Lumen - anglican.lu … · He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home...
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Lumen Autumn 2017
Transcript of Lumen - anglican.lu … · He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home...
Lumen
Autumn 2017
The Anglican Church of Luxembourg
The Anglican Church of Luxembourg is a Chaplaincy within the Diocese in Europe of the Church of England. Our worship is open to all.
Bishop The Rt Revd Dr Robert InnesTel +32 (0)2 213 7480 [email protected]
Suffragan Bishop The Rt Revd David Hamid Tel +44 (0)20 7898 1160 [email protected]
Chaplain/Locum 621 199 242 [email protected]
Lay Assistant Evelyn Sweerts [email protected]
Church OfficeParish Coordinator Lynn Barclay Tel/Fax 43 95 93 [email protected]. Assistant Elaine Birch Tel/Fax 43 95 93 [email protected]
Registered address Room 147 Centre Jean XXIII, 52 rue Jules Wilhelm, L-2728 Luxembourg
Services at The Konvikt Chapel, 5 Avenue Marie-Thérèse, Luxembourg City
Church CouncilGabriel Chelladurai [email protected] Dimond 691 850 523 [email protected] Gebhard 621 229 250 [email protected] Gillham [email protected] Hodgson 691 311 652 [email protected] Legge 621 350 746 [email protected] Page 691 331427 [email protected]
SecretaryTania Buhr [email protected]
Archdeaconry RepresentativesVictoria Hodgson 691 311 652 [email protected] Hogg 34 70 42 [email protected]
ChurchwardensPhilippa Seymour 35 90 97 [email protected] Norcross 621 365 542 [email protected]
TreasurerGabriel Chelladurai [email protected]
Bank AccountAccount name L’Église Anglicane du Luxembourg
BGLL account No LU12 0030 7313 9549 0000
Website www.anglican.lu
Anglican Church of Luxembourg
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Dear Friends,
“You reap what you sow …”
Restore our fortunes, O Lord (…) Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home
with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. — Psalm 126:4-6
On a recent Monday morning I walked into our church in Brussels to see the remnants of
what must have been a stunning Harvest Festival display. I had missed it all. Over the
weekend I visited St Mary’s in Twente (the Netherlands) for their Dedication Festival.
Returning home I had heard the enthusiastic stories from my children and had seen the
photos. Glorious autumnal colours. Now I was staring at left-over flowers, fruit and
vegetables. Silent witnesses of seasonal beauty in an empty city church. It just struck me
how different this felt from what we experienced before.
When we lived in rural France, we were so much more in tune with ‘We plough the fields
and scatter’. It was very special to witness the steady work on the fields throughout the
year. My favourite bit was the ploughing. The moist glimmering earth ready to receive the
seed to start another cycle. On the surface it all looked beautiful. However, the reality was
more laborious. Farmers in our congregation told me that farming was not easy. Actually
it was very hard work. Some years were good. Some not, despite all the hard work.
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Most of us are not in the farming business, but we have all learned the basic truths of
sowing and reaping. And if we don’t, life will make sure we learn the harder way.
Although this principle seems to hold most of the time, we can all think back to situations
where we sowed good seed and got very little in return, like our farmer friends. Or when
we did little to deserve a good harvest and were blessed with plenty. Although we are
quite good at forgetting or rationalising the latter experience.
Over the last year much work has been done to prepare ‘the ground’ for the next cycle of
growth in your Chaplaincy. Although it has been a substantial amount of work, I hope that
‘sowing in tears’ is not quite how it felt. I just think back to the Vision Day, which felt so
positive and constructive. A good moment. So, not many tears, but we do pray for a
homecoming with ʻshouts of joy’. As I am writing these words I think we are coming to
the end of the selection process to find a new Chaplain. Whoever that person will be, and
in whatever way the next months will play out, the Lord of the Harvest longs for us all to
be fruitful, wherever he has scattered us. Reaping is not left to chance … when we stay
close to Him.
I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing. — John 15:5
May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Paul Vrolijk.
