OPEN DOOR - For Churches in Tiptree, Tolleshunt Knights, Great Braxted, Messing & Inworth
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OPEN
DOOR
For Churches in
Tiptree, Tolleshunt August/
Knights, Great September 2020
Braxted, Messing &
Inworth
£1.00
1
Contacts
Team Rector Licensed Lay Ministers
The Revd Anne-Marie Renshaw Harold Toms
01621 815260 Tiptree 01621 818595
amlrenshaw@btinternet.com Harold.toms@talktalk.net
Day off: Monday
Anne Wild
Team Vicar
07837 248134
The Revd Lydia Smith awild2014@gmail.com
01206 738759
revlydiasmith@gmail.com St Luke’s, Tiptree:
Day off: Friday https://www.facebook.com/
Associate Minister
Revd Anne-Marie @RectorTiptree
Revd Christine Gorringe
Revd Lydia Smith @RevLydiaSmith
christine.gorringe@btinternet.com Team account: @ThurWinChurches
Day off: Tuesday
Team Administrator for enquiries for all churches in the group
Christine Hall 819557 (Tues and Thurs & Parish Office answer machine,
10.00am to 12.30pm) Mobile: 07421 078981
(Tues, Wed & Thurs with voicemail, 10.00am to 12.30pm
thurstableteamadmin@btinternet.com
www.thurstablewinstree.org
Deadline for the next edition: October/November 2020
Sunday 6 September.
From this issue we are producing Open Door on a bi-monthly basis
rather than quarterly .
Items for the magazine: can be emailed to thurstableteamadmin@btinternet.com or
delivered to St Luke’s Parish Office or sent to m.borgartz@btinternet.com
2
We are living through a strange time that none of us could quite
have imagined a year ago. Everyone’s experience of lockdown has
been different. For some, it has been a time of gardening, re-
decorating, crafts, reading and baking interspersed with family
Zoom calls. For others, it has felt desperately empty and lonely.
Some have enjoyed working from home and not having to
commute to the office, while others have struggled with trying to
work while also home-schooling children of varying ages and
degrees of cooperation. Some have been quite happy to be
furloughed and still paid, while others have worked longer hours in more stressful
environments, while still others have seen their jobs and businesses vanish.
For some, there have been gains. Many people have found out who their neighbours
are for the first time. It has been great to see people willing to volunteer to help others
with shopping or collecting prescriptions. Pollution levels came down when no one was
driving about. It is a good thing that the Leicester sweatshops paying £3.50 an hour and
no heed at all to employment legislation have finally been brought out into the open.
Many of us living in the Midlands in the 1980s knew these places existed and are only
astonished it has taken so long for anyone to do anything about them.
But the losses have been huge: the funerals we haven’t been able to attend, the family
members we haven’t hugged, the long days of isolation for those living alone, the
increase in domestic violence, the number of children suffering malnutrition, the lost
summer term of exams, sports, school plays and parties – all the “lasts” for those
leaving school – the jobs, the weddings, the things that bring us together and make our
lives more joyful.
As a society, we are not always very good at marking the losses. We tend to gloss over
them and move on to the next thing without always even acknowledging them
properly. The Bible caries a long history of lament. The biblical writers understood that
sometimes, the community needs to stop and weep over what has been lost to its
common life. Community lament has a place alongside celebration and it is a healthy
thing to do. It is part of why we go to funerals of people who are not part of our own
family. We are not very good at it these days.
The Psalms give us great examples of both celebration and lament. Psalm 150 is a
psalm of celebration: it is all about praising God as loudly and exuberantly as possible.
Psalm 137 is perhaps one of the best-known psalms of lament. Some of us are the right
generation to remember Boney-M singing it (oh for the days when you could get into
the charts singing bits of the Bible!). It is the lament of the exiles in Babylon
remembering the festivals they used to celebrate at the temple in Jerusalem before
their conquest and its destruction. It is a psalm that makes for uncomfortable reading if
we follow it through to the end: the exiles are so angry that they find themselves
imagining revenge in the form of murdering the children of their oppressors. It is a
3
reminder that lament can be destructive if we start seeing ourselves as victims and
“others” as those responsible.
Perhaps Psalm 137 would be a better psalm if the writer had stopped at verse 4: “How
can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” For that is a good question for the
churches to be asking now. How can we sing the Lord’s song in the strange new world
that we now inhabit? How can we be the church for those who are able to gather
together in our church buildings and those who, for whatever reason, cannot? How can
we sing God’s praise without actually singing? What do we have to say about God to
people who may be wondering where God has been these last months? How will we
mark the festivals we celebrate in the autumn – Harvest, Remembrance, All Saints and
All Souls, Advent and Christmas - if we cannot keep them as we have in previous years?
As Christians, we need to feel able to say that what has happened to us in the last few
months has been hard. We need to be able to lament what has been lost and help
others to voice their losses too. But we need not to turn our lament into a cry for
vengeance, but into a song of hope. Psalm 22 does this beautifully. It begins with the
anguished cry that God has forsaken us and does not seem to be listening to us any
longer – and I suspect we have all had days when we have felt like that – but halfway
through the psalm, the writer suddenly changes tone because something has happened
and rescue has come. The psalm ends with a promise to go on speaking of God’s
faithfulness to a generation not yet born.
We may have to learn to live with Covid-19 for some time to come. As a church we may
need to learn to sing the Lord’s song in a different way. With God’s help, we too may
find signs of hope in the midst of our lament and discover, like the writer of Psalm 126,
that those who go out weeping to sow the seed return with shouts of joy as they bring
the harvest home.
Anne-Marie Renshaw
Over-65s go shopping online
When you can’t go out, go shopping. That seems to be the decision of many people over
65.
Record numbers of over-65s have signed up for online banking, according to recent data
from Halifax. And they are now shopping online twice as much as a year ago, after
being forced to stay home during lockdown.
