Spring 2024 Volume 15 number 1 www.stmaryswoodford.org.uk St Mary’s Woodford Parish Magazine
2 Welcome “It’s so peaceful in here!” A comment often heard from people entering St Mary’s building for the first time. Even when traffic can still be heard inside church, it feels hushed to a gentle sound not unlike flowing water, even the sea. Why is that? We could talk about the physics and we could also remember that there has been a place of Christian prayer and worship on this site for well over 850 years. People have come here in times of great sorrow and joy and everydayness to pour their hearts out to God or to be quiet and let the space and stones, soaked in prayer, hold them. The building itself was destroyed and resurrected, most famously between 1969 and 1972 but also on other occasions. This year our theme is Listening, Nurturing, Receiving and Feeding. Not a short and snappy title. An invitation to explore how God speaks to us, loves us, gives us so much and how we are called to listen to one another within and beyond St Mary’s and the communities in which we belong. In recent weeks we have begun to listen quite deliberately by setting aside time only to listen to someone else talking about waiting and hope and not to offer any response until the allocated time is over. Listening isn’t always easy. But it can be a great gift. In which the listener learns about someone else’s perspective and the speaker often unravels things and finds wisdom simply by saying their truth out loud. In early February, Rachel Summers told us about the idea of ‘hearing one another to speech’ which comes from African-American feminist theologian and therapist Nelle Morton. In a safe, supportive, brave space of listeners someone can fumble their way into speech, into telling and understanding their story. The very act of the listeners around them is part of what creates their ability to craft their speech, to detangle their experience into a coherent narrative. This couldn’t happen in an empty room, but is part and parcel of the relationship between listener and speaker and the surrounding energy and support which enables something new to be created, to be set forth, to grow and flourish. Nelle was working with Front cover: At the Repair Cafe. See page 6
3 unheard groups, women, people who had lived with domestic violence, who had lived experience of racial injustice. Nelle believed this listening process came out of something far larger, far deeper, which she called “a prior great Listening Ear… an ear that hears… our own”. In John 1 we hear about a Person who is the Word, but is also a listener. Rachel wonders whether there is something about this Word, there from the beginning, that by attentive listening presence heard a whole world into being? And if so, what does that mean for us as followers of Jesus, as speakers and listeners? Our Repair Cafes (see p6) are places for speaking and listening, for stories of the meaning of objects and what their repair means to us. Our Memory Cafés (see p10), Bereavement Cafes, our coffee times and Friday and Sunday lunches and many other spaces have similar opportunities. This spring we will be exploring whether to use the new Prayers of Love and Faith (see pp12-13) at St Mary’s. There is an invitation to consider whether we can do things to better support people who are vulnerably housed (see pp.22-23). We will be able to discover more about artificial intelligence, ethics and implications for our faith during the afternoon of 17 March (further details fro the office). Our Lent book (see p8) and There is always a copy of the latest parish magazine on the St Mary’s website www.stmaryswoodford.org.uk To contact the parish office [email protected] or tel 020 8505 3000. You are welcome to do this if you have difficulties accessing any of the links given in this magazine You can find it by scrolling down to the ‘Our Publications’ heading. See also Social Media:@stmaryswoodford Parish Register For your Prayers: Funerals: 27 November Sheila Browne 12 December Margaret Dunning 19 December Jean Rogers 10 January Mary Blewett 12 January Sheila Newman-Coburn 18 January Luke Chatterton 6 February David Littlejohns 14 February Maureen Rogers Burial of Ashes 19 November Michael Ware and share with others, and the ways we may be called to change and be transformed, after the overflowing Love of the Holy Trinity in which we belong, to live lives which reflect the light given to all people. Revd Dr Elizabeth Lowson email: [email protected]. uk
4 Life at St Mary’s Another successful Bazaar chalked off with a whopping four grand raised for the charities we support, marvellous considering the cost of living crisis gripping the nation. Lots of happy children visiting Father Christmas' Grotto, a mass of red, sparkly lights and decorations. Sadly though this was the last Bazaar for Christina and John Strudwick and their ever so popular fabulous marmalades, jams and chutneys. So a huge collective thank you to her for many, many years of making such beloved preserves from all those lucky enough to have enjoyed it repeatedly. Your jars of joy will be sorely missed Chris. If there’s anybody brave out there who feels ready to pick up that mixing spoon and take over this stall then do please let me know. Richard Walker The Christmas Charity Bazaar John and Christina
5 Life at St Mary’s
6 Life at St Mary’s We had another hugely successful repair café in January keeping our volunteers busy with electrical repairs, sewing, bike MOTs, jewellery cleaning and spectacle repairers along with our regular community displays and health advice from Redbridge CVS. Not to mention our catering volunteers keeping everyone well supplied with drinks and snacks. We took in over 50 items – from kettles to jumpers and hats, children’s scooters, broken spectacle frames, and tarnished rings. Almost all were fixed. Along with fixing things, our volunteers taught people how to Do a ladder stitch Sew buttons securely Check and change batteries safely Change fuses correctly. When we put the numbers into the Restart Website we found that in just three hours we saved nearly 1500KG of CO2 emissions. So please remember -old or broken items don’t need to go to landfill. Many can be repaired, and at worst go to recycling. Repair Café in the Memorial Hall Learn how to do it The next Repair Café is on 20th April.
