ST ALBAN S CHURCH COPENHAGEN

Transcription

1 ST ALBAN S CHURCH COPENHAGEN MAGAZINE FOR THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN DENMARK March April

2 St Alban s bi-monthly magazine is published 6 times a year by: JESPERSEN TRYK, Ved Langebro 1,2300 København S. mail@jespersentryk.dk It is available on our website: and Maria Kvan Mortensen kindly distributes it by post to members of our Anglican community who cannot receive it electronically. Copies are always available in church for collection. Saint Alban's Church follows the Danish copyright law. If we have unintentionally published something without permission, please contact us. Managing Editor: Revd Darren McCallig (Chair of Communications Team) Editor: Claire Campbell Clausen Regular photographers: Beverly Lloyd-Roberts, Pauleen Bang, Anita Wales and Editor. In this edition: Church walk photos:anita Wales and Julia Thordal; Shrove Tuesday pancake race photos: Bev Lloyd-Robert; and Brexit photos: Pauleen Bang Contributions, articles and photographs are gratefully received. Cover photo: Bev Lloyd-Roberts. ~ 2 ~

3 WORSHIP IN MARCH - APRIL 2017 ST ALBAN S CHURCH, COPENHAGEN The Anglican Parish of Saint Alban's covers the whole of Denmark, with Saint Alban's Church in Copenhagen gathering for the Eucharist at every Sunday and Wednesday. Our Chaplain, the Revd Darren McCallig, will be the preacher at each Sunday morning service unless otherwise stated. The services in the next couple of months are as follows: Wednesday 1 March at Wednesday 1 March at Sunday 5 March at Wednesday 8 March at Sunday 12 March at Sunday 12 March at Wednesday 15 March at Sunday 19 March at Wednesday 22 March at Sunday 26 March at Wednesday 29 March at Sunday 2 April at Wednesday 5 April at Sunday 9 April at Sunday 9 April at Wednesday 12 April at Thursday 13 April at Friday 14 April at Saturday 15 April at Sunday 16 April at 9.00 Sunday 16 April at Wednesday 19 April at Sunday 23 April at Wednesday 26 April at Sunday 30 April at Wednesday 3 May at Sunday 7 May at Ash Wednesday Holy Communion Ash Wednesday Sung Eucharist First Sunday of Lent, Mrs. Jane Passant Holy Communion Second Sunday of Lent Second Sunday Service, Taize Service Holy Communion Third Sunday of Lent Holy Communion Fourth Sunday of Lent, Mr. Graeme Lloyd-Roberts Holy Communion Fifth Sunday of Lent Holy Communion Palm Sunday (Holy Week begins) Second Sunday Service Holy Communion Maundy Thursday, Holy Communion, Commemoration of the Last Supper and The Watch Good Friday. An Hour at the Cross Easter Eve. Vigil, Service of Light, Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows and Easter Eucharist. Easter Day Holy Communion Easter Day Sung Eucharist Holy Communion Sung Eucharist, Mrs. Victoria Wadsworth-Hansen Holy Communion Sung Eucharist Holy Communion Sung Eucharist If you use a hearing aid, please use the T-switch to connect to the loop system. ~ 3 ~

4 Coffee and tea is served after the Sunday service. All are welcome. The Sunday school starts at 10:25. Children wishing to join Sunday school will meet at 10:25 at the Font. After opening prayers children will accompany the Sunday school leaders to the Upper Room, returning to their parents in time for communion. Baptisms are held on the 1st Sunday of each month except during Lent and Advent. Remember: Second Sunday Service The Second Sunday afternoon service is being continued at Saint Alban s in As its title suggests, the Second Sunday Service it is held on the Second Sunday of each month at (See page 7 for the March service) Different styles of worship will be undertaken each time, with the Saint Alban s Licensed Readers and Readers in Training taking the lead. ST ALBAN'S CHURCH IN JUTLAND We also have three English-speaking congregations in Jutland, in partnership with the local Danish Church, that gather on these dates: AARHUS Monthly: Møllevangskirke at Sunday 26 March at 18:00 (Mothering Sunday); Sunday 30 April at 18:00; Sunday 28 May at 18:00 and Sunday 25 June at The service will be led by The Revd Darren McCallig. Further details from Angela Hansen. angelabream@yahoo.dk VEJLE: there will be services on 12th of March and 9th April at Nørremarken JELLING: each Thursday for March and April there will be Eat and Sing at For more details, contact: Deacon Christophe: chndi2011@gmail.com. ~ 4 ~