Overall, the proportion of transactions being made online by those over the age of 65
has doubled, climbing from 20 per cent to 40 per cent.
4
Sheila Gunson produced this during lockdown using the art of pyrography (The art or
technique of decorating wood or leather by burning a design on the surface with a
heated metallic point.)
5
TIPTREE CONNECTIONS
tea/coffee & cake
On the third Monday of the month 11 am to 12 pm
Photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash
Coffee Mornings & Lunches at the New Times, We hope to resume the coffee mornings
and lunches in September. New Times are happy to host these again for us, subject to
social distancing rules. It will be good to get together again for friendship and
fellowship; we propose to commence COFFEE MORNINGS on Monday 21st September
and TIME FOR LUNCH on Monday, 28th September. These will continue thereafter on
the 3rd and 4th Mondays each month, with the exception of December, up to the end of
this year. Please ring Christine on 01621 819166 for any further details and/or if a lift is
required.
TIME FOR LUNCH
On the fourth Monday of the month at 12 pm
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
6
The Bagpiper
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a
graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to
be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't
stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently
gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left
and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.
I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I
didn't know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches
and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no
family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all
wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though
my head was hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one
of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in
septic tanks for twenty years."
(from Anne Wild)
TRUE BLUE BRITISH
I’m true blue British and the blood that’s in my veins
Is Celtic, Roman, Saxon with a smattering of Danes.
One ancestor was Norman and another came from Spain
And I even have an uncle who was born in the Ukraine.
One grandmother is Irish and one’s a German Jew,
But my granddad's granddad's granddad fought and died at Waterloo.
I’ve an aunt now in New Zealand and another in New York
But I’m true blue British - you can tell, the way I talk.
One sister wed a Frenchman and one a wealthy Greek
And the man I’m going to marry says he comes from Mozambique.
But I’m true blue British and I’m proud as I can be
Of my ancient family lineage and my splendid pedigree.
Anne Wild
1998
7
Church Floor Re-tiling
Following some very welcome Grant Funding towards the cost of this project and the
receipt of Faculty approval, a decision was taken to undertake re-tiling of the rear of the
Nave and the South Aisle whilst the Church was closed. This work is going well to plan
and the new Limecrete Base has already been laid and is in the process of drying. Re-
tiling is expected to start at the beginning of August. As a result of all the dust/ cobwebs
at high level we think it will probably be necessary to have a major clean through when
completed.
My thanks again to the Fabric Team for endless hours on their knees removing the old
tiles (three days in total !!) and to Elizabeth Firmin and her helpers for cleaning up before
the Church was needed for services again.
Clive Eastbrook
8
Old Font Location Revealed
When taking up the tiles at the rear of St Luke’s, the previous location of the font was
revealed as can be seen in the pictures below.
The location can be seen on the original plans for St Luke’s. The plans for St Lukes can
be seen at http://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/LPLIBLPL~34~34
Once there, search for Tolleshunt Knights
9
The above was done by Clive & Helen Eastbrook’s grandson Adam. He is just completing Yr
6 at Tiptree Heath Primary School and has been working on this as a topic whilst the school
has been closed.
Helen has been undertaking the annual churchyard flora survey in St. Luke’s churchyard .
Harebells were found around the tree in front of the church
10Something to think about.
If you could fit the entire population of the world into a village consisting of 100 peo-
ple, maintaining the proportions of all the people living on Earth, that village would
consist of:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (North, Central and South)
8 Africans
There would be:
52 women and 48 men
30 Caucasians and 70 non-Caucasians
30 Christians and 70 non-Christians
89 heterosexuals and 11 homosexuals
6 people would possess 59% of the wealth and they would all come from the USA.
80 would live in poverty
70 would be illiterate
50 would suffer from hunger and malnutrition
1 would be dying
1 would be being born
1 would own a computer
1 (yes, only one) would have a university degree.
So consider this - if you woke up this morning in good health, you have more luck than
one million people, who won’t live through the week.
If you have never experienced the horror of war, the solitude of prison, the pain of tor-
ture, have never been close to death from starvation, then you are better off than 500
million people.
If you can go to your place of worship without fear that someone will assault or kill you,
then you are luckier than 3 billion people.
If you have a full fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to
sleep, you are wealthier than 75% of the world’s population.
If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse,
you are one of 8 of the privileged few amongst the100 people in the world.
Count your blessings. Give thanks and, if you can, give generously.
(from the internet via Anne Wild)
11Lockdown Reflections
Being fairly new to the area we
discovered Pods Wood and the lakes
behind it during lockdown, it has
become a place of peace and tranquility
and has been such a delight.
Liz Twin
12Cold Callers
Statistics show that older people and people with a disability are a target of conmen and
fraudulent traders.Cold calling is not illegal. However, any trader that ignores a sticker or
notice on your door stating that you do not wish to receive cold calls may be committing
a criminal offence. Able Community Care have decided to try and help prevent, where
they can, an older or disabled person becoming a victim.
The door sticker below may be of interest. Christine has obtained a small supply of
them. They are free of charge and be collected from the office.
Tiptree and Tollesbury
WEA are continuing to
delight and provide
continuing education to
all students in the area.
We are not going to be defeated by the covid virus but instead allow a completely safe
online learning environment from the comfort of your own home!
As part of our July online programme we have Dr Kate Jewell delivering a course on
medieval festivals in East Anglia. This is on July 14th. The other July offering is yachting
with an economic and historical flavour. This will look at the Americas Cup and the close
links which exist with the East Coast and Tollesbury in particular. This course will be on
July 29th and is tutored by Andy Beharrell.
These courses are free tasters to get students familiar with how the WEA works online.
However, if you miss out on these courses, we also have Roger Cook returning in the
Autumn term to explain the story of parliament from 1689. (When James II has just been
deposed during the Glorious Revolution.) These are just a small sample of what WEA has
to offer https://www.wea.org.uk/find-course. Please do join us and get your brain
exercised at the same time! Roger Cook’s course will be chargeable unless you are in
receipt of government benefits. Find out more by contacting Tipree.branch@wea.ac.uk
or contact 01621735817.
