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GSMnewsletter
OctOber 2019
Great St Mary’s, the University Church, Cambridge
In Dublin’s Fair City Trinity College and Dublin Castle, and some retail
therapy too. Then came our third Evensong.
The Vicar writes:
It was 3.30am. Bravely we gathered, a large group of Sunday: We heard a sermon preached by the former
children, young people, some older people, and the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, now an honorary
Vicar (or 1st bass), off to sing for worship in Dublin’s lay Canon of the Cathedral. The Eucharist included the
two beautiful Anglican cathedrals. Here’s a taste of installation of the new Head Verger: the combination
what we got up to. of both of these underlining a real sense of privilege
for us. Our final Evensong was tinged with sadness,
Thursday: We arrived and made our way to the knowing that soon we would be back at the airport.
hostel, five minutes’ walk from our principal gig,
Christ Church Cathedral. The sadistic Director of
Music had us rehearsing within minutes of arrival,
then after a packed lunch of cheese and salad cream
combo there was some free time to be enjoyed,
followed by our first Evensong: verged in by our very
own Assistant Verger Callum, we sang for a
surprisingly large congregation.
Friday: After breakfast we rehearsed in Dublin’s
other cathedral, St Patrick’s, famous for Jonathan Swift
having been Dean 1713-45. We then caught trams for I share all this with you for three reasons. The first is
an afternoon of traditional Irish dancing - and loved that the music team of Great St Mary’s is outstanding,
our brilliant young teachers and the wonderful multi- and deserves our recognition, thanks, and praise.
talented folk singer who, having invited us to join in the They are wonderful colleagues and excellent
singing of Molly Malone, stopped us in a state of practitioners: keep them in your prayers, encourage
harmonic bewilderment after a few bars. One of our and support them. Second, it is worth being reminded
more distinguished tenor lay clerks asked proudly ‘do of what we are doing by ensuring that there is a
you know who we are?’ On finding out, he egged us strong choral tradition at the heart of our worship.
on further, and it really was rather beautiful. It was Our children and young people are being shaped by
strange to return – with minutes to spare – to sing music, worship, scripture, and by space, in explicit and
Evensong at St Patrick’s, the juxtaposition of folk and implicit ways. They, and their families, are a huge part
choral, I think, delighting us all. of our life. They bless us with their singing; and we, I
hope, bless them by our care, support, and our desire
Saturday: Back to Christ Church for an intensive that they learn what it means to put the worship of
morning of rehearsal. Then, clutching those cheese God at the centre of life. The third thing to say is how
and salad cream sandwiches, we hit Dublin in groups; important choir tours like this are. The intensive
I can only speak for Sam and myself, who had a rehearsals, impossible to have at home, the joy of
splendid afternoon with five of our senior girls, getting to know one another better, the happy blend
enjoying good coffee and gelato (who knew that of ages and experience: this matters. It was a privilege
Dublin was famous for gelato these days?), visits to and a joy to be a part of it.
Thanks be to God.
A Year Mass? Or welcoming bishops from France
or Norway? There is never a dull moment!
in Ordained Ministry The great joys are those moments when
God opens a new door. (That may be
At the end of
another subliminal reference to a Rogers
September, on
and Hammerstein musical!) The wonderful
Michaelmas day, I will
opportunities to witness to His grace
have enjoyed one
through preparing people for confirmation,
year as an ordained
for marriage; the privilege of taking
minister attached to
Communion to people in their homes or in
Great St Mary’s and
hospital, all of these things, in addition to
Michaelhouse.
the normal work of the Church, enrich my
life so much and are always (or perhaps,
I am not sure exactly
usually!) a source of happiness.
what I expected would happen after
ordination; suffice it to say that it has been
Ordained ministry, priesthood, and my
a veritably illuminating journey, not least
journey into sacramental ministry, has been
illuminated by the lights of all those who
a joy, a richly rewarding experience thus
make up the congregation. Your friendship,
far. There is nothing more awe-inspiring
kindness, tolerance, insight,
and humbling than the moment, as you are
companionship, have all contributed
to be ordained priest, as you prostrate
immensely to my formation as a priest, and
yourself before God, submitting to His call
for that I am immensely grateful.
