The Green Spire

The Parish Magazine ofSt Andrew, Orford with Longford

October 2015School News 2From the Vicar – take nothing for granted 3What’s on in October 5 Our Harvest Appeal 6Who’s On in October 7Will Aid 2015 8What the PCC decided... 9Musings 11Snippets from the Church Times 13The Christmas Fair 14WAC attack 2015 15Notice Board 16United Society’s David Brand visits Lesotho – part 2 17Working together with school – this month 19Who was Luke? 20Coming to the cathedral 21As I see it – by Churchmouse 22Praying for the world-wide Church 23From the Registers 25WW1 Nurses’ Exhibition 27Prayer Intentions for October 28

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The Green Spire is published monthly. Copies are 35p per month, or £3.50 for a year’s subscription – normally payable in January. Enquiries about advertisements welcome.

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School News

The builders have moved in and don’t we know it! The first couple of weeks of term, in particular, were extremely noisy and there was lots of dust in the air. Fortunately, most of the ‘major work’ is now completed and attention has turned to the cosmetic – painting and decorating, wall boards and the like.

Nevertheless, it was a good opportunity to hold Tuesday worship in Church. Classes filed across and sat in the peace and quiet of the church. It proved popular and we hope to continue coming into church on an occasional basis on Tuesday mornings.

Elsewhere in the Green Spire (on page 9 and 10) you will find some of the ideas we have generated to develop closer working links between church and school. There is an open invitation to attend worship on Monday, Tuesday or Friday (the days when the whole school come together for worship) – if you’d like to join us, please have a word with Fr Michael who will be delighted to walk in with you, especially on Tuesdays.

We hope that children from school will take on responsibility for this page shortly with the help of Mrs Lightfoot – again cementing our closer working ties.

After school clubs are up and running with a variety of sport and music options for children to develop their interests. Parent’s evenings will be held next week and the annual school photographs will be taken too. Encouraging children to think about their futures comes in the form of Hopes and Dreams week in mid October and we hope to hear more about that next month. Nothing is beyond them in they really want to do it and Hopes and Dreams encourages them to aim high.

Messy Church is planned for late October when we will be working on Hallowe’en and Light. As ever, if you’d like to help, and we would appreciate some additional hands, please speak to Fr Michael. Invitations are going out to

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the parents of Reception children to come and meet the ‘church family’ on 16th

October. Let’s make this a big success.

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From the Vicar:Many years ago, we had a really dry summer. The inevitable hosepipe banns were imposed; car washes closed and the water boards used spotter planes to identify particularly green lawns as a tell-tale that someone had been watering at night.

The drought lasted several months. By late August or early September, some aspect of it made the front pages of most newspapers each morning and church congregations started to pray for rain. People complained incessantly.

Over a couple of days, temperatures dropped, the skies clouded over and rain started to fall. There was a sense of relief. As far as I know, no one stopped to give thanks for the refreshing rain that had started to fall and after just a few days, people were starting to complain!

In this country, we take water for granted. We think nothing of going to turn on the tap to fill the kettle or just quench our thirst. We let the tap run while we brush our teeth and get very upset when the quality of the water falls below par. Earlier this summer, residents in parts of Lancashire had to boil their water due to a small parasite that had been

found in some areas and it took weeks for everyone to be given the all clear.

Compare that with many countries around the world. There is no infrastructure – plumbing that delivers water to individual houses, or even whole villages. Women and children walk several miles every day to collect water from very dubious sources, missing out on any chance they might have for education. The water they bring back is really undrinkable, so more children die from diarrhoea than from malnutrition, and most of those illnesses are water-borne.

For the past ten years, Lawrence’s Roundabout Pump Appeal has been working hard to provide communities with fresh, clean water and has made a huge difference to the lives of whole communities that have benefitted. When it first started, it was the idea of a young mum who had recently lost her son to a very rare condition and as Lawrence was so full of life, she wanted other children to have some of the opportunities and advantages that he enjoyed in his relatively short life.

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The idea is very simple. After carefully identifying the best site, a well is drilled down to clean water. At the top of the well shaft, a simple pump is fitted and a children’s roundabout attached. Local children love the roundabout and come to play on it. As it rotates, the pump brings up water from deep underground and stores it in a large water tank from which all the people from the community can come and draw water. The quality of the water is good, free from germs, dirt and parasites and it is readily available. Instead of spending all day walking to and from the old watering pools, children are now fee to attend school. Communities can grow vegetables, some of which they can sell to support other ventures in the village. Advertising on the tank is sponsored by the government and the income ensures that the whole set-up is properly maintained.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the launch of the appeal and Virginia Prifti, who runs it, is hoping to exceed a million pounds raised for wells. So far, they have installed a hundred and twenty wells across south and south east Africa, transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

When the modern Harvest Thanksgiving was first introduced,

the aim was to encourage congregations and farming communities to thank God for his rich bounty. Most were farming communities so they naturally brought the best of their Harvests to offer in church. With the development of towns and cities, we have become disconnected from the land that provides so many good things to sustain us and to enjoy so once again, Harvest is a time to give thanks for the many things we often take for granted, and in addition to everything that is grown on the land, this year’s Appeal gives us an opportunity to give thanks for clean, fresh water. It’s also an opportunity to share our good fortune with others.

