From the Rector - Diocesan Conference

Every four or five years the clergy of the diocese are called together to pray and discuss relevant and important church matters.  The last such conference took place in 2003 at Winchester.  But last month a conference took place that was extraordinary in a number of ways.  In the first place our Bishop, Kenneth, was unable to be with us because, as you know, he is recovering from a bone-marrow transplant, as part of his treatment for leukaemia.  His absence was keenly felt, but nevertheless his presence was manifest to us through his comments and by knowing he was praying for us throughout the duration of the conference.

The second factor that made this conference different was the inclusion of the laity, through the invitation of Deanery Synod Lay Chairmen and women from the diocese’s eight deaneries and diocesan staff from Peninsular House in Portsmouth.  To say the atmosphere was more down to earth and easy going would be an understatement – it was an immensely enjoyable conference.

We stayed for four days in Chichester and listened to and enjoyed contributions from excellent speakers from within and beyond the diocese.  The theme was ‘Inspiring Discipleship’ and the keynote speaker on Monday evening was the Revd Steven Croft, the Archbishop’s Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions.  Tasked to speak of the future vision for the church over the next 20 years, Steven reminded us that we are navigating through a period of change, and that we must accept that the recent past will not provide a map for the future.  Our compass for the journey is of course the person of Jesus the Christ, with who we are called to be in community and who sends us out.  Steven pointed us to the beatitudes from Matthew 5 to illustrate our dependence upon God in guiding our steps, remaining faithful in prayer and being humble about our spiritual seeking.

The second day was focussed upon the Cathedral where we heard two magnificent speakers.  The first, Abbot Nokter Wolf, OSB, is the current Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict.  The Abbot also urged us to be open to the Lord’s leadership and to resist the desire to be too strategic in our planning.  He reminded us that a good community is not one that is perfect but one that offers mercy.  Alongside this the Abbot spoke of the corrupting influence of power and the love of it.  The church needs a degree of hierarchy and leadership, based upon a good structure, but those in authority are leaders with others rather than over them.  We are co-workers together of the Kingdom.  As pilgrims together, we are walking toward the Promised Land.  Thus inspiring discipleship is about sharing the love of God with others.

Later that day we heard from Dr. Sabina Alkire who is Director of Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.  Sabina simply asked us how is it that any of us can be content when one half of the world’s population live in intense poverty?  She reminded us that over half the world’s population (3.4 billion people) live in Asia, of which 980 million live on less than $1 a day (roughly 50p), and of that number one in seven is malnourished.  This figure is rising.  India has 212 million children who are malnourished.  The question is what to do?  Given that Britain is the world’s best contributor it may be tempting to sit back, yet even we haven’t achieved the millennium goals we agreed with our fellow ‘rich’ countries (we pledged 0.7% of GDP and currently give 0.5%).

Sabina recommended the following 7 point plan:

          1.                    Pray

          2.                    Be informed - read ‘blogs’ or other information about poverty initiatives and the current situation

          3.                    Give 0.7% of your income to reduce global poverty to agencies such as Christian Aid, Tear Fund, etc

          4.                    Connect with others who experience poverty (such as our link to Ghana)

          5.                    Raise awareness of world poverty

          6.                    Take action in collective events

          7.                    Write to your MP – David Willetts in his office at South Street, Havant, to keep the issue live and on his agenda.

We do more than we probably give ourselves credit, but it is often the case that we don’t link up with other churches and groups locally, with whom we could be so much more effective.

Finally we heard from Prof Larry Hurtado of the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity, Professor of New Testament Language, Literature and Theology.  His thesis that he has been arguing successfully for the last 20 years is that Christianity established extremely quickly after the death of Jesus a focus in worship that was unique in the Jewish tradition.  This change, of course, was that the God of Abraham, Moses and David was the same God who’s Son, Jesus, came to earth and was crucified.  What’s so revelatory about that, you cry.  The startling thing is that as Jesus worshipped his Father in heaven, so the early church came to worship (within 2 years of his death) Jesus as the Son of God.  The implications for us are twofold: firstly that our worship of Jesus needs to be in the context of his ‘Sonship’ (i.e., Jesus is not a God alone without the Father) and secondly that our worship is intended as a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven, so it should not be too cosy and understandable!