Please note, we will be continuing to do face to face courses as soon as we are safe to do
so.
13Would you like to share in a journey of discovery?
The COURSE IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES
is an opportunity to explore the Christian faith with others. The
course runs over two years, is open to anyone over the age of
16 and is based on weekly meetings in local groups.
This year we will be running the first term of all face to face
groups entirely via ZOOM, with the hope of moving back to lo-
cal face to face groups in January 2021 if it is safe to do so and
in accordance with government guidelines.
If you are new to ZOOM, do not be discouraged, we are offer-
ing a short training session on how to use ZOOM, followed by
the CCS Taster/Introductory event on
5th September starting at 10.30am
To register your interest in either or both events and receive an
easy click on link invitation, email Diane Hardy dhar-
dy@chelmsford.anglican.org or call her on 01245 294449
Is it difficult for you to commit to a regular weekly meeting?
WHY NOT TRY THE ONLINE VERSION?
group learning when and where it suits you,
Further details available at www.chelmsford.anglican.org/ccs
14COURSE IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES (CCS) UPDATE
Wendy and Martin Borgartz started the CCS course in September. Over the period of the
course we are reporting what we are doing and maybe encourage others to do the
course.
Although it seems hard to believe, we are now half way through the course, having
completed the first year. We have managed to keep going using Zoom for our sessions,
which has changed the way we do things a little but we have still enjoyed learning
together. The tutors have done a fantastic job of restructuring the sessions so that they
work with us all together discussing rather than breaking up into small groups.
When we last wrote back in February (and that seems a really long time ago now) we
were about to start looking at Paul’s letters and talked about having to choose one out
of 8 assignments to do over the Easter break. Wendy chose to write bullet points for a
series of 6 sermons on different themes in Matthew. The question didn’t have a word
limit, which was just as well as if there had been a limit I would have burst it massively –
I just couldn’t write the outlines for 6 sermons in not more than 1500 words! Martin
chose to write an essay explaining why “The Son of Man must .. be killed and on the
third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22). We both passed, hooray. We both went with
assignments based on the New Testament, personally I still find some of Paul’s letters
difficult and I think Paul may be one of those areas for further study.
The summer term has been a bit different. The first half term we were looking at
spirituality. As part of this we each drew up our Life Journey with the focus on the
significant events, where God was in the picture at each stage and our feelings and
emotions. We also experimented with different methods of prayer and each used a new
method to pray each day for a week. At some point, it would be good to go back and try
some of the other methods. We also looked at the psalms as prayer, what it means to be
a disciple and had a go at drawing up our own personal ‘Rules of Life’ to follow, and
thought about what God may be calling us to do. This was a half term that was light on
reading but heavy on thought, personal feelings and our personal relationships with
God.
The final unit in the year was looking at the sacraments, with specific focus on baptism
and the Eucharist. We talked about how different Christian faiths view baptism, and how
our own different churches each approached baptism and also the service of
thanksgiving for the birth of a child. We then moved on to look at the Eucharist, the
imagery associated with Holy Communion, and how different churches approach it. We
talked about confirmation and also the admission of children to communion before
confirmation (we were able to feedback on the experience at St Luke’s with this). We
ended the year with a celebration of Holy Communion over Zoom, which given we
hadn’t been to a Eucharist service for over three months was actually very moving just
to hear the words of the Eucharistic prayer. Although we all understood that they were
not consecrated, we each had our own bread and wine which we all ate at the same
time, which also still managed to feel special.
15Over the summer we have a choice of five optional assignments, although we are all
being encouraged to do one. As we are hoping at St Luke’s to be able to prepare three
more young people for admission to communion before confirmation when this is
allowed again, I have decided to do the assignment to design a course to prepare
children to receive Holy Communion, then if it is approved by Anne-Marie and the PCC,
we can actually make use of it. Martin has yet to decide which one he will do, there are
essays or presentations on how your church nurtures those newly baptised and could it
be improved, or looking at one element of the Communion service and how to live it out
each day, or looking at the changes to the Communion service in the words and layout of
churches and how this reflects different ideas of our relationship with God, or a portfolio
showing the impact of one of the main baptismal symbols.
When we start back in September (still on Zoom, hopefully meeting in person in the New
Year) we are going to be looking at the history of the church in the world and in Essex,
looking at some key developments and beliefs. That Unit looks as if it is going to be
another one involving more reading.
When we started on CCS back in September 2019 we were given a 48 week reading plan
to cover the whole bible. We now have just 5 more weeks to run on it, then we will have
read all of the Old Testament and New Testament. Perhaps the next challenge will be to
read the Apocrypha, and then we can start again from the beginning.
There will be a new CCS course running on Wednesday evenings starting in September
2020, the first term on Zoom then also hopefully moving into meeting at St John’s
Church at High Woods, which is where we meet on Thursdays. If you are interested, look
on the Diocesan website or ask either of us if you want more information. We have
thoroughly enjoyed this first year, enjoyed fellowship with a new and diverse group of
fellow Christians, and learnt an awful lot. Roll on year 2.
Wendy (and Martin) Borgartz
The Sign of the Cross
Why do some people make the sign of the cross at certain points during a service?
It is, according to some, a form of shortened prayer asking God to make our worship
meaningful and acceptable to him, enabling us to receive his blessing.
It professes our faith in the truth of the Trinity and the power of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit to embrace, protect, cleanse and heal us.
It is also a profession of the trust we have in Christ's redeeming power and the saving
work he accomplished for us on the cross.
This prayerful action is not just a statement of belief but a vow to defend that belief
even if it means taking up our own cross to follow Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.
From the entrance to the Church of the Pudenziana, Rome.
