Price
40p
Magazine of the Church in Abingdon –
A partnership of thirteen churches
www.church-in-abingdon.org.uk
Summer 2013
The Abingdon Passion Play – see page 6
Abingdon Street Pastors
Lent Course 2013
Women’s World Day Of Prayer: 2013 service
A missional community for parenting teenagers
... and more
CONTENTS
Abingdon Street Pastors...................................................................................... 3
Lent Course 2013.................................................................................................5
The Abingdon Passion Play: two views................................................................ 6
Women’s World Day Of Prayer: 2013 service...................................................... 9
24-7 prayer at Christ Church.............................................................................. 11
August Music Festival........................................................................................ 12
Summer Events..................................................................................................15
Outnumbered: missional community for parenting teenagers............................ 13
Retreats and celebrations at St Ethelwold’s House............................................ 16
Abingdon Court Toddlers.................................................................................... 17
The Iona Community..........................................................................................18
Reflections on the Holy Land pilgrimage............................................................ 20
Pedal!.................................................................................................................22
A paradoxical pope: Pope Francis...................................................................... 24
Book review: Why? by Sharon Dirckx................................................................ 25
Sunday church services in Abingdon................................................................. 27
Clerical Crossword.............................................................................................28
DEADLINE FOR COPY FOR THE AUTUMN ISSUE IS AUGUST 1ST, 2013
Copy should be sent to the Editor, Ben Jeapes, preferably by email
([email protected]) in MS Word format. Any pictures (greatly appreciated)
should be sent as separate graphic files. Alternatively articles can be put on
CD as Word documents, or printed ready for scanning, and sent to Flat 2, 24
Marcham Rd, Abingdon OX14 1AA.
EDITORIAL PANEL
Hilary Clare (St Michael’s)................................................................................................................................................01235 525898
Felicity Fletcher-Campbell (St Helen’s)............................................................................................................................01235 739430
Neil Hancox (St Edmund’s)..............................................................................................................................................01235 524534
Ben Jeapes (Christ Church on Long Furlong)..................................................................................................................01235 204011
Margaret Langsford (Trinity).............................................................................................................................................01235 521536
Denise Mulvey (Abingdon Baptist Church).......................................................................................................................01235 520603
Judy White (Christ Church, Northcourt Road)..................................................................................................................01235 521369
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Cover photo by John Crocker
Margaret Ellwood (All Saints)...........................................................................................................................................01235 526636
ABINGDON STREET PASTORS
David Fleming
(Abingdon Baptist Church)
Did you know that the Church in Abingdon has a
stated mission? The mission of the CiA is:
•
to bring a fresh global vision of hope through
God’s love to the people of Abingdon,
offering them good news of forgiveness,
reconciliation and new life through Jesus Christ;
•
to rediscover, live out and present the Gospel through our fellowship and
worship, unity and diversity;
•
to express this message through relevant words and actions in the community
and by co-operating with others to identify and meet specific needs so that
lives are changed, the Church grows and our local community increasingly
reflects the values of the kingdom of God.
Back in early 2010 that mission statement came to mind when we were approached
by Thames Valley Police and asked if we would set up a Street Pastors scheme
in Abingdon.
Street Pastors are teams of Christians from local churches who go out on the
streets late at night to offer help and support to those who need it. They are
trained, equipped and commissioned by the Ascension Trust, which oversees the
scheme. Street Pastors had begun in 2003 in London and had spread across the
country. Locally, Street Pastors had already met with success in Wantage, and
the police recognised a similar potential in Abingdon.
The first Street Pastors patrolled the streets of Abingdon in 2011, and have done
so almost every Friday night since. But recently there have been many changes
in Abingdon and in the Street Pastors Scheme. Abingdon generally has seen a
downturn in activity at night, especially due to the colder weather and the closing
of Stratton’s night club. Friday nights have become quieter, with most of the
weekend activity in town now taking place on a Saturday night. Due to budget
cuts and quieter weekends, PCSOs no longer patrol the streets of Abingdon after
10pm, and fewer police officers are in town. As a response to the changing life
of our town after dark, Abingdon Street Pastors have moved from patrolling on a
Friday to a Saturday. Another change has been a growing recognition of the value
3
and work of the Prayer Pastors. While the Street Pastors are on patrol, Prayer
Pastors remain at the base in Abingdon Baptist Church, praying and providing
support (i.e. tea and soup) for pastors when they return to base, and also for any
police officers who wander in. It is not easy to get a cup of tea in Abingdon at 2am!
As I said at the beginning of this article, an aim of the CiA is to “express this
(Gospel) message through relevant words and actions in the community and by
co-operating with others to identify and meet specific needs”. The Street Pastors
are one expression of that mission. At a recent celebration service for the work of
Abingdon Street Pastors, the police reported that our town centre is a safer place
these days, with a significant reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour. The
Street Pastors cannot take all the credit for this – but our presence on the streets
is helping.
So thank you, Church in Abingdon, for your prayerful and financial support of the
Street Pastors. Every week practical help and support is being given to people in
need on the streets of Abingdon because of it. And thank you too to the team of
Street Pastors, members of our local churches, who every weekend give up their
time and sleep to go out in all weathers, looking for opportunities to help.
Photos by Alastair Fear: www.abingdonblog.co.uk
David Fleming is Chair of Abingdon Street Pastors Management Committee
4
LENT COURSE 2013
Beryl Fudge (All Saints)
Once more, All Saints hosted the Lent Course for 2013,
and despite the inclement weather there was good turn-out
every Monday – an average of 70 folk from all the Abingdon
churches and others from farther afield.