Thus I have given you a taste of the conference and the diversity of speakers.  At the risk of horribly conflating some fascinating and learned thinkers, let me try to put it together for you, by concluding that the invitation to us all is to be Christ centred, to enjoy worship of Christ, the Son of God, and to share our spiritual poverty with those around us as we also share our material wealth.  At the same time we are called into community to be strengthened to go out into the world in order to share the good news (of the kingdom of God) we have found in that community.

And just in case this all sounds rather dry to you, I hasten to add that there was plenty of socialising and catching up with each other, lots of partying and eating.  I can thoroughly recommend the singing and playing of Tom Kennar, curate of Emsworth, who I hope to invite to a party in the parish before too long. 

David

 “The Brunels”

I set out to write about Isambard Kingdom Brunel until I discovered the extraordinary life of his father, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel; now I am writing about both these gifted men.  (“Oh no!” I hear you say.).  Marc was a Frenchman, born in Normandy in 1769.  He was an officer in the French Navy but fled the French Revolution by travelling to the United States, arriving in New York on 6 September 1793.  Prior to leaving France, the 22 year old Marc met the 17 year old Sophia Kingdom, who was English and the 16^th child of William Kingdom, a naval contractor in Portsmouth.  Marc worked in New York with astounding energy and skill as a surveyor and engineer.  It is astonishing to record that he was so successful that in 1796, after taking out American citizenship, he became the Chief Engineer to the City of New York at the age of 25! 

Marc never forgot Sophia and carried a portrait of her, which he had painted himself in a locket.  She was teaching English to French children in Rouen when the revolution broke out.  Following the execution of King Louis XVI, Britain declared war on the French Republic.  In October 1793, all British nationals were rounded up by the French and Sophia spent nine months in a women’s prison, literally in the shadow of the guillotine in an adjacent courtyard!  On the death of Robespierre in July 1794, she and other British nationals were released.  She returned to her family in England in 1795.  Marc returned to England in March1799, armed with a letter of introduction to the Admiralty.  He immediately made contact with Sophia and they married in November that year, when he was 29 and she 24. 

While in America, Marc had been advised that the Royal Navy had a problem producing the hundreds of thousands of rigging blocks they needed each year, all of which were hand-made at considerable expense.  Throughout 1800, he worked, with a mechanic named Henry Maudsley, on a system for producing the blocks by mechanical means.  Maudsley was 28 years old and was destined to be the greatest mechanical engineer of his age.  The Brunels were living on their savings but in 1802 moved to Britain Street, Portsea (which is still there opposite Gunwharf Quays).  It was here in a modest terraced house that Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 1 November 1806.  The Admiralty had accepted the new process and in 1803 Marc started installing in the Dockyard the first production line of the machines designed by him and constructed by Maudsley.  Now 12 unskilled men replaced 110 skilled craftsmen!  It is incredible to record that when in 1944, the allied armies arrived on D-Day off the shores of Marc’s native Normandy, the landing craft were equipped with blocks produced on Maudsley’s machines, still being used in the 20^th Century!

Marc left Portsmouth in 1807 and moved his family to London where he had set up sawmills.  The next years saw him develop many inventions, mostly on government work, but he was not a good business man.  He got into serious debt, much of which was money owed to him for government work, and in 1821 his bankers, Sykes and Company, became insolvent.  The unthinkable happened; Marc and Sophia were arrested for debt and put in the King’s Bench Prison, Southwark.  Fortunately, Isambard, now aged 15, was in Paris.  So what became of his parents in this grim debtors’ jail?  For that you must be prudent, avoid the debtors’ jail, and save up for next month’s “Faith Matters”!