Via Anne Wild
16John Bunyan
The man who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress
After the Bible, John Bunyan’s wonderful Christian allegory, the Pilgrim’s Progress, is one
of the most celebrated and widely-read books in the English language. It has been
translated into more than one hundred languages around the world and keeps its place
as a Christian classic.
Names of people and places from its pages have been commonplace wherever English is
spoken. We need only recall Mr Great-Heart, Mr Valiant-for-Truth, Giant Despair,
Madame Bubble, the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, the Delectable Mountains, the Hill
Difficulty and the Celestial City.
Bunyan was born on 28 November 1628, at Elstow, near Bedford, England, of a poor
family. He had little formal education and his father taught him to be a metal worker.
His first wife died young. His second wife, Elizabeth, helped him considerably with his
blossoming literary career. His conversion was the result of reading the Bible, and the
witness of local Christians. From that time the Bible became the great inspiration of his
life. He wrote more than fifty books on Christianity. A Baptist by conviction, he had little
time for the Established Church.
Bunyan became a popular preacher, but because of his opposition to the Established
Church and because he did not have a Church of England preaching licence, he was
imprisoned in 1661. It was in prison that he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. It was not only
Bunyan’s greatest book but was destined to become one of the most popular Christian
books in the world.
Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory, using the names of people and places from the Bible to
teach spiritual lessons. The vivid and unforgettable imagery in the Pilgrim’s Progress
covers the whole Christian gospel from sin and condemnation all the way through faith,
repentance, grace, justification, sanctification, and perseverance to heaven itself.
Bunyan died on 31 August 1688. His portrayal of the death of Mr Valiant For Truth is
Bunyan at his allegorical best. This brave old soldier of Jesus Christ had received his
summons to ‘go home.’ Calling his friends together he says, ‘My sword I give to him
who shall succeed me in my pilgrimage … My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a
witness for me, that I have fought His battles, Who will now be my rewarder.’ … So he
passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side...’
17Extension Update
Since the last edition of Open Door when I reported that Phase 1 was scheduled for
completion in early March, unfortunately for all concerned , coronavirus brought things to
an abrupt halt and the Contractors, like everybody else were unable to
continue. However, as things started to return to some normality a decision was taken by
the PCC Standing Committee that whilst the premises were not being used and to avoid
further disruption for bookings at a later date, it seemed sensible to continue with Phase 2
and aim for completion before our Hirers return.
Once we were able to resume working and with the help of our Fabric Team colleagues,
Ian and Mike P it was decided to remove the existing kitchen units and advertise these in
return for a donation to the Church. I am pleased to say that we had number of enquiries
and are grateful that they have gone to a good cause.
I am now pleased to report that good progress is being made with the knocking through
from the hall and kitchen, new doors, windows and plumbing services installed and the
floor screed all completed. The next stage is to build new partition walls, some electrical
work and then ceilings before final fitting out and decoration of the much larger kitchen
and additional toilets.
Whilst this has been going on Mike Weston (with some help from myself!) have built new
storage cupboards on the stage area and dismantled the original ones in the hall area as per
our Architect’s recommendation. This together with keeping tables and some chairs in the
new store room will certainly give more floor space for future functions etc.
I hope that my next update will be to inform everybody that the project is complete and
ready for use.
Clive Eastbrook.
1819
HYMN: The story behind … JUST AS I AM
The hymn ‘Just As I Am’ must be one of the most famous in the world. It has been
sung by tens of millions of Christians at Billy Graham Crusades the world over, just
for starters! Yet it was not written by a professional who was ‘aiming’ at a specific
market, as many songs seem to be written today. Instead, it was written by an artist
in Victorian times.
Her name was Charlotte Elliott, and she was born in Clapham in 1789. She grew up
in a well to do home, and became a portrait artist and also a writer of humorous
verse. All was well until Charlotte fell ill in her early 30s, and slid into a black
depression. A minister, Dr Caesar Malan of Switzerland, came to visit her. Instead of
sympathising, he asked her an unexpected question: did she have peace with God?
Charlotte deeply resented the question and told him to mind his own business.
But after he left, his question haunted her. Did she have peace with God? She knew
that she did not, that she had done some very wrong things. So, she invited Dr Malan
to return. She told him that she would like to become a Christian, but would have to
sort out her life first.
Dr Malan again said the unexpected: “Come just as you are.” The words were a
revelation to Charlotte. She had assumed that she would have to put her life in order
before she could hope to be accepted by God. Instead, she realised that Jesus wanted
her just as she was - and He would take care of the sin. Charlotte became a Christian
that day.
14 years later, in 1836, Charlotte wrote some verses that summed up how it had
been between her and Jesus that day. They ran:
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bids’t me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, tho tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt
Fightings within, and fears without,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Charlotte could not have dreamed that 150 years into the future, her verses would
be sung by millions of people all over the world, as they responded to the Gospel
presented at many great Billy Graham crusades, and made their way forward to do
just as the hymn describes - to come to Jesus Christ, despite sin and fear and doubts,
to come ‘just as I am.’
20Pandemic ‘transforms the Church into Netflix’
by the Revd Peter Crumpler, a Church of England priest in St Albans, Herts, and a former communica-
tions director for the CofE.
The Covid-19 pandemic has “propelled the Church into the contemporary world,” says a new report
from CPAS, an Anglican evangelical mission agency working with UK and Irish churches.
‘Everyone Welcome Online’ looks at the lockdown’s impact on churches and concludes, “Last month
we were the Odeon, today we are Netflix.
“In the 1950s, the Odeon was okay, but then along came consumer choice, individualism and crowded
complex lifestyles. Then came TV film channels, and now Netflix, Prime and others, where you can
watch whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you are on whatever you’ve got.”
The authors, Bob Jackson and George Fisher, say “The Government has shut our ‘Odeons’ down, so in
response we have stumbled into ‘Homespun Netflix’ and it’s looking promising.