Archdeacon
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Announcements
FUNERALS
7 July Neil Wimblett Medlyn
10 July Graham Charles Fidler
14 July Bruce Jonathan Morris
Forthcoming special services and events 2017-18All services will be held in the Konvikt Chapel.
Sunday 12 November, 10.50 amRemembrance Day Service
Wednesday 22 November, 7.30 pmIona Community Liturgy Service of Healing (see p. 9)
Sunday 10 December, 11 amFamily Carol Service and lunch
Sunday 17 December, 7.30 pm(time to be confirmed) Christmas concert Followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Retiring collection in aid of church charity fund.
Thursday 21 December, 6.30 pmBlue Christmas service (see p. 10)
Sunday 24 December, Christmas EveHoly Communion service at 9.30 amChristingle service at 4.00 pmMidnight Eucharist at 11.00 pm
Monday 25 December, 10.30 amChristmas Day Holy Communion service
Sunday 4 February 2018, all dayArts Festival
Lumen goes virtual
It costs our church about 600 euros to print and post paper copies of an edition of Lumen to all on our mailing list. Since our finances are currently stretched (see p. 6), this edition is being sent to you as a pdf file by email, to save costs. The picture quality has been reduced, to spare your in-box. For the full picture quality, please go to our website at anglican.lu and click on Documents & Links, then Lumen magazine. Comments are welcome: please write to [email protected]. Ed.
Autumn cover photos
Thanks to Fiona Turner for a view of rosehip fruit, and to Tania Buhr for a cornucopia.
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News from the Church Council
The June meeting dealt with locum arrangements and making sure that services continued to run smoothly over the summer period. The Council reviewed the Te Deum service held on 25 June and the ‘Fun and Fundraising’ Sports Day held on 18 June, looking at what had gone well and what could be improved for next time. Evelyn Sweerts, the Lay Pastoral Assistant, reported on the proposed new initiatives for the autumn, including the launch of a Christian classics book club, a Taizé-style service and monthly ‘Philosophy for Children’ sessions for Junior Church children. Isabel Page presented a paper she had drawn up on the property situation in Luxembourg and its implications for our property holdings, which gave rise to considerable discussion.
The Council then took a welcome break in August, resuming its meetings in mid-September, onceagain with a long and varied agenda. Nick Jones attended the meeting at the Council’s invitation to present his ideas for ways of improving the church’s sound system; these proposals were then agreed (see p.11). The Churchwardens reported on the state of play as regards recruiting a new Chaplain, as well as on the question of the subsidy from the Luxembourg government. Other matters discussed included the use of the Salle Rheinsheim hall, a letter from the Bishop about safeguarding and insurance, and the upcoming reception of the new office flat. As the Church was running at a deficit, it was decided that the Churchwardens should send the congregation an e-mail (see below, Ed) asking for interim help, pending the arrival of the new Chaplain.
Tania Buhr
For more details, please visit anglican.lu / Links & Documents / Meeting Minutes & Reports, and scroll down to ʻChurch Councilʼ.
Church finances
The last two Sundays in September showed that the Anglican Church in Luxembourg is thriving despite the long interregnum. We enjoyed a musical treat when Holy Communion was accompanied by uplifting music from our augmented choir with string orchestra, and a visual treat from the beautiful decorations in the chapel for our Harvest Festival, as well as inspirational sermons on both Sundays from our locum John Philpott. Our congregation as always was generous with its donations of food items to those in need, and last weekend we had fun at the Treasure Hunt and enjoyed food and fellowship at the Harvest Lunch. Since Chris Lyon retired we have maintained our pattern of two services every Sunday and three on the first Sunday of the month, as well as social and fund-raising events and midweek groups, and more are planned for the autumn.
However, at its September meeting the Council decided that it was time to make the Church membership aware of the weakened financial situation that we have been facing during the interregnum. The fact is that all this activity costs money. As well as many volunteers we have four paid staff: lay assistant Evelyn, music director Ovidiu, coordinator Lynn and admin assistant Elaine. During the interregnum more load has generally fallen on these four people. We pay the
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locums for their time and travel, we pay rent for the chapel, the Salle Maria-Rheinsheim and the office, and there are all the other normal expenses of running an organisation. We are also still committed to giving at least 10% of our income to charities.