Our speaker this year was the Rev. Dr Joanna Collicutt,
a lecturer in Psychology and Spirituality at Ripon College,
Cuddesdon. Joanna wrote the Bible Reading Fellowship
book When You Pray, based on the Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s
Gospel.
Illustrated by PowerPoint words and pictures, she brought a completely new
perspective to the prayer we say so regularly with, very often, little thought or
concentration on its content and on what Jesus was saying to His disciples, when
they asked Him to teach them how to pray.
In Joanna’s words, ‘the Lord’s Prayer contains all that Christians really need to
know’. The early church used it as a ‘gift of Christ himself, and a distillation of all
that the church understood Him to be’.
She adds, ‘Learning how to be a Christian is not about academic study in the way
we usually understand it. It is fundamentally about prayer, from which the rest of
life, including study, flows ... praying the Lord’s Prayer is an expression of – and
vehicle for – our relationship with God’.
Each evening she took a section and, in a deep and spiritual way, helped us to
relate to what Jesus was saying, and what it means for each one of us in our daily
walk with God.
Although a book for Lent, it is suitable for all the year round study, and if you have
not got a copy, it is well worth picking one up from the Bible Reading Fellowship
office in Abbey Close – price £7.99.
We pray that our learning may be put into practice, as we seek to come closer to
our Lord each day.
5
THE ABINGDON PASSION PLAY:
A SPECTATOR’S VIEW
Neil Hancox (St Edmund’s)
I missed the arrival of Jesus on a donkey but saw him upturn the money changers
tables in the Temple and then followed the crowd through to the Guildhall for the
denunciation by the Pharisees and Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas and Pilate.
Theatrically the most powerful part of the performance was when Jesus was
repeatedly denounced as a blasphemer. It reminded me very strongly of the
horrors of fundamentalism, irrespective of the religion or belief system – a truly
potent warning to our troubled and fissured world.
The Crucifixion and Resurrection in the Abbey Gardens were more muted but
equally powerful in their own ways, though the Resurrection would have been
better had the scene not been played out in a small gully where visibility was
limited.
My main criticism was the poor quality of the sound systems; frequently the
actors’ words were inaudible or marred by excessive static. The performers were
excellent, especially the young man who played Jesus, and I liked the way actors
who you met and spoke to in the crowd were in character all the time.
I cannot imagine the work that had to be put in behind the scenes to make this
event such a success and I congratulate all those involved.
Next year perhaps the weather will be warmer.
6
Photo by Andy Teo @Photocillin www.facebook.com/photocillinuk or photocillin.500px.com
I was one of a crowd of possibly a thousand who
swarmed around the Abbey Gardens, into the
Guildhall and back to the Gardens, in a bone chilling
east wind on Sunday 24th March, to witness the
events of Easter unfold anew.
THE ABINGDON PASSION PLAY:
A PERFORMER’S VIEW
If you’re rehearsing a play then the only scenes you
get to know well are the ones you’re in. For me this
meant countless repetitions of Jesus’s appearances
before Pilate, the Way to the Cross, and the
Crucifixion. I was the Centurion. This is a role which traditionally has one line right
at the end, but economy of characters meant the role was combined with a couple
of one-line soldier roles earlier on. Escorting Jesus to his death up and down
the aisles of St Michael’s and St Helen’s at least once a week on cold evenings
in February and March made escorting him from the Guildhall to the end of the
Abbey Gardens in sub-zero temperatures a doddle.
The producer had carefully mapped out the Abbey Gardens for the various scenes,
with St Helen’s as the bad weather fall-back. As temperatures plummeted it looked
very much like St Helen’s would be the place, though no one was particularly
looking forward to it as just the cast and crew alone nearly crowded the church
out. Plan C – setting some scenes in the Guildhall – was almost literally an 11th
hour reprieve, made possible by the generosity of the town council. Sadly we had
about 30 seconds to rehearse in the new setting and I know it showed. But, in a
paradoxical way, it told me that God was truly behind the production: “My strength
is made perfect in your weakness”, and all that.
Many people I’ve spoken to had a defining moment in the play. For one, it was
Jesus’s reaction after turning the tables in the Temple; gradually sinking to his
knees, horror and anguish on his face. For another it was the Resurrection, Jesus
and Mary separated by a gully showing that even though he had come back, there
was also still separation between him and us.
I’ll claim two.
The first was a moment in rehearsal: Chris Young, the 18-year-old future
household name playing Jesus, asked the producer how he should view Pilate at
their first meeting. It’s the kind of thing a good actor needs to know, and Chris –
as anyone who saw it will know already – is an excellent actor. Various answers
were debated. Hope? No, because Jesus knows what is to come; it’s the whole
point of his incarnation. This isn’t a legal drama where there is a chance that
7
Photo by John Crocker
Ben Jeapes
(Christ Church on Long Furlong)
Pilate might frustrate the priests’ plans. Fear? Horror? No, for similar reasons. In
the end the answer was: “the same way he viewed everyone else – with love and
compassion.”
And with that in mind, Chris turned in some truly amazing performances that
brought out Jesus’s character for all to see: his warmth, humanity, sense of
mission, love, zeal, closeness to his Father and incandescent rage at anyone who
would lead people away from Him. Some scenes brought tears to the eyes, and
not just the ones where the guards threw through Jesus to the ground a little too
zealously.
