The Magazine, September 2005 (Section 1)

Magazine Production Team
Deadline for October magazine: 15th September

Team News

Jeremy Harris and St Andrew‘s
We said ‘Goodbye’ to Jeremy Harris last month and his final service at St Andrew’s on July 30th was a most moving occasion, and many people were there. Brian Davies and myself paid tribute to Jeremy’s ministry and Brenda Mullins gave Jeremy and Carys a substantial cheque from the parish.

The induction at Maidenhead will be on Friday 9th September at 7.30pm – do remember Jeremy and Carys in your prayers as they begin ministry at All Saints’, Boyne Hill.

The Profile Group seeking a successor to Jeremy has had two meetings and the group is made of representatives from all three churches. On September 4th there will be a shortened said service of Holy Communion at St Andrew’s, after which Brian Davies and myself will hold a congregational meeting to gain the views of members about the kind of vicar to appoint. The plan is to advertise the post in September, to consult with the Bishop of Reading about candidates he knows and also to consult with the clergy appointments adviser John Lee. A profile is being prepared and our prayer is that it will attract the right priest for the job.

Science and Religion
As part of the autumn programme we are going to run a series of House Groups on Science and Religion on Tuesdays beginning on October 11th. Neal Williams, who among other qualifications has a doctorate in chemistry, will share with me the leadership of the group. It is intended for anyone in the parish and does not demand ‘super intelligence’. We shall look at bits of history concerning Charles Darwin and evolution, and go on to some modern issues like cloning and other medical ethics stuff. There will be a detailed programme available during this month and a sign-up sheet in each church.

Langley Hall
A lot of work has been put into the Langley Hall during the summer and there is still a fair bit to do there and in Holy Trinity Church. Two young men have been sent to a young offenders’ institution, for our break in and other offences, but we cannot let this happen again. We have taken expensive steps to secure both buildings and these are well on their way. The Langley Hall has three new internal doors, and two new exterior doors which health and safety regulations, as well as our insurers demand. In addition to this, the hall is now alarmed and official key holders will have their own password. If you have keys for the hall, they will no longer work and the wardens are strictly monitoring the issue of new keys.

We are planning a refurbished kitchen simply because the present one is getting unusable and hopefully we can do this in the near future. Again health and safety regulations are paramount.

So what of the plans for the Langley Hall? These are still active but because they are tied to the development of the town centre, the date for any detailed planning is not imminent. When that will be is uncertain but the development plans are unlikely to be finalised this year and no date is set for 2006.

Holy Trinity Church is nearing the end of the process for listing status and the installing of alarms. The bureaucracy is immense but we shall get there eventually. Our thanks are due to Neil Arden for aiding this process.

Malcolm Taylor, chairman of the buildings committee and Geoffrey Payne, has supervised all of these works. We owe these two gentlemen many thanks!

Ranelagh School
The new round of applications is due this autumn and in view of what has happened the last two years; the process needs more care than ever. There will be a meeting on Wednesday 14 September, at 7.30pm in the Langley Hall when we shall go through the process. It is fair to say that this is not a pastoral process but a minefield. To be absolutely blunt, if you don’t come to the meeting or discuss your application in detail with one of the clergy team your application is unlikely to succeed! Please call me if you want to discuss the issues.

David

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News from Holy Trinity

Choral Evensong
There will be choral evensong on Sunday 11th September at 6.30pm in Holy Trinity Church to celebrate 500 years of Thomas Tallis, the ‘father of English Church music’. A number of people regret the passing of evensong so we hope many people will take this opportunity.

Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival this year is at the end of the month. The harvest supper is Friday 30th September and the Harvest Festival Service is on Sunday 2nd October. We shall need help for the supper and would be delighted to hear from people to share in the leadership of this.

Work Day
There is a work-day in Holy Trinity Church on Saturday 17th September from 9am onwards. Please see Malcolm Taylor for details.

District Council
The District Council meets on Tuesday 13th September. Please give agenda items to Mary Cope before the meeting. One of the main items will be a review of our liturgy. We are looking at the All Age service and a change of music to our Holy Communion Service. We would also like to know what you thought to the summer service that we used in August.

David

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News from St Andrew's

Farewell to Father Jeremy
On July 31st there was a full church for Father Jeremy’s last service with us. It was a joy to see, not only friends from all three churches , but also past members of the St Andrew’s congregation who had travelled long distances to wish him well.

After the service he was presented with a cheque to enable him to buy something for his and Carys’ new home in Maidenhead. Although a sad occasion in many ways since we are sorry to see him go, we know that it is right for him and he and Carys go with our love and gratitude for all the many ways in which they have enriched our lives at St. Andrew’s.

Sponsored Hymn Sing
Many many thanks to Maggie and Colin Garton who organized our sponsored hymn singing in July. So far the event has raised the magnificent total of £473.00 for the St Andrew’s heating fund, with more contributions and the tax rebate still to come.

We were grateful for the support of our friends from Shepherd’s Lane Methodist Church who helped to swell the numbers and make the afternoon such an enjoyable one. The cream teas at the end of the singing were also much appreciated!

Pram and Toddler Club
The Pram and Toddler Club continues to flourish: the annual teddy bears’ picnic took place on the 18th July. eighteen adults and fifteen children took part in a little service on the grass outside the church. Afterwards the children gave Father Jeremy some leaving presents which included a Rugby alarm clock and a baseball cap.

Glorious weather meant that much use was made of the paddling pool and a good time was had by all.

