Wednesday 31 July 2013

Singing with John Rutter

john-rutter-headshotOn Saturday 1st June, I was lucky to have the opportunity to attend a choral event with John Rutter, which was being held at Chelmsford Cathedral. Approximately 200 people attended the communal singing from 10am – 3.30pm. The purpose of the day was to raise funds for the Music Therapy Centre at Anglia Ruskin University. Rutter, one of Britain’s best known composers and conductors of choral music, received an Honorary Doctor of Music from Anglia Ruskin in 1999 and a CBE in 2007, in recognition of his outstanding services to music.

I was a bit apprehensive at first but I soon got into it. The other singers from choirs throughout Essex and East London were very friendly. We were organised into four parts (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) and were really put through our paces. John Rutter is an extremely warm and friendly man and he managed, with his humour and encouragement, to get us singing to our full ability and really enjoying it. He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I had feared.

We sang ten pieces of music altogether, which included:

Amazing Grace

Laudate Dominum (from ‘Solemn Vespers’)

God so Loved the World – John Stainer

This is the Day (composed by Rutter for the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011)

It was possible to buy CDs and sheet music of John Rutter’s works and he was kind enough to sign the sheet music for those people who wanted him to (including me).

03_Chelmsford_Cathedral_200

I was also impressed with Chelmsford Cathedral which I had never visited before. There is a lovely mix of old and new in the art and the artefacts around the cathedral. Also, the acoustics are very good because the building is large enough for the sound to reverberate but not so big that the sound gets ‘lost’ in the rafters. I was not surprised to learn that concerts are held there regularly and I would be happy to return to listen to music there one evening.

I had a wonderful day singing with some really nice people conducted by renowned British composer in a beautiful setting and it was all in a good cause.

Wendy

Monday 29 July 2013

FROM THE JULY/AUGUST PIONEER

Don’t just say it, do it!

Next year, 2014, is the Centenary of the Diocese of Chelmsford and in his infinite wisdom Bishop Stephen has decided, with the agreement of his Diocesan Synod, that every parish in the diocese is to celebrate this by holding a mission weekend. In pursuance of which each parish is being encouraged to try something that (preferably) they have not done before as a way of reaching out to those around them.

As an idea it is linked to the Five Marks of Mission that have been a key point of the Anglican Communion for many years and also to Bishop Stephen’s initiative for the future of the diocese, ‘Transforming Presence’. For those of you who do not have the five marks of mission permanently etched into your memories I have reproduced them here for you. (Even I had to look them up to make sure I got them right).

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.
To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.
To respond to human need by loving service.
To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

It is Bishop Stephen’s intention to visit every deanery in order to give some training on holding such weekends, and he is coming to Havering Deanery on the evening of Thurs 28 November. In each of his suffrage areas he has appointed a mission advisor to ensure every parish takes part (“Resistance is useless”, as the Daleks like to say) At the P.C.C. meeting that we held on June 26th we discussed our initial response to this decision and decided that we would hold our mission weekend over the second May Bank Holiday weekend, more commonly known as Whitsun.

Our ideas are very much in the early stages but centre around the idea of an Open Weekend featuring a ‘Super Saturday’ with not just our own stalls, but stalls from all our usual charities, as well as from our uniformed organizations and other hall users, the Rush Green Regeneration group, our Primary School and indeed everyone who is involved in our community. In addition we propose to invite all our local shops to either be present or to take an advert in a specially produced magazine about our church and our community (to be distributed throughout the parish). Some of you may remember that many years ago we had just such an occasional production called (I believe) ‘On the Green’

Over the weekend itself it has been suggested that we hold a flower festival in the church as well as, some short impromptu organ and other musical or choral recitals. Members of the church will be available to answer questions about the church and selected members will also be available to talk to and pray with anyone who wishes to do so. The Saturday event would start at 11.00 hrs and run primarily for 3 or 4 hours, though we would have the church open until evening prayer at 18.00 hrs.

On the Sunday Mass would be at 08.30 hrs and at 10.00 hrs (or it could be a bit later) we would have a celebration and thanksgiving service for both our Diocese and our mission as the Parish Church of Rush Green. We have yet to decide whether this would also be a Mass or whether it would be a more praise (Hymn) orientated service; again the church would then remain open until Evening Prayer at 18.00 hrs, possibly sung and possibly with Benediction.