And the second moment? The Way to the Cross. I felt so strongly that This Was
It: the play, like Jesus’s ministry, was all about this moment. It was designed to
look like an unforeseen sequence of events – but, just like the original, every step
was planned. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going. He
was utterly, supremely in charge. What a privilege to have been there with him.
And, you know what? We made history. We did the first Abingdon Passion Play.
If it becomes a tradition, we started it. It wasn’t just a few Christian nutters: not
every actor was a Christian, and quite certainly not every one of the 1200 strong
crowd was.
Photo by John Crocker
Next time, in keeping with the weather, we could do The Passion on Ice? Except
it would probably be a heatwave.
8
WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF
PRAYER: 2013 SERVICE
Judith Penrose Brown (All Saints)
On 1 March this year something rather special
happened – the world was circled in prayer for
36 hours, and Abingdon was a part of this too.
The first Friday in March is always Women’s
World Day of Prayer, but don’t be put off by the
title: it’s for men and young people as well.
Each year Christian women from a specific country create a service which is then
translated into many languages, so everyone is using the same words during the
day. It’s a great wave of prayer, rising with the sun over the island of Samoa and
then sweeping across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas
until it comes to rest in American Samoa when the sun sets there.
The 2013 service was written by women from France and in Abingdon we were
lucky enough to have Angela Waterhouse from St Edmund’s as our speaker.
Angela lived in Colmar (one of Abingdon’s twin towns) for some years and her
experiences fitted in perfectly with the theme, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me. Angela spoke movingly about how she was welcomed as a stranger and
made many friends while living in France.
Those that attended this year’s service felt that tangible world bond of prayer and
friendship. Will you be there next year to strengthen that bond? The Abingdon
service is but a small cog in a very big wheel. This year Angela spoke of “slowly
growing action”: little by little we take small steps which lead us into greater
friendships.
Women’s World Day of Prayer is a unique organisation. It is truly interdenominational
and truly international; it speaks with the voices of women from all corners of the
globe; it creates a network of Christian women on a worldwide scale and also
reaches into local communities. More locally, it enables the churches in Abingdon
to work together. The local committee is composed of members from most of the
churches in the town and the service is held in a different church each year. The
service comes in the form of a printed booklet, usually needing around 15-20
readers who are from the different churches.
9
You could be involved by helping to arrange the service or taking one of the
readings. For the past two years, Sally Mears’ Singing for Pleasure has led the
singing and it would be great to have some singers or musicians for the evening
service. If you’d like to be involved, please talk with your church’s representative
– she’d love to hear from you – or contact me (details below).
Next year’s service, written by Christian Women of Egypt with the theme Streams
in the Desert, will be on Friday 7 March 2014 in the morning and again in the
evening at St Edmund’s Church. If you have never been to a Women’s World Day
of Prayer service, then put the date in your diary – you’ll not be disappointed. If
you have been to a service before, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!
Judith Penrose Brown (All Saints Methodist) on behalf of the Women’s World Day
of Prayer Committee: 01235 522837 or [email protected].
10
24-7 PRAYER AT CHRIST CHURCH
Mandy Slater (Prayer Coordinator,
Christ Church)
In March, Christ Church held our first 24-7 Prayer
Week. We were getting close to the completion
of our Barns Project and the opening of the café
for the community. We felt that it would be right
to commit the project and the community to the
Lord and spend a week in continuous prayer.
We opened a prayer room in the new Barns complex and filled a rota of hour
prayer slots so that at least one person was praying on site for the whole week.
In reality the prayer room rarely had only one person in it. People kept turning
up to spend time with God. All generations from both sites (Northcourt Road and
Long Furlong) used the prayer room. Many kept coming back repeatedly and a
quick five-minute pop-in turned into several hours for some. Times of worship at
6-7am and 10-11pm, held in the Barns every day, became a valued and much
appreciated time to engage with God.
There were lots of opportunities for people to explore different and creative ways
to pray through painting, drawing, writing, music and weaving.
God was amazing and met with everybody who came. Everyone was drawn
closer to God and His presence was almost tangible. There were many special
stories from individuals and groups where God stepped in and helped, spoke and
strengthened us. What a privilege to be able to pray, spend time with God and see
Him at work in us and through us.
The 24-7 Prayer Movement is spreading quickly throughout the world, started
here in the UK by Pete Greig (author of God on Mute). His vision has been shared
by many historical Christian figures. One famous example is Count Zinzendorf,
leader of the 18th Century Moravian Community. Following disputes in his
community he led them in night and day prayer that continued for 100 years,
launching the great missionary thrust of the reformation. One of their converts was
John Wesley, founder of Methodism.
Of course, the very first 24-7 prayer room was in Jerusalem on the day of
Pentecost. It was said of the believers that “they all joined together constantly in
prayer” (Acts 1:14). From that room the Church grew and flourished.
11
How awesome that we can follow in their footsteps and devote ourselves to Him in
prayer, seeking Him to be the heart of our lives, church and community. We hope
we will be able to repeat this in the future and encourage everyone to consider
running a “24-7” day or week of prayer themselves.
More information can be found at www.24-7prayer.com, or if you would like to
chat about our experiences, please feel to contact me at [email protected].
August Music Festival at Saint Nicolas Church Abingdon
On each of the five Saturdays in August there will be a concert in Saint
Nicolas Church, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets and further details are available
from Geoffrey Currey, phone 01865 391365, or [email protected].