All this has to be covered by giving from the congregation. Under the new Convention between the Government and churches in Luxembourg we have been expecting to receive a grant that would partially have covered staff costs this year, but we have not yet received anything (in fact, since the Convention only came into force in September 2016 – and the Government was already paying a Chaplain’s salary for the whole of that period – any subsidy in 2017, which is to be calculated on the basis of the previous year, would necessarily be a relatively small amount). We hope that we will start receiving something much closer to the full grant next year, when we will probably also be paying a new Chaplain's salary. As people leave Luxembourg they naturally stoppaying their standing orders to the church, and weekly collections in church have also decreased during the interregnum. Meanwhile, we are having to rely on our own resources and have been running a deficit of about €4000 per month on average so far this year.
We are not facing bankruptcy just yet. After selling the old vicarage and buying the two flats there was some surplus to put in the savings account. The Council considers that it would be proper stewardship of our resources to maintain these savings as far as possible – rather than using them for the normal running of the church, as we have increasingly had to do to make up the monthly shortfalls. This is in any case not a sustainable policy in the long term.
We are therefore asking you, church members, whether you can give a bit extra to help tide us over this difficult time. A one-off donation before the end of this calendar year would be most welcome; even better would be an increase in your standing order, or to start a regular standing order if you don't have one already.
The church bank account is:
L’Eglise Anglicane du Luxembourg
IBAN: LU12 0030 7313 9549 0000 BIC: BGLLLULL
Details about standing orders are on our website, anglican.lu.
Once we have a new Chaplain in place and are receiving the Luxembourg Government grant we expect to be able to strengthen our finances again and thus be better placed to plan for the long term. Meanwhile, we would appreciate your help to ensure that the 2017 end-of-year accounts arenot too discouraging for our future incumbent.
Simon Norcross and Philippa Seymour, Churchwardens
Gabriel Chelladurai, Treasurer
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BISHOP’S ADVENT APPEAL 2017
This year’s Advent Appeal aims to support homeless refugees and asylum seekers in Rome with humanitarian assistance (a daily, cooked breakfast and essential items for personal dignity and warmth) for 6 months. We are doing this through a well-established and well-run project established by our Episcopal sister church of St Paul’s Within the Walls.
The Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre assists approximately 17,000 people a year, and is the only day centre open to receive homeless asylum seekers and refugees in Rome. Every day, JNRC welcomes 200-250 guests. The guests come from many different nations, including Mali, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Pakistan, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Half of them are homeless, sleeping in parks or on the pavement outside train stations. Many are vulnerable, depressed and traumatized. They are sometimes completely alone. They can be as young as 18 or 19. 70% have come to Italy to flee active conflict, political or religious persecution. Approximately 85% are men, and 15% are women or accompanied by a child.
While they wait for shelter, they are welcomed at JNRC, given a nutritious, cooked breakfast, as well as items for their personal dignity (toiletries, second-hand shoes, clothes and blankets), and offered legal advice. If they wish, they can join a language lesson, learn to use a computer or simply watch the news on the TV. JNRC has a multi-faith prayer space where guests can meditateand pray.
JNRC is the only place in Rome that takes in homeless and dormitory-housed refugees during theday, giving them a safe refuge from the streets. Often, once they have a dorm bed, they return to take classes, write a CV in Italian and begin the search for employment. Some guests attend music and art therapy or see a counsellor for individual sessions. JNRC prides itself on being ableto track the progress of many young people who transition from humanitarian assistance, to beingable to fend for themselves in Rome.
For 6 months supply of: Amount in EuroFood €7,500Cleaning supplies and costs €2,000Consumable supplies €250
Kitchen Equipment €750Underwear, toiletries and socks €1,750100 Sleeping bags for January - March €1,500TOTAL €13,250
We aim to raise enough money to support the breakfast programme and to provide basic supplies and sleeping bags for JNRC guests for six months. As usual, you can give money to this appeal through your church treasurer, who will forward your gift to the diocesan office. Funds will then be transmitted direct to JNRC (http://jnrc.it/).
