Dear Friends
I went on a retreat in June at the Chelmsford Diocesan retreat centre in Pleshey, Essex. It's a lovely village. The retreat felt at times like Spring Watch with Jesus (much better than Bill Oddie) and in fact one of the highlights was stumbling across a couple of badgers one evening as they hung around outside their sett.
During the retreat I tried to do some meditations in which you imagined a scene from the Bible and take part (or not). I meditated on the calling of Peter and of Matthew and as I did so I was struck by how simple it all was. ‘Follow me’ Jesus said and they did. Peter being Peter felt it necessary to prostrate himself and confess his sinfulness but Jesus seemed almost to ignore him and say follow me. Matthew simply strolled out of his tax booth and walked after Jesus down the road. ‘Follow me’, ‘be with me’ is all that Jesus is asking of us and too often we try and make it far too complicated.
Another highlight of the retreat was a visit to Bradwell on Sea where you can find the oldest living church in England. It was built by St Cedd, a monk from Lindisfarne in the middle of the 7 th century when he was invited by the local King to start a Christian mission. The simplicity of his response was profound. He simply followed Jesus’ call.
During the retreat I also contemplated the simple but extremely deep love of Christ. Jesus loves us and invites us to respond if we want to. But he doesn’t just love us, he pours out his love into our lives like a constant water fall. And if we want to we can respond. But what else would we do?
So how should we respond? The only way we are invited to respond is to love him in return and be with him. Nothing more, nothing less. It struck me that this simplicity was very profoundly understood by the Celtic Christians of whom St Cedd was a fine example. And it was this understanding that led to the remarkable impact they had on this nation.
God bless
Jonathan
CONGRATULATIONS
to Joan and Ron Taylor on the safe arrival of their granddaughter Elizabeth Tilly. We also congratulate the proud parents Sharon and David.
THANK YOU
The Cording/Tayor family, Sharon, David Joan and Ron would like to say a very big thank you to everybody for all their cards, presents and good wishes received on the birth of Elizabeth Tilly, our Beth.
PILGRIMS WAY
The work of Pilgrims Way continues apace. We recently had a presentation in Church of a slide and music show illustrating many aspects of life at Winchester Road.
The presentation prepared by Rose and myself featured worship and other activities. A CD of the show with music by Spirit will be available soon at a minimal cost. It is a great tool for spreading the word about what our Church does and who comes here,
The Publicity Committee continues to meet and we discuss new ideas for all aspects of Church communication. We wish to encourage everyone to contribute whether it be an article for the newsletter or a pithy slogan for the posters.
Our mission is not only to show that our Church is alive but also that it is kicking!
Howard Bird
NIGERIAN HEALTH PROJECT
Thank you everyone for collecting 5ps. They really do make a difference to the ongoing support.
Some useful information -
I am now the represented distributor of the N.H.C.P. Christmas cards.. Packets of 10 cards cost £2.50 locally, or £3.00 to cover postage.
Also a new venture—packets of 8 notelets (different designs) are available for £2.50per packet.
Please see Mary Burgoine.
THANK YOU
Jo, John and Alex Henderson would like to thank everyone for their good wishes, cards, thoughts and prayers during the period of John’s neuro-radiological procedure in hospital at the end of May. It was a very traumatic time and we were sustained by the knowledge that the Winchester Road Church family were supporting us. We now pray that future treatment will not be necessary.
WESLEY GUILD PROGRAMME
July/August
July 7th Rev Jonathan Boyce—”A Devotional Message”
14th Norman Davis—Musical evening
21st Members—Home grown
28th Outing—Tea at Lancaster Hotel
Aug 6th Wednesday Outing—St Albans—Service at 11.00am
11th Outing—Picnic in the Lea Valley
19th Outing—Leigh-on-Sea—Rev Diane Smith’s Church
25th Bank Holiday—no meeting
THE BIBLE IN THE GLOBAL CITY
A day for Local Preachers Worship leaders and everyone
concerned for the way we use the Bible in our worship
Saturday 19th July 10.00 am—3.45 pm at Chelsea Methodist Church.
Speakers include Rev Ermal Kirby, Dr Anthony Reddie.
The Bible and preaching—The Bible in the global city—Bible Story telling-
Workshops choices of - Using the Bible with children , Resources, Bible and music.
Cost £10, To book see full details on the Main Notice Board
ST SWITHIN
July 15th is St. Swithins’s Day and most of us know little about the saint apart from his connection with the weather and the rhyme about it.
St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St. Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days ‘twill rain no more.
