Shepherds Bush but grew up in Northwood, Middlesex.  At a very early age, she showed an aptitude for music.  She learnt to play the piano and obtained a LRAM Certificate before the age of 20 which started her on a music career, teaching music in schools.  She lived in New Zealand for some years, where for four years she was the Music Director of Woodford House School.  She returned to England and met Alec in 1934.  They were married two years later.  They settled in Watford, where their only child David was born. 

During the Second World War, Doris worked in a munitions factory, while Alec ran his own motor business.  Alec sold his business to retire in 1957 when they moved to the South Coast where they settled in Bellair Road, Havant.  Sadly, Alec died just five years later.  Doris then moved to Southbrook Road, Langstone, where she remained for 40 years.  During this time, she enjoyed travelling abroad to Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.  Music was still her life and she was very active in St Faith’s where she formed a Madrigal Group called the “Chaulden Singers”.  Many of us who attended her Funeral in St Faith’s on 22 March remember her best for the many years when she played the piano at the services at Christ Church Centre, continuing to drive there every Sunday from Langstone until well into her 80s.  Failing health led Doris to move into a nursing home in Bedhampton, but to the great joy of her friends and admirers she was able to celebrate her 100^th birthday by attending a morning service at St Faith’s.  Fittingly, we heard at her funeral a recording of her playing the piano which was a very moving memory of a much loved lady of music.                                                                                                                                            RHB

A Confirmation

Seeing all the children being confirmed on 17 March sent my mind back to my own confirmation on 15 March 1952.  I was a teenager and in the Church of England, and certainly in Cornwall where I had been living for the past five years, it was customary to confirm people in their early teens.  I was a bit older, in my mid teens when the Vicar suggested I might like to be confirmed. The catechism was duly taught by the Vicar and we were prepared for our confirmation in the parish by the Bishop, Dr Morgan, but there was an unexpected surprise.  We were informed that instead of being confirmed in the parish we would be confirmed in Truro Cathedral.  We were led to believe that this was most unusual and that we were very favoured.

The girls were expected to be dressed in white with white veils to cover their heads.  The boys were expected to wear their best suits.  Clothes were still rationed but the coupons were found to buy the clothes and the girls were provided with the veils.

The appointed day duly arrived, dry and sunny as I remember.  My parents and I set off by train for Truro thirty miles away but calamity struck!  I had left my veil behind.  Was there time for me to get off the train, return home, retrieve the veil and get back to Truro in time?  Fortunately we had left in plenty of time and I made it.

At the Cathedral we were met by nuns from an Order attached to the Cathedral.  They took us girls off to a vestry where they put on our veils and made sure we were all neat and tidy.

Then came the confirmation at the altar, boys on the right and girls on the left. Disappointingly we were confirmed by the Assistant Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev J Wellington and not as we had expected by Dr Morgan, the Bishop but it was a minor point.

Afterwards my parents took me for lunch in a lovely old coaching inn and hotel called the Red Lion in Truro, now long since demolished.

At my first communion in my parish church the Vicar gave us all a commemorative book "In His Presence" which answered questions about the Church, Prayers, the clergy's vestments and finally the Communion Service itself.

It was a very special day and whenever I visit Truro I always visit the Cathedral.

I wonder if today's new communicants will find they too have special memories as they start their spiritual journey through life.  I hope so.                                                                             Sheilah Legg

Tom Jones RIP

We were all sad to hear of the death of a loyal and valued member of St Faith’s in Tom Jones RIP.  He came from Bagillt, Flintshire, and had a wonderful quiet independence about him.  There was a strength and decency about him which was reflected in many ways, not least in the love and support he gave his beloved Kath and his daughter Anne, both of whom passed away in recent years.  Many of us have the memory of him leading Kath by the hand up to the altar rail to receive communion. 

He gave of himself in many ways including war service but parishioners will best remember the time he spent in St Faith’s as a Sidesman and as an Electoral Roll Officer, where his qualities of carefulness and thoroughness were seen to considerable advantage.  He also served as a Stewardship Officer, where again his qualities were very evident.  He has left many friends and admirers.  St Faith’s will be the poorer for his passing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his son, Alan, and family.                                                                                                                                      RHB

 

Put peace in to each other’s hands and like a treasure hold it,

Protect it like a candle flame, with tenderness enfold it.

Put peace into each other’s hands with loving expectation;

Be gentle in your words and ways, in touch with God’s creation.

