St Lawrence, Seal Chart Parish Magazine April 2014

Transcription

1 Services at St Margaret s Underriver during April 2014 In the Church, every Thursday at 08:30, Morning Prayer (said) - CW St Lawrence, Seal Chart Parish Magazine April 2014 Sunday 6 Apr 11:15 All Age Family Service Sunday 13 Apr 08:00 Holy Communion BCP 11:15 Palm Sunday Service with procession Thursday 17 Apr 10:00 Maundy Thursday Holy Communion CW Friday 18 Apr 09:00 Walk to St Lawrence for... 11:15 Good Friday Service Sunday 20 Apr 10:30 Sunday Club meets in the Village Hall 11:15 Family Celebration Holy Communion CW Sunday 27 Apr 11:15 Parish Communion CW Sunday 4 May 11:15 Volunteers Service Churchwardens Ron Drury (vacancy) PCC Hon Secretary John Morris PCC Hon Treasurer Andy Rowell Electoral Roll Clive McLintock Covenant & Envelopes John Morris Organist Lizzie Veglio Choir Director John Morris Bell ringers Hon Secretary Peter Wharton Sevenoaks Deanery Synod Ron Drury Peter Wharton Sunday School Hilary Darque Child Protection Rep Sam Drury deputy Gretel Wakeham Church Flowers Sheila Jackson St Lawrence CE Primary School Headteacher Alison Saunders Chairman of Governors Sarah Hudson Clerk to the Governors Sarah Brew St Lawrence Pre-School Becky Stammers ST LAWRENCE CHURCH AND VILLAGE CONTACTS Vicar - Revd Carol Kitchener Reader - St Lawrence Church - Mrs Gretel Wakeham Admin Assistant - Tim Pearce admin@stlawrencesealchart.com Parish Website st St Lawrence Brownies Janet Boswell S oaks District Councillors Julia Thornton Roderick Hogarth Seal Parish Council Chairman Robin Watson Vice-Chairman Edward Oatley Clerk Lorna Talbot Ward Councillors Peter Granville Tony Bulleid St Lawrence Village Hall Management Committee Chairman Peter Wharton Secretary Janice Brooker Treasurer Andy Smaggasgale Bookings Secretary Andy Smaggasgale Cricket Club Secretary Robin Webster Badminton Club Contact Peter Wharton Archery Club Secretary Mike Davies Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators Stone Street Contact Janice Brooker Seal Chart Contact Nicola Mitchell Copy for the next issue should be sent, preferably by , to the editor, Brian Sutton ( ) at manofkent99@yahoo.com to arrive by 08:00 on Wednesday 16 April 2013 The next issue of the Parish Magazine will be in Church on Sunday 27 April 2013 Edited and Typeset by Brian Sutton, 50 The Crescent, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3QY ( ) Printed by Highland Printers, Church Farm, Seal, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0AN ( ) Vicar The Revd Carol Kitchener St Lawrence Vicarage Stone Street Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0LQ Church Warden Ron Drury Garden Cottage, Raspit Hill Ivy Hatch Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0PE Reader Mrs Gretel Wakeham The White House Bitchet Green Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NA

2 Our Vicar s Page Geoffrey Chaucer set his Canterbury Tales in the month of April. Once spring had arrived and the rough roads of Medieval England had opened after the mud and floods of winter, the pilgrims could gather at an inn in Southwark and set out on a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas a Becket in the cathedral. The pilgrims set out on their journey with light hearts, regarding that journey as both a holiday and a religious pilgrimage on the way they enjoyed the soft April showers and the sight of budding trees and spring flowers. How do we feel now that April has begun? In our gardens we can see leaf buds opening, spring flowers blooming, birds nesting and the days are lengthening. It does not take much imagination to think of the summer days ahead when we will be able enjoy being outside and maybe going on holiday. Perhaps we, like the Canterbury pilgrims, also feel ready for a spiritual journey this April? This month, in our churches, we will be travelling with Christ as we live again the last full week of his life on earth. Starting with the celebrations of Palm Sunday (13 th April) when we too will process, as Jesus friends and supporters did, when Jesus arrived that last time in Jerusalem. Then, we will travel on through the events of Holy Week with its ups and downs. We will stop to remember the last time Jesus and his disciples ate together, the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday (17 th April). We will think of the way they at dinner committed themselves to always follow him, yet after his arrest later that evening they all melted away, too frightened to be associated with him. Then, we will enter into the sadness of Good Friday (18 th April) when we will think about Jesus crucifixion. How Jesus, God s Son, innocent of all that he had been accused of, was crucified between two common thieves. We will imagine the sadness of his mother and the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross and the boldness of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who later claimed his body for burial before the Sabbath. We will wait through the quietness of the following day until Easter Day (20 th April) dawns and we can celebrate Jesus resurrection. With Christians across the world we will rejoice in the knowledge that Jesus rose from the dead and was able to speak with his startled followers on that first Easter Day. If you are able to join us at our services from Palm Sunday to Easter Day please do so. The week can be something of a roller-coaster, but it can also be a deeply spiritual experience as well. If you look at the services in the magazine you will see where they will be held. Palm Sunday and Easter Day services will take place in each of the churches and Maundy Thursday and Good Friday will be joint services, one in each of the churches. Yours in the love of Christ FOR THE CHILDREN

