60p CREDO 1. June The Parish Magazine of Christ Church, Roath Park Lake Road North, CARDIFF CF 23 5QN. Volume 23 Issue 5

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1 CREDO 1 60p Volume 23 Issue 5 The Parish Magazine of Christ Church, Roath Park Lake Road North, CARDIFF CF 23 5QN Holy Wells Buxton in Derbyshire Derbyshire is the English county celebrated around the world for its wells. The annual tradition followed in many villages of decorating the village wells, or well dressing, attracts sight-seers from far away. Tissington is at the heart of Well Dressing country, and Ascension Day is when the largest crowds gather to see the wells blessed. After a service in the church, a procession wends its way around the village and at each well a hymn is sung and prayer of blessing given. By ancient, centuries old tradition, five wells are decorated. Boards are set up around each one which is then covered in clay. The clay is then impressed with thousands of colourful flower petals to create pictures and tableaux. Often the stories illustrated are from the Bible. It is thought the practice may date back to the 14th century and may have started as an act of thanksgiving when the community escaped the devastation of the Black Death. Over the years, and before piped water became available, it also became an act of thanksgiving for the village s supply of clean, clear water. Today Tissington is one of over 100 villages to follow the tradition. The season extends all through the summer and while some communities decorate a single well others dress several in amazing and elaborate designs. Many have a Biblical theme, but often topical references to royal occasions or sporting events provide inspiration. The Derbyshire wells are not considered holy, or named after saints with miraculous cures attributed to them. Most were just the original village water tap. However, the Derbyshire town of Buxton not only enjoys a well dressing festival but also has a celebrated holy well where people regularly line up to collect its special waters. Buxton mineral water is bottled and available in supermarkets, but in the town itself, at St Anne s well, it is free. Through medieval times there was a chapel on the spot and pilgrims came seeking cures and to leave offerings. Henry VIII put an end to the practice, but later the town became a spa and patients heard of the therapeutic reputation of the waters and came to bathe and drink, much as the ancient Romans had done in pre-christian times. Today the free Buxton water emerges from a pipe set in a modern plinth containing a statuette of St Anne, the mother of Mary and Jesus s grandmother. Please note that articles for the JULY edition of Credo NO LATER than 19th June 2016 Handwritten or on a named memory stick in RTF with a printed copy please, or (contact Editor) Parish Pump June 2016 Style on Offa s Dyke - North Wales Sunday 5th June 2016 Revd Kent will speak at all services on his final Sunday with us 8.00 am Holy Eucharist am Family Communion 6.00 pm Evening service when Kent will give a short talk about his upbringing in South Africa during the years of apartheid. Followed by Buffet in the Church Hall All WELCOME Page 2.June Diary; Thought for the Month; Page 3 Our Vicar Trystan Writes Page 4.Curate s page Page 5.Church Family; 84th Cardiff; Who s Who Page 6.Celebrating Reader Ministry; Stalin Page 7.God in the Arts; Immigration Page 8.Coming Events Page 9 Dietrich Bonhoeffer Page 10 Our Page Page 11 Crossword; Richard of Chichester Page 12 Notice Board

2 2 CREDO JUNE DIARY Thursday 2 nd 9.30 am Holy Eucharist (tea & coffee to follow) Sunday 5 th TRINITY am Holy Eucharist am FAMILY COMMUNION 6.00 pm Service of Light followed by buffet for Kent s final service with us Tuesday 7 th am noon Church open for PRAYER Sunday 12 th TRINITY am Holy Eucharist am Parish Eucharist & Funky Church 6.00 pm Taize Service Thursday 16 th 9.30 am Holy Eucharist (tea & coffee to follow) Sunday 19 th TRINITY am Holy Eucharist am Parish Eucharist, Funky Church and J Walkers Youth Group 6.00 pm Service of Meditation & Reflection Saturday 25 th Ordination at Llandaff Cathedral of Jordan Sunday 26 th TRINITY am Holy Eucharist am Parish Eucharist & Funky Church and welcome to our new curate, Jordan 6.00 pm Celtic Night Prayer Thought for the Month Royal Celebration Blessed with a queen with a vibrant faith, Elizabeth s rule has been one of grace. As she reaches her 90th year in June We give thanks for her reign of this island race. Her reign has been long, over sixty years, As Head of the Church she has never failed, To be an example of serving her King, True to the role to which she was called. Sunday 3 rd July TRINITY am Holy Eucharist am FAMILY COMMUNION 6.00 pm Service of Light Prayers for Healing am every Wednesday in Parish Office Other services & activities as announced in the newsletter Buildings Renewal Fund Update The latest tally of contributions is 22,597 while various events/sales have so far raised a further 5,156 totalling 27,753. Expenditure for hall roof recovering, schemes & planning etc for New Hall 19,490 leaves 8,263. Further donations or enquiries are welcomed in favour of Christ Church, Roath Park, to Gerald Bradnum or Treasurer, John Hodgson. Thank You To those who supported the Plant/Coffee Sale on Saturday 30th April in the Church Hall to raise money for a dishwasher for the Hall Kitchen. Grand total of Well done Gloria and all the many helpers who organise such an event. We thank God for giving us such a queen And pray for the years that lie ahead, That others who follow to rule this land Will be godly and mirror the life she has led. Megan Carter - Parish Pump

