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In June's magazine:

In our Foreword, John Sutcliffe reflects on fifty years of ordained ministry;  while another retired clergyman in our parish, Bishop Peter Firth, flies some kites, metaphorically (and in verse).

Our Team Council had a day away together recently:  some things are done better together, as Nikki Arthy writes.  Our usual PCC News is presented for your electation, as are the Music Notes.

Our verger, Joyce Curnock has retired after many years service:  she writes appreciatively of her leaving presentation.

The Prayer for the Month is by John Wesley.

An ex-Samaritan reflects on their work with would-be suicides.

And finally...

 

FIFTY YEARS ON ...

Later this month I shall have been ordained fifty years. I was accepted as an ordinand in 1951 and began the six-year university and college course. My reasons for seeking to devote myself to this particular form of Christian action were that after living through the 1939-45 war as a child, I was appalled that as the cold war developed we might face the same or worse all over again. I had been to Germany in 1947 on a youthwork project and seen the streets still piled high with rubble, had lived in a damaged Secret Service barracks and met youths who were very critical of the dominance they felt Britain and the US had given the USSR over half of Europe. For me in 1951 Christianity offered a different way of coping with enmity and aggression.

There is so much for which I am thankful in these fifty years. I have met and been helped by many thoughtful and generous people; I have been given opportunities to work in national posts, to travel, write, engage with social issues, and teach ordinands and others interested in theological studies. Ministry has sometimes taken me into dangerous situations. I have ministered in only two churches, in Bradford and St Albans, and saw both increase in numbers and influence. Thirty-six of these years I have worked in ecumenical contexts. Throughout I feel I have been given much more than I have been able to give. In St Peter’s the music is a joy and a blessing I have not had since the church I attended in Yorkshire as a child.

Fifty years on I remain much more interested in Christianity – in Jesus – as an action rather than as dogma. What grips me now is an over-riding sense of the unity of creation. The human race cannot hope to live in peace, cannot hope to enable all people to have food, education, housing and health-care, without a new sense of partnership throughout the whole human family. Nor can we – or more probably our grandchildren – hope to have a future unless we learn how to have a greater care for the environment. Global warming requires the making of difficult decisions of a kind never before faced by humanity and for which popular democracy and many of our institutions are ill-suited. A new sense of communal responsibility and discipline is desperately needed. Again, Christianity seems to me to offer a way forward.

First there is the sense that we all live as one human family, the children of one God, in God’s one universal household. There is no them and us now, we are all us. Then there is the spirit of Jesus revealed in the teaching and human qualities we see in the Gospels: acceptance of all people of all conditions as equal in his company, an unbending determination to live giving as great a care to his neighbours as to himself; an unswerving commitment to non-violence in spite of opposition, and a belief that the will of God is supreme and can be found and lived even in the rough of ordinary life. Of course, none of this is easy. If it were, there would not have been a crucifixion. It is easy neither to grasp the enormity of the issues facing humanity nor to discern the will of God. Yet the qualities and way of life we see in Jesus seem to me to offer a greater hope than any one other religious, political or philosophical way of approaching life. And above all there is this sense of the unity, the oneness – the inter-relatedness and interdependence – of all people and the universe in which we live and on which we depend.

Being a Christian is a gift for which I am grateful beyond words. But that does not mean that it has not been and is not now hard work. Nor does it excuse one from dialoguing and collaborating with people of goodwill of other persuasions. Being Christian is a great, un-comfortable and exciting, adventure of faith, life, ideas and action. All of us, lay and ordained, have a ministry. That does not stop me hoping and praying that one or more of the young people of the church might have their imaginations and intellects provoked to offer themselves for full-time ministry. The work of ministry is probably more difficult now than when I started, but I cannot imagine the joy to be experienced is any the less.

John Sutcliffe

KITES

High over the park
I watched the kites flying,
Reds and blues,
Shapes of eagles
And banks of six –
A kind of craziness overhead.
And people watching
Lost the look of being old.
Two men on a bench
Sat out the afternoon
Forgetting time,
And I was one of them.

As a boy
I never had a kite.
Those were the war years
When the sky brought other things.
And I remember, years later,
Holding the long string
For my six-year old son
On Saundersfoot beach,
Raising the holiday kite
To heights of joy, defying gravity,
Knowing something
Of the spirit’s fragile wandering.