Roger Bryant

The Five Churches

In my article last month, I wrote that I was trying to trace the last church.  I subsequently wrote to Robert Hind of “The News” and he published my enquiry in his column, “Hindsight”.  That same night, a Mrs Mary Fuller, 86 years young, of St Augustine Road, Eastney, telephoned me with the answer.  It was St Stephen’s Church in Kingston Road, opposite the then Oddfellows Hall and a few buildings away from Woolworths which was also destroyed that terrible night.  Mary used to attend this church, where she was christened and confirmed.  She lived nearby at 3 Toronto Road and was in Portsmouth throughout the war.  She remembers the destruction of St Stephen’s because there was due to be a wedding in the church the following day.  In fact, the wedding went ahead in the ruins of the church.  I wonder whether the bride and groom are still alive?  Mary told me that the font at St Stephen’s came originally from St Mary’s Church and had been used to christen Charles Dickens.  She also told me that the font was removed from the ruins and given to St Albans Church, Copnor.  Other items were given to St Michael’s and All Angels at Paulsgrove.  I discovered that someone else famous was christened in this font at St Mary’s.  Yes!  You have guessed correctly - Isambard Kingdom Brunel.  The local author John Offord put it rather well, “Brunel and Dickens were among the many who left the pagan world at that font”!

Roger Bryant

(Miss Pat Stone informed Robert Hind that the couple who married in the ruins of St Stephen’s church in January 1941 were Mr & Mrs William Langridge.  They were married by the then vicar the Revd Frank Sergeant.  On 17 January 1966, Portsmouth Evening News reporter Kay Stanhope wrote an article on the couple who were celebrating their silver wedding anniversary)

From the Registers

29^th August Funeral of Thomas Samuel Gomersall

16^th September Baptism of Christopher Aldworth

23^rd September Baptism of Richard Boschi

23^rd September Baptisms of Rosdeck & Ursula Salero

30^th September Baptism of Tiannah Chappel
 

The St. Faith's Town Fair was held on Saturday 8 September 2007.  The morning started with autumnal skies but was sunny and warm by the afternoon.  Initial figures show that over £4,000 was raised for the Restoration & Redevelopment Fund.  This compares very favourably with previous Town Fair’s – 2003: £2,800; 2004: £3,455; 2005: £4,180 & 2006: £4,548.

A big thank you to the Market Traders of Havant for, inter alia, donating prizes and for providing equipment.  Special mention goes to Waitrose for providing all the barbeque food and the staff at no charge.  Angel Radio entertained with a very good selection of music and compered the show.  Music was also provided by "Play it Again Sam".

The committee and their helpers who planned the Fair (Peter Mellor (Chairman), Teresa Atchison, Helen Bellenger, Joan Burrows, Helen Faulkner, Jane Hopkins, Claire Toole), the many parishioners and others who devoted their time on the day, deserve a very big thank you also for a successful day.

There were many stalls, including bottle, tombola, book, DVD, craft, cakes, preserves & toys, plus face painting, a bouncy castle and much more.

First out of 26 prizes in the Grand Draw – dinner, bottle of wine, bed & breakfast for two at the Brookfield Hotel, was won by Claire Merritt.  The Treasure Island prize was won by Colin Hedley.

 The MP for Havant, David Willetts, with his wife Sarah Butterfield, opens the Town Fair

Visit to the Holy Land – Part 4 of 4

Tuesday we started at Bethpage a small village near to Bethany, this is where Jesus began his entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday  We visited the church where there were paintings on the walls with a sepia type of finish they were very effective.  A short trip on the mini bus took us to the top of the Mount of Olives which is the highest point in Jerusalem, this is the view often seen on television interviews, and we had our photo taken here with the amazing view behind us.  