5 MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN My dear friends, This issue of our magazine goes to print just as we are preparing to begin Lent a season which is, by tradition, marked by self-examination, spiritual recommitment and preparation for the great feast of Easter. Many of you, I know, will be taking on some additional spiritual practice or discipline for these forty days and in this connection I commend to you our Lent Group which will be studying Archbishop Justin Welby s book Dethroning Mammon (details elsewhere in this issue). It s probably the case that the most popular Lenten resolution remains giving things up whether that s alcohol or chocolate or some other treat. This abstinence draws its inspiration from the period Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness as detailed in Luke 4: Nevertheless, as the temptations faced by Jesus in those forty days attest, and as many writers have observed, fasting is about much more than simply abstaining from food. As Saint Basil the Great wrote in the fourth century: Do not limit the benefit of fasting merely to abstinence from food, for a true fast means refraining from evil. Loose every unjust bond, put away your resentment against your neighbour, forgive him his offences. Do not let your fasting lead only to wrangling and strife. You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother, your sister; you abstain from wine, but not from insults. So all the labour of your fast is useless. Those words set the essential tone for the season of Lent and remind us that whatever we do whatever spiritual practices we undertake for these next few weeks all must be done in the service of love. My you have a holy and spiritually enriching Lent. Darren FOR YOUR DIARY: ~ 5 ~

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7 If you have forgotten what Taizé is, here from the website, is an abbreviated version of the movement s history: The story of Taizé began in 1940 when, at the age of twenty-five, Brother Roger left Switzerland, the country where he was born, to go and live in France, the country of his mother. For years he had been ill with tuberculosis, and during that long convalescence he had matured within him the call to create a community. When the Second World War began, he had the conviction that he should waste no time in coming to the assistance of people going through this ordeal, just as his grandmother had done during the First World War. The small village of Taizé, where he settled, was quite close to the demarcation line dividing France: it was well situated for sheltering refugees fleeing the war. Friends from Lyon started giving the address of Taizé to people in need of a place of safety. In Taizé, thanks to a modest loan, Brother Roger bought a house with outlying buildings that had been uninhabited for years. He asked one of his sisters, Genevieve, to come and help him provide hospitality. Among the refugees they sheltered were Jews. Material resources were limited. There was no running water, so drinking water came from the village well. Food was simple, mainly ~ 7 ~

8 soups made from corn flour bought cheaply at the nearby mill. Out of discretion towards those he was sheltering, Brother Roger prayed alone; he often went to sing far from the house, in the woods so that none of the refugees, Jews or agnostics, would feel ill-at-ease, Genevieve explained to each person that it was better for those who wished to pray, to do so alone in their rooms. Brother Roger s parents, knowing that their son and daughter were in danger, asked a retired French officer who was a friend of the family to watch over them. In the autumn of 1942, he warned them that their activities had been discovered and that everyone should leave at once. So until the end of the war, Brother Roger lived in Geneva and it was there that he began a communal life with his first brothers. They were able to return to Taizé in The first Brothers make the commitment to join the movement In 1945, a young lawyer from the region set up an association to take charge of children who had lost their parents in the war. He suggested to the Brothers that they welcome a certain number of them in Taizé. A men s community could not receive children. So Brother Roger asked his sister Genevieve to come back to take care of them and become their mother. On Sundays, the Brothers also welcomed German prisoners-of-war interned in a camp nearby Taizé. Gradually other young men came to join the original group, and on Easter Day 1949, there were seven who committed themselves to work together for their whole life in celibacy and to a life together in great simplicity. In the silence of a long retreat, during the winter of , the founder of the community wrote the Rule of Taizé, expressing for his brothers the essential that makes the common life possible. Since my youth, I think that I have never lost the intuition that community life could be a sign that God is love, and love alone. Gradually the conviction took shape in me that it was essential to create a community with men determined to give their whole life and who would always try to understand one another and be reconciled, a community where kindness of heart and simplicity would be at the centre of everything. Brother Roger: God is love alone ~ 8 ~