7 FOOD ITEMS NEEDED ARE: Tea bags, Tinned fish, Tinned fruit, Rice, Packets of noodles, Vegetarian food items (tins or packets), Cooking oil, Pasta sauce, Long life milk, Long life fruit juice, Jam/spreads, Custard/rice pudding, tinned tomatoes, Biscuits, Shower gel , Treats, Toothpaste, Toilet rolls, ITEMS NOT NEEDED ARE Cereals, Pasta Supporting Foodbanks: more important than ever St Mary’s is a Redbridge Food Bank collection point. Woodford Baptist Church on George Lane is both a collection and distribution point (Distribution 2.30 - 4.30 pm Fridays.) Donate food | Redbridge Foodbank Over 90% of the food distributed by foodbanks in The Trussell Trust network is donated by the public – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to our ability to give everyone referred to us a balanced and nutritious three day supply of food. Our shopping list on the left shows the food items that we need right now – all of which should be undamaged/ unopened and before the sell by date. Further information https:// redbridge.foodbank.org.uk/givehelp/donate-food/
8 St Mary’s chosen Lent book At the time of writing in January I am looking forward to reading and to studying this, our chosen Lent book. I usually find books recommended by Paula Gooder helpful. This one has also been chosen for St Mary’s by Rev. Elizabeth Lowson and recommended by authors, bishops and archbishops, a cardinal and an LGBTQ campaigner. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes is a vicar and so is used to encouraging members of the congregation to read the Bible. Most of us read the Bible, but sometimes insufficiently and with only glimpses of understanding. Certain verses no longer seem to mean to me quite what they seemed to mean to me in my childhood. I am coming to the book as one who had to look up the meaning of hermeneutics. It is a branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts. I do not have any qualifications in Religious Studies but I have heard and read Bible passages over the decades. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes’ book is in three sections. In the first section ‘From the Larder’ we are shown ways that scripture itself models and demonstrates different ways of reading. In the second section ‘Grandma’s Recipe Book’ we see some of the different ways the Church has interpreted the Bible. In the third section ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ we are given some of the insights and methods of modern theological hermeneutics. I am looking forward to engaging with this book and am tempted to start my Lenten reading before Lent. Cheryl Corney How to eat bread: 21 nourishing ways to read the Bible by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes Published by Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 978-1-529-36447-7 Having read ‘How to eat bread’ already I can see that there is much to recommend it to a wide range or readers. Like Cheryl, I had to look up the meaning of hermeneutics. Don’t let that put you off. For the most part the vocabulary is straightforward. The book is clear, direct and concise whilst also being profound, highly relevant, honest and helpful. If you don’t believe that all of Bible should be taken literally, that it is at times contradictory,
9 St Mary’s chosen Lent book difficult and contains things that are shocking but feel uneasy at having such thoughts, this book could well be for you. A surprise to me was the extent to which the early Church Fathers such as Origen considered taking all the Bible literally to be an impoverished and incorrect approach. St Augustine of Hippo had a simple test for deciding whether a particular passage was to be taken literally or called for a figurative interpretation; did the Bible passage, if taken literally, build up love for God and one’s neighbour? You may also be attracted to the suggestions from the author for considering any given Bible passage from fresh perspectives. The ‘eating bread’ format of the book may also appeal, although for me the author stretches the analogy a bit too far at times. I found the chapter about liberation theology particularly thought provoking, underpinned by the belief that the big sin of humanity Christ’s saving death reverses is not disobedience but greed. Finally, in recommending this book, you may well find ways in which this book is helpful which I have not touched on at all. Peter Wall Stations of the Resurrection is a newly published book by Bishop Guli and poet Malcolm Guite. The New Testament gospel writers record nineteen resurrection appearances, from the first encounter with Mary Magdalene on Easter morning to Paul’s life-changing experience on the Damascus road. Stations of the Resurrection offers reflections on each of these episodes. Stations of the Resurrection by Guli Francis-Dehqani and Malcolm Guite Further reading for Lent from our Bishop Guli Church House Publishing ISBN 978178 1404539
10 Nature based memory café If you were to enter the Gwinnell Room once a month on a Sunday afternoon, you might be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped into a forest glade. Woodland birdsong ripples through the room and laid out on the tables are various things of nature, gathered from the forest; twigs and sticks, leaves and flowers, lichen and moss. We were recently granted funding from the Borough of Redbridge’s ‘Colours of Redbridge’ project in order to offer a nature-based memory café for those people in our community living with dementia, and those who love and care for them. Working alongside our friends from the Essex and East London Synagogue and the South Woodford Islamic Centre, we are seeking to provide a warm and friendly creative space, where people can come for a chat, a cup of tea and some cake, and explore the forest we all know and love within a more easily accessible warm venue. Living in this wonderfully green part of the world, many of us have such precious memories of times spent outside under the canopy of trees, watching them change with the seasons and listening to the sounds of nature. We know that being in nature is good for our mental and physical health, and so giving people a space to reconnect with this beloved and important part of their lives is a joyful thing. At the January Sunday meeting we enjoyed exploring winter trees. We looked at their silhouettes, drew our own, and tried to guess which species of tree each other’s drawing matched. We looked at different twigs gathered from the forest nearby, noticing the pattern of the winter buds and attempting to identify the trees from whence they’d come. We remembered gardens where young ash trees vigorously sprout, and the backbreaking work we have done to clear them out! We reacquainted ourselves with the common trees of our own forest, the beech and hornbeam, and enjoyed the dance of the hornbeam’s catkins, and the promise of Spring. We have two sessions in March, on 3rd and 24th , both 2.0pm -3.30, so please do think of who you know who might value an invitation, or indeed come and join us yourself. Rachel Summers Remembering Nature