Sometimes, this earthbound life
Tells me: This is all there is,
This other-people’s world, not mine –
A world of tension, broken marriages and bills,
And no time
To love well enough, if at all.
But watching the kites over the park,
Your Spirit touches me.
Kites become symbols of the hopes
We have but can’t quite believe in,
Until suddenly, they fly.

Lord, forgive me when I don’t rise
To meet your promises:
I am the Way, you said, I will be with you.
For me – and for everyone – this means
In the heart of things, the daily decisions,
Chance encounters, calls for help.
It means that when I meet failure
And loneliness,
I have the right to meet you there,
Asking for your company
In the dark.

It also means
That when the good times come
And I’m at one with life,
And someone shares and understands
The love I offer
And all the kites of hope are flying,
Then I shall know
That this is your kingdom as well,
And I need live no day or single hour
Without your company
Or beyond your care.

Peter Firth

BETTER TOGETHER

Some years ago, the then Roman Catholic and Anglican Bishops of Liverpool, Derek Worlock and David Shepherd, wrote a book entitled Better Together. They explained how they tried to serve the city of Liverpool by working as closely together as possible.  They tried to speak with one voice on issues affecting the people of Liverpool, from football to housing, from education to inner-city poverty. They encouraged practical ecumenism at every level of church and city life.

As the Winchcombe Team of Parishes continues to develop, the phrase Better Together frequently comes into my mind. Thirteen parishes, seventeen churches are part of the same unit (or to use the church language, the same ‘benefice’). Each parish is represented on the Team Council, a group of people elected by their parishes to share responsibility with the clergy for Team events and initiatives. Last month, the Team Council had its first Away Day. This was an occasion to get to know one another better. It was a chance to hear about the challenges facing our individual parishes. It was an opportunity for us to reflect on the mission of the Winchcombe Team and to see in what areas we may work ‘Better Together’. The Away Day took place at Tewkesbury Abbey and we were glad to use the Abbey and gardens for prayer and reflection together.

One of the key questions we asked ourselves was this: “Why is it helpful to be part of a Team of Parishes?” It is perhaps more obvious for the smaller parishes in our Team that working together strengthens church life. The smaller parishes benefit from the mutual support, financial and practical, that being part of a Team provides. Many people have enjoyed coming together to learn more about the gospels. Others have enjoyed a Quiet Day. The quality of our marriage and baptism preparation is enhanced by offering it as a Team initiative; likewise our provision for young people.  Social events such as the Steam Train Ride and the barn dance are notable. On its own, a smaller parish cannot offer events such as these, but working with other parishes the breadth and depth of activities can grow. Being part of a bigger picture has given people renewed energy and commitment to Christ, to the church and to the villages in which they live.

The benefit of being part of a Team is perhaps less obvious for the larger parishes. They may have to work harder to appreciate being part of the Winchcombe Team. Yet two things spring to mind. First, from the time of the early church, Christians have offered support to one another (Acts 4:32-37). God requires us to be generous! Secondly, a willingness to learn from the smaller parishes is so important. The smaller parishes have gifts, expertise and experiences to offer too. At the Team Council Away Day, we identified and celebrated some of those gifts as we seek to work ‘Better Together’. We shall see how we can share those gifts to bring more people into the orbit of God’s love.  

Nikki Arthy

PCC NEWS

New members were welcomed – Margaret Batterbury (the incoming PCC Secretary) and Christine Lainé, one of the two deputy churchwardens.  Carol Harris was co-opted for one year.  We are still seeking the name of a second person to co-opt – someone who will lower the average age of the present membership please!  Anyone who is interested but diffident should have a word with John Partington as this could be a good opportunity to experience how decisions are made without committing yourself beyond one year – but do this soon as we have arranged an induction evening in June for new PCC members in the parish and from the Team at the kind invitation of Alan Thomas.

Annual appointments were made to ecumenical bodies, as were additions to the list of welcomers and communion assistants.      

