January 2015

A Deputy Churchwarden Writes…
January 2015
Dear Friends
With the immediate celebration and joy
of the birth of our Saviour in humble
surroundings on Christmas Day behind
us, we now move on to a New
Year…perhaps to a new beginning…with
good resolutions faithfully made, but frequently broken by
most of us. Epiphany, or the manifestation of Christ to the
Gentiles, continues the wonder of the Christmas season.
We marvel how the three Kings were led from a great
distance by a star to worship the newborn King and bring
Him costly and meaningful offerings. As the familiar hymn
says:“Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
Incense doth their God disclose,
Gold the King of Kings proclaimeth,
Myrrh His sepulchre foreshows.”
One wonders if Joseph and Mary were aware of their
portent. The amazing story continues with the Magi being
warned in a dream to return home by a different route.
Perhaps we can learn from their inspiration, perseverance
and obedience.
Later in January, we celebrate the
conversion of St Paul – the dramatic event on the road to
Damascus.
Maybe we too have experienced our own
Damascus moment at some point in our lives, hopefully
changing us into a better direction. Let us commence this
January re-echoing the wonders of the season of Christmas
and Epiphany and with thankfulness to God for His gift of
each new day, good intentions and the strength to keep
them.
-1-
NEWSROUND
The Church ‘must not ignore’ youth ministry says Archbishop - The Archbishop of Canterbury
says the Church cannot afford to ignore ministry to
the young people within its ranks. He believes that
youth
workers
from
different
Christian
denominations across the country make an “untold
contribution to society” by serving “thousands upon
thousands of young people so faithfully”. Speaking at a
recent conference, Justin Welby said: “I believe that there is
no better decision anyone, of any age, can make than to
become a follower of Jesus Christ. Many choose to become
followers of Jesus in their formative years, meaning the
importance of youth ministry cannot be overstated.”
The Church of England encourages community
cohesion through schools - The Rev Nigel Genders, Chief
Education Officer for the CofE, has said that CofE schools
have “always been committed to providing a high quality
education for all young people, of all faiths and none.” He
went on: "Clearly this must include rigorous … religious
education to equip young people with the …understanding
of a range of faith systems. We were delighted that the
government recently acted to support us in doing this by
providing bursaries for those training to teach RE. All our
schools teach about same sex marriage being the law, but
we also feel it is important to reflect that there are different
views on marriage, including that of the Church, and we
would expect all schools to do the same."
£8 million for our Cathedrals - 25 CofE cathedrals will
receive more than £8 million from a government sponsored
grant scheme set up to support vital repairs to some of
England’s most important historic buildings. The successful
applicants are receiving £8.3 million of money made
available as part of the First World War Centenary Cathedral
Repairs Fund.
-2-
BEST NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION OF ALL
‘The object of a New Year is not that we
should have a new year. It is that we should
have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a
new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.
Unless a particular man made New Year
resolutions, he would make no resolutions.
Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do
nothing effective.’ (GK Chesterton)
In a recent survey, 30% of those interviewed said
they wanted to make a New Year resolution. The top
resolutions included improving fitness, losing weight and a
better diet. Others involved giving up smoking, cutting
down on drink, doing more voluntary work and spending
more time with family. However, when asked if they had
actually made – and stuck – to a resolution last year, only
18% said yes!
What resolutions can we make that will truly last
beyond the end of January? The future is both challenging
and exciting, but it can also be awesome and fearful. As we
face what lies ahead, let’s echo Paul’s words in our hearts
when he says ‘I want to know Christ – yes, to know the
power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings’.
Like Paul, our resolution should be to go deeper in knowing
Christ during this coming year.
Paul sees himself as an athlete running for Christ in
the stadium. An athlete also strains every muscle to win
the race. With the same determination Paul pursued his
ambition of knowing Christ better. Let’s also be singleminded in making Jesus our focus during the coming year in
everything we do. What practical steps are required if we
are to go deeper in our prayer life and Bible reading? How
can we more effectively see Christ at work in our workplace
and career, or family and children?
-3-
BEATING THE WINTER CHILLS
If you are older, winter can be a challenging
time of year. Age UK has offered the following
tips to help you get through the winter in good
shape:

Stay active. Try never to sit still for more than an
hour at a time. Keep moving around - even if it is
just walking to the kitchen and back a few times.