11 Renewal at Limehouse In life we all have our ups and downs. One of my own personal struggles is with my mental health. Others will have other concerns. Whatever your situation, you may find it helpful to go on a retreat. It can help us to recharge, and reconnect both with ourselves and with God. There are many lovely places to go on retreat further afield, but closer to home there's also the very special Royal Foundation of St Katharine’s, which I stayed at in December 2023. I’ve been on several retreats in places such as Penhurst and Pleshey. This was my first experience of St Katharine’s, which is based near Limehouse in London. I went on this retreat after a ‘wobble’ with my mental health. I made a resolution to take a break to nip it in the bud. I booked an Open Reflective Day at this retreat centre that is described as ‘an extraordinary urban oasis’. I arrived at 4pm on Sunday 10th December as I had paid to stay over the night before. On arrival I received a friendly and efficient greeting from the receptionist. I had time to settle into my ensuite room, explore the garden and communal lounge, shower and do some reading before having my tasty pre-booked supper at 7pm. An early night followed. The Open Reflective Day itself was on the Monday. There were a mixture of services in the Chapel throughout the day which people could attend if they wanted. There was also a Spiritual Director called Sarah (an experienced listener) on hand to speak with us one to one if we wished. I availed myself of this offer and Sarah and I spoke pleasantly for the allotted half hour, which ended with Sarah praying for me. We were treated to plenty of healthy and delicious food and drink. During periods of free time people could work, read, sleep and so on. Overall it was a brief but lovely 24 hours which I hope to repeat. For further information about The Royal Foundation of St Katharine, follow this link: https://www.rfsk.org.uk/ Bryony Bennett A retreat at St Katharine’s
12 Life at St Mary’s Prayers of Love and Faith for use with and by single sex couples are now available and have been approved for use by the House of Bishops. They are easy to access online – just tap in to Google ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’. Until Synod approves, however, they cannot yet be used in a ‘stand alone’ service. At the moment they can only be used in the context of a regular service – in a similar way to what happens when there is a baptism at the 10 am service. The question arises: if requested, do we use the prayers at St Mary’s? Do we make them available in the context of regular services and, if and when Synod authorises it, in the context of stand alone services? It is a decision for the Rector but the Church of England’s advice is that she should only make a decision after consulting the PCC and the congregation. The prayers are not the blessing of a civil partnership or the marriage of two people of the same sex. At their heart is a prayer of commitment of the couple to each other and the minister’s blessing of that commitment. There is no presupposition of sexual relations between the couple. Because the prayers are not a blessing of a civil partnership or marriage, for some they will not go far enough. However that is unlikely to be a ground of objection to their use. Others, who may have reservations about civil partnerships or same sex marriage (or even think that they are wrong) may be happy for the prayers to be used (or at least not object). There will however be others who, for reasons of conscience, do object to the prayers being used. Their conscientious objections need to be respected. Underlying the living in love and faith process is the hope that despite deeply held differences on the subject of same sex civil partnerships and marriage, members of the Church of England generally, and in individual parishes in particular, may continue to live and worship together. Elizabeth would like to use the prayers. The PCC has carefully and prayerfully considered the position. It has resolved that, subject to consultation with the congregation, it is minded to commend the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith
13 Prayer and remembrance prayers: their use now in regular worship; and in the future if and when they are authorised by Synod for use in stand alone services. The PCC particularly took note of the strength of feeling that young people have about this. No-one will have to take part in the prayers who does not want to. Notice of the use of the prayers in a regular service would be given. There will now be consultation. Before a decision is taken we want to be sure that there are opportunities for questions to be asked and for there to be discussion. Our theme this year is Listening, Nurturing, Receiving and Feeding and we can look to apply these ideas as we consider what to do. Do feel free to speak to Elizabeth about this. The PCC will be really helped by knowing what you think. You can speak to us to tell us your views. If you want to put them in writing please write to the Secretary of the PCC (Adela Kay) c/o the Office by 9 May. The PCC intends to make a decision about the use of the prayers on 23 May. Viveca Dutt & Philip Petchey Churchwardens Remembrance
14 A quiz and online shopping donations Answers: page 31 Quiz – Months of the Year 2024 1 In which month is Easter Sunday? 2 In which month is All Saints’ Day? 3 In which month is Trinity Sunday? 4 In which month do we celebrate Candlemas? 5 In which month is the General Synod meeting in York? 6 In which month is the week of prayer for Christian Unity? 7 In which month is the actual birthday of the Supreme Governor of the Church of England? 8 In which month is his official birthday celebrated? 9 In which month is Corpus Christi celebrated? 10 In which month do we remember St Oswald, King of Northumbria? 11 In which month do we remember the birth of the Virgin Mary? 12 In which month do we remember St Anselm, Abbot of Le Bec and Archbishop of Canterbury? 13 In which month is Rev. Simon Cross invited to speak at St Mary’s about Artificial Intelligence? 14 In which month is Christmas Day? TURN YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING INTO DONATIONS TO ST MARY’S Please remember to use easyfundraising every time you shop online. Over 7,000 brands will donate to us, including all the big names like eBay, John Lewis & Partners, Argos, ASOS, Expedia, M&S, Just Eat, Uswitch and many more! This means you can raise FREE donations for us no matter what you’re buying. If you haven’t signed up to support us yet, it’s easy and completely FREE. These donations really help us, so it would be great if you could take a moment to get started! When you start your online shop from the easyfundraising website or app, the online brand generates a commission to easyfundraising which is turned into a donation to your chosen cause – St Mary’s. Using easyfundraising does not add any cost to your online shopping. The brand covers the cost of the donation meaning it’s 100% free to use. You can find our easyfundraising page here: St Mary's Woodford - South Woodford Fundraising | Easyfundraising
