S W O R DL E P. September 2013 PARISH MAGAZINE. ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CHURCH (Anglican) Mildred Ave. / Durban Rd. Watford

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1 September 2013 S W O ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CHURCH (Anglican) Mildred Ave. / Durban Rd. Watford R DL E P PARISH MAGAZINE Price 60p WEST WATFORD FREE CHURCH (Baptist) Church opposite the shops Tolpits Lane, Watford 1

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3 A Pastoral Letter... Dear Friends, What is our responsibility to the Sick in our Hospital and the community? Church's Ministry to the Sick is a calling, if there is a Chaplain in charge, by all means let us become their friend, even if you are of different faiths. Arrange your visits to the sick according to the rules of the Hospital, and above all let us help the sick in our community or Hospital find peace in Christ. Pray for the ill and housebound as on our weekly messenger. The Gospels speak to us of Jesus' great concern and love for the sick. Throughout His public ministry, Jesus Compassion and love for the sick shine through. We read how Jesus cured the sick and restored them to friendship with His Father. The Church continues Jesus' ministry of caring for the sick with deep compassion and respect for human dignity. The Gospels also speak to us of a Saviour who experienced the depth of human suffering and death itself. Jesus suffered and died for our sake in loving obedience to His heavenly Father; that is how He redeemed us: "dying, He destroyed our death; rising He restored our life." By suffering, dying and rising, the Lord gave the mystery of human suffering and death a Profound and salvation meaning. Seen in the light of Jesus' redeeming love, sickness can help believers to overcome all that separates them from God. Enduring great suffering and facing imminent death, people of faith often experience deep inner healing and reconciliation; theirs is a special witness to the love of Christ. They also can help others to open their hearts more fully to Him. To be sure, the Church teaches the importance of preserving life and prays for the health and well-being of its members. Through balanced and compassionate teaching, the Church helps us make morally sound decisions concerning the course of our health care even as it helps us prepare for death with the unwavering hope of eternal life. The Church continues Christ's ministry to the sick and dying through the Sacraments. In offering the Sacrament of Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and Communion of the Sick, the priest brings to those who are ill the loving and redeeming embrace of Jesus. In these moments rich with grace, the priest, acting in the Person of Christ, brings to the patient forgiveness, inner healing and strength for what lies ahead. Together with Church staff assistants, religious, lay ministers and volunteers, the priest shares with the patient, and with the patient's family, the Good News of Jesus, the Gospel of life and salvation. Through the grace of God, patients are enabled to unite their sufferings with the Lord's so as to share His everlasting joy and glory. So also the Church reaches out to families facing the serious illnesses of loved ones with deep respect for the precious gift of life and with hope for the gift of eternal life. May God Grant us Grace to hear and obey His Calling. Fr George 3

4 BEDS & HERTS HISTORIC CHURCHES PRESERVATION TRUST SPONSORED BIKE N HIKE Saturday 14 th September 2013 A sure sign that Summer is drawing to a close is when this annual event comes around. This is the 20 th year that St Michael s has supported this challenge and given a welcome to walkers and riders. I doubt if anyone needs reminding but this is a call for participants be they bike riders or on foot I don t think we have ever fielded an equestrian but the opportunity is there to seek sponsorship or donations to aid the work of looking after our places of worship. Our church will also be open as part of the 2013 heritage days (13 15 Sept) and we will need to staff the church on Saturday, giving an opportunity for helpers themselves to seek sponsors for giving their time and effort in welcoming visitors. The stationery has been attractively redesigned this year, I have put at the west entrance on the table the sponsorship pack (green white and red envelopes) containing forms and the list of open churches sorted by C of E deanery area. There are green sponsor forms for Church Helpers too. Our fine building is in need of more expensive work, and as half of what we raise comes back to us to help with our own church repairs, let us try to mark this 20 th anniversary with a really good pile of cash. Phil Gough M. K. Ginder & Sons Funeral Directors & Monumental Masons The Family Concern, Concerned About Families PRIVILEGED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF WEST WATFORD AND PARISHIONERS OF ST. MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CHURCH FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, OFFERING THE COMPLETE FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICE FROM YOUR LOCAL OFFICE 42 Vicarage Road, Watford (OPPOSITE THE CEMETERY GATES) Tel: ALSO AT: NORTH WATFORD, ABBOTS LANGLEY, BUSHEY, BRICKET WOOD, SOUTH OXHEY & RADLETT M. K. Ginder & Sons are leading agents in Golden Charter Pre-Paid Funeral Plans, removing the burden and cost from your family when the time arises Discount on Golden Charter Pre-Paid Funeral Plans with this advertisement