9 THE SAINT ALBAN S STUDENT AND YOUNG ADULTS GROUP has had a make over. It will now be known as the First Thursday Group a group of 18 to 45 year olds who meet on the first Thursday of most months to socialize, read books together, go to the cinema or discuss life, theology and the Church. The programme of events for the next few months is as follows: Thursday 2 March. A Talk on African Christianity. Meet at the Church at Thursday 6 April. Visit to the Danish Jewish Museum. To sign-up please contact Mette (metteb@gmail.com) or Darren (chaplain@st-albans.dk) Thursday 4 May. Book Group Discussion of How to be Anglican by Richard Giles. Please contact Mette (metteb@gmail.com) or Darren (chaplain@stalbans.dk) for a copy of the book. Thursday 1 June. Guided tour of the religious history of Denmark at the National Museum. To sign up please contact Mette (metteb@gmail.com) or Darren (chaplain@st-albans.dk) ~ 9 ~

10 There will be copies of this flyer in church please take some and distribute them amongst friends, colleagues, on notice-boards and in places you visit. In this quiet way we spread the Good News and the welcome at St Alban s Church. ~ 10 ~

11 ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING 2017 Our Annual Church Meeting (ACM) will be held on Sunday 23 April at It s an opportunity for the community to give thanks to God for all that has been achieved in the last twelve months and look ahead to the future. It s also an opportunity for members of the congregation to be involved in the governance of Saint Alban s. However, you need to be on the Electoral Roll to vote at the ACM. To be added to the Roll, simply fill in and sign a form found in the Narthex, or electoralroll@st-albans.dk for further information. Please note that Sunday 2 April is the deadline for registration. FLOWER ROTA We are blessed with beautiful flowers adorning the Church all year long and the good news is that it is surprisingly easy to be part of this important ministry. Degrees in flower arranging are not a requirement, just enthusiasm and a willingness to give it a try! For example, four silver vases with a few flowers in each can make a simple but stunning display. If you d like to join the rota please speak to Carole (krascaro@gmail.com) or Jean (Jeangrama@yahoo.dk). ~ 11 ~

12 CHILDREN S MINISTRY Children s Ministry is a central part of the work and witness of St Alban s with our Sunday School meeting most Sundays throughout the year. If you re interested in being involved in this important ministry then please get in touch. Also, if you ve had a child at Sunday School and would like to join the mailing list to receive news about upcoming activities then let us know. The address is: sundayschool@st-albans.dk Children in church rugs to sit on to play Can you remember when you were taken to church when you were very small? Can you remember how much you wanted to talk or play or run around instead of sitting still? We can all sympathise with parents of small children who get a bit bored and fractious, but who don t want to miss their own spiritual nourishment from the Sunday service. St Alban s works hard, with the limited space we have, to provide a space for small children to play while their parents can listen to the service through the speakers. We are arranging for parents to be able to take their children to the Choir Crypt downstairs and already have some new appropriate toys. But the floor in the crypt is cold stone, so we would like to make an appeal for 3 or 4 rugs to spread out on the floor so children can happily and safely play, and accompanying parents can hear the service. If you have a spare rug you no longer use, please contact Anton, at antonm@gmail.com - or simply deliver your rug to church. It will be received warmly and with gratitude. ~ 12 ~

13 BISHOP S LENT APPEAL 2017 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Menedékház Foundation, Budapest, Hungary The Menedékház, founded in 2005 on the outskirts of Budapest, helps homeless families with children reintegrate into the workplace and society at large. The name says it all: Menedékház, or shelter, originally referred to a temporary refuge in a forest or on a mountaintop placed there for those in need of cover during storms and at nightfall. Last year my wife, Helen, was privileged to visit the Foundation. As she stood at the front door a family of six arrived who owned no more than a little cardboard suitcase. Is this a prison?, asked the 4- year old. Later in the day Helen came across the same family who had been admitted and were now crowded into a single bedroom, enjoying some hot soup provided by the project. At the Menedékház a professional staff of social workers serves some 160 people, many of whom do not meet the criteria of other established social assistance programmes. Some clients find their way to the shelter from impoverished villages in the countryside. Other clients are residents of Budapest who may have suddenly lost a job or been evicted from housing. Still others make their way to the Menedékház from alternative shelters now abruptly unavailable to them for bureaucratic reasons. The Menedékház is housed in aging Soviet-era military barracks. They provide minimal amenities and little privacy for the families served. It is a roof over the head sometimes not much more -- a place for families to catch their breath while parents seek employment and children try to continue their schooling during the crisis the family is facing. A significant proportion of clients are of Roma family background. The Menedékház has also from time to time provided shelter to refugees and migrants. The 2017 Lent Appeal Project ~ 13 ~

