The Parish Magazine December 2019 & January 2020 - Holy Trinity Micklegate
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The
Suggested
donation
50p
Parish
Magazine
December 2019 & January 2020
2 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
Parish contacts
The Priory Church of the Holy Trinity Parochial Church Council
Micklegate – Secretary & Safeguarding:
York Mr Mark Kingaby-Daly
YO1 6LE – Treasurer: Mr Adam Kingaby-Daly
– Lay Chair: Mr Mark Wharfedale
Priest-in-Charge
Vacant The Parish Magazine
– Editor: Mr Mark Kingaby-Daly
Assistant Curate
– Revd Canon Derek Earis Jacob’s Well
07984 655662 – To make a booking contact:
derekearis@hotmail.com 07492067803
jacobswell@holytrinityyork.org
Deacon
– Revd Dave Hobman Holy Trinity and St Martins
07749 269435 Ecclesiastical Trust
revdave@gmx.com – Treasurer: Mr Adam Kingaby-Daly
– Secretary: Mr Mark Kingaby-Daly
Pastoral Assistant
– Mr Mark Kingaby-Daly Micklegate York Charitable Trust
07492 067803 / 01904 593608 Contact info@holytrinityyork.org
mkingabydaly@gmail.com
Website and Social Media
Churchwardens – Website: www.holytrinityyork.org
– Mr Adam Kingaby-Daly – Facebook: HolyTrinityYork
01904 593608 – Twitter: HTMYork
akingabydaly@gmail.com – Instagram: holytrinityyork
– Mr Mark Wharfedale
07595 189781
shadowmw@me.com
Verger
– Miss Chloe Priest
07729 322850
chloe.priest@googlemail.com
EDITORIAL DEADLINE
Deadline for the
Choir Director February issue is:
– Mr Mark Wharfedale 22 January 2020 at 5.00 pm
07595 189781 Submissions to Mark Kingaby-Daly.
shadowmw@me.com
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 3
Wishing you a
Happy Christmas
and a
Blessed New Year
from all
at Holy Trinity4 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
In this edition
Parish Letter 6
The Nazareth Trust 7
Breakfast - 14 December 7
Advent, Christmas and Epiphany 8
Review of Ministry in York City Centre 9
Charitable giving at Holy Trinity 10
Breakfasts in 2020 11
To the Saints of the Diocese of York 12
The history of Christmas 13
St Nicholas – a much-loved saint 15
The man who married Mary 16
Christmas Wreath workshop 17
In praise of Good King Wenceslas 19
Protecting the Innocent 20
'Tis the season for Angels! 21
Christmas and St Luke’s Gospel 22
God in the Arts 23
God in the Sciences 24
My Favourite Nativity character 25
The naming of Jesus 26
What about the gifts? 27
Crossword 28
Recipe: Alpine Roll 30
Bible Bite 31
Mouse Makes 32
Church rota for “extra” services 33
Church rota for December & January 34
For your prayers ...
Please pray for ...
- our church as it enters interregnum.
- people who are homeless.
- the people of our parish.
- people working in the armed forces.
- our volunteers.The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 5
Church calendar
All are welcome to join us at our services. If you are new to Holy Trinity, please
feel free to make yourself known to us. Refreshments are served after services on
a Sunday. If you are housebound, unwell or in hospital we can arrange to visit with
Holy Communion. Please speak to a member of the ministry team.
Sun 1 December 11.00am Sung Eucharist - Advent Sunday (choir)
5.00pm Advent Carol Service (choir)
Wed 4 December 10.00am Coffee morning
12noon Sext (midday prayer)
Sun 8 December 11.00am Sung Eucharist (choir)
Wed 11 December 12noon Sext (midday prayer)
2.00pm Richard III Society Carol Service
Thurs 12 December 7.00pm Parish Carol Service (choir)
Sat 14 December 9.00am Breakfast in Jacob’s Well
Sun 15 December 11.00am Sung Eucharist (choir)
1.00pm Christmas Meal
Wed 18 December 10.00am Coffee morning
12noon Sext (midday prayer)
Sun 22 December 11.00am Sung Eucharist (no choir)
Tue 24 December 4.00pm Christingle Service
Wed 25 December 10.00am Sung Eucharist (Christmas Day)
Sun 29 December 11.00am Sung Eucharist (no choir)
Sat 4 January 5.00pm Choral Evensong (choir)
Sun 5 January 11.00am Sung Eucharist - Epiphany (choir)
Wed 8 January 12noon Sext (midday prayer)
Sat 11 January 9.00am Breakfast in Jacob’s Well
Sun 12 January 11.00am Sung Eucharist (choir)
Wed 15 January 12noon Sext (midday prayer)
Sun 19 January 11.00am Sung Eucharist (choir)
Wed 22 January 12noon Sext (midday prayer)
Sat 25 January 10am Residents’ Festival in Jacob’s Well
5.00pm Epiphany Carol Service (choir)
Sun 26 January 11.00am Sung Eucharist (choir)6 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Parish Letter Christmas and New Year have different meanings for us each year. That is because we bring our experiences and memories of the past year to bear on what is happening now. In our churches locally and in our national and international situations we react to change in many ways. According to our temperament change can feel unsettling and a time of anxiety. Equally, to others it can feel like a time of opportunity. For us all we are in a time of transition not quite knowing what the future will bring. Although Christmas comes in midsummer in some parts of the world it comes to us at the darkest time of the year. That was clearly the intention when the midwinter solstice or thereabouts was chosen for this festival. It can mean that this really is our darkest time and that we need a light to shine in the darkness. It can also mean that we must draw on our deepest resources of faith and hope to get through times of trouble or loneliness. The birth of a baby will always bring hope and optimism. That is why it is so right that we celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus on December 25th. The faith and hope of Mary and Joseph are an inspiration. The circumstances of the birth, amidst homelessness and in a stable emphasise that God is present and active wherever there are acts of humility and kindness. It is not until the New Year and the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th that we come to realise that this message of incarnation is for all – rich or poor. The gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that the ‘Wise Men’ bring symbolise that God’s gift to creation is many-faceted. We learn that worship and service require our greatest talents, that we will encounter misunderstanding and suffering but that we will always be sustained by prayer and a deepened spirituality. As we go through these months of transition in our parishes discussing our futures and awaiting a new parish priest (or more!) we will draw on our own riches of tradition and spirituality. Our experience of life has already taught us that we rarely if ever get all that we hope for. Those same experiences have also taught us that we get help from unexpected places when we least