I hope, like me, you will feel this a worthwhile charity and one worthy of our support. I’m delighted to say that school have opted to join us in our fund-raising for Lawrence’s Roundabout Pump Appeal and will be holding a cake sale in school on Friday 9th October. If you would like to bake a cake (or small cakes), I’m sure they would be gratefully received. And finally, do join us (church and school) on Sunday 11th

to offer our thanks to God for all his goodness as we celebrate Harvest together.

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Michael RaynorWhat’s on in October...

Saturday 3rd 4.00pm Wedding of Sean Daniel Gallagher and Rebecca Louise Smith

Sunday 4th The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity10.00am Sung Eucharist12 noon Holy Baptism

Thursday 8th 8.00pm Thursday Ladies' Club meet in the vicarage

Friday 9th 9.15am School Harvest Festival service in church

Saturday 10th 6.00pm Harvest Supper in the Hall

Sunday 11th Harvest Thanksgiving10.00am Sung Eucharist with staff and children from school

Wednesday 14th Farewell to Fr John Divine. It may be necessary to cancel the Wednesday Eucharist – please check the Sunday Sheet on Sunday 11th.

Friday 16th 2.00pm Tea and cake welcome for Reception class parents and children. Help needed – please see article.

Sunday 18th St Luke, Apostle and Evangelist10.00am Sung Eucharist

Thursday 22nd 3.00pm Messy Church in school 8.00pm Thursday Ladies' Club meet at the vicarage

Friday 23rd School closes for half-term holiday

Sunday 25th The Last Sunday after Trinity10.00am Sung Eucharist

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Saturday 31st 10-3pm WAC attack at the cathedral. Transport leaves about 9.10am (please confirm the time on the Sunday sheet on 25th Oct)

Sunday 1st All Saints’ DayNovember 10.00am Sung Eucharist

Commemoration of All Souls 6.00pm Requiem Eucharist

There are regular weekly celebrations of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) on Wednesday evening at 7.00pm and Thursday morning at 10.30am. Celebrations on Saint’s Days are published on the Sunday sheet. All are welcome.

St Andrew’s Charity Shop

every Wednesdayfrom 10am to 3pm in the Hall

Drop-in for tea and toast. Carer’s advice desk

Harvest AppealEnvelopes will be available in church for donations to this year’s appeal – the Roundabout Well Pump Appeal.

You will have read elsewhere about the fine and important work this charity does and we hope you will support it again this year.

Envelopes should be returned on Sunday 11th when we celebrate our Harvest Thanksgiving, but if that’s not possible, please return them in the following

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couple of weeks. For those who pay tax, there are Gift Aid forms which allow the charity to increase your donation by 25%.

We’ll let you know the total shortly, and also when they break the £1 million!

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Who’s on in October…

2015 SIDES-PEOPLE READER INTERCESSOR OFFERTORY

4 Oct L. GiblinP. Smith W. McKinnon Don Miller B. Boscoe

B. Glover11 Oct

HarvestF. GreatorexO. Vowles W. Reddish K. Rowan School

18 Oct A. YeamansD. Yeamans W. Forster W. McKinnon K. Rowan

P. Smith

25 Oct B. BoscoeB. Glover K. Rowan M. Harrington J. Blyth

L. Giblin1 Nov

10.00am

M. GreatorexH. Smythe J. Raynor M. Brown C. Worrall

R. Worrall

1 Nov6.00pm Volunteers please B. Glover Fr Michael Volunteers please

2015 SUNDAY SCHOOL COUNTING COLLECTIONS

4 Oct I. Appleton / M. Ellison11 Oct V. Carter / J. Raynor18 Oct B. Boscoe / B. Glover25 Oct P. Smith / Volunteer1 Nov I. Appleton / M. Ellison

2015 TEA ROTA READ ON WEDS EVE HALL CLEANING

4 Oct M. Harrington Don Miller (7 Oct) J. Devereux11 Oct M. Ellison / P. Smith Fr Michael (14 Oct) C. Worrall18 Oct F. Greatorex / L. Giblin N. Lee (21 Oct) Fr Michael25 Oct M. Ellison / P. Smith D. Kirk (28 Oct) J. Devereux1 Nov B. Boscoe / B. Glover Fr Michael (4 Nov) C. Worrall

Due to sickness and holidays, the TEA ROTA is really short of helpers. If you could help, even for just a couple of months on a once every four weeks basis, please speak to Fr Michael. Tea after the service is really. It builds up our fellowship and allows us to welcome new people. Thank you.