Put peace into each other’s hands like bread we break for sharing,

Look people warmly in the eye, our life is meant for sharing.

Give thanks for strong – yet – tender hands, held out in trust and blessing,

Where words fall short, let hands speak out, the heights of love expressing.

Reach out with friendship, stay with faith in touch with those around you.

Put peace into each other’s hands: the peace that sought and found you.

Historic Churches Bike Ride and Walk

Every year the Historic Churches Trust holds a bike ride and walk to raise funds which go towards supporting historic churches.  This year the event is on Saturday 8^th September so please note the date.  

                                                                                      Audrey Currie

Church Shop

The Church Shop raised £2,317.29 during the March/April session.  Thank you to all who helped and donated items for sale.  The shop will re-open on Tuesday 22^nd May until Friday 29^th June.  More volunteers to help are always welcome, especially during holiday periods      Sheila Warlow

Lent in the Wilderness

 

In the January issue of “Faith Matters”, I wrote about my plans for a Bedouin Challenge ride in the Wadi Rum during March, and appealed for sponsorship. Thanks to the generosity of St Faith’s congregation and other friends, I reached my target of £2,000, and have just returned from a wonderful adventure.

The Wadi Rum is in the south of Jordan, and is part of the Wilderness of the Bible.  I was only there for six days, rather than the full forty years, but it was a suitable place to be during Lent.  It is a sand desert between large rocky outcrops – you may remember it appeared prominently in the film Lawrence of Arabia.

Our objective was to ride Arab horses through the valleys of the Wadi for five full days, in company with Bedouin guides, camping overnight, and to raise money for the British Horse Society’s (BHS) Equine Welfare organisation in the UK. There were 16 of us who met at Heathrow Airport on 24^th March, all women, including the organiser from the BHS, and the travel agents, who rode with us.  We flew to Amman, arriving at our hotel well after midnight, and had our last night with beds and chairs for a week.

Next morning (Sunday, the first day of the working week in Jordan) we drove quickly down the Desert Highway – apart from occasional slowing down for sleeping policemen, not what you expect on a major dual carriageway! – and arrived at Wadi Rum in time to meet our horses after lunch, and have a short ride on them to prepare for the main ride next day.  I must say my mare was quite scatty, and didn’t like to stand still.  And when she was tethered to a post in the sand for the night, she would do her best to uproot it and wander off.  But I stayed with her for the whole week.  Some of the other riders didn’t like their horses, and changed them two or three times.

The days were pleasantly warm (maximum was 26°C) but it gets cold at night in the desert.  On our first night, camp was behind the prominent rock called “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom”.  All sixteen of us slept together in a big black Bedouin tent, but before that we had a barbecue prepared by the Bedouin support team.  There were almost as many of them as us, including the driver of the 4x4 which carried our luggage, and a doctor and a vet.  Mahomet, our chief guide, accompanied us all the way, on horseback.

The days were similar, but all different.  We rode for about seven hours, with a break for lunch.  Usually the horses walked, which is the easiest pace on soft sand, but a couple of times Mahomet  let us have a ‘cantour’ – not a British canter, but a flat-out gallop.  Very exciting.  What made the days varied was the tremendous differences in the landscape we passed through.  Twice we rode over rock bridges connecting two rocks over the track between them.

The evening barbecues were full of fun, with singing, dancing and Bedouin jokes.  The others fell into bed quite early, but I found the desert climate suited me far better than the humidity of Havant, and was full of energy, up early and late to bed.  Some of the younger Bedouin were rather shy with the full group of women, but when they had mostly gone, the young men were happy to talk.

The meals were delicious, even though prepared in the middle of nowhere, and I never had a moment's stomach problems.  Some of the group seemed taken aback by the local food, but I think it was part of the adventure.  We drank a lot of ‘shy’, weak tea with sugar served in small Pyrex glasses – very thirst-quenching.

Our longest day was Thursday, when we rode 30 miles, and went all the way to the Saudi border.  Mahomet pointed it out, but there was no other sign of it, just identical sand on both sides of an invisible line.  We also got a view down to the sea at Aqaba, like Lawrence of Arabia again.  And then on Friday we rode north across the railway, rather a surprise in the desert, back to the road where our bus was ready to take us back to Petra – and a hotel!