“Most churches going online have discovered that far more people are accessing their services than
ever came to the building. What seemed initially to be a devastating blow to churches may actually
generate growth.”
Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox described the 26-page report as “An astonishingly thorough and per-
ceptive overview of online church.”
The authors, who devised the popular ‘Everybody Welcome’ course published by Church House Pub-
lishing, include feedback from churches experiencing increased numbers of people logging in for online
services, both live and recorded.
One church reported “We’ve had a huge number of hits, many more than the number of people in
church on a Sunday, connecting with people who would not come to a regular service.”
The report analyses who is responding and detects groups ranging from friends and family of church
members, to the housebound with links to the church, people linked by christenings, weddings or fu-
nerals, people who have moved away, occasional churchgoers and people who have found the church
through a denominational or diocesan link.
The authors encourage churches to make contact with people who are ‘dropping in’ to the services,
suggesting “Contact as many people as you can to say hello and how nice it was to see them connect
with the church, and ask how they are and how the church can help them.”
People are finding it easier to access church online because they can join in the services without feeling
concerned about ‘doing the wrong thing’ – like standing or sitting at the ‘wrong’ time – they don’t have
to enter a strange building and meet new people and they can access the services at a time that
suits them.
One church reported: “One previously non-churchgoer said that online she felt comfortable, fully part
of the service and so more welcomed than if she had been in the building unsure of how to behave.”
The report’s authors are keen to hear from churches about their experiences during lockdown and ask
people to contact them at allarewelcome2020@gmail.com
The ‘Everyone Welcome Online’ report can be accessed free at: https://www.cpas.org.uk/church-
resources/understanding-christian-leadership/everyone-welcome-online/everybody-welcome-online/
#.Xs-E7UBFxPY
21Dramatic rise in home exercise injuries
during lockdown
Something like 7.2 million Britons injured themselves while trying to stay fit during
lockdown. There has been a dramatic rise in exercise-related injuries, ranging from
sprains and strains to pulled muscles and back injuries.
Of those of us injured during lockdown, 30 per cent of us were doing classes online or
via apps, 28 per cent were weight training and 22 per cent were using home gym
equipment.
A doctor at BUPA points out that although “exercise is enormously important for both
our physical and mental health, new
regimes and workouts should be taken
on with caution.”
The British Chiropractic Association
(who reported a 660 per cent increase
in traffic to its website!) warned that if
you do yourself a small injury, do NOT
try and ‘run it off’ or ‘push through
the pain barrier’. “There’s no science
to say that it works. Instead you are
risking more damage and a longer lay-
off by not listening to your body.”
Online book of remembrance opened at St Paul’s
St Paul’s Cathedral has launched Remember Me, an online book of remembrance for all
those who have been living in the UK who have died as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. People of all faiths, beliefs or none are invited to contribute to Remember
Me.
HRH The Prince of Wales , who recorded a video message, said: “This virtual book of
remembrance is here not just to recall our loss and sorrow, but also to be thankful for
everything good that those we have loved brought into our lives.”
Family, friends and carers of those who have died can submit, free of charge, the name,
photograph and a short message in honour of a deceased person via the Remember
Me website ( https://www.rememberme2020.uk/ ) The deceased person must have
been living in the UK. Remember Me will be open for entries for as long as needed. It is
intended that the Remember Me site will become a physical memorial at the Cathedral.
22Getting to know next door
This time last year, how well did you know your neighbours? Around one in five of us
have since admitted that we had never even spoken to them.
What a difference a pandemic makes. Now twice as many of us have talked to our neigh-
bours in the past week as compared with last year. A further one in three of us have also
done something to help a neighbour. This
works out to 33 million people having talked to
a neighbour in the past week, and 15 million of
them even helping one during lockdown.
Seven in 10 of us also said that people in our
area are now more likely to stop for a chat, and
three quarters of us want their new-found
friendliness to continue.
The survey was commissioned for the Big
Lunch, a National Lottery-supported initiative
from the Eden Project.
23The report below appeared in the
Enovert Trust Annual Report. The
Trust generously gave us a grant to
cover the entire cost of the work on
the boiler house roof last year
St Luke’s was given a new lease of life, following a £17,000 grant from Enovert Commu-
nity Trust which funded a project to make essential repairs to the Church roof. The Trust
awards grants under the terms of the Landfill Communities Fund, providing funding to a
broad range of projects that have a positive impact on the community.
The roof was in dire need of urgent repairs, as deteriorating roof tiles were causing leaks
and damp to the building’s interior. Following a recommendation from the Rural Com-
munity Council of Essex, St Luke’s Church applied to Enovert Community Trust for sup-
port with the project and received a grant to cover the full cost of the project.
The church is well-used by members of the local community and this project will ensure
it is safe and able to continue its important work supporting vulnerable people in Essex.
2425
All in the month of August
250 years ago, on 22nd August 1770 that British explorer Captain James Cook discovered
eastern Australia, named it New South Wales, and claimed it for Britain.
***
th
150 years ago, on 4 August 1870 that the British Red Cross Society was founded.
***
th
125 years ago, on 10 August 1895 that the Proms (Promenade Concerts) began in
London.
***
100 years ago, on 21st August 1920 that Christopher Robin Milne was born. He was son
of the author A. A. Milne, and he appeared as a character in his father’s Winnie-the-Pooh
stories. (Died 1996.)
***
th
80 years ago, on 13 August 1940 that the main phase of the Battle of Britain began.
The German Luftwaffe launched raids on RAF airfields and radar installations. On 29th
August Winston Churchill paid tribute to the Royal Air Force in a famous House of
Commons speech, saying, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few.”
***
rd st
15 years ago, from 23 to 31 August, Hurricane Katrina hit the Bahamas, Cuba and the
southern US states. New Orleans was badly affected when the levee system failed, and
80% of the city was under water for weeks. Florida and Mississippi were also badly hit.