15 Singing it out for Bob Birchnall Reading your winter issue article on Grandpa Baptism reminded me of a story about our lovely much missed rector Bob Birchnall. He was giving communion to one of his parishioners in, I think, the old Jubilee Hospital. In the next bed was a man who had the appearance of someone who had not had an easy life. When Bob had completed the little service, this chap asked Bob what he had been doing. Generous and kindly as ever, Bob explained. The man said: "I've never seen that before. Would you do it for me? Never been to church." Bob said: “I don’t know if I am allowed to, to be honest. But I’ll have a word with the boss.” He closed his eyes, said a little prayer, opened them and said: “The boss says it’s OK. He sends his best wishes.” One can only guess at the effect that had on that sick man in hospital. Geoff Jones A memory of former Rector Bob Birchnall It’s always particularly delightful to receive contributions from former parishioners who have moved away from Woodford but still keep in touch. Below is a lovely recollection of Bob Birchnall from Geoff Jones. I visited Jill and Geoff on Mersea Island a few years ago. It was good to see that they were thriving there. Those who remember Geoff’s wonderful deep bass voice—no mere baritone he—will not find it hard to appreciate the vocal link with the Modality choir, also featured below. Peter Wall
16 France in September: churches and railways FRENCH LEAVE During European Heritage Days in September, when history and culture are celebrated, I spent a weekend in France. My main objective was a railway museum, but I also visited some churches. Arriving in Paris by Eurostar, I went on to Chartres, the site of one of the most beautiful and spectacular medieval cathedrals and a major pilgrimage destination, where I attended Vespers. The most dramatic way to approach Chartres is by the road from the North where the cathedral can be seen from miles away, appearing and disappearing as you pass through the gently rolling countryside, but I missed this experience by arriving by train. If you are in the habit of looking at the names of hymn writers in the hymnal you may know that of Fulbert of Chartres, author of Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. Fulbert was an important ecclesiastical reformer and Bishop of Chartres from 1006 to 1028, and a statue of him erected in 1997 stands in front of the cathedral. Moving on the following day, I spent some time in the city of Orleans which features in both French and English history, not least because of the siege by the English in 1428 and 1429 which was raised following the intervention of Joan of Arc. The life of St Joan is commemorated in a series of 19th century stained glass windows in the cathedral, including her burning at the stake by the English, surely one of the most unhappy events in our shared history. Wandering round the medieval city centre I came upon an unusual round building surmounted by a cross which as I suspected was a Protestant church. In France a Protestant church is called a ‘temple’, and this one, built in 1836, certainly resembled a Roman temple. It belonged to the United Protestant Church of France, formed in 2013 by the union of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, and was open to the public for the European Heritage Days, with members of the church on hand to welcome visitors. From the start of the Reformation the Orleans region has been a centre of French Protestantism which has had an often tragic history involving periods of repression when the faithful had to worship in secret or risk martyrdom; many chose exile, including those who founded the Huguenot communities in Britain. After leaving Orleans I went on to the small town of Pithiviers, about 35 miles away. Pithiviers is known for its cake and – by railway enthusiasts – its narrow gauge railway, but it also featured in the most terrible episode in French and European history, the Jewish Holocaust. As in England churches in France today share their priests and on the Sunday of my visit there
17 France in September: churches and railways was no Mass in Pithiviers so those of us who gathered in the church of St Salomon a St Salomon and St Gregory were told to say their own prayers. I used the morning to visit the Holocaust museum in the old main line railway station situated close to the site of a transit camp where Jews were detained in inhumane conditions during World War 2 before being deported to Germany in goods trucks. It was especially disturbing to see photos of Jews being assembled by French police and German soldiers in the station area – virtually unchanged today – before being sent to their deaths. Today the French authorities are open about the role in the Holocaust of the puppet Vichy state, the French police and organizations such as the SNCF, the state railway company. After riding on the narrow gauge railway in Pithiviers I made my way home, and spent a few hours walking round Paris, but could see little of the Cathedral of Notre Dame which since the fire in 2019 has been hidden behind hoardings erected in connection with the rebuilding. Anglicans in Paris worship in St George’s church which today occupies the ground floor of a modern office block built on the site of the Victorian Gothic building which I knew as a boy. Today there are Anglican congregations all over the Continent so if you are going there on holiday it is worth looking at the web site of the Diocese of Europe www.europe.anglican.org to see if there is an English church where you will be staying. You are sure to be made welcome! Stephen Wiggs . GALLIC WIT NOTICE ON A CHURCH DOOR ‘En entrant dans cette eglise il est bien possible que vous entendez l’appel de Dieu. Par contre il est peu probable qu’il vous appelle sur votre portable’. ‘On entering this church it is possible that you will hear the call of God. On the other hand it is unlikely that He will call on your mobile phone’. In other words, switch it off!
