Milton Parish Church
December 2014 40p
Parish Magazine
Oh ye who read this truthful rime From Flanders, kneel and say: God speed the time when every day Shall be as Christmas Day.
A Carol from Flanders Frederick Niven (1878-1944)
2
F r Brian writes...
HOLD FIRE!
Christmas Eve 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the unofficial Christmas
Truces of 1914. Although they have acquired a mythic quality, the fact that
the truces actually occurred is attested to by numerous written records of
the time, not least the diaries and letters home of those who participated.
The truces commonly began with German soldiers and officers putting up
Christmas trees, shouting or writing Christmas greetings, and singing songs
recognisable to their British counterparts such as Stille Nacht (Silent Night).
From these beginnings, troops met in no-man’s land to bury their dead,
exchange gifts and souvenirs, share festive food and drink, give cigarettes
and cigars, sing and entertain each other, swap names and addresses, take
photographs of each other, play football (according to some letters home),
and conduct joint bilingual Christian services. These were not isolated
incidents but were widespread right down the front from the North Sea to
Switzerland.
Crucially, they were made possible by shared traditions of Christian
celebration of the birth of ‘The Prince of Peace,’ whose death and
resurrection brings humanity ‘peace with God’ (Romans 5:1), thus making
‘one new humanity’ out of former enemies (Ephesians 2:14).
The truces were quashed by orders backed by threats, and by replacing
troops with men ‘untainted’ by the truce, including soldiers from the wider
Empire who didn’t share the tradition of celebrating Christmas.
Here are the words of one man at that time...
“After the 19th December attack, we were back in the same
trenches when Christmas Day came along. It was a terrible winter, eve-
rything was covered in snow, everything was white. The devastated
landscape looked terrible in its true colours - clay and mud and broken
brick - but when it was covered in snow it was beautiful.
Then we heard the Germans singing ‘Silent night, Holy night’,
and they put up a notice saying ‘Merry Christmas’, and so we put one
3
In our Carol Services and orship we will recall once again Christ’s title as
Prince of Peace; we will hear again the angels’ song of ‘Peace on earth and
goodwill to all people’; and we shall be reminded of the mission of the
Messiah was to ‘guide our feet into the way of peace’.
I invite you to come and pray with us for the peace of the world, upheld by
justice; that wars may cease and negotiation replace fighting to resolve
conflicts.
God bless you and those whom you love this Christmas time and through-
out the coming year.
Your friend and priest,
While they were singing our boys said, ‘Let’s join in,’ so we joined in
and when we started singing, they stopped. And when we stopped, they
started again. So we were easing the way.
Then one German took a chance and jumped up on top of the
trench and shouted out, ‘Happy Christmas, Tommy!’ So of course our
boys said, ‘If he can do it, we can do it,’ and we all jumped up. A
sergeant-major shouted ‘Get down!’ But we said, ‘Shut up Sergeant, it’s
Christmas time!’ And we all went forward to the barbed wire.”
4
Lest We forget
Private Harry Grindley is the last Service Man to be recalled in our Book of
Remembrance for those men of our parish and families related to Milton.
It has been an honour and privilege –sometime heart braking—to read of
their service to King and Country. May They Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory.
Amen, Milton PCC
GRINDLEY Harry 51107
Private
17 Battalion Manchester
Regiment
4 December 1918
100 CLUB DRAW
If you wish to renew your subscription to the draw, I shall be starting to
collect payments in December. New members are always welcome, as are
those wishing to subscribe to an additional number in order to raise
valuable funds for the church and increase their chance of winning a prize!
If you can pay the full 12 months (£12.00) all in one go either by cash or
cheque (made payable to Milton PCC) this would be very beneficial,
although the option to pay quarterly is still acceptable if this helps.
Since I only attend the 10am Sunday services and don’t come into contact
with a lot of our parishioners, when you give me your payment could you
please put it in an envelope and write your name and either your address or
telephone number on the front, so that if you are a winner I can contact you
and hand over your prize as quickly as possible!
Please hand your envelope either to me or the Wardens (Alice Mottershead
and Philip Such). If you have any problem in getting your subscription to me
or have any queries, please do not hesitate to call me on 01782 541291.
There is an answer machine on this number.
Just to remind you, the draw takes place on the 1st
Sunday in each month
and the prizes are:
Thank you.
Tracey Stanyer.