3 Messy Church Your Prayers are asked for.. the aged, the infirm and housebound; those in hospital or recovering at home; refugees in and from war-torn countries; Christians who are persecuted for their faith; for pilgrims in the Holy Land at Eastertide; For all Your Blessings, we thank Thee, O Lord Sunday 6 Apr Sunday 13 Apr Sunday 20 Apr Sunday 27 Apr Sunday 4 May Church Flowers The latest Messy Church took place on Friday 7 March when some 15 children came along with their parents to take part in activities based around the story of Moses, the Ten Plagues and the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. No Flowers No Flowers Pat Wilson & Jill Beynon Pat Wilson & Jill Beynon Bridget Stephens There was lots to choose from: making flatbread, building a pyramid, making frogs and locusts, not to mention creating fake boils on their arms and experiencing a range of bad smells (the latter were especially popular!). Afterwards the children ate their flatbread whilst the adults enjoyed a cup of tea. The session finished with a short period of worship. If you are interested in coming along to the next Messy Church, or would like to help, please contact Wendy Dartnell on Hilary St Lawrence Cricket Club The Club plays on the picturesque Bitchet Green ground and would be delighted to welcome new members for the 2014 season. The club plays in the very successful Kent County Village League. Indoor nets are held on Tuesdays at 7.30 at St Michaels Prep School, Otford. Please contact Club Captain Tom Cobb (tomecobb@hotmail.co.uk or tel ) or membership secretary Richard Smith (rsmith@savills.com or tel ). The Cover Picture A few hundred metres outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem the rock formation of the hillside bears a striking resemblance to a human skull and mid- 19 th century excavations below this hill revealed the existence of a rock-cut, rolling stone tomb. Also discovered during these excavations were an ancient wine press, a well and other items which suggested that this may have been the site of a garden: the site was later dated to the 1 st century AD. In the KJV version of John 19: vv (and in many other versions) we read Now in this place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. Since the end of the 19 th century many Christians, including General Charles Gordon, were prepared to accept that this was indeed the site of Golgotha, the Aramaic word for skull, and the site of our Lord s crucifixion and burial. It is readily apparent that no one truly knows the exact location of Christ s death, burial and glorious resurrection. Was it in Church of the Holy Sepulchre or was it at the Garden Tomb. Who knows. That it happened is what faith is about: it is our faith. APCM: The Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2014 Please do join us for our annual meeting on Sunday 6 th April at 11 a.m. following the morning service. This is your chance to see what makes your church buzz, what we get up to and how we spend the money you so generously give us. We ll do our best to answer any difficult questions! Look forward to seeing you. We start with coffee and cake. Gretel. Carol s Church Clean Do! Tuesday 15 April, 9:30-11:30, - Coffee and Bikkies at half time, All Welcome - Come along, help brighten our church and and have fun! 10 3

