The Magazine, May 2004 (Section 1)
Magazine Production Team
Deadline for June magazine: 15th May
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Team News
Elections
The deadline for the magazine comes before our May issue, but by now we
shall have appointed new officers for the PCC and DCC as well as a new Parish
Warden. If you have changed your address, telephone or email address please let
the parish office know.
Parish Warden
Geoffrey Creber steps down from being Parish Warden this year. He has held
this office with dignity and vision as well as more than keeping up with all the
emails and administration. Geoff has been a fount of wisdom, always weighing
each issue carefully. He has always been available for clergy and laity alike
and I am so grateful for all his work and dedication.
PCC
The new PCC meets for the first time on Tuesday 25 May at 8pm in St Andrew's
Church. Prior to that the wardens will have been admitted by the new Bishop of
Reading on Tuesday 11 May, and Bishop Stephen himself will be consecrated on 4th
May in St Paul's Cathedral. Do remember +Stephen in your prayers - he takes on a
formidable task and will need all our support.
Ministry Team
The Ministry Team meet on Thursday May 6 at 8pm in St Andrew's following the
celebration of Holy Communion.
Ascension Day
There is an Ascension Day service in St Andrew's on Thursday 20th May at 8pm
when we, as a team will celebrate this important festival.
Wine Tasting Quiz
Holy Trinity is holding a Wine Tasting Quiz on Friday evening 21st May in
the Langley Hall. Tickets are £10 and include a ploughman's supper. Please call
Helen Osborn on 445090 if you would like tickets. These are limited and people
are being grouped in tables of 8 so why not make up a table?
Parish Away Day
The Parish Away Day is on Saturday 22 May at Ascot Priory. All PCC and DCC
members will be there but we are anxious not to exclude any one who would like
to contribute. If you would like to be there please sign up on the list at the
back of church.
Parish Canal Cruise
The Parish Canal Cruise is now full and has a waiting list - thanks to Steve
Richards for all his work.
Voluntary Services
Sue Telfer leaves Bracknell Forest Voluntary Action at the end of this
month. Our thanks to her for her work in Bracknell and her involvement in the
Langley Hall Project.
Diary Dates
A date for your diary.........there will be an
Animal Service in Holy
Trinity on Sunday 20th June at 3pm when the Rt Revd. John Baker, formerly Bishop
of Salisbury will be our preacher.
............and finally, Whit Sunday or Pentecost as it now is, is
on Sunday 30 May.
David
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News from Holy Trinity
Easter
Thank you to all those people who helped to make our Easter celebrations
joyful; to musicians, readers, servers, flower arrangers, wardens, and so many
others we owe a great debt.
Elections
Our elections at the church annual meeting will be over by the time you read
this. At the meeting, we thanked Andrew Cope for all his work as District Warden
over the last few years. He has brought to the post much experience both of
administration and a profound spirituality. He has shared to the full in the
life of our church and has exercised a leadership that many have relied on. I am
personally grateful for all his wisdom and counsel and I am hopeful that we
might persuade him to take on further office in due course.
Fundraising
The Wine Quiz Evening is the big
social event of the month. It is on Friday 21st May at 7.30pm in the Langley
Hall. Get your tickets from Helen - they are limited to 64 and we shall have
tables of eight - why not make up a table?
Family Service
On 9th May we shall have the new format of the Family Service. Much hard
work has gone into this and there will inevitably be further refinements. One of
the main changes is that we shall receive our communion from in front of the
nave altar standing in front of the celebrant and then moving left and right
back down the side aisles to your seat. This is a custom used by many Roman
Catholic Churches and our own cathedrals. We will value your comments on the
format.
Family Parade Service
The next Family Parade service is on Sunday 16th May. Many appreciative
comments were made about the Mothering Sunday Service and it is a format we
might try again.
The Lovells
Gill Lovell is our preacher on Sunday 23rd May. Gill is being made deacon
this summer and will become assistant curate in Burnham. Please remember her,
Kevin and Michael as Gill begins her ministry there.
Grasscutter
We need a new grasscutter! Ours has gone in for a new knee and we need a
regular cutter for the summer. Can you let David Fulker know if you know
someone.
Lytchgate News
The lytchgate roof has been repaired by 'Andy the Roofer' and now looks much
better - thank you to Graham for organising this and to Malcolm for organising
the clean up.
David
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News from St Andrew's
Fund Raising Team
A big thank you to Joyce Graham, Sue Bryan and a number of other helpers who
arranged the latest Table Top sale at St. Andrew's. Thanks to the very hard work
of a number of people, especially Joyce and Sue we made £340 for the Parish
funds. Putting this alongside the £450 made at the February sale this makes for
a valuable contribution from the Fund Raising Team which has a number of other
events planned for the year.
Worship
Thank you again to the people of St Andrew's and indeed the Bracknell Team
who help to make Holy Week and Easter so special. The music, the flowers and the
background work in getting the church ready for worship made by Janet Murton and
a number of other helpers really does help. Special thanks to Mary Townsend for
the beautiful floral displays.