More than 1,800 people died. It was the costliest natural disaster in US history.
All in the month of September
305 years ago, on September 1, 1715 - The "Sun King" (King Louis XIV of France) died. He
had ruled since the age of five and was succeeded by his 5-year-old great-grandson
Louis XV.
***
80 years ago, on September 7, 1940 - The German Luftwaffe began its Blitz bombing
campaign against London during World War II.
***
30 years ago, on September 12, 1990 - A treaty was signed by East and West Germany
and the Allies of World War II allowing for the restoration of sovereignty to a re-unified
Germany.
***
2680 years ago, on September 15, 1940 - The height of the Battle of Britain occurred as
massive German air raids took place against London, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff,
Liverpool and Manchester. The British claimed 185 German planes were shot down. .
***
400 years ago, on September 16, 1620 - The Mayflower ship departed from England,
bound for America with 102 passengers and a small crew. The ship weathered
dangerous Atlantic storms and reached Provincetown, Massachusetts on November
21st. The Pilgrims disembarked at Plymouth on December 26th.
***
954 years ago, on September 28, 1066 - The Norman conquest of England began as Duke
William of Normandy landed at Pevensey, Sussex.
***
27125 years of the Proms in London
Tim Lenton looks back on the start of a national treasure…
It was 125 years ago this month, on 10th August 1895, that the Proms (Promenade
Concerts) began in London.
In fact, the idea of promenade concerts went back to 1838, referring to outside concerts
during which the audience could walk about – but in the form introduced by Robert
Newman at Queen’s Hall in Langham Place, London, the promenaders were standing
members of the audience, and this usage has persisted. Henry Wood – also a talented
organist – was the original conductor, and his name became firmly attached to the
annual series of concerts. He was knighted in 1911.
The concerts have been sponsored by the BBC since 1927, except for 1940 and 1941,
when there was fear of bombing, and in fact Queen’s Hall was bombed in 1941, with
the concerts moving to their current home at the much larger Royal Albert Hall.
The Proms have now become a huge summer musical festival lasting for eight weeks
and with many innovations. The Last Night in particular has become a traditional feature
of British life and celebration of Britishness. The Proms have been described by Czech
conductor Jiří Bělohlávek as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival”.
In the current coronavirus crisis, the Proms will continue, but in a much-changed form –
“not as we know them, but as we need them”, say the organisers.
28God in the Sciences
Dr Ruth M Bancewicz is Church Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science
and Religion in Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive relationship between Science and
Christian faith.
Parable: The Strength of a Seed
At this time of year we enjoy the fruits of our gardens, fields and hedgerows: vegetables
ripen, crops are harvested, and berries begin to show bright among the leaves. Much of
this growth started with a few seeds in spring: the miracle of life coming from small
dead-looking things. There is a league table of long-lived seeds. The winners so far are
from the narrow-leafed campion, buried by squirrels in the Siberian permafrost over
30,000 years ago. When those seeds finally germinated, they became healthy plants
that flowered and produced seeds of their own.
The Bible contains many links between seeds and spiritual growth, and the parable of
the sower is the most famous (in Matthew 13). A person may hear or experience
something of God which has the potential to germinate into a life of following Him,
resulting in the fruit of others coming to know God too. But things can happen that
snatch that seed away, killing it before it has finished germinating, or choking its growth.
What about the knowledge of God that gets trampled, churned too deep in the mire of
life to receive the warmth and light it needs to develop into faith? Buried seeds don’t
always die, but they can lie dormant, remaining alive but inactive until the earth is
turned over. The possibility of that moment of connecting with something divine, scrap
of knowledge, or snatch of conversation resulting in a changed life may seem
infinitesimally small, but it’s not zero. The seed may be incredibly tough, just waiting for
a chance to grow.
The Gospel narrative plays on the fact that it took a long time for the disciples to
understand the full implications of Jesus’ teaching: a germination process that took
many of them three or more years. They could have been discouraged, but Jesus was
not. I don’t think it’s too much of stretch to draw out of the parable of the sower to
include the observation that it can take a long time, sometimes decades, for people to
work their way through the various barriers, sticking points, and phases of forgetfulness
that may keep them from following through on their spiritual experience. When we
finally receive – or are open to – the encouragement, challenge, or experience that
helps our faith in Christ grow, we can experience the rich fruit of a transformed life.
29Nature out and about
The lockdown this Spring at least gave Nature a brief respite. Wild goats, herds of deer,
sparrowhawks, stoats, snakes, badgers, spawning toads and songbirds all seemed to
have enjoyed the peace and quiet.
We, in turn, have enjoyed watching them from our windows. As Mark Thompson, a
presenter on Stargazing Life, said, “This lockdown is giving people a chance not just to
connect with our families, but also to connect with Nature around us. It has given us the
change to recalibrate.”
Tiptree Choral Society
Normally at this time, I would be writing about our concert planned for November in
commemoration of 75 years since the end of WW2. That same time marks the start of
Tiptree Choral Society, so it is our 75th anniversary too. As things stand at the moment,
in common with other groups and societies, we have no idea when we will be able to
meet together again but we live in hope that it will happen eventually!
In the meantime, we have been keeping in touch via a weekly newsletter, sharing
information about a whole range of cultural activities that have been available online
and sending in jokes and cartoons, all of which have raised a smile and some of which
have made us laugh out loud – the cockatoos were a favourite! Lots of us have been
busy catching up on jobs in house and garden and making things - for the NHS, for care
homes, for our families – and, (nothing like forward planning!), we have even decided
how we would decorate a Christmas tree for the Festival in December and have
organised ourselves accordingly - and if it turns out to be December 2021, it will keep!
We have kept busy, kept walking and exercising, and we have kept smiling but our role is
to sing and although of course we have been singing individually (even if only in the
bath!), we look forward very much to the time when together, we can sing for the
community again.
