From the Rector

One of the friends of St Faith’s church over many years and someone known to many of you, Jennifer Trodd, gave me a book of prayers of St Francis of Assisi last year.  At the time Jennifer asked me to share the book with the church, so I should like to share one of the prayers in the book with you.  It is a prayer that Francis, the son of a well to do cloth merchant, penned when, at the age of 25, he received the call to repair the ruined church of San Damiano.  We are told that before the crucifix, now preserved in the church of St Clare at Assisi, he answered the Lord in the following prayer (being one of the earliest recorded):

Most high and glorious God,

lighten the darkness of my heart

and give me sound faith,

firm hope and perfect love.

Let me, Lord, have the right feelings and knowledge,

properly to carry out the task you have given me.

Many people enter St Faith’s church during the day to sit, think and pray.  They may be there to take a break from the shopping or to reflect upon matters closer to home, such as the illness of a loved one, or the loss felt from the death of a dear friend.  Some come looking for answers to the pain and suffering of life and others come to thank God for its joy.  For others still it is not even a religious place, but a place of calm in the melee of life.  These people remind us of the multitude of human need that comes before God with, or without, the intention of the prayer.

One of my favourite prayers reflects the inner tension that we feel when responding to the call that God sets before us.  At times we are filled with desire to do God’s bidding and, at other times overwhelmed by a timidity or reluctance.  This prayer speaks to that.  Please see past the exclusive language of the ancient, but unaccredited author.

Lord, I am two men;

and one is filled with longing to serve thee utterly,

and one is afraid.

O Lord have compassion on me.

Lord, I am two men;

and one will labour to the end,

and one is weary already.

O Lord have compassion on me.

Lord, I am two men;

and one knows the suffering of the world,

and one knows only his own.

O Lord have compassion on me.

Whatever prayer you find most helpful, the important thing to remember is that prayer is not meant to inform God, but to reform us: God already knows and we think we do.  We need to learn and God holds our hand through the process.  May God bless you,                                                    David

 About The Parish

Last month we left Scott of the Antarctic raising funds for an expedition to be first to the South Pole.  He set sail in the Terra Nova from London on 1 June 1910, stopping first in Cardiff to pick up coal, then to Melbourne.  Here, he was devastated to learn that his Norwegian rival, Amundsen, had left a telegram for him stating that he had changed his plans of going to the North Pole.  Instead, he was going to the South Pole.  The race was on!  The Terra Nova arrived in McMurdo Sound in early January 1911 after a very stormy trip which caused great distress and suffering to the 19 white Manchurian ponies and the 33 Siberian sledge dogs.  One of Scott's party, Captain Lawrence “Titus” Oates whose heroism and self-sacrifice has become a legend, was the only member with a real knowledge of horses.  He was not allowed by Scott to have any part in the purchase of the ponies.  This was entrusted to his second-in-command, Teddy Evans who was sent to Siberia with the instruction to only select white ponies because they had performed best on a previous Shackleton expedition!  In order to get 19 white ponies, Evans selected some very poor animals solely to get the requisite number.  When Oates saw them at Melbourne, he was appalled and by the time they arrived at McMurdo Sound after a stormy sea passage most were in a pitiful state.  Not for the first time, Scott's lack of judgement would prove costly to the success of the expedition.  Even heroes are human and have flaws but sadly Scott's contributed greatly to the tragedy which was to follow!

The first stage of the journey to the South Pole was to set up supply depots at regular intervals including food for the men and fodder for the animals, paraffin for heating, etc.  Amundsen had met up with Scott on one occasion and had cautioned him about using ponies rather than dogs.  Scott ignored this excellent advice and soon regretted his decision.  Within 18 days of his journey across the icy and difficult terrain, the ponies were in a distressed state and were clearly unable to make the return journey, once the depots had been set up!  In the event, the ponies had to be shot to avoid leaving them to die of starvation and the men returned safely to base camp in the dog sledges which had accompanied them.  Scott made one further bad decision which contributed to the ultimate tragedy.  Oates strongly advised Scott to lay his largest "One Ton" depot some 30 miles south of where Scott proposed.  Scott refused to accept Oates advice.  Had he done so, the returning Polar party would have got relief considerably earlier, which could have saved their lives.  While all this was going on Amundsen had landed in the Bay of Whales some 60 miles closer to the South Pole than Scott.  He had just nine men and 110 excellent dogs, of which 55 were actually used, compared with Scott's 33 men and his mix of motor sledges, ponies and dogs.  In the event, Amundsen's dog teams travelled almost half as much further each day than Scott's mix of transport!

