January 2021 The Parish Magazine - The Parish Church of All Saints Rotherfield Peppard
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January 2021
The Parish Magazine
The Parish Church of
All Saints
Rotherfield Peppard
Contacting the clergy or churchwardens
Rector
The Revd James Stickings
Please do not contact at present thankyou
Associate Priests
The Revd Shelia Walker Telephone 0118 972 4861
Email swalk2@btinternet.com
Churchwardens
Kathie Anderson Telephone 0118 972 2694
Email keapeppard@gmail.com
Valentine de Haan Telephone 0118 972 3806
Email valetinedehaan@hotmail.com
Organist and Director of Music
David Butler Telephone 0118 972 4065
Email dbutler380@gmail.com
Junior Choir Mistress
Rebecca Bell Telephone 0118 972 2967
Email Kenyon.bell@btinternet.com
Flower arranging
Ann Butler-Smith Telephone 0118 972 1871
All Saints' Church website: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/5977/
(Please do not use the website called "allsaintspeppard.org.uk", even though
it appears under Google search. This is not the church website and we are
taking steps to having it removed)
The Parish Magazine In this month’s magazine Contact page 1 Contents page 2 Overcoming disappointment 3 Guest editors page 4 Parish Register 5 Patron saint of Sunderland 5/7 Counting the cost of corona virus 8 Valarie’s corner 9 Efforts to return to Normality 10 God in Art 11/12 Word search 13 Advice from years gone by 16 Advertisement 17/18 Service rotas rear cover
Overcoming disappointment We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ (Martin Luther King, Jr). During this current pandemic, one of the dominant emotions is disappointment. It comes out of our expectations of life, even as people of faith. The life story that we adopt for ourselves is that life should be long and healthy; we can become anything we want, and we have perfect families, homes, holidays and retirement! No wonder we’re disappointed when things don’t work out like this, especially during the pandemic. Jesus tells the story of a wealthy farmer, living the good life (Luke: 12:13-21), when God says: 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' It’s a very modern story, as this farmer’s expectations of the future took no account of death or God. Like death, there are unexpected moments that interrupt our life story, including illness, redundancy, divorce, or the pandemic. If we pay more attention to how Covid upsets us, we can discern where we have set our hearts. What life story are we really living for? What are our expectations for work, family and friends, health, God or church? At the end of His parable, Jesus offers this challenge: ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.’ (21). At the beginning of a New Year, are we ready to align our story more to God’s story for us? Reflect on Jesus’ parable, asking how God can be at the heart of our life story. What words would we like to see written on our gravestone when we die, describing the way that we’ve lived our life? With God’s help, those words can reflect our life today!
Quest editors page
One day makes all the difference, last night I was cleaning up the Church after choir
practice. Junior and Senior choirs together making wonderful music and song. Then my
phone pinged with the BBC news updates. We were going into tier 4 as of boxing day
and the implications were not clear for church services. Then the phone rang and it was
Kathy Anderson the senior Church warden on a quick chat we have decided to let the
Christmas common on the 24th to go ahead as well as the 7 carols and readings on
Christmas day. We have cancelled the following Sunday and await the results of a zoom
meeting to see how we progress in the future. We will endeavour to keep the congrega-
tion safe but also try and keep the church available in one form or another.
I must again thank Keith and Valarie for their articles both are very good reads. I
have dug out some old farmers advice and there are several articles from the Parish
pump including a word search. I hope this keeps you amused during the month of
January. I wish you all a happy new year
Stay in touch during lockdown, please feel free to send articles to me
on
valentinedehaan@hotmail.com
Thank you
Parish Registers 21 November to 20 December 2020 Funeral RIP 4 December Betty Maud Stanier (98) 10 December Dennis George Shackleford (88) Funeral and Burial RIP 27 November Anne-Marie King (70) The patron saint of Sunderland Probably the most significant figure associated with the monastery at Jarrow is the Ven- erable Bede. Jarrow, shown below, on the south bank of the River Tyne was established as half of a double monastery along with Monkwearmouth on the north bank of the River Wear. Benedict Biscop (c. 628 – 690) was born into a noble Northumbrian family. At first he lived the usual life of a warrior, becoming one of King Oswy's trusted thegns, but at the age of 25 he decided to become a monk. At first he travelled on the continent, staying at 17 different monasteries. He became a monk and took the name 'Benedict'. Altogether in his life he made five journeys to Rome and, on the third of these, he was asked to escort the new Archbishop of Canterbury, a Greek monk named Theodore of Tarsus, to England and help him settle in. At that point Biscop became Abbot of Canterbury for two years. But his heart was in his native Northumbria and eventually he returned there to found his own monastery. King Ecgfrith gave him land in 674, first at Wearmouth and then also at Jarrow. Biscop founded a single monastery on a split site, and was himself its Abbot until his death in 689.