Eat well. Aim for at least one hot meal a day, and
regular hot drinks. Stock up cupboards with basic
food items well in advance, in case bad weather
arrives.

Keep your home warm, around 21C. Being cold can
increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke and
breathing difficulties.

Keep your hands, face and feet warm. Wear several
layers of clothing, as layers trap warm air. Wool and
fleecy garments are excellent.

Get a flu jab. Flu can develop into pneumonia, so
take preventative measures!

Order any repeat prescriptions early, especially if bad
weather is forecast. Does your pharmacy offer a
delivery service?

Keep in regular touch with friends and family, even if
just by phone or email.

Check your benefits. Most people born before 6
January 1952 will receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

Reduce your energy bills with insulation and draughtproofing. For info, call the Energy Saving Advice
Service on 0300 123 1234.

Keep on top of your energy bills – talk to your energy
supplier about repayment plans or even grants.
-4-
AN APPLE A DAY
Try eating one apple a day. Apparently, it really
does keep the doctor away, as apparently it can
be as effective as statins in preventing strokes
and heart attacks. Researchers at Oxford
University believe that more than 8,000 deaths a
year might be prevented if over 50s who are not already on
statins simply ate an apple each day.
Apples are high in soluble fibre which slows the buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in the arteries. Also, apples,
unlike statins, have no side-effects. So – they are worth
trying!

TAKE A DAILY WALK
Want to combat ageing and even help prevent an
early death? It is easy – take a daily walk of about half an
hour a day. According to recent research from the School of
Life and Health Services at Aston University, a daily walk of
half an hour can help prevent obesity and diabetes, lower
the risk of some cancers, relieve depression and anxiety,
increase mobility and reduce the chance of hip fracture by
40 percent among older people.
That daily half hour walk will also improve your ability
to think and to reason, slow the progression of dementia,
cut arthritic pain, raise your energy levels, and reduce
fatigue. The really good news is that “all these changes are
not seen in people who run marathons….people who lift
weights in the gym, or spend four hours running on the
treadmill. These are seen in people who simply walk, and
who walk for half an hour a day.” So says Dr James Brown
of Aston University.
-5-
HOW TO GET YOUR CHURCH NOTICED!
In today’s society, many churches struggle to make
their voices heard above the cacophony of voices vying for
our attention. Some still rely on methods they used 40
years ago to try to communicate their messages – the
hand-drawn poster stuck to the church noticeboard, the
photocopied parish magazine, or the verbal notice at the
start of worship.
Because there is so much more
information for everyone to absorb these days, even regular
churchgoers may miss the casual reference to an event or
an opportunity.
These methods may also be the wrong types of
communication for the kind of people we want to attract.
The vast majority of people in the UK could be classed as
‘browsers’ – not those who devour books, but those who
might flick through magazines or websites, stopping only to
read when an eye-catching headline or photo catches their
attention.
Broadly speaking, congregations and church leaders
will tend to be among the ‘readers’ within the population.
The type of communication they use tends to be text-based,
rather than visual. Yet for the vast majority of people, this
often isn’t attractive. Give a ‘browser’ a typical piece of
church literature, and it’s unlikely to grab their attention for
long.
So how can we make sure our churches get noticed
in this busy, secular, visual world? In his book ‘100 Ways
To Get Your Church Noticed’, Neil Pugmire, incorporates
ideas you might understand as ‘publicity’ in the normal
sense – websites, posters, parish magazines, media liaison,
social media – with other ideas that have more to do with
involvement with the local community or the look and feel
of our church building, which also have a valuable role to
play in our church’s communications strategy.
-6-
THE NAMING OF JESUS
It is Matthew and Luke who tell the story of
how the angel instructed that Mary’s baby was
to be named Jesus. The Church recalls the
naming of Jesus on 1st January – eight days
after 25th December, for in Jewish tradition,
the male babies were circumcised and named on the eighth
day of life.
The name Jesus is a transliteration of a name that
occurs in several languages. The Hebrew origin is ‘Yehosua’
or Joshua, in Hebrew-Aramaic it is ‘Yesua’, in Greek, it
became ‘Ιησοữς’ (Ιēsoûs), and in Latin it became ‘Iesus’.
The meaning of the name is ‘Yahweh delivers’ or ‘Yahweh
rescues’ or ’Yahweh is salvation’. No wonder the angel
Gabriel told Mary to name her baby Jesus: “because he will
save his people from their sins”.
For early Christians, the name of Jesus held a special
significance. In Jewish tradition, names expressed aspects
of personality. Jesus’ name permeated his ministry, and it
does so today: we are baptised in the name of Jesus and
God the Father has given Jesus a name above all others. All
Christian prayer is through “Jesus Christ our Lord” and it is
“at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow”’