Scott finally set off on 1 November 1911 from base camp on his epic journey to the South Pole.  He took a party of 12 men, with the intention of just four men making the last lap to the Pole.  His three motor sledges had set off earlier on 24 October, hauling fuel and forage, while his dog teams brought rations.  The remaining ponies were given light loads which would be gradually increased.   Almost immediately, things went wrong.  The weather was appalling, two of the motor sledges broke down, and the remaining ponies were not equal to the task given to them and had to be shot to avoid further suffering.  Next month, we conclude our narrative.  As someone put it, "Good God, what a twist of fate!"                                                                                         Roger Bryant

 

Correspondence Column

Dear Editor,

With regards to the proposed developments of St. Faith’s, I am in agreement with the proposed buildings in the churchyard and fully support any improvements in the lighting, heating and audio within St. Faith’s Church.

Where conflict arises is in some of the other proposals.  I do not support a nave altar or the move of the Lady Chapel.  As regards replacing the pews with chairs, St. Faith’s is primarily a place of worship not a hall where church services will be held secondarily.  St. Faith’s has long been a haven of peace and tranquillity within the centre of Havant and should be maintained as such.  It is to be hoped that the PCC will take all views into consideration when making a decision as to the future.  Please, oh please do not destroy the ambience of our church.

Yours aye,  Colin Warlow

 

Dear Colin,

I wish to support the points made in last month’s magazine objecting to the proposed alterations to the interior of the church.

I cannot agree with the description given in the proposals that the inside is “dark and cold”.  On the contrary I find it beautiful and welcoming and always enjoy the feeling as I enter whether it is full or empty.

In my opinion to make these changes will not increase the number of worshippers.

Yours sincerely,  Pam Bowley

 

Dear Editor,

Would you please print the enclosed poem – it’s so true for us all - having just lost my husband the words mean so much.  I hope it will take the pain that most people feel during the loss of a loved one.

May I also thank the Rector for all his help and his presence at the funeral of my husband, Ivor – St. Faith’s is blessed to have him.

Yours,  Jeanne Morgan

Time is

Too slow for those who wait

Too swift for those who fear

Too long for those who grieve

Too short for those who rejoice

But for those who love time is eternity

The Tomb of Thomas Bayly Silver

The Irish yew tree in St Faith's churchyard has sprung up beside the table top tomb of Thomas Bayly Silver, yeoman of Langstone, who died in 1819.  Other members of the family are commemorated on this attractive brick and stone tomb but the most significant inscription is on the east face.  It is in memory of Mr Silver's son-in-law, Henry Williams Jeans, who died in 1881.  It was Henry who built St Nicholas's Chapel Langstone, with a bequest from his wife's cousin, Thomas Temple Silver.

In 1866 Henry was nominated by the Rector to be his Churchwarden.  When the chapel at Langstone was completed Henry took services there, assisted by the clergy.  There is more about Henry's life in the history section of the St Faith's website.

Unfortunately, it looks as if the Silver/Jeans tomb is likely to be in the way of the proposed Chapter House.  I do hope that if the tomb has to be moved it will be photographed for the records and then re-erected and maybe the inscriptions re-cut, as this is an important part of the history of St Faith's Church.                                                                                                                       Ann Griffiths

My Big Adventure Part 2

WOW how to describe the sights and the smells I experienced.