We carry on on foot down the steep fairly narrow paths that will weave our way into the old city; we stop by at Dominus Flevit the Chapel of the Tear Drop.  This modem chapel commemorates Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and was constructed in the form of a teardrop by the architect Burlazzi in 1955 on the ruins of an ancient church.  It faces west so that the window behind the altar looks out over Jerusalem and is a simple, peaceful chapel.  During construction work between 1953-55 ossuaries - boxes of stone to conserve the bones of the dead - were found dating back to the first century.  We carry on down the steep paths, wonderful views along the way past the cemeteries where Jews, Christians and Muslims each have a section - the stones put on the tombs are put there by people unable to be at the funeral and they mean 'truthful good' a bit like us sending flowers.  We come to the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane means ‘Olive Press’) - it is just a small part of what it would have been, lots of olive trees including one said to be 2,000 years old. Alongside it, The Church of All Nations to commemorate the Garden of Gethsemane - several nations helped with funding and art work.  This church was very dark the stained glass windows were modern in purple shades - purple colouring was the richest and most expensive colour to create naturally in the time of Jesus.  

We left here and were lucky to be able to go into a locked part of the Garden of Gethsemane where we were able to wander around, sit and pray and take in the atmosphere.  Carrying on down the hill we entered the old city through St. Stephen’s Gate - it is sometimes called the Lion Gate - this was because of the Crusaders; there are two pairs of lions on the wall.  

Onto the Pools of Bethesda where the crippled man was healed and into St. Anne's church (Mary's mother) - the ceilings are arched, wonderful acoustics, there is an eleven second delay in the sound.  We had a little sing and on our way again.  We walked through the narrow pathways in the Muslim quarter, small shops on either side; we only saw men working in the shops - they sat in the doorway selling their wares - spices, food, souvenirs, material, clothes all sorts.  When we came to the Jewish quarter it was very different - more spacious and expensive looking.  

We left the old city through the Zion Gate and walked on to the western part of Jerusalem to the site of the Upper Room - it is thought to have been John's mother in law’s house.  The room was plain - it had a couple of pillars - around the top of one of the pillars were pelicans, the significance of this was if there was no food for her young the pelican would split open her own stomach so that they could feed - she dies in the process, the ultimate sacrifice as Christ died for us.  

Another short walk to the Church of the Dormition.  This was a church dedicated to Mary - it was on two levels the upper level (ground) was Mary and Jesus earthly/human and the lower level was the divine/heavenly.

Hop onto the mini bus a short ride to St. Peter in Gallicanti - this church is for Peter denying Jesus three times - there was even a cockerel crowing somewhere.  This church like many others was built over an older building thought to be Caiaphas’s residence; there were prison like cells possibly where Jesus spent part of Maundy Thursday.  Outside were steps that went down quite steeply and would have gone down to the Garden of Gethsemane where we know Jesus often went to pray.  It was amazing to think we were walking where Jesus and thousands of pilgrims had walked; it’s hard to get your head round it, I think we deserve a nice cup of tea!

Our last day - we started at Temple Mount entering the old city.  We had to go through machines and bags were X-rayed - there were lots of armed army personnel.  It is a huge area 35 acres - the Dome of the Rock (Muslim Mosque) dates from 600AD - this is all on the site of the Temple of Jesus which was destroyed around 70AD.  Since 2000 only Muslims are allowed into the Mosque - the Temple Mount was where Abraham offered Isaac, where Jewish Temples stood and Jesus taught.  