GIVING UP SMOKING
A congregation was disappointed when one of its
number, who had quit smoking a few weeks before,
suddenly began again, and just before the beginning of
Lent, at that. Taking him to one side, the minister explained
that the point of Lent was to give something up, not start
something. ‘Oh yes, I know,’ said the man. ‘But you see, I
decided to give up my New Year’s resolution.’
-7-
WHY CHAPLAINS?
You may wonder why, in a Britain that is
becoming more secular, so many organisations
are appointing chaplains.
We are used to
chaplains in schools and universities, hospitals,
prisons or the armed forces but so many other
organisations are now appointing chaplains to give pastoral
and spiritual care to their members. For example, there are
chaplains at airports and in shopping malls, often with
places set apart for prayer or reflection. They must be
meeting a perceived need.
In England, chaplains originate from medieval times
when they were first engaged by monarchs and noble
families.
Often chaplains served as clerks – not all
noblemen were literate (hence ‘clerk in holy orders’).
Chaplains were also paid to say masses for the souls of
their patrons, in the hope of gaining favour in heaven.
Often chaplains would accompany their lord into battle, on
land or sea – the original armed forces chaplains.
So what is the appeal of chaplaincies today? Perhaps
it is a natural development in a secular society. In an age
when fewer people attend church it makes particular sense
for Christian ministers to join people where they are,
offering pastoral and spiritual care to specific groups of
people. Chaplains are in the front line of Christian ministry
and outreach in the 21st century, meeting people at
opportune moments, often in passing, just as Jesus did.
Many see modern Britain as a post-faith society, but
the growth of the ministry of chaplains suggests otherwise.
Many people are searching for meaning and something or
someone to believe in. People find themselves praying at
important times in their lives, however vague their
experience of God may be.
Chaplains have unique
opportunities to be alongside.
-8-
TWO FACES OF WAR
In
the
run-up
to
Christmas,
Sainsbury’s produced an exceptional
commercial. It was very long - nearly
four minutes, an eternity in television terms - and
beautifully filmed and produced. It got people talking several hundred people complained about it, but millions
watched it spell-bound. One TV critic described it as the
most moving piece of television of the year.
In case you missed it, it recreated an actual incident
from Christmas Day 1914, when British and German
soldiers gathered in no-man’s land for a game of football
and then joined in singing carols together - ‘Silent Night’ or
‘Heilige Nacht’ according to nationality. When it was over,
they shook hands, wished each other luck and went back to
their trenches. The only ‘commercial’ element in it was that
one of the British soldiers slipped a bar of chocolate into the
pocket of a young German.
Then, of course, the next morning they were once
again manning their guns or fixing their bayonets. It was a
moment of peace, of a glorious shared humanity on the day
when we remember that God in Jesus shared ours. But the
insanity of war could not be cured by one moment of
glorious sanity.
A few days later, on the same front, the German
army deployed deadly chlorine gas, the first time it had
been used in warfare, killing 140 British soldiers. Many
others were affected by it but not fatally.
Two stories within ten days sharply illustrate the two
faces of war - and indeed the two faces of humanity. We
are capable of great acts of humanity and also of great evil
- not two different sets of people, but the same ones. No
wonder we put a cross on soldiers’ graves: the symbol of a
great evil and, at the same time, of the ‘greatest love’.
-9-
175 YEARS OF THE PENNY POST
In January 1840 – just 175 years ago – the penny
post was established throughout the UK and, as
we know from Dickens and other novelists, letters
flowed freely to and fro several times a day. It
was a golden age of communication.
Sadly, this facility has now disappeared: recently the
Royal Mail reported that it is struggling to deliver to every
house just once a day for a price of 62p, over 150 times
more than in 1840 (1p = 2½ old pennies). That’s not quite
as bad as it seems, of course: a penny in 1840 would be
equivalent to about 35p now.
Never mind; we now have another golden age of
communication, featuring the mobile phone. Mobiles are as
ubiquitous nowadays as the penny post was in 1840, and it
is hard to believe that it was only 30 years ago that the first
mobile phone call was made in the UK – by comedian Ernie
Wise, who called Vodafone’s head office in Newbury from St
Katharine Docks in London on New Year’s Day, 1985.
Quick off the mark as always, it was in the same
month (just over a fortnight later) that British Telecom
officially retired the much-missed iconic red telephone box.
Maybe it was a bit too quick off the mark because there are
still vast tracts of Britain without a reliable mobile phone
signal - not such a golden age after all.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
It was Christmas and the judge was in a benign mood
as he asked the prisoner what he was charged with. “Doing
my Christmas shopping early,” replied the man. “Why,
that’s no offence,” said the judge. “How early were you
doing it?” “Before the store opened,” replied the defendant.
- 10 -
REMEMBERING T S ELIOT
T S Eliot was an American, but was adopted
enthusiastically as a British poet after he
became a British citizen in 1927. He died 50
years ago, on 4th January 1965, having won the
1948 Nobel Prize for Literature. As well as
being perhaps the outstanding poet writing in
English in the 20th century, he was also a
playwright, a literary critic and editor.
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in Missouri on 26th
September, 1888. He went to Harvard and then to the
Sorbonne. After a year in Paris, he returned to Harvard,
but settled in England in 1914, marrying Vivienne HaighWood and working in London, first as a teacher, and later
for Lloyd’s Bank.
His long poem The Waste Land is considered by many
to be as good as poetry gets but he always acknowledged
the input of fellow poet Ezra Pound, who encouraged him
and acted as his editor. Both are referenced in Bob Dylan’s
key early song, Desolation Row.
Eliot had a huge impact on contemporary literary
taste.
After his conversion to orthodox Anglo-Catholic
Christianity in the late thirties, his poetry was based on a
conservative world view: he believed in a Christian society
as a bulwark against communism and fascism, questioning
the values of liberalism, which he saw as empty and
corrosive.
His major later poetry collections include Ash
Wednesday (1930) and Four Quartets (1943); his plays
included Murder in the Cathedral and The Cocktail Party.
Through Faber & Faber he published many younger poets
and eventually became director of the firm. After an
unhappy first marriage, Eliot separated from his wife in
1933 and married Valerie Fletcher in 1956.
- 11 -
CALENDAR FOR JANUARY
Sun
4
THE EPIPHANY
Tue
Wed
Sun
6
7
11
THE BAPTISM
OF CHRIST
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sun
13
14
15
16
18
EPIPHANY 2
Tue
Wed
Thu
Sun
20
21
22
25
CONVERSION
OF ST PAUL
Tue
Wed
Thu
27
28
29
8.00 am
10.30 am
6.00 pm
10.00 am
10.30 am
8.00 am
10.30 am
6.00 pm
10.00 am
10.30 am
10.00 am
10.30 am
8.00 am
9.30 am
10.30 am
6.00 pm
10.00 am
10.30 am
4.00 pm
8.00 am
10.30 am
6.00 pm
10.00 am
10.30 am
10.00 am
Holy Communion
Parish Communion (Sun Club in church)
Evening Prayer
Gardening Group
Holy Communion (at St Nicolas)
Holy Communion
Matins (Sun Club in church room)
Evening Prayer
Gardening Group
Holy Communion (at St Nicolas)
Parish Art Group
Coffee Morning in Hall
Holy Communion
Family Service
Parish Communion (NO Sun Club)
Choral Evensong
Gardening Group
Holy Communion (at St Nicolas)
Magazine Collation
Holy Communion
Matins (Sun Club in church room)
Evening Prayer
Gardening Group
Holy Communion (at St Nicolas)
Parish Art Group