He seems to have had no ambition to found more than one monastery, but into
that one he poured all his love and care. He himself wrote its Rule, choosing out the
best features of the 17 monasteries he had visited. Only the best was good enough for
him, and he brought in continental stone-masons and glaziers, to the astonishment of
the Northumbrians who had never seen stone buildings or glass windows. At every
journey abroad he brought back cartloads of books, and gradually built up a library
which was probably the best in England. He borrowed from Rome a master who could
teach the monks to sing Gregorian chant. The interior of his churches glowed with
pictures, so that even illiterate people could learn the Biblestories.
Ten years before he died a seven year-old child entered the monastery, named
Bede. Biscop could not have foreseen Bede's outstanding academic gifts, and yet he
had made provision for them. Biscop was a man who loved learning and beauty as well
as the simple life. He used his advantages of birth and wealth very imaginatively and
the whole Church has been the richer for his life.
Benedict Biscop was created patron saint of the City of Sunderland, centred on
the south bank of the Wear – the “sundered land” - in 2004. His feast day is on12th
of January.
The Church of Scotland Cathedral in Glasgow, site of the shrine of St Kentigern, dates
from the 12th century. It is the oldest
building in Glasgow
Kentigern, also called by the pet-name Mungo, the Apostle of Strathclyde and Cumbria,
is a very popular saint. Little is known about him for certain, except that he died in 612
and his feast day is on 13 January. In July 2020, I wrote here about railway saints, in-
cluding St Enoch. She was the mother of Kentigern or Mungo, who was born and sur-
vived under extraordinary circumstances. St Serf of Culross undertook the education of
the growing boy. As a young man, Kentigern went his own way, and was led by a pair of
oxen to a place called Cathures, later to be Glasgow. This was the centre of his work asa missionary in the Kingdom of Strathclyde. Political disorder caused his exile to Cum-
bria, before he finally returned to his Glasgow home for his remaining years.
Many tales are told of his powers, including how he saved a distracted queen from
her husband's anger by finding the ring she had lost, in the mouth of a salmon. The ring
and the fish now appear in the coat of arms of Glasgow.
Much of the material about Kentigern is clearly legendary. Nevertheless, legends
are not told without some justification. Behind all the wonders is the outline of a real and
entirely credible man, an important missionary and monastic founder at a time when the
old British kingdoms were beginning to give way to the incoming English. It was on the
work of such men that the Christianity which survived the pagans and then converted
them was built.
In addition to ancient dedications of churches in Scotland, there are at least nine in
England, mainly in Cumbria. The saint is said to have visited the Keswick area in 553
where the church at Crosthwaite bears his name.
Keith Atkinson
The text draws heavily on Little known saints of the North by the Revd Canon Kate Tris-
tram. Photographs are © Andrew Curtis (Jarrow); Alexander P. Knapp
(Monkwearmouth); and Thomas Nugent (Glasgow).Counting the cost of coronavirus Happy New Year! It’s good to begin a new year with hope, but few of us have left 2020 unscathed by the pandemic. For example, nearly half of us, 48 per cent, put on weight during lockdown. (According to a recent survey by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI). Millions of us turned to alcohol or drugs. Public Health England reports that one in five of us aged 45-74 are now drinking more than 21 units a week. The Royal College of Psychiatrists expresses alarm at the rapid rise in patients whose alcohol or drug use led to a decline in their mental health in 2020. Children have suffered. Childline had nearly 43,000 calls from young people March and October. Cyber bullying has soared, with one in three children being bullied during the pandemic, according to the Anti-Bullying Alliance. For millions of pensioners, Covid-19 ‘hit the fast-forward button on ageing’, according to Age UK. Lockdown left old people frightened and losing their confidence, mobility and even functions such as memory. Suicidal thoughts soared during lockdown, with the number of people seeking help tri- pling, to stand at more than a quarter of a million. The Royal College of Psychiatrists warn that mental health services are now ‘overflowing’ with patients struggling to cope with anxiety, psychosis and depression. Many charities fear that a ‘second pandemic’ of mental health problems. So – what do we do as January 2021 dawns? Each one of us CAN do something to make things better, if only in a small way. How about these for your New Year Resolu- tions? Firstly, just get regular exercise. As one professor said, “Exercise creates a virtuous circle of physical and mental well-being. You move more, you eat better, you feel posi- tive.” On the other hand, only a couple of weeks of lying around the house will leave your cardiovascular systems less effective, your musculoskeletal system weaker, your metabolic rate affected, and your immune system lowered. Secondly, adopt the right mental attitude. Studies of Holocaust survivors found that those who recovered best had certain character traits of resilience: optimism, self- esteem, acceptance and above all, spirituality. A faith in God gave them purpose and meaning, even in the midst of fear and death. Thirdly, make an effort this year to keep in touch with your friends and keep an eye out for vulnerable neighbours. Be willing to act as a safety net for others, if only to show compassion and a willingness to listen to them.