Liz Lazell,
chairman Tiptree Choral Society
3031
The Transfiguration – beholding the Glory
The Rev Michael Burgess considers ‘The Transfiguration’ by Fra Angelico. It is found in the
Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence
TQ – Tingle Quotient – is the name given to those things that can produce a tingle down
the spine or a frisson of excitement. It could be a piece of music or the sight of an even-
ing sunset at sea. We look, we hear, and our
sense of wonder as something sublime unfolds
before us produces delight and awe. We see a
hint of glory that can even lead us to worship.
I think the monk who lived in cell no 6 at the
Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence
must have felt that when he entered his room
and saw for the first time the fresco of the
Transfiguration that Fra Angelico had painted. I
am sure the sight would have stopped him in his
tracks, just as Peter, James and John were
stopped in their tracks as they beheld their Lord
transfigured before them on the mount.
From 1436 Fra Angelico painted a whole series
of frescoes for the convent from the High Altar
to the Chapter House to the cells of the monks.
Here in cell no 6 there is a restrained simplicity and directness about the Transfiguration.
One of the three disciples looks out towards us, while the other two are caught up in
wonder and awe as they look on Jesus with the faces of Moses and Elijah on either side.
Here Fra Angelico is not seeking to impress a wealthy patron: he is providing a focus for
devotion and prayer for the monks of his community. The scene speaks to us of that
sense of awe and reverence.
On August 6 we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration. The Gospel accounts relate
that special moment of revelation to the inner group of disciples. The glory shown to
them evoked a sense of wonder and marvel, but also a sense of loss. For the glory
proved elusive and just out of human reach. The moment of revelation passed, and the
disciples had to go down the mount again to meet the crying needs of the world, all but
forgotten when they were with their Lord on the mountain top.
The monk in his cell would ponder the glory of Fra Angelico’s fresco, knowing that he
would be called from his cell to take up his monastic duties. But the painting would go
with him to sustain and nurture his life. It is the same with us: we have moments of glory.
But they pass, and we must return to our daily lives. As we look on this month’s painting,
we sense that glory and wonder which can sustain us through life. As Thomas Jones says
in his poem on this episode:
Like a pearl we hold
Close to our hearts
what we have heard and seen.
32Take it to the LORD in prayer
What a lot of changes have been taking place in all our situations and daily routines in
the last few months. I still feel quite bewildered but thankful that some things have not
been affected.
One is the place of prayer. I am so thankful that God is the unchangeable one and our
LORD Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and we are safe in his keeping.
Like Daniel in the Old Testament I like to pray three times a day.
In the morning I would not leave my bedroom until I have prayed for my close and
extended family, mentioning each one by name. The things that I know concerns them I
bring to the LORD knowing that each one is precious and loved by Him. I am still
learning how to pray.
In the evenings I like to pray through my prayer letters, some from different Christian
charities and aid agencies. A lot of prayer is repetitious but I feel I am helping in some
way and I rejoice to hear when lives have been changed and situations improved.
Lunch time has been a good time to pray for brothers and sisters in our different
Churches and although we have not been able to meet together over the last weeks
friendships have deepened and its lovely to get a call on the phone, not to mention the
Zoom meetings.
I guess by now you might be wondering how it is possible to be able to spend this
amount of time in prayer each day when there are so many important things to see to
and care about.
Each new day is a gift from God and if we are willing to give part of it back to God in
prayer, He will see to it that we have all the time we need to attend to every important
issue.
The LORD bless thee and keep thee: the LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be
gracious unto thee. The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee and give you His peace
(Numbers 6:24-26).
Yours prayerfully
Trudie Brown
33Our page 34
35
The Transfiguration Wordsearch
August is a quiet month as far as the Church calendar is concerned, except that during the 11 th century,
some church fathers slipped in an important day - the Transfiguration of Jesus, when His disciples were given
just a glimpse of His future glory (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9).
Jesus took Peter, James and John, his closest disciples, up a high mountain. This is often identified as either
Mount Tabor (there is a great church up there today), or one of the three spurs of Mount Hermon, which
overlook Caesarea Philippi. High up on the mountain, Jesus was suddenly transfigured before His disciples.
His face began to shine as the sun, His garments became white and dazzling. Elijah and Moses, of all people,
suddenly appeared, and talked with Him. A bright cloud overshadowed the disciples, and a divine Voice
spoke out of the cloud, saying that Jesus was His beloved son, whom the disciples should ‘hear’. God’s
dwelling with mankind depends upon our listening to Jesus.
Then, just as suddenly, it is all over. What did it mean? Why Moses and Elijah? Well, these two men
represent the Law and the Prophets of the Old Covenant, or Old Testament. But now they are handing on
the baton, if you like: for both the Law and the Prophets found their true and final fulfilment in Jesus, the
Messiah.
transfiguration Caesarea cloud Moses Peter
Jesus Philippi transformed dwelling James
mountain high white mankind John
Tabor shine dazzling Law fear
Hermon face Elijah Prophets glory
36On the perils of leaving the pulpit
The Rectory
St James the Least
My dear Nephew Darren
When the churches reopen for public worship (whenever that is!) I hope you will come
and take Evensong one Sunday. But, thinking of your visit last August, I would prefer you
used the pulpit when preaching. How could Colonel Brockle complete ‘The Times’
crossword and Miss Balmer her knitting with you constantly walking up and down in
front of them? They found it most disconcerting, as out of politeness, they were obliged
to listen to you. It was a unique experience they do not wish to repeat.
Those few who defy Anglican tradition and sit at the front of the church were also placed
in the dilemma of trying to decide whether they should keep turning in their pews as
you paraded down the nave and then rotating back to the front as you re-emerged up
the side aisle. It did Lady Plumptree’s vertigo no good at all. It also allowed people to see
that you were wearing suede shoes. For many of our worshippers, the most appalling of
heresies are as nothing when compared to brown shoes under a cassock.