5 GLIMPSES FROM RURAL BANGLADESH St Michael s supports the Health Care ministry of the Church of Bangladesh at Bollobhpur - via Us. Apart from providing in -patient care Bollobhpur Hospital runs a nurse and midwifery training school and is the centre for a large number of village outreach programmes. For many years the hospital has been in the care of former USPG missionary Sr Gillian Rose. She has stayed on in her retirement, living in Franciscan simplicity and as involved in all aspects of the hospital s life as ever. Here are some extracts from her latest newsletters. If you would like to borrow them to read more, please let me know she and they are truly inspiring! The bamboo clumps along the river bank have been thinned out and I can once again see across the river and watch the farmer ploughing his field with two cows in harness. In the wards the winter months have seen small occupants in all the incubators with the girls (students) caring for them day and night. And it is wonderful to report that there were no small deaths, all went home fully sucking their mother s milk. Easter Sunday: I have lost my dog Tom for the moment; he is probably in the vicinity of the girls dining room where they are enjoying an Easter Sunday chicken curry with rice! This is a very special event for our students as meat is expensive and we only manage to give them a meat curry on high days and holidays. The newest set of girls are sitting their preliminary training school exams, eager to be able to start their training proper and to wear the coveted nurse s uniform and cap. It is good to report that all passed well and during a simple service in the parish church they received their new uniforms and caps, kneeling at the altar step. Afterwards, lighted candles in hand, they stood to repeat the Nightingale nurse s oath promising to uphold the standard of nursing and to lead good lives. May God be with them as they train. At Bollobhpur we are still without a doctor and no sign of one from the local Christian community taking an interest in doing something for their own people in their own area. But we have an interested young doctor, born and bred in the capital Dhaka, who feels his vocation is in the neglected rural areas. Please pray with us. It is dark as I finish. In the nearby cowshed the cows are bedded down under their new mosquito net. The day has been interspersed with calls from the ward to admit patients one being a tiny 700gm premature baby. I got the baby breathing again, signed her with the cross on her forehead and popped her into the incubator with oxygen supply. The rest is in God s hands. So very small. Gillian Heath (for the Mission Committee) 5

6 A special treat for September A return of Drama students from Wesley College Melbourne They are bringing two performances to St Michaels On Sunday 15 th September At for children of all ages Pinocchio The original story, true to the original text with all of the apposite positive values expressed. Where this performance is different is in the songs and choreography which ensure that an already thoroughly engaging tale for all ages is told with an energy and pace that will captivate and enthral. We promise! Running time: Approximately 1 hour 10 minutes At for ages 13 and above The Kids are alright And they are, up to a point. It s the late sixties. The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Small Faces and, of course, The Who compete for chart ascendancy. Kids rebel and parents wonder where it will all end without realising that it s just the beginning. The cat is out of the bag and nothing will ever be the same again. Tradition is uncool, the old order is being swept away, in politics, in religion and in the law. In a London working class street, a bunch of working class kids embrace the new air of freedom. Door slamming, defiant, obdurate and totally fed up, they head for a Sunday arvo at the seaside, Brighton, of course. It s the middle of winter but who cares, it s miles and miles and miles from Mum and Dad and besides, it s a chance to meet the Seeker and discover the meaning of life. There s lunacy, a dreadful secret shared and a plot hatched. It s a story of friendship, courage and loyalty, proving that traditional values worth preserving were never really questioned. And then, there s the music. My Generation, as it happens but a story for any age and all ages. Up tempo, upbeat and thoroughly entertaining. Running time: 1 hour