4 Stone Street Oil Club Hello everyone my name is Frank and I have lived in Stone Street these last 8 years come the summer. I am setting up an Oil Club for Stone Street and the immediate surrounding area. If you rely on oil deliveries (who doesn't!) and fancy having a rate that is 3-7p per/ltr less than standard quotes, read on. There are oil co-ops and clubs setup all over the country. Having read an article on the subject recently, I was keen to join one. There isn't one local so I talked to someone who has experience running a club. He could not have been more enthusiastic. He was very keen to praise the benefits of group buying oil with a bunch of tips. To give a general idea how it can work out, this chap's club has 254 members and their last purchase at the tail end of January was for 240,000 litres bought in at 51.7pence per litre. I don't know about you but that is a good 5 pence better than my last order and I thought I got a good rate. As a result, I am offering the service to all of you. My initial aim is to get a single tankers worth of oil, 12,000 litres + and then to see how things grow from there. You will have a delivery as normal with an invoice and pay the oil company directly. I will just collate everyone's order in the club and negotiate the best price for us across several suppliers. I am looking to get 4 deliveries per year for the village. I would only ask that you pay your bill promptly so that we may all stay in good standing with suppliers. I am also asking for 10 to join the club for a year to cover time and energy spent sorting this all out. Oil clubs are good for the environment as they save the tankers driving around the country side. Oil tankers only get about 8 miles to the gallon. The drivers like oil clubs as it simplifies their jobs making it safer. Who hasn't driven around a sharp bend in the road with a tanker driving towards you? Good for the oil companies as they get a bulk order in one place and good for our energy bills as we all save 10 for every 1p discount we get on a 1000 litres of oil. Truly win win for all! Sound good? Feel free to contact me via on oil@donghi.co.uk or Sunday School Logo We have a new Sunday School logo [see page 7], which has been designed for us by Helen Atkinson. Thank you, Helen. Unfortunately you will only be able to see this in black and white unless you log on to our web site when all will be revealed in glorious rainbow colours. Ed Sir Isaac Newton was one of the first to use the Hebrew lunar calendar to come up with firm dates for Good Friday: Friday 7 April 30 AD or Friday 3 April, 33 AD, with Easter Day falling two days later. Modern scholars continue to think these the most likely. Most people will tell you that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which is broadly true. But the precise calculations are complicated and involve something called an ecclesiastical full moon, which is not the same as the moon in the sky. The earliest possible date for Easter in the West is 22 March, which last fell in 1818 and won t fall again until The latest is 25 April, which last happened in 1943 and is next due in Why the name, Easter? In almost every European language, the festival s name comes from Pesach, the Hebrew word for Passover. The Germanic word Easter, however, seems to come from Eostre, a Saxon fertility goddess mentioned by the Venerable Bede. He thought that the Saxons worshipped her in Eostur month, but may have confused her with the classical dawn goddesses like Eos and Aurora, whose names mean shining in the east. So Easter might have meant simply beginning month a good time for starting up again after a long winter. Finally, why Easter eggs? On one hand, they are an ancient symbol of birth in most European cultures. On the other hand, hens start laying regularly again each Spring. Since eggs were forbidden during Lent, it s easy to see how decorating and eating them became a practical way to celebrate Easter. Books are Good for Children Why not buy your children a book for Easter? Children who read for pleasure in their spare time perform significantly better at school than other pupils, a study has found. Regular access to books between the ages of 10 to 16 improves vocabulary, spelling and even maths. And children who get bedtime stories from their parents as infants perform better than those who go without. But reading for pleasure during secondary school has the biggest effect. The study was done by the University of London. The findings come amid continuing concerns that too many children are neglecting books for ipads, games consoles and TV. How true! What the nations of the world need is a peace conference with the Prince of Peace. 4 9