USE YOUR TIME WELL
Where has your year gone? Did you use it well?
Numbering our days should mean offering them to God, and
seeking his direction for our lives. If we don’t use our time
wisely, we are squandering it, and throwing away a part of
our very lives.
- 12 -
THE HAWTHORN
It is the only British tree to be named after the
month in which it flowers, “May”. The fruits are
called haws and are ripe in late autumn. This year
the mild spring resulted in a bumper crop of haws.
There is a lot of folklore associated with the
Hawthorn, especially with its flowers. For example, to bring
a sprig of flower into the house will cause the death of
someone living there. This fear may have come from the
fact that the concentrated scent of the flowers contains a
chemical (triethylamine), which is also given off by
decomposing flesh. Until recently the body of a deceased
person could remain in the house awaiting burial for up to
week. It was the custom for relatives to visit the open
coffin to pay their respects.
However, when the same chemical is diluted in the
countryside on warm summer nights it acts as a stimulant
for frivolous behaviour between young people. There are
many accounts of May Day celebrations such as those in
Shillingstone, which once had the tallest Maypole in Dorset
at 86 feet. There is a Maypole on the village green at
Downton, near Salisbury which is still the centre piece for
May Day celebrations.
Catholic families in the 19th century often placed a
sprig of Hawthorn in the window to inform others of the
faith that a priest was staying in the house to hold Mass.
Reverence for particular Hawthorns still persists, such
as the Glastonbury thorn which usually flowers in April and
again in December to coincide with Christmas and Easter.
This particular thorn took root and flowered when,
according to legend, Joseph of Arimathea put his staff into
the ground thus proclaiming the introduction of Christianity
to Britain. The Queen now receives her Christmas sprig of
thorn from a secret source. (Cedric Nielsen)
- 13 -
GENEROSITY: THE TREND IS UPWARDS
According to the World Giving Index,
the world has become a more generous
place. The index is the largest study
into charitable behaviour, covering the
proportion of people who have donated money, volunteered
their time or helped a stranger.
The current edition
presents giving data across 135 countries between 2009
and 2013.
One striking finding is that Myanmar (formerly
Burma) shares first place in the table with the United
States. While America’s strong performance is across all
forms of giving, Myanmar’s position is driven primarily by
an incredibly high proportion of people donating money: 2.3
billion.
This time, the USA is the
the top ten for all three of the
covered by the World Giving
volunteering time and donating
only country to be ranked in
charitable giving behaviours
Index (helping a stranger,
money).
The number of people helping strangers grew again
by over 200 million in 2013. This now equates to about 2.3
billion people worldwide having helped a stranger in the
month prior to the poll.
Since 2009, women have become more likely than
men to donate money to charity than men at a global level,
despite the gap in economic participation that still exists
between men and women world-wide. Reflecting this global
disparity, women are only more likely to give money in
high-income countries.
In middle and low-income
countries, men are more likely to donate.