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 7 expect it – and that God’s hand is in it all. Please accept Advent, Christmas and New Year good wishes from the clergy, Deacons, Readers, Churchwardens and others who are doing their best to encourage congregations and communities towards a confident and faith- filled future. Rev’d Malcolm Grundy The Nazareth Trust Working to heal and improve lives This year the Nazareth Trust has raised funds to support renovation work in the Nazareth Hospital’s Maternity Department. Over £60,000 was raised, renovations are well underway. For 2020, the aim is to launch a new International Volunteer Chaplaincy. As a spokesman explains, “At our hospital, we encounter over 300,000 people every year. We want to provide a ministry of presence to all those who desire it, to provide a reassuring hand at a difficult time. We already have a wonderful local Chaplaincy team at the hospital; however, their time to be with patients is very limited due to volunteer numbers. Our planned new Chaplaincy service will complement and support the existing one. We aim to recruit international volunteers who will serve for periods of three months or longer, allowing us to provide a much greater level of spiritual care at our hospital. Our need is for six international volunteers at any one time” The focus will be on recruiting a pool of volunteers, and establishing partnerships with sending organisations such as churches, mission organisations and ministry training colleges. The Nazareth Trust will provide induction and relevant training, and then on-going volunteer support and supervision. Breakfast - 14 December Breakfast this month is on Saturday 14 December at 9.00 am in Jacob’s Well. The speaker this month is Mark Wharfedale on religion in schools. All are welcome.
8 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
Advent and Christmas at the
Priory Church of the Holy Trinity
Micklegate, York, YO1 6LE
All are welcome at York’s only remaining priory church
ADVENT CAROL SERVICE CHRISTMAS DAY
A service of carols and readings Sung Eucharist at 10.00 am
with the Holy Trinity Choristers
Sunday 1 December at 5.00 pm CHORAL EVENSONG
Evensong on the Eve of Epiphany
PARISH CAROL SERVICE with the St Benedict’s Consort
A service of Christmas carols and readings followed by wine and cheese
with the Holy Trinity Choristers Saturday 4 January at 5.00 pm
followed by mulled wine and mince pies
Thursday 12 December at 7.00 pm EPIPHANY CAROL SERVICE
A service to welcome the Three Kings
CHRISTINGLE SERVICE with the Holy Trinity Choristers
Christmas Eve at 4.00 pm Saturday 25 January at 5.00 pm
www.holytrinityyork.org
info@holytrinityyork.org
01904 593608The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 9 Review of Ministry in York City Centre Earlier this year, the Archbishop of York commissioned a review of ministry in York’s city centre churches. The review was led by the Bishop of Whitby. During the review process, the Bishop of Whitby interviewed Churchwardens, Rev’d Jane Nattrass, the Area Dean and others. The purpose was to understand the current set-up, the work each church does and to hear about ideas for the future. The report has been presented to the Archbishop’s Council and then to Churchwardens in November. The report itself covers the churches of Holy Trinity Micklegate, St Olave, St Helen with St Martin, All Saints Pavement, St Denys, St Clement, St Mary Bishophill Junior and All Saints North Street. It excludes York Minster and St Michael le Belfrey. The recommendation for Holy Trinity is: There will be a single post (a priest) for Holy Trinity Micklegate, St Clement and St Mary Bishophill Junior. The priest would be based at St Clement’s Vicarage. The report notes that St Mary Bishophill Junior has a Letter of Request in place. This is where a parish on the grounds of theological conviction is unable to receive the ministry of women bishops or priests. St Mary’s is currently under the care of the Bishop of Beverley. Neither Holy Trinity Micklegate or St Clement’s have a Letter of Request. The PCC will be discussing the recommendation for Holy Trinity in December. We hope to give more information in the February edition. Please feel free to give your response to Mark, Adam or Mark. You can also email a response to info@holytrinityyork.org
10 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
Charitable giving at Holy Trinity
Every year the PCC gives 10% of its income away as donations to other
charities. In early 2019, we decided to support four charities each year
under four categories. The charities for 2019 and the categories are below.
York area: SASH
Yorkshire area: Yorkshire Air Ambulance
National: MIND
International: African Sisters of Mary
We will decide the charities for 2020 in January. If you would like to nominate
a charity for us to consider, please speak to Mark Kingaby-Daly by 1 January.
A Christmas Prayer
Lord, as I enter into the fast-paced season ahead, help me walk slowly
and quietly. Let me stop and listen to the angels sing of the greatest
news ever told. Let my heart, mind and soul join the chorus. "Glory in
the Highest!! The Messiah has been born!"
