THETrinity TIMES The Parish Magazine of Holy Trinity Church, Henley-on-Thames - April 2021 - Holy Trinity Church Henley-on-Thames
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THETrinity TIMES
The Parish Magazine of Holy Trinity Church, Henley-on-Thames
April 2021
THE VICAR’S LETTER
Dear friends,
“So many people right across the trust Jesus’s plan for the future of our
country are anxious about world and lives, even if things can’t
employment, anxious about quickly return to the way they were.
food, isolated from loved ones and The resurrection shows us that death
feel that the future looks dark.” is not the end. Jesus returned from
These are words from the Archbishop the grave and demonstrated that life
of Canterbury’s sermon on Easter after death is not a dream, or wishful
Day 2020. Who would have thought thinking, but a reality.
that we are experiencing the same The resurrection shows us that the
uncertainties a year later! cross was a victory not a disaster –
and that Jesus, once and for all,
Yet the Easter story remains one of atoned for our sins, just as he
hope overcoming darkness and promised.
despair. The women arrived at the The resurrection offers us continual
tomb on Easter morning with mixed companionship with a Living Lord. In
emotions, as they came to anoint a final promise in Matthew’s gospel
Jesus’s body. Jesus says, “… surely I am with you
‘But when they looked up, they saw always, to the very end of the age.’
that the stone, which was very large, The resurrection offers hope and joy
had been rolled away.’ (Mark 16:4). in the place of fear and hopelessness.
They were confused, as they tried to The resurrection is a pledge of our
make sense of Jesus’s death. Their own eternal future. Jesus promised
hopes were dashed with an uncertain that he was going away after his
future. In the current pandemic, we death to prepare for his followers a
too are left asking: Where is God in all place in the Father’s house.
this? The resurrection can transform our
The young man at the tomb reminds attitude to death and give us a pointer
them that God is still in control: to the future of the world.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are There is a lot in the Bible about God
looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who preparing a new heaven and a new
was crucified. He has risen! He is not earth, with new people to live in them.
here. See the place where they laid It is beautiful and poetic, and we
him.” (Mark 16:6). might be tempted to leave it at that if it
were not for the resurrection. But in
The women had forgotten Jesus’s Jesus the new creation has already
promise to the disciples that He would begun. God still has plans for this
die and rise from the dead. Jesus’s world!
resurrection is also the sure
foundation of hope for us in the Best wishes,
present crisis. He turns our confusion
and fear into joy and wonder! We can Duncan
The Reverend Duncan Carter
2
Trinity at Four update
The Good News Keeps Sending Us Out
Dear friends,
Jesus could have stayed put and towns also’. That was why Jesus was
enjoyed a very fruitful ministry. If a sent, and so that’s what he kept
church building had been involved it doing.
would have been overflowing with
multiple services through the day – A few verses beforehand, Jesus
just listen to Luke’s report: received the Holy Spirit at his
baptism, and later declared himself to
“At sunset, the people brought to be the Lord’s anointed:
Jesus all who had various kinds of
sickness, and laying his hands on “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
each one, he healed them. Moreover, because he has anointed me to
demons came out of many people, proclaim good news to the poor…”
shouting, “You are the Son of God!” (Luke 4:18)
But he rebuked them and would not That same Spirit was poured out at
allow them to speak, because they Pentecost for all who trust and follow
knew he was the Messiah” (Luke Jesus, and as the book of Acts makes
4:40-41) very clear, the Spirit who kept sending
But Jesus didn’t stay put. Instead, we Jesus out, keeps sending us out too.
read this: The temptation will always be to stay
“At daybreak, Jesus went out to a put. Even if we enjoyed a fraction of
solitary place. The people were the fruit and popularity of Jesus, that’s
looking for him and when they came likely what we would do! But the good
news demands that both as
to where he was, they tried to keep
individuals, and as a church family,
him from leaving them. But he said, “I
we keep going out, we refuse to ‘stay
must proclaim the good news of the
kingdom of God to the other towns put’, and we keep – like Jesus –
also, because that is why I was sent.” remembering the many people, and
And he kept on preaching in the places where the good news is not
yet well known or clearly proclaimed.
synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:42-44)
“They tried to keep him from leaving What do you think that means for
them!” Popularity, and success! Jesus you? And what do you think that
could have stayed put, but he didn’t. means for us as a church?