3 CREDO 3 All good things come to an end. Dear friends, All good things come to an end As I considered the fact that Revd Kent is leaving Christ Church this month to become, after his ordination to the priesthood, the curate and assistant priest at St Paul s Cathedral, Nicosia, Cyprus, I thought about this little phrase. I had an inkling that it was penned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century, so I powered up Google to find out whether I was correct. Chaucer did, indeed, use a version of the phrase, but I was surprised to find that its origin is actually in scripture. So many common sayings that we use daily come from the Bible and most of the time we may have no idea of their sacred origin by the skin of your teeth (Job 19:20), can a leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23), fly in the ointment (Ecclesiastes 10:1), see eye to eye (Isaiah 52:8), put words in your mouth (2 Samuel 14:3), and so on. And here we have another all good things come to an end, which has its origin in Psalm 119:96. I m sure that you would all agree that the phrase is very apt as Revd Kent leaves us. Good times, while we may want them to last for ever, always do come to an end. When they do finish, though, it is important that we thank God for them and commit ourselves to be inspired by them. We can be uplifted when we remember what Kent has brought to our community over the past year. He has been a huge support to my own ministry here at Christ Church, and his presence has enabled us to further fulfill the vision that we have for our church. He has done this in various ways preaching some really excellent sermons, making hospital visits to sick parishioners, helping us develop liturgically as a church, being active in assisting me in our outreach to local children (taking assemblies at schools and leading family services and Messy Church talks), and being proactive in helping develop our spirituality as a community and as individuals. Most of all, though, he has practiced a ministry of presence effectively in this parish over the past year, walking around the parish regularly, visiting parishioners (whether church attenders or not), and being a regular face at our local coffee shops! Another common saying that has a scriptural origin is for everything there is a season, which comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1 to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. And so we say goodbye to one season. We really will miss Revd Kent as he moves on to new pastures, but our loss is certainly Cyprus s gain. At the end of the month, though, we move into a new season, as we welcome a new curate Dr Jordan Hillebert and his wife Krisi. Jordan is starting here with a big welcome service at 10am on Sunday 26 June. As we remember the past, then, we also look forward to the future and to the many gifts and talents that Jordan and Krisi will bring. So, with much sadness that Kent is leaving us, we all look forward with excitement to this new season in the life of Christ Church, Roath Park this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24) Yours in Christ, Trystan Good Companions - Urgent Appeal for Volunteer Drivers Members of the Good Companions Club meet in the Church Hall every Tuesday afternoon (except school holidays) from 2.00 pm pm. We need people to transport elderly mobile members in a rota system, so with sufficient drivers it is not weekly. We have had a good system for several years but some drivers have moved away and others are unavailable due to health problems which has reduced our drivers to 3. Members are mainly elderly, often living alone and welcome the opportunity for a friendly chat, cup of tea and biscuit and often knit articles for charity. We thoroughly enjoy ourselves but need urgent help with transport but you are also welcome to help with making the tea and having a chat! Please contact Norma Ash Tel: or normaash000@googl .com