Now these, I must stress, are the thoughts that we are working on, it is not impossible that things will change as we move slowly towards the actual day itself, indeed if you have an idea that could expand on our thoughts or even replace them with another idea completely then I and the P.C.C. want to hear from you. There is no doubt that what we are proposing is ambitious, it will require a lot of effort from

all of us and no doubt a fair bit of sacrifice as well, but then that is something that as Christians we should be no strangers too.

Talking and writing about this is the easy bit, doing it will be the hard bit, after all talk is cheap. It was very much in our thoughts, at the PCC meeting, that we wanted to be in control of what happened rather than having something imposed on us of which we had no control and which might actually run contrary to what we are already doing so successfully.

Compared to many churches around the country we are very fortunate in that we are growing in size and are starting to attract many new people, especially younger families. It was with this in mind that I decided to try re-introducing an earlier Sunday Mass, as you probably know by now this is initially going to be on the first Sunday of each month at 08.30 hrs starting from September, though I am open to other Sundays if there proves to be a need in the future.

This is not intended as a way of splitting the church and indeed I will not allow it to do so, nor do I intend that it should become a ‘niche’ service as it is in some parishes, where the eight o’clockers have a Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Service and the ten o’clockers have the modern service and never the twain shall meet. Our strength lies in the fact that we are one family within the body of Christ and that we meet and worship together around the altar.

The idea behind this re-introduction is to enable those who might not otherwise be able to get to church on that Sunday to be able to do so. In our modern world we have to accept that the country does not almost shut down on a Sunday, the shops now open and many other activities once prohibited on the Sabbath are now common place. You and I might regret this turn of events, but we cannot ignore them and as a priest I cannot condone keeping people from the opportunity of receiving the sacrament just because I’d like a lay in (note from Mrs. Vicar, Is that some kind of industrial action in a hen house because it’s never about him staying in bed!)

I have been talking about doing this on and off now for some time, but have always been told by people who I thought might find it of benefit that it would not actually help them in their own situation. However, in truth if I do not try then I will never really know. If just one person comes who otherwise would not have been able to make their communion on that Sunday, then it will have been a success, after all remember who it was who said that “when two or three are gathered together then I am there”.

Another thought that I have talked about in the past and have quite literally just discussed with the Worship Committee (July 9th) is that of having a regular monthly service of Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. We have always held such a service, coupled with Evening Prayer (said or sung), on the Sunday at the end of the Christmas season and also on Easter Sunday, now we propose to have such a service on the evening of the third Sunday of each month as part of our regular offering of services.

To some this service is a bit of an acquired taste as they feel that it is a little to close to the Roman Catholic Church, however it has been fully accepted within the Church of England, especially the Anglo Catholic part, for many years. It has certainly been a part of our parish’s regular spiritual life in the past given that the necessary equipment was already here when I came some 10 and 1/2 years ago now.

It is rightly said that none of us knows the future; I have in the recent past written and spoken about how things are likely to change in our Deanery and Diocese, based on what is known about our future clergy numbers and the proposals of ‘Transforming Presence’. The idea of an outreach weekend and the proposed extra services are a part of our response to those challenges and begin to put into reality the words that have been said. I very much doubt that this will be the end of things, more likely this is but the start of the start!

God Bless you all.

Fr. Martin

Sunday 28 July 2013

17th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Today we had a packed church for the Baptism during the Parish Mass of our Church Secretary’s son Harry. Father Mervyn, back from a short break in Devon presided, and Father Martin baptised Harry, concelebrated and preached. Afterwards we enjoyed Harry’s Baptism Cake in the hall with our tea and coffee. Despite reduced numbers due to the holidays, our choir sang an anthem.

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took £150

REMINDER THAT THERE WILL BE NO SATURDAY SHOP ON SATURDAY 24th AUGUST

“O Sing to the Lord with joyful voice”

We need more voices for our choir. Could you join and help “Sing to the Lord” For more details come to church on Sunday morning at 9.15 a.m. Preparations will begin, after the Summer Holiday, for our Christmas Music.

16th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR.

Father Martin presided and preached today; Father Mervyn and family are having a short break in Devon.