1st
Prize £25
2nd
Prize £15
3rd
Prize £10
5
6
READINGS & PRAYERS ROTA FOR
DECEMBER
Sunday 7th
Isaiah 40. 1-11
Psalm 85. 1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3. 8-15a
Mark 1. 1-8
10am:
Reader: A. Mottershead
Prayers: T. Stanyer
Deacon: D. Simcock
Assistant: P. Such
4.30pm: Eucharist
Reader: C. Nixon
Sunday 14th
Isaiah 61. 1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thess. 5. 16-24
John 1. 6-8, 19-28
10am:
Reader: B. Meigh
Prayers: P. Such
Deacon: D. Simcock
Assistant: R. Marren
4.30pm: Encounter
Sunday 21st
2 Samuel 7. 1-11, 16
Psalm 89. 1-4, 19-26
Romans 16. 25-27
Luke 1. 26-38
10am:
Reader: M. Whittaker
Prayers: J. Cooper
Deacon: P. Such
Assistant: J. Convey
4.30pm
Carol Service
Sunday 28th
Jeremiah 31. 15-17
Psalm 124
1 Corinthians 1. 26-29
Matthew 2. 13-18
10am:
Reader: R. Marren
Prayers: D. Simcock
Deacon: J. Cooper
Assistant: B. Ashley
January Magazine
The deadline for articles for the January magazine is 14 December. Please leave any
articles at church or send them to: [email protected].
100 Club Draw Winners for November
1st 17 David Reynolds
2nd
55 Mark Johnson
3rd
3 Audrey Dawson
7
CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER Little Fishes each Tuesday from 10.30am in School Term time
Holy Communion each Wednesday at 9.30am
Morning Prayer at 9.00am each Tuesday and Friday
Thursday 4th
7.30pm ‘Open to God’ (An informal time of Prayer and Praise)
Saturday 6th
2.00pm CHRISTMAS FAIR in the Church Centre
Sunday 7th
Second Sunday of Advent
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Jubilate! Eucharist
12.00pm Baptisms
4.30pm Sung Eucharist
Wednesday 10th
1.30pm Hillside School Carol Service in Church
Thursday 11th
6.30pm Centre·Point (prayer time) in the Vestry
Friday 12th
7.00pm Milton Scouts Carol Service in Church
Sunday 14th
Third Sunday of Advent
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Family Eucharist and Junior Church
4.30pm Encounter
Thursday 18th
6.30pm Centre·Point (prayer time) in the Vestry
7.30pm ‘Opening the Bible’ informal Bible study in the Vestry
Friday 19th
9.30am Milton School Carol Service in Church
7.30pm Leigh Singers Christmas Concert in Milton Parish Church
Saturday 20th
4.30pm Messy Church (ends at 6.00pm)
Sunday 21st
Fourth Sunday of Advent
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Family Eucharist and Junior Church
4.30pm Service of Readings and Carols
Wednesday 24th
CHRISTMAS EVE
5.00pm CRIB SERVICE for all the family
11.00pm MIDNIGHT MASS of the Nativity
Thursday 25th
CHRISTMAS DAY
10.00am Simple Eucharist with Carols
Sunday 28th
First Sunday after Christmas / The Holy Innocents
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Family Eucharist
NB NO EVENING SERVICE
Weds 31st
9.30am Holy Eucharist as usual
8
As most of you know I returned a short
while ago from Africa where I went with
the diocese as part of the team lead by
David Newsome, Diocesan Director of
Ordinands.
On arrival at Johannesburg and having
picked up two 9-seater minibuses we vis-
ited the apartheid museum, even though
like most of us around in the sixties,
seventies and eighties, I have memories from this side of the world. Seeing
it like that was shocking—being that close to Soweto and being able to see
it just a few hundred meters away seemed surreal.
Even today there are continued problems in post-apartheid in South Africa:
blacks still live in relative poverty, townships still exist where electricity is
sporadic, toilets are generally outside or if inside water to flush is also
sporadic. Water to wash is often a 2 litre jug and a flannel. But the fellow-
ship and community is vibrant.
On the other side, in the white population the majority of the houses are
spacious and have all amenities, often including a pool. But these people
live locked behind razor wired gated communities and they have real fear of
leaving or of anyone getting in. These divisions are no longer enforced by
government or police but by fear of the unknown and economics.