4 4 CREDO Joy in Memories Dear friends, As I write to you, I draw to a close my time of ministry with Trystan and with you at Christ Church. Throughout my time here I have held fast to the notion that as a people of God we are called to foster a deeper spirituality; one that is deeply rooted in an integrity-filled, sincere faith and trust in God. Throughout the liturgical year we are encouraged to do just that. The season of Advent and Lent nourishes our faith through prayer, quiet meditation, and the study of Holy Scripture. Christmas and Easter uplifts our faith as we joyfully celebrate the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pentecost creates in us faithful hearts open to the workings of the Holy Spirit; and Trinity, together with Ordinary Time, strengthens our faith in the mysterious and awesome ways of God. Our entire journey along this earthly pilgrimage is a spiritual one. Our walk is never easy, filled with many ups and downs; and many times we find ourselves even wrestling with God. However our motivation is always to remain on a journey that draws us closer to the heart of God. When the time comes to say goodbye it is always accompanied by the notion of an ending. Such endings can be sad, even painful, as one has to leave places and people behind. However I take encouragement in knowing that when the time for goodbye arrives there is the acceptance that a journey has been travelled. This is the privilege I have had since been made a Deacon in 2015; travelling on a journey with each one of you, part of a Christian community our family at Christ Church. Since joining the Christ Church family, all I experienced was love, care, and support. You welcomed me in and accepted me for who I am. You nourished and strengthened my faith, and I pray I did the same for you. There truly is so much in our parish Church to be thankful for. We are blessed to have so many wonderfully gifted people who willingly give of their time. We truly are a place of welcome, a place of prayer, where all can feel included and find a sense of belonging. Continue the good works that you are already doing. Continue sharing the love of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Always celebrate your diversity and strengthen your bonds of unity. Allow the Almighty to overwhelm you in every way possible. In all that you do, and in all that you are, always give glory to God. Reflecting upon my time with you be assured that I take with me tremendous joy in my memories; memories of the things we have done together and the wonderful people I have met along the way. It is with a heart filled with joy and thankfulness that I wish to leave you with the words of St. Paul which he wrote to the Church in Philippi: I thank God every time I remember you and I always pray for all of you with joy. I pray that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and always choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will do many good things with the help of Christ to bring glory and praise to God. May the Almighty God bless each and every one of you as you continue to be a blessing to all those whom you encounter along your earthly pilgrimage. As I bid you goodbye, I utter the words of the hymn writer, Jeremiah Rankin, God be with you till we meet again. With love and prayers, affectionately Revd Kent Middleton, Obl CR Christian persecution in Sri-Lanka continues Attacks against Christians in Sri Lanka have continued, following the change of government in A growing number of cases are now linked to local government officials and also to Buddhist monks, who continue to be at the forefront of the persecution. Officials have been closing churches and prayer meetings. Miriam is a human rights lawyer in Sri Lanka. She says: We have documented more than 120 incidents since the election in This is very concerning. In recent years, there have been upwards of 450 documented acts of violence against Christians, including arson and murder. Christians make up about 7 per cent of the population. Parish Pump

5 CREDO 5 Around the Church Family Our Good Wishes & Prayers to: Nancy Eyre, progressing steadily in her recovery at home, and hopefully fairly soon able to resume attending some services Our Sympathies and Prayers to: Clare Dow and family on the recent death of her father Tony Primett Congratulations and Good wishes to: Becky & Aidan who were married on 27th May in Worcester. Becky is Marjorie and John Walker s granddaughter and daughter of Helen & Andrew. David, grandson of Audrey and Eric Lewis, upon his appointment as minister at a church in Essex. The ashes of Sian Pryce were interred in the Christ Church Memorial Garden at pm on Sunday 8 th May at a short service. Sian was a committed member of the congregation and her helpful cheerful presence is sorely missed. Home Communions take place once a month, usually on the first Tuesday - if you know anyone who would like to receive Communion at home please inform the Parish office or Gerald. Sick Visiting Requests Please complete the book, checked weekly and kept on the Lady Chapel altar, if you wish to request a pastoral visit for someone who is sick. 84 th Cardiff Scout Group On Wednesday 4 th May from 6.15pm the Scout group celebrated Louise Lucas 20 years of scouting and extended an invitation to members of the congregation of Christ Church to join them. Margaret and I and quite a number of the congregation joined the Scouters in their celebration at the Scout Hall. The barbeque operator worked hard to keep up the supply of