14 Whilst the Menedékház has washrooms and toilets, they are in poor repair and highly communal, offering little privacy or sense of security to families already traumatised. Built decades ago for military recruits, the facilities are today wholly inadequate and run-down, with peeling paint, cracked flooring and tiles, and little ventilation. Accordingly, this year s Lent Appeal Project at the Menedékház in Hungary aims to fund the comprehensive renovation of the family washrooms, providing individual cabins or cubicles for family groups to change, wash, and shower. We estimate the cost of renovation to be in the range of ten to fifteen thousand pounds sterling. The proposed renovation will include. Three large bathroom areas, one on each floor of the building Ten to twelve cabins or cubicles in each washroom with doors and locks for individual and family use One or more baby-changing and washing stations Sinks Toilets Tile flooring New walls Ventilation Showers Upgraded electricity Upgraded plumbing Windows Sometimes it is the smallest things in life that count the most. With this project, we hope to improve the lives of those served by the Menedékház. Washing-up and toileting facilities may not seem exciting in the grand scheme of things but they are essential and much appreciated among those who are vulnerable or otherwise just getting by. Learn more about the Menedékház and their services to the homeless online at Please do consider how you can support my appeal. I wish you a holy and spiritually fulfilling Lent. As usual, you can give money to this appeal through your church treasurer, who will forward money to the diocesan office. With every blessing ~ 14 ~

15 KIRKEVANDRING ECUMENICAL CHURCH WALK 2017 For the last 63 years on a dark, freezing January evening, throngs of Christians walk together and visit their churches in Copenhagen. Every year the following grows, Proudly Junior Williams (2 nd left) from St Alban s carries the cross and these days, leads one of four groups which formed outside Danish Lutheran church of Sankt Paul in Nyboder. They walk in different orders to avoid huge crushes in each church. As Revd Palle Thordal (rtd) explains, The Church Walk is a very old tradition. This year there were about 850 participants who walked in 4 groups (for the second time), i. e. that only two groups visited St Alban's and Saint Alexander Nevskij. Previously when we divided into two groups only, which visited all six churches. St Alban s often had to turn people away, and the staircase to the Russian Church could also be rather chaotic. ~ 15 ~

16 St Alban s hosted two services led by Revd Darren McCallig and Canon Ulla Monberg, and again this year the church was packed with interested worshippers. Each year the Alban and Sergij Community arranges this ecumenical church walk. Provst Palle Thordal, has been the Chair of the organising committee for some years, which comprises priests from all the Christian churches. The walk begins at St Pauls Kirke in Nyboder and visits the Methodist Jerusalem Kirke, the Orthodox Saint Alexander Nevskij Church, Saint Ansgar s Roman Catholic cathedral and St Albans Church, ending always at Svenska Gystavskyrkan. This walk has become so popular that it was necessary to make changes in 2016 and 2017 so that people wouldn t have to be turned away. Four groups were formed each taking a different route, led by a crucifer. All groups end up at the Swedish church for a community service and the usual warm Swedish refreshments and hospitality. The Russian Orthodox priest walks with Chaplain Darren into Saint Paul's Church (Lutheran) at the commencement of the Church Walk. (below)they are followed by Revd Palle Thordal, who is one of the primus motors of this increasingly popular event. ~ 16 ~

17 Pictured above are all the participating Christian leaders in Copenhagen who take part in the annual ecumenical Church Walk. Front row: Bishop Peter Skov-Jakobsen (CPH), Bishop Czeslaw Kozon (Roman Catholic Bishop), Swedish Dean Maj-Lis Ekendahl, Dean Palle Thordal (leader of the Church Walk) Second row: Ukraine R.C. priest, Revd Jørgen Thaarup (Methodist), Canon Ulla Monberg,(Anglican), Revd Nete Ertner Rasmussen, General Vicar Niels Engelbrecht (Roman Catholic), Revd Susanne Steensgaard Back row: Crucifer Junior Williams, R C. Priest Daniel Nørgaard, Deacon Robert, Revd Ellen Gylling, Revd Ole Birch (Methodist) ~ 17 ~