5 Easter Faith Three years after the Russian Revolution of 1917, a great anti-god rally was arranged in Kiev. The powerful orator Bukharin was sent from Moscow, and for an hour he demolished the Christian faith with argument, abuse and ridicule. At the end there was silence. Then a man rose and asked to speak. He was a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He went and stood next to Bukharin. Facing the people, he raised his arms and spoke just three triumphant words: Christ is risen! At once the entire assembly rose to their feet and gave the joyful response, He is risen indeed! It was a devastating moment for an atheist politician, who had no answer to give to this ancient Easter liturgy. He had not realised he was simply too late: how can you convince people who have already experienced God, that he does not exist? Easter The Most Joyful Day of the Year Easter is the most joyful day of the year for Christians. Christ has died for our sins. We are forgiven. Christ has risen! We are redeemed! We can look forward to an eternity in his joy! Hallelujah! The Good News of Jesus Christ is a message so simple that you can explain it to someone in a few minutes. It is so profound that for the rest of their lives they will be still be growing in their Christian walk with God. Why does the date more around so much? Because the date of Passover moves around, and according to the biblical account, Easter is tied to the Passover. Passover celebrates the Israelites exodus from Egypt and it lasts for seven days, from the middle of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which equates to late March or early April. 8 Roz and John Morris invite you to CREAM TEA in aid of Sevenoaks Area Youth Trust (SAYT) SUNDAY MAY 18, to 5pm at Beaconsmount, Pine Tree Lane, Ivy Hatch Collection for SAYT RSVP to Christian Aid Week 11 th 17 th May 2014 War tears lives apart - Love can help piece them back together For a growing number of people across the world, the horror of war is a part of daily life. Right now, fuelled by the devastating violence in both Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the numbers of people driven from their homes by war is on the rise. It stands at 42 million people an appalling statistic and a stain on the conscience of humanity. We can t turn our backs.. Together we can send people living in fear this message: you are not alone. We re with you, helping you to rebuild your lives, and working for peace. Together we can reach the 42 million people caught up in conflict and help them live a life free from fear. Could you provide the gift of hope? 15 could provide blankets for refugee children to protect them from bitter nighttime temperatures. 40 could provide enough good quality and nutritious food for two refugee children for a month. 150 could help us provide specialist emotional support for a child deeply traumatised by the horror of war that they ve witnessed or experienced. If you are able to help with collecting for Christian Aid in our parish, please do give Gretel Wakeham a call (761534) Be an instrument of God s peace. Give, act and pray this Christian Aid Week. For more information, please see Gretel Coffee Morning for SAYT A very big thank you to everyone who came along to support the coffee morning and bring and buy at Shepherds Cottage on Wednesday 12 March. c Thank you also for the kind gifts and donations from some who were unable to attend. It was a beautiful spring morning and a happy time was had by all. We raised 335 which was a great result. Thank you all so much, Carol and Rosemary 5

6 Services and Events at The Church of St Lawrence Seal Chart Every Tuesday at 08:30, in the Church, Morning Prayer Tuesday 1 April Lenten Reflections - (lasts about an hour - all are welcome) 10:00 At 50 The Crescent, Sevenoaks Sunday 6 Apr Fifth Sunday of Lent 08:00 Holy Communion BCP Ezekiel 37: 1-14 John 11: :45 All Age Family Service Ezekiel 37: 1-14 Sunday 13 Apr Palm Sunday and Procession 09:15 Procession starts from bottom of Church Road to... 09:45 Palm Sunday Service Philippians 2: 5-11 Matthew 21: 1-11 Monday 14 Apr Lenten Reflections - (lasts about an hour - all are welcome) 14:00 At Shepherd s Cottage, Heaverham Thursday 17 Apr Maundy Thursday 10:00 Joint Service of Holy Communion at St Margaret s 1 Corinthians 11: John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 Friday 18 Apr Good Friday 09:00 Walk from St Margaret s to St Lawrence s 11:15 Good Friday Service John 18: 1-19-end (in parts) Sunday 20 Apr Easter Sunday 09:45 Family Celebration Holy Communion CW Acts 10: John 20: 1-18 Sunday 27 Apr Second Sunday of Easter 09:45 Matins BCP Acts 2: 14a, John 20: 19-end Sunday 4 May Third Sunday of Easter 08:00 Holy Communion BCP Acts 2: 14a, Luke 24: :45 Volunteers Service Exodus 35: 20-26, Children meet promptly at 09:45 in St Lawrence School Hall on the dates shown in bold They will rejoin their parents in the church towards the end of the service. All children aged 3 and upwards are welcome 13 April Palm Sunday Hilary & Sam 20 April Easter Sunday 18 May Church Army Lesley & Wendy 15 June Father's Day Sam, Emily & Wendy 13 July Last Supper followed by Everyone Picnic & Games on the field 21 Sept St Matthew's Day Lesley & Hilary For further information contact Hilary Darque [ ] Palm Sunday If you would like to join the walk up the hill on Palm Sunday, 13 April, meet at the bottom of Church Road at 9.20 am. Palms to wave will be provided! Mothering Sunday Posies If you would like to help make posies, come along to the church on Saturday 29 March at 3.30 pm. Materials will be provided but please bring along any spare flowers/ foliage you can spare from your garden. For further information please contact Lesley Rayner, tel A Message from John Carlisle May I through your columns express my sincerest thanks to those many parishioners who have sent me messages of good wishes, cards, gifts and prayers during my recent illness. Your support has brought to Anthea and I great joy and encouragement, and we delight that we are privileged to live amongst such a happy community! John 6 7