to serve Him in His mission to all people,
as the words Veni Creator Spiritus - or as
That great Rogers and Hammerstein piece
Cosin’s translation has it: ‘Come Holy
The King and I speaks of being taught by your
Ghost, our souls inspire and lighten with
pupils, and as an educationalist, I found that
celestial fire’. What more could we ask for
to be the case. And the same must be said
at that moment than that we should be
about learning to be a priest; the
filled with the Holy Spirit, to burn with a
congregation and your peers form you,
desire to serve God and all of His creation?
enable you, minister to you, as you seek to
become the minister God wishes you to be.
I feel truly blessed to have been called to
serve at Great St Mary’s and Michaelhouse
The ministry one does is diverse, no day is
and look forward to the next few years
ever the same! The diary seems to have a
under your (and Adrian’s) tutelage.
mind of its own and fills inexorably. You are
Although Adrian may feel differently!
called to lead overnight stays for the
Churches Homelessness Project; to
retreat to Hilfield Friary; to be the
sommelier to the University Sermon; to
cook for the staff Christmas Party; to be a
school governor; to do hospital visits; to
work on education and heritage visits; to
lead acts of worship in schools; to marry
couples. Each one of those things is richly
rewarding in its own way and every
encounter enables you to learn more about
yourself. Who would have thought I would
be singing worship songs at The Ark? Or Rev. Margaret Widdess, Rev.Devin McLachlan, Canon
preaching for Blue Christmas? Or Midnight Adrian Daffern, Rev.Andrew Day and Shirley Holder LLM
2
Sermon Series taught us, reminding us that all our prayer is
part of coming into the presence of our loving
on Prayer heavenly Father.
Shirley Holder writes:
Prayer is an absolutely The other sermons will cover these forms of
vital part of our prayer: the beautifully simple ‘Jesus Prayer’;
relationship with God; letting our five senses enrich our prayer;
it underpins all that we imaginative interaction with Jesus through
do together as God’s Ignatian Prayer; silent contemplative prayer;
people at Great St prayers of peace and remembrance; and
Mary’s. Through prayer we draw closer to finally, Liturgical Prayer.
God and are enabled to participate in his
plans for our lives and our world. Prayer is Learning more about prayer can only enhance
not an isolated activity. It undergirds all that our own lives and the life and work of our
we do, and goes hand in hand with our care church family, so I strongly urge you to make
for one another, our reaching out to our city, these, and indeed all, Sundays a priority in
our concerns for our wider world and all our your busy weeks.
planning for the future.
In his love and generosity, God allows us
intimacy with him and a share in his work, but
happily the results of prayer are not
dependent on our abilities or prowess. As O
The Christian life of a
Hallesby says, in his classic book ‘Prayer’:- “to Faithful Scientist: A purely
pray is to open the door to Jesus, and that personal perspective.
requires no strength; it is only a question of
our wills.” If we are willing to turn aside and Aishwarya Jacob writes:
lift our eyes to our Saviour, he will come into
our hearts, guiding and inspiring us by his As an adult, I can
indwelling Spirit. trace the trajectory
of my Christian faith
We all know that we can pray together, or alongside my
we can pray alone in our own time and in our scientific one.
own space. Prayer is simply being with God, And here’s why;
listening to him and sharing our concerns with scientists and
him. So surely prayer is one of the easiest Christians are very alike. Scientists
parts of being a Christian? Or is it? If it is so formulate exciting hypotheses based on
easy, how is it that many of us do not pray empirical data which, if proved correct
more? Is it that we haven’t found the right upon repeated and rigorous testing, will
form of prayer for us? Is it that we’ve gone make their way into highly cited, peer-
stale and become tired of hearing our own reviewed journals and become established
voices? scientific “principles”. However, if the
hypothesis is disproved, scientists posit
Wherever we feel we are in our prayer lives, alternate models to reconcile their
we are to be given a boost this Autumn, as observations with natural laws. That’s the
there is going to be a sermon series on scientific method. And Christians? They
prayer, starting on 6th October and running use faith which I feel is, at its very root,
over the following 6 Sundays. The Vicar will something like a hypothesis; one which is
begin our series with the prayer that Jesus constantly being tested by both parties
3
involved; the faithful Christian and our conviction that the universe is merely a
Saviour. It is constructed on the basis of shell framed within a tangible set of laws,
God as a loving father and supported by fully explainable by application of their
innumerable data points pertaining to all methods. Christians also live under a shell
His earthly miracles and importantly, His albeit a somewhat different kind; one that
death on the cross and glorious confines God to their two-dimensional
resurrection; all of which are recorded in understanding of Him despite claims to the
one of the most cited, reviewed tomes of exact opposite scenario.