We came down from here and did the Stations of the Cross - the Via Dolorosa the tiny streets were mostly empty and we were able to do this in a prayerful way.  Stations 10 to 14 are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the various religions have a bit each and are very different; the site of Calvary is up some steep narrow steps and then 14, the site of the tomb, is a short distance away down more steps.  We left the church and walked towards the Western Wall (this used to be called the Wailing Wall) - this was the Western retaining wall of the Temple not part of the Temple itself.  Men on the left (heads must be covered) and ladies on the right with a six-foot fence between us - the ladies had a much smaller area.  There were lots of people, apparently no matter what time of day or night there are people praying here - the site itself is not holy but it is close to the most holy site for Jews - the original Temple.  There was a Bar Mitzvah happening which was causing much celebration and as we walked away there was music and dancing with the young lad sitting on somebody's shoulders - a truly memorable day for the young man.  The Temple Mount Excavations are all very recent and are still being worked on - all sorts of things have been uncovered including an angled stone that had an inscription about trumpets – ‘where you would tell people new things' - this came from the top comer of the Temple wall - this is where Satan tried to tempt Jesus for the second time.  The wide stone steps that would have gone up to the entrance of the Temple where we know Jesus would have walked, sat and taught - St. Paul was also a pupil here.  We also saw good examples of the ritual immersion baths - ritual cleansing was very important before entering the Temple with your sacrifice.  

Back at the hotel we shared our last Eucharist in an 'Upper Room' in the hotel overlooking Jerusalem facing the setting sun - in fact facing Emmaus which was the gospel reading that we had.  It was a lovely end to our time here - just leaving us dinner and an early night.

George arranged our wake up call for 2.30am, ready to go to Tel Aviv airport for our homeward journey.  I was sad to be leaving this wonderful country but looked forward to coming home.  As you see I brought so many memories home with me, I had difficulty picking just a few out!!

Sandra Haggan

The group photograph overlooking Jerusalem – George the guide – front row left, Sandra front row centre, Ann Leonard back row 2^nd left and John Preston back row far right

 

Tom Gomersall RIP

It seemed that the whole parish was in St Faith’s Church on the 29 August to attend the funeral of Edna’s beloved Tom.  The Requiem Mass was conducted by the Rector, Father David, and four other priests took part – two family members, The Reverend Richard Amys and The Reverend Richard Gomersall, the Reverend Canon David Slater and our former Rector, The Reverend Canon Derek Brown, who preached a moving sermon.  Tom was born in 1914, the eldest of five children born to a Yorkshire Coal Miner.  He grew up in Thurnscoe, Yorkshire, and living opposite him was a certain schoolgirl named Edna, who used to pop over to help schoolboy Tom’s mother with her housework.  But the attraction was Tom, not the dusting!  Tom’s lifetime of service started in 1930 when he left school to join the West Yorkshire Council Highways as a junior clerk.  He was made redundant during the depression and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 19.  He never lost touch with his beloved Edna and they married in Thurnscoe Church in 1937.  The couple moved south to Purbrook and two years later came the outbreak of the Second World War.  Tom was away for much of the war on active service and was in the mighty armada on D-Day, 1944.  

 After the war, Tom continued to serve in the Royal Navy and in 1948 he and Edna, together with their two children June and John, moved to Stockheath Way, Havant which is when their remarkable service to St Faith’s Church started.  At that time there was a Sunday School in a hut in West Leigh.  Tom and others set to and built the church which was to become St Albans.  Fittingly, Tom and Bill Lenton became the first Churchwardens.  In 1955, Tom left the Royal Navy after 22 years but his service continued because he joined the Post Office as a Postman.  When he retired from the Post Office in 1975, after 20 years service, he became a driver for Social Services until he finally retired at the age of 65 to become the part-time Caretaker of St Faith’s Hall.  Throughout most of his civilian working life, he also worked as a repair man for dear Edna’s Church Shop.  One of his most painstaking tasks was to make and paint missing pieces from jigsaw puzzles given to the shop!  No history of St Faith’s over the last sixty years would be complete without an account of all that Tom and Edna have achieved for us.  They are both much loved and admired.  We will not see the like of Tom again so our memories of a remarkable man are precious.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Edna and her loving family.                                                                                                                                                                                                              RHB

Stewardship Sunday Launch

On Sunday 21^st October we will launch this year’s stewardship campaign.  This is when we invite everyone associated with the church to review how they respond to God’s love by their self-giving through the church.  Traditionally we invite you to undertake this review through three categories: the gift of your time, your talent and your money.  Before I go into the details, let me start by looking at how the disciples and the early followers of Jesus made their response.