The outline programme is:
3rd August. Lorna James, soprano.
10th August. Saint Nicolas Choir, with music having a special connection with
Saint Nicolas Church.
17th August. Melanie Overie. Piano recital.
24th August. Chamber music recital.
31st August. Concert by local music students, similar to the excellent
evening’s entertainment on the corresponding date last year.
12
OUTNUMBERED: MISSIONAL
COMMUNITY FOR PARENTING
TEENAGERS
Only a small subset of the church community
is set up for evangelism. There are other ways
of bringing people in. That is the basis of a
missional community. Outnumbered, to use our
strapline, is a pilot missional community of parents with teenagers, growing up
with Jesus as Lord of our lives (Ephesians 4:15).
Two years ago Claire went to New Wine for a day. There was a course on parenting
teenagers, with the offer of a course on DVD to take back to our churches. Claire
thought we could do that but she shelved the idea until our twin boys went off to
university that autumn.
This coincided with Christ Church’s Family Matters course – a course on all
aspects of family life including marriage, children, relationships … At the meeting
we noticed distinct areas of interest: teens on the one hand, young families on
the other and so on. We came away thinking we probably don’t have the skillset
to run a course ourselves.
Soon after, however, we were asked to speak at a service celebrating Christ
Church’s fiftieth birthday. Both of us had spent all our Christian lives in that church,
supported in our journey by many people, helped to feel at home at church and in
God’s family. God’s grace helped us give testimony in public, and Claire realised
we could do this. We had stepped out of our comfort zone, in faith.
We finally went through the Parenting Teenagers DVD that Christmas with two
other families, one of them being our vicar’s, the Dunnetts. On the first night,
Keith Dunnett reported that the government had asked the church to help with its
national families initiative and was being advised by Mark Melluish, who had run
the New Wine course with his wife Lindsay. Material was available.
And so we decided to run the course, dividing the talks between the six of us.
We did it in church first of all, from May-June 2012. So great was the interest that
the first talk was oversubscribed. We were encouraged that God was in this. We
found that all the people who came were from different places with unique skills
13
Photo © BBC
Paul & Claire Brooks (Christ Church)
and experiences, all complementing each other. We thought it was time to extend
our reach by offering the course into the community.
We went back to New Wine and did every teenage course that was going, as a
group. We found lots of inspiration, examples and good advice on resources. We
also spent time in prayer for preparation and guidance, and by the start of the
autumn term 2012 we were ready with Outnumbered as a theme. We wanted it
to be seen as a gift to the community. Mark Melluish actually advised us to leave
the Bible stuff out and just let our love and passion for the subject speak for
themselves. Taking his advice, we completely rewrote the material.
John Mason school was very welcoming and let us use its facilities. The church
community supported us through prayer and promoting us at services. The course
had 22-24 takers, and two or three came direct off the school website.
So far this has all been about courses. How do you transition from running a
course to an actual community?
There are three elements of a missional community – Up, In and Out. ‘Up’ is
focusing on God. ‘In’ is the way we centre on sharing experience of teens. ‘Out’
is holding events and inviting others. We try to balance the community in equal
thirds. Claire’s over-riding passion is very definitely Out. Others are more In, but
everyone looks Up. It’s a nicely balanced triangle.
We are experimenting with where best to meet outside church. We meet some
Sundays at our homes, in cafes, in the chapel of St Helen’s school. We hold
bring and share lunches that include a bit of sharing, testimonies, support, and
conversation on a topic. As an Easter social we had egg rolling at Sunningwell.
Our get-togethers are very free-flowing – everyone is welcome to bring something
to share, and teenagers can come in too if they like. We are connecting families
so that the teens have a support network too.
God has reminded us to re-connect with the church community as well – we
mustn’t be too Out. Church shouldn’t be a threatening place – it should be the
community, because the community is wherever we meet. Trying to show this to
the group is part of our mission. One friend in his 40s came into Christ Church
for the first time since he was in the Cubs! We have greatly grown in confidence
about inviting people along.
Where are we now?
14
We are doing the course again at John Mason, promoted through the schools.
With experience under our belt, we feel much more comfortable with what we’re
going to say. On 26th June we will be showing the DVD at an event in the new
Barns at Christ Church. (Email [email protected] if you would like to secure a
place. – Ed.)
We’re not professionals – we don’t have the answers. And there is no one solution
to any problem – what works with one teenager won’t with another. A lot of what
we do is facilitating. All of us are finding that it’s nice to work in a team with a
shared mission. (God had reminded us that there are other workers – maybe we
could be trying to do too much ourselves.) A couple of times someone has had
a challenge that very day which someone else could help with. We are watching
God at work, in the group, ministering to each other.
Most families experience a change of attitude when their children hit teens.
Outnumbered shows that they are not alone – they have an opportunity to relax
and even laugh about it. We show our friends that they don’t have to be down
about this, or take it too seriously.
Essentially we are presenting people with a free gift. There is a lot of need,
out in the community. And we are also offering people just an evening out –
a community thing to do. A non-threatening environment enables the skills of
members to appear. Different themes speak to different audiences, which is why
there are many types of missional community. What counts is that we are visibly
a community of individuals with a common bond.
SUMMER EVENTS
Back to 35 for the over 50s
There are four meetings at the Baptist Church Hall in Ock Street on Thursday
mornings: June 6th, June 20th, July 4th and July 18th, all at 10.30am until
11.30am. These offer fellowship, refreshments, interesting talks and things to
do. Everyone is welcome - just turn up.