Saturday was spent in Petra, first on a visit to the Brooke Hospital for Horses. This principally looks after the horses which are hired to tourists visiting the ancient city.  Although many of the horse-owners look after them well, we saw a few very distressing cases with bad sores caused by overwork.  In fact two of the girls in our group were so impressed by the Brooke that they decided to try to train for veterinary nursing.  Then we spent the rest of the day visiting the enormous city, where all the buildings are cut into the red rock cliffs.

Our last evening was given over to a final dinner in the hotel.  Delicious, but three of the group had been suffering from a lack of pizza and chips in the desert, and preferred to go off for that instead.  And then it was an early start on Sunday for the airport, and back to England – not at all exciting after the Wadi Rum.

So I have had a wonderful adventure, and after all the costs are paid, we raised £10,000 for the BHS.                                                                                                                                        Frances Hakim

 

The Cream Tea

The Young Believers were hosting a Cream Tea to celebrate Mothering Sunday on 18^th March.  This year I was able to go and was looking forward to a nice tea and being waited on.  It was a nice day, the morning service where the young people took their first communion went off well and everyone was pleased and proud of our youngsters.  So off I walked to the Church Hall.  (No sense taking the car from where I live).  Anyway, I was greeted by a young lady and a young gentleman who showed me to a very lovely decorated table and given a menu, hand made and very colourful.  A few moments later and back they came, to take my order, pad and pencil to hand.  The tables were laid beautifully, flowers in pretty vases - such a lot of time and trouble to make the hall look bright and welcoming.

The cream tea arrived, scones so light and jam, tasty.  I did wonder and was asked if it was some of mine, but no matter it was delicious.  I was brought a cup of hot water, rarely drink anything else.  So here I was having a really nice afternoon, being treated as a mum should be on her special day.  Yes the hall was quite full and a raffle took place, and I was lucky and won a prize.  The afternoon flew past.

Thank you so much to the Young Believers and their helpers, such a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes and a few worries I expect.  But you should be proud of yourselves and definitely of your excellent team of youngsters.  Roll on next year.

We are lucky at St. Faith’s to have a great team of leaders and such super young people.  God bless you all.                                                                                                                            Jenny Sagrott

More News from Baghdad

Based on notes from the Portsmouth Diocesan magazine of the Mothers’ Union (MU) "Contact".

Canon Andrew White of St George's Church in Baghdad has managed to visit Portsmouth and has taken back with him 134 logo badges, pins and studs collected by members in the Diocese and also some prayers.  If any members of St Faith’s have any unwanted MU badges could they please hand them to Liz Gilbert or me so that we can pass them to the Diocese for Canon White's next visit

The MU in Baghdad had a successful Christmas with a service, play, bazaar and feast in the church garden.  Well over a thousand people attended from every possible denomination.  They came because they live close by and they cannot attend their own places of worship.  Enough money was raised to completely finance the next MU Diocesan Festival there.

Canon White has not been able to get to his church of St George's which is in West Baghdad for nearly two years as it is deemed too dangerous but he meets his congregation in the office of the Shia Muslim Prime Minister in the highly fortified International Zone.  It is heartening to hear of this co-operation between the Shia Muslims and the Christians.  The starting time for the services is when everyone has been security checked - and this can take up to three hours!

Do not imagine that St George's is a new church on its own in Baghdad.  Fifty years ago there were ten churches ranging from the Armenian Catholic church to the Syrian Orthodox.

We are asked to keep the newly formed MU at St George’s in our prayers and indeed we pray for all the good people in Baghdad and Iraq.                                                                             Sheilah Legg

Confirmation Picture

There has been a response to the picture from the ‘Hampshire Telegraph’ on 15 October 1970 that appeared in the April edition of “Faith Matters”.  Daphne Rowden recognised her son Jonathon in the front row of the boys and says he is now 6’6” tall, married with two children.  Shirley and Peter Appleby are at the back with the adults.  They had recently moved to Havant from the Brighton area and their classes were conducted by David Lowe who was one of the two curates at that time.  Jenny Sagrott’s daughter, Jacqui, who has written articles for “Faith Matters”, is in the second row of the picture.

Think on These Things – Part 2 of 3

Most of the Jewish authorities missed the Messiah because they fully expected their Messiah would strictly obey all the rituals and customs they had set up, but Jesus tried to show them that they should obey the spirit rather then the restrictive letter of the biblical law.  For instance, concerning their very narrow view of the Sabbath day he told them that the Sabbath was for man to benefit from and enjoy, and not to think that man was made in order to keep the Sabbath.  Also they expected their Messiah would be a warrior King who would command the country and throw out the Roman invader.  Instead they saw a man of peace, a servant King, who wanted all humans to live at peace with one another as far as possible.

