We have seen his star in the east and are come to worship Him
Transcription
We have seen his star in the east and are come to worship Him
We have seen his star in the east and are come to worship Him Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Dec 2014/Jan 2015 The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine is part of the Church of England Diocese in Europe, working in partnership with The Intercontinental Church Society, in ministry to people who speak English. It covers Gironde, Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne. CHURCH SERVICES, DECEMBER 2014 (see Around the Chaplaincy for location details) SUNDAY 07 DECEMBER 10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Prayer and Praise – Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion – Doudrac 11:00 Christmas service with Carols - Nérac 11:00 Holy Communion – Ste Nathalène (chez Wilton) 17:00 Carol Service - Limeuil 18:00 Advent Carols – Bertric Burée WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 18:30 Carol Service - Dondas WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY 11:00 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée Nérac THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER 18:00 Carol Service – Montcaret, Dordogne FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 18:00 Carol Service – Riberac 18:30 Carol Service – St Médard, Lot et Garonne FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 16:00 Carol Service - Négrondes 17:00 Carol Service – Sainte Nathalène SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Christingle All Age Service - Eymet 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Family Service - Négrondes 16:00 Carol Service – Chancelade 17:00 Carol Service - Bordeaux 18:00 Carol Service - Monteton SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER 10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion - Dondas 10:30 Christmas Praise - Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion - Négrondes TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 18:30 Carol Service – Allez WEDNESDAY 24 DECEMBER 18:30 Christmas Eve Holy Communion – Doudrac 22:30 Christmas Eve Holy Communion - Limeuil THURSDAY 25 DECEMBER 10:30 Christmas Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Christmas Holy Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Christmas Day Service - Eymet 10:30 Christmas Celebration – Limeuil 10:30 Christmas Holy Communion - Monteton SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Bertric Burée 10:30 Morning Prayer - Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil Bordeaux Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 2 SUNDAY 04 JANUARY 10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée 10:30 Morning Worship – Bordeaux 10:30 Prayer and Praise – Limeuil 16:00 Evensong – Bertric Burée SUNDAY 11 JANUARY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion - Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Morning Prayer - Monteton 10:30 Family Service - Négrondes 10:30 Ecumenical Service - Eymet Temple THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER 10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion – Condom 18:30 Carol Service – Doudrac WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER 18:00 Carol Service - Eymet SERVICES JANUARY 2015 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 15:00 Ecumenical Service – Riberac Hospital Chapel SUNDAY 18 JANUARY 10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Chancelade 10:30 Morning Worship - Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton 11:00 Ecumenical Service – Sainte Foy la Grande, Temple 11:00 Service of the Word – Ste Nathalène TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 20.30 Catholic Church Ste Livrade sur Lot WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 18:00 Ecumenical Service – Pontours, Dordogne THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil 18:30 Ecumenical Service – Protestant Temple, Périgueux (rue Antoine Gadaud) C Clerical Corner Wordsor maybe not.... ‘The average person, in an average lifetime, speaks 370,110,001.3 words on average, averagely speaking.’ (source Google search) I was enjoying a long walk in the Pyrenees when I realised that Jennifer (who was walking with me) and I had not spoken for several hours. It was not that we were ‘not talking’ but that there was nothing to say. The beauty of the day, the clarity of the air and the exertion of the walk were enough in themselves. I realised as I stood looking out over the valley below that if we took all the words we say in our lifetime that an awful lot of them would be unnecessary, destructive, petty, jealous or demeaning. How many of our words are positive, encouraging, beautiful and inspired by love? You could perhaps say that our lives are reflected in the sum of our words. At this time of year we hear at Christmas Carol Services and again on Christmas Day that ‘The Word became flesh’. (John 1 :14) The sum of all the words that Jesus spoke reflects the fact that he was truly God and truly Man. Each of the words that Jesus spoke gives us a glimpse of God. In French translations of the Bible, ‘The Word’ is translated as ‘Le Verbe’. When I was teaching English we used to describe a ‘Verb’ as a ‘doing word’. So perhaps the message for Christmas is ‘Choose your words carefully but give of yourself unstintingly ...or put another way...say less and do more!’ With our love for a joyful Christmas, Bramwell and Jennifer CHAPLAINCY OF AQUITAINE PASTORAL CARE TEAM DAY Eglise Evangelique Libre, Bergerac 10.30 - 15.30 Thursday 5 March 2015. Details & Bookings – Rev. Gill/Ian Strachan From your Editor... The last magazine of the year already! Where does the time go? I hope your preparations for Christmas are going well and whether you are staying in France to enjoy the many services and events you can read about within these pages, or travelling elsewhere, I hope you have a wonderful time. If you receive a printed copy of the magazine each month, please don’t forget your subscription renewal is now due. Details are on the back page. Mr. Black has already sent his without a reminder - many thanks, Ted, you’re a star! SUNDAY 25 JANUARY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Morning Worship - Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion – Négrondes A Happy and blessed Christmas and New Year to you all. THURSDAY 29 JANUARY 11:00 Holy Communion - Condom Chaplaincy of Aquitaine So God does not just create the world around us and then leave it to its own devices, he sends a ‘Doing Word’ to show us that our words in themselves are not enough and that we need to be doing God’s work here on earth. Love Gill 3 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2014 T he nine lessons and carols service from King’s College Cambridge is listened to by millions of people all over the world. It is one of England’s most distinctive and successful religious exports! For me, the service has especial resonance, because this was the college where I studied as an undergraduate and so the distinctive sound of the treble voices and fulsome reed organ stops brings back happy memories of student life. Eric Milner-White introduced the nine lessons and carol service in 1918. He had been appointed as Dean of King’s at the age of 34. He developed the carol service because his experience as an army chaplain during the war had convinced him that the Church of England needed to introduce more imaginative worship. The nine lessons and carols format quickly became popular (indeed – how quickly do innovations become ‘traditions’!) and is today widely copied and imitated. In our European chaplaincies ‘the carol service’ is now one of the best loved services in the whole year and delighted in by people of many different nationalities. The beauty of our Christmas music has the ability to touch and soften the hearts of those who would not respond to a more prosaic declaration of Christian truth. But offering a delightful aesthetic experience is not enough. We long that people would encounter God! And if MilnerWhite were alive today, I am sure he would again be urging us always to be vigilant to the need imaginatively to portray the extraordinary story of the birth of the Saviour in a way that would impress upon its sceptical 21st century hearers the incomparable meekness and majesty, suffering and glory of the first Christmas. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine We need again to feel the shocking reality of God becoming incarnate in conditions of extreme vulnerability and deprivation. For, as the evangelists tell us, God’s Son was born in a feeding trough far from home as the first child of an unmarried, and presumably very scared young mother. From his birth he was hunted down by a mad and bad tyrant. Whilst still small, he and his parents were forced to migrate into neighbouring Egypt where I suppose they lived as refugees. I always find it striking that in Matthew’s account of Christmas, the first half of chapter 2 which relates the adoration of newborn King by the magi, is counterbalanced by the second half which graphically relates the attempts by the hostile powers of his day to end this would be King’s young life before it has scarcely begun. 