18 Sermon preached by the Chaplain on Sunday 1 January 2017, the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, What s in a name? Luke: 2: 21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Today it s all about the names! Little baby Mariam receiving her name, her Christian name in this Sacrament of Baptism. And little baby Jesus in the Gospel we just heard Jesus receiving his name, eight days after his birth. Today is all about the names. The power of names, the meaning of names - because names matter. You ve heard, I m sure, those famous lines from Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet when Juliet says: What s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet. Well, not really! As the tragic Romeo and Juliet discover, there is in fact quite a lot in a name in their case their rival family names names matter. And names certainly matter in the Bible and in Christian tradition. In the Bible, particularly in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, someone s name tells us about their character and their calling. The name Abraham, for example, means the Father of a multitude, or the Father of many, as indeed Abraham went on to be. And his son Isaac means laughter which was exactly his mother Sarah s response when she discovered she was pregnant in her nineties. Laughter indeed! And then in the New Testament we have some very dramatic examples of people s names changing people receiving new names to symbolise their new identity, their new calling. Saul, for example Saul the persecutor of the early Christians he becomes Paul, Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. And Simon, the Galilean fisherman who denied Jesus three times Simon becomes nevertheless, through the Grace of God, Peter, Peter meaning rock the rock on which the Church will be built. So, names are not just convenient labels we stick on each other names matter. So what then of this name we celebrate today this name of Jesus? Well, simply put, the name Jesus is a Greek form of the ancient Hebrew name Yeshua" which means God saves. God saves. God rescues. God redeems. God heals. And, at first glance, you might think, well that s nothing new? Surely, God has always been in the saving business? Surely God has been ~ 18 ~

19 saving and rescuing God s people throughout the Bible, throughout human history even? For instance, did God not rescue the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea for them and then closing the waters over the pursuing Egyptian soldiers? Did God not save the Israelites by giving them manna to eat in the wilderness and by giving them water to drink in the desert? And the answer is, yes, of course, God has always been in the saving game, rescuing the oppressed and feeding the hungry. That s all true. No, what changes with Jesus and what this season of Christmas reminds us of every year is not so much what God does as how God does it. For example: In Jesus God saves us. God saves us, but not by magically beaming us up out of our lives, but being with us, alongside us, down here, right at the very heart of our human lives. In Jesus God rescues us not by destroying our enemies, but by loving the hell out of our enemies and also loving the hell out of us too, by the way! In Jesus God heals us, not so much by taking all the pain and struggle away, but by promising to be with us, with us always in every place of suffering and loss. In short, in Jesus God saves us as I ve said several times during this Christmas season God saves us by becoming fully and truly human so that we with the help of God might become fully and truly human too. But, we ve got to be willing to receive that gift. We ve got to accept it. We ve got to say Yes to the divine life of Christ coming alive in us. And that, I think, is where we come to little baby Mariam and her beautiful name and her Baptism today. You see, little baby Mariam has much to teach us. For a start, her name is a good Biblical name. Miriam, don t forget, was Moses s sister and Miriam played a crucial part in the story of the Exodus, the story of the children of Israel escaping from slavery in Egypt. Remember the story: The baby Moses was placed in a basket in the river to evade Pharaoh s murderous plan to kill all the Hebrew baby boys. Well it was Miriam who watched it all from a distance to see what would happen. It was Miriam who saw Pharaoh s daughter rescue her little baby brother from the water. And it was Miriam who arranged for her and her brother s own mother to nurse the baby Moses thus ensuring that Moses grew up with some knowledge of his Hebrew heritage. And later in the story of the Exodus, it was Miriam who sang a song of thankfulness and jubilation when she, and the other Children of Israel, had reached safety on the far bank of the Red Sea. So, how about that for a name to inspire us? Miriam the one who watches out for the vulnerable and those in danger. Miriam the one who steps in at the right moment to offer a helping hand and to make a difference. And Miriam, the one who can t help but sing with joy when the oppressed are set free. ~ 19 ~