God/Jesus is still within us now working on our minds and thoughts, and proof that he can affect our lives is in the fact that humans have continued to pass on this information all down these many generations, not as a duty but because they believe it to be true, and also because many people have been prepared to be killed rather than say it is nothing.

It works psychologically if you like but Jesus is the greatest psychologist of all time as he knows every bit of what makes us tick, having created us in the first place.

The body is matter.  It is inert and can do nothing of itself and is subject to the laws of matter.  It is a vehicle for getting us from birth to death.

Our five senses tell us about nothing in the universe except matter, so we find it difficult to believe in the existence of anything that isn’t matter, even though we know that space must be packed full of all sorts of energies which are invisible to us, including the energy called life.  But then, not very long ago to talk of humans going for a walk in space would have been difficult to believe.

Earlier this century Sir William Crookes, a very eminent scientist and President of the Royal Society, claimed to have proved under laboratory conditions that at death the spirit body separates itself from the physical body.  And even while still alive, but seriously ill, very many people have had “out of body” experiences in which they have been able to look down upon themselves from above, and to even hear what is being said around them.  I myself know several people here in my little circle that have had this experience, and the doctors, nurses and friends present at the time had not been aware that anything unusual had occurred.

When invisible energies such as electricity, heat, gravity, are not visibly influencing matter it is tempting to think they are not present.  Similarly when the energy called life is detached from matter we know nothing of its existence, because our five senses can tell us of nothing but matter, since we are made of matter and live in a world of matter.  But we have no right to say those energies do not exist.

It is believed that when the spirit survives death it retains within itself its consciousness or awareness, parts of memory, the mind, and all the personality built up by that individual during life and which gives the spirit its unique identifiable character.  Just as Jesus demonstrated after his resurrection and before his ascension.

Jesus was sent to earth to prove to us that death need not be the end for us, and that the Spirit was now available to every human being who was willing to accept it.

Jesus brought back to life from the dead the daughter of Jairus, President of a synagogue, Lazarus, dead for 4 days, himself, dead for 3 days, the only son of the widow of Nain.

How can this possibly be?  Because he is pure Spirit and he is Life.  He is the life force itself that is in all living beings.  He said to Martha “I am life and I am the resurrection.  If you believe in me you shall never die”.  As regards the spirit that is.

Hard to believe?  Yes perhaps it is for human beings, but not impossible.  If you continue to roll it around in your mind and thoughts you can gradually assimilate it.  Take as long as you like; take as long as you live.  But what a stupendous reward given to each person, as a Free Gift, who can finally embrace that law of boundless importance, that whoever accepts Jesus into the mind and thoughts as being the LIFE FORCE itself will, spirit-wise, never die.  And this change, this free gift, is ours to keep as soon as we accept it, even before the body dies.  Jesus said that whoever believes in him has already passed from death to life everlasting.  Heaven can start right here and now.

All this has nothing to do with a fear of physically dying.  If so be that physical matter is all there is then so be it, it is so simple.  At death the black curtain drops and leaves just a dead body, with no feelings, no sensation, no fear, nothing.  But surely humans, with all their accomplishments in science, music, literature, thought, art, self sacrifice, honour, conscience, are of more value than slugs, more durable than pebbles on the beach.

And after all, Jesus did say after his resurrection, “As I live, so shall you live also”.

There is only one Life, and all living beings are part of that one Life, which continues in the physical bodies from birth to death.  For the unbeliever and all non-human living beings that’s all it is, and the Life then returns to its Source.  But I believe that, regarding the believer, who has acknowledged and accepted the Holy Spirit, when the body dies the Life and the spirit body both continue the journey together, free from all the physical defects, pains, worries and limitations that may have beset the late body.

God, the supreme spiritual being, came in his visible human manifestation as Jesus to make us more individually aware of and responsive to:

a.        The loving character of God, best described as that of a father, and

b.       The gift of life after death on offer to each human being.

Irrespective of what we do to maintain the health of our physical life, it is even more important to cultivate and strengthen our spiritual life while we have the chance, because for the unbeliever the future seems bleak.  Trust in God as both Father and Son and in due time we shall see:

“Those angel faces smile

Which we have loved long since

And lost awhile”.

(A&M 298 “Lead, Kindly Light”) 

John Smythe