burgers, sausages and pizzas. There was fun and games for children of all ages mixed with sadness and sympathy for Mary and Jeff Payne who very bravely joined in. An unusual feature was the bake-off competition for 3 categories of contestants Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. The entries in each category were impressive and very toothsome. The celebration ended with a short service in which Revd. Trystan blessed the memorial stone for Louise, which will be set outside the Scout Hall. John Griffiths Iced off with the wedding cake? The wedding season is upon us, but how many brides will choose the traditional decorated tiered wedding cake? In recent years, the sheer cost of one (which can reach 1000) has meant that many couples now opt for alternatives. These include cupcakes, cake pops, cheese cake, doughnut towers, croquembouche and even naked cake (no frosting at all). The great traditional tiered wedding cake has been traced back to the 18th century, when a lovelorn baker s apprentice, William Rich of Ludgate, was desperate to catch the eye and heart of his master s daughter. He looked round for inspiration for a cake, saw the spire of St Bride s Church and the rest is history. Queen Victoria s wedding cake in 1840 was three yards in circumference, and weighed 300 pounds. Her daughter, who married in 1858, had something more modern: three tiers though it was nearly seven feet high. In the 1940s, with rationing in force, people kept up the glamour by displaying beautiful cardboard cakes, made or rented, hiding (for eating) a very modest cake near by. Parish Pump WHO S WHO at Christ Church Lake Road North Cardiff CF23 5QN Priest in charge: Rev.Trystan Owain Hughes Tel: Curate: Rev. Kent Middleton Obl.CR Parish Secretary Denise Searle: at Parish office Parish Office/Hall Enquiries Tel: Web site: Church Wardens Haydn Hopkins Tel: Colin Francis Tel: Reader Dominic de Saulles P CC Secretary Judith Hill Tel: Treasurer John Hodgson Tel: Gift Aid Secretary Gerald Bradnum Tel: Electoral Roll Officer David Alexander Tel: Magazine Editor John Griffiths Tel: Sacristan Len Bowker Tel: Assistant: Haydn Hopkins Tel: Organist /Choir Julie Waller Tel: Funky Church Karen Payne Tel: Sandra Tel: Flower Rota Organiser Sylvia Dowell Tel: Churches Together Julie Waller Tel:

6 6 CREDO Celebrating 150 years of Reader Ministry It is 150 years since the Reader Movement began in the Church of England. It was born out of a need to connect the proclamation of the Word with an increasingly secular world, a world in which the Church had lost direct contact with millions. The founding archbishops and bishops realised that people were becoming biblically-illiterate and that there was a need to bring the Bible back into the home and the workplace. They founded a ministry to bring the voice of God back into the conversation. What was so important in this episcopal initiative in 1866, as with the founding of the Mothers Union nine years later and the Church Army 16 years later, is that they were all lay initiatives in mission. All, of course, were encouraged and supported by the ordained, but proud to be overwhelmingly lay. That emphasis on lay-ness was not a form of anti-clericalism, but founded on a concept of teamwork in which lay and ordained would work together to pray for and bring in God s kingdom. Present leaders of the Reader movement use the example of the past to point to the future. The past matters and informs the future: we cannot do anything about the past but we can help to be prophets of a future not our own, in the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero s famous prayer-poem: We cannot do everything. And there is a sense of liberation in realising that this enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete but it s a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master-builder and worker. We are workers, not master-builders. We are ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. I ve made the point often that one aspect of Eucharistic liturgy in the last 45 years has undermined a decent theology of the Church as the body of Christ. It seemed like a good idea at the time to preface sharing the Peace at the Eucharist by saying, We are the body of Christ... (Saint Paul s own words); but what it did to Anglicans was to give us the idea, subliminally, that the body of Christ exists only when we are together enjoying one another s company in church. Whereas, if the image of the body that the Apostle uses three times (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4) means anything, it must teach us that we remain the body of Christ even when we are dispersed: one is shopping, another in the office, one looking for a job, another is teaching, and so on. That s the essence of what we mean by lay-ness (and in a very true sense it includes clergy): we are literally the laos, the people of God, dispersed and active as His disciples in the world. To be a Reader is to emphasise the fact that your primary ministry is not in holy buildings with coloured-glass