Among all the bright sparkling lights and cheery holiday tunes, let my
spirit travel once again toward Bethlehem to honour and worship Jesus,
my King, The Prince of Peace, the Lord of Hosts, Mighty Counsellor, Son
of God, the Lamb. All Your love, mercy and power somehow made flesh
in the tiny form of a humble baby born in a manger. Let me worship the
only one who is worthy to take our sin away and open the gates of all
eternity!The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 11
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, MICKLEGATE, YORK
Breakfast at
Holy Trinity
Second Saturday of the month
9.00 am to 10.30 am in Jacob’s Well
Join us for breakfast and a talk from a
guest speaker followed by a short form
of morning prayer. All are welcome.
11 January Sister Patricia Harriss CJ (The Bar Convent)
“Mary Ward”
d
8 February Rev’d Stephen Griffith MBE (York Cyty Centre Churches)
“Ministry in the Middle East”
d
14 March Rev’d Andrew de Smet (Diocese of York)
“Iconography”
d
11 April Dr Sally Guthrie (William Temple Association)
“St Cardinal John Henry Newman”
d
Jacob’s Well is on Trinity Lane off Micklegate
info@holytrinityyork.org www.holytrinityyork.org12 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
To the Saints of the Diocese of York
The Archbishop of York,
In my Advent
Dr John Sentamu, Book, I
writes: encourage us to
Wake Up, Clean
Up, Feed Up and
Wake Up to Advent! Grow Up. So,
friends, as
Christmas
Time is precious. approaches, let
I am glad that you are taking the us make these
time to read this, and I know myself resolutions each
the temptation to think, especially at day.
this time of year, “I don’t have time Wake Up! Don’t sleep through the
for this!” when faced with what alarm clock! The day that lies
seems a mountain of work, open before us, to be infused with
engagements, carol services, emails, the presence of God and the
more carol services, school promise of his new life. Be awake
assemblies and yet more carol to Christ’s coming into each new
services. day.
So who’s got time for Advent? Clean Up! Don’t miss your turn in
Time is, of course, a word with more the shower! Allow God to wash
than one meaning, and this is true in you clean by his grace, and stand
Scripture as well as in common still long enough for him to do it!
English. The Greek word kronos Feed Up! Don’t skip breakfast! The
means the chronological kind of most important meal of the day is
time, the kind of time that is precious God’s Word, which keeps us alive
because there’s only a certain and healthy
amount of it and it passes steadily on. Grow Up! Don’t miss the chance
That’s the kind of time we’re tempted this Advent to allow God to bring
to want more of when we’re busy. you further towards maturity, so
But perhaps the kind of time we that we may be ready to serve
should be looking for more of is the Bridegroom when he comes.
kairos, time in the sense of a single
occasion, a moment. This kind of time So may you have a very Blessed
is precious because it is an Christmas – when it comes. May you
opportunity, a moment not to be savour the waiting and enjoy the
missed. journey along the way.
+ Sentamu Ebor:
2The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 13 The history of Christmas The Bible does not give a date for the birth of Jesus. In the third century it was suggested that Jesus was conceived at the Spring equinox, 25th March, popularising the belief that He was born nine months later on 25th December. John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, encouraged Christians worldwide to make Christmas a holy day in about 400. In the early Middle Ages, Christians celebrated a series of midwinter holy days. Epiphany (which recalls the visit to the infant Jesus of the wise men bearing gifts) was the climax of 12 days of Christmas, beginning on 25th December. The Emperor Charlemagne chose 25th December for his coronation in 800, and the prominence of Christmas Day rose. In England, William the Conqueror also chose 25th December for his coronation in 1066, and the date became a fixture both for religious observance and feasting. Cooking a boar was a common feature of mediaeval Christmas feasts, and singing carols accompanied it. Writers of the time lament the fact that the true significance of Christmas was being lost because of partying. They condemn the rise of ‘misrule’ – drunken dancing and promiscuity. The day was a public holiday, and traditions of bringing evergreen foliage into the house and the exchange of gifts (usually on Epiphany) date from this time. In the 17th century the rise of new Protestant denominations led to a rejection of many celebrations that were associated with Catholic Christianity. Christmas was one of them. After the execution of Charles I, England’s Puritan rulers made the celebration of Christmas illegal for 14 years. The restoration of Charles II ended the ban, but religious leaders continued to discourage excess, especially in Scotland. In Western Europe (but not worldwide) the day for exchanging gifts changed from Epiphany (6th January) to Christmas Day. By the 1820s, there was a sense that the significance of Christmas was declining. Charles Dickens was one of several writers who sought to restore it. His novel A Christmas Carol was significant in reviving merriment during the festival. He emphasised charity and family reunions, alongside religious observance. Christmas trees, paper chains, cards and many well- known carols date from this time. So did the tradition of Boxing Day, on
14 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 26th December, when tradesmen who had given reliable service during the year would collect ‘boxes’ of money or gifts from their customers. In Europe Santa Claus is the figure associated with the bringing of gifts. Santa Claus is a shortening of the name of Saint Nicholas, who was a Christian bishop in the fourth century in present-day Turkey. He was particularly noted for his care for children and for his generosity to the poor. By the Middle Ages his appearance, in red bishop’s robes and a mitre, was adored in the Netherlands and familiar across Europe. Father Christmas dates from 17th century England, where he was a secular figure of good cheer (more associated with drunkenness than gifts). The transformation of Santa Claus into today’s Father Christmas started in New York in the 1880s, where his red robes and white beard became potent advertising symbols. In some countries (such as Latin America and Eastern Europe) the tradition attempts to combine the secular and religious elements by holding that Santa Claus makes children’s presents and then gives them to the baby Jesus to distribute. Book review In the Bleak Midwinter – Advent and Christmas with Christina Rossetti By Rachel Mann, Canterbury Press, £12.99 Best known for her poems-turned-carols In the Bleak Midwinter and Love Came Down at Christmas, Rossetti's rich and wondrous faith provides an inspiring seasonal companion. For each day from Advent Sunday to the Epiphany, Rachel Mann selects a poem and reflects on it, drawing on Rossetti's many other writings including her devotional journals and commentary on biblical narratives. At a time when commercial pressures are at their most intense, this volume aims to lead readers to an encounter with God's time and space, to find our true identity beyond all that would limit and diminish our humanity.