Keep your eye on your local church newsletters for other summer events.
15
RETREATS AND CELEBRATIONS
AT ST ETHELWOLD’S HOUSE
Sue Colclough
Many will know St Ethelwold’s House in East St
Helen Street: a place where we celebrate and
reflect on the Christian tradition in which we
are rooted while welcoming, learning from and
sharing nourishment with those from other faiths
and spiritual paths.
We hope to offer a place of peace and tranquillity for all in our local community.
Our lovely garden is open for all to enjoy during the day and we have recently
transformed the two delightful River Rooms at the end of the garden. The smaller
room on the right is open whenever the garden is open and is a place to sit a while
and watch the river go by. The bigger River Room on the left is furnished to offer
a peaceful riverside retreat, available for booking by the day for quiet reflective
time, or as a place for reading and creative work. It even has its own little balcony
over the river.
We have also dedicated a new Quiet Room which will be open on weekday
afternoons from 1–5pm for anyone wanting space for reflection and restoration.
There is no need to book: do just come into the House from the side door in the
garden and turn right. We are gathering a collection of “words to inspire” which
you may read and add to if you wish.
However, we are not always so quiet! On Saturday 22nd June we will be open
for all to join us in a Summer Celebration, from 3–5 in the afternoon. We hope
there will be singing and dancing. Join in if you like, and enjoy tea and cake (in the
garden if fine, indoors if wet).
So, please feel welcome to dip into St Ethelwold’s, either to our regular courses
and events, or to join in our Summer Celebration, or to enjoy some restoring
reflective time on your own.
stethelwoldhouse.org.uk
tel: 01235 555486
16
ABINGDON COURT TODDLERS
Rachel Shearer (St Helen’s)
A toddler group with a difference is organised
at the Abingdon Court Care Home on Marcham
Road. The aim of Abingdon Court Toddlers
(ACT) is to provide interaction between the
elderly residents and local toddlers. It is a
joint collaboration between the Home and St
Helen’s Baby and Toddler Group.
ACT uses one of the dining rooms (or the garden) at the Home to hold a ‘Stay
and Play’ session for just an hour, roughly once a fortnight. The residents sit in a
circle observing, commenting and, where possible, joining in. They love to see the
children being active and we encourage the children to interact with the residents
to everyone’s benefit. One favourite activity is racing soft balls down a slope, with
the children gleefully running after and retrieving the balls for the residents.
We sing lots of action songs too. Everybody can join in with ‘If you’re happy and
you know it’ and help waft the rainbow material up and down to play ‘Peekaboo!’
The children helpfully hand out and collect the scarves and instruments we use,
and generally have a great time. We hope that the children will grow in confidence
and be more socially accepting and understanding of elderly people, and those
with disabilities.
Chantelle Oswin, Activities Co-ordinator at Abingdon Court Care Home writes:
Dementia is a term that is used to describe a collection of symptoms, including
memory loss, problems with reasoning and communication skills, and a reduction
in a person’s abilities. We have found that children are very accepting and appear
to see past these things. Most of our residents are parents or grandparents and
they retain the positive feelings they have of being with children. They go into
‘grandparent mode’ and become calm and relaxed and happy. When a child walks
into a room it makes our residents light up instantly; they just enjoy seeing the
children playing and it can bring back so many happy memories for them.
If you have the care of a toddler and would like to join us, you would be very
welcome. We will be meeting on Thursday mornings, 10.45–11.45am on 13
June and 27 June 2013. For further dates please see www.facebook.com/
AbingdonCourtToddlers or phone Abingdon Court Care Home on 01235 535405.
17
THE IONA COMMUNITY
Hilary Clare (St Michael’s)
Fifty years ago, when I was in my teens, my
mother initiated a family holiday which took in a visit to Iona. We stayed for two nights,
over a Sunday, and were able to attend a service in the Abbey at which George
MacLeod preached. The atmosphere of the island, and especially of the Abbey itself,
made a great impression on me, one not dispelled by a more mundane day visit ten
years or so later. My mother had been particularly keen to visit Iona in that special year
because her father, a minister of the Church of Scotland, had been an early member
of the Community. He was not, I think, one of the original group, but I know he spent
weeks on the island in the summers of 1940 and 1941. In consequence, Iona has
always been part of our family life.
But what is it all about?
Iona was the centre of missionary activity to Scotland by Columba and his disciples, and
for two hundred years was one of the holiest places in Britain. At the end of the eighth
century Viking raids caused the monks to flee to the relative safety of the mainland,
although the site was not quite abandoned. In the thirteenth century a Benedictine
monastery and also a nunnery were established, and these continued until the
Reformation – not such a cataclysmic affair in Scotland as in England, but none the
less drastic for the monasteries. Iona passed into secular hands, eventually those of
the Dukes of Argyll, though in 1899 the Abbey itself and other ecclesiastical buildings
were given to the Church of Scotland by the 8th Duke. The abbey church, the cathedral,
became once more a place of worship; St Columba’s House (the Bishop’s House)
was founded, with a chapel, by the Episcopal Church; interest in and respect for the
immense religious heritage of the island was growing.