The Saturday Shop took £121

Sunday 14 July 2013

15th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

samaritano01Today Father Martin presided and preached at the Parish Mass. At the beginning of the service each week, the members of the Sunday School have a prayer and collect the Bible and Mr. Monkey, a rather badly behaved monkey. Today he was found hanging on to the candlesticks before he went out to our thriving Sunday School. They return in time for the Offertory showing us the pictures they have drawn and/or coloured.

In his sermon, based on the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, Father Martin said we are all very good at walking by on the other side, like the priest and the Levite. This could be understandable when some one begging in Romford was discovered to change into an Armani suit when he arrived home. The priest and the Levite didn’t help because they wanted to retain their ritual cleanness. being compassionate could be costly and not everything works out as you think it will. Father Martin related the incident in the last when two teenagers had crashed their scooter into the vicarage doing considerable damage to the front porch. As one was injured an ambulance was called but, when they heard the siren, the two youngsters thought it was the police and ran away. Despite the cost we must not walk by on the other side.

YESTERDAY’S SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £142.

Sunday 7 July 2013

14th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Today Father Martin presided and preached at the Parish Mass on a wonderful summer’s day in Romford. The church was near capacity with some 21 children present. Father Mervyn was officiating at St. Alban’s, Romford as many of that parish are on their annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. In his sermon, preached on today’s Gospel, Father Martin reminded us that the rule of Leviticus required there to be two witnesses, hence Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs. They were to accept the hospitality offered them and give their peace to the homes they visited. This was reminiscent of the hospitality and peace offered by the Ishmaelites. We needed to ensure our souls were “clean” so we too could be witnesses and we should work to ensure our names, and the names of others were stored in heaven’

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took £175.

DATES

Tuesday 9th July  Mass according to the Book of Common Prayer 7.15 p.m. followed by a meeting of the Worship Committee.

Wednesday 17th 7.30 p.m. The Rosary.

Tuesday 23rd July 7.30 p.m. Mass followed by a meeting of the Building Committee.

**********************************************************

ADDITIONAL SUNDAY MASS ON THE 1st SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH

Starting from the 1st September there will be an additional Mass on the FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH at 8.30 a.m.

**********************************************************

STOP PRESS – COMING SOON – OUR OWN WEB SITE.

Saturday 6 July 2013

GENERAL SYNOD, YORK

The General Synod are meeting in York. Please keep the members in your prayers that in all they do and the decisions they make, may be inspired by the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

COME holy ghost eternall God procedinge from above,
Both from the father and the sonne, the God of peace and love:
Vysyte oure myndes, and into us, thy heavenly grace inspyre;
That in all trueth and godlynesse, we maye have true desyre.
Thou art the very comforter, in al woe and distresse:
The heavenly gyfte of God moste highe, whych no tongue can expresse.
The fountayne and the lively springe, of joye celestiall:
The fyre so brighte, the love so clere, and Unction spirituall.
Thou in thy gyftes arte manifolde, whereby Christes Churche doeth stande:
In faythfull heartes wrytinge thy lawe, the fynger of Goddes hande.
According to thy promes made, thou gevest speache of grace;
That throughe thy helpe, the prayse of God, may sounde in every place.
O holy ghoste, into oure wittes, sende downe thyne heavenly lyght;
Kyndle our heartes wyth fervent love, to serve God daye and nyght.
Strength and stablishe all oure weakenes, so feble and so frayle:
That neyther fleshe, the worlde, nor devyl, agaynste us do prevayle.
Put backe oure enemie farre from us, and graunte us to obtayne:
Peace in our heartes with God and man, withoute grudge or disdayne.
And graunt O Lorde that thou beyng, oure leader and oure guyde;
We may eschewe the snares of synne, and from thee never slyde.
To us such plentie of thy grace, good Lord graunt we thee praye:
That thou mayest bee oure comforter, at the laste dreadfull daye.
Of all stryfe and dissencion, O Lorde, dissolve the bandes:
And make the knottes of peace and love, throughoute all Christien landes.
Graunte us O Lorde, throughe thee to knowe the father most of myght;
That of hys deare beloved sonne we may attayne the syght.
And that wyth perfect fayth also, we may acknowledge thee;
The Spirite of them both alwaye, one God in persones three.
Laude and prayse be to the father, and to the sonne equall:
And to the holy spyryte also, one God coeternall.
And praye we that the onely sonne, vouchesafe hys spyryte to sende;
To all that do professe hys name, unto the worldes ende. Amen
.

– Book of Common Prayer (1549)