In February the PCC and the Ministry Leadership Team met together for a day at Alderton to think about how to encourage growth in all its senses in the parish.  Three strong themes emerged – cultivating a sense of belonging to the church, developing ministry to people who are vulnerable, and deeper theological study for people who have been Christians for some time. How do we get to know new people and help them feel at home?  What can we offer to people who find it difficult to meet on Sundays?  Can we develop the road stewardship scheme further?  Housegroups can help, and we need to gain experience of neighbourhood meetings.   The older part of the congregation includes people who have been Christians for many years who pose a lot of questions about the faith.  Some questions are related to ageing, and just as we have special provision for younger people perhaps we should think about what we should offer for the needs of elderly members.  In essence we were asking how can we move from being a large, small church (where everyone relates through the clergy) to become a small, large church where people relate through people they know in smaller and often more local groups.  

The treasurer presented the first quarter financial figures.  At this stage in the year the figures are rather difficult to interpret as although some payments are made well in advance, some income too is received well in advance.  Suffice it to say that at present income was 18% instead of 25%, and expenditure was 32% instead of 25%.

Improvements to the Choir Vestry at St Peter’s are well on the way.  An estimate to repair the pillar at the East Gate was very high and sadly it was felt that it is too costly to have any other improvements done to this rather down-at-heel area of the boundary.  

Ann Sutcliffe

MUSIC NOTES

Plans for the Choir concert are progressing apace.  The theme is to be “All creatures great and small”.  This gives us a large amount of scope to bring you a variety of music ... at the moment the programme is to include:

All creatures of our God and King - Harris
All things bright and beautiful - Rutter
Like as the Hart - Howells
various anthems on a sheep theme.  My shepherd is Lord, The Lord is my shepherd etc...
and more on lambs... works by Oxley, Schubert, and inevitably Britten!
The Hippopotamus - Flanders and Swann
a song from Peter Teague’s musical based on the story of Jonah & the Whale
Rossini’s Cat duet
some movements from Saint-Saens ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ –  certainly the Swan, Tortoises and People with Long Ears …
possibly the theme tune from the long-running TV programme “All creatures great and small”...
and much, much more.

Do put the date – Saturday, July 14th  7.00 pm - in your diary!

Congratulations to Lucy Newsum and Hannah Wilcock on gaining their Dean’s Awards (green ribbon).  This is the first award tested by an external examiner (the second is Bishop’s Award – purple ribbon; and the third is Gold Award – darkish red with very special medal).  All three require confident singing and knowledge of the liturgy and  hymns that we use.

A church member was asking about the ribbons in general. A chorister’s career begins with just a blue cassock.  Full membership of the Choir brings a surplice as well.  Light blue, dark blue and red ribbons are achieved in that order and require successively higher levels of expertise at singing hymns, anthems, psalms and sections of the Communion settings, as well as some knowledge of the Bible and the hymnbook. All the ribbons require very good commitment to the Choir.  I hope this clarifies the system a little!

Fiona Brown

THANKS & MEMORIES

I should like to thank everyone in the parish – the Vicar, Church Wardens, PCC and congregations who contributed to the overwhelmly marvellous gift of £1000 worth of holiday vouchers given to me on Sunday 13th May.  I am still looking at them in amazement.  My first thought was to visit my sister-in-law and family in Australia, but then I realised I could visit Iceland, which I have often thought would be nice, especially as one way of doing that is as a stop-over on the way to Boston, USA where my aunt lives.  As well, my son and his family are being moved to Washington for three years next year.

It was a lovely surprise too, when Canon Appleton (“Sir Ronald” to Wilf & me as great friends) spoke of my early days as verger.
I have always enjoyed my work as verger.  I have been helped a great deal, first of all by Janet Mackean who taught me a lot about church procedure, Elizabeth Ellsmore and Pauline Humphries.

I started as verger in August 1983; Canon Appleton had only two years to do.  Then we went through the interregnum before welcoming Michael Page as Vicar.  I remember his Induction service.  We checked the colour for the altar cloth.  Michael came down to check everything but neither of us saw that I had forgotten the pulpit frontal.  So the altar had a red front and the pulpit green!  Fortunately John Gayther came into church early and asked was it a new system!  I wondered whatever Michael thought of his verger!  Despite that I had sixteen happy years working with him.  It was a shock when he retired.  Then it was another interregnum before welcoming John Partington and adjusting to his ideas and the developing team.

My retirement from the main life of the church means that I can now go on holiday without organising all the people who do the jobs while I am away.  No more long lists for Joan Holgate to type out!