Myself and my colleague, Alison, stayed with a white Afrikaans family, the
Trautman’s, Rob and Sharon; we also spent a lot of time with Jacque the
Anglican priest and his family. We were put there, I now believe, for two
reasons, firstly, for Rob to show us the white side of the coin, where he said
he thanked God every day he was not born black. In his teens he had made
friends with some black boys but they were all picked up by the police and
the black boys kept in custody and he was threatened that he would be
locked up as a dissident if caught there again.
A lady at the church I spoke to said, “they knew apartheid was wrong but
could do nothing about it apart from look after those men and their families
that they employed”. My friend, Rob, continues this, he employs in his
businesses only black people, he replaced a lady employees roof when he
realised she was constantly getting ill due to damp when her roof leaked,
another guy had no home so he converted a part of his warehouse into a
9
flat. Rob is also part of a trust that runs primary schools in three townships,
and as part of the Rotary Club. The Rotary Club with has given out seven
wheelchairs to the black community this year. Rob is very proud of the
heritage that the earliest humanoid skeleton is found in Matlosane Diocese
and has no problem with the fact that this ancient ancestor of us all would
most likely have been black.
The other reason I feel God put me in this place was because the Priest,
Jacque, and his wife have a learning disabled daughter and have no-one in
their community they felt they could talk to. I was obviously able to help by
being able to empathise; I watched the relief on their faces to find someone
else who understood.
Jacque and their church have an outreach of going into the communities
and taking bread and fish (tinned pilchards) with a message stuck on it, and
pray with them weekly—something we ought to think of doing ourselves!!
Jacque and his wife are coming to the Lichfield Diocese, to Ellesmere in
Shropshire next year on an exchange with their priest and I am looking
forward to extending the same welcome to them that they gave to us.
I spent those first five days in the ex-mining town of Potchestrom in South
Africa. The whole team at the end of that time were brought back together
at the Bishops house for a Briaa (pronounced BRY) which is the African word
for BBQ. In fact, as we got there the Bishop stood faithfully just like many
men do, and cooked for 25 of us for over an hour—not sure I could see our
Bishops doing that!
The next day we all moved to the Charity Hands at work hub or
headquarters at Neilspruit, seven hours away by road across the other side
of South Africa. For some
of my colleagues it was
bliss to be able to shower
and have separate beds
because they had stayed
with people in the
townships. For myself and
Alison it was a step down
to sharing a room. We had
just one night there and
then travelled to Kaphunga
in Swaziland. This was the
10
biggest eye opener, as you will see from the pictures it was barren and
remote, it was cold at nights and blisteringly hot during the day in the
mountains. The facilities here were very basic, three to a room, and sharing
beds. The toilets were interesting… just an upturned bucket affair over a
very deep hole with no flush. And bathing was a large bowl with hot water
from an urn you stood in and washed head to foot, called a bucket bath.
Some of the group got very stressed with the lack of hygiene facilities—
fortunately, I’m used to camping.
We visited the care centre each day where they feed about 50 children daily
with a meal of PAP—which is maize meal or like a thick porridge or
semolina, and whatever vegetables and meat they can get. These are the
most vulnerable children, who have no parents, about half have an aunt or
uncle but they often have children of their own and these children cause
too much strain on the family for them all to be fed adequately, often they
would do without if not for the care centre.
The joy and smiles on these children’s faces at the advent of parachute
games or a skipping rope or better still the last day with them we made
loom band bracelets with them, (they were so quick to pick it up, much
11
quicker than me) because just two ladies (who are both unpaid) volunteer
to make the food each day for 50 children, so they have no time to play or
supervise anything other than the food, so 13 people turning up to play was
amazing for them or so it seemed. Most of them were barefoot, and many
of the clothes they wore were tatters—just like Victorian street urchins. The
downside of such a remote community is that these children have to come
from such a wide area, and with little ones as young as 5 having to walk
home at night often through bush paths, we all worried about their safety.
Each day whilst in Swaziland we visited, with the care workers, one or more
of the homesteads, which involved walking 2-5miles to get there and
between homesteads. The set up at most of these homes is a Granny, or
Gogo as she’s called in Siswati, is left caring for many grandchildren, at one
home she had six to care for from 2-15 with no other adult, another had
nine children to care for: a combination of her own younger children, her
dead brother’s two children and grandchildren from two dead children of
her own, no-one talks about Aids or HIV but death is another matter: it is
accepted as so natural a part of life it is heartbreaking, so whilst grieving for
her child, a Granny has to take on the full care and responsibility of the
children left behind. I have heard many people suggest that sexual
abstinence or morality is all that is needed to control HIV but 1 in 3 women
in Africa will be raped, she has no control about this, and as Jesus told us,
“he who is without sin cast the first stone”, I know I do not fall into the
sinless category...