Swithin was the Saxon Bishop of Winchester who asked that when he died he should be buried not in the cathedral, as befitted his importance, but outside in the open near the main door where people could walk over him and where his last resting place would be in the open air so that the ‘the sweet rain of heaven could fall on his grave’. The monks carried out his wishes and for nine years his bones lay outside the Saxon cathedral, then on 15th July 971 he was moved into a shrine inside. Legend says that there was heavy rain and storms afterwards showing the saint’s displeasure about being moved inside. A more elaborate shrine in the later medieval cathedral was destroyed when Henry VIII ransacked the monasteries. From these events the myth grew up that the weather on his saint’s day would continue for forty days.
Meteorologists have dismissed the weather link noting that on average twenty days with some rain can be expected during the following forty days, though they do admit that in a ‘normal summer’ the midsummer period tends to be more settled. In these days of global warming the climate seems to have gone haywire so it might be an idea to remember the weather on Tuesday July15th to see if this year there is some truth in the old myth.
Finances for May 2008
Offertories ( loose cash, envelopes and standing orders ) £2488.84
Gift Aid ( 1/12 of money received from last tax year ) £ 661.00
Circuit assessment ( 1/3 of quarterly payment ) £2616.84
In the last few weeks we have also made our annual donations to the charities that wesupport. Below is a list of the charities and the amount that we sent.
Methodist Homes £295
Crest £365
Methodist Relief Development fund £385
Waltham Forest Youth for Christ £126
World Missions £450
Mission alongside the poor £325
Home Missions £225
The Branches shelter £126
Local Preachers £126
A total of £2,423
In addition the church sent £435.55 to both the China and Burma disaster
appeals – a total of £871.10. This was made up of £400 from church funds
and £471.10 in donations from members.
Janice
A SUMMER PRAYER
Long warm days...
The pace of life slows...
A time for picnics and rest in the shade...
Lord, help me to rest awhile in the cooling shade of your presence.
Slow down my restless heart
and fill me with gentle compassion for all your people.
Amen
NEWS FROM THE CHURCH COUNCIL (June 2008)
If all goes according to plan Winchester Youth Club will open in September with Sherifa Brown, a well qualified Youth Worker. In the beginning she will be supported by the borough Youth Service, and it is hoped that volunteers will come forward to help her.
The Holiday Club for youngsters aged 5 to 10 will run again this year during the week August 4-8th. If you have an hour or two to spare, especially any morning between 10.30 and 11.30 when the group will be doing craft work or cookery, please speak to Jonathan.
‘Pilgrims Way’ is going well and the Church is looking to the future, on Sunday September 21st the morning service will have the theme ‘What Next’. We hope to have some architect sketches showing how we could use our premises more effectively to support the work of the Church and link the worship area (church) and the rooms used by the organisations and community groups.
There was further discussion about supporting our minister, this was a follow up to ideas voiced at the Annual Church Meeting . It ranged through such possibilities as appointing a Lay Worker for this central area of the circuit, or possibly a Deacon or an active supernumerary who could assist the two ministers. Decisions about the staffing of the circuit in the light of a shortage of ministers would need to be made before any proposal could be put forward.
It was felt that Communion should not be combined with Parade/All Age Worship and so with fewer morning appointments at Winchester Jonathan would have to prioritise communion leaving our Worship Leaders or Local Preachers responsible in some months for the other services. Now that Jonathan has responsibility for three churches it is clear that the leadership of the Church Stewards, the contribution of Worship Leaders and visits by pastoral visitors will need to play an increasing role.
The Property report dealt with such matters as fire doors, security, redecoration (including Hodgson Hall planned for late Summer), the garden (Well done Rainbows) and some exploratory work to see if the Vestibule can be brightened up. The current Financial situation was healthy, with £7125.15 being raised on the Annual Gift Day.
The YPF was going through a transition and it was reported that it would become a Young Adults House Group with meetings which would be both social and religious, probably held monthly, and open to young people in all of Jonathan’s churches.
The meeting welcomed the suggestion to ‘experiment’ with alternative worship to be held occasionally/monthly during the week, this idea is at an early stage of development. Rose Richardson, Sarah Hayward and Jonathan would welcome ideas from the Church community. A discussion about Church flowers has given rise to the special note published in Winchester News this month
The ones that got away
Far away, just out of sight,
Where winds of mystery blow,
Lie very strange uncharted lands
Where all the lost socks go,
They just up-sticks and leg it there,
For no apparent reason,
It must be in the dead of night,
‘cos no one ever sees them.
And you are left with all the odds,
The long, the short, the tatty,
Aware that if you had one leg,
You wouldn’t feel so ratty.