Then, in 1938, came George MacLeod (1895-1991). He was then the minister of Govan
Old Parish Church on Clydeside, an area devastated by the economic depression of
the time. Of a line of distinguished ministers of the Church of Scotland, but English
educated, an army officer in World War One, and of considerable wealth from his
English mother’s family, he felt the need to express social justice by bringing together
men from all walks of life to rebuild communities and give practical expression to the
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Photo from VisitScotland
2013 sees the 1450th anniversary of the landing
of Columba on Iona in 563, and also the 75th
anniversary of the founding of the Iona Community
in 1938 by George MacLeod.
church’s message. Physically rebuilding the abbey, combined with prayer and Bible
study, brought the men together and created a place of pilgrimage and retreat. (My
grandfather, by then in his sixties, must have contributed to the Bible study and prayer
aspects; family tradition says that he was so clumsy with his hands that the only physical
task he was allowed was to wheel a barrow!)
George MacLeod was hugely charismatic, a socialist and pacificist, and enthusiastic for
what he perceived (not always accurately) as the traditions of Celtic Christianity. This
included respect for and integration with the natural world, and he was enthusiastic
about bathing, alleging that ‘It was a practice of the Celtic Clergy to bathe in the sea
EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR’. Certainly in 1940 my grandfather bathed for the first time
in 25 years (it was a fine summer – the summer of Dunkirk).
Originally the plan was for young trainee ministers to spend the summers on Iona,
then to work in pairs in parishes under an older man for two years before moving on to
spread the ideas of the Community. The movement was radical, and viewed with alarm
in some quarters as dangerously socialist and pacifist.
Now the Community describes itself as An ecumenical Christian community of men
and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Church engaged
together, and with people of goodwill across the world, in acting, reflecting and praying
for justice, peace and the integrity of creation; convinced that the inclusive community
we seek must be embodied in the community we practice.
There is a five-fold Rule:
1. Daily prayer and Bible-reading
2. Sharing and accounting for the use of our resources, including money
3. Planning and accounting for the use of our time
4. Action for Justice and Peace in society
5. Meeting with and accounting to each other.
The Abbey has fulfilled George MacLeod’s vision and become a centre for retreat and
pilgrimage, with a special concern for young people. There is also a centre on Mull,
and headquarters in Glasgow. The ecumenical Community now numbers about 300,
dispersed across the world, with 1450 Associates and 1250 Friends. Its publishing arm
is The Wild Goose Company, and it supports the Iona Prayer Circle.
To find out more about it, go to the Community’s website at http://iona.org.uk.
19
REFLECTIONS ON THE HOLY
LAND PILGRIMAGE
John and Jackie Tattersall
(Christ Church)
In March 2013, 84 pilgrims set out for a 10 day
trip to Israel. We were led by Bishops John,
Colin and Andrew, and Archdeacon Karen. At
the preparation meeting before we went, Bishop
John advised us not to prepare too much, but
to go with an open mind. He suggested reading
Marks Gospel as the best preparation. We were glad we took his advice so we
could discover for ourselves what God wanted to reveal to us, and we soon
discovered that no matter how much you hear about Israel, or how many photos
you see, nothing could really prepare you for actually being there.
We arrived in our hotel in Galilee about midnight, so we were pleased to have a
warm welcome and a comfortable bed after a long day’s travel.
The next morning, our first sight of the Sea of Galilee was wonderful, with the sun
shining on water so still we almost expected to see Jesus walking towards us!
Our first visit was to Cana, the sight of Jesus miracle of turning water into wine.
From there we visited Nazareth and Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration.
We soon discovered that the significant sites of Jesus’s ministry had large and
often elaborate churches built over them. Many of these churches were decorated
with amazing art and mosaics. We had a daily Eucharist in many of the lovely
churches, and one on the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
Although these churches are beautiful, we found the outdoor places held a deeper
meaning for us. The trip in the ‘Jesus Boat’ on the Sea of Galilee was wonderful.
We sat in the still boat and sung worship songs and watched the boat keeper try
his hand at fishing with a traditional net. The small beach on Galilee where Jesus
reinstated Peter and ate with the disciples after His resurrection was particularly
moving.
After Galilee we set out for Bethlehem, visiting Samaria on the way. We all gave
Hani, our guide, a cheer when he bought up water from the well where Jesus
spoke to the Woman of Samaria.
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As we journeyed towards Bethlehem we became aware for the first time of the
difference between the Israeli and Palestinian areas. The Jordan Valley was very
fertile with olive palms, date palms, banana groves and vineyards. Crossing the
border into Palestinian territory was very different. We saw farmers ploughing their
fields with house drawn ploughs and everything looking much more run down.
One of the most moving and spiritual experiences of our trip was at the River
Jordan, where we renewed our baptismal vows.
In Bethlehem we visited the Holy Family Hospital, a state of the art maternity
hospital that cares for Israeli and Palestinian women and infants alike. We also
visited the International Centre of Bethlehem, which was built with the aim of
bringing young people from both Israel and Palestine together by using art and
drama. Many of us bought beautiful coloured glass angels made from fragments
of broken glass, picked from the rubble after the Israeli invasion of Bethlehem. We
sang Christmas carols in a lovely church in Shepherds Field and visited Manger
Church – the birthplace of Jesus.
Leaving Bethlehem we journeyed towards Jerusalem stopping at the Mount of
Olives . We walked down the steep path leading to the Garden of Gethsemane.
On the way down we saw our first sight of Jerusalem which was quite breathtaking.