Whilst at these remote homesteads, most of which have no neighbour in
the surrounding 1-2 miles, we offered to do jobs for these ladies, some
asked us to do a lit-
tle sweeping, some
collecting water and
some grinding the
maize for the day.
Water is largely col-
lected from the
lower part of a
stream, we walked
about as far as from
12
church to the corner of Baddeley Green but downhill through ‘bush’ and
collected large canisters of water that was quite clean at first but as you
take it away from the pool it became quite murky. Then of course we had
to walk back up hill carrying it, each canister took two of us to carry it, and
we had to keep stopping. This trip would have had to be repeated four
times for her to get the same amount of water! And she would need at
least three of those buckets daily just to feed and wash herself and the
children.
We ground maize on a piece of equipment that looked as if it was from the
turn of the last century and I guess was probably taken over there by the
British when they colonised the area, they all were cast iron with made in
England on them. It took 5 of us taking turns about 1 hr to grind the maize,
it was such hard work!! We ground into a 2 litre cracking and damaged
plastic bucket, the sort we get paint or catering tubs of food in, we were all
terrified that if we dropped or knocked it off the grinder a days food would
be lost. We were very aware that this was enough for ONE day, and so this
would all need to be done again tomorrow. After fetching the water at one
13
homestead we were asked to take it to the kitchen hut, which was a round
mud hut with a wood fire in the centre, it was reminiscent or iron-age
Britain.
At both the Feeding Centre and the home visits we were always asked for
prayer. The thing that shocked me most I think was the fervour with which
even some of the smallest children prayed and the absolute faith they
placed in having people to pray for them. It was the most heart warming
and spiritual thing I have ever felt. As St Paul tells us in his letter to the
Philippians, “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from
love, any sharing of the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy
complete.” That is how I left feeling, but also broken due to the abject
poverty and plight of these people.
My concerns and worries about the trip were mostly that I should send the
money and let the charity do the work (apart from coming across spiders
and the like, which I didn’t much, but I did have a gecko In my room, and a
couple of mosquitoes around, oh and of course there were the ants in the
bed when I woke up one morning!) But having been there I can see that the
only way the world can know is if we see. And the benefit that those
children and Grannys get from being able to laugh and smile and pray with
someone is like gold to them. So I ask you to pray for Florence, a Granny in
her seventies, struggling to walk and cope alone with two little boys of 7
and 8; for Nessa and her family with one child with persistent diarrheal
illness and one I think may have rickets. I pray that the charity will take him
the 5 miles to a clinic for vitamins. And for Neva, a 5 year old in a South
African township who has lost both parents and is so, so poorly he may not
live for much longer.
St Paul also says “Let
each of you look not to
your own interests, but to
the interests of others.”
this is something I hope I
have done, and with the
help of God will continue
to do.
Gill Marren
14
A Message of Thanks
Once again I would like to put on record my grateful
thanks to Linda Lewis for the help she gives me
throughout the year, particularly at Easter and Christ-
mas where the organ is in almost continual use!
Thanks are due to her also for her musical contribution
on the first Sunday of each month at the Jubilate Eucharist’s.
So – thank you Linda, and Merry Christmas to you!
Peter Sherrat
We would like to thank all readers of
our church magazine, your continued
support is very much appreciated.
May we wish you all a Happy Christ-
mas and a peaceful new year.
From the Magazine Team.
Once again, thank you to everyone
who donates their ‘spare change’ to
our Churchyard fund. This year the
amount passed to me is 3120.70.
This is very much appreciated as it
helps us to keep the Churchyard tidy.
Thank you,
Iris
15
Recipe of the Month
December sees the celebration of the feast of St Nicholas on 6 December.
St. Nicholas’ Day in Greece brings a round of name-day parties for children
named in the saint's honour. As Nicholas (Nikolaos) is a popular name,
there are many stops as people make the rounds from house to house.
Adults are served brandy, wine and seasonal sweets, like this Fig and Apri-
cot Orange cake. This Fig and Apricot Orange Cake is better on the second
day, so it is good to make it a day ahead.
Ingredients
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Brush a deep loaf pan with olive oil and line with parchment paper
that comes up out of the sides of the pan by at least 2 inches.