18 Life at St Mary’s Pastoral care is about listening, talking, exploring where we find meaning and hope and where appropriate, praying with one another. Most pastoral care at St Mary’s is given and received by individuals keeping in touch with each other: showing the love of Jesus to one another. Thank you for all that you do for your neighbours and friends within and beyond St Mary’s. There is particular focus within our fellowship on the Sunday prayer list for changed or acute needs and on the Prayers for Wholeness and Healing prayer list which has about 70 names currently. Prayer Ministry team members pray after each Sunday 10am service for those who write requests or who visit the chapel in person, and for any needs of which they are aware. Five members of the Ministry Team take home Communion to those unable to attend church or visit to pray with people at home, in care homes, hospital, hospice and wherever we may find ourselves. If you find yourself in hospital, please ask for the chaplaincy team or contact the Rector: we are always very happy to visit, whether you are seriously ill or not. Ministry Team also spend time with people before and after baptism, confirmation, marriage and funeral services. We encourage those who are bereaved to be aware of our regular bereavement cafes and other supportive things in the community. Whether or not you can come to church, Ministry Team members are also available to talk and pray with you or anyone in the community about anything you or they may be finding difficult. If you aren’t sure what might be helpful, please ask for a chat and we can usually identify together what might be worth trying. These conversations are confidential except for anything where there may be a risk to your own or someone else’s safety, when we take safeguarding advice. What about the end of life? It’s the same as above really – if asked, we will be there with the person who is nearing the Pastoral Care at St Mary’s – What is it and who does it?
19 end of their life and their loved ones, we will listen and pray and try to help in the right way for you. Sometimes the term ‘Last Rites’ is used and there are four things available under this label: Confession, Communion, Laying on of hands and anointing, and Commendation. For some of us, it will be important to receive all of these things at the end of our lives (though it is rarely practical to do them all together); for others simply being surrounded with love and prayer are important. If we know someone is near the end of their life, we will offer to visit with Communion and oil for anointing and discover together what is appropriate on each visit. Sometimes, saying Evening Prayer or Compline or holding holy space together at the bedside to give thanks for what has been good and to talk honestly with God is helpful. Only priests can anoint but any of the Ministry Team can do the other things, including administering Communion which has already been consecrated at a Communion service in church. If you have questions about any of this, or would like to talk or to visit, or would like a role in providing pastoral care, please, as ever, don’t hesitate to ask by contacting me or Rachel Summers or the office. Elizabeth Lowson . Life at St Mary’s The Church is, or should go back to being, a community of God's people, and priests, pastors and bishops, who have the care of souls, are at the service of the people of God. Pope Francis I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars. You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Pope Francis
20 Earthquakes my list scathingly and kept repeating ‘That one’s gone’, referring to the massive earthquake there the year before. Thankfully we were able to get fixed up with somewhere to stay on arrival. Another time I had set my heart on visiting Assisi in 1997. An earthquake had struck the month before, and many of the roads had wide chasms. So we parked our hired car outside the city and went on ahead to explore. Life went on, despite the presence of a fire engine and barriers, and that evening we attended a service in the Basilica to give thanks for the survival of the city. Years later, on pilgrimage with St. Mary’s, I was able to visit churches that had been cordoned off on my first visit. We had more ‘excitement’ in 2007 when we were travelling in Peru and experienced an aftershock in a hotel in Lima, and again in Nepal where earthquakes, sadly, are very frequent. We can only count our blessings that such incidents are a very rare occurrence in our country, although we have friends in Italy living very close to Gemona where nearly a thousand lives were lost in 1976. How shocking it must be to lose one’s loved ones, home, possessions and livelihood in such a sudden, unexpected and devastating occurrence. As Luke wrote, ‘there will be great earthquakes’, as the following books of the Bible have mentioned: Luke, Mark, Matthew, John, Revelation, Acts, Hebrews, Romans, 1Thessalonians, 1Corinthians, 2Corinthians, Psalms, Isaiah, Jude, 2Timothy.Ezekiel, Haggai, Nahum, Zechariah, 1Samuel, Amos, Habbukkuk, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Exodus, I