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 15 St Nicholas – a much-loved saint (6 December) One account of how Father Christmas began tells of a man named Nicholas who was born in the third century in the Greek village of Patara, on what is today the southern coast of Turkey. His family were both devout and wealthy, and when his parents died in an epidemic, Nicholas decided to use his inheritance to help people. He gave to the needy, the sick, the suffering. He dedicated his whole life to God’s service and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. As a bishop in later life, he joined other bishops and priests in prison under the emperor Diocletian’s fierce persecution of Christians across the Roman Empire. Finally released, Nicholas was all the more determined to shed abroad the news of God’s love. He did so by giving. One story of his generosity explains why we hang Christmas stockings over our mantelpieces today. There was a poor family with three daughters who needed dowries if they were to marry, and not be sold into slavery. Nicholas heard of their plight and tossed three bags of gold into their home through an open window – thus saving the girls from a life of misery. The bags of gold landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. Hence the custom of children hanging out stockings – in the hope of attracting presents of their own from St Nicholas - on Christmas Eve. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols of St Nicholas. The example of St Nicholas has never been forgotten - in bygone years boys in Germany and Poland would dress up as bishops on 6th December, and beg alms for the poor. In the Netherlands and Belgium ‘St Nicholas’ would arrive on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. To this day, 6th December is still the main day for gift-giving and merry-making in much of Europe. Many people feel that simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.
16 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 The man who married Mary The traditional Nativity scene on our Christmas cards has Mary with the Holy Babe. Around her are the shepherds and Magi. We may also see stable animals, angels and a star! While Joseph is often included, his presence seems to be of minor importance. After all, we praise God for Jesus with our familiar Christmas carols, mentioning angels, shepherds, Wise Men and Mary but the name of Joseph is absent! Why is Joseph given a low profile? For he is a man to be remembered. Joseph was a resident of Nazareth. He worked as a carpenter and his skills would have included making furniture, repairing buildings and crafting agricultural tools. Although Joseph had an honourable profession, he would not have been a man of great wealth. The gospel writers Matthew and Luke give Joseph a few brief mentions. After the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary go to the temple in Jerusalem to dedicate the Baby to God. Afterwards, they flee into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod and much later return to Nazareth. 12 years later, Mary and Joseph go with Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Here they lose Jesus, only to find Him in the Temple talking with religious leaders! Apart from these verses, the New Testament is silent about the rest of Joseph’s life. However, we do know that Joseph was father to other children by Mary. His four sons are named, and they had at least two daughters. (See Matthew 13:55) And we also know that Joseph was someone who quietly and humbly took on the awesome role in caring for the early life of the Son of God. Joseph would have taught Jesus many things – not just the skills of a labourer, but the lore of the countryside which was evident in our Lord’s teaching. Jesus grew up within a loving family and described God as ‘Father’, knowing also the good fatherly qualities of Joseph.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 17
Christmas Wreath workshop
JACOB’S WELL
CHRISTMAS WREATH WORKSHOP
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2019. 2.30PM - 4.30PM
Enjoy a festive tipple as Gemma Davies takes you through the steps behind creating a
Christmas wreath in the beautiful and historic medieval upstairs room at Jacob’s Well.
Gemma’s workshop guides you to make your own festive wreath using her creative
techniques. The wreath materials have been inspired by nature and the seasonal foliage
you can find and forage at this time of year.
This wreath making workshop takes place prior to the Holy Trinity, Micklegate carol
service which starts at 5pm.
Find Jacob’s Well at Trinity Lane, York. YO1 6EL. £35 per person. For further information,
contact Gemma directly at daviesgemma@hotmail.com or call 07967282770 to book your
place.18 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
York Community of the Cross of Nails
Community of the Cross of Nails Prayers are offered each Friday at 12 noon.
This time of reflection and prayer lasts just under 30 minutes.
For July, the community is praying for the ecumenical work of Christian
peace building and reconciliation centres around the UK and Ireland:
Reconciling God, we give thanks and praise for all engaged in your ministry
of reconciliation. We remember particularly those Christian leaders who
have this year followed a ‘Journey of Hope’, and now aspire to transform
their churches into reconciliation hubs. Amen.
Ways to give at Holy Trinity
You can donate two ways to Holy Trinity. The most
common is by adding money in the collection
plate. This can be either loose cash or placed in a
yellow Gift Aid envelope if you are able to. Please
speak to Adam (Churchwarden and Treasurer)
about giving and how we can assist. Adam’s email
is akingabydaly@gmail.com
Donating by bank transfer
If you are donating by bank transfer as a one off or Standing Order
(sometimes known as BACS) our bank details with Yorkshire Bank are:
Sort code: 05-04-54
Account number: 16846098
Donating by Cheque
Make the cheque payable to “Holy Trinity Micklegate” and add it to the
collection plate or post it to Adam.The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 19 In praise of Good King Wenceslas (26 December) Many years ago, ‘Good King Wenceslas’ was a very popular carol. A man sang the King’s lines, a boy sang the Page’s, and the choir filled in the narrative. It was not of course technically a Christmas carol but one for which most people know as ‘Boxing Day’ – the ‘Feast of Stephen’ the first Christian martyr. But you don’t hear Good King Wenceslas these days. It fell foul of political correctness. The king was wealthy and very kindly, helped a poor man, but the last verse was the problem. It called on ‘Christian men, wealth and rank possessing’. To help the poor and be blessed in doing it. All very patronising, class-conscious, and chauvinistic. So, it has simply disappeared. I think that’s a pity, and I also think it’s a serious misunderstanding of the carol. It relates to the good deeds of a tenth century Duke of Bohemia, Wenceslas I, and concerns a king and his page, and a poor man freezing and potentially starving whom he saw from his window. The king didn’t, as he might well have done, simply order some minion to take the man some food or fuel. He decided to do it himself assisted by his young page. Together they braved the bitter wind and snow in order to take pine logs and food to this humble dwelling. That is not patronising but true Christian grace. Yes, the last verse does express a Victorian view of characters but that’s when it was written. No one should condemn the carol and its message. Who would shrink from following its example? I’m afraid texting a token ten quid to a charity does not quite qualify. Love requires action, if we don’t see that then we have missed the point. That is the message of this lovely carol.