If we look at the disciple’s lives during the period of Jesus’ ministry we notice that when Jesus called them, they left everything behind to follow Jesus.  So right at the start, their giving of their time was enormous, and this came before anything else.  Let’s put this into context, because the twelve, who came with Jesus, were extraordinary.  We mustn’t forget that there were very many other followers of Jesus, who presumably only accompanied Jesus at certain times (in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, Jesus sent out 70 evangelists).  My point is that the use of our time in ministry will vary from person to person according to how, and to what, we are called.

A second point is that we are each called to different ministries and that God calls us according to the gifts we have been blessed with.  Thus Paul was called to be a great missionary, while Peter established the church in Rome, for example.  I think it is a very significant point that we are invited by God to pursue ministries that are specific to whom we are.

The third way in which we give is through our resources.  Immediately after the Holy Spirit dramatically descended upon the disciples, they preached to others and started inviting people to join them.  This early expression of church gave themselves to “the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.  They sold their possessions and goods and distributed to them to all, as any had need.” (Acts 2:42-45)  Thus we are encouraged to share our resources with the life and work of the church.

So, let us turn to the practical implications for us and how you will be invited to conduct your review.  Well, on the 21^st October the service will pray for God to bless us in our self giving over the coming year.  At this service you will be presented with a pack, which contains two forms.  The first is connected with time and talents.  On the form is listed all the current activities of the church – you’ll be amazed to see how many exist, from servers to the church shop, from serving on committees to singing in the choir.  You may also be surprised when you place ticks by the activities you are already involved in or you may see things with which you would like to become involved.  Either way this review helps you consider how you want to give of your time and talents to the church for the forthcoming year.

The second sheet is concerned with giving of financial resources to fund the activities listed on the first sheet as well as to pay for the upkeep of the church and buildings, and to pay for the clergy.  A summary of this expenditure is detailed below, which shows just how much we expect to spend next year and on what.  This breaks down to £4.23 per person per week after taking into account other sources of income, such as rental income and the Parish Shop.  One word about the way that you give: for some of you it is preferable to give in the weekly envelope and for others it is more convenient to give by a standing order from your bank.  Either way two particular elements help the church – one is that is you can gift aid your giving, then for every £1 you give we can reclaim an extra 25p for from the Chancellor (this is easy to do and the details will be in the pack).  You may notice that this reclaim has been reduced from the 27% of previous years.  As the church will receive less this way, this may be an additional incentive to review how much you give.  The second point is that it is most helpful if your giving is regular and consistent.  By the way: some people say they are nervous about giving by standing order because they are embarrassed when the plate comes round on a Sunday morning if they have nothing to put in.  Well, we have devised a way to avoid this embarrassment.  We will make some cards which say on them – I give by standing order.  They will be placed in church and you can pick one up as you arrive.  You then place this in the plate and it is blessed at the altar in recognition of your regular offering.

One final point – how much to give?  Going back to the bible there is clear information in parts of the Old Testament that 10% of your (disposable – i.e., after tax) income is the right amount.  This is called tithing.  We think this is great, but unrealistic for most people.  The Church of England advises aiming for 5% as a realistic target to give for charitable causes and this includes money you may give to other causes (such as for example, poverty relief agencies, e.g., Christian Aid).

So please reflect upon these matters over the next few weeks, and when you receive your pack pray about it, and then complete the two forms and bring them back to church in the 18^th November, when your responses will be blessed at the altar.  Your responses will then be reviewed by those who lead ministry teams in the church and by the Stewardship Recorder, Alan Hakim (who is, by the way, the only person who knows how much people pledge), so that we can make plans for the year ahead.

May God bless you in your considerations and planning and please pray for the work of the church in 2008 and your part in it.