Many many thanks to everyone.

We wish Joyce the long and happy retirement she well deserves. We owe her a great deal, and much appreciate all that she has done.

Joyce Curnock

PRAYER FOR THE MONTH

Last month we welcomed members of Winchcombe Methodist Church to St Peter’s, to lead a Communion Service on ‘Aldersgate Sunday’ – the anniversary of John Wesley’s conversion.  Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, had been a devout believer for many years, but was becoming increasingly depressed at his lack of effectiveness as a disciple and minister, when his “heart was strangely warmed” at a Bible-study meeting in Aldersgate Street.  Later he wrote:

O God, seeing as there is in Christ Jesus
an infinite fullness
of all that we can want or desire,
may we all receive from him,
grace upon grace;
grace to pardon our sins,
and subdue our iniquities;
to justify our persons
and to sanctify our souls;
and to complete that holy change,
that renewal of our hearts,
which will enable us to be transformed
into the blessed image
in which you created us.
O make us all acceptable to be partakers
of the inheritance of your saints in light.
Amen.

We too, who want to serve Christ but often feel inadequate for the task, do well to ask God for “... grace upon grace ... to complete that holy change...”

 

THE SAMARITANS

The Samaritans is quite simply an organisation made up of volunteers who are trained to listen to those who need to talk. The Sams are committed to confidentiality, non-judgemental and probably unshockable. Their helpline is available 24 hours a day; they have branches all over the country, and handle both phone calls and e-mail contacts from around the world. They are specialists in dealing with suicidal feelings and are trained to be able to deal with active suicide attempts over the phone. They welcome calls from anybody, children and adults alike. Sams are given a number when they join the ‘firm’ and are never usually known by their name on the phone - you never forget your Sam number!

I was a Samaritan for about five years. I had often thought about joining them and after my fourth child I gave up work and had time to devote to voluntary work.

The selection is stringent. You have to go through several interviews and a selection day involving more questions and role-plays. They look for people who listen rather than give advice, who are open and can keep strong opinions to themselves.

Once selected there is a period of twelve weeks training which is nerve-wracking and intense. Attitudes to suicide are explored and there are many role-plays to go through as well as group work. Then when deemed ready to go ‘live’ and begin taking calls, you are assigned a mentor and go on probation for six months.
The commitment is one duty of three hours a week and one all night duty every six weeks.  I remember my first shift. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof! But the training kicks in and you soon feel comfortable talking to anyone. Every duty has two Sams on call. There are two phone booths but personal callers turn up at the centre too and you have to be ready for anything. I don’t think anything can shock me now. I have heard so many terrible stories of suffering and pain, of shame and perverse behaviour.

We had regulars who had a long-standing relationship with Sams, lonely people, people with mental health issues, self-harmers, transsexuals and transvestites. We had our share of sex calls when callers wanted more than just a listening ear. In the old days there was a specific line called a  ‘Brenda line’ for sex callers.

The internal support was always excellent, at the end of a duty you would always de-brief with a supervisor and they would follow up with more support if you’d had a traumatic call.

The range of volunteers was astounding, young and old, professionals, and students. I could be doing a duty with a top surgical consultant, an artist or a mum just like me. It was endlessly varied and rewarding work.

I had one duty when I had to call out flying squad (if a caller in an active suicide attempt gives permission you can call out an ambulance and a special Sams team). You use all your listening and empathy skills when trying to keep a suicidal person talking. Being able to talk honestly about feelings of desperation and thoughts of suicide can often give a caller enough strength to go on. The suicidal find themselves in a tunnel where there seem to be no options. If they are able to explore options and talk about their fears of death openly it can be enormously liberating.

Sams go out to festivals and have a special event team. I had a great day at several agricultural shows and the Fairford Air Show. We once had our stall next to the conservative MP for Cirencester. I didn’t rate his listening skills too highly!

I’m very committed to this unique non-judgemental, listening service. The highest rate of suicides is among teenage boys and young men. As a mother of four boys it comes as quite a shock. Attitudes to suicide are complex and there is still a taboo for those whose loved-ones die by suicide. That’s why the Samaritans work is outstanding. It is a matter of life and death in many cases.

 

AND FINALLY ...

A bicycle can't stand on its own because it's two-tyred.

 

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