Why not? Because the good news
had to keep going out ‘to the other Much love,
Sam
The Reverend Sam Brewster
3
Frost Fairs
As everyone knows, in an attempt to dancing, and sledging. Food and
tackle climate change, scientists have drink will be sold including beef,
produced a chemical ice that is pink in gingerbread, hot apples, roast mutton,
colour but cools the air around it. Brunswick Mum, coffee, gin, Old Tom
Buoys producing this ice are going to gin, hot chocolate, purl (wormwood
be deployed at set places on the ale), and black tea.
Earth's oceans and are hoped to
lower global temperatures by two to A period from the mid 14th century to
three degrees. the 19th century in Europe was known
as ‘The Little Ice Age’. In these times
One of the scientists who worked on the Thames could freeze up. In 1410
this project is a member of The it lasted for 14 weeks.
Henley River Partnership and has The earliest record of the Thames
asked if The Henley River Partnership freezing is AD 250. In the middle ages
can get hold of one of these ice when the ice was thick enough for
buoys. They will be acquiring their long enough, Londoners would take
buoy on the day before Good Friday to the river for travel, trade and
and will deploy, it in the winter, on the entertainment, the latter of which
Thames opposite where the Henley became festivals and fairs. In 1608
Festival usually takes place. Any rain these became known as frost fairs,
will fall as snow and when it is although the first frost fair was as
covered in white snow, Henley is early as AD 695.
hoping, this winter, to hold the first The last frost fair lasted only four days
frost fair since 1814. and was in 1814.
The nearest Henley has got to a frost
They hope to include some of the fair in modern times is when Mill
original activities such as football, Meadows flooded and then froze and
horse and coach racing, ice skating, people went ice skating on these
nine-pin bowling, puppet plays, frozen water meadows.
The Henley River Partnership
Trinity Times Annual Subscription
It has been decided by the P. C. C. not to collect the regular £3
per year for magazine subscriptions.
It will still be delivered to your door each month by our splendid
deliverers and any donations towards the cost of producing the
magazine will be welcomed, but not obligatory!
4
THE JOY OF SINGING
One of the sorrows churchgoers have A good choir draws in worshipers from
expressed is that since the beginning far, and wide. A church without singing
of the pandemic, over a year ago, is a church without a voice.
singing has not been permitted in
church. This restriction is sensible Do not despair; at last, we have a
when you think about it, as when solution to overcome this depressing
singing, we project our exhaled air up situation. We shall all soon be able to
to a distance of five metres or more, sing our hearts out once again in
and convection currents can circulate church. Taking the example of shops
the air even farther around an enclosed and other businesses that have
space. People may not always know if continued to operate during the
they are infected with the deadly virus pandemic, similar measures are now
disease. If they are, their circulated air available for churches. The answer lies
could spread the deadly virus spores to in plastic screening. Church ‘Singing
others. Stalls’, which have been approved for
installing in churches, are now
Christians love to sing their songs of available to purchase for a modest
praise. There are over one thousand cost. The stalls simply consist of a
Christian hymns and songs to sing, transparent plastic cubicle
each one of them a joy to hear. Only a approximately one metre square, three
much smaller number of them are in metres high, with an opening door and
regular use, and we all may have our filtered ventilation. Double stalls are
own favourites. People delight in going available for seating two people; the
to church to listen to a choir singing, stalls lock together side by side and
and people themselves love to sing. It is are pre-assembled and run on
as if we have a need to sing the retractable wheels to enable them to
Christian message for all to hear. be easily moved about. Thirty ‘Singing
Singing praise to God is a strong Stalls’ are due to be installed in our
expression of love, and shows purpose church together with extractor fans in
and resolve as we travel along our the nave’s clerestory windows, by
Christian journeys. Everybody enjoys Maundy Thursday, in time for Easter,
singing, and choirs are the heralds of when our church will return to being a
the church, relaying their captivating ‘Singing Church’.
songs in a momentous and alluring way.