20 But there s even more to this lovely name Miriam, and it s this. Miriam is, of course, the name from which the name Mary derives. Miriam, Mariam, Maria, Mary. And Mary, well Mary is, in many ways, the model for all of us, regardless of our own Christian names. Mary, after all is the pre-eminent example to us of what it means to accept the gift, to say Yes to the new thing that God wants to work in our lives, and in our world. Mary is the one, the pre-eminent one, who shows us what it means to allow the life of Christ to come alive in us. And really when it s all said and done that is what it s all about. That s what this sacrament of Baptism is all about. At our Baptism we receive our Christian names, we become followers of Christ, little Christs, if you like. But, by being baptised In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we also become sharers of the Divine Name and thereby also, we pray, sharers of the Divine life: That divine life which is greater than all of us and yet present in each one of us. That life of full and true and authentic humanity. That life of self-giving love, costly reconciliation, joy and peace. That life of Jesus the life of Jesus longing to come alive in us! Luke: 2: 21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus which means God saves. What s in a name? Everything really. And so in Jesus s name we say: Amen. OUTWARD GIVING Each year the Church Council agrees to donate approximately 10% of our income to charities in our own nation, our region - Scandinavia and the Baltic states and to Anglican mission charities abroad. It is rare that we receive direct thanks but we wanted to share this note of appreciation from our local charity, Hope Now. Dear Claire, Thank you so much for (arranging for us to receive Ed.) this much needed support. Remember HopeNow is always willing to hold a lecture on Human Trafficking. We also have a new documentary film and this I would be available to show for example if there was a group of people who wanted to see it and afterwards ask me questions about trafficking here in Denmark and also how we work Internationally. Venlig hilsen/ Warm regards, Michelle Mildwater Founder and Traumatherapist (0045) Website: ~ 20 ~

21 SHROVE TUESDAY ON SUNDAY Tuesday 28 February 2017 is Shrove Tuesday but St Alban s held it on Sunday 26 th in rain and mist Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9 Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and each year on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo- Saxon Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). Tuesday, therefore, was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan though if you ask Palle Thordal, he will say that in Jutland, DK, it is an omelet thick and fluffy with bacon, chives and tomatoes on top much too heavy to flip! The ingredients for pancakes symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Eggs ~ Creation Salt ~ Wholesomeness Milk ~ Purity Flour ~ The Staff of Life In the UK, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations - an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down the village streets tossing their pancakes and pans to the chimes of the Pancake Bell. Here in Copenhagen, Churchwarden Chris Parker (left) had kindly provided the pancakes, and had devised slightly more complicated and challenging rules, which he explained to the eager participants. They were to run 10 steps, turn around, flip their pancake and then run on, continuing this to the finishing line. ~ 21 ~

22 The route was church, around the Gefion Fountain and back again, and the choir, not wishing to lose their championship position of last year tore off round the fountain, flipping and turning in Olympian manner. Bemused and amused tourists and on-lookers really enjoyed this. Seeing fully-robed choir members and readers running with frying pans in the misty grey weather with children and adults tearing off after them, had them shaking their heads and laughing. There were conflicting opinions as to who was the winner not that it mattered. Everyone had fun and all piled back into church for hot coffee and cake. The Lenten season has begun well and happily and I am sure all participants felt they had been well and truly shriven. Now we make a sacrifice in some small way for 40 days, to remind us of how very much Jesus sacrificed for us. ~ 22 ~

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24 BREXIT ROUND TABLE MEETING A Report to Church Council from British representatives. On 18th January Bishop Robert of Gibraltar invited British representatives from each parish to discuss the implications to his people, of Brexit. We (undersigned) participated in a meeting with British citizens from many parts of the Diocese. The Bishop had invited Lord Bridges, (Government Department for Exiting the European Union), Alison Rose (UK Ambassador to Belgium) and Emma Gibbons (Deputy Head of Mission at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU). It was held at the British Embassy in Brussels. The intention had been that Lord Bridges would be present at the meeting and that it would be held in the Diocesan Office in Brussels. However, due to the timing of Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit speech, Lord Bridges could not leave the UK, so the meeting was moved to the British Embassy so that he could take part via a video link. There were representatives, clergy and lay, from all over the Diocese including Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Gibraltar, Spain and France. We didn't actually get any answers to our questions, but we did get the chance to voice our concerns and many of these were met with surprise. Now that these concerns have been heard and noted, we hope that they will be included in the negotiations. ~ 24 ~