windows and pointed arches, but being a disciple, a member of the dispersed people of God, bringing Him into the conversation. Rt. Rev. Robert Paterson, Bishop of Sodor & Man Taken from an article which he wrote for the current issue of the Reader magazine. Concluded July Remembering Joseph Stalin trainee priest who ruled Russia Joseph Stalin, who became Premier of Soviet Russia 75 years ago after having already been in control of the country for nearly 20 years, was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church and trained for the priesthood. His father was a drunken cobbler, who believed in beating his son excessively. Stalin s real name was Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, and he was born in what is now Georgia. During most of his time in charge of Communist Russia he espoused atheism and launched a campaign to destroy churches and religious property, and to persecute and kill church officials. Under Stalin, the Russian Orthodox Church was reduced from 50,000 to 500 open and operating churches. But when he became Premier, and during the Second World War he allowed tens of thousands of Russian Orthodox churches to reopen, adopted an official policy of tolerance toward Muslims, and re-established the hierarchy in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was suggested that he reconsidered his own personal relationship to religion during a mysterious retreat in 1941 the same year he became Premier. Nevertheless it has been estimated that during the period the USSR suffered 56 to 62 million unnatural deaths, with 34 to 49 million linked directly to Stalin. Tim Renton Parish Pump

7 CREDO 7 GOD IN THE ARTS. He gave us eyes to see them : Stained Glass windows You may know the story of the little girl with her family during a guided tour around a cathedral. As the bright sun streamed through one of the windows, she asked the guide who were the people depicted there. Those are the saints, he replied. Later that evening the girl told her mummy, I know who the saints are. Do you, dear? Who are they? the mother asked. The little girl replied: They are the people who let the light shine through. When the summer sun rises, its light catches the east window of a church I look after. It shines through the figures and colours of the Annunciation scene to bathe the chancel in a warm glow. Later as the sun sets, it shines once again through the west window showing Christ surrounded by angels, with the same wonderful effect. They are two stained glass windows by the Victorian designer, Kempe. In St Mary s Church, Fairford in Gloucestershire, there are an incredible 28 windows of medieval glass that have survived the centuries and continue to astonish the visitor. As the sun catches this array of windows, the colours take on a new, vibrant life. We see scenes in the life of our Lord and our Lady, Old Testament prophets, New Testament apostles and the communion of saints. The eye moves round and we reach the west window portraying Christ in majesty and the day of judgement. This great work has been attributed to the royal glazier, Barnard Flower, who was influenced by the late medieval illuminated prayer books. The windows are a living witness to his skill and faith. George Herbert has a poem that calls us to shine out like the church windows. It is easy, he says, to be brittle crazy glass, but in God s good grace we can become like a window where colours and light, belief and life can combine and mingle to radiate out into the world. Rev.Michael Burgess - Parish Pump IMMIGRATION Many of you will remember, I visited North Ghana in 1999 to attend the ordination of several young men, including Fr Jeremiah, for whom Colin had led a weeks retreat. Since then, Christ Church has supported this area from where Matthew comes. In this emergency I have forwarded sufficient funds to cover his university debt. My brother-in-laws' article (below) is appearing in two parish magazines in the Stoke on Trent area appealing for donations which will be passed on to me. Should you wish to help, Lynn is happy to receive cheques to Christ Church No 2 account (for Ghana) or to me. With thanks Norma In the run-up to the EU Referendum there is much talk about immigrants. So let me tell you the story of one. Matthew is from Ghana. His mother Esther was very kind to my wife and I and some of our parishioners as we came to the end of a lengthy teaching mission in the far north of that country. In that desperately poor area Esther somehow conjured up some spaghetti bolognaise for us to eat. After weeks of African food it was like a feast which we have never forgotten. Since those years ago, Matthew had grown up, worked hard at his studies and financed himself to go through university by working every weekend throughout the year. He was so successful that he was sponsored by a Ghanaian firm to further his studies in the U.K. When Matthew contacted us, we welcomed him especially because of the kind generosity of his mother when we were in need. She gave what we needed out of her very very