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Will Aid 2015Did you know that over a third of all donations to the RNLI come in the form of legacies? For the National Trust, it’s almost half but the church receives less than 10%. When asked why most people give to RNLI and National Trust (and others) and not the church, the most frequent reply is that nobody ever asked!

Here at St Andrew’s, the story is even worse. In the last fifteen years, we have only been mentioned twice, and one of those times was for £100. That’s really quite strange when you think that many of us have been members of the church for most of our lives and have been happy to contribute week by week, but when it comes to making a Will, it often gets overlooked. Many of the charities that come high in the legacy-stakes are ones that we have the briefest contact with, and some we have no contact with at all – it’s simply that someone said they’d value our support. Yet the church, where we belong for decades and are loved and treasured seems to miss out.

November is a time to put things right. Each year, solicitors offer their services in drawing up Wills in return for a donation which goes directly to nine major charities. So making or updating your Will next month benefits some of the most needy people in our world.

Demand is predicted to be high this year and the advice is to book a visit to the solicitor early to avoid disappointment. Details of participating solicitors are available online though Fr Michael can supply them if you prefer. Please don’t put it off, and please remember St Andrew’s in your Will. Thank you

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What the PCC decided...

The September meeting was the first of three devoted to church growth. Mrs McKinnon led a discussion about furthering our link with school as part of renewing the Chruch School Partnership Award. The Award lasts for three years and is in its final year.The PCC noted that the word ‘Church’ comes first in the tile and members had sight of the application form and notes before the meeting.

There are four sections to the Award. The first is Prayer and Worship and there are several good things ongoing such as inviting school to join us for worship on special occasions, at which instrumentalists can take part. There are special services for Harvest, St Andrew’s Day and children from school join us for class Eucharists. We hope to invole the Ethos Group (a school based ‘Sunday School’) in planning special services and give them space to do lead an area when school comes in to Sunday worship. Members of church are invited to acts of worship in school, notably on Monday and Tuesday morning and Friday afternoon. We plan to continue learning hymns and songs that can be used in both church and school and use quality resources where we can.

Activities in School and Parish Life. Currently we have a school page in the magazine and have supported charities together at certain times of the year. Both of these will be expanded. Church members will, in future, take part in the Ethos Group and we intend to investigate the possiblility of running a joint play scheme in the summer holidays. We hope to use Christian Aid Week as an

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educational opportunity next year for church and school members and we have agreed to support Lawrence’s Roundabout Well Pump Appeal jointly. There will be a cake sale on Friday 9th if anyone would like to offer to bake! We will also put articles in one another’s newsletters to keep each other informed. Children will write for the magazine, starting next month.

Church and School Buildings. Agaain, there is already a number of things going on as school visit church. (The latest being Tuesday mnorning worship while work in the Hall is being finished). Previously, we’ve invited the children wot walk the Stations of the Cross and Year 6 came in for an RE lesson during the last inspection. The display at the back of church shows something of speciall occasions using children’s work. We will find ways in which church members can visit school and share some of their ecperiences. We successfully went in to talk about memories of evacuation and we hopee to talk about faith in the near future. We also plan to work with children on expanding our archives and church history. We are thinking about having a dedicated area on the school website for matters of shared interest. Families will be invited to join us for WAC attack at the end of this month.

Ministry. Members of the PCC serve as Foundation Governors and play their part in school life. Mrs McKinnon (Head Teacher) is a member of our PCC and we regularly liaise when planning dates for events in church or school. In future, there will be a regular item on the PCC’s agenda and this plan will also be revisited to look for ways in which we might grow together. We might work on big events together, and we hope members of the congregation will offer their talents (and there are plenty, some academic and many more practical, such as sewing and knitting and art, for example).

This appears an exhausting (though not exhaustive) list and we will tailor it as time goes by. There will be notes about forthcoming events in the magazine, but it will only work and flourish if we all play a part. Please don’t wait to be asked – we love volunteers – and youwon’t be required to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with. If it’s something new, we’llhelp you prepare for it!

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The PCC also reviewed finance, briefly; was encouraged to come to WAC attack on 31st October; reminded of the Harvest Appeal and thanked for one of the best Walking Days ofr a ong time! The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 17 th

November.

Musings... Why do we say ‘A-men’ and not ‘A-women’?Because we sing ‘hymns’ not ‘hers’.

I have a very small Book of Common Prayer with Hymns Ancient and Modern in the back. I’m sure some of you will remember having one, possibly as a confirmation gift?