For people who like peace and quiet - a phoneless cord!
- 14 -
THE NEW YEAR: 2015
By Megan Carter
He comes he goes, his times are set
The New Year now has shown his face,
For time is here and will not wait
For dwellers all in time and space.
We sojourn here on this fair earth,
Just for a time so quickly gone,
Our lives just like a vapour spent
As we await another dawn.
There is a day God has ordained
When we will reach a distant shore,
Eternity our new address
Where time will cease and be no more.



WORK E-MAILS OVER CHRISTMAS?
Okay, be honest: did you check your office
emails over the Christmas break? It seems
that as many as 48 per cent of us find it really
hard to let go while on holiday. Some of us say
we want to keep up, and so reduce the
workload on our return. Others of us say we
love our job, and miss the office. Still others of us simply
worry lest our job might have vanished in our absence.....
The poll was carried out by TripAdvisor.

Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One
hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
- 15 -
THE EAGLE AND THE ANT
Our Kenyan friends are good at drawing
analogies from the natural world - a bit
like in the book of Proverbs in the Old
Testament. So in beginning to look at
some things in our own lives we've
taken a leaf out of their book and focused on the eagle and
the ant.
The eagle flies high and sees for miles, taking in the
grand sweep, the big picture. This is all well and good
when the big picture is encouraging, inspiring or beautiful.
It's a lot harder when the vista is one of large scale
suffering or devastation.
The ant knows how to focus on what is in the direct
vicinity, working hard to create shelter and find food,
working especially hard on behalf of others. This is all well
and good when the details of the work are fruitful and
something recognisable is being built. It's a lot harder
when the vista is one of hard slog and not nearly enough
progress appears to be being made.
Despite some very good stuff that has happened
recently, the last three weeks have been quite tough.
There have been some things we've worked towards which
appear to have fallen to the ground. There have also been
two children we found during CBR fieldwork and we possibly
didn't reach them in time to avert disaster and we await the
outcome. We have both had bad stomachs and we are both
quite tired. We're also concerned about the welfare of
several people near and dear to us.
So today we are stepping aside to rest a little, reflect
on life and regain perspective.
The eagle and the ant are going to chat awhile they've both got things to learn!
- 16 -
KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS!
Tablet computers such as iPads are becoming
increasingly popular.
Without the additional
accessories like a keyboard or mouse, a Tablet
with its built-in camera and speakers takes up far
less space than a conventional computer.
Tablets are designed to be intuitive. Navigating
and viewing information – such as zooming in on text or
pictures or scrolling down a page – is as simple as swiping
your fingers over the screen.
Typing is done on a
touchscreen keyboard.
From one device you can send emails, listen to
music, watch films, surf the internet, call friends and family,
take and edit photos, shop and do your banking online.
Tablets are often faster than traditional computers
and they benefit from specially designed applications, called
‘apps’, which can be downloaded from the internet and will
make your tablet even more useful.
The saying goes that there is an app for everything.
Some are free, others you’ll have to buy. Most retailers like
Ocado and John Lewis have their own official apps, meaning
that ordering groceries online is quick and easy.
Apps like BBC iPlayer allow you to catch up on your
favourite TV shows, while Cookery apps from Jamie Oliver
and Nigella Lawson include video tutorials. Puzzle apps like
Sudoku will keep you amused for hours!
Ease yourself in by getting used to the swiping,
pinching and zooming motions on the screen. Then
familiarise yourself with the pre-loaded apps. It’s best to
start with the internet browser.
Above all, concentrate on what interests you the
most and have fun. This is how you will really get the most
out of the device.
- 17 -
COMFORTABLE WORDS
“This is a true saying, and worthy of all men
to be received, that Jesus Christ came into
the world...to save sinners.” Every Sunday
morning at 8.00 am the celebrant reads the
so-called “comfortable words”. In fact,
these words of Scripture – albeit comforting
– are there to remind us of the fundamental trust that is so
easily left in the manger at Christmas.
The material momentum of the Advent and Christmas
festivals sometimes elbows out the obvious question: “Why
the Incarnation? Why did God send his Son among us?” The
simple answer is in those words of comfort: “to save us”.
“So God loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, to the end that all believe in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The more difficult answer involves questioning the
motivation behind this generous offer of salvation; and who
better than Jesus to offer some further light? “So God loved
the world...” The answer is LOVE...pure and simple.
What difference will your faith make in 2015...to you
and to those others who maybe share some aspect of your
life? The answer is in your hands; and while those
“comfortable words” will go on being offered Sunday by