limited resources. So we learned of Matthew s story of being a student immigrant in our country. Alas, after Matthew arrived in the UK his sponsoring firm withdrew its funding because of economic difficulties. He was here on a student visa, with a place at university but no income. Despite this Matthew was determined to succeed. He has just completed his MSc at the University of Ulster at their Birmingham campus. For the past two years his student visa has allowed him to work for 21 hours a week. He could only find work through an agency on a zero hours contract at the minimum wage. Some weeks he had no work. Other weeks he would be sent to Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke or elsewhere and would have to find his travel expenses out of that minimum wage. Despite all those obstacles, Matthew has managed to pay for his accommodation, his bills and his transport AND to repay 7900 of his final year s University fees. All out of that very limited income. He came top of his class. He is a hard worker and quite the opposite of the picture of an immigrant that is portrayed by much of the British media. He hoped to enrol on a PhD course which would be funded by the University but that is impossible if his limited finances prevent him securing that precious parchment confirming his qualification. The last time we met, Matthew was quite distressed. His visa expires in a month. He still owes the University something like 1700 and until that is paid he cannot receive the document showing his degree. He could attend the degree ceremony but only had a letter confirming his qualifications. In Ghana that letter would not secure him the job for which he is supremely qualified. The village he comes from is extremely poor and offers no chance of using his skills. At present he cannot afford the Air Fare to return to Ghana. He hopes to secure enough work from the agency not guaranteed so that he canpay that fare. Four weeks left at minimum wage on a zero hours contract allows no certainty that he will not be arrested for overstaying his welcome. Such is the life of one student immigrant who denied himself and worked very hard for what may be very little reward. It s sad. We have prayed with him and at present there is the possibility that some kind person known to us may be able to lend him enough to solve his present difficulties. This elderly pensioner trusts us enough to consider making the offer. So pray for Matthew and recall his story when we next read criticism of immigrants. Further information from Colin or Rita Crumpton at 1 Dennis Round Court, Hall Drive, Alsager ST7 2YD Tel

8 8 CREDO Diary Dates..... Sunday 5th June 6.00 pm Revd Kent s final Evening service followed by a buffet in the Hall Saturday 25th June New Curate, Jordan s Ordination at Llandaff Cathedral Sunday 26th June Welcome Service at Christ Church for Jordan Saturday 2nd July Youth Trip to Barry Island Saturday 9th July Festival of Prayer at St Michael s College (leaflets in Porch) Sunday 10th July Vicarage Garden Party Prayer Link 2016 Churches Together in Llanishen & District Saturdays am 4th June Thornhill Evangelical Excalibur Drive, Thornhill, next to Sainsbury 2nd July Llanishen Methodist Melbourne Rd. off Fidlas Rd. QUIET GARDEN Methodist Church, Melbourne Rd Tuesday 14th June 2.00 for 2.30 pm Reflection - LIGHT and SHADE Half hour of prayer and silence for Summer Tea & coffee served from, 2pm ALL WELCOME J WALKERS Youth Group yr olds Come and join this new group every third Sunday each month at the 10 am service - next one 19th June CHATTERBOX Babies and toddlers with parents/ grandparents Thursdays 1.30 pm pm in Christ Church Hall during term time Contact Gill Barker Altar Kneeler Project. Tuesday and Thursday home stitching continue weekly contact Posy for details Next Saturday meeting 11th June 10-12noon Join the stitchers in the Church Hall to view the progress and even put a few stitches in the newest panel and have a coffee or tea Contact: Posy Akande Tools with a Mission Eric Howell is waiting for your unwanted/unused HAND TOOLS used for all trades - carpentry, motor mechanics, builders, electricians, plumbing, gardening etc including sewing machines, sewing & craft items. All to help organisations in various African countries Contact Eric Howell or speak to Eric in Church. Time for a Spring Clean!.....