Some of the hymns in it have ‘gone out of date’ (more than one or two were downright miserable). How about:

Art thou weary? Art thou languid?Art thou sore distrest (sic)?

or

As now the sun’s declining raysAt eventide descendSo life’s brief day is sinking downTo its appointed end.

On the other hand, my little hymn book contains some of my favourites. Unfortunately, because we so rarely have an evening service, we miss out on the lovely

God who madest earth and heaven Darkness and light.

to a beautiful Welsh tune

or

“Saviour, again, to thy dear name we raise”

with a wonderful verse for the close of day:

Grant us thy peace, throughout the coming nightTurn thou, for us, its darkness into light

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From harm and danger keep thy children freeFor dark and light are both alike to thee.

Now that’s enough nostalgia (though we might indulge in a little more next month).In October we see a mix of old and new hymns. Michael Saward’s contemporary Christ triumphant, ever reigning and John Mason’s seventeenth Century How shall we sing that majesty speak to us of the glory of God; and this month, being harvest-time, we will be singing that all-time favourite:

Come, ye thankful people, comraise the song of harvest home.

Perhaps we are divorced from the ‘harvest of the land’, as we shop in supermarkets, but for those who work on the land for our benefit, for their anxieties as they tend the crops and watch the weather, there is a deep sense of thankfulness as the harvest is brought home safely and we thank God too and pray for all who toil through the seasons, in good weather and bad, to give us food to eat.

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A man was sitting on the end of a hospital bed next to a suitcase when a student nurse approached and said she would get a wheelchair to take him to the exit. He insisted he didn’t need help but the nurse told him that these were the regulations. . While in the lift, the nurse asked him if his wife was meeting him. “I don’t know,” he said, with a smile on his face, “she’s still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown!”

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A rather old bishop went to see his doctor for a check-up and the doctor expressed surprise at some nasty marks on his shins. The doctor asked him if he’d been climbing or had a fall. The bishop replied, “No, nothing like that doctor, but my wife and I play bridge.”

Courtesy of Tidings the magazine of Workingmen’s Mission

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Snippets from the Church Times

Two very different areas of politics have dominated coverage in the Church Times this month: the refugee crisis in Europe and the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party.

The plight of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in Syria and the initial reluctance of our government to admit them started the month, and as the crisis unfolded, the emphasis shifted to what the Church might and could do. The Bishop of Chelmsford went on record saying that his diocese was looking at what property they had and how it could be used to house refugee families while they get established. It is unclear how it will work out but many church members and congregations have pledged help in whatever way they can. The Diocese of Manchester reminded us that this is not the first time that refugees have come to Britain when there were crises in Vietnam and Uganda.

Some bishops also recorded their support for the new era in politics which Jeremy Corbyn seems to offer. The Bishops, in an open letter published before the General Election, asked people to think in broader terms and some bishops, who felt the plea had not been heard, felt that the ‘Corbyn effect’ might be a manifestation of politics which are more about community than individualism. The Bishop of Manchester described it as ‘a fresh moral vision of the kind of country we want to be’.

In what is described as a ‘high-risk’ strategy, the Archbishop of Canterbury has invited the leaders of all thirty-seven member Churches in the Anglican Communion to a meeting, planned for January next year. His hope is to help them resolve some of their differences and to work out how to work together as a Communion.

David Graham, a musician from Oakham is about to complete a cycle tour which will take in all forty-two cathedrals around England. The trip has been sub-divided into five legs and he hopes to raise £4,200 - £100 per cathedral visited to help Rethink Mental Illness after losing his brother in 2008.

And finally, cricketers from London Diocese beat Guildford Diocese in the final of the Church Times Cup recently by 17 runs. Batting at number 4 was Joe Moffatt, son of Tom Moffatt who was one-time Rector of Padgate.

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Christmas FairThe date originally chosen for the Fair falls on the same weekend as Winter camp! The fair will probably be moved to the following weekend as the Scouts make a real contribution to the day (but if you’re aware of any other difficulties please let us know straight away!) We’ll confirm the date as soon as possible.

Whichever date we settle on, there’s not much time to get everything organised. Last year, we re-vamped some of the stalls and the refreshments and it paid off. We’d like to build on last year’s success.

Once a date has been fixed, there will be Grand Draw tickets to sell. This gets us off to a good start – and it helps advertise the Fair. We will be asking for contributions to the first prize a little nearer the time.

The Bottle Stall and the Prize Tombola are always popular and Beryl and Martgaret are happy to receive donations. Last year, we had a very popular gift stall – and the range of gifts was quite amazing. If you have anything that would be appropriate and you are happy to donate, please bring it in when you’re next in church.

We always ask people to do two things: to advertise the Fair as widely as possible and to offer their services in preparing for the day and on it. We’ve had some cracking Fairs in recent years and we’d like to make this the best yet.