I set off from home having said farewell to my children.  First hurdle the airport, I had never flown from Heathrow.  I found the Qantas Desk and a very young man commenced checking me in.  Having flown a few times I was anticipating the questions.  Did you pack your own suitcase, etc.  I answered yes, his face changed, oh dear maybe that is not what he asked me.  I said pardon on which he repeated the question word for word, if I didn’t hear it the first time I’m unlikely to hear it the second.  Help! I still didn’t hear it, by the fourth time I am getting flustered and he is looking at me like I am a senile old lady.  I explained I am Deaf and the air conditioning is blocking my hearing aids.  (So much for my expensive digitals).  Oh! the light comes on in his face and he books me in as if I was a senile old lady and waves me off to the lounge to wait.  By this time I am very nervous and upset and close to turning round and going home, but my son-in-law had the sense to drop me off and run!!

I board the plane without further incident and commence a very good journey.  Nearing Sydney early evening, the stewardess approaches and asks me something.  With all the noise on the plane I cannot hear her, after a second attempt she indicates not to worry.  (But of course I do, there is nothing worse than not knowing what information you should have been given.)  She comes back bearing a post card.  Written out is - We have been informed from Heathrow you are hearing impaired and may need assistance, please remain on the plane and we will hand you over to the ground crew.  I was escorted through the terminal to the strange looks of the other passengers, my passport taken from me and all formalities dealt with by the lovely young man that was assisting us.  Being deaf sometimes has its advantages.  I escaped the airport in less than 15 minutes.  I grabbed my bag thanked the young man for his help and proceeded to look for a person in a red hat that was my ride to the hotel.  No problem.

The next few days fly past in a whirl of sight seeing, lots of new sounds and experiences.  In the Blue Mountains I felt rather annoyed when a person wouldn’t answer their awful mobile phone.  It was only when I asked the guide as I thought it was his, I was told it was the magpie that was sitting on top of the BBQ.  My hearing aids are great but it is difficult to locate where the sound is coming from, if I could it may have saved me some embarrassment.  In no time I join my coach for the big trip and we set off through the Barossa Valley.  Strange lot on the coach a lot of them do not understand much English which helps me as most things are repeated a few times.  Camping was great, while most of the group were kept awake by the strange noises I slept like a baby.  The fourth day we reached Adelaide and I had a hotel room to myself.  Bliss, dry my wet things and make the most of a comfy bed.  After a good nights sleep I joined the others for breakfast only to be met with strange stares.  I asked if everyone slept okay, to which I was told no.  The fire alarm had gone off three times in the night and they had been asked to leave the building.  Good job they were all false alarms or I may not have been here to write this!

All in all it was a fantastic trip, some fun times some sad times.  I got my sounds of silence at Uluru, while eight coach loads of people stood around to watch the sunset making an awful row, I took my hearing aids off and bliss they ceased to exist.  The same in the hot air balloon over Alice Springs.  The dingoes howling didn’t keep me awake at Alice Springs but the wallabies did at King’s Creek cattle station as they kept looking in the tent and I sensed they were there.  They looked like little old men crouched down looking in the tent windows.  I was sad I didn’t get to hear a kookaburra and on the Yellow River people kept saying what a lovely sound the birds were making.  Oh well you can’t have it all.  I have come home happier with myself and have decided I am what I am. This is me - mechanical equipment and all.  Here’s to my next trip.       Jacqui Sagrott

Royal Marines Museum Memorial Seat

Peter Thomas has sent the following correction to ‘The News’ article published in “Faith Matters” in August for the commemoration of a bench in the Royal Marines memorial garden on Veterans Day.

I feel I must record an inflation of our casualty figures.  We did indeed suffer 31 killed during our 16 months in the Korean War theatre but this figure includes the 10 prisoners of war who died in captivity.  Not all the remainder died during our service with the splendid First United States Marine Division, which the bench at Eastney commemorates, but four were killed during raids on the North Korean held coast.

Food For Thought

I have a friend – now in her 90^th year – she has lived in Canada for many years but was born in Chichester.  She attends a small wooden church in her village of Wilberforce, Ontario.  This item, which refers to Iraq, was in her church magazine.                                                          Jeanne Morgan

The “Empire of Man” described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq!  Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.  But do you know which nation is second?  It is Iraq!  However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.  The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar and Mesopotamia.  The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  The name Iraq means country with deep roots.  Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.  No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq. 