20 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Protecting the Innocent The day most of us call ‘Boxing Day’, was when tradesmen used to collect their annual tips from customers. It is named in the Church Calendar as St Stephen’s Day, in memory of the first martyr, stoned to death by an angry crowd because of his faith. That is a shocking footnote to the celebration of Christmas, but worse is to follow. Three days later the Church asks us to remember the ‘Holy Innocents’. These were the young children of Bethlehem killed by Herod’s soldiers in a vain attempt to annihilate the potential new-born king. The Magi – the so-called ‘Wise Men’ – had told him the child had been born in that town. In fact, the child Jesus was by then safely across the border in Egypt, his parents having been warned to do so in a dream. But that did not save the innocent toddlers of Bethlehem, who were brutally put to the sword. They were subsequently named the ‘holy innocents’ because that is what they were: holy and wholly innocent, victims of a man’s determination to cling to power, whatever the cost. Innocent children still suffer, of course: in refugee camps, in enslaved families, in unhappy homes and at the hands of abusers. Because they are weak and helpless, and utterly innocent, the rest of us have a duty to protect them. When Jesus wanted to portray pure innocence, He took a small child in His arms. He then uttered a warning, probably the harshest words to leave His lips. Anyone who offends against such little ones would not escape severe punishment. The fate of the ‘holy innocents’ is a sharp reminder, just after the Christmas celebrations, that Jesus was born into the world as it is: light and darkness, compassion and cruelty, love and hatred. He didn’t come to endorse that world, but to change it. Darkness cannot defeat light. In the end the angel’s song will be fulfilled: ‘Peace on earth’ in the kingdom of God.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 21 'Tis the season for Angels! Angels make a big appearance in the story of Christmas, but over the next few weeks other kinds of angels will be making appearances throughout the country, on streets and inside nightclubs. Teams of Street Angels and Club Angels will work hard this month to help to keep communities and people, especially within the night-time economy, safe. At an hour when most of us are safe at home in bed, these volunteer angels will be out on patrol, offering people in need some flip-flops or a plaster, a bottle of water or time to chat. They will make a massive difference as a result. Paul Blakey, founder of Street Angels, tells how earlier this year one of the Street Angels teams came across a young man holding his head and kneeling over, very dazed, having had his head bashed against a wall. “The team took him to a safe hub and left him. Three months later this same man came to say ‘thank you for saving my life’. It turns out the safe hub team had got him to A&E and a brain scan revealed a bleed on the brain. “We are called to be angels! We can all be God's hands and feet, delivering good newsofgreatjoythroughwordsandaction. Wecanalltakethetimetolookoutfor others. We can all ask God to make his Kingdom known through our daily living. “So, this Christmas do pray for our teams out on the streets and in clubs. Or maybe you could even consider volunteering if there is a team near you!” Meanwhile, if you are going on a night out yourself, have a SafeNightOut. party and remember these top tips: 1. Stay with friends, don't go off alone, and have contact info somewhere other than your phone. 2. Ladies - carry a pair of slip-on shoes for when high heels become unbearable. 3. Always eat before a night out and don't start cooking once you get home. 4. Know what you are drinking and how much you have - mix alcohol with soft drinks. 5. Pick a venue right for you - if you feel out of place, leave! 6. Keep your taxi money in another part of your handbag / wallet. Take a picture of the taxi and taxi drivers ID and message it to a friend.
22 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Prayer for wisdom and light Father of all, You gave Jesus to be the light of the whole world. Help us to receive His light and to reflect it. Help us not to limit the extent of your love by the restrictions of our own understanding. Give us wisdom to look upwards and outwards and to allow your Holy Spirit to transform us day by day as we serve you. Thank you for the gift of wisdom and for those who respond to your prompting to find Jesus. In His name, Amen. Christmas and St Luke’s Gospel It is to St Luke’s wonderful gospel that many Christians turn as the year draws to a close and Christmas approaches, for it is to St Luke that we owe the fullest account of the nativity. Luke alone tells us the story of Mary and the angel’s visit to her, and has thus given the Church the wonderful Magnificat of Mary. Luke alone tells us the story of Simeon’s hymn of praise, thus giving us the wonderful Nunc Dimmittis. Imagine an Anglican evensong without the Nunc Dimmittis. Luke alone tells us the story of how the angels appeared to the shepherds and how the shepherds then visited the infant Jesus. So – imagine Christmas cards and nativity scenes every year without the shepherds arriving to visit baby Jesus. Imagine school nativity plays without our children dressed as shepherds or sheep. So – thank you, Luke! What makes it so amazing is that Luke was not a Jew! The man who wrote the fullest nativity story, and indeed more of the New Testament than any other single person, was a Gentile!