I appreciate you made heroic efforts and got your sermon down to 30 minutes, but that
is still 20 minutes longer than they anticipated and 29 minutes longer than their
attention span.
No, use the pulpit in future; that is the reason why stonemasons 600 years ago put
twenty tons of marble in our church in the first place and it would be a shame to
disappoint them. It also means that from a distance of 100 yards and a height of 20 feet,
no one can tell that the glass of water I use liberally while preaching is in fact a gin and
tonic.
I concede that our pulpit has its dangers. I have known several bishops come to grief as
their robes wrap themselves around the newel post as they ascend the steps. One,
unable to untangle himself, was obliged to preach while half-way up the steps and with
his back to the congregation, while our verger was dispatched to find a pair of scissors.
Perhaps, before your next visit, we may install a mechanical floor in the pulpit, so that
after 10 minutes, it slowly lowers you into the crypt while the congregation can get on
with singing the last hymn before getting home in decent time.
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
37Book the Hall in St Luke’s Church Extension St Lukes hall currently has
for your meeting, group or event space for some more
regular bookings,
Good rates and facilities!
• Mondays after 3.30pm
£15 an hour
• Wednesdays after 4.15pm
(except 2nd & 3rd Wed)
• Fridays after 4pm
Wi-fi available for
• Saturdays - some free dates.
group leaders or speakers
(discuss your needs to find out more contact Gareth, the
when booking) Hall Bookings Secretary
Bookings & Enquiries
Phone Gareth Williams: Please email your requirements to
01621 818069 Gareth Williams the Hall Bookings Sec-
hall.stlukestiptree@btinternet.com
retary for St Luke's at
We have some vacant slots in the diary for 2020 all.stlukestiptree@btinternet.com
so, why not give Gareth a call?
Crossword
38Crossword Clues
Across
1 and 3 Two of the disciples who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28)
(4,3,5)
3 See 1 Across
8 ‘Let us draw — to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith’ (Hebrews
10:22) (4)
9 O Simon is (anag.) (8)
11 Form of government under the direct rule of God or his agents (10)
14 How Jesus found his disciples when he returned to them after praying in
Gethsemane (Luke 22:45) (6)
15 In The Pilgrim’s Progress, the name of the meadow into which Christian strayed,
which led to Doubting Castle (2-4)
17 Glad sin rat (anag.) (10)
20 Spinal column (Leviticus 3:9) (8)
21 Valley of the Balsam Tree with a reputation of being a waterless place
(Psalm 84:6) (4)
22 ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one — — sees clearly’
(Numbers 24:3) (5,3)
23 Adam and Eve’s third son (Genesis 4:25) (4)
Down
1 David’s great friend (1 Samuel 20:17) (8)
2 ‘The Lord... will bring me safely to his — kingdom’ (2 Timothy 4:18) (8)
4 ‘I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; — — or wine touched my
lips’ (Daniel 10:3) (2,4)
5 Seeking to vindicate (Job 32:2) (10)
6 Female servant (Isaiah 24:2) (4)
7 ‘For Christ died for — once for all’ (1 Peter 3:18) (4)
10 ‘Offering spiritual sacrifices — to God through Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 2:5) (10)
12 Jesus said that some people had renounced this ‘because of the kingdom of
heaven’ (Matthew 19:12) (8)
13 One of the three men thrown into the furnace for refusing to worship
Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image (Daniel 3:20) (8)
16 ‘You have — of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be
merry’ (Luke 12:19) (6)
18 ‘There before me was a white horse! Its rider held — — , and he was given a
crown’ (Revelation 6:2) (1,3)
19 Equipment to Charity Hospitals Overseas (1,1,1,1)
39Whatever happened to Christopher Robin?
For those of us who loved Winnie-the-Pooh…. By Tim Lenton
One hundred years ago this month, on 21st August 1920, Christopher Robin Milne
was born. He was the only son of the author A. A. Milne and appeared as a character
in his father’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories and verses – a role he enjoyed at first but
later found difficult to handle.
The characters in Winnie the Pooh were based on his own soft toys or items
purchased later. The setting was inspired by Ashdown Forest in East Sussex: his
family owned nearby Cotchford Farm and spent weekends and holidays there.
His relationship with his nanny, Olive ‘Nou’ Brockwell, was close and continued into
adult life, but when he went to boarding school near Guildford in 1930 he was
bullied because his father’s work was well known: one poem, Vespers, brought him
“toe-curling, fist-clenching, lip-biting embarrassment”.
He married a cousin, Lesley de Selincourt, in 1948 and opened a bookshop in
Dartmouth. He was close to his father but not to his mother, Daphne, who did not
see him during the last 15 years of her life.
Milne had one child, Clare, who had cerebral palsy. He himself had myasthenia
gravis in his later years and died in 1996; he was described by one newspaper as a
‘dedicated atheist’.
Remembering the man who founded Barnardo’s
Tim Lenton considers the founding of an important charity.
It was 175 years ago, on 4th July 1845, that Thomas Barnardo, the humanitarian and
philanthropist, was born in Dublin. He founded Barnardo’s, a charity which continues to
care for vulnerable children and young people.
The son of a furrier, he worked as a clerk until converted to evangelical Christianity in
1862. He moved to London, intending to study medicine and become a missionary in
China. He never qualified as a doctor – despite being known as Dr Barnardo – and soon
decided that his real calling was to help poor children living on the streets of London,
where one in five children died before their fifth birthday.
40He opened his first home for boys in 1870 and soon vowed never to turn a child away.
Most Victorians saw poverty as shameful, associating it with poor morals and laziness,
but Barnardo refused to discriminate. He made sure boys were trained and found them
apprenticeships.
When Barnardo died in 1905, he left 96 homes caring for more than 8,500 vulnerable
children, including those with learning difficulties. Because he believed that children
should ideally grow up in a family setting, in 1887 he introduced an early form of foster-
ing – boarding out children to host families.
41You can also read