7 HOLIDAY THOUGHTS. On my recent holiday in Cornwall we visited, among others places of interest, The Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Both are so full of interest and are so fascinating, that I would like to see them again. The Eden Project was originally an old dis-used china clay pit - but with vision and amazing perseverance and with much hard work it was transformed into the living theatre of plants and people we can see today. The large domes covering the Rainforest Biome and the Mediterranean Biome dominate part of the sight. We walked through the hot tropical forests and saw trees and plants from West Africa and tropical South America. The scale of it - the variety and the beauty were breath-taking, and added to all this was the new Butterfly collection which darted through the trees. This was best viewed from the aerial walkway. Whilst we were in the dome there was a torrential downpour which beat on the roof of the dome - we were glad we were inside! Eden Project - View from above We moved on then to the Mediterranean Biome - much easier walking because it was so much cooler. Here were beautiful flowers and all sorts of tempting fruits - including a 7

8 citrus grove. Pleasant places to sit and relax. Outside there is much more to see - something to interest everyone from Wild Cornwall to the Garden of Senses and Beer and Brewing. There were lots for children too - dens to find and hide in, nets to climb and a regular story time. If one was very brave there was the new Skywire. Harnessed in one could fly over the Biomes on the Zipwire. Needless to say one did not - but watched amazed as others did. This was all wonderfully planned from the start, but the Lost Gardens of Heligan were literally lost and then found. Built at the turn of the century they had fallen into dis-use by the twenties and by 1990 were derelict. Then came the great storm of that year and the gardens were completely devastated. Two men, Tim Smit and John Nelson were to 'discover' Heligan and work to restore it to its former glory. The range and the interest and the beauty here is wide with Pleasure Gardens, a sub-tropical jungle and a big wild estate with woodland, parklands and a hay meadow. Crops and a wide variety of fruits are grown and there are animals, both farm animals and wild creatures. There are barn owls - and of course butterflies. There is a connection between Heligan and Eden because it was Tim Smith, inspired by his experiences at Heligan, who was the driving force behind the conception and construction of the Eden project. Violet THE FAULT AND THE CARDINAL There is a saying, 'Patience is a virtue'. It must be many years since I heard it said, and I suppose that the idea of waiting patiently in any circumstances is contrary to the hectic way in which we now live our lives. Even the notion of virtue is not widely canvassed. The dictionary offers a number of definitions of Patience, of which I like best 'the suffering of trouble with calmness and composure'. If it is defined in this way, it is obvious why moral theologians regard Patience as an aspect of Fortitude - 'the cardinal virtue which, in the face of the greatest evils, restrains the passions of fear and confidence within the bounds of right reason' (this is quoted from a book by the late R.C. Mortimer, Bishop of Exeter). In everyday life, we do not hear so often of the cardinal virtues as of the so-called 'Seven Deadly Sins'. This is a misnomer, because in God's sight even these grave sins do not ultimately condemn the sinner in God's sight unless he or she is deliberately defying God's will. The key is whether the action is within the bounds of right reason. Being 8

9 neither a theologian nor a psychiatrist, I say no more here about these sins, except to list them: according to moral theologians they are Pride, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Avarice and Sloth. It is more important to think of the corresponding seven virtues, which are in two groups. The theological virtues are Faith, Hope and Charity (this last, not very helpfully, is often rendered now as Love). They are immediately recognisable as St. Paul's words from the famous passage on Love/Charity in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues; the other three are Justice, Prudence and Temperance. These are otherwise described as natural virtues, because wise thinkers from ancient times have inferred them from common human experience, whereas the theological virtues are revealed by God. As in any learned activity, such a simple summary is unsatisfactory. The understanding of moral theology is a complicated and difficult business, as any spiritual counsellor would say. At the Reformation, it was thought that the principles of moral behaviour could be better understood from the actual words of Scripture. Nowadays, instead, we often identify the pursuit of virtue with psychological health, which is quite a different approach. So the Book of Common Prayer, although it includes such scriptural passages as the one quoted above, relies on the Ten Commandments from the Book of Exodus, which are much older. It requires that they shall be recited at every celebration of the Holy Communion. This is rarely done in the Church of England nowadays; the summary given by Jesus is used instead, or else, as is the practice here at St. Michael's, a modern summary interpretation of their supposed meaning replaces them. In doing this, we reject both the traditional wisdom of the Church and the Reformed reliance on the Bible. Since the time of Moses, life has become so different that there are certainly difficulties with the Ten Commandments. Few of us are tempted to covet our neighbour's ass, which they specifically forbid. But they, too, as guides to the life of virtue, require much thought. Perhaps, however, the Seven Virtues now offer a more practical approach. Instead of asking myself, 'Have I coveted my neighbour's ass?', it makes better sense (and is more compatible with psychology) to ask, 'Have I intentionally acted unjustly?' Rather than bothering too much about the layout of the chairs, perhaps we should think more about the layout of our moral framework. Graham Mordue. 9