3. Sift together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda,
kosher salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Sprinkle in the orange zest and stir
to distribute evenly.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sugar. Add the dry
ingredients with the orange juice and brandy and stir until just
Olive oil 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup almond flour 2 ½ tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon baking soda ⅔cup granulated sugar
1 large pinch kosher salt ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups orange juice (preferably
fresh squeezed)
extra orange zest for serving, in nar-
row strips
½ cup black raisins ½ cup chopped dried figs
½ cup chopped dried apricots icing sugar for dusting
½ cup brandy or 2–4 teaspoons brandy extract or ½ cup apple juice, white
grape juice, or water
16
combined. Add the walnuts and dried fruit and stir briefly to com-
bine.
5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place the loaf pan on a sheet pan to
protect oven from overflow. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1
hour – 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out of
the centre almost clean.
6. Cool cake on a rack for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.
Just before serving, dust with icing sugar through a sieve. Slice and
serve drizzled with warm wine syrup and topped with a few slivers of
orange zest.
WINE SYRUP (optional)
2 cups red wine
1 cup granulated sugar
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1. While cake bakes, make the spiced wine syrup:
2. In a medium pan, combine the wine, sugar, spices, and citrus zest..
3. Place over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Simmer over
low heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain and reserve.
Brasses Rota 2014
December Terry and Pat Hopewell
Altar Linen Rota 2014
December Iris Johnson
17
THE LEIGH SINGERS
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
MILTON PARISH CHURCH
Friday 19th December 7.30pm
Tickets £3 [or pay at the door]
Includes Refreshments
ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH, NORTON-LE-MOORS
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
Friday 12th December 3.00pm—6.00pm
Saturday 13th 11.00am—7.30pm
Sunday 14th 12.00pm—6.30pm
ADVENT STUDY COURSE
Christmas—the story we all know...or do
we?
Come and explore in this Advent study being held in
Leigh Memorial Chapel on Leek Road
MONDAYS 1st, 8th and 15th DECEMBER at 7.30pm
18
Another year is nearly over, where does the time
go? For our November meeting we introduced
Marion Baldwin from Hilderstone. Marion's talk
was entitled "Christmas Scenes and Characters",
she took us back to the halcyon days of the mid-
20th century when pleasure was taken around the cosy, firelit hearth and
Christmas gifts where often handmade. Christmas was, for some, the only
time that alcohol was brought into the house when the ladies would
become pink cheeked from too much sherry and games like Blind Man's
Buff and Postman's Knock allowed young girls to get close to a young man
for whom they had a fancy.
An animated Marion acted several scenes, mainly humorous, of a children's
nativity play where a young Innkeeper forgot his lines and improvised saying
he was "Full up" and Joseph replied "Can't be, we have booked!" and of a
Church service when an inebriated band woke from their slumber and
launched into a jig forgetting where they were!
Next month, December, we will be holding our Christmas Party.
Best Wishes
Jill
Month Date 8am 10am Evening Service
December 7 C. Salmon R & G Marren H. Boote
14 D. Clarke G. Jolley &
A. Barber
-
21 R. Owen E. Durber &
D. Brazier
J. Hussey
24 Crib Service: M. Whittaker, R. Marren, D. Wright
Midnight Mass 11pm: C. Salmon, R. Owen, E. Durber,
A. Mottershead
25
28 R. Owen M. Such &
A. Motterhsead
-
Services TBA
19
MILTON CHURCH WORSHIP www.parish-of-milton.org.uk
SUNDAY
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Jubilate! all-age Communion on the first Sunday
10.00am Family Communion & Junior Church (all other Sundays)
4.30pm Holy Communion (on first Sunday)
4.30pm Evensong (on third Sunday)
4.30pm ‘Encounter’—informal service on 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays
TUESDAY
9.00am Morning Prayer is said in church
10.30am Little Fishes for pre-schoolers and their carers during term time
WEDNESDAY
9.30am Holy Communion
THURSDAY
7.30pm Open to God—an hour of informal prayer and praise in the
Church Centre—on first Thursday of each month
6.30pm Centre·Point—a short time of prayer on all other Thursdays in
the church vestry
FRIDAY
9.00am Morning Prayer is said in church
SATURDAY
10.00am Vicar’s Parish Office in the Centre until 11.00am to arrange
BAPTISMS or WEDDINGS
4.30pm Messy Church on third Saturday each month (ends at 6.00pm)
CONFESSION or COUNSELLING
can be arranged by appointment with the Vicar