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 23
God in the Arts
He gave us eyes to see them: Gauguin’s Portrait of a Breton Girl at Prayer
During this year we have been exploring the wealth of paintings in the National
Gallery in London. Each year the Gallery has exhibitions highlighting the work of one
particular artist, and until 26 January there is a major exhibition, ‘Gauguin Portraits.’
It celebrates in paintings and sculptures the life and work of Paul Gauguin (1848-
1903). He is best known for the art he painted when he fled Europe to live in Tahiti
in the South Seas. But from 1886 to 1891 he lived in rural Brittany at Pont-Even.
This month’s painting is from those years when Gauguin was influenced by folk
art and impressed by the simple faith of the Breton peasants. He has captured
that faith in this painting of a Breton girl at prayer. His own catchphrase was ‘I shut
my eyes in order to see.’ The girl has her eyes closed as she offers her prayers,
but we sense that the inner eye of her heart is open in trust to God’s will for her.
At this time of the year children step into the limelight of church and school life
with nativity plays. They invite us to journey with them in that same simplicity
and trust to Bethlehem, just as St Francis of Assisi invited the people of Greccio
to a cave outside the town in 1223. As they looked into the cave, they saw the
animals and the hay, and in the centre, a new-born babe. St Francis talked to them
of the simple message of God’s love revealed in all humility and openness in this
birth of the Christ-Child. He invited the people to respond with those same gifts.
As we look at this painting, we see something of the simplicity and trust called
of us, whether young or old. Too often as we get older, we find our lives weighed
down by responsibilities and pressures. We find time is swallowed up in the
busyness of this season, and somehow we lose that innocence and simplicity of life.
But, pondering the Christmas story and pondering this painting,
we can put our hands together and pray for that openness
and childlike trust. Fr Faber wrote a hymn with the lines:
‘If our love were but more simple,
we should take him at his word;
and our hearts would find assurance
in the promise of the Lord.’24 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 God in the Sciences The Incarnation: fearfully and wonderfully made My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:15-16 You began life as a single cell. For a few hours you were a miniscule but highly complex blob of jelly, until it began to divide: two cells, four, eight, sixteen, a ball, a hollow ball, and then something more recognisably like a living organism. You were still tiny, but developing a nervous system, a head, a body, arms and legs. Until recently I hadn’t thought much about Jesus being an embryo. Somehow, I find that thought even more shocking than His birth. How could God, who made the universe, have become something so completely and utterly vulnerable? Maybe in the past, when the development of a child happened in ‘secret’, it was possible just to let that part of the Christmas story go untold. Today, when we see images of a developing child, or even embryos outside the womb, it is harder to ignore the process of Jesus developing into a baby. The incarnation meant that God’s Son went through all the stages in the diagram in my developmental biology textbook: ‘zygote’, ‘morula’, ‘blastocyst’, implantation, and so on. Jesus was there in the beginning, and all life owes its existence to Him. But instead of remaining aloof, He chose to become one of us. The Son of God shared the same kind of DNA as every other organism on the planet. He knows what it feels like to have a body, to feel hungry and thirsty, pain and pleasure, dark and light. In Psalm 139, the writer is meditating on God’s intimate knowledge of Him, which began when He was an embryo. There is nothing God doesn’t know about Him, and even darkness cannot obscure Him from God’s sight. The incarnation means that God’s intimacy with us now extends even further. He became one of us, lived alongside us, and shared our very fragile material nature. The transcendent God is also immanent, longing for us to relate to Him as Father. He became as fragile as we are so He could rescue us from the messes we so often find ourselves in. With His help, we can remember what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 25 My Favourite (and forgotten) character in the Nativity Story By Revd Dave Hobman I have been asked to write about a favourite character from the Nativity. This may not be the result the enquirer had in mind as I have tried to write the story of that first Christmas night from the creature’s point of view. I hope, by the time you get to the end of the story, that you will look upon the creature differently. Outside the temperature had dropped and everyone had been wrapped up in warm cloaks and furs. My cousins had been trying hard to obtain food but there was none around for them. I had managed to find a nice warm corner in a room with plenty to eat. However, I was more interested in what was going on than in eating. Great things had been happening in the room. A new baby had arrived and visitors kept coming and going all night and day. A man and young woman looked on as the baby slept. The donkey, on which they had arrived the night before, enjoyed some hay along with an ox whose home they were in. Shepherds had arrived at some point in the early hours of the morning and brought some lambs who also helped themselves to some hay. How on earth the baby had managing to sleep I don’t know, what with the noise of the animals, the comings and goings of visitors and the noise of the street outside it had been pure bedlam. And yet, below me, the baby had slept and its mother had looked on serenely. It was only later that I found out how important the baby was to all of us, even me. For my size I seem to instil instant fear in to some of these humans who inhabit the world we share, and I have lost countless relatives under their feet. When humans tell the story of that night it is the donkey, ox and sheep which always get a mention. I am totally ignored, and yet there were many of us present in the room that night, I just happened to be in the ceiling looking down with a perfect view. Eventually I had climbed down and sneaked closer to get a better view. As the man and woman slumbered, I had climbed in to the manager. Accidently I had touched the babies face