2014 has been marked for many of us by commemorations of the outbreak of World War 1. It may be significant that Milner-White composed his carol service after war-time service both in Italy and on the Western Front. He certainly knew how to reclaim beauty from brokenness. In our own time, we are massively aware of the tragedy of war. It is reckoned that about 14 million people have been displaced by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. In Lebanon, one in four of the population is now a refugee. We Christians, whose Saviour began life as a refugee, have particular responsibilities to do what we can to help and to urge our governments to act together to provide aid. And we pray earnestly for those many men, women and children who face a winter without adequate food or shelter. It is in this sobering international context that this Christmas we celebrate in word and in song the great and wonderful mystery of the incarnation, the enfleshment, of God’s Son. I am very aware that the Christmas season puts particular opportunities 4 and pressures in the way of our chaplaincies. We are typically receiving lots of visitors who don’t normally darken the doors of our churches. At the same time, many regular church members are away at Christmas itself, visiting family or friends. So those that remain have to work especially hard to keep everything running and to provide a cheerful welcome. Whether we have the resources of a great church or cathedral or something far more modest, it is the authenticity of what we do and the warmth of our welcome that makes the biggest impact. So to all those who sustain and enable our worship over Christmas I give my warm and sincere thanks: to our clergy, lay readers and leaders, musicians, welcomers, wardens, caterers and cleaners. And may the God whose message of peace was sung by the angels to herald the birth of his Son, bring his peace to our hearts, our homes, our families and our world over this Christmas time. +Robert Gibraltar in Europe The Facts of Life This is a story about four people: Everybody; Nobody; Somebody; and Anybody. There was an important job to be done. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn’t do it It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Dec 2014/Jan 2015 A Day in the Life of a Macmillan Trekker A s many of you know, I took part in a Macmillan Cancer Support fund-raising venture in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco in the middle of September this year. I wasn’t able to write a day-by-day diary during this week long trek – at the end of a 14 or 15 hour day, I was too tired to write, just wanting a shower (if available!), supper (always available – our trek cooks deserved their reputation as the best in Morocco), get my kit ready for the next day and get snuggled down into my sleeping bag. Here goes – a day in the life of a Macmillan Trekker…. The day begins about 3.15-3.30 with my mobile phone bleeping Roy (my tent buddy) and I into life. Maybe we’d got up once or twice in the night ‘recycling’ the litres of water or mint tea (“Moroccan whisky”!) consumed partly for thirst and partly to avert altitude sickness. If so, the difficulty was remembering which of the dozen or so tents was the right one to come back to. It was amazing how easy it ws to become ‘geographically confused’ when gazing at a sky filled with stars. Many of them were familiar – we were just north of the Sahara so were able to see some constellations from the southern hemisphere, normally not visible in France. Roy and I were both experienced mountaineers so we quickly settled into a mutually acceptable waking regime, sharing each other’s torch light. A wash with baby wipes – the 31 of us Macmillan venturers quickly agreed that whether we ‘whiffed’ or not, it was all the same, so no problem. Roy had a little battery shaver so he would always look smart on the mountain. I meanwhile was Chaplaincy of Aquitaine ‘twisting and stuffing’ – the standard way of inserting a sleeping bag into its carry sack – while trying to expel as much air as possible from the mat I slept on. My ‘bits and pieces’ were in my hat ready to go back in my pockets. Other parts of the morning’s ‘toilette’ would be attended to further up the mountain – but… too much information??!! At 3.30 in the morning with the moon still high over the mountains around us, the mules and horses tethered nearby, similarly waking up, waiting for the camp to be struck and their loads assembled. Breakfast at 4am in the mess tent – for me 2 bowls of porridge and then as much bread and jam or honey or spready cheese as I could cram into my mouth or my pockets – should have brought some sandwich bags – nappy sacks didn’t seem quite the thing! Must remember what Doctor Dave said about drinking lots of water – fill my two bottles up – and keeping my bowels open. Life very quickly settles into some very simple (basic!) priorities! It’s now 4.30, still someway before dawn. Load the bottles in the rucksack, sweets, camera and other essentials into my pockets. Tighten straps; check boots are snugly laced, walking poles set right. Ok – we’re off by the light of head torches following a pair of heels and the summit is 9 hours away. “One more step along the world we go….” – just keep putting one foot in front of the other and I’ll get there. at 4.30 in a star-filled High Atlas mountain morning and much appreciated. 31 of us raised something like £152,000 during this venture – enough to pay a Macmillan nurse’s salary and other overheads for 3 years. Judie and I had pledged to raise £2800 which breaks down as follows: £350 Registration fee (not included in target figure and paid by us) £1000 trek costs – paid by us; Sponsorship £1402; Vide grenier & other sales £398 Total: £2800 Thanks again – not only for financial support, but prayers and thoughts sent our way too, it meant so much to us both. If you would like to see some of the photos I took enroute and to hear more about the trek, there is the possibility of an illustrated talk as a fundraiser for the church. If interested, email or phone: Steve & Judie Burman 0553 50 31 21 [email protected] The good Lord didn’t create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close. Thanks for your support folks - it was very important to me especially 5 Unknown Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Cooking in December and January An Advent/Christmas meditation on I Corinthians 13. Christmas Love CHAPLAINCY VACANCIES 2015 If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, But do not show love, I’m just another decorator. COULD YOU If I slave away in the kitchen, Baking dozens of Christmas puddings, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook. DO THIS? EVERYONE HAS A PART TO PLAY We ask you to give great thought to the contribution you could make to the running of the Chaplaincy. Two key posts will be vacant from the AGM in April If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, And give all that I have to charity, But do not show love, it profits me nothing. Chaplaincy Warden and Chaplaincy Secretary Jennifer Lord is returning to the UK and David Tervet is standing down. Both of these posts are annual appointments. Are you ready to play your part! If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels, and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing the choir’s cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. For further information contact Jennifer Lord or Paul Mazzotti Anne Isobel Warne 1923 – 2014 Love stops the cooking to hug a child. Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t tell the children to get out of the way, but is thankful that they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t Love bears all things, believes all things Hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Computer games will break Cashmere jumpers will wear out, golf clubs will get lost. But giving the gift of love will endure. Anne was born in Singapore, educated in England and then trained as a nurse in wartime London. Looking through my books on the hunt for something suitable to begin my Christmas cookery article, I came across my forgotten copy of ‘Coping with Christmas’ by Fanny and Johnnie Cradock. Some of you will remember a very chirpy Fanny, in a low cut evening dress, sporting sparkly necklace and earrings, Johnny lounging in the background with a large glass of wine. With great vigour they produced what seemed to us then, interesting whacky food. The pair were the height of sophistication in the rather bedraggled, poor 60’s. Fanny was really the first of the TV cooks, and I must say, annoying as they were, they had guts and good humour, and knew all the tricks of the entertainment trade. After the war she met the brother of one of her nursing colleagues, Denis Townsend , who had been a prisoner of war in Germany, and then read law at Cambridge. They were married in 1950. Daughter Alison was born the following year, but tragically, Denis died suddenly of a heart attack when Alison was eighteen months old. Anne lived as a single parent for some fifteen years. Whilst working for the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers, she met Stuart Warne of H.E Warne Ltd. Printers, of Cornwall. They subsequently married and retired to France in 1973, putting down roots in Molieres for many years. Stuart died in 1999. So many people have sent messages of sorrow on learning of Anne’s death on 15th November. She was always great company, kind, gracious, generous of spirit. She was also a cracking bridge player and unfailingly patient with those to whom she taught the game. More recently, she could give us a run for our money over the Scrabble board! Brian Jelliman She was the dearest of friends, and we shall miss her very much indeed. Gill and Ian Strachan 21st November 2014 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine with Frances Pengelly 6 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Their book makes me go into extreme panic. They started their Christmas build up in early January, making all the puddings and cakes eleven months ahead. Most of us, having just got over Christmas, would be thankful to shove all the decorations in the bin, sigh with relief that the whole shooting match was over, and look forward to a long Spring rest! February to July was a frenetic period of gathering fruit, vegetables and herbs, freezing and drying important items, making jam and chutney for the big day. They also trawled the garden for seed heads for Christmas decorations; irises, honesty and globe artichokes were Chaplaincy of Aquitaine all picked and hung upside down to dry. According to them, August is the time to check the address book, also your card list. ‘Only send cards to those who remembered you the previous year’. September, make your own cards, and don’t forget to dig up chive roots to grow on the kitchen windowsill. Do an overhaul of accumulated Christmas presents and buy the missing ones. In October start curing your own hams, make more chutney, gather the last of the corn heads to make decorations, not forgetting the ornamental gourds, which must be