all time, the Bible, and therefore
established “doctrine”. Faith then allows us My favourite analogy is the King’s college
to hypothesize that the Lord will, in His chapel. It is humongous when you stand
infinite mercy, protect and provide for us before its façade, but when you think
in our corporeal existence and ultimately, you’ve seen it all, step a few feet to the side;
save our souls from judgement. suddenly you realize you’ve seen only a
fraction of it. I thus reconcile my faith in the
Like scientists, who, when forced to Christian doctrine and in scientific fact by
relinquish an unprovable hypothesis to acknowledging that it can never fully
inadequate comprehension of nature’s comprehend either. All I pray for is that the
laws, are still confident of imminent Lord will reveal his creation to me; one tiny
enlightenment, so do Christians hold that bit at a time. And make it count while He’s
unanswered prayers or absentee miracles at it!
are indicative of God’s mysterious ways
with the promise of fulfilment in the
fullness of time.
My personal hypothesis is simple; just as Festival of Ideas
Jesus turned water into wine, so will He
transform my unstimulating, non-paradigm Choral Evensong
shifting research into findings worthy of a
Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. 5.30-6.30pm on
That’s right folks, when science ain’t
working right, I am on my knees praying for
Sunday 27 November
a miracle.
I believe that science, despite its
contradictions to religion, is a means by At this beautiful service, the address will be
which we unravel the exquisite mysteries given by Daniel Zeichner, MP for
of God’s creation. Do I believe in Cambridge on the subject of “Insecurity in
evolution? Yes. How does it reconcile with Times of Change” under the Festival theme
the concept of an all-loving Creator? Why of Change. Everyone, of all faiths, and of no
not? To be honest, what do we really know faith, is most warmly welcome.
about God? After all, He never fails to For many, political events both at home
surprise us; making every moment and abroad have been deeply unsettling in
unpredictable and unfathomable. Our recent years. The 2016 referendum; the
associate vicar, Devin, once preached election of Donald Trump in America;
about being “Seperti katak di bawah worries about climate change as well as
tempurung”; frogs under a coconut shell political instability in the UK have left
who live fully believing that there is no people feeling unsettled, insecure and
world beyond its bounds. Scientists are like anxious. At the same time, while
this; frequently misguided in their technological change offers both the hope
4
of unprecedented access to knowledge, Getting to know your
entertainment and new ways of
communicating and organising, it also raises Church
serious threats around privacy and job How good is your Latin? High up on the
insecurity. How should we respond to such North wall of the church, by the North
turbulence, and how can we make sure that door there lies a memorial stone to Moses
in times of such rapid change, we ensure Horne, born 1619 in
that change works for everyone, not just the City of Cambridge,
the privileged few. Cambridge MP Daniel died on 18th June 1658
Zeichner makes the case for collective (aged 38-39) also in the
responses to help everyone through City of Cambridge. He
insecure times. was buried here in our
Daniel Zeichner is the Member of churchyard.
Parliament for Cambridge. He is a leading
transport campaigner who sits on the Moses was the son of a
Transport Select Committee and was tailor and he was
previously the Shadow Transport Minister. baptised here on Nov.
Photo: Chris McAndrew
13, 1619. He attended the Perse school and
was later admitted to Caius College on
Daniel is a keen aged 16. It is believed he went on to be a
environmentalist and he is professional copyist in the city. Shortly
an executive member of before his death he was appointed to
Labour’s national transcribe the Annals.
environmental campaign
group (SERA), making the
case for a shift to a greener
tax policy. He is a member
of Greenpeace and he has brought leaders
on divestment to speak in Cambridge. He
is also a bee fan – he is a passionate Species
Champion for the Ruderal Bumblebee and
campaigns to stop bee-killing pesticides.