Murmuration of Starlings Our ancestors who, wisely, were more connected with Nature than we, gave poetic names to groups of birds:- Exaltation of Larks ,Charm of Goldfinches, Prayer of God- wits, Murmuration of Starlings. Vaughan Williams, well over age, volunteered in The War and was a stretcher bearer, before joining the Army. The suffering he saw infused his 4th Symphony. He wrote the Lark Ascending in 1914, inspired by George Meredith’s poem of that name:- “He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound, Of many links without a break, “. This was an idyll of rural England , tinged with sadness at the loss of innocence. The violinist for the first performance in 1920 was Marie Hall ,who was a pupil of El- gar’s . The violin portrays the heavenly beauty of the soaring lark-song , whilst the or- chestra represents the bountiful English countryside, of Constable, Turner, and Gainsborough. There are echoes of Shelley’s superb poem, “ To a Skylark, Hail to thee ,blithe Spirit Teach me half the gladness, The world should listen then - as I am listening now.” This in turn inspired Noel Coward to write his brilliant comedy, Blithe Spirit, which be- gan a record-breaking run in 1941, with Margaret Rutherford as Madame Arcati. Thus Meredith, Shelley, Elgar, Vaughan-Williams with echoes of Constable, Turner, and Gainsborough lead to Noel Coward ‘s play which helped to boost morale in the Second War, just as The Lark Ascending did after the First. “What is really important. in this mad year…. that good art can take us out of our- selves, lift our spirits , and, most importantly, speak universal truths. “ Ben Lawrence in The Daily Telegraph. So let us take comfort from, and share with our loved ones the precious, resilient, gifts of Music, Art, Literature and Nature for next year.
.Efforts to return to normality.
“
I suppose the first question is what is normal ? I am not sure we can now answer that
with any confidence. However groups in the Parish have put themselves out , the
Christmas tree always provided by Ann Butler Smith found a new setting this year.
Normally inside the church it was place adjacent to the war memorial . On a cold
afternoon several stalwarts gathered together and drove stakes into the ground. Lights
were purchased and attics raided for red baubles. As we worked away several walkers
complimented us for our efforts.
Another group who deserve praise
are the Junior and Senior
choir a joy to see them
togetherGOD IN THE ARTS Editor: The Revd Michael Burgess continues his series on God in the Arts with a look at ‘St Joseph the Carpenter’ by Georges de la Tour. It now hangs in The Louvre in Paris. The hidden years When St Paul wrote about the birth and humanity of Jesus to the Philippians, he de- scribed it as an emptying and a humbling. Jesus humbled Himself, he wrote, ‘and be- came obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’ In obedience and love Je- sus followed the will of His Father through His ministry from baptism to the cross and Easter beyond. But what about that period called ‘the hidden years’, after the Holy Family’s return from Egypt? The Gospels tell us of only one event in that period leading up to adulthood: the pilgrimage to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12. For the rest of those 30 years, He lived with Mary and Joseph ‘growing in wisdom and in divine and human favour.’ Just as He followed His heavenly Father’s will in His ministry, so in these growing years He followed the guidance and teaching of Mary and Joseph. This month’s painting highlights one moment in those years of growth: ‘St Joseph the Carpenter’ by Georges de la Tour. ‘Highlights’ is the right word, because this painting captures the strong contrast of light and darkness. Georges de la Tour lived from 1593 to 1652 in Lorraine. He was part of a Franciscan-led revival in that area, and this work from the 1640s captures St Joseph and the Christ-Child with Franciscan tenderness and insight. We can see the tools of Joseph’s trade on the ground. He leans over them, hard at work on a piece of wood. Jesus is sitting by his side, his face lit by the candle, which lights up the carpenter’s shop. As well as contrasting light and dark, there is the contrast of young and old, and the thought that the child learning from the old man is also the one who can teach us. De la Tour was particularly fascinated by light and shadows cast by a candle or a lantern. Here the artist shows the candlelight illuminating the face of the child Jesus who will grow up to the Light of the world. As this New Year begins, we can think back to the light from the Bethlehem manger we celebrated at Christmas. We can look ahead to the light shining from the adult Jesus through His teaching and healing. Here in these hidden years, we can celebrate the light of wisdom and divine favour, as Luke calls them, shining on the face of the child Jesus. We pray for that light to guide us through this New Year. When the way ahead may look dark and uncertain, let us pray that God’s light will make clear the path ahead.