26 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 and tickled him and he woke up and smiled. I felt no fear and sat enthralled by the smile. A small hand reached out and touched me and I scurried away back to my corner. I will never forget that small serene face and the feeling of love that surrounded me as I looked on. Here was a human who actually loved me. Years later I discovered that the tiny baby I had witnessed being born was the Son of God. It has long been forgotten that I was there and no one mentions me in the Nativity story. Some people are still frightened by me but that baby gave my kind a sign that we were at His birth. He has allowed my kind to show the world that we are not to be feared and can be things of beauty. Our homes are intricate designs and can be seen anywhere. However, it is on a cold frosty morning that you can see our homes in all their glory. I watched over Him that first night and as proof he gives our silvery webs a special place in the winter sunshine. We truly are the forgotten characters of the Nativity story; we played a very small part but you were rewarded with that wonderful sight of our homes on frosty mornings. Next time you see a spider’s web, don’t stick a finger in it and break it, remember that one of us was there on that Christmas Night long ago and that He looked kindly on us. The naming of Jesus (1 January) It is Matthew and Luke who tell the story of how the angel instructed that Mary’s baby was to be named Jesus - a common name meaning ‘saviour’. The Church recalls the naming of Jesus on 1 January - eight days after 25 December (by the Jewish way of reckoning days). For in Jewish tradition, the male babies were circumcised and named on their eighth day of life. For early Christians, the name of Jesus held a special significance. In Jewish tradition, names expressed aspects of personality. Jesus’ name permeated His ministry, and it does so today: we are baptised in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38), we are justified through the name of Jesus (1 Cor 6:11); and God the Father has given Jesus a name above all others (Phil 2:9). All Christian prayer is through ‘Jesus Christ our Lord’, and it is ‘at the name of Jesus’ that one day every knee shall bow.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 27 What about the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? (6 January) The story of the coming of the Magi grew in the telling. By the 6th century they had acquired names: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. By medieval times they were considered to be kings. Whoever they were, we do know from Matthew that they brought three gifts to Jesus. What about their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh? While we cannot know for sure what was in the minds of first century Magi, one Victorian scholar has offered a possible explanation as to the significance of their gifts. He was the Rev John Henry Hopkins, an American Episcopalian minister, who in 1857 wrote his much-loved Christmas carol, ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’. Gold, said John Henry Hopkins, was a gift that would have been given to a king. Frankincense had traditionally been brought by priests as they worshipped God in the Temple. Myrrh was a spice that the ancients used in preparing bodies for burial. If that is true, then you could say that the Wise Men, in choosing their gifts for this infant, honoured Jesus with gold because He was King of the Jews, with frankincense because He was to be worshipped as divine; and with myrrh, because He would also become a sacrifice and die for His people. The Wise Men were the very first gentiles ever to worship Jesus. What faith they had! They travelled for months over difficult terrain, they never saw any evidence of Jesus’ kingship, His divinity or His sacrificial death. They worshipped Him through faith in God’s promises about Him. Isaiah foresaw this response to Jesus: ‘Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.’ The Magi’s eyes of faith saw clearly and far into the future. Compare that with the High Priest and religious leaders whom the Wise Men saw in Jerusalem when they first arrived. These head priests knew all about the prophecies of their own coming Messiah, but not one Jewish religious leader travelled to look for Him in Bethlehem. And it is only six miles down the road!
28 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Crossword ACROSS 1 ‘The blind receive sight, the — walk’ (Luke 7:22) (4) 3 Got (Philippians 3:12) (8) 8 Leave out (Jeremiah 26:2) (4) 9 Castigated for using dishonest scales (Hosea 12:7) (8) 11 Weighty (1 John 5:3) (10) 14 ‘Now the serpent was more — than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made’ (Genesis 3:1) (6) 15 ‘Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot — God’ (Romans 8:8) (6) 17 Because Israel lacked one of these, tools had to be sharpened by the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:19) (10) 20 In his vision of the two eagles and the vine, this is how Ezekiel described the latter (Ezekiel 17:8) (8) 21 Rite (anag.) (4)
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 29 22 Nine gigs (anag.) (8) 23 ‘The eye cannot say to the — , “I don’t need you”’ (1 Corinthians 12:21) (4) DOWN 1 ‘Flee for your lives! Don’t — — , and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!’ (Genesis 19:17) (4,4) 2 Principal thoroughfare (Numbers 20:19) (4,4) 4 ‘The tax collector... beat his — and said, “God have mercy on me, a sinner”’ (Luke 18:13) (6) 5 ‘The zeal of the Lord Almighty will — this’ (2 Kings 19:31) (10) 6 ‘The day of the Lord is — for all nations’ (Obadiah 15) (4) 7 Specified day (Acts 21:26) (4) 10 Deadly epidemic (Deuteronomy 32:24) (10) 12 Roman Catholic church which has special ceremonial rights (8) 13 Tied up (2 Kings 7:10) (8) 16 In his speech to the Sanhedrin, Stephen described Moses as ‘powerful in speech and — ’ (Acts 7:22) (6) 18 ‘Although he did not remove the high places, — heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life’ (1 Kings 15:14) (4) 19 Tribe (Deuteronomy 29:18) (4) Answers on the back page.
30 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Recipe : Alpine Roll We can safely say that winter is a-coming in. The shops and TV adverts are full of snowy scenes and the tinkle of Christmas bells. Never be put off by how simple it is to make a pudding. This Alpine roll takes minutes; it’s hardly a recipe, and came from my wanting to do something else with mincemeat beyond pies. I like rum in the cream, but you can use Cointreau, brandy, or even advocaat. Ingredients 500g (17 oz) block of puff pastry 400g (14 oz) jar of mincemeat 150g (5 oz) white chocolate 350ml (9 fl. oz) double cream 125ml rum Method 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. 2 Roll out the pastry to the size of a tea towel. Thinly spread the mincemeat over it, but not too close to the edges. 3 Lightly roll it up from one short edge over to the other, and put it in the oven for 20 minutes — but probably no more than 30. The pastry needs to be cooked and crispy. 4 Melt the white chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler. Lightly whip the rum into the cream, then stir in the melted chocolate. 5 Pour the mixture over the top of the pastry roll and shake over some icing sugar if you are so minded. Even decorating with some holly can add to this — the real stuff, or glacé cherries and green angelica.