10 DIARY OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 1st SUN TRINITY 14 Holy Communion (Off: Fr George) SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres & Preacher: Fr Geoff) Joint Service at St Michael's 2nd Mon Term starts during this week Service at River Court 6th Thu Fairhaven during morning Choir Practice 8.00 am 9.30 am 6.00 pm 3.00 pm pm 8th SUN TRINITY 15 Holy Communion (Pres: Fr Geoff) Sung Eucharist (Pres: Fr Geoff; Preacher: Jamie Wareham) 8.00 am 9.30 am Service of Thanksgiving and Praise (Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church am 1-5 pm) Evening Prayer (Off: Fr Geoff) 6.00 pm 10th Tue Intercessory Prayer Group (Choir Vestry) 2.30 pm 11th Wed Home Manor 3.00 pm Students arrive from Melbourne Australia 12th Thu St Anthony s during morning Choir Practice pm 14th Sat ST MICHAEL S OPEN FOR HERITAGE OPEN DAY 10-5 pm HISTORIC CHURCHES BIKE N HIKE RIDE all day COFFEE MORNING IN AID OF THE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY noon RSCM Examinations in Choir Vestry from 9 am pm 15th SUN TRINITY 16 Holy Communion (Pres: Fr George) SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres & Preacher: Fr George) Performances by Australian visiting students For kids Pinocchio For adults The Kids are Alright 8.00 am 9.30 am 3.00pm 6.00 pm 10

11 DIARY OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER (cont) 16th Mon Australian students leave Watford 17th Tue Service at The Chase Care Centre 2.30 pm 18th Wed PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL 7.55 pm 19th Thu Mothers Union attend the Service of Holy Communion followed by a meeting in the Choir Vestry Choir Practice am pm 21st Sat PARISH QUIET DAY at Edgware Abbey 22nd SUN TRINITY 17 Holy Communion (Pres: Fr Geoff) SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres: Fr Geoff; Preacher: Martin Heath) (Sunday School) (Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church NB No Evening Prayer 27th Fri MICHAELMAS Weekend ORGAN RECITAL by ANDREW BENOY FOLLOWED BY REFRESHMENTS (tickets 8 from ) 29th Sun MICHAELMAS Patronal Festival Holy Communion (Pres: Fr George) SUNG EUCHARIST (Preacher: The Archdeacon of St Albans The Venerable Jonathan Smith) (Sunday School) CHOIR REUNION (from 3 pm) CHORAL EVENSONG with AUGMENTED CHOIR 8.00 am 9.30 am 1-7 pm) 7 pm 8.00 am 9.30 am 6.00 pm Advance dates for October 14th Sun HARVEST THANKSGIVING am Morning Prayer is said daily in the Lady Chapel (Monday to Friday) at 9.00 am. but please note that this is not likely to happen between 13 September to 7 October. A service of Holy Communion is held every Thursday at am. Both this and the 8 am on Sunday morning are Order One in Traditional Language. The Toddlers Group meets in Church (or Choir Vestry) every Monday from am except on Bank Holidays. Tea, Coffee & Squash are served in Church every Wednesday from until noon which is also the morning for Food Bank distribution. 11