Sunday in church, their power will only be realised by those
with receptive hearts and minds.
The church’s fellowship will be here to remind you of
their power; and for as long as there are people willing to
make its witness real and effective, others too will be drawn
into it. They too will become part of the fellowship of the
faithful: the fellowship of the free; for the Christian
message is one that offers salvation: one that saves us for
eternity.
- 18 -
POINTS TO PONDER
GK Chesterton: “Hope means expectancy when
things are otherwise hopeless.”
John F Kennedy: “Do not pray for easy lives.
Pray to be stronger men.”
Thomas Merton:
solitudes.”
“Churches in cities are most wonderful
Somerset Maugham: “It was such a lovely day I thought
it a pity to get up.”
George Carlin: “Those who dance are considered insane
by those who cannot hear the music.”
James M. Barrie: “Nothing is really work unless you would
rather be doing something else.”
T Hansel: “Laughter adds richness, texture and colour to
otherwise ordinary days. It is a gift, a choice, a discipline
and an art.”
Galileo Galilei: “I have never met a man so ignorant that
I couldn't learn something from him.”
Sir Barnett Cocks: “A committee is a cul-de-sac down
which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.”
William Shakespeare: “He is winding the watch of his
wit; by and by it will strike.”
Jackie Mason: “I have enough money to last me the rest
of my life, unless I buy something.”
Orson Welles: “I hate television. I hate it as much as I
hate peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.”
William Feather: “Setting a good example for children
takes all the fun out of middle age.”
Kathy Sierra:
“In many cases, the more you try to
compete, the less competitive you actually are.”
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THOMAS AQUINAS
Thomas will be remembered at the mid-week Service
of Holy Communion on Wednesday, 28th January
Thomas Aquinas has been described as the
greatest thinker and teacher of the medieval
church. Born at Rocca Secca, near Aquino in
Italy in 1225, Thomas was educated first by
the Benedictines at Monte Cassino and then at
the university of Naples. Against his family’s wishes, he
joined the Dominican Order of Preachers.
Thomas was the foremost classical proponent of
natural theology. His influence on Western thought is
considerable, and much of modern philosophy was
conceived in development or opposition of his ideas,
particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics,
and political theory. Unlike many currents in the Church of
the time, Thomas embraced several ideas put forward by
Aristotle — whom he referred to as "the Philosopher" — and
attempted to synthesize Aristotelian philosophy with the
principles of Christianity.
The works for which he is best known are the Summa
Theologica and the Summa contra Gentiles. His
commentaries on Sacred Scripture and on Aristotle are an
important part of his body of work. Furthermore, Thomas is
distinguished for his eucharistic hymns, which form a part
of the Church's liturgy.
Thomas’s profound, theological wisdom and capacity
to impart this, as well in homilies as in hymns, along with
his gentleness of spirit in dealing with all, earned him the
title “the angelic doctor”.
Thomas is honoured as a saint by the Catholic Church
and is held to be the model teacher for those studying for
the priesthood. He died on 7th March 1274 en route to the
Council of Lyons and his feast has been celebrated on this
day since 1970.
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SUNDAY READINGS IN JANUARY
Sunday 4th January – THE EPIPHANY
OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 60.1-6
Isaiah speaks of a glorious day when people will
come to the Lord from far and wide, bringing their
gifts and their worship.
NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 3.1-12
Paul reveals that the riches of Christ are for Gentiles
as well as Jews.
GOSPEL: Matthew 2.1-12
In the days of Herod, Jesus is born in Bethlehem.
Wise men come enquiring about the King of the Jews.
Herod is worried.
Sunday 11th January – THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 1.1-5
The beginning of Genesis describes the first day of
the creation of the world when God separated light
from darkness.
NEW TESTAMENT: Mark 1.4-11
John the Baptist prepares the way for the coming of
Jesus. Jesus is baptised by John and hears the voice
of God.
Sunday 18th January – EPIPHANY 2
OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 3.1-10
God reveals himself to Samuel through the medium
of a dream and its interpretation by Eli.
NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 5.1-10
Jesus was worthy of breaking the seals and opening
the scroll because by his sacrifice he became God’s
representative on earth.
GOSPEL: John 1.43-end
Jesus calls his first group of disciples and it is clear
that these men are instantly aware of Jesus’ identity
from their first moment of contact with him.
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Sunday 25th January – CONVERSION OF ST PAUL
OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 1.4-10
It is abundantly clear that Jeremiah’s reluctance to
serve is useless in the face of God’s determination to
appoint him as his prophet and spokesman.
NEW TESTAMENT: Matthew 19.27-end
Jesus presents the concept of conversion and
discipleship as the sacrifice of possessions and family
for a life focused on the message of Christ.