Palm Sunday
It was a great delight to see so many people from Bracknell Methodist Church
at the Palm Sunday Service at St. Andrew's. The Church was packed and the
singing was superb. Also it was good to share again the Lenten discussion group
with the congregation of Bracknell Methodist Church and in the evenings with
Peter Flint and the URC congregation.
Stations of the Cross
Thank you to all the people who supported the Lenten devotional services of
Compline, The Rosary, early morning Eucharists and the Stations of the Cross.
Spring Clean
A small group of helpers worked hard before Easter to get the church looking
clean and well looked after. Thank you to them and Mark Byron for polishing the
floor at St. Andrew's. The building looked beautiful over Holy Week and Easter.
End of Year Thanks
Thank you to Jenny Church for her contribution as Parish Treasurer over the
last couple of years.
Thank you to Jan Lobar for her contributions on St. Andrew's DCC and as our
secretary.
Thanks also to Alison Angell and Sue McIlhargey for their 5 years work with the
14+ Youth Club. A thanks-giving party will have taken place by the time this
article is published. Thank you to Alison for her contributions as Deanery Synod
representative and as a server at St. Andrew's.
Spirtuality and Worship Team
On the 23rd May the team have planned a BCP Sung Evensong at St Andrew's at
6.30pm. All are welcome to attend.
Fr Jeremy
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News from St Paul's
Easter
We have had a wonderful Easter at St Paul’s. It has been a time of
thoughtful solemnity as well as joyful celebration arid much of our Easter
worship was shared with the United Reformed Church, which gave us a wonderful
feeling of togetherness.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday was an Agape Meal a new concept to St Paul’s out, as usual,
we are game to fry new things! An Agape Meal tries to bring the communion
service back to the fellowship meal, where Christians eat together as well as
break bread together to remember the. sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
So we set out the tables in a square, with the communion table being part of one
side, and we sang hymns, said prayers arid then shared a simple meal together
After the meal we then shared a simple communion service, after which, echoing
the movements of the Disciples that first Maundy Thursday, we all sang a hymn
then left the church (and the washing up!) in silence.
Good Friday
Good Friday’s service (after the washing up...) was a reflective service
with hymns and bible readings that recalled the events of the
trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus. We had stripped the church and covered
all the church furniture with purple cloth and on the communion table were 12
small candles and one large candle.
After each reading one candle was blown out and Peter Flint read the words The
light grows dim’ and we replied, ‘The darkness deepens’. We then left the
church, leaving it dark, stark and empty.
But not for long. The Flower Team were in first, filling every nook and cranny
with fabulous displays of yellow arid white flowers, then our new Pascal Candle
arrived, the banners were re-hung and Easter Day dawned.
Easter Day
There was a wonderful family atmosphere in the church and we were thrilled
to welcome Yvette Harvey-Brown arid Christopher Ball to share Holy Communion
with us for the first time and we also shared Rollos, pink roses and big
kisses... but that’s St Paul’s for you!
Catherine
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Parish Register
Please remember them all in your prayers
Baptisms
We welcome into the God's family
St Andrew's
Daniel Martin Jones
Jessica Denise Robinson
Funerals
We commit to God's care
Elizabeth Kelly (Betty)
Aged 83
Rita Milk
Aged 83
Jessie Matilda Ingram
Aged 85
Helen Smith (Nellie)
Aged 89
Roy Coles
Aged 90
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May Diary
This can be found in For your Diary...
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May Prayer Diary
This can be found in Prayer Diary
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Taizé Meditation
These meditations are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the Bible Passage with this short commentary and reflect on the questions which follow.
John 9
Why was this man born blind? Jesus is asked this question by disciples convinced
that there is a link between the condition of the man born blind and his
behaviour or that of his parents. Seeing things in this way places God on the
side of the causes, makes him responsible for reality as it is, including the
evil that mars it. It was tempting to see things in such a simple fashion. But
people realised that this kind of answer was insufficient and posed as many
problems as it solved.
Jesus’ words are categorical: “Neither he nor his parents sinned.” The activity
of his Father cannot be the cause of a misfortune or a punishment for sin. His
Father is always at work, but this work is always on the side of life. That is
where we have to look for it. Jesus substitutes a different link than that which
people want to make between God and misfortune. The link with life, or rather,
the link with a combat so that life will come out on top.
Instead of giving an explanation, an abstract answer to a “why?” John’s Gospel
places us in front of someone who is exposed, fragile, ready to give his life.
In this respect, chapter 10 follows chapter 9 where Jesus speaks of a shepherd
who gives his life for his sheep.
Whys can remain. But, when we contemplate the Father who reveals himself in the
life of Christ, doubts concerning God are no longer possible. God cannot be
understood as a mere spectator of the human adventure. He has committed himself
totally to it, giving the most precious reality he has in a hand-to-hand
struggle with evil and death. God does not save humanity from death and evil in
all its forms by waving a magic wand, but rather by giving himself.
How is our image of God transformed by this Bible text?
What other Bible texts or scenes from Christ’s life can help us to understand
that God has waged a combat to allow life and joy to triumph?
Take time at the end to pray, thanking God for his presence, asking for
what you need for yourself, and for those things close to your heart.
Further information on Taizé can be obtained from the Community's website.
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