So should you spy some socks hop by,
And make a dash for freedom,
Please try to catch them if you can,
There’s feet back here that need them.
Marion
THE WESLEYS
There are references in the New Testament to communal meals Acts 2 v 42 They spent their time in learning from the apostles taking part in the fellowship and sharing in the fellowship meals and prayers. Such meals probably ceased in the early church probably because of a possible confusion with the Lord’s Supper. After the Reformation the idea was revised by some groups and became popular in the Moravian Church. John Wesley in the early years of his ministry was influenced by the Moravians leading him to hold a LOVEFEAST for the first time in 1739. The custom continued in some sectors of Methodism for over a hundred and fifty years.
Love Feasts were usually held on the first Sunday of the month and were organised by the class leaders who were in sole charge of the feast. Someone in the pews would start the singing of a hymn or chorus and the congregation would join in. Led by the spirit, individuals would give testimonies about their religious experiences while others would lead prayers. During the meeting a large porcelain Loving Cup inscribed with the words LOVE FEAST would be passed around and all would take a drink of water from it, also a basket of buns would be circulated. Finally a collection would be made for the poor of the local community.
WINCHESTER ROAD SCOUT & GUIDE GROUP
Sunday 20th July at Mallinson Scout Centre The Charter Rd, Woodford Green from 1.00. to 5.00.
Bouncy Castle : Trampoline : Crate Stacking : Games
Canoeing & Climbing Wall TBC
BBQ tickets: £4 Adults £2 Children £10 Family
Free admission if you bring your own picnic
To book please contact Ian Handley 8521 2671 or 07939 114307 ian.handley1@ntlworld.com
EVERYONE WELCOME
CHRISTIAN AID
Thank you to all those who helped with the Christian Aid collection this year, and all of you who gave generously in the church collection.
The total raised by Winchester Rd was £1197.96 and the total for Highams Park £2461.11.
Many thanks for your help, door to door collecting is not popular but it is effective both in raising money and in publicising the need, which never seems to get any less.
Roger Pettit
HIGHAMS PARK DAY
Saturday 19th July
12noon—4.00pm
The Highams Park Society are holding a Community Event on the Vincent Road green open space and the Brookfield area.
The day is intended to be a community event with profits going to the Winchester Road Methodist Church Youth Project.
The following activities have been planned
Large marquee for drama, music and dance
Table top stalls available for Highams Park voluntary groups and people
Sporting activities for young people in Brook Meadow
Face painting, Karate demonstration, Morris Dancers
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE PART IN ANY WAY
if so please contact Hazel—07973 755214— 02085234895
CHURCH FLOWERS
Most weeks the flowers are given in memory of friends or family, or to mark a special event such as an anniversary or birth of a baby. At the end of the day bunches of flowers are distributed to people in the church family or local community, having regard for the wishes of the donor. We like to send them to people who are ill, those who need cheering up, have done something to help others, or should be thanked for their work for the church or local community.
If you know of someone who should be sent flowers please tell Sylvia Dixon or the Church Steward at the morning or evening service, and we will do our best to see that the flowers reach them, though it would be helpful if you could deliver them.
WANTED FOR THE HOLIDAY CLUB
The theme this year is “Waste Watchers” and we will be using many recycled items for our crafts as possible.
Have you any of the following items:
Cereal Boxes Tissue boxes Material scraps
Wool Buttons Beads
Lolly sticks Small garden canes Plastic containers
Elastic bands String Pasta or rice (can be out of date)
Coloured shiny paper (including sweet wrappers)
Please bring them to the Church and put them in one of the boxes in the
lobbies at the back of the church, or give them to a Steward or group leader
More news from another group who meet on our premises...
GYM TOTS GYM CLUB
Gym Tots have been up and running in the Methodist church for just over two years and how quickly that has gone!
In our time so far, we must have taught hundreds of pre-school children the basis of gymnastics, and hopefully set them up to carry on and who knows maybe encourage some budding gymnasts to compete in the Olympics!
We are a registered club with British Gymnastics and also hold our Gym Mark, an award granted after many exams and courses have been passed.
We are here every Monday Wednesday and Friday with classes for 0-5 years old. Our aim is to provide basic skills of action, balance and co-ordination along with the fundamental movements of gymnastics such as forward rolls, backward rolls and cartwheels.
Above all we aim to make the classes fun and enjoyable and judging from the encouraging words from proud parents informing us that little Johnny can now climb the garden wall and jump safely down, it seems to be working!
If you would like to know more, please call Jane on 07813199553. We always welcome new members.