JB
5
Children’s Pages
Easter
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! April brings us to Easter – the
crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the triumphant highlight of the
Christian year. As Saint Paul pointed out, unless Jesus really did rise again, our
faith is useless, and we may as well forget any hope of heaven or eternal life.
passover Jerusalem soldiers tomb
bread Pilate cross angel
wine Judas nails stone
body Gethsemane vinegar risen
blood trial temple gardener
betrayal crucifixion curtain Mary
Parish Pump
6
Children’s Pages
7
SERVICES in APRIL
The Vicar, the Reverend Duncan SUNDAY 2nd MAY
Carter, will lead the morning services, Fifth Sunday of Easter
with the assistance of the Licensed
Lay Minister, Michael Forsdike. 10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP
The Reverend Sam Brewster, will
lead the Trinity at Four services. 4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR
FRIDAY 2nd APRIL
Good Friday
3:00 P.M. REFLECTIONS
FUNERALS
SUNDAY 4th APRIL Mar 9th Angela Grey
Easter Sunday Mar 24th Christopher Ramsey
Burchell
10:00 A.M. EASTER COMMUNION Mar 25th Elara Jae Foxley
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR
Reverend Duncan Carter
Holy Trinity Vicarage
th
SUNDAY 11 APRIL Church Street
Second Sunday of Easter Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire, RG9 1SE
10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP Tel: (01491) 574822
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR The Vicar is always glad to see
anyone needing help or advice.
SUNDAY 18th APRIL Talking through problems and praying
Third Sunday of Easter with people are his top priorities. Do
not feel worried about sharing your
10:00 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP problems, whatever the concern, large
or small. For your reference, his day
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR off is Saturday.
SUNDAY 25th APRIL Our 10:00 a.m. services and Good
Fourth Sunday of Easter Friday reflections are available to
watch live on You Tube. Go to:
10:00 A.M. HOLY COMMUNION www.holytrinityhenley.org.uk/
4:00 P.M. TRINITY AT FOUR services-1.html for the link.
8
9
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
4,000 years ago, the ancient water and wells were unaffected, so it
Egyptians were the Jews’ earliest had to be specific to the river.
oppressors. One of the oldest In 1997 in the south east of the United
mysteries, one that has puzzled us for States, millions of fish died. This was
centuries, is the ‘Ten Plagues of due to an algae called Pfiesteria
Egypt’. which stuns fish and then dissolves
It is a challenge from the past, but their still living flesh. If it was
there is no mention of it in surviving Pfiesteria, the red algae blooms,
Egyptian documents in any museums. along with the fish blood, would
However one was recently found in a account for the red water and stench
museum in Holland, that was written of the Nile, and the toxic water would
by an Egyptian 1,000 years later, but be unusable. This solution fits the first
fits the Biblical description. plague like a glove.
One key thing to consider is that the
ten plagues could very well be The second plague, frogs entering the
related. houses, could easily follow on from
the first plague. With no fish to feed
Some want to challenge if the plagues on the frogspawn, there could be an
happened but the veracity is increase in frog numbers that would
academic; this article looks at why. hatch and then abandon the toxic
We need to know when and where river. Could there really have been
these events took place. It is usually that many frogs eggs? It is suggested
agreed it was 1,260 B.C. about 1,000 that there is one word that could
years after the building of the embrace frogs, toads and other
pyramids, in Memphis, south of similar animals. Entering into the
present day Cairo. The Israelites were houses, and going near the ovens is a
living about 50 – 80 miles to the description that fits toads more than
Northeast. frogs. There are some toads that can
produce 100 – 1,000 eggs and so
The first plague, the Nile turning to their numbers can explode to millions
blood, would have been devastating rapidly.
to an agricultural society. Ground
10The third plague, the lice on men and By this time, the Egyptians would be
beasts, suggests something other in distress. Without animals, and
than lice since the same lice don’t having sick people, they relied on
attack both humans and animals. The their cereal crops, but the seventh
classification of insects didn’t come plague was hailstones. Hailstones do
for another 1,000 years and there occur in Mediterranean areas. In 1997
could have been 100 species of four feet of hail fell in Israel and
insects that could have been recorded Jordan injuring up to 60 people.
as lice, we need to come back to this Although it was not unusual it was
one. disastrously timed but would have
been too local to affect the Israelites.