Wordsearch clues and answers - jan21 The Christmas story carries on into the New Year, with Epiphany and the arrival of the Wise Men, led by the Star in the East. Through the eyes of faith, they saw Messiah in that small baby, and worshipped him, giving gifts that foresaw his life and work. New Year is also a time of new beginnings for us – resolutions about diets and paying the bills and doing better at work... Happy New Year! Epiphany Wise Men Camels Baby Jesus Star Herod Worship Gold Frankincense Myrrh New Resolutions Bills Work Study Running Gym
Old advice from years gone by; 1) How to keep cats off the garden or allotments. Like rabbits they have runs. If you look carefully round you will find tracks in the places at which they enter. Sprinkle these thickly with garden pepper and here and there on the plot bury all but the neck of a few medicine bottles, putting about three teaspoonfuls of ammonia in each. Cats are nothing if not inquisitive. Seeing the bottle necks they will take a sniff at them, and will naturally receive rather a shock. They won’t come again for some time. 2) Follow the Moon. In regards to the call for production of more home grown food, I would recall the wise old country hint: Sow every form of seed by the moon. The meaning is that seed sown during the days preceding the full moon germinate more readily and produce more prolific crops than seed sown during the waning moon. Those who smile unbelievingly might experiment no harm can be done by doing so. 3) The right way to gather tomatoes. Early morning or late evening, when the plants are full of sap, is the best time for gathering. After gathering stand the tomatoes in a cool pantry for twelve hours before you eat them. This gives the flesh an opportunity to set, and greatly improves the flavour. 4) Tomatoes: it is better to save seed from a fruit containing 20 seeds than one con- taining 100. the plants from the former will give a far heaver yield . The best way to dry tomato seed is on a plate of glass 5) A man should always carry in his pocket some change for coin box, a piece of string and a pen knife 6) Sharpening a knife. Start by putting downward pressure and pushing the knife away from you to the top of the stone. Release the pressure and gently pull it towards you 7) Always wash your hands after stroking a dog All these words of wisdom came from various farm books printed in the thirties and may now be considered unacceptable in todays climate.
0
Peppard
Relief in Need
Your local safety net for helping people who are falling on hard times.
If you know someone who
Who might need a little financial help
(or you need help yourself)
Please let us know.
Your call will be delt with in
total confidence
Please telephone:
Valentine de Haan 01189723806
Or
Sue Nickson 01189724520Prayer for New Year 2021 Dear Father God, Here we are, nervously wobbling on the brink of this New Year. All our hopes, expec- tations, plans and possibilities for last year stolen by the relentless pandemic. The landscape of our lives has been shaken and changed, Lord. Nothing is the same. Normality has been redefined. 2020 was a year like no other. How dare we move into the uncertainty of 2021? Lord, we dare - because of the one, wonderful certainty we do have - that You have been with us through it all. Thank you that You sent Jesus to save us, to offer us that bigger reality of life for all eternity - if we put our trust in Him, Jesus, who never changes. You promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. We will be able to navigate the challenges lie ahead, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, our compass; if we trust His Holy Spirit to lead us, however strange and unfamiliar the days of 2021 may be. You are with us! You are with us! You are with us! Thank you, Lord of the years, that You know and love each one of us, and that we are safe in Your hands. We can go forward. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. By Daphne Kitching
Goods and Services Directory Home and car services All the basics for your Home 0118 972 3004 or 07794464273 Do you have jobs around the home which you cannot do, you do not want to do, or you do not have the time to do? I’m your man. Mr FIX-it Handyman services. Beacon Flooring 01491 454 095 Our family run business offers a friendly, polite, professional service: our Goring showroom caters for all flooring needs, including carpet, wood, vinyl and Karndean: we also provide a mobile service, bringing samples to your door. Free estimates, free fitting on carpets over £150, stair charge may apply. Contact us by phone or at www.beaconflooring.co.uk Compass Electrical 0118 972 3972 or 07737 413314 All domestic/commercial. Internal & external. ELECSA registered and approved. Local and reliable. Please call for a free quotation Computer problems 01491 680036 (enquires@influentialcomputers.com) PC outdated, misbehaving, virus infected? Fault diagnosis, maintenance and upgrades, networking, broadband, data recovery & migration , virus cleaning, website development and hosting, mobile phone boosting and much more. Phone Robin, Henry or Angus Piercey at Influential Computers. Eldon Tree Surgery (Ian Hogg) 0771 416 5840 Comprehensive and professional tree surgery and woodland management. Fully qualified, professional team .