When the chips were down Burger King gave in
Recently I asked for your help to end slavery amongst farmer workers in the United States. Now some great news - Anti-Slavery International's partner, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has achieved a major victory after fast-food giant Burger King agreed to work with them to improve the wages and working conditions of those who pick its tomatoes.
Burger King will pay 1.5 US cents more per pound of tomatoes, with a cent going directly to the tomato pickers' wages. The other half cent will go to growers to encourage their participation by covering additional costs. There will be zero-tolerance for forced labour, with any grower found in breach being immediately struck off Burger King’s list of suppliers. Farm workers will help to monitor the suppliers’ conduct.
The Burger King victory follows historic agreements reached with Yum! Brands (which owns Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut) in 2005 and McDonalds in 2007.
Lucas Benitez of the CIW said "Today we are one step closer to a world where we, as farm workers, can enjoy a fair wage and humane working conditions in exchange for the hard and essential work we do everyday. Now is the time for the rest of the restaurant and supermarket industry to join Yum! Brands, McDonalds and Burger King in righting the wrongs that have been allowed to linger in Florida's fields for far too long".
On behalf of Anti-Slavery International and the CIW, thank you to those who protested to Burger King about their refusal to help bring an end to slavery.
And don't forget, 23rd August is UNESCO's “Day for the International Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition”. This commemorates the beginning, on 23rd August 1791, of the uprising in Santo Domingo (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that would play a crucial role in forcing the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. UNESCO chose this date as a reminder that enslaved Africans were the main agents of their own liberation. 23rd August is also the UK's national Slavery Memorial Day.
Graham Duncan
A HYMN FOR SUMMER
In recent weeks we have seen graphic pictures of cyclones in Burma and at home people have been complaining about grey skies, rain and lack of sun. Last month some Oxfordshire villages were inundated by floodwater. So at this time when there are hotly contested views about climate change I thought it might be a good time to look at a well known hymn about creation that is nearly eight hundred years old.
The first section in Part II of Hymns and Psalms is entitled Delight in Creation and opens with the hymn All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia. (H&P 329) based on words by Francis of Assisi who is perhaps best known through the hymn Make me a channel of your peace (H&P 776). Christened Giovanni he acquired the nickname Francesco, meaning little Frenchman, possibly because his mother was French. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi enabling Francis to lead a spendthrift wild youth. A chance meeting with a beggar whom he helped and a vision of a talking crucifix changed his life. He said he heard the voice of the crucified Christ telling him to rebuild a ruined church so he took and sold a bale of his father’s cloth and gave the priest the proceeds to help with the repairs. Berated by his angry father he stripped off the clothes his father had provided, renounced wealth and became a beggar. He gathered around him other young men who shared his views and they became travelling preachers who begged for their food and lodgings, and so the Franciscan order was founded. He died in October 1226 and was buried in Assisi.
Towards the end of his life he wrote his famous Canticle of the Sun which includes the lines Be praised, my Lord through all your creatures , especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him . And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour! Be praised my Lord through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them precious and beautiful. William H. Draper, an Anglican clergyman in Yorkshire translated and paraphrased the ancient hymn which we find in our hymnbook.
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise him, O praise him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia !
Draper continues in the same poetic vein following themes in Francis’ original with such descriptive lines opening verses as
Thou rushing wind that art so strong.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear.
The creation theme and echoes of summer are clear in verse four
Dear Mother earth who day by day,
Unfoldest blessings on our way
O praise him alleluia !
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow
Let them his glory also show.
The final verse, which has a hint of his fabled love for animals, sums up Francis’ message…..
Let all things their creator bless.
And worship him in humbleness..
On the other hand you might like to consider William Walsham How’s hymn Summer suns are glowing over land and sea (H&P 361) but then the sun might not be shining much this summer !
SMILE LINES...
A comment on old age:
My deafness I endure
To dentures I'm resigned
Bifocals I can manage
But God, how I miss my mind.
....................anon
MENSA MEMBERS MISS EASY SOLUTION
MENSA is an organisation whose members have an IQ of 140 or higher. A few years ago, there was a Mensa Convention in San Francisco, and several members lunched at the local cafe. While dining, they discovered that their saltshaker contained pepper and their peppershaker was full of salt. How could they swap the contents of the bottles without spilling, and using the only implements at hand? Clearly this was a job for Mensa! The group debated and presented ideas, and finally came up with brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw and an empty saucer. They called the waitress over to dazzle her with their solution.
“Ma’am” they said, “we couldn’t help but notice the peppershaker contains salt and the saltshaker contains pepper.
“Oh” , the waitress interrupted. “Sorry about that”. She unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.
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