Once again the effects of partition are evident on the way to Bethany, as we took
a very long detour because of the wall which separates the two communities. One
of our biggest surprises was seeing the Judean Wilderness. We hadn’t realised
how barren and mountainous it is. After a long drive we arrived at the lowest point
on Earth, the Dead Sea, where some of us floated on the salty water.
Our time in Jerusalem was unforgettable. The old city, inside the city walls is full
of interest. Our guide pointed out that the huge stones at the base of part of the
wall were from Herod’s time. Visiting Hebron had a very big impact on us. It is a
sight of great importance to both Arabs and Israelis as it contains the tombs of the
Patriarchs. Because of the significance of Hebron, it has seen some of the worse
of the conflict and the results are very evident, with heavily armed guides keeping
the peace, and empty shops and streets where once there was a thriving town.
The Wailing Wall is a fascinating place to visit. We saw tiny pieces of paper filling
the gaps in the wall, which were the prayers of numerous people who have visited
this holy site.
Another moving experience was the walk through the Via Dolorosa to the site of
Jesus’s crucifixion. Bishop John suggested we walk in silence, only stopping for
21
prayer at significant places. The market traders recognised we were on pilgrimage
and didn’t try to sell us their goods.
On our last day, before our 9.30 departure, a few of us took a walk from our hotel
to the Garden Tomb. It was wonderfully peaceful as we walked around in the early
morning and it made a special time to end our trip. A sign in the garden echoed
the words in Psalm 122: “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”.
The lasting impression of our pilgrimage is being able to imagine the places we read
about in the Bible, now we have seen them, and gaining a greater understanding
of the political situation having seen the affects of the separation for ourselves.
We met some remarkable people who work tirelessly for peace, though sadly
many Christians have left to leave only a very small minority. We will never forget
the fascination of Jerusalem, the beauty of the Sea of Galilee, the fantastic food,
and the privilege of walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
PEDAL!
David Clubb (St Edmund’s)
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and
not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
When I’m puzzled by situations and circumstances, and don’t quite understand
why things are not going as I originally planned, one of my favourite poems to turn
to is from the book The Hidden Adventure by Tim Hansel. Though the author is
unknown, the words have provided me much comfort and hope.
The Road of Life
At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I
did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die.
He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I
saw it, but I didn’t really know Him.
But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like
a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the
back helping me pedal.
22
I don’t know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life
has not been the same since.
When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable
… it was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the
lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places
at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness, He said, ‘Pedal!’
I worried and was anxious and asked, ‘Where are you taking me?’ He
laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my
boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say, ‘I’m scared,’
He’d lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I
needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy.
They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord’s and mine. And we
were off again.
He said, ‘Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.’
So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and
still our burden was light. I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I
thought He’d wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it
bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows
how to fly to shorten scary passages.
And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m
beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my
delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.
And when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore, He just smiles and says …
‘Pedal.’
– Author unknown
Father, help me to trust in Your plans for my future, especially when they don’t
line up with what I had envisioned. May I trust enough in Your supreme goodness
and in Your abundant love for me, that I anticipate each day with joy and hopeful
expectancy, knowing Your plans are the very best possible ones for my life, and
that You are with me each step of the way. Amen.
23
A PARADOXICAL POPE:
POPE FRANCIS
Tessa Sheaf (St Edmund’s)
A paradoxical Church for a paradoxical
humankind has a paradoxical Pope – Francis
I. What can we make of this? Perhaps, when
we consider the heart of our Christian faith, this
need not surprise us unduly. As Christians we
worship a crucified (but risen, ascended and
glorified) Saviour who is both God and man. A mystery and a paradox in itself.
The Catholic Church, too, is a strange paradox. Composed of sinners called to
become saints, it is both constantly in need of reform and sanctification while at
the same time it sanctifies. The Papacy may be seen as an aspect of this. Its
essential role is to be a principle of unity. Yet to some people it appears divisive.
One of the pontifical titles is “The servant of the servants of God”. Historically this
feature may not always have appeared so evident. The Papacy, like our beloved
church, stands constantly in need of reform. Mercifully we can entrust this to the
Holy Spirit who never ceases to surprise us and call us to conversion.
Pope Francis I is one of those delightful – but maybe demanding – surprise gifts
of the Spirit. A pointer to our God who proclaims, “See, I am doing something
new!” So how do we find ourselves responding to the “newness” of this gift? We
may well be disconcerted. Pope Francis’ evangelical outreach to the poor and
marginalised, a central tenet of our Christian faith and one which we all welcome,
can also bring with it a disturbing call to conversion. One of his opening addresses
reminded us of the centrality of the cross in our faith. Yet it is precisely in the cross
and resurrection that we find our only real hope. Herein lies our joy. So whatever
way the new Pope may invite us to follow Jesus more radically, we can rejoice.
As a member of the Society of Jesus, his mandate has always been to remind
us that Jesus walks with us. Let’s celebrate this! Latin Americans seem to have
a particular gift of being able to celebrate. How are we going to allow ourselves
to enter into the dance of joy and celebration our faith offers us? Hopefully Pope
Francis will help us do this. Let us pray for him.
24
WHY?
BY SHARON DIRCKX
Neil Hancox (St Edmund’s)
Inter-Varsity Press, Nottingham, UK, 2013, ISBN 978-184474-619-4, paperback, £8.99
Unpleasant, bad, disastrous or downright evil things
happen to most/all of us at sometime(s) in our lives.