Kings, Joel, Jeremiah. www.openbible.info/topics/ earthquakes details one hundred quotations where earthquakes are either ’The earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain…’ Psalm 68:8 In September we travelled to Marrakech, exactly fifty years since our first and only visit, and it was just as we remembered: narrow alley ways leading to crowded souks, tiled courtyards, beautiful palaces and gardens designed in the Islamic tradition. Unfortunately it was only two weeks after the devastating earthquake, but the country was welcoming back tourists and we were more than happy to go ahead. Despite ‘business as usual’ there were many signs that buildings had been badly affected; in fact, the house next to our riad in the old town was completely demolished. Thankfully, no one was living there at the time, although twenty people had been killed in the city and many more in the Atlas Mountains, apart from the huge numbers injured, displaced and homeless. I thought about earthquakes a lot, remembering that we had experienced their side effects on several trips over the years. The first time was in 1986 when I took our older daughter to stay in Houston, Texas, where my sister was living at the time. We spent the week before in Mexico City, and unlike today, we arrived at the airport and booked accommodation at a bureau. I had a typed list of hotels, but an American I was sitting next to on the aeroplane looked at
21 On Saturday 3rd February, a few of us met in the chapel for an Art in Prayer session led by Janet Roberts. Following Holy Communion and refreshments, we discussed a free approach to art without restrictions - letting the pencil, crayon or felt tip do the work and releasing ourselves from the idea of creating an acceptable end product or 'good' art. We listened to our Gospel reading from Mark Chapter 10 and considered the phrase ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ which Jesus asks James and John in v36 and asks Bartimaeus in v51. We considered how this reflects on us and used the question as the starting point to our scribbles. We had a thoughtful discussion and listened to each other; worked on our drawings and enjoyed each other’s company. Sheba Lockley Using Art in Prayer mentioned, intimated or subsequently related to scripture. Memorable examples include Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visiting Jesus’s tomb, and St. Paul’s departure from prison: ‘And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an Angel of the Lord descended from heaven…’ Matthew 28:1 -20 ‘And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened’. Acts 16: 26 Let Matthew’s account of the Crucifixion ( 27: 51-54) have the last word: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split… When the centurion and those who were with him, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, ‘Truly, this was the Son of God!’’ Penny Freeston
22 Helping the homeless and vulnerably housed Accommodation may be provided out of borough and some people have been placed in Leicester, Birmingham and Scunthorpe recently, with connections to local services. Here are some key answers and things to ponder about how we can help: - Never give cash as this is likely to fuel drink or drug problems. - Give to recognised charities instead. St Mary’s regularly supports Crisis https://www.crisis.org.uk/getinvolved/donate/ and the Manna Centre https:// www.mannasociety.org.uk/ - When people ask for help at church, offer tea/coffee if you feel safe to do so and encourage contact with the Welcome Centre and Housing Team in Ilford. - The best place to get help is at the Welcome Centre in Ilford which is open Monday-Friday 10-2pm and has showers, food, a nurse and connections with many services at 2-6 St Marys Road, Ilford IG1 1QX 020 8514 3283 https:// www.healthylivingprojects.org.uk/ projects/welcome-project-page.html This is often a difficult question. Many of us feel uncertain and guilty when we see people begging in the street, wanting to help but unsure how and worried that we might make things worse, inadvertently. People often come to St Mary’s to ask for help and we have a long tradition of providing support, most prominently of course through the Redbridge Night Shelter which was in the Gwinnell Room one night per week during the winter. More recently, we have been developing closer links with the Anti Poverty Team at Redbridge Council, local Metropolitan Police and in January we had a visit and productive conversation with Janet Weekes, Head of Housing Needs at Redbridge Council. Janet explained how housing services work to help and support people in need, including during severe weather. Janet also told us how much pressure there is on housing stock: there are 3000 households in emergency accommodation in Redbridge and 7000 households waiting for accommodation, the wait for a 3 bedroom council property being 16-17 years. 600 new housing units are being built but the need is huge and rising with the cost of living crisis. How we can help people who are homeless or vulnerably housed?