The minister stepped into the pulpit, opened the folder his secretary had provided for his sermon notes and said, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen. You’ll be glad to know that when I asked my secretary to type this sermon out for me, I asked her to eliminate anything that was dull or confusing. So in conclusion...”

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Do join us for what promises to be a spectacular day at the cathedral. Transport available, but please sign up early so that arrangements can be made. The day will finish with a farewell Eucharist to Peter and Pat Bradley, the retiring Archdeacon of Warrington.

Scam alertWhilewaiting in the queue at the HSBC bank, I read a notice reminding customers to beware of phone calls that ask for details of your bank account. It said (and other banks say exactly the same) that they will never ask you personal details over the phone and if someone does, it is a hoax call and you should hang up at once. Don’t be fooled by someone saying that you can ring back as they have a way of keeping the line open so you think you’ve rung the bank but in fact you are still on the same call from the hoaxers.

The same applies to any cold call – don’t tell them anything about yourself. Genuine callers will already have the information they need!

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Fridge and Freezers Washing Machines

Dishwashers Cookers etc

Sing for your Supper Has become an annual event run by Christian Aid in Warrington to raise funds for the work of the charity. It will be held at Hill Cliffe Baptist Church on Saturday 24th October and will include a supper for a donation of £5. All proceeds will go to support women in Mali struggling to feed their families. Poster in church.

Commemoration of All SoulsThis year’s service will be held on the evening of Sunday 1 st November at 6pm and, as usual, we will invite the families of those whose funerals have taken place in the past twelve months.If you would like the names of loved ones to be read out at the service, please ensure you write them on the list in church in good time. The list should be available from Sunday 11th October.

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Macmillan Coffee Morning Apologies for the late cancellation of the coffee morning due to unforeseen

circumstances. It may be possible to re-schedule it for later in the year.

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Harvest SupperIt’s not too late to sign up for the supper which will take place on Saturday 10 th

October at 6pm in the Hall. Please tell Fr Michael as soon as possible please.

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Us (United Society) Lesotho: ‘Practical sleeves-rolled-up mission’

Us Community Fundraising Manager David Brand reports on a recent visit to Lesotho to learn about a church-led community development programme that is changing lives.

It’s just before 11am on a Sunday morning in mid-April.

The all-age service is just beginning at my church – St Marys in Newport, Essex – about 40km outside London.

Friends and familiar faces are arriving; sharing greetings, smiles, stories. Chattering children are excitedly heading for the kids’ corner. The congregation is taking their seats ready for the vicar to welcome everyone and share the notices.

I feel totally at home… and yet I’m not in Newport. I’m not even close.

This morning, I’m in St John’s Church, 5,600 miles away in Ha Sekoai village, a rural settlement about 40km outside Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.

I take my seat on a wooden bench, along with about 150 others. In the corner – like my church in Essex – a group of around 20 children are chattering excitedly.

EmotionI feel emotion welling up inside me. It’s emotion born out of a sense of real community and connection. Over 5,000 miles separates Newport and Ha Sekoai,

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yet we are all children of God, brothers and sisters, connected, part of one communion, with a common mission, albeit shaped by our local context.

The energy in the church in Lesotho is vibrant. There’s a beautiful simplicity and rawness to the singing and percussion.

The rhythm of the service is familiar and, although I don’t understand what’s being said and sung, I feel at home.

‘Practical sleeves-rolled-up mission’Following the service, I have the privilege of speaking with church members. These are people of action, with hopes and dreams for their community. Their mission is to see abundant life; life in all its fullness. And this isn’t just theory; it is practical sleeves-rolled-up mission. The church and community are working together to achieve real change that benefits everyone.

St John’s in Ha Sekoai is taking part in an Us-supported Umoja initiative – an enormously empowering approach to development that unites the local church and community through a shared vision to see lives changed.

Umoja enables communities to make use of locally available resources – money, labour and materials – to make change happen. Everyone is involved: children and teenagers, men and women. This is the whole community taking ownership of their future, for the good of everyone.

The congregation tells me they have both short-term goals and long-term dreams. They want toilets and chairs for the church; an education centre and crèche for the children; local health facilities; clean water and sanitation for the village – and, most importantly, a properly-constructed road to connect their village to the main highway 10 kilometres away. The road repairs have already begun, with the community offering their labour for free for two days a week. This is all a direct result of Umoja.

‘We can change things ourselves!’Mr Mosiea Sebeko, a lay minister at St John’s and an Umoja facilitator, told me: ‘Umoja has made things brighter. Our eyes have been opened. We can change things ourselves!’

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During the service, the congregation said prayers for Umoja and held a collection for the work. The atmosphere was joyful and the donations were generous. This is a church that is not afraid to take challenges and find the resources to tackle them.

The congregation asks for prayerful support from their friends in Britain and Ireland. They ask us to pray that the community can achieve its dream to be self-supporting with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Us is supporting Anglican churches in Lesotho, and around the world, to implement the Umoja way of working. We support training for church leaders and community members so they can facilitate the Umoja process.