 

God’s Answer for You

You say: It’s Impossible.

God says:              All things are possible (Luke 18:27).

 

You say: Nobody really loves me.

God says:              I love you (John 3:16 & John 13.34).

 

You say: I can’t do it.

God says:              You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

 

You say: I feel alone.

God says:              I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Congratulations

Congratulations to Louise Hedley, Anna Hudson, Eva Poliszczuk and Emma Smith for the award of the light blue level of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) on 25 June and to Sybel Laird and Paul Utting for the award of the dark blue level of the RSCM on 23 July.  The awards require 12-18 months study to achieve and students are examined in theory, singing and knowledge of music.  Well done to Sylvia Willey, our Musical Director/Organist for helping them to achieve their awards.

RSCM singing awards.  The RSCM provides a complementary system of awards to support the choir trainer and affirm the Voice for Life levels achieved within the choir.  These Bronze, Silver and Gold awards are designed to be assessed through formal examination.  Each award has its own syllabus and regulations.  These come complete with guidelines to help prepare the candidate and the choir trainer for the standard expected during the examination.  Successful candidates are entitled to wear a prestigious medal cast in the appropriately coloured metal.  For a Bronze award they are attempted in the following order:

Voice for Life Light Blue then Voice for Life Dark Blue = Bronze award.  Later students can go on for a Silver and then a Gold award.       

News from Sendai Evangelical Church, Japan

Whenever God revives his church he will provide pastoral leadership.  I am sitting on the bus as I write after preaching at a church in a country town that has been without a pastor for 8 years.  The church used to be 60 strong but only 14 mostly elderly people were there this morning.  It is very difficult for Japanese churches to get good pastors.  Please make this one of your prayers.

Family News: Amy passed her 2^nd-year medical exams and is now in the UK. Andrew passed the Royal Marine Potential Officers Course but then failed the Admiralty Interview.  Glenda went to India with Esther and Christine.

Thank you for your prayers. 

Love from  Rod and Glenda Thomas

 

Intercessors

There will be a special session for all the current leaders, as well as any who might be interested in becoming a leader, of intercessory prayer on Monday 2^nd October at 8pm in church.  This will be a chance to review good practise and will be led by the Revd Gary Waddington, Vicar of Paulsgrove, Honorary Precentor of the Cathedral and a member of the Bishops Advisory group for Worship.  The session will last for 90 minutes and refreshments will be provided.

The Watoto Children’s Choir

When we were at Spring Harvest this year we were honoured to go to a Concert of Hope performed by the choir of Watoto Child Care Ministries.  The choir is made up of youngsters aged 7 to 12 years from Uganda who have all lost one or both parents to aids.  They are a very inspiring bunch of people and really touched our hearts both with their performance and stories.  In October as part of the British tour they are coming to St Thomas with St Nicholas, Bedhampton on Friday 20^th October.                                                                                                                               Sally Tritton

The choir appeared at last month’s Edinburgh Tattoo – so they must be good - Ed.

The Retreat

I have wanted to go into Retreat for a long time.  I was therefore grateful when I was given the opportunity to fulfil that wish.  Recently, Sandra and I joined a group from St. Alban's Church, called "The Prime of Lifers".  They have organised several Retreats in the past.  The venue for this one was to be The Priory of Our Lady of Good Counsel, at Sayers Common in West Sussex.  Here, there is a Community of Augustinian nuns, who offer hospitality to groups or individuals seeking quietude and spiritual nourishment.  The house is set in beautiful, soft green countryside.  The church in the grounds is, uniquely, designed like an oast-house.  I found the atmos­phere thus created inside evocative and uplifting.

Our accommodation was comfort­able and afforded everything we needed.  The bare Spartan cell was missing!  We were served very acceptable, home-cooked food in a pleasant spacious dining room.