23 Helping the homeless and vulnerably housed · If you see someone bedded down and sleeping rough, please contact Streetlink with details so an outreach worker can offer support. We should contact Streetlink on each occasion: https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ · If you own a property other than where you live, consider whether you could make this available to those receiving housing benefit. Support is available. Pressure on accommodation is so great that we should always try to minimise empty property, regardless of whether privately or via another means. · Janet also asked whether we might consider having a Night Shelter here again. Our initial response was that it would be a challenge to recruit sufficient volunteers but would be happy to discuss ideas. What do you think? Please talk with Elizabeth Lowson (contact details on page 3) Further information: https:// www.redbridge.gov.uk/housing/ 0208 708 4002 Giving via the Christian Aid Middle East Crisis Appeal: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/middle-east-crisisappeal The Welcome Project provides many services to men and women who are homeless from its purpose built Day Centre in Ilford. The project provides information, advice and guidance on a range of issues associated with homelessness; practical support; support with entering the job market; a nurse led clinic; counselling; alternative therapies and a chiropody clinic. https:// www.healthylivingprojects.org.uk /projects/welcome-projectpage.html
24 The late Victorian age was a time of transition when the old village of Woodford containing merchants’ houses with spacious grounds began to evolve into a suburb of streets of terraced houses occupied by City commuters and their families. When dipping into the microfilms of the weekly Woodford Times for 1890 at the Redbridge Heritage Centre, I came across one of the more obscure chapters of this story—a tale of nimbyism, class warfare, public nuisance, legal casework, local democracy and bad poetry. In an article headed ‘The Brickfields Grievance’, the newspaper records that on 3rd October 1890, a deputation of local residents presented the Woodford Local Board meeting with a petition of 90 signatories to express their concern at the smells, noise and smoke caused by a new brickfield Local history opened by Mr William Cornish near Chelmsford Road East (now known as Gordon Road). Complaints were made that smoke from the brick-kilns was ‘smothering the neighbourhood’ and that the machinery was ‘clanking from 6.0am’; others described the smelly heaps of rubbish that stood on the site before use in the production process. The Local Board, the predecessor of the Woodford Urban District Council, had limited powers but they did have an enforcement role in public health and environmental issues and the deputation asked them to take action to abate the nuisance caused by the new brickfield. However, by 1890 brickmaking was a well-established and accepted local industry. The Gale family had been excavating clay, and moulding and firing bricks, on Chigwell Road (in the area now occupied by Charlie Brown’s roundabout and the Raven Road industrial estate) since at least the 1870s. There were two smaller brickfields nearby and others in Woodford Bridge and Buckhurst Hill. Some members of the Board expressed sympathy with the deputation: one Board member said that he lived quite near enough to the brickfields to have evidence of the smoke, and others confirmed that they were familiar with the smells. However, objections were also raised against the idea of the Board taking Mr Cornish to court, primarily because the The Woodford Brickfields Grievance 1890-91
25 Local history cost of this would fall to the ratepayers. Perhaps surprisingly, the Board’s officers saw no reason to take action; Dr Groves, a local doctor who acted as the Medical Officer of Health for Woodford, said that he had visited the brickfield and found that the smoke was ’uncomfortable but not injurious to health’. Having reached something of an impasse, the Board adjourned the matter and over the next six months they prevaricated in various ways. They sought legal advice as to whether the local situation was like that which had arisen in Chiswick, where the local Board had won a High Court action for nuisance against a brickmaker. They requested Essex County Council to introduce county wide byelaws. In the meantime members of the public joined the debate via the letter columns of the Woodford Times and the majority of the correspondence opposed any action being taken against Mr Cornish. Much was made in the letters (and poems) of the hardship that would be caused to the labourers and their families if the brickmaking were to be restricted. Members of the original deputation were accused of only acting in their own financial interests: some were house builders and landlords who had admitted that their income was being affected by the difficulties attracting tenants for houses close A Brickmaker’s Lament at Woodford by ‘N’ There’s a wail in the parish, There’s a cry from the poor, From the men who make bricks, From the cottager’s door, From the hardworking man, wanting only to live, By the work of his hands his children to give Their bread (Followed by five more verses on the same lines)
26 to the brickfield. Claims were also made that this was part of a campaign to close down all the local brickfields with the result that hundreds of men would be thrown out of work. A letter in response argued that brickmakers ‘can follow their work wherever it leads them. But a man who brings a few thousands into Woodford and locks the money up in houses is entitled to quite as much consideration as the man who only brings a shovel into the parish’. The temperature of the debate continued to rise and the April local elections, when five of the nine Woodford Board seats were to be contested, became the focus of attention in the local paper. The high point of the protestors’ campaign was a public meeting held on 15th March 1891 on ‘the Green near the Old Mill, Lower Road’ - near to Charlie Brown’s roundabout in modern terms. This was advertised in the Woodford Times on 13th March and the following week’s edition reported that over 500 people had attended ‘the working men’s meeting’. All the usual arguments against the interference by the Board in the activities of the brickmakers had been rehearsed (and exaggerated) and the meeting passed a Local History detailed resolution, protesting against any interference whatsoever with the local brickmaking industry. The meeting also expressed support for five specific candidates for the Local Board election who could be expected to ’do their utmost to avoid legal proceedings’. The Woodford Times reported on 10th April that the electorate had delivered a ‘verdict in favour of Peace, Retrenchment and Reform’. The five candidates recommended at the meeting were all voted onto the Board. The threat of legal action against Mr Cornish had been seen off. And for at least the next few months, the pages of the Woodford Times didn’t mention the subject of nuisance from the brickfields again. Alison McBrayne No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune. Plutarch Edwardian brickmakers