The death of the frogs could have
lead to an explosion in the insect Locust plagues also happen and this
population donoted as the fourth was the eighth plaque. It was just at
plague. These would probably have the worst time. Any crops that
been house flies which have an survived the hail, as well as the new
exploding population when there are shoots would have been eaten by the
animals about. They bite and they can locusts.
lay up to 500 eggs.
The ninth plague, darkness for three
The fifth plague was the murrain on days, that kept people in their houses
animals. Lots of dangerous animal would most likely have been a
diseases originate in Africa. African sandstorm. These can bury
Horse Disease affects the blood monuments and would have covered
vessels, releasing fluid into the lungs all the arable land.
and causing the animals to drown
quickly. Also affecting the other The tenth plague is the biggest
animals is a disease called blue mystery of all. However, let’s look
tongue. Why did these come back at the previous nine:
together? They are both carried by The destruction of fish pollutes the
the same gnat, which fits the lice upper Nile. Toad corpses add to the
description of the third plague. They pollution and lead to releasing insect
only have a range of about 50 yards populations from their usual
and so couldn’t have affected the constraints. Diseases spread and
Israelites. animal protein becomes scarce. Viral
and bacterial infection affects people
The boils and sores of the sixth and working animals, like donkeys,
plague are a bacterial infection leaving the crops largely unharvested.
carried by the stable fly. It causes the Hail destroys the crops, locusts eat all
lips to swell. It is mentioned by undamaged plants and young shoots
ancient Greeks and Romans and was and seeds.
the biological warfare agent used in Anything remaining would be
World War I. This can often lead to collected hastily while still wet and put
death and could have been spread by in stores built in small pits under the
the increase in insects. The Israelites desert sands. Sandstorms cover the
would have been out of the flies’ 1 land and bakes what is in the stores
mile range. to accelerate rotting.
11After ten months of misfortune, 2.5 given double helpings and would
million Egyptians are weakened, have been the only one who would
debilitated and in the face of famine. have consumed lethal quantities.
One thing we’ve overlooked is that Once the top layer of grain had been
locust droppings will produce moulds removed the mycotoxins would
that contain mycotoxins that cause recede.
disease in animals, and these moulds
occur in damp unventilated stores. There is no proof that this is why the
The oldest son was usually sent to ten plagues happened, but it is the
fetch the food and the first son, or most advanced and coherent theory
eldest animal, would be the first to be so far.
Richard Young
fed. Also, the eldest son was usually
12On the Best Way to Run a Church Council Meeting
The Rectory
Saint James the Least of All
My dear Nephew Darren
Thank you for inviting me to speak at Drinkwater’s – a more inappropriate
your church council yesterday. I began name one cannot imagine – are the
to suspect that my theme of why shortest, since we are always promised
Eusebius’s dislike of Sabellianism led wine once the meeting is over. It is
to his condemnation at the Council of remarkable how unanimity is achieved
Antioch in 324 was a little misjudged, on every subject within minutes, and
when the only question I was asked nothing appears under “any other
after my lecture was if Eusebius was business”.
on Facebook.
Mrs. Eddington never troubles us with
I never realised how much technology minutes, largely because she can rarely
is needed these days just to discuss read the notes she takes. She just
church matters. It seemed that shares with us whatever she can
everyone had brought their laptop, so decipher at our next meeting. Last
they could refer to all the diocesan month, she accidentally brought her
briefing documents and reports that shopping list instead, and so read that
you mentioned. I’ve been in the out. There followed a lively discussion
diocese 40 years and have never on whether carrots from our local shop
heard of most of those papers. But were better than those at the
then I find it too easy to delete the supermarket. When it was found out she
diocesan mailings, unread, with a click intended to use them in a venison
of my mouse. casserole, endless recipes were keenly
debated.