12 SUNG EUCHARIST DUTY LIST - AUGUST 1 st September (9.30) Deacons Chalice Intercessor Lesson Readers Sidespeople Tea/ Coffee Duty M Simon, V Allen-Smith V Allen-Smith, P Gough P Jenkins P Hart J Talbot, J Chandler J Alexander, P Hart, E Jones 8 th September (9.30) Deacons Chalice Intercessor Lesson Reader Sidespeople Tea/ Coffee Duty V Allen-Smith, J Wareham J Wareham, M Watkin V Alvarez P Jenkins J Ochola, H Moring P Gandy, V Vidler, G Heath 15 th September (9.30) Deacons Chalice Intercessor Lesson Readers Sidespeople Tea/ Coffee Duty V Allen-Smith, M Simon M Simon, B Hutchinson P Beach M Benoy J Hart, P Hart N Twitchin, V Alvarez, N Brighton 22 nd September (9.30) Deacons Chalice Intercessor Lesson Readers Sidespeople Tea/ Coffee Duty V Alvarez, V Allen-Smith V Allen-Smith, A Kiddle V Matthews P Gandy P Allen-Smith J Alexander A Makin, M Watkin, E Watkin 29 th September (9.30) Deacons Chalice Intercessor Lesson Readers Sidespeople Tea/ Coffee Duty Fr Geoff, J Wareham J Wareham, P Gough P Gough P Chandler, P Allen-Smith A Makin V Blacklock V Matthews, M Mathews, B Bilson 12

13 THE CHURCH ARMY One of the Charities that we at St. Michael support in our Mission Giving is the Church Army. Wilson Carlile founded the Church Army in 1882 as a Society of Evangelists trained to encourage and enable ordinary Christian people to live the Good News of Jesus Christ in such a way that others would be attracted to follow Him. In the 21 st century there are many challenges and the struggles that people face in day to day living and their need to know Jesus for themselves. One of the many projects the Church Army is involved in, is called Hope on the Streets. Self harm is a growing problem among young people in the United Kingdom. As part of the Hope on the Streets campaign they help those who are self-harming. According to the Mental Health Foundation this affects at least one in fifteen young people in the United Kingdom. Another project provides young people from chaotic backgrounds with a safe place to enjoy refreshments, explore faith, relax and chat to people about any difficulties that are worrying them - for the past seven years this project is being carried out in Chester, Ellesmere Port and Padgate, Warrington. It has been set up on a double-decker bus and volunteers from local churches help with their support. Each weekend across the country thousands of Christian volunteers take to the streets after dark to engage with people who are enjoying a night out and to practically demonstrate God s love to them as part of the Street Pastors initiative which was pioneered in London back in This is something else that volunteers from the Church Army help in organising. In fact we have a group of dedicated people in Watford who every weekend go on to our town streets and are there to give a helping hand to those who need it. These are just a few examples of the work of the Church Army and why your Mission committee feel that we need to support such good works. There is more information on display in the Church about the work of the Church Army, so do take a look at it. Valerie Alvarez (Member of the Mission Committee) 13

14 Centenary Organ Recital FRIDAY Andrew Benoy Organ 27 SEPTEMBER 2013 including music by: 7:00 P. M. Peter Hurford, J.S. Bach, St Michael & All Angels Jon Laukvik, David Bednall, Arthur Wills, Church Johannes Matthias Michel Mildred Avenue, Watford and Denis Bédard WD18 7DY Tickets ( 8) from church or ~ Refreshments after the recital 14

15 WEST WATFORD FREE CHURCH (BAPTIST) TOLPITS LANE, WATFORD PASTOR: GARTH WOODHEAD NEWSLETTER Regular services: Every Sunday: 10.30am Family Service am The children leave the main meeting to go into the Sunday School. Holy communion is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of each month. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served in the church at the end of the service, please stay and get to know new people or chat to long-standing friends. Either way enjoy a time of fellowship. For all other information contact :- garthwoodhead@gmail.com 3pm L EGLISE FRATERNITE meet for worship and bible teaching. This is of course the official name of the French speaking church who meet here. Everyone is welcome and they do have an interpreter for those who are not fluent in French. For further information please contact:- pastorjohnaluma@watfordfraternitychurch.co.uk 7pm Glory Of God Illuminated Church (Tamil) meet for worship and bible teaching. Children are welcome and have a separate time in the back hall. For further information please contact:- joshuaraji88@yahoo.com During the week: Monday 10am - 12noon: Prayer meeting Tuesday 9.15am pm: Cafe West. 6.30pm: Slimming World Wednesday 7pm: Bible study / Prayer meeting 2nd Wednesday of each month 1pm - 2pm: Prayer for Israel 15