27 Book review In what ways do our choices and values earlier in life affect the ways we think about ageing and death? What are the ‘building blocks’ of your life that will help you to age faithfully in the future? In what ways could you invest your time, talent and treasure so as to develop the church of the future and increase its sustainability? Looking into the future, how might you ensure that your family, friends and the professionals caring for you know your beliefs and values? Each chapter includes relevant Biblical quotations, and the author draws on the experience of writers who have written similar books to expand his thoughts. These are all acknowledged, so ‘Ageing Faithfully’ acts as a springboard to exploring the subject in more depth. I think the book’s brevity, like many in this series, is its strength. It skilfully addresses the subject matter in a less daunting and more approachable way without ‘dumbing-down’ the issues involved. It is very helpful to Christians on all stages of their spiritual journey as they consider the ageing process that inevitably comes to us all. Penny Freeston This a slim, easy-to-read book that has much to say about ageing within a Christian context. There are six chapters, in addition to an introduction and a conclusion, entitled: 1 Ageing and Retirement 2 Diminishment 3 Walking Through Life with Jesus 4 Resourcing Ourselves for Life and Fruitfulness 5 Investing in the Future 6 Christians Die Well Each chapter concludes with the following reflections: As we begin our exploration, what qualities have you seen in some older Christians that you admire? How do your hopes and plans for retirement link to the way you see God’s plan for your life? What might you say to a discouraged older Christian who feels that they are no longer the person they used to be? Ageing Faithfully by David Price, published by Grove Books Ltd ISBN 978 1 78827 321 3 ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.’ (Hebrews 12:1-2)
28 Family Focus On Friday 12 January Rainbows and Brownies had a special afternoon led by Natalia who showed the girls how to make felt resting-socks. Natalia has links with St Mary's through our ESOL (English) classes in the Memorial Hall on Wednesday evenings and used the Gwinnell Room in December to make felt socks using a special machine for Ukrainian soldiers. On Friday she came to 1st Woodford Rainbows and Brownies (also in the Gwinnell Room) to talk to the girls about her home country and to show them how to make socks. She wore a traditional dress which was much admired and had a lovely time answering some great questions from the group. Momata Matin Rainbows and Brownies make socks for Ukrainian soldiers A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child. Forest Witcraft (the conclusion of an essay in Scouting Magazine in 1950)
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30 Life at St Mary’s time and skills. We have one or two people willing to write funding bids but they do not have time to match the right opportunities with St Mary’s. Do you have the time and skills to look through one email a week or the Directory of Grant Making Bodies and help us identify where to apply, after speaking with some of PCC? Do you have or know someone who has fundraising skills and could help us make some good decisions, on either a voluntary or paid basis? Maybe you have ideas in a completely different direction to help us in this area. Please get in contact with the church office or any member of the PCC. Thank you from Sheba Diversifying St Mary’s sources of income: ideas please St Mary’s congregation is generous in its giving, both on a regular basis and when we make particular appeals such as the annual gift day, which in 2024 will be in June. Thank you for your generosity. During the Covid years, an annual deficit developed between our income and expenditure, which is being met from reserves currently. We need to reduce and eliminate the deficit and further develop our resources to help Growing God’s Kingdom at St Mary’s while sharing the love of Jesus. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is looking at a variety of ways to grow our income, including increasing community use of spaces within the church building and seeking more grants. In particular, we will need considerable grant income and community fundraising for the Greening St Mary’s project to insulate the church building and move away from gas-powered heating. On grants, we already have access to regular email updates on local grant bids and submission dates via Redbridge CVS and we have a copy of the Directory of Grant Making Bodies. The two main barriers to seeking grants are Thank you to everyone at St Marys for your warm wishes as I leave the office co-ordinating role and join St Mary’s as solely a member of the congregation. Your friendship, support, patience and kindness has made the experience my best ever job and I have really enjoyed working in the office and getting to know so many of you. Most of all, it’s the privilege of my career to work for Elizabeth; her energy and drive are contagious and it’s been so easy always to try my best and work my hardest. Thank you for the beautiful orchid and the very generous collection— I’m going to have some fun shopping and thinking what to buy!
31 Rainbows: signs of hope Perhaps every human heart leaps when it ‘beholds a rainbow in the sky’, as Wordsworth wrote; I know mine does. Over the years I can only remember occasional instances, memorably one seen across the Clifton Suspension Bridge near Bristol and another from my college room in Canterbury. They were both seen over 50 years ago, yet I still remember the joy they brought. However, in the last dark months of the year, when the world was spiralling into even more turmoil, I happened to see several rainbows, and thanks to modern technology, was able to record them before, ephemerally, they faded from sight. The Bible records instances of rainbows: Genesis 9:12-17, Ezekiel 1:28, Revelation 4:3, Revelation 10:1. There is a hymn that says, ‘I trace the rainbow through the rain’, thereby bringing hope and restoration to mankind. We remember that God put a rainbow in the clouds after the Great Flood, heralding a new start and His sovereignty over us all. Penny Freeston Back cover: .Santa’s Grotto at St Mary’s Bazaar. See page 4. A brighter day is dawning? Hope springs eternal. Quiz answers (from page 14) 1 March 2 November 3 May 4 February 5 July 6 January 7 November 8 June 9 May 10 August 11 September 12 April 13 April 14 December
32 A big thank you to everyone submitting contributions and photographs to this edition Please keep them coming, as without them we wouldn’t have a parish magazine: articles, prayers, book reviews, favourite music, recipes, gardening tips etc. We would love some children’s drawings as well: the choice is yours! Email directly using a subject heading to: [email protected] or pass to Penny Freeston who will type up your handwritten copy. Our next copy date is 22nd April 2024 Magazine team: Elizabeth Lowson, Penny Freeston, Cheryl Corney, Bryony Bennett and Peter Wall.