9 CREDO 9 DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, German Theologian and Resistor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on 4 th February 1906 in Breslau, Germany, one of eight children. His father was a professor at the University of Berlin and his mother was a teacher. He finished his university studies by obtaining his Doctor of Theology with summa cum laude. He was too young at 24 to be ordained, so he went to New York City to the Theological Seminary on a teaching fellowship. It was here that he had life changing experiences and friendships. For example he met Frank Fisher, a black fellow seminarian who introduced him to the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he taught in the Sunday School. On hearing Adam Powell preach the Gospel of Social Justice, he became sensitive not only to social justice but also to the ineptitude of the Church. He returned to Germany in 1933 and became a lecturer in Theology at the University of Berlin. It was at this time he had a personal conversion from being primarily a theologian to being a dedicated man of faith, resolved to carry out the teaching of Christ as he found it revealed in the Gospels. He was ordained at the St Matthew s Church, Berlin. With the Nazi ascension to power on 30 th January 1933, Bonhoeffer s career was dramatically altered as he became a determined opponent of the Nazi regime right from its earliest days. Two days after Hitler became Chancellor, Bonhoeffer, on the radio, warned Germany against slipping into an idolatrous cult of the Führer (Leader) that could turn out to be Verführer (mis-leader or seducer). However, he was cut off the air by accident or by the Nazi regime. In April 1933 he was the first one from the Church to advocate Church resistance to Hitler s persecution of the Jews. The different Churches had different attitudes to Hitler and when Hitler unconstitutionally imposed new church elections, unfortunately, the majority of the key Church positions went to Nazi supported Deutsche Christian people. In opposition to Deutsche Christian movement, Bonhoeffer and Hermann Sasse were asked to draft a new statement of faith. One of the main points was affirming God s faithfulness to the Jews as his chosen people. But unfortunately, the Bethel confession was so watered down to make it more palatable, that Bonheoffer ultimately refused to sign it. Following this, Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller started up a church in opposition to the Deutsche church. Although not large, the Confessing Church, as it was known, was a major source of opposition to the Nazi government. However, the synod of those churches who gave support to Hitler held at Wittenberg, approved the Aryan paragraph prohibiting non-aryans from taking up parish posts. When Bonhoeffer was offered a parish post, he refused in protest against this policy. Bonhoeffer was so disheartened by the German Churches complacency with the Nazi regime that he accepted an appointment as a pastor of two German Churches in London. Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian, accused him of abandoning his post while the house of your Church is on fire and chided him to return to Berlin. In 1935 Bonhoeffer decided to return to Germany and lead the underground seminary for training of the Confessing Church pastors. Back in Germany he was forbidden to speak in public and had to report his activities to the Nazis. Also in 1941 he was forbidden to print or publish anything. He now faced a difficult decision, namely as a committed pacifist opposed to the Nazi regime, he could never swear an oath to Hitler. He decided to join Abwehr (a German military intelligence organisation). Under cover of the Abwehr, he served as a cou- Bonhoeffer is nearest to the camera rier for the German resistance movement hoping to give information to the allies in the hope of gathering their support. He was also involved in helping German Jews escape to Switzerland. He was arrested on 5 th April 1943 and imprisoned at Tegel Military Prison for 18 months. He wrote many letters and papers from prison and sympathetic guards helped smuggle them out. Later he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp because of his connection with the underground movement. On 4 th April 1945 the diaries of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris were discovered and in a rage Hitler ordered the Abwehr conspirators to be destroyed. Bonhoeffer was condemned to death and was executed by hanging on 9 th April Thus died a great Christian who gave his life for others. He is remembered in Germany and his statue is in front of St Peter s Church, Hamburg and also by his statue in Westminster Abbey. His words on another memorial sum up his attitude to life: Silence in the face of evil is itself evil Not to speak is to speak Not to act is to act REFERENCES: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia people/martyrs/dietrich-bonhoeffer David Gibbs

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11 CREDO 11 ACROSS 1 Military tactic used by Joshua to attack and destroy the city of Ai (Joshua 8:2) (6) 4 Place of learning (6) 8 When Moses hands grew, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it (Exodus 17:12) (5) 9 Unpleasant auguries of the end of the age, as forecast by Jesus (Matthew 24:7) (7) 10 Stronghold to which girls in King Xerxes harem (including Esther) were taken (Esther 2:8) (7) 11 Where Saul went to consult a medium before fighting the Philistines (1 Samuel 28:7) (5) 12 Propitiation (Hebrews 2:17) (9) 17 Turn away (Jeremiah 11:15) (5) 19 So clear (anag.) (7) 21 I have just got, so I can t come : one excuse to be absent from the great banquet (Luke 14:20) (7) 22 Long weapon with a pointed head used by horsemen (Job 39:23) (5) 23 Musical beat (6) 24 What the Israelites were told to use to daub blood on their door-frames at the first Passover (Exodus 12:22) (6) CROSSWORD PUZZLE Across: : 1, Ambush. 