Daniel is Chair of the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Data Analytics and
is a recognised Champion for the Internet
Watch Foundation. He is also a national
Champion for Cancer Research UK.
He is a lifelong pro-European and has voted
at every opportunity to keep Britain in the
EU and Single Market, including
passionately campaigning for ‘Remain’
during the referendum. He supports
revoking Article 50.
Outside politics, Daniel enjoys football, live
music and walking. He was, in his youth, a
promising middle-distance runner. He is a
Cambridge United season-ticket holder Ed Cearns, Market Square Chaplain, preaching his first
and he can often be found enjoying sermon at the 09:30 Eucharist at Great St Mary’s on
chamber concerts at Kettle’s Yard. Sunday 22nd of September.
5
A University Church? What does contemporary work in history
and philosophy of history have to tell us
Canon Adrian is encouraging us all to think of how
we engage afresh with our vocation as the about the role of interpretation in the
construction and reading of a historical
University Church. Here David Bridges
text such as the Bible? What can we learn
considers what we might
learn from our unique when, like some of literary scholars, we
context and calling. ‘deconstruct’ biblical text? And in the wider
context of social and political science, what
We have been invited to understanding do we derive from, for
reflect on the future example, a Foucauldian analysis of the
direction and mission of power structures which have shaped and
our church, and specifically on what it continue to shape the beliefs and practices
might mean to be, a University Church. In of the church?
this brief contribution to that conversation,
I want to reflect not so much on what the More practically, perhaps, we share an
church might contribute through its intense desire to help the poor, the
mission to the University, but what homeless the marginalised in our society;
inspiration, energy or quality GSM might to challenge racism in any form; to ensure
draw from its presence in this distinctive respect and equal rights to people of any
and remarkable setting. sexuality. We try to support educational
and development projects and
I suggest that what a university, this communities at home and in ‘the
University, stands for above all else is its developing world’. But do we really have a
intellectual vitality, scholarship and proper understanding of the possibilities
academic excellence associated at its best and pitfalls of such interventions? Might we
with the cultivation of intellectual virtue not draw benefit from the insights of e.g.
and a moral compass – all of which might the Department of Politics and International
contribute not just to knowledge and Studies or the Faculty of Education?
understanding but also to wisdom.
Universities may not consistently exhibit all Might not our University Church be
these qualities all the time but they do, on somewhere that draws on the best thought
the whole, aspire to do so. This university, available on these and other issues; a
as much as any, offers rich and abundant church that embraces the value attached by
intellectual resources, which, I suggest, can a university to openness to new ideas, to
inform and enhance the life, ministry and challenge, to critique, to vigorous debate
work of the church. and to the testing of beliefs against reason,
evidence and argument? What a vital place
Most obviously, of course, we might expect that would be!
our reflection on the teaching of the
Church to be informed by the latest Cambridge City of
thinking in theology. GSM has of course
been, historically – and not just in the Sanctuary
Reformation -- a centre for teaching and The Centre for the Study of Global Movement
will be showing a feature length documentary
preaching which has challenged established
"Shelter without Shelter" as part of Cambridge
belief. When I first attended GSM in the Festival of Ideas on Oct 16th at 4.30 p.m.
1960s and ‘70s we were introduced to followed by a panel discussion. Details can be
‘Honest to God’, to ‘The Sea of Faith’ and found on
to ‘Liberation Theology’. What new https://www.humanmovement.cam.ac.uk/events/fes
thinking can the University offer today – tival-of-ideas-2019
and not just from the Faculty of Divinity?