25 These concerns included: Pension rights (and indexation) for those receiving a UK pension in another EU county after Brexit - this is particularly distressing for pensioners in Southern Europe Double taxation Healthcare for those who can stay in their EU homes and for those who are forced to return to the UK Healthcare for seconded/temporary workers, students and tourists Recruitment and retention of UK clergy for the Diocese in Europe Protection for UK clergy returning to the UK post Brexit especially with regard to healthcare and pre-existing conditions Mixed nationality marriages (UK and EU) including children with dual nationality and their rights after Brexit Our fears of being "bargaining chips" in political negotiations Border issues, especially in Gibraltar Voting rights for UK citizens who have lost their right to vote because of the 15-year-rule (this is particularly important if the Brexit negotiations lead to a General Election) Eligibility for nationality in an EU member state (the rules are different from country to country and some are very restrictive) Further into the process, there could be another round table event to monitor progress on these issues. Each chaplaincy was encouraged to approach their own Ambassadors, in the hope that they will show support for British citizens living in their countries. Last but not least, those who took part in the round table discussion have decided to form a "lobby group" to share information and get anything relevant out to a wider audience via the Diocese. This was a very encouraging meeting, since many of our concerns were "under the radar" as far as the Brexit negotiators were concerned. We will keep you posted. Graeme Lloyd-Roberts and Pauleen Bang ~ 25 ~

26 CHALKING THE DOOR Blessing our homes When Carsten and I were in Napier, New Zealand in December and January we went to church at All Saints in Taradale. It is a church to which my dear friend has dedicated her life, and is about as different from St Alban s as you can imagine. There is a band for music. There are powerpoint screens on the wooden pillars so people look up to read the words of the hymns and responses in the service. There is a large sound-system bank at the back of the church as you walk in with a technician. Most of the church like many in New Zealand is wooden, with efficient disabled access, and seats saved in the front pews for people with intellectual disabilities, as they like to move to music and frequently get up to dance! There is no pulpit the leader stands on a step in the centre to deliver his homily. The service of the Anglican Church of New Zealand is simple, down-toearth and accessible to all. We were shocked when someone felt able to interject with her disagreement to something the vicar said about the Wise Men returning home by a different route during the sermon! He handled it (almost) gracefully and I was relieved to see people around me cringing. The point is that the service is really inclusive. It is not what Carsten and I are used to, or, to be truthful, enjoy, but it is an eye opener and an uplifting experience nevertheless. And the church is packed every Sunday! Like we do, there is coffee and tea afterwards and also a Parish Pantry where home-made goods are sold regularly jams, chutneys, biscuits etc. with an honesty box and someone keeping an eye on it all. We were there at the Feast of the Epiphany and experienced an act of faith I hadn t seen before. According to the vicar, this is the time where, in many countries (he had seen it in Germany), people follow a brief ceremony where the family gathers to ask God s blessing to bless their homes, their family and their visitors. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk to write above the home s entrance, 20 + C + M + B The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, May Christ bless the house. The + signs represent the cross and 2017 is the year. A sheet of paper was handed around explaining how to go about this and encouraging people to take it away and do it themselves, or with their families. ~ 26 ~

27 Blessing the Chalk A basket of ordinary school chalk was brought to the altar by children, where it was blessed. This is the standard response: V. Our help is the name of the Lord: R. The maker of heaven and earth. V. The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in: R. From this time forth for evermore. Let us pray. Loving God, bless this chalk which you have created, that it may be helpful to your people; and grant that through the invocation of your most Holy Name that we who use it in faith to write upon the door of our home the names of your holy ones Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, may receive health of body and protection of soul for all who dwell in or visit our home; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Instructions for Blessing the Home Using the blessed chalk mark the lintel of your front door (or front porch step) as follows: 20 + C + M + B + 17 while saying: The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God s Son who became human two thousand and fifteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the New Year. Amen. Then you can offer the following prayer: Visit, O blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love; and grant that we may manifest your love to each other and to all whose lives we touch. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen Children were allowed to make this sign on all the doors of the church which they did with relish. At home in our new apartment I did it quietly for myself on the lintel of the door to our living room. It is inconspicuous but I know it is there. Chalking the door is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God s blessing of our lives and home. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, May Christ bless the house. CCC ~ 27 ~