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 31 Bible Bite
32 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 Mouse Makes
The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020 33 Church rota for “extra” services Advent Carol Service (Sunday 1 December 2019 at 5.00pm) First - Ecclesiasticus 24: 1-9 Paula Fleetwood Second - Exodus 3: 1-6 Mark Kingaby-Daly Third - Isaiah 11: 1-4, 10 Faye Robinson Fourth - Jeremiah 23: 5-6 Tim Selman Fifth - John 1: 19-28 Mark Wharfedale Sixth - Revelation 15: 2-4 Peter Minns Seventh - Matthew 1: 18-23 Henry Strutt Eighth - Revelation 22: 12-20 Mark Kingaby-Daly Refreshments Adam & Mark Kingaby-Daly Carol Service (Thursday 12 December 2019 at 7.00pm) First - Isaiah 9: 2-7 Henry Strutt Second - Luke 1: 26-28 Tim Selman Third - Luke 2: 1-7 Paula Fleetwood Fourth - Luke 2: 8-16 Mark Wharfedale Fifth - Matthew 2: 1-11 Francis O’Gorman Sixth - John 1: 1-14 Mark Kingaby-Daly Refreshments Adam & Mark Kingaby-Daly Christingle Service (Christmas Eve at 4.00pm) First - Luke 2: 1-17 Second - Luke 2: 8-20 Mark Kingaby-Daly Epiphany Carol Service (Saturday 25 January 2020 at 5.00pm) First - John 1: 1-14 Paula Fleetwood Second - Matthew 1: 18-23 Mark Wharfedale Third - Luke 2: 8-20 Tim Selman Fourth - Matthew 2: 1-12 Mark Kingaby-Daly Fifth - Matthew 2: 13-18 Henry Strutt Sixth - Luke 2: 21-32 Faye Robinson Refreshments Mark Kingaby-Daly
34 The Parish Magazine - December 2019 & January 2020
Church rota for December & January
Note: for carol services and Christingle, see additional rota.
Date First reading Psalm Second reading
Isaiah 2: 1-5 122 Romans 13: 11-end
1 Dec
Paula Fleetwood Choir Henry Strutt
Isaiah 11: 1-10 72: 1-7, 18-19 Romans 15: 4-13
8 Dec
Peter Minns Choir Tim Moore
Isaiah 35: 1-10 Magnificat James 5: 7-10
15 Dec
Tim Selman Choir Paula Fleetwood
Isaiah 7: 10-16 80: 1-8 Romans 1: 1-7
22 Dec
Peter Minns Tim Moore Mark Kingaby-Daly
Isaiah 52: 7-10 98 Hebrews 1: 1-4
25 Dec
Francis O’Gorman Mark Kingaby-Daly Paula Fleetwood
Isaiah 63: 7-9 148 Hebrews 2: 10-end
29 Dec
Peter Minns Tim Moore Francis O’Gorman
Isaiah 49: 1-13 97 John 4: 7-26
4 Jan EP
Mark Wharfedale Choir Mark Kingaby-Daly
Isaiah 60: 1-6 72: 1-15 Ephesians 3: 1-12
5 Jan
Peter Minns Choir Henry Strutt
Isaiah 42: 1-9 29 Acts 10: 34-43
12 Jan
Tim Moore Choir Paula Fleetwood
Isaiah 49: 1-7 40: 1-12 1 Cor 1: 1-9
19 Jan
Mark Kingaby-Daly Choir Tim Moore
Isaiah 9: 1-4 27: 1, 4-12 1 Cor 1: 10-18
26 Jan
Mark Wharfedale Choir Peter MinnsGospel Intercessor Chalice Refreshments
Matt 24: 36-44
Mark Kingaby-Daly Mark Kingaby-Daly Choir
Priest
Matt 3: 1-12
Priest Mark Kingaby-Daly Adam Kingaby-Daly
Priest
Matt 21: 23-27
Mark Wharfedale Mark Wharfedale Volunteer needed
Priest
Matt 1: 18-end Mark
Tim Moore Mark Kingaby-Daly
Priest Wharfedale
John 1: 1-14
Mark Kingaby-Daly Mark Kingaby-Daly None
Priest
Matt 2: 13-end
Tim Moore Tim Moore Volunteer needed
Priest
N/A N/A N/A Mark Kingaby-Daly
Matt 2: 1-12
Mark Kingaby-Daly Mark Kingaby-Daly Choir
Priest
Matt 3: 3-end
Tim Moore Tim Moore Adam Kingaby-Daly
Priest
John 1: 29-42
Mark Wharfedale Mark Kingaby-Daly Volunteer needed
Priest
Matt 4: 12-23
Priest Mark Wharfedale Volunteer needed
Priest
Psalm verse numbers correspond to Bible verses.
EP: Evening Prayer or Evensong.Crossword answers
ACROSS
1, Lame. 3, Obtained. 8, Omit. 9, Merchant. 11, Burdensome. 14, Crafty.
15, Please. 17, Blacksmith. 20, Splendid. 21, Tier. 22, Singeing. 23, Hand.
DOWN
1, Look back. 2, Main road. 4, Breast. 5, Accomplish. 6, Near. 7, Date. 10,
Pestilence. 12, Basilica. 13, Tethered. 16, Action. 18, Asa’s. 19, Clan.
The Priory Church of the Holy Trinity
Micklegate, York, YO1 6LE
www.holytrinityyork.org
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