David Brand concludes his fascinating trip in next month’s Green Spire.

Working together with school this month:You are invited to the School Harvest Thanksgiving on Friday 9th October at 9.15 am in church. Children from Years 1 and 3 have put together special service for Harvest and would love to see as many people there as possible.

On Sunday 11th October, children from school, and especially Years 1 and 3, will be joining us for our Harvest Thanksgiving and will be singing during the service. Harvest is always a special occasion (in some churches, the best attended service of the year) so make sure you don’t miss it.

At the end of that week, on Friday 16th October, we have invited parents of our new starters in reception to come to the Hall to meet the church family. It will start at 2pm and last about an hour. The children will be there too and we hope to have pictures of them taken during the first few weeks of their school lives. This is a real opportunity to meet the parents right at the beginning and make them feel welcome to come to other things we do in church in the future. However, if they are to meet the church family, we need lots of people there, and we’d also appreciate a few cakes if anyone is willing to offer!

Finally, on Thursday 22nd October at 3pm, we will be holding our next Messy Church. The double theme is Hallowe’en and Light and we’d really appreciate some help. Lots of things to do – something for everyone!

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Who was Luke?On Sunday 18th October, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Luke. Exciting Holiness is a book of collects and reading to be used on saints’ days. It usually has a paragraph about the person commemorated that day. This is what it says about Luke:

“Luke was a dear friend of the apostle Paul, and is mentioned by him three times in his Letters. Paul describes him as 'the belovèd physician' and, in his second Letter to Timothy, as his only companion in prison. He is believed to be the author of two books of the New Testament, firstly the gospel which stands in his name and also the Acts of the Apostles. Luke's narrative of the life of Christ has a pictorial quality and shows the sequential pattern from the nativity through to the death and resurrection. The developed sense of theology that comes over in Paul's writings is virtually unknown in those of Luke but, as a Gentile, Luke makes clear that the good news of salvation is for all, regardless of sex, social position or nationality. Traditionally, Luke wrote his gospel in Greece and died in Boeotia at the age of eighty-four.”

The Venerable Paul Slater, Rector of Bolton Priory spoke about Luke in glowing terms:

“What was Luke’s particular ‘take’ on Christianity? Well, he was more interested in people than ideas …. There is a prominent place for women in the gospel of Luke and also in Acts …. Luke had a lively social conscience …. The parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are both unique to Luke’s gospel – not found in any of the other gospels we have – a warm affectionate heart comes through …. And Luke was clear that Christian faith was a universal faith – not limited to those who had previously held to the Jewish faith …. he believed that all men and women could have their dignity as children of God restored to them by a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. His gospel is littered with people who were often regarded by the then society as beyond the pale – who as a result of meeting Jesus completely changed their life style and life ….

At the heart of Luke’s gospel is an incredibly generous welcome of people …. It’s an engaging message of God’s grace offered to all …. which we are called to live out in our everyday lives and as a church in this place ….”

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Coming to the Cathedral

This year’s summer photgraphic competition reaches its climax in early October with an exhibition of entires for this year’s Photo Exhibition. During September, visitors had the chance to vote for their favourite photograph under the heading “People’s Choice”.

On Monday 5th October, at 6.30pm, Professor Karen Hunt from the University of Keele uncovers the diversity of women's experiences during the Great War in a free public lecture. It accompanies a phot display – further details on page 27 of this edition.

Starting on 7th October, the cathedral shop will be running their annual Cards for Good Causes campaign. It is a chance to buy Christmas Cards and other items to support your favourite charity from a very wide range of established charities.

On Wednesday 14th October (and following Wednesdays), the Cathedral Faith Academy is pleased to offer Supper with the Scriptures. This popular and engaging series of biblical teaching which opens up the scriptures in a thought provoking way.

And then, on Saturday 17th October, Prof Ian Tracey will give an organ recital that will immediately follow Choral Evensong as it first did on 18th October 1926. Visitors are requested to be seated by 2.50pm at the latest please as the recital attracts very large numbers.

On Wednesday 21st October at 10am and 2.30pm, a new Heritage Tour will take visitors behind the scenes to access unique views of Liverpool Cathedral. Each tour lasts approx two and a half hours.

Further details from the catherdral’s website or from Fr Michael.

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As I see it …by Church Mouse“October’s russet hues

with leaves the garden strews.”

“It doesn’t matter where I go, this whole place is sticky!” grumbled Grandpa Mouse. “Look at my paws –and I only picked up a spoon.”

“Sorry,” said Grandma Mouse “we couldn’t let all the fruit go to waste. The hedges were full of blackberries and there were those apples we found in the Hall; (thanks, Margaret) and ‘Lily-over-the-road’ left us both apples and pears!”