varnished. By this time I need artificial respiration, and am in a state of acute stress even thinking about it. Early November you must get cracking in the evening on all the glittery decorations for the house which can be made in advance, and don’t forget to cover your cake boards, make Worcestershire Sauce, and remember the ham and cake frills. By this time I’m hyperventilating! December, you must go through everything and remember to make that final hair appointment. Double check your food lists, basic butter cream, garlic butter, mayonnaise, salted almonds, peppermint creams, French dressing, fondants, almond paste, shortbread, brandy butter, stuffed dates, lemon and orange creams and coconut ice, (all homemade). Funnily enough, she does not say when she ices her Christmas cake, but I imagine that’s done in early December, never at the last minute. Of course all table settings are rehearsed for the big day. Greenery gathered for kissing boughs, mistletoe balls, swags and candleholders, holly for the table, and so it goes on. Goodness, I’ve forgotten the crackers! Oh to be so organised! We need the glittering peak of Christmas to help us through the short grey days and long dark 7 nights of winter. It was pertinent of Christendom (when fixing its calendar) to place the birthday celebrations for the Baby who was the ‘light of the world’ at the time of the winter solstice, where it coincided with the festivals of the Norse Yuletide and Roman Satanalia. In the early days, Christianity was a dangerous creed to follow, and those adhering to this teaching were less conspicuous making merry at the same season as those of different persuasions. In our commemoration of Christmas, Christian and Pagan rites all are jumbled together. The ivy, laurel, box, rosemary and mistletoe we gather to decorate our houses, were also used by our forefathers. To them all evergreens symbolised everlasting life and were part of the junketings that marked the return of the sun. Christianity adapted and added to the plants and legends connected to the winter solstice, and made them fit the Bethlehem story. I wish you a happy, peaceful, stress free Christmas. “Before I tell you what happened, Mum, remember......The Lord will never give you more than you can handle.” Dec 2014/Jan 2015 very valuable. You put it in the box for safe-keeping didn’t you? So it’s still there’. THE WISE MENS’ PRESENTS F ‘That’s a good idea’, said Melchior. ‘I really wanted him to have the pigeons but I suppose gold will do. Kings wear gold, don’t they? He is going to reign over all of us. Yes, I shall give him gold. He will know when he is older that old Melchior knew he was going to be a king’. ar away from Bethlehem and the Holy Land, much further east, lived three wise men. They were called astrologers and they used to study the stars. They said they could foretell the future just from seeing what position the stars were in the sky. They also believed that one day God would come to earth as a real person. They had read about this in their holy books. Well, that’s your problem settled’, said Caspar. One day they were studying the sky when they became very excited. There was a special star shining in the sky. It meant to them that the baby who was God had been born. They knew that they were to follow the star until it stopped over the place where the baby was living. Everyone who visits a new baby likes to take a present to welcome it into the world. The three wise men wanted to choose something that the baby would value, or that could be useful. It was no good taking toys. They had no idea what a baby might like. They were very wise but had spent most of their time looking at stars, not children. They couldn’t take food because it would certainly spoil during the long journey. Clothes might be possible, but how big was the baby? They had no idea. It really was a problem. The first wise man, called Melchior, consulted the other two sages, Caspar and Balthazar. ‘What are we going to do? ’ he asked them. ‘What do babies like? I don’t know what gift to take to this very special child.’ Caspar looked thoughtful. ‘Babies need oil’, he said. ‘I think their mothers have to look after their skin, or something. I think I might go down to the olive grove and speak to my head gardener. I will ask him to put ready a very large jar of the purest, best olive oil. I will take that for him’. Balthazar was glum. He hadn’t run out of ideas because he hadn’t had any ideas at all. He groaned and looked down at the carpet, trying to think of something sensible but nice to take to the baby. The carpet, with large red and gold scrolls all over it, stared back at him. A smile began to spread over his face. ‘I know!’ he said, suddenly cheerful. ‘I shall take a very expensive, large Eastern carpet from one of my palaces. It will be warm and safe and an excellent thing for the baby to play on when he begins to crawl’. Melchior was looking smug. ‘Well, I’ve had a really good idea’, he said. As no-one else spoke he said, ‘Don’t you want to hear it?’ ‘Oh, go on then’, said Caspar wearily. (He had heard so many of Melchior’s good ideas recently, and was rather tired of them). ‘Well’, said Melchior, ‘What about a large cage of pigeons?’ ‘What!’ said Caspar. ‘What on earth for?’ ‘So the baby can send messages to his friends when he’s a bit older. And’, he added hastily, as he could see the others about to laugh at him again, ‘he can watch them flying about, and he can tame them, and they can have baby birds so that will be interesting, and…’He stopped for breath. ‘But what about you?’ Balthazar asked Caspar. ‘What can you give him now that the oil has all gone?’ Caspar continued to think. ‘Well…’ he said slowly. ‘I think I should give him something to show that I know he’s from Heaven. When we pray in our church we light incense and the smoke takes our prayers up to heaven. I have frankincense in my box. It will be a sign that he is really God and will show that I know that. I shall take it to him as it has the best and most lasting perfume. But what can you take, Balthazar?’ Balthazar was a bit put out. His friends had already thought of the best presents and he was a bit stuck. ‘Well,’ he said a bit sharply, ‘You might think frankincense is the best perfume, but actually I prefer myrrh, myself – and it lasts longer. Actually I have a whole jar in my box that I haven’t opened yet. I’ll give him that. It will last him a lifetime.’ And so the problem was solved. The camels were rounded up, the luggage (what was left of it), was put on their backs, and off they went westwards, towards Bethlehem, still following the star. When they arrived at the Star Inn, they were directed by Gideon the innkeeper to the stable at the end of the garden, where the baby and his family were living. There had been no room in the inn on the night that he was born, and Mary and Joseph his parents had to make do with the stable instead of a warm room inside the house. The wise men were troubled and surprised that this baby, who was God, should be treated like this, but they had no doubt that they had found the right place. The dazzling star stayed quite still right over the roof of the stable, almost pointing down into the room below the roof. They were greeted by Mary and they explained where they had come from, and who they were. After they had seen the baby Jesus, and prayed for him, they began to look uncomfortable. ‘Look’, said Caspar. ‘I mean, well, that is to say…’ Balthazar took over. ‘We’re rather sorry you know but…’ ‘Melchior added, ‘It’s like this – our presents were destroyed on the journey. I was bringing some pigeons in a lovely big cage. I was sure that the baby would love them. And Caspar thought you would like a jar of olive oil to keep the baby’s skin soft’. ‘And I had a very expensive carpet with me from one of my palaces,’ added Balthazar, boastfully. ‘Jesus would have loved playing on it’. The others were a bit bored by now. ‘Right’, said Balthazar, ‘so we’ve decided. Now all we must do is get ready to go’. ‘But they were spoilt by our frisky camels’, they all moaned. They rounded up their camels and piled all their luggage onto the backs of the animals. The cage of pigeons was particularly difficult to balance on, but eventually they managed to tie it into position. Then they set out following the bright star in the sky that kept moving on towards Bethlehem. ‘So, said Melchior, ‘we’ve had to improvise with what we had left that didn’t get ruined by those stupid camels.’ When they got tired, they got off their camels and made up some beds on the ground. They took the camels to the oasis where they could get a drink of water, and they lit a camp fire to keep away wild animals. They had to unload the camels so that the poor tired beasts could get some rest. Then they all went to sleep. In the morning they had breakfast and went to fetch the camels. But what a shock they received! And he took out a small gold box and opened it. Inside there were two pieces of real gold, each the size of a chocolate bar. ‘These are for the baby’, he said. ‘One day he will be called ‘king’ by all the world’. Mary thanked him and quietly smiled to herself. Then Caspar stepped forward with a jar in which he had placed a lot of frankincense. As soon as he opened it, the beautiful strong perfume filled the stable. ‘I am going to give him this, as I think that as well as being a king he will also be called a high priest,’ he said. Mary thanked him courteously but again quietly smiled to herself. They were all very quiet and very upset. How could they continue their journey to see the most important baby in the world, without any presents? Balthazar was last. His small decorated jar contained myrrh. ‘I think this will be very useful for him all his life’, he said. ‘A little goes a long way, you know, and it should last almost for ever.’ Again the strong perfume filled the room, and again Mary thanked him. But this time she didn’t smile. Instead, she gave a sad sigh. For she knew why God had allowed those camels to destroy the olive oil, the carpet and the pigeons. He had wanted to send her a sign. By causing the wise men to bring gold, and frankincense and myrrh, they had told her through their gifts of God’s plan for her son. And she accepted the inevitable message with resignation and love. Well’, said Caspar. ‘You, Melchior, you own a lot of gold. Why not give him some? It will help to keep his family safe. It’s © Jennifer Gray 2014 The camels had got loose and had gone on the rampage. They had knocked over all the luggage. They had broken things, dirtied things, torn things, eaten things! In fact, there was very little left except an empty bird cage (the birds had long since flown away), a carpet covered in olive oil where the jar had been smashed, and a box containing a few of their possessions. The wise men were furious. ‘Look!, said Caspar. ‘All our gifts for the baby have been spoilt. The birds have all gone, my olive oil is all spilled, and your carpet, Balthazar, is ruined. What can we do?’ Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 8 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 9 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Now for a little Christmas fun! As many of you know, Ian and Rev Gill Strachan recently took a trip to Jordan. In the next issue of this magazine there will be a full report but in the meantime here is a little taster! Ian sent me 2 photos he thought would be fun for a Caption Competition! The first photo shows Rev Gill ready for the Blue Mosque and the second photo shows Ian and Gill floating in the Dead Sea. Please just send me your suggestions ([email protected]) and a small prize will be awarded for the best caption for each picture. Picture 1: INTERCONTINENTAL CHURCH SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING LONDON 20 September 2014 St. Michael’s Church, Chester Square near Victoria was the venue chosen for this year’s AGM and Annual Public Meeting. Terry and I were there along with a goodly number of members, councillors, supporters and some past and present chaplains. The meeting was chaired by Rt. Revd. Julian Henderson, our Chairman of Council, on the theme of NEW FRONTIERS. It was exciting to hear from Chris Maclay in Versailles, and Nick Clarke in Chantilly how their ministries are growing in their areas of France. We also had a report from Richard Bromley, our Mission Director, on the latest developments in our richly varied international mission. The keynote speaker was Bishop Sandy Millar, now retired, but so dynamic and positive - the Alpha Course man as he is known - who inspired and encouraged us all. We then had a welcome and valuable time of prayer in small groups for the work of ICS. We formally received the accounts - we are still struggling with too high a deficit - and so hampered from what we want to be doing in church planting and support. Then four members were presented with the honour of a certificate of Life Membership: Hazel Perrin and Maggie Gerber who are wardens at our Swiss mountain churches, Mary Sims, who runs a prayer group, and myself. Though spread around UK and the world, ICS is a family and we rejoiced at renewing that in the buzz of tea and fellowship with people we rarely see after the meeting. The talks given that day are available on the new ICS website:- www.ics-uk.org. Madge OLBY 09/10/2014. Picture 2: A Chaplaincy finances, November 2014. s we approach the end of the financial year, I would like to express my thanks for your financial generosity in supporting the Chaplaincy work. We are a rapidly growing Chaplaincy and have to finance annual costs in excess of 140,000€. This we do through your generosity and from income earned from Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms. At the beginning of the year we experience a large cash outflow as we pay our dues to the Diocese, the Archdeaconry, Insurance premiums and Quarterly pension fund contributions. Usually, we move into a positive cash flow by August or September each year. This year, by the end of September, we were in a positive cash flow position and are now forecasting to show a small surplus by the end of December. This compares with a budgeted deficit of some 12,000€, projected in January this year. Every year we show a small growth in the numbers of regular donors, who give regularly through direct debits, but we are still some way from being able to cover regular expenses with planned giving, which is our longer term target. If you are not already a planned donor, but would like to help in this way, it is possible to donate directly to the Chaplaincy through your French bank or indirectly through the ICS UK Gift Aid scheme if you are a British tax resident. Planned giving facilitates planned action. As we approach the end of the tax year, I would like to remind French and UK tax payers, that if you donate through direct debits or cheques by the 31st December each year, Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 10 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine you qualify for a tax rebate on your donations in the following year. For more information please speak to your local treasurer or warden. Finally, a considerable amount of work goes into Chaplaincy accounting, both centrally and at local level. As we grow this work load increases. If you have a skill in bookkeeping or accounting, please think about giving some of your time to assist in this task. We are always looking for experienced help, not only in keeping the books up-to-date, but also in the design and management of our accounting systems. In conclusion, may I wish you a happy and holy Christmas and health in the New Year. John Ralph Chaplaincy Treasurer Neil Wright from Condom is visitng family in Australia at the moment and sent the following report: After a less-than indifferent flight to Singapore, a days stop-over and a better flight, we arrived in Sydney, to be met by our second daughter who is married to an Australian sheep and cattle farmer. We spent the week-end in an hotel in Sydney, overlooking the harbour. One cannot help but be impressed by one’s surroundings, especially as the sun continues to shine! My son-in-law and I went to a C of E communion service, in a church that resembled Nerac church from the inside so closely that I thought that my “jet lag” was playing tricks. A little girl was Christened during the service making me think that I had “time-lag” on top of everything else. The vicar took her on a tour of the communicants and she smiled beatifically to us all. A real bonus making us feel that we really were part of God’s family. Our twin Grandsons are at school on the outskirts of Sydney and we spent a pleasant afternoon watching one of them playing cricket. They are 11 non-identical twins in more ways than one. The school gives students the opportunity to be confirmed but only one twin took the choice and if I had been told to decide which of them this would be, I would have got it wrong! We have very good relationships with them and I was able to ask the non-confirmed one why he chose that path. Interestingly he said that it wasn’t his final choice but that he’d felt that several of his friends were confirmed because it was “the thing to do”, and he wanted to take his time. Australia is a very old country and sat still on its tectonic plate whilst all the others zoom’ed about, splitting up and making the rest of the world (as Iceland does to-day for example). Because of the beauty of the birds and the rolling hills in this part of New South Wales, I had the fanciful thought that this just might have been the original “Garden of Eden”. This was added to when we saw a black snake, just over a yard long, slithering across one of their lawns. However as it was proceeding in the direction of some 10 day old Labrador puppies which our daughter had raised, and didn’t appear to be touting apples, it was quickly dispatched. So ended my theory ! As a footnote to these thoughts I read that there are 200 plus different tribes of Aborigines spread over Australia, each one having a different dialect, not understood by the others. Babel perhaps ? On Sunday we shall attend the service at the C of E church in the nearest little town, Wallabadah. (trans. Wallaby on the rock). Yours, Neil Wallabadah church Dec 2014/Jan 2015 AC round the haplaincy Ste. Nathalène Though we are many, we are one body CW (24) East of Sarlat, Parish Church, on D27 ML PC Sheila Campbell Alexandra Billing Alexandra Billing Victoria Jones 05 53 59 68 78 05 53 62 86 11 05 53 62 86 11 05 55 91 14 19 December & January Services Sunday 7th December 11.00 Holy Communion Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk NB: Will be held chez Wilton, Lou Cayrou, Arlie 24370 Carlux Friday 19th December 17.00 Bilingual carol service, followed by mulled wine and stollen. There will be no service on 21st December nor 4th January. 18th January 11.00 Prayer and Praise in the Salle opposite the church. All our services are followed by coffee and a bring and share lunch. A fter a delayed start, autumn arrived with it’s full array of colour, glorifying it’s creator. Gen 1: 1, 11 - 14. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning - the third day. It is indeed good! God provided food before he created the living creatures that needed it. Likewise, God provided for our salvation before we knew we needed it. Rms 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We look forward, with awe and wonder, to remembering God’s greatest gift to us and receive Jesus into our hearts by faith. The Anglican Church in Condom and Nerac Sing carols and get into the spirit of Christmas We would like to thank the person who wrote the remembrance of Kevin in the November magazine. It was very enlightening and touching, a loving tribute to our beloved Kevin. Join us 7th December Place Saint-Marc, Nerac at 11am We have been enjoying Worship On Wednesdays every fortnight. We meet to praise God with words of adoration, thanksgiving and with songs. We pray for the needs of others and receive encouragement from the Lord. There will be no WOW in January. enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie after the service with us In November, we were greatly blessed by visits from Revd. Bob Payne who led a prayer day on 7th and a service on the 9th. Those that attended were uplifted by the teaching and fellowship. Eglise Notre-Dame Join us at the stable to celebrate Christmas At the time of going to print, the Bananagram afternoon on the 24th November has not taken place but it is sure to be an afternoon of fun, tea and cake. Proceeds are going to the Chaplaincy trip to Soul Survivor 2015. December 18th, 11am Chapel Notre-Dame de Piétat 54, Avenue Aquitaine. Condom www.chaplaincyinaquitaine.org Advertising rates per edition Full page Half page Quarter page 7cm x 5cm 60€ 40€ 20€ 15€ Long-term booking discounts available Camera-ready artwork should be sent to the Editor together with the appropriate amount made payable to ‘The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine’. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine The Anglican Church in Condom and Nerac part of the Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Congratulations to Steve Burman who completed the Macmillan Cancer Support trek in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. It was a gruelling schedule but he raised nearly £2,000 (excludes trek costs) in sponsorship. The total raised by the 31 participants of all ages and backgrounds was £152,000. Well done! Steve will be doing a talk and showing photos of the trip after Easter next year. www.churchinaquitaine.org Do you know who your Ancestors were? For just 50€, all of which goes to Chaplaincy Funds, Gill will research your ancestors and then provide you with a report and a family tree. Or why not make it a special gift for a relative? For more information speak to Gill Sweetman on 05 53 73 13 59 [email protected] 12 Do you have a story to tell? Why did you move to Aquitaine? How did you become a Christian? Do you have a favourite church? Have you a famous person in your family? Are you famous? Please put some thought to which hymn/song you would like to contribute to our next Prayer and Praise service on the 18th January. The service we had on 16th November was very well received. There were 7 songs accompanied by touching testimonies. The songs were interspersed with related Bible readings and prayers. There was a poem of remembrance. Thank you to all who took part and made it so special. We are especially blessed by our music group. We pray that you and your families will be greatly blessed as you welcome the Christ Jesus. Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice. Son of Abraham, heir to Israel. Son of David, heir to the Kingdom. Son of man, heir to the earth. Son of God, heir to all that is the Father’s. We all come from such varied backgrounds, let’s share some of our experiences. Please send your stories to the Editor Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 13 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Monteton WE CW ML PC (47) east of Duras, (notre Dame Parish Church) Paddy Atkinson 05 53 94 76 37 Norma Eckett 05 53 93 53 86 Vanda Walton 05 53 89 63 03 Helen Raphael 05 53 47 78 93 O A complete contrast, but similarly uplifting, was the solemn Choral Eucharist for All Saints and All Souls on Sunday 2 November, with Revd Liz Morris as our celebrant, Roger Verrall as thurifer in charge of the ‘bells and smells’, and Leslie Eckett as crucifer. In her sermon, Liz reminded us of what a ‘Saint’ really is, not some grandiose being far removed from the world but someone who we would think of as a truly good person, who carries out his or her faith as a part of ordinary daily life. Many of us will have come across such a person and have been inspired by him or her, and it has been the case throughout history. The choir, led by Terry Cordery in the absence of Marjorie, led us in the singing of the service, with Richard Errington at the organ, giving us a beautiful rendering of Schubert’s anthem, Zum Sanctus. Many of the congregation commented on how much they had appreciated this foray into High Anglican aspects of Church of England worship, remembering the words of Christ himself, “In my Father’s house are many mansions”, (John 14:2). Our thanks to Liz, Roger, Terry, Richard and Leslie for offering us this very moving experience. Please note that our traditional Service of Lessons and Carols will take place on Sunday 14 December at 18.00, followed by mulled wine and mince pies, and that the Prayer and Praise Christmas Service will take place on the following Sunday, 21 December at 10.30, followed by a Bring and Share lunch. In addition, there will be a Christmas Day Service of Holy Communion at Monteton at 10.30 on Thursday 25 December. The Saturday Coffee Mornings, held at the home of Leslie and Norma Eckett in Auriac, continued with another most successful one on November 8. A further morning is planned for Saturday 6 December, from 10.00 – 12.00, this time with Christmas goodies! Entry will be 5 euros, for coffee, tea and cakes with proceeds to go to Church fund-raising charities. Monteton Church Needs You! There will be two vacancies on our local church committee next year. Please give this some thought and have some input with the smooth running of our Anglican base in the beautiful Church of Notre Dame at Monteton, This includes help with services and with social and fund-raising activities as part of a very friendly team. New faces are always welcome. If you would like more information, please contact Norma on 05 53 93 53 86, or [email protected] , or talk with any current committee member. 14 05 62 08 17 78 05 62 29 12 28 05 62 06 59 75 O TBA TBA TBA ur service of Holy Communion for Bible Sunday, on 26 October, was led by our Chaplain Paul. It was very much the occasion to use, for our Readings, the beautiful Callan family Bible, donated to us at Monteton by Edith Finlay (nee Callan) in June 2010. This bible is an edition of the 18th century “John Brown Self-Interpreting Bible, illustrating the Old and New Testament”, and we feel very privileged to be the present custodians of this copy of the famous work which the Revd. John Brown began soon after his appointment to the living at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1751. Paul, in his sermon, drew our attention to Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading, the spiritual exercise in four parts: ‘Reading’, Reflecting, Expressing, Resting’, opening ourselves up to God by the slow reading of a chosen biblical text, allowing God to speak from his Word into our situation. As a further and ‘fun’ emphasis on his theme, all the children led us in the singing of the Action Song, ‘B-I-B-L-E’! Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Michael Torne Neil Wright Liz Evans Christmas in Condom and Nerac January Services 10.30 Morning Prayer 10.30 Prayer and Praise 10.30 Holy Communion CW ML PC 11:00 Christmas service with Carols Nérac 11:00 Holy Communion Condom 11:00 Holy Communion Condom Thursday 29 January Sunday 14 December 18.00 Service of Lessons and Carols Revd Liz Morris Sunday 21 December 10.30 Prayer and Praise Christmas Service David Tervet Thursday 25 December 10.30 Holy Communion for Christmas Day Revd Liz Morris (32) Chapel Notre Dame de Piétat, 54 Av. Aquitaine, Condom (47), Place Saint-Marc, 47600 Nerac Services Sunday 7 December Thursday 18 December December Services Sunday 11 January Sunday 18 January Sunday 25 January Condom/Nerac Dec 2014/Jan 2015 ur service in Nerac on the 7th December at 11am will have an Advent to Christmas flavour with lots of well known carols to sing and of course a mince pie and a drop of mulled wine afterwards. The service is not a traditional lessons and carols service although it will have readings, meditations and poems. Don’t worry, it will still only be 60 minutes long! Our theme is - God for us, God with us, God in us - and we will see His forgiveness, mercy and love for us reflected in the service. It will be a first showing of our knitted crèche, the ladies have been busy again showing off their skill. In October we saw their skill in making our wonderful creation banner and now we will see it with a ‘woolly’ Mary and Joseph. If you don’t make that service then come along and join our Christmas Eucharist in Condom on the 18th December at 11am. Maybe you are going away for Christmas. Then these services give you an opportunity to celebrate with your friends here before you go. It will be the same warm welcome for whichever of the services you come to. Happy Christmas! Condom Study Group “Listen my people, to my teaching, and pay attention to what I say….Things that our ancestors told us. We will not keep them from our children; we will teach the next generation…..” This extract from Psalm 78 reflects on the duty of generations to pass down the laws of God to the following generations. Meeting once a week, for the 6 weeks up to 20 November, we met at different member’s homes in and around Condom, to study the so called ‘minor prophets’ found towards the end of the Old Testament. (We studied Amos, Hosea, Joel, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.) Our friend Albert Yorke agreed to prepare and lead these study sessions. Opening each meeting with a piece of music, a reading and a prayer, Albert then led us off with an in-depth historical review of the times and events surrounding each prophet and the context of their teachings. His probing questions asked us to consider what they have to say to us today both as a group and as individuals. Albert’s own love of the history of the Old Testament was clear. As the prophets spoke to the returning Israelites, coming home to reconstruct their land and to rebuild the Temple, warning them, cajoling them,, encouraging them, we were reminded that he also speaks to us in like manner. We learned that the words of these prophets, spoken two thousand five hundred years ago, apply to us even now; and we were reminded that, as Psalm 78 speaks to us, and, as Joel, Haggai and others speak to us still, we must be sure that we continue to “tell the next generation.” Jeffery Chesters My wife Helen and I have lived in the Gers for 10 years. We came here to have a change of life and to run our own little guesthouse near Condom. We have in the past been part of a French speaking Methodist church not far from our home but have been searching for an English speaking Christian community for some while.We had attended the monthly Thursday morning services in Condom several times