16 We ll continue to pray for those in countries where to be a Christian is at best difficult and at worst illegal and punishable by death. Open Doors Handbook of Prayer - Where Faith Costs The Most: September 1st - 7th: Mauritania. Mauritania is proud to be a pure Muslim country and its laws prohibit conversion to the Christian faith. Harsh government restrictions make it very difficult for Christian missions to operate there and religious beliefs and practices are strongly restricted by the government they are weak in enforcing them. Pray for protection and perseverance for God s people and that literacy and translation projects will give more locals the bible in their own language. September 8th - 14th: Tanzania. On the mainland Muslim-background believers face difficulties but not extreme persecution. However on the Zanzibar archipelago, Islamic militants bent on wiping out Christianity from the islands have burnt and looted churches and threatened Christians with death. This obviously threatens the presence of the church in Zanzibar. Pray for protection for church leaders, freedom of religion to be protected and freedom to preach the gospel. September 15th - 21st: Brunei. Contact with Christians in other countries, the import of bibles and the public celebration of Christmas are all banned. The government recognises only 3 Catholic and 3 Anglican churches and unregistered churches are considered illegal sects and are monitored by government officials. The level of fear among Christians is very high, Christian bookshops are prohibited and as of this year Islamic religious studies are compulsory in schools. Pray for the believers to stand firm in their faith, gain access to the bible and for children the chance to hear the gospel. September 22nd - 28th: Jordan. In Jordan there is a certain amount of freedom for traditional Christians and relative tolerance for Muslim back-ground believers but public evangelisation of Muslims is against government policy. Converts can find their marriages annulled, their children taken away from them and both physical and mental abuse. Violence and killings have been reported regarding Muslim background believers. Give thanks for growth in the nominal Christian community, especially growth among the refugees from Iraq and Syria. Pray also for: Countries where people live with war, violence and natural disasters. Israel; Egypt; India; Syria; They need our prayers. 16

17 On the home front let s pray for... The children and young people who ll be returning to education in a few days. For all of them it is a time of change: Some will go to school for the first time. Others will have new teachers; new class-mates. For others new school and a totally new environment. For many they are going away for the first time to college or university, away from their families and friends. Pray for them that they are able to settle quickly and make friends. Those who have completed their education and are now seeking employment, never an easy task!! As employers so often want experience and that can only be gained by being given a job it can be a bit disheartening, pray that they ll be given a chance. Teachers. It may be daunting for the children but how much more for the teachers? They have to learn the names, strengths and weaknesses, very quickly, of 30 or so children and teach at the same time. Christian Unions. As the young people are away from parental influence that they would find a strong Godly influence in their new surroundings. All in authority and leadership: International, national, local and churches. Pray for them for wisdom in the decisions they make. September birthdays: Happy birthday to you all. Sept 3rd Samuel (He ll be 7yrs) 11th Ivy Gash 16th James (He ll be 6yrs) 16th Shiloh (He ll be 2yrs) 28th Hannah (She ll be 3yrs) Rahab. George Fairley Rahab was a prostitute In dark and dangerous days She sold herself so many times And in so many ways. One day some strangers came to her She hid them on her roof 17

18 And they worked out a rescue plan With red cord as the proof. When Joshua led his army in The cord they saw quite plain So Rahab and her family Weren t numbered with the slain. Then Salmon took and married her And ended all her shame She bore a son named Boaz A very noble name. Our story doesn t finish there For in due time you see There came one who is Jesus Saviour of the world is He. The ancestry of Royal blood And captains mighty, bold Are all part of His progeny This wondrous story hold. There s Nashon who was leader Of the hosts of Israel And Abraham, Isaac, Judah And Jehoshaphat plain to tell. From such a bad beginning Came Rahab, yes it s true And God can change your life as well He does make all things new. And finally... A young man was walking through a supermarket when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it he ignored her. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. I m sorry she said If my staring at you made you uncomfortable. It s just that you look just like my son who died recently. I m very sorry replied the young man, is there anything I can do for you? Yes she said As I m leaving could you say Goodbye mother it would make me feel so much better. OK said the young man. As the old woman was leaving he called out Goodbye mother. At the till he saw that his bill was 127, what? he said I only bought a few things. Your mother said you d pay said the clerk!! God bless you all. Lesley 18

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