£2M insurance ; free quotations, trees inspection; 18 years of experience. T C Fuller Plumbing and Heating 0118 9724097 or 07800 914880 All aspects, installations, maintenance , service and repair. Free estimates . No call out charge. Design, supply and installation -gas heating, bath/shower rooms and plumbing refurbishments . Minor repairs and small jobs Glazing/Glass supply 01491 629 901 Henley glazing & window centre Ltd, Manor Farm, Peppard. Broken window replacement , glass cut to size. Mirrors, table tops and replacement windows. Mike Farina Auto Services 0118 972 4036 Servicing of all makes and Models. Tyres, diagnostics , MOT’s ,brakes, batteries and exhausts. 21 Sedgewell Road, Sonning common. Milo Technical Support 0118 972 4905( www.milotechnicalsuppourt@quickerwit.com) We fix any computer problem, software or hardware, on a no fix, no fee basis. Over 500 happy customers in Sonning Common and Peppard. Painter & decorator: P J Shackleford 01491 628564 Local painter and decorator (domestic) interior and exterior , small jobs welcomed, free estimates, established in 1985. Call Paul. Peppard Building supplies 0118 972 2028 Local delivery of all your building and landscaping needs, paving, topsoil, bark and much, much more. Bishopsland Farm, Peppard Road, Dunsden, Reading. RG4 9NR
S H Décor Ltd 01865 400208 Specialists in all aspects of interior and exterior decorating. Domestic/commercial. A local, family run business. Fully insured/City and Guilds QualifiedWww. Spruce Maintenance service 0118 972 4560 Decorating inside and out, including wallpapering, quality gloss work from joinery to kitchen doors. Floor and wall tilling, carpentry Inc door hanging/easing. Repairs to broken furniture and kitchen cabinets. Polishing. Please contact Rob Smith. K. Lock 0118 9429138 mobile 07860 286411 Your chimney needs you! Brush and vacuum sweep, wood and solid fuel stove installation .Clean reliable chimney sweep established 1949 Wee-Cott Seating 0118 972 4560 (incl fax) Chair caning, upholstery, loose covers, curtains and blinds, replacement cushions, furniture repairs and French polishing. For further details please contact Lizanne Smith. Entertainment Hobbs of Henley Ltd—The best in boating since 1870 01491 572035 River trips, holiday and day boat hire, passenger vessel charter for parties, Moorings, storage and repairs. www.hobbsofhenley.com Rotherfield Peppard War Memorial Hall 0118 972 4751 Available for bookings. Good car parking and hiring rates. For details and further information, please contact the Booking Manager The Pet Barn 0118 9242747 Here to help with any and all your pets’ needs. New is our K9000 self service dog wash; no need to book, just turn up! Come and visit us, plenty of parking and friendly service. Blounts Court Road, Sonning Common (top of Gravel Hill) Other services Bishopswood Day Nursery and Pre-School 0118 972 2196 Situated in Gallowstree Common we provide morning, afternoon, or all day care for children aged six weeks to five years. Happy, caring and stimulating environment. Ofsted approved, grant aided places available. Please contact us for information. Gardiner’s Nursing and Homecare 0118 334 7474 Since 1968, Gardiner’s have provided reliable and dedicated care workers to help clients to continue living in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. Www.gardinersnursing.co.uk Kathryn Fell Photography 07958 371770 Specialising in family portraits. In your home or location such as woodland . Weddings, christenings, pets, food and packshots. www. Kathrynfellphotography.co.uk Tomalin & Son Funeral Director and Monumental Mason 01491 573 370 Based in Henley-on-Thames, we are a local family run independent funeral director committed to pro- viding the highest standard of care and attention to each family. 24 hour availability every day. Golden charter pre paid funeral plans available
Services for January all at 10.30 3rd Private prayer 10th Morning worship 17th Eucharist 24th Private prayer 31st Morning Worship NB UNLESS NEW LOCKDOWN /TIERS RULES
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