“Tell me about it,” grumbled Grandpa. “Boiling, steaming, jamming and jellifying; it’s enough to make a grown mouse move into church”. (Fortunately Grandma’s not thought about pickling them yet, but it’s only a matter of time).

“You’ll be happy enough to help us eat it through the winter” put in Millicent, my wife. She always takes Grandma’s side...

Of course, we mice aren’t the only ones who stock up for the winter.

Squirrels are famous for setting up stores of nuts in case they wake up from their winter sleep (although they are equally famous for their poor memories and forgetting where they left them. Perhaps that’s why they hide so many?) Is that where the phrase ‘going nuts’ comes from? Maybe not...

Recently, some of the mouselings who have just started school came home very excited. “Miss Dormouse [their teacher] said we’re all going to a party” they squeaked. “All the Reception mouselings can bring their mummies and daddies to the Hall to meet the church people and there’s going to be tea and cake too.”

“Oh NO,” said Grandpa Mouse, “more disturbance.”

“Don’t you mean ‘Oh crumbs’ said Millicent?

Churchmouse

A priest, a minister and a Rabbi are on a fishing trip. The Rabbi says he wants a drink so he walks off the boat, across the water and grabs a drink. A few minutes later, the minister wants a drink to and he also walks across the water. The priest thinks to himself, “If God lets them walk on water, he’ll let me too” and leaves the boat. The priest sinks like a stone. The Rabbi turns to the minister and says, “Guess he didn’t know where the stepping stones were!”

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Praying for the world-wide Church

Last month, we started a series on the Anglican Communion. Each day over a two-year cycle, everyone (eighty million members) around the world focuses their prayer on one diocese or province. In our worship in church, we join with other Anglicans in praying for the people of those dioceses. Here are the dioceses that come up on the Sundays in October:

Sunday 4th October: Diocese of Sunyani in GhanaAs the web page says, not every diocese has its own website, and both Sunyani and Tamali (see 11th October) fall into this category. Clearly, some dioceses are situated in areas where technology is just emerging and there are other priorities. Curiously, there is a ‘Society of St Justus’ that was formed by a group of Christian computer experts who had the foresight to register the domain “Anglican.org” Every Church within the Anglican Communion has the right to use that domain and it’s a useful way of ensuring that this is a bone fide member of the Communion.

Sunday 11th October: Diocese of Tamale, also in GhanaThere is no website for this diocese, either. Please remember them both in your prayers.

Sunday 18th October: Diocese of The ArcticThis is a diocese that I’d not come across before yet it is one of the biggest in the world and certainly the biggest by area in the Province of Rupert’s Land in northern Canada! It covers fifteen times the area of the United Kingdom – which must make travelling to outlying parishes pretty daunting. The diocesan office is in Yellowknife and there are two bishops. The senior (Diocesan) bishop is Bishop David Parsons who was consecrated bishop in June 2012. His assistant (Suffragan) Bishop is Darren McCartney who was also appointed in 2012 when the new cathedral, dedicated to St Jude, was dedicated.

There are just 55,000 people living in the diocese: Inuit live above the tree line and Indians to the south along with other nationalities that have moved in.

The Anglican presence in the area dates back to 1853 but due to inhospitable conditions was slow to develop, particularly inland. One or two missionaries

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made their mark but it was largely through the spread of the gospel by individuals talking to one another that the Church grew. Indigenous peoples quickly assumed leadership roles and the Church grew quickly, ministering now to almost all the Inuit population.

The diocese only became such in 1933 though ministry was ongoing long before that date. There are eight deaneries, though most consist of just four parishes and in some deaneries, one ordained minister looks after all four parishes! (And we thought reducing clergy numbers was a problem unique to this country).

The Church was active in providing hospitals in the early years and one of them, the former St Luke’s Hospital at Pangnirtung, is now the Arthur Turner Training School where Inuit Catechists, lay leaders and deacons are trained. In the College Handbook, there is a paragraph about the Course. It says, “Courses are normally held Monday through Friday and students are expected to take part in the Sunday activities of the parish. From time to time the principal will allow days off as reading days or for hunting. This practice has a number of purposes. It allows the students to get out onto the land enabling them to hunt and fish and so care for their families and it also gives them a time of refreshment as they return to the traditional ways of their culture. It also gives those who are teaching extra time to prepare materials.”

Sunday 25th October: Dioceses of Tohoku and Tokyo in Japan

The Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan consists of eleven dioceses, over three hundred church and chapel congregations and numbers 60,000 members across the country.

The Diocese of Tohoku is centred on Sendai and the cathedral of Christ Church. The Diocese of Tokyo, established in its modern form in 1923, has its cathedral dedicated to St Andrew, though the English speaking congregation meets at nearby St Alban’s. St Luke’s chapel is located in the grounds of the old hospital and is one of the very few church buildings in Tokyo to have survived the Second World War.