4, School. 8, Tired. 9, Famines. 10, Citadel. 11, Endor. 12, Atonement. 17, Avert. 19, Oracles. 21, Married. 22, Lance. 23, Rhythm. 24, Hyssop. Down: : 1, Attach. 2, Biretta. 3, Sided. 5, Compete. 6, Owned. 7, Lustre. 9, Falsehood. 13, Ostrich. 14, Talents. 15, Farmer. 16, Asleep. 18, Early. 20, Alley. DOWN 1 Fasten (Exodus 28:37) (6) 2 Art bite (anag.) (7) 3 The people of the city were divided; some with the Jews, others with the apostles (Acts 14:4) (5) 5 Contend (Jeremiah 12:5) (7) 6 Possessed (Job 1:3) (5) 7 Sheen (Lamentations 4:1) (6) 9 You love evil rather than good, rather than speaking the truth (Psalm 52:3) (9) 13 Large flightless bird (Job 39:13) (7) 14 They were worth several hundred pounds each (Matthew 25:15) (7) 15 A went out to sow his seed ( Matthew 13:3) (6) 16 How Jesus described Jairus s daughter when he went into the room where she lay (Mark 5:39) (6) 18 The part of the day when the women went to the tomb on the first Easter morning (John 20:1) (5) 20 Narrow passageway between buildings (Luke 14:21) (5) Richard of Chichester wanting God more clearly, dearly and nearly Ever wonder where the prayer May I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day comes from? Richard of Chichester, a bishop in the 13th century, wrote it. He began life as Richard de Wych of Droitwich, the son of a yeoman farmer. But Richard was a studious boy, and after helping his father on the farm for several years, refused an advantageous offer of marriage, and instead made his way to Oxford, and later to Paris and Bologna to study canon law. In 1235 he returned to Oxford, and was soon appointed Chancellor, where he supported Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his struggles against King Henry III s misuse of Church funds. After further study to become a priest, Richard was in due course made a bishop himself. He was greatly loved. He was charitable and accessible, both stern and merciful to sinners, extraordinarily generous to those stricken by famine, and a brilliant legislator of his diocese. He decreed that the sacraments were to be administered without payment, Mass celebrated in dignified conditions, the clergy to be chaste, to practise residence, and to wear clerical dress. The laity was obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days, and to know by heart the Hail Mary as well as the Lord s Prayer and the Creed. Richard was also prominent in preaching the Crusade, which he saw as a call to reopen the Holy Land to pilgrims, not as a political expedition. He died at Dover on 3 April In art, Richard of Chichester is represented with a chalice at his feet, in memory of his having once dropped the chalice at Mass! One ancient English church is dedicated to him. And, of course, he is author of that famous prayer, now set to popular music, which runs in full: Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly and follow thee more nearly, day by day. Parish Pump

12 12 CREDO WORSHIP AT CHRIST CHURCH Sunday 8.00 a.m. The Holy Eucharist a.m. The Parish Eucharist 6.00 p.m. Evening Service Weekdays Thursday 9.30 a.m. The Holy Eucharist (Saints Days and Festivals: See Parish Diary) PARISH PRAYER GROUP in the Lady Chapel Wednesday, am Eucharist for healing with anointing and the laying on of hands as announced. Holy Communion is taken to the sick and housebound, and anointing as requested. Please inform the Vicar in cases of sickness, bereavement or distress. From the Registers April 2016 Communicants Sundays 3rd 90 10th th th 96 Weekday communicants 12 Communions of the ill & housebound at home tbc at Cartref 12 Holy Baptism 10th April Samuel Mark James Nicholls 1st May Zachary John Phillip Lewis Holy Matrimony 23rd April Peter Edward Vokes and Kate Emily Jones OTHER SERVICES Please arrange with the Vicar for baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals. The Vicar is happy to arrange times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) or for counsel. GOOD COMPANIONS Tuesdays at 2.00 p.m. Norma Ash CHRIST CHURCH SOCIETY 4-5 times annually Howard Kilvington LADIES KEEP FIT GROUP Mondays at 7.30 p.m. Jill Kilvington FELLOWSHIP & BIBLE STUDY GROUPS (see newsletter for details) Haydn Hopkins Linda Alexander SERVERS GUILD Sunday morning and as announced Gerald Bradnum CHATTERBOX Thursday pm during Term time Gill Barker Mary Payne FUNKY CHURCH Karen Payne Sandra YOUTH GROUP (11-16 year olds) Meet monthly Rev. Trystan Hughes CHOIR Thursdays at 6.30 pm Julie Waller Tel: CHRIST CHURCH NURSERY Every Weekday 9 am -12 noon Anna Brancazio or RAINBOWS Tuesdays at 5.00 p.m. Emma Lane BROWNIES Mondays at 6.00 pm. 84th SCOUT GROUP Group Scout Leader vacant Group Committee Chairman Geoff Payne Enquiries to Caryl Roach BEAVERS Thursdays at 5.30 p.m. Stephanie Barker CUBS Wednesdays 6.15 p.m. Simon Rimell SCOUTS Wednesdays 7.30 p.m. Simon Broadley