The week-end had begun with a short prayerful Service at St. Alban's Church, before we set off in several cars.  Having made good time, we stopped en route in Goring at the Church of the English Martyrs.  Here we could all marvel at the modem reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.  It really is a remarkable feat, truly a Masterpiece, but I couldn't help but wonder why I was not more moved by it.  Three o'clock saw us arrive at the Priory, and we began to acquire the geography of the place.  I had a room to myself, but some friends were happy to share.  Bed linen was laid out and we helped each other to make up the beds.  We were given a tour of the rooms at our disposal; unfortunately we were not going to have time to enjoy the facilities they offered.  Tea with cake was taken at four, and then we were free to settle in before supper at 7.15pm.  The first Session of our time together was held after the meal.  The Retreat was divided into six Sessions.  Each one took a metaphor to which Christ had likened Himself.  (1) The Light of the world.  (2) The Good Shepherd.  (3) The Way and the Truth.  (4) The Bread of Life. (5) The Vine.  (6) The Resurrection and the Life.

A great deal of work had gone into the preparation of activities, readings and meditations appropriate to each Session.  For example during the first one, we were asked to decorate and light candles.  We created a large collage of the shepherd with his sheep to hang in St. Alban's Church.  One of the leaders even brought her bread maker along, so that the bread for Session four was freshly baked!  We endeavoured to form a vine with ourselves as the branches!  This, as you may imagine, engendered a great deal of laughter.  If laughter is the best medicine, this must have done us good.  On the last morning we acted out the Raising of Lazarus.  I found the third Session the most rewarding.  After the usual worship and Meditation, we were invited to walk alone and in silence in the garden.  There were paper "stones" and "leaves" to take with us.  On the latter, it was suggested that we write the occasions when we had been blessed to follow The Way.  The "stones" were for those times when one had departed from The Way.  I found this a surprisingly cathartic exercise.  The "stones" were subsequently literally burned, and the "leaves" were hung on a tree.

The fruits of our labours were all placed before the altar in the church for our final Service on Sunday afternoon.  I anticipated the compilation of this offering would be difficult.  However, in the event it seemed to come together quite easily.  One of the group, a lady from St. Clare's, was able and willing to play the organ for the hymns.

Everyone who wished to do so read lessons or led us in prayer.  The Communion Bread and Wine had been brought from St. Alban's.

The Service ended our time together.  It had been a very pleasant and thought-provoking episode.  I think we all regretted that our Retreat from the stresses and strains of our every-day life was already over.  I would like to partake again, but next time perhaps not to be kept quite so busy.  Meditation led, one craves more quiet time in which to walk with God.                          Joan Medley

 

Tea Party in Aid of the Burmese Orphans

Shall we put up the gazebos in the garden or will our tea party have to be inside the house?  We gazed at all the cakes lined up on the kitchen table and wondered if our good idea was such a good one.  Would anyone come to our fundraising tea party after all?

My friend Alison McCann from St Joseph’s and I had decided some days before (when the sun was shining) that the big charities were foremost in people’s minds and that the smaller projects world wide were losing out.  Alison knew about the International Refugee Trust which supports less popular but very worthwhile projects and where all the money raised goes to the people who need it, and not into administration costs.

We chose the Burmese Orphan Appeal because the dispossessed minority tribes in Burma lose everything when they escape to Thailand.  Historically they are not allowed to register there as refugees and this means they have no status, protection or rights.  Children of the Shan tribe who are born in Thailand cannot be registered and so this makes them ‘stateless’.  There are many orphans and their need is very great.  Since 1996 1,400 villages in the Shan State of Burma have been attacked under orders from the Burmese military junta and 15,000 Shan people have fled into Thailand.

Why did we worry?  It didn’t rain after all, the tea and cakes were enjoyed by everybody and we lost count of how many people supported us from both St Faith’s and St Joseph’s.  Everyone was amazingly generous.  Yorkshire Tea had given us a big box of goodies of cakes, teabags and biscuits, the ‘Bring and Buy’ stall groaned under the number of donated items, even people who couldn’t attend sent in donations.  The success of the raffle and the ‘Bring and Buy’ was due to the great help given to us by Josie Roonan and Ruth Hedley who were excellent salesgirls.  Thank you to you both - and to everyone else who supported us.

Altogether we raised £308.80 and feel that this was a good joint effort from two local churches.

 Hilary Deadman