TO MIND ONE’S PS AND QS
To mind one’s Ps and Qs is to take great care
how one speaks and behaves.
Speculation abounds on the origin of this phrase
which has been with us since the beginning of
the 17th century. One explanation is that the
expression used to be ‘mind your toupee and
your queues’, the toupee being false hair and the queue
being the pigtail popular in the days gone by. Hairpieces
are never very secure and would certainly prohibit the
wearer from anything but the most decorous behaviour.
Another suggestion is that it comes from the dancing
school where wigs remained a problem. Students were
constantly being reminded to perfect their ‘pieds’ (footwork)
and to have care for their ‘queues’ (wigs).
There are also stories arising from the similarity of ‘p’
and ‘q’.
Children often have difficulty in distinguishing
between ‘p’ and ‘q’ and ‘mind your Ps and Qs’ must have
been on the lips of governesses and tutors throughout the
land. A final thought in this regard is that typesetters had
problems in keeping their Ps and Qs from getting mixed up.
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FROM THE REGISTERS
NO SERVICES THIS MONTH


ALTAR FLOWERS
Jan
Jan
Jan
Jan
4th
11th
18th
25th
The Guild
The Guild
Mrs W Bales
Mrs W Bales


JANUARY THAW
____________________________________
The sun came out,
And the snowman cried.
His tears ran down
on every side.
His tears ran down
Till the spot was cleared.
He cried so hard
That he disappeared.
(Margaret Hillert)


MAGAZINE DEADLINE
The deadline for the February edition of
the Church Magazine is 10.00 am on
Wednesday, 14th January 2015
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