6
Carbon Farming - Saving The methods used in carbon farming are
not entirely new, just applied differently.
the Planet with Soil They are mostly low-tech and can be
verified by soil testing. Some of the changes
are already happening in many countries,
Daniel Foster writes: including our own. For crops, it is
Warning: This article has an optimistic important to minimise soil disturbance and
content ensure there are actively growing roots in
the soil for as long as possible. With grazing
It’s not all doom and gloom in the GSM
livestock, the aim is to mimic the herding
Environment Group. We discuss emerging
behaviour of wild animals, so they are
ideas and solutions for tackling issues such
closely herded around their pasture.
as rising CO2 emissions, so we can be
better informed and gain a more balanced What can we do?
understanding of current environment
problems. Organic farming practices build soil organic
matter too, so try to buy organic food
Most of us think of factories, chimneys and where possible. Look into “no-dig”
vehicle exhausts when we talk about practices, if you have a garden; avoid peat-
carbon emissions. However, up to half of based composts, as peat extraction
the extra CO2 in the air has come from releases CO2. Help to support the exciting
inappropriate farming and land use. peat wetland restoration projects in the
Traditional farming methods often involve nearby Fens and elsewhere. And as always,
excessive soil disturbance; land drainage; plant more trees. You can do this simply by
clearing and burning of vegetation, etc. All switching to your search engine to
of these release CO2 into the atmosphere “Ecosia”. This company uses the profits
- much of it from organic matter previously from advertising to plant trees all over the
stored in the soil. The result has been a world and provides you with regular
sharp decline in the organic matter content updates about its activities.
of farmland around the world and this
causes problems. Depleted soils are not The problem of rising CO2 levels is of
only less fertile, but less able to cope with concern to everyone. But it might be a
drought and floods. Soil organisms also blessing in disguise if it compels us to re-
suffer - depriving wildlife of important food think our relationship with the Earth.
sources.
Restoring
The good news is that this decline can be agricultural soils
reversed more easily and quickly than was and natural
previously thought. Nearly all plants, vegetation
including trees, grass and crops, capture CO2 (including
from the air - but a lot more happens forests and
underground. Plants drip-feed carbon wetlands) could
compounds through their roots to a whole lock away vast
web of soil life (bacteria, fungi, fauna etc.) amounts of
and get various benefits in return. There carbon and help
are more living organisms in a handful of to ensure a
healthy soil than there are people on earth. sustainable
With a little help from us, the organic matter future for us all.
they accumulate can remain safely stored
(and doing good) in the soil for centuries. Eco Protestors fill King’s Parade
7
DIARY OCTOBER 2019
GREAT ST MARYS AND MICHAELHOUSE
FREE LUNCHTIME SERVICES IN OCTOBER Sunday 6
Vision consultations begin at Michaelhouse, 11am
RECITALS AT GSM Sundays
Tuesday 8
Bible Study Group at 5pm
8am Holy Communion Saturday 12
Friday 11 October, 1pm 9.30am Sung Eucharist Women’s Breakfast at Michaelhouse at 9.30am
George Heriot’s School Choir, 11.15am Choral Mattins Godly Play for leaders, parents and carers 9.30am –
Edinburgh 5.30pm Choral Evensong 12.30 in St Andrews Chapel
Drakensberg Boys Choir evening concert at 7pm
Weekdays Friday 11
Looking ahead to November:
George Heriot’s School Choral Recital at 1pm
8
Morning Prayer Sunday 13
Tuesday 19 Monday to Friday at 9am Congregational lunch at the Grad Pad at12.30pm
Roman Rudnytsky, Piano Girls’ choir celebration Reunion Evensong at 5.30pm
Friday 22 The Ark Monday 14
Tuesdays at 10.30am Park Street School Harvest Festival at 9.30am
‘Songs for Cecilia’
Friday 18
Guitar and Recorder Ensemble Archetypes Poetry event in the churchyard at 6pm
Holy Communion
Tuesday 26 Wednesdays at 12.30pm Sunday 20
Hou Thai Fu, Piano University Sermon at 11.15am
Wednesday 23
#edge talks at Michaelhouse at 12.30pm
Sunday 27
Festival of Ideas Evensong at 5.30pm
Wednesday 30
#edge talks at Michaelhouse at 12.30pm
Visit our website at: www.gsm.cam.ac.uk Newsletter Editor: Sarah de Mas sarahdemas48@gmail.com; 01223 561131
The Editor reserves the right to edit submissions; if revisions required are major, they will be run by the author prior to publication.
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