28 HOLY COMMUNION BY EXTENSION On Sunday 29th January, after the Eucharist at St. Alban's, Copenhagen, I travelled with our Licensed Lay Minister, Graeme Lloyd-Roberts by train to Aarhus. He had with him his robes and the bread and wine which had been consecrated at the service in Copenhagen. Our chaplain, Darren, was on leave and our Porvoo minister, Palle, who stands in for him regularly, couldn't make it to Aarhus, so this alternative service was arranged. It required approval from the chaplaincy council (done at a meeting in early January) and then it was approved and authorised by the Bishop. This double approval only applies to a single service, but it was worth it. The Aarhus congregation has just one service each month which is why it was so important that they should not miss out. As far as I am aware, this is the first time this has been done within our church. So, I felt truly privileged to be a witness to this very special service, which was why I decided to make the journey to Aarhus after our Eucharist in Copenhagen. It was also the first time Graeme had ever done it. Deacon Christophe took an active part in the service, reading the Gospel, doing the intercessions and assisting Graeme with the giving of communion. Our Aarhus congregation made us very welcome during and after the service. And a bonus was that I got two very different "Presentation of Christ" sermons, both by Licensed Lay Ministers. It was a long day, as the train to Aarhus takes over 3 hours, so we weren't back in Copenhagen until almost midnight, but it was wonderful to have been part of this unusual and in some ways historic service. Pauleen Bang ~ 28 ~

29 VISIT TO All Saints, IN ROME Graeme and I went to Rome in February and while we were there we attended a Sunday morning service in All Saints Church. It was fascinating to find how different a church in the same diocese could be. The Chaplain was Canon Jonathan Boardman. It was February 5 th when we went so we were very surprised to see the Nativity scene still up but Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus had moved to a different part of the Church, this was all explained in the service. It must be like that for all the Churches in Italy as when we visited St Peter s in the Vatican, the nativity scene was still up there too. Canon Jonathan Boardman The service was a Christingle service which, in February, is much later than our Christmas Eve service. Chaplain Jonathan Boardman explained the Christingle orange to all the children in the Church, explaining it in English first and then again in Italian to a few little children. We introduced ourselves to the Chaplain at the end of the service and he told us that he knew Jonathan Lloyd and Ulla. We always try to visit an Anglican Church when we are away on holiday and this is so easy to do now that we can find any place on google maps. Text and photo, Bev Lloyd-Roberts The Editor would be happy to include photos and reports of other churches you visit on holiday or when abroad. If you don t have time to write an article, just send photos and your notes and they will be welcomed, edited and printed. CCC ~ 29 ~

30 Saint Alban s Church Churchillparken 11, 1263 Copenhagen K Under the Patronage of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II Weekly Eucharists: Sundays and Wednesdays at 10:30 All are welcome Sunday School for children almost every Sunday. Please call the Chaplain on (10-16) if you are seeking baptism, confirmation, marriage or have any other pastoral or prayer request. You can also contact the churchwardens see below. Contact Details Chaplain The Reverend Darren McCallig (St Alban s House) Chaplain@st-albans.dk Affiliated: Diocesan Director of Training Canon Ulla Monberg Ulla.Monberg@churchofengland.org Permission to Officiate: Deacon Christophe Ndikuriyo chndi2011@gmail.com Licensed Readers: Mr Graeme Lloyd-Roberts graemelr@aol.com Mrs Victoria Wadsworth-Hansen victoriawadsworth@hotmail.com Ms Ursula Sonnevald usonnevald@gmail.com Churchwardens Mrs. Claire Clausen Mr. Christopher Parker churchwardens@st-albans.dk St Alban s receives no subsidy from the state or national Church and is funded by the generosity of the congregation and visitors. To support the mission and ministry of the Church, contributions can be made to St Alban s Church to Bank account no or for UK tax payers by Gift Aid, increasing the value of their gift by 25 % Printed by Jespersen Tryk + Digital

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32 St Alban s in the early spring. Photo: thanks to Beverly Lloyd-Roberts