Often we can say how but rarely, if at all, why. The author
of Why?, a tutor and lecturer at the Oxford Centre for
Christian Apologetics, has written a short book about
God, evil and personal suffering to try to address this
question. The work consists of a series of (true) stories of people who have come
to terms with personal disasters with their faith intact, interleaved with simple and
understandable accounts of moral and natural evil. Dr Dirckx does not write from
a theoretical point of view, as she has to deal with her own despair occasioned by
her husband’s periodically disabling neurological disorder.
I liked the style, which is straightforward and not given to impenetrable
philosophical musings. However the question ‘why?’ is not answered – I think
that it will always be shrouded in mystery. A more direct criticism of the book is
that it fails to mention the many cases where disease or disaster have destroyed
faith rather than reinforced it. In any account this should be considered – it is
no good blaming the people involved for a lack of character in being unable to
come to terms with the situation, or a lack of faith; I find these ripostes insulting. A
particularly difficult point is how massive moral evil – which has always occurred,
and I suspect always will (e.g. the Holocaust, Pol Pot, but there are many, many
other examples) – can be accounted for given the presence of a just, loving, and
presumably all powerful God.
The real strength of this book is that it acts as a catalyst. Human beings are a very
successful species who have developed incredible skills and knowledge and we
do like to think of ourselves as the top of the tree. Maybe all of us, and I do not
exclude the churches or their hierarchies here, are simply a rather insignificant
branch that will one day be pruned, used for firewood and replaced by a healthier
growth? Thus in the greater scheme of things our problems and concerns are
insignificant, though I have to admit I don’t find this of much comfort!
25
Another approach is to think of evil as an interactive process – an interaction
between a conscious human being and the environment/event. If there is no
one there to be affected then nothing bad is recorded. It is only when the falling
masonry from the unstable wall, the volcanic eruption, the car, the bullet, the
lack of food or the disease involves one of us that we say something bad has
happened. Presumably if neither we, nor any other conscious beings are around
to give it our meaning then Krakatoa erupting, for instance, is merely a natural
occurrence.
I’ll leave you to read the book and ponder some of these thoughts. As always these
are my own views and neither can I claim that the last two points are original. I am
sure others have put them before, and much more eloquently.
ANSWERS TO CLERICAL CROSSWORD, PAGE 28
Maynard. 9. (Don) Camillo. 10. (Mr William) Collins. 11. (Father Tom) Scully. 12. (Revd Dr Christopher) Syn
(Bishop Len) Brennan. 2. (Sister) Mary Clarence. 5. (Friar) Lawrence. 7. (Revd Timothy) Lovejoy. 8. (Brother)
12.
Geraldine
(Grainger).
13.
(Brother)
Cadfael.
14.
(Sister)
Josephine.
15.
(The)
Pardoner.
DOWN:
1.
ACROSS: 1. (Father) Brown. 2. Maria. 3. (Septimus) Harding. 4. (Father) Mulcahy. 6. William (of Baskerville).
26
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICES
IN ABINGDON
Abingdon Baptist Church
Ock Street, 10.30am and 6.30pm
Abingdon Community Church
Thameside School, Cotman Close,
10.30am
St Helen’s Parish Church
All Saints Methodist Church
West St Helen Street (Church of
Appleford Drive, 10.30am and
6.30pm
England), 8am (alternating monthly
Christ Church on Long Furlong
5.30pm
with St Nicolas), 10.30am and
Long Furlong Primary School,
St Michael & All Angels
Boulter Drive (Church of England),
Park Road (Church of England),
10.00am
9.30am
Christ Church
St Nicolas Church
Northcourt Road (Church of
Market Place (Church of England),
England), 9.30am, 11.15am and
8am (alternating monthly with St
6.30pm
Helen’s), 11am
Our Lady & St Edmund of
The Salvation Army
Abingdon
West St Helen Street, 10am (also
Radley Road (Roman Catholic),
8am, 9.30am, 11.30am and 7pm
4pm, 2nd Sunday in the month)
Peachcroft Christian Centre
Trinity Church
Lindsay Drive, 10am
Conduit Road (Methodist and
Religious Society of Friends
6.30pm
United Reformed), 10.30am and
Abbey Centre, Audlett Drive,
10.15am
27
CLERICAL CROSSWORD
Every answer is a fictitious character from the world of books, films or TV with a
religious calling. Use the name by which they are best known rather than their title.
So, if you think the answer is Friar Tuck, put Tuck. If Father Ted Crilly, put Ted.
Answers on page 26.
1
2
15
3
4
6
5
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
12
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Clerical detective created by G.K. Chesterton
1. Father Ted’s spiritual superior
2. How do you solve a problem like her?
2. Whoopie Goldberg’s alter ego in Sister Act
3. Warden of Hiram’s Hospital, Barchester
5. His success with Romeo & Juliet suggests
he’s not cut out for youth work
4. Chaplain to the 4077th M.A.S.H.
7. Springfield’s non-denomination-specific
6. Monk turned detective in The Name of the
minister
Rose
12.The Vicar of Dibley
8. Keeper of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch
13.Herbalist, detective, 12th century monk
9. Priest of a small town in the Po valley
14.Is in fact “Big Bad Bernard, 15 years on the
10.Didn’t marry Miss Bennett
11.No connection to Muldur: the cleric of
run” in a song by Jake Thackray
Ramsay Street
15.“Streight was comen fro the court of Rome”,
12.The smuggling vicar of Romney Marsh
Chaucer tells us.
28