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Holy Baptism:

27th September Arlo Austin Bradbury

Funerals: 3rd Sept Alan Titchard11th Sept Ada Mary Fogg24th Sept Jean Shovelton29th Sept Lisa Marie Minton

Communicants and Collections: 2015 Sunday

CommunicantsMidweek

CommunicantsLoose

Collections £PlannedGiving £

30th Aug 38 13 94.42 253.50 6th Sept 39 14 7.02 299.43

13th Sept 43 12 45.42 153.50 20th Sept 34 7 13.09 138.50 27th Sept 40 8 121.05 268.63

Donations

We would like to thank everyone who has made a gift or donation to our various funds recently. Our special thanks go to:

General Fund In loving memory of Keith Percival (Ron's best friend) from Renee

Hollingsworth Donation towards confirmation costs from St James' Westbrook Loving memories of a dear Dad's birthday, Bill Shaw, (18 October) from Sue

and Robert Baird In memory of Alice Fellows on her year's mind from Susan and Robert Baird In memory of dear Mum, Elsie Baird, on her birthday (15th October) from

Robert and Susan Baird

From the Registers

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In loving memory of my mother, May Hinton (Year's Mind 20 Sep) from Margaret Ellison

In thanksgiving for Arlo's baptism from Lily Mullen

Flower Fund In memory of William Boardman, my Dad, from your loving daughter

Joyce Crozier

Winners of the Phoenix Club Draw Sunday 30th August Sunday 17th September

First prize: 136 A. Clarke 108 A. YeamansSecond prize: 114 Dot Miller 123 R. BairdThird prize: 103 J. Worrall 122 J. Blyth

Elle and EsseHair and Beauty Lodge

Unisex Hair SalonLYNETTE and SUELodge Lane, Bewsey

Warrington

Tel: 01925 232282

An elderly man attended a school reunion but was dismayed to find that his surviving classmates simply wanted to talk about their various ailments – heart conditions, liver complaints and kidney stones.

When he arrived back home, his wife asked him how it went. “It wasn’t so much a school reunion,” he sighed, “more like an organ recital.”

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WW1 Nurses Exhibition

Memorial Chapel of Liverpool Cathedral22nd September - 21st October 2015

09:00 - 18:00 (each day)

The WW1 Nurses exhibition in Liverpool Cathedral tells the story of the part that the nursing associations played in WW1 both here and abroad.

The inspiration behind the latest exhibition exploring Liverpool Cathedral’s roll of honour came from the Nurses Memorial situated in the Lady Chapel. When the archivists started to research the names of the nurses and their connection with Liverpool, they discovered that they hailed from all over the British Isles. The nurses worked all over the battle front, some as far away as Iraq and India whilst others worked locally. Not all died in battle; some caught Spanish flu or malaria from their patients.

The exhibition will be situated in the Memorial Chapel from 22nd September – 22nd October 2015. The exhibition was put together with support from the First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of local, regional, national and international cultural and educational organisations, led by the Imperial War Museum (IWM).

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Prayer Intentions for October

Thu 1st Borrowdale Avenue Moriting School in South AfricaFri 2nd Brathay Close St Margaret and All Hallows, OrfordSat 3rd Currans Road

Sun 4th THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITYMon 5th Horseshoe Crescent Mersey Mission to SeafarersTue 6th Harvey Court Local residents’ groupsWed 7th Keswick Avenue Migrants coming into EuropeThu 8th Sandy Lane West Staff at St James’ HouseFri 9th Bexhill Avenue Christ Church, PadgateSat 10th Those living outside

the parishLawrence’s Roundabout Pump charity

Sun 11th HARVEST THANKSGIVINGMon 12th Achilles Avenue Church Urban Fund projectsTue 13th Kirkstone Avenue St Rocco’s HospiceWed 14th Statham Avenue SyriaThu 15th Chiltern Road Our Area Dean, StephenFri 16th Honister Avenue Church of the AscensionSat 17th Swindale Avenue Medical practitioners

Sun 18th ST LUKE, EVANGELISTMon 19th Cooper Avenue Guild of Church BraillistsTue 20th Pentland Place Warrington HospitalWed 21st Loweswater Close NepalThu 22nd Mill Farm Close Bishop PaulFri 23rd Crawley Avenue Church of the ResurrectionSat 24th Birch Avenue Our Sunday School

Sun 25th THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITYMon 26th Ullswater Avenue Christian AidTue 27th Cheviot Avenue Residential and Nursing HomesWed 28th Kendal Avenue Israel and GazaThu 29th Oxenham Road Peter and Pat BradleyFri 30th Long Lane Church of the TransfigurationSat 31st Ennerdale Avenue WAC Attack at the cathedral

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