in recent years and then a few weeks ago Helen made contact with Michael and was told of the bible study group which meets once a week in various locations in the area.Two weeks ago we made the one hour journey from our home to Michael and Susan’s house in order to meet everyone and to join in with the study time. The welcome we received was amazing and we soon felt at home among our Christian friends. Our get-together started with coffee and then we began a time of meditation, music and prayer. Albert led the Bible study with gentleness and great insight and everyone was invited to make a contribution. A light lunch followed, which meant we could get to know the other members of the group a little better.For us it was a joy to discover the group, it is enriched by the fact that we are all from different Christian backgrounds. We look forward to continuing to attend and to learning more about the Bible and to grow in our own individual walk with God. Gareth Davies Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 15 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Lot et Garonne: Allez West of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Dondas just off the D215, north east of Agen. on D50 between Castillonès and Villeréal. Doudrac St Médard (on D245 north-east of Agen) Envals CW ML PC Richard Morris 05 53 58 71 90 Eve Warner-Howard 05 53 41 36 49 Helen Raphael 05 53 47 78 93 Wednesday 10 December Friday 12 December Tuesday 16 December Thursday 18 December Sunday 21 December Wednesday 24 December 11.00 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 10:30 18:30 Holy Communion Doudrac Carol Service Dondas Carol Service St Médard Carol Service Allez Carol Service Doudrac Holy Communion Dondas Christmas Eve Holy Communion Doudrac A reminder that on Wednesday, 10th December at 6.30pm Chant’Allez will again lead the singing at our annual bi-lingual Carol Service, ending as usual with a procession from the church to the Salle des Fêtes for mulled wine and mince pies. This will be followed on Sunday, 21st December by Holy Communion at 10.30 am celebrated by Revd Liz Morris. St Medard to the north of Montflanquin. The Service of Readings and Carols for Christmas, in the Church of St Medard, at St Medard, will be on Friday, December 12th at 18.30. Mince Pies, mulled wine and friendship. December Services Sunday 7th December Dondas Rev Gill Strachan Margaret Opie-Smith Roger Verrall Roger Verrall Rev Liz Morris Rev Liz Morris Rev Liz Morris Allez The Prayer Ministry Training Day on 8th November, in the home of Sue and Dave Blomley was well attended. It gave us all much to consider both spiritually and practically. As one participant pointed out ‘It would be a way for us to be more active in our faith and hopefully comforting and inspiring to others instead of just being passive churchgoers …’ A New House Group John and Bronwen Hartwell are starting a House Group at their home near Doudrac from January 2015.There will be a meeting at their home on Wednesday 10th December at 11.00am, to discuss format and practicalities. The meeting will be followed by a light lunch.If you have never been to a House Group before and have wondered what it is like, please come along to our first meeting.We will need to know numbers for the meeting so that we can make sure the catering is in place – please phone on 05 53 01 30 35 and we will give you directions on where to find us. W e held a Holy Communion service on 18th November, celebrating (a few days in advance) Christ the King and taking the opportunity to collect donations for Restos du Coeur, since this year we did not hold a Harvest Festival in September. Our little church has had some major works done and it now has a very impressive new driveway and car parking. The area all round the church has been cleared and a pathway going all round the church and graveyard. The commune has also upgraded the main car park on the opposite side of the road, making the whole area much more accessible. The inside of the church is looking much more loved and though there still isn’t any heating, it is a great improvement. The Lot Valley Ecumenical group had it’s inaugural annual meeting to fix dates and events, the first of which will be a celebration of Advent at the Protestant Temple in Villeneuve sur Lot at 20.30 on the 12th December, and will consist of readings, meditation and prayer. The meetings for the rest of 2015 are: • • • • • Week of prayer for Christian Unity: Tuesday, 20th January at the Catholic Church of Ste Livrade sur Lot, at 20.30 World Day of Prayer: Friday 6th March at Maison Calas, Castelmoron sur Lot at 20.00. Good Friday: Ecumenical celebration at the church at Bias, commencing at 12.15. Reflection & Religious Studay: Friday 29th May at the Catholic Presbytery Villeneuver sur Lot, at 20.30 End of Year Picnic: Friday 12th June at Maison Calas, Castelmoron sur Lot, commencing 19.30 Doudrac Our Holy Communion service on 2nd November was led by the Rev’d Paul Vrolijk. It was very much a time of All Age Worship as the Chaplain’s children led us with singing, accompanied with actions. Following the service we had coffee in the Salle des Fête. Our next service will be on Sunday, 7th December at 11.00 led by Rev’d Gill Strachan. Liz Rolfe will be collecting gift-wrapped new or used toys for Restos du Coeur. Following the Carol Service there will be mince pies and mulled wine to enjoy in the Salle des Fête – a most festive way to end the evening together. On Thursday 18th December we shall have our Service of Lessons and Carols led by Rev’d Liz Morris. It will also be another opportunity for those who wish to donate a gift for a child to be sent to Restos du Coeur. This will be followed on Wednesday, 24th December by Christmas Eve Holy Communion at 6.30 pm, led by Rev’d Liz Morris. Envals On 12th November, in the home of David and Liz Rolfe, Holy Communion was celebrated by Rev’d Liz Morris. After a joyful service, twenty four of us sat down to a delicious curry lunch and good conversation. Our thanks, once again, to David and Liz for all they do for us. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 16 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Every Blessing John and Bronwen Dronne Valley Church, Bertric Burée (24): Parish Church, (D708 between Ribérac and Verteillac) December Services Sunday 7 December Wednesday 10 December Friday 12 December Sunday 14 December Sunday 21 December Thursday 25 December Sunday 28 December January Services Sunday 4 January Sunday 4 January Sunday 11 January Wednesday 14 January Sunday 18 January Sunday 25 January CW ML PC Mike Duncan 05 53 91 30 64 Keith Gunn Sheila Marshall 05 53 90 85 92 05 53 90 95 69 10:30 18:00 11:00 18:00 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 Service of the Word Janis Adams Advent Carol Service Sheila Marshall (please note time) Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Revd Brian Davies Ribérac Carol Service Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk and Revd Brian Davies Holy Communion Revd Brian Davies Children’s Sunday School Family Crib Service Madeleine Holmes and Cathy Wheatcroft Holy Communion Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk Prayer and Praise Steve Long 10.30 16.00 10.30 11.00 10.30 10.30 Service of the Word Evensong Holy Communion Children’s Sunday School Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Family Service Holy Communion Children’s Sunday School Please join us for tea and coffee after each of the Sunday services There will be no Bring and Share lunch in December, as it’s a busy month for the people who host them The people in our church come from a wide range of church backgrounds and our worship reflects this diversity We warmly welcome you, wherever you are on your journey of faith Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 17 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Bordeaux Brian and Shirley Cook would like to welcome you to a “bring and share” Christmas Tea-with-Carols, at their home at Bellon, near Chalais, December the 16th from 3.00pm to 5.30pm. It’s always a very enjoyable afternoon, so for more about what to bring and how to navigate to their house, don’t hesitate to email or phone Brian and Shirley on 05 45 98 43 00 CW ML PC (33) Chapelle de l’Assomption, 370 bd Président Wilson, (opposite the British Consulate). Yasmin Berrou Ian Couper Stephen Razafindratsima Lindsay Megraud Rhian Foreau 09 82 32 64 62 05 33 05 52 35 05 56 84 21 93 05 56 96 44 17 05 56 36 99 63 December Services On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st December we will be holding a Christmas Tree Festival in our church at Bertric Burée each day from 10am to 4pm. I do believe this will be a ‘first’ in this part of France for something which has become quite popular in the UK over the last 10 years. Sunday December 7th 10.30 Family Communion Revd Bramwell Bearcroft Sunday December 14th 17.00Christmas Carol Service Please note: no morning service Sunday December 21st 10.30 Family Communion Revd Paul Vrolijk Thursday December 25th 10.30 Christmas Day Holy Communion Revd Robin Nash Sunday December 28th 10.30 Morning Prayer Madeleine Holmes January Services Sunday January 4th 10.30 Bring Your Own Bible Service*, Christine Rychlewski Sunday January 11th 10.30Family Communion, Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk Sunday January 18th 10.30 Family Communion, Revd Brian Davies Sunday January 25th 10.30 Morning Worship – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity**, Christine Rychlewski We have invited both French and English organizations and groups to participate and their tree can be a natural one or made from whatever they wish. It may reflect the interests of the group and display publicity materials whilst others may be more traditionally decorated. Our aim is for it to appeal to the whole community and to be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Over the weekend refreshments, a quiz, a Christmas hamper raffle, a chance to vote for your favourite tree and a children’s activity will be offered in the Upper Room. There will be a Crib Service at 10.30 on Sunday morning - when we are inviting the children to come along dressed as