Parish Outing to Worcester
On June 25th over fifty people went on the trip to Worcester. The climax of the day was a Eucharist conducted by Father Jeremy in the Lady Chapel at the Cathedral.

It was a very enjoyable and successful day and indeed some people felt that it was one of the best trips ever. Our thanks again go to Len Barrett for all his hard work in arranging it.


Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
This year a party of nineteen adults and five children went to Walsingham. Once again we must thank Father Jeremy for making our Pilgrimage such an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We very much hope that the tradition of Pilgrimages to Walsingham will be able to continue in the future.

The Future
As we look to the future we are very pleased to learn that the Rev Peter Bestley who is already well known to the St Andrew’s congregation will be leading us through the interregnum .

Jeremy’s Licensing
There will be a coach organised to go to Jeremy’s licensing and installation at All Saints Boyne Hill in Maidenhead on 9th September. There are lists to sign up at the back of the churches. We will leave at 6pm from Stoney Road and hope to keep the cost to £5.

Brenda Mullins
Parish Warden

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News from St Paul's

The Future
Our main news is covered in depth on page 15. It came as a shock to everyone in the congregation, and we are still working out all of the implications for St Paul’s Anglicans.

The mood is becoming more positive, although there are still many questions to be answered about the future, relating both to this announcement and the probable loss of a full-time minister for the URC. We are grateful for the support and prayers of others in the Parish during this time of change.

We are very pleased that Catherine is to remain with us for at least one year, and possibly for three depending on what new post she finds.

Summer Services
We have been able to enjoy a wide range of different preachers during the summer with a series of joint services with the URC congregation, each about a different person in the Bible. The format for four of them has been a Service of the Word ending with the Peace and an optional Anglican communion. This makes for a larger congregation, including sharing the work involved in the service. Personally, I love the feeling of being part of a large congregation in the singing and responses with a swell of sound.

In September, we are back to our usual 9.15 service format, seeing our friends from the URC briefly in the vestibule.

Parade Service
The 10th July saw our termly Parade Service. It was a service of celebration, focusing on what the various Guiding and Scouting groups had achieved during the year. It was lovely to see so many people attending the service – we even had to put out extra chairs.

All of the packs have been very busy, working hard for badges as individuals and groups, and having trips out – too many to mention here.

Tricia Feather

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Parish Register

Please remember them all in your prayers

Baptisms

We welcome into the God's family

Holy Trinity
Matthew Henry Bond
Nikeisha Louise Lorna Riddle
Samuel John Godsell
Frederico Robin McKerlie
Olivia Leslie
Lilly Bryanna Brazier
Tiegan Freda Ashton
Georgia Herrington
Riley Christopher Gary Walshe-Gallagher
Molly Price
Patrick Charles Quinlan
Gary Mead
Luke Alan Douglas

St Andrew's
Morgan Pearcey
Lauren Charlotte Satterly
Hannah Catherine Satterly
Alisha Hope Riley
Simon Paul Riley
Suzanne Riley

Funerals

We commit to God's care

Holy Trinity

Irene Ruddle	Aged 91
James Stevenson (Don)	Aged 86
Betty Lenton	Aged 83
Pamela Smith (Pam)	Aged 80
Robert McLean (Jim)	Aged 80
Lilian Cooke (Lil)	Aged 77
Alan Bell	Aged 76
Nancy Spencer	Aged 76
Joan Deacon	Aged 63

St Andrew's

Albert James Ruddle	Aged 81
Vera McAlpine	Aged 78
Tony Taylor	Aged 41

St Paul's

Bessie Fallis	Aged 86
Violet Oliver (Vi)	Aged 83
Ivy May Beckett	Aged 82
Roy James Stimpson	Aged 81
Trevor Buckland	Aged 74

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September Diary

This can be found in For your Diary...

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September 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 21:15-17
Peter was depressed after he disowned Jesus three times on the eve of the Passion. When the risen Jesus meets Peter again, however, he questions him not about what he has done but about what is deepest and truest in him, about his love. He knows that this has not disappeared in Peter, in spite of everything.

After each question, Jesus entrusts Peter with a responsibility. Precisely this weak and sinful person is loved and is called to respond. Anyone who takes on responsibilities in the communion of the Church has to discover this. To accept responsibility never means to play a role, or to show that we are strong and holy. Whoever accepts responsibility does not pretend to be better than others. The question they have to answer is not: "Are you strong; will you be capable?" But: "Do you love me? Can you love?" Three times Peter answers: "You know…" What would we have answered?  Peter must have realised how imperfectly he had behaved. Yet he does not say: "Yes, I do love you a little", or: "I will try to love you more." Had he done so, Peter would have been himself the measure of love. Instead, he leaves behind all measuring and analyzing himself, just as earlier he jumped out of the boat (v. 7). He entrusts himself to Jesus, as to a real friend. From now on, Jesus’ friendship and love carries him. Peter does not say: "I can", or: "I will…" But: "You, you!" Then it is no longer our ability to love, or mere feelings, which are at the centre. Instead, a living person becomes the source of our love; he comes to complete our imperfect love and acts. Our weakness, even our sin, is not an obstacle for his love. From now on I can leave my weakness to Jesus. He can transform it into something I cannot imagine. And he can make me a witness of his love to others, without my knowing how.

Jesus questions us about love. Where do I see most clearly that love is at the heart of my responsibilities?

What experiences have shown me that love is more than a feeling, that we can even love without feelings of love?

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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