Our church meetings are far more
traditional. Since the church floor We always leave our church meetings
seems to have been carved out of well fed, up to date with village gossip,
permafrost, our meetings circulate and totally untroubled by any church
round members’ houses. This council business. And the lack of any
introduces a nice element of minutes ensures that I can then make all
competition, as each host tries to outdo the decisions myself, between meetings.
the previous one in the baking of I think you will find our system has much
cakes. Meetings at Colonel to be commended.
Your loving uncle,
Eustace
Parish Pump
13PARISH JOTTINGS
Eco Church
Apart from the Covid-19 virus
pandemic, probably the most
challenging threat to mankind is
climate change. The Archbishop of
Road out of Lockdown Canterbury, Justin Welby, said that
Whilst our church services continue, “the crises of climate change and
both in church and on-line, we still biodiversity loss are the most grave
have some way to go before we can and existential we face: as human
wave goodbye to the Lockdown beings, as a Church and as a global
restrictions. Last month the Prime community, and the care of creation is
Minister announced his four-step at the heart of the Anglican
roadmap for a route back to a more Communion’s marks of mission that
normal life. Providing that infection hopefully will play a key part in the life
statistics allow, the plan is to end most of every church community and every
of the restrictions by 21st June. disciple of Jesus Christ”. Led by its
Therefore, it is important for us not to new Bishop for the Environment,
relax our guard against catching, or Graham Usher, the Church of
transmitting this devastating virus England’s Environment Programme,
disease. will develop tools and resources to
enable churches, schools, and
The vaccination programme is dioceses to rise to the challenge of
advancing steadily; up until the first reaching net-zero carbon emissions by
week of last month, in our local district, 2030.
the two Henley Surgeries had
vaccinated over 6000 people in the
higher age groups. In the UK, over 25
million people have now been
vaccinated, and the infection rates
have diminished noticeably.
We are very thankful to Duncan, our
vicar, and Michael, our L. L. M., for A Rocha UK (ARUK), is a Christian
continuing to hold Sunday morning charity working for the protection and
services. The services mean so much restoration of the natural world, and
to churchgoers, as do the periodic committed to equipping Christians and
emails sent out to them by Duncan and churches in the UK to care for the
Michael, giving details of the services environment. “Eco Church” is a
and other matters. In addition, we scheme run by the charity to equip
thank Sam Brewster and Peter churches to care for God's creation
Goodman for their time and through their worship, buildings, land,
technological expertise in putting the community engagement, and
services on-line for us, and all others individual lifestyles.
for helping to keep the church running. JB
14The empty bench adjacent to Holy Trinity church entrance:
a conception of ‘Stay at Home’ Lockdown.
15THE Trinity TIMES
The current parish magazine of Holy Trinity church, Henley-on-Thames.
Published monthly throughout the year. This issue is Number 316.
Holy Trinity church parish magazines have been produced since 1890.
CONTACTS AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH
Vicar
The Reverend Duncan Carter Holy Trinity Vicarage 57 4822
Minister for Trinity at Four
The Reverend Sam Brewster 29 Gainsborough Hill 07899 843461
Licensed Lay Minister
Michael Forsdike 1 Brookside, Watlington 61 2161
Churchwardens
Barbara Williams 14 Lovell Close 57 4533
Michael Forsdike 1 Brookside, Watlington 61 2161
PCC Treasurer Stefan Kotas 07539 822201
Church Flowers Maureen George & 57 7895
Mary Burton 57 2971
Magazine Editor Richard Young 57 8422
The STD Code for Henley telephone numbers is 01491
Holy Trinity website : http://www.holytrinityhenley.org.uk
Readers are invited to contribute articles, features, notices, etc., for
publication in the Trinity Times. Submissions should be delivered to
Richard Young, 11 Saint Mary’s Close, (Telephone 578422), or E-mailed to
the Trinity Times mailbox at ‘magazine@holytrinityhenley.org.uk’.
For inclusion in the next magazine, submissions must be received by
Sunday the 11th of April.You can also read