angels, shepherds or wise men. Entry will be free, with any donations going to the Bishop in Europe’s Advent Appeal for an Italian charity, called The Sant’Egidio Programme*. So if you are in France over that weekend bring your friends and come and enjoy it. Sue Gamon Prayer Meetings Please join us at the church Prayer Meetings 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month for just one hour in Bertric Burée church. This month – 3rd and 17th December at 5pm Sunday School and Youth Group There will be something for all of our young people each Sunday. Sunday December 7th 10.30 Sunday School and Youth Group – Rehearsal of the Nativity Play followed by the Christmas outing (see below) Sunday December 14th 17.00 Participation in the Christmas Carol Service Sunday December 21st 10.30 Sunday School and Youth Group Sunday School and Youth Group For more information, feel free to contact Rhian Foreau (05 56 96 63 69), Anne Sharp (05 57 88 46 24), Kit Seguin (05 57 64 82 41) or Jennifer Bearcroft (05 56 40 05 12). Randonée There will be a ‘frostbite*’ sortie into the Lusignac area on Thursday 22nd January followed by a warming lunch nearby. Details in the weekly church bulletin nearer the time or direct from me, Jaki, by email We look forward to a great walk and don’t forget non-walkers are always welcome to join us for lunch (but tell me in advance in case booking is needed). Jaki Moorhouse LOVE~~the most powerful force in the world. A wise person once said ...There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living. In addition to checking out the Chaplaincy website www.churchinaquitaine.org/bordeaux please visit and “like” our facebook pages: EnglishAnglicanChurchBordeaux Wine and Words – Bordeaux Join our Anglican Church Choir – Bordeaux facebook group twitter: @anglicanbdx Advent Carol Service & Baptisms on Sunday, November 30th at 5 p.m. There will be no Sunday morning service on the 30th, as we will be celebrating the start of the Advent Season with lighting of candles, carols and 5 baptisms in the evening. Your favourite traditional Advent hymns will be sung and the choir is preparing something special. We hope to see you there! Christmas Carol Service: Sunday, December 14th at 5 p.m. One of the highlights of our Church year is the beautiful Carols and Readings Service mid-December. Richard Hunt and a grand choir have been preparing for weeks!. The children, as usual, have been busy preparing something special! Don’t forget to arrive early as “the house” fills up quickly! Mulled wine and nibbles afterwards to share in the warmth of Christian fellowship. Why not bring a friend? Christmas Day Prayer and Praise Service: Thursday, December 25th at 10.30 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 18 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 19 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 a.m. Come celebrate the birth of the Christ child and sing “Joy to the World”! Please pass the word to your Englishspeaking friends. Prayer triplets. One thing all of us can do as Christians is to encourage each other in prayer. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as in fact you are already doing.” Thessalonians 5:11 January services: Many people in our Chaplaincy pray separately, but distributed by email. Our Bordeaux correspondent, informed, as well as receiving our prayer concerns together, sharing concerns via the Prayer Chain, Rhian Foreau, does an excellent job of keeping us all and sharing them with the wider Chaplaincy. At a recent Wine & Words, we discussed our feeling thought that joining in a “Prayer triplet” could is to group together in threes and communicate or even getting together, focusing on the local and feel more comfortable sharing in a triplet than in that praying “alone” was sometimes difficult and make our prayer lives livelier and richer. The idea throughout the week about prayer, by phone, email, Chaplaincy prayer chain, as well as concerns we “public”. * Jan. 4th BYOB – On pilgrimage with the 3 kings? We shall celebrate Epiphany a little early, following in the steps of some people who travelled a long way to see Jesus and thinking about our own journeys. ** Jan. 25th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Using material prepared by Christians in Brazil, we shall embrace our varied languages and customs in this ecumenical and bilingual service, focusing on Jesus’ request in John 4:7, “Give me a drink”. Activities & Opportunities Sunday School, Youth Group & Christmas Outing – so many things coming up! November has been a busy month for the Sunday School with record attendances .....we are all very excited that four children in the Sunday School (and one Mum!) are going to be baptized during the Advent service so we hope that as many as possible will be there to support them on 30th November at 17.00. The children will be making Christingles the week before (23rd Nov) so that they can add them to the light of Christ during the Advent celebration. On December 7th, in Sunday School, there will be a rehearsal for the Nativity play to take place during the Carol service on 14th December. All children are welcome to take part (even if they cannot make the rehearsal) ... just come dressed ready to be a shepherd, king or angel and all will become apparent! After the service on 7th December all children, young people, students, young at heart, etc. are welcome to come and join our youth Christmas outing to the ice rink outside the Cathedral in Bordeaux. We will have some lunch together and then head for the ice rink to join with the BBC (British Bordeaux Club) association families. We suggest that young children are accompanied by parents or adults and those not wishing to skate can watch from the side with a hot chocolate. Please let Jennifer Bearcroft or Ian Couper know if you plan to come so that we can coordinate transport, etc. We look forward to continued activity in the new year in the Sunday School/Youth section with Epiphany to celebrate in early January and the prospect of a Youth Alpha Course for Youth Group to follow. The Bordeaux Church Christmas Bazaar will be taking place on Saturday, December 6th from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Assomption. Come one, come all to the Bordeaux Church’s biggest funfilled fundraiser. You will find jams & chutneys, cakes and scones, handicrafts, English books, videos & CDs in good condition and interesting white elephant items. Shhhhhhhhh … a Silent Auction will be going on too! Tea and conversation in English will thrill your French neighbours and friends so bring them along. Anyone willing to lend a hand should contact Pamela Prior. Christmas Carols will be sung by the Bordeaux Church Choir at the Eglise Notre Dame de Bordeaux: Sunday, December 21st at 5 p.m. We are thrilled to have received an invitation to sing some anthems and traditional English carols in the centre of Bordeaux. Join us and sing out in the congregation! Bordeaux’s inhabitants and tourists will be able to experience the beauty of an English Carol Service in the busyness of Christmas week. Wine and Words Group meets for discussions on life, faith, and the world around us after work in a bar/cafe/pub in. Join us on Friday, December 12th at 7 p.m. and then in the New Year on Friday, January 9th. All are warmly welcome. For venue info, please contact Jenny ([email protected]). Picnic Play Reading Group. The Picnic Play-Reading Group meets once a month after the service for a picnic and to read a play. Due to a busy month of December, our next gathering will be on Sunday, January 18th following the service. All those interested should contact Pamela Prior ([email protected], Tel: 05 56 59 67 34 or 06 75 80 03 86). Home Study Groups. If you would like to learn more about the Bible, develop your Christian faith, and get to know people from the church in an informal setting, why not join a study group with people who live in a similar area and wish to meet at the same time - either during the day or in the evening? One suggestion is to start by reading and discussing a book by Bishop Steven Croft: “Jesus’ People - what the church should do next. It is a short but inspiring book with discussion questions at the end of each chapter. More books can be ordered from Church House Bookshop or via Amazon, if needed. If you are interested, please contact Christine Rychlewski: [email protected]. We will then send out a Doodle Poll to find out what times suit as many people as possible. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 20 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 We hope to set up a private Internet forum, so that the Triplets can communicate with each other, especially about answers to prayer. If you would like to join a triplet, please contact Christine Rychlewski: [email protected], indicating if you already have partners. The Foyer Fraternel Gouffrand, a Bordeaux Church charity outreach, is in greater need than ever of anything that can bring some relief to those in difficulty: clothes in good condition, non-perishable food or financial donations. Chocolates and sweets for the Christmas parcels as well as small toys for children would be very welcome. Please bring your gifts to church on any Sunday morning. For more information, please contact Jennifer Bearcroft (05 56 40 05 12) or Freda Perris (05 56 36 07 27). Chap-Aid, our Charity association, working in aid of others. A Chap-Aid Fund Collection Bottle for small (or big!) change is filling up quickly and we’d like it to be full for the Christmas Bazaar. Remember to add a few coins – a little goes a long way. Nellie Salvi will be happy to provide people with further information on this important part of our city ministry (Tel. 06 11 37 46 78). Thank you for your continued support. From the Chaplaincy Soul Survivor Team: Soul Survivor 2015 Calling all youth aged 13-18! Join us at the Soul Survivor Festival (near Bath, England) on 21-25th August 2015 for 5 days of camping, music, sports, worship, inspiring talks and a chance to explore faith. Interested? Got questions? Check out our Facebook group (Chapaq Youth SS15), or email us at [email protected]. For more details on the festival itself, go to www.soulsurvivor.co.uk. Ecumenical Corner - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity The main gathering in 2015 will be held at St André Cathedral on Friday January 23rd at 18.30. The theme is; “Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”. To start the evening, all the care and service associations affiliated with the various churches are invited to present their activities and needs for volunteers. This will be followed by a time of worship, ending with - a drink, of course! Dear God..... “Dear God, it must be super hard to love all the people in the world, especially my brother. I don’t know how You do it.” “Dear God, I love Christmas and Easter. Could you please put another Holiday in the middle, there’s nothing good in there now.” “Dear God, are you actually invisible or is that just a trick?” “Dear God, my Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go?” “Dear God, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool.” Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 21 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chancelade and Négrondes (24) Chapelle de Saint Jean, opp. The Abbey NE of Périgueux Négrondes Church CW ML PC Elizabeth Brook Chris Billing Liz Oaten Lin Tarrant 05 53 52 50 91 05 53 62 86 11 05 53 05 42 76 05 53 91 26 38 CW ML PC (24) near le Bugue, Eglise de Sainte Catherine in Limeuil Haut David Albrecht Christine Scott Barry Borsberry Jeff Bottger 05 53 36 55 97 05 53 29 39 40 05 53 74 95 67 05 53 31 84 08 December Services December Services Sunday 14th 10.30 Family Service 16.00 Carol Service Friday 19th 18.00 Carol Service Sunday 21st 10.30 Holy Communion Négrondes Chancelade Négrondes Négrondes January Services Sunday 11th 10.30 Family Service Sunday 18th 10.30 Holy Communion Sunday 25th 10.30 Holy Communion Patrick Sturges Revd. Dr. Paul Vrolijk Sheila Marshall & Patrick Sturges Rev’d Robin Nash Négrondes Chancelade Négrondes Carol Services Refreshments will be served after both the Carol Services. After the Négrondes Carol Service there will be dinner in a local restaurant for those who book with Elizabeth Brook [email protected] or 05 53 52 50 91 Concert de Noël DENISA au Lux le 6 Décembre à 15h00 This is a Christian Christmas Family Concert run by the Ecumenical Committee in Périgueux. It will be in French, but the English are welcome. On Thursday 22nd January at 6.30pm there will be an ecumenical shared service with the Christian religions of Périgueux in the Protestant Temple in rue Antoine Gadaud in Périgueux. This is to celebrate the week of Christian Unity. Refreshments will be served after the Service, then there will be a “Conference” (lecture) in French. Library. A library of Christian books and Christian study books is being set up in Négrondes church for the congregation of our Centre to borrow. Past Events The Quiz and Curry evening was on Wednesday, 22nd October, in the village hall in Saint Vincent sur l’Isle. This was in aid of Cancer Support France and Christian Aid for refugees in Iraq. We raised 340€. It was good fun although the questions asked by Anne Ingham were quite tricky! On the 30th October Paul came to talk to us about the “Rule of Life” at the Brook’s home. We had an interesting and enjoyable day broken up by a bring and share lunch. It’s always a good surprise that there is a good selection of food even when no one knows what everyone else is giving! But the most important food was the “food for thought” that Paul left us. Paul Vrolijk led our Remembrance Sunday Service, which was well attended. We were able to celebrate the Eucharist instead of our normal Family Service and Alexandra Billing led the Sunday School. This was also followed by a varied bring and share lunch chez the Brooks. Although it was not a specific Chaplaincy event, the French Sorges Remembrance ceremony is worthy of a place here. The Maire of Sorges invited the local English people to join the French for their ceremony around the village war memorial and our Worship Leader and Reader in Training, Patrick Sturges, had a large part in it. All the speeches in French were read out in English by Patrick and the English were thanked for their part in the liberation of France. Many of the English present were in our congregation. The village children let off 63 red, white and blue balloons, the number of young men from Sorges who lost their lives in the Great War. 22 Sunday 7th December Sunday 14th December Thursday 18th December Sunday 21st December Wednesday 24th December Thursday 25th December Sunday 28th December 10.30 17.00 10.30 10.30 10.30 22.30 10.30 10.30 January Services Future Events Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Limeuil Sunday 4th January Sunday 11th January Thursday 15th January Sunday 18th January Sunday 25th January 10.30 10.30 10.30 10.30 10.30 Prayer and Praise Roger Cheale Carol Service The Revd. Gill Strachan Holy Communion The Revd. Dr. Paul Vrolijk Holy communion The Revd Gill Strachan Christmas Praise Chris Scott & Anne Penfold Midnight Mass The Revd. Gill Strachan Holy Communion The Revd Gill Strachan Holy Communion The Revd Gill Strachan Prayer and Praise Holy Communion Holy Communion Morning Worship Holy Communion 00000000000000 O ur annual Remembrance Day service, held on an unusually bright and warm November morning, was led by The Rev. Liz Morris and attracted a congregation befitting the occasion. Music was provided by Nasrine Talog-Davies on piano and Clare Monceret on flute. Following the silence and The Last Post played by Clare, the choir under Nasrine’s direction gave a beautiful and poignant rendition of Malcolm Archer’s ‘For the Fallen’. Everyone felt it was a beautiful service for a memorable occasion. The “Puzzles and Pasta” evening on the 19th of November was again a great fun evening with nine teams comprising of between four and six players per team taking part. Thanks go to our Treasurer Gill for compiling and printing up the brain teasers, to husband Bob for compering the evening (and almost managing to maintain order throughout) to Anne Penfold for cooking up a delicious Lasagne meal, and to everyone else involved in the event which raised €700 for Mercy Ships On November 20th, a large congregation said a sad farewell to Anne Warne. It was a beautiful funeral service led by Paul and with a wonderful address by Gill and the choir singing Rutter’s ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’. We shall all miss Anne very much. Forthcoming events Following on from last year’s successful launch, Amy Owensmith has again arranged for a group of carol singers to visit local Maisons de Retraite to entertain the residents to a programme of carols – both English and French. Last year’s musicians Belinda and Harry will be joining us again this year and any new musicians will be most welcome. A rehearsal for everyone wishing to participate is scheduled for Wednesday the 10th of December at 2.00pm at Sainte Catherine’s in the hope that children will be able to attend. Previous choral experience is not a pre-requisite as the carols will be sung in unison so all can join in. Adults and children, English or French. So why not come along with friends and neighbours and help to bring the spirit of Christmas to some of the elderly residents in the local area. The programme of events at the various Maisons de Retraites is as follows; Belves Friday 12th December 15.00hrs Lalinde Monday 15th December 14.30hrs St. Cyprien/Castels Wednesday 17th December 15.00hrs Le Bugue Thursday 18th December 15.00hrs Please contact Amy at [email protected] for further information. Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 23 Dec 2014/Jan 2015 Useful Numbers Chaplain of Aquitaine: Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk 05 53 23 40 73 8 Chemin de Garonna, 24240 Sigoules. [email protected] Priests-in-Charge: Revd. Gillian Strachan responsible for the Limeuil and Ste Nathalene sectors 05 53 58 12 58 La Gravette, 24150 Bayac [email protected] responsible for the Monteton and Lot et Garonne sectors Revd. Elizabeth Morris 05 53 58 71 90 Maison Neuve, Plaisance, 24560 Issigeac [email protected] Revd. Bramwell Bearcroft responsible for Bordeaux 05 56 40 05 12 1 Lotissement de la Caussade, 33270 Floirac [email protected] Revd. Brian Davies responsible for Bertric Buree 05 53 91 19 90 La Petite Maison, Le Bourg Fontaines, 24320 Champagne et Fontaines [email protected] Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk responsible for Negrondes/Chancelade 05 53 23 40 73 8 Chemin de Garonna, 24240 Sigoules. [email protected] Clergy with permission to officiate: Revd. David Jones 05 53 94 71 81 Le Bourg, 47120 Loubès-Bernac [email protected] Revd. Ann & Revd. Michael Wooderson 05 53 06 39 76 15 rue des Ecoles, 24750 Trélissac [email protected] Revd. Canon Tim Thompson UK: 01526 320 171 FR: 05 53 91 47 21 [email protected] Revd. Stephen [email protected] Revd. John Morgan 05 53 54 18 90 [email protected] Chaplaincy Wardens: Jennifer Lord 05 53 31 18 04 Paul Mazzotti 05 53 88 77 74 [email protected] [email protected] Chaplaincy Administration: Amy Owensmith 06 07 04 07 77 [email protected] Prayer Chain Co-ordinator Madeleine Holmes 05 53 04 85 44 [email protected] Chaplaincy Magazine Editor: Gill Sweetman 05 53 73 13 59 [email protected] Neighbouring Chaplaincies: Poitou-Charentes: Revd. Hazel Door [email protected] Midi-Pyrenées & Aude: Revd Canon Andrew Hawken 05 63 81 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine: Chaplaincy website: Chap-Aid Website: 87 44 [email protected] [email protected] www.churchinaquitaine.org www.chap-aid.com Contributions to this magazine are always very welcome and should be received no later than the 20th of the month. Please send to: Gill Sweetman, Champ de Riviere, 24480, Bouillac. e-mail: [email protected] If you wish to subscribe to Spreading the Word, you may do it in two ways: Either: send your name and address, with a cheque for 28 Euros made payable to: ‘The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine’ to the above address, OR: send me your e-mail address and you can receive it without charge though donations to the Chaplaincy would be most welcome. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 24 Dec 2014/Jan 2015