Please do consider how you can support my Advent appeal this year.
With every blessing,
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John & Margaret Philpott(a brief autobiography of our current locum and his wife)
Our lives tend to work out in decades. In the sixties we were students (Leicester University) and teachers (Uganda). In the seventies John was an ordinand (Bristol) and a curate (Knutsford and Solihull) and Margaret was a full-time mother to the four children. In the eighties we were in the inner city (Birmingham) where John was vicar of St Luke’s and in the nineties we were in the provinces (Nuneaton, Warwickshire) where John was vicar of All Saints, Chilvers Coton. The noughties saw us in Prague where John was chaplain at St Clement’s. That was followed by retirement (Exmouth, Devon), election onto the council of the Intercontinental Church Society, and in recent years a number of locums in various European chaplaincies (Luxembourg is the twelfth). Besides being the unpaid curate in many situations Margaret has been a school outreach-worker, a teacher and a magistrate.
What gives us a lot of joy?
The fact that our children have continued in the faith and are lay leaders in their own churches in Birmingham, Leeds and Exeter. The nine grandchildren are being brought up to know that Jesus is Lord.
The life-changing truths of the faith which still energise us. The evidence that the faith works, seen in the grace-filled lives of those we meet in the
churches we have served. And then there are books, music and art and walking in the great outdoors.
Canon John & Mrs Margaret Philpott(fish-eating vegetarians)
Thank youDear All,
Thank you very much for the kind farewell gift of the communion set, which Phil will put to good use for home visits in the Sprowston parish. Also for the extra cash, which has helped to fund the purchase of a new guitar, to be used in local school assemblies and some parish services. We really appreciate your kindness, generosity and encouragement.
Penny and Phil HarveyPenny and Phil’s new address is 62 Avocet Rise, Sprowston, Norwich, NR7 8ES, England.Landline 0044 (0)1603 948222. Email [email protected].
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Iona Healing Service and Blue ChristmasSpecial services in the coming months
The Anglican Church will be offering two special services in the coming months, and all are warmly invited to attend – whether you usually go to church or not.
A Service of Prayer for Healing
The Iona Community is a dispersed Christian ecumenical community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Church engaged together, and with people of goodwill across the world, in acting, reflecting and praying for justice, peace and the integrity of creation; convinced that the inclusive community they seek must be embodied in the community they practise. You can find more information about the Community on their website, https://iona.org.uk/
The Community has produced many resources for worship over the years that reflect their particular spirituality. Their worship book explains this healing service best: ʻThis service of prayers for healing, which takes place every Tuesday evening at the Abbey church, reflects the Community’s belief that God’s purpose for us all is a life of wholeness, as expressed in the life and teaching of Jesus. We each stand in need of healing, but in this ministry we recognise also thesocial dimension. The healing of divided communities and nations, and the healing of the earth itself, have their place alongside the healing of broken bodies, hurt minds and wounded hearts, and of the hurts and divisions within ourselves. So too our prayers are complementary to the work of medicine and other forms of healing, which are also channels of God’s loving and transforming purpose.
ʻIn our service we shall name particular people, places and situations for which prayers have beenspecifically asked. We do this because each person and situation is known to God, not as a problem to be solved, but as a focus for God’s acceptance and love. We are not seeking to change God but to change the world; and we trust God that our prayers will be answered, although we donot know when or how healing will happen.
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ʻThere will also be an opportunity for those who wish to come forward to receive or share in the ministry of the laying-on of hands. This can be either for themselves or for another person or situation. In and through this we affirm that the ministry of healing is not restricted to particular individuals but is a corporate, inclusive process – the work of the whole Christian community in which we all have a part to play. God’s healing purpose, the promise of God’s fulfilling and sustaining love, is for every one of us. Whether we choose to come forward or to remain seated inprayer and concern, God can use our presence in this serviceʼ.1
Our church will be offering this service on Wednesday 22 November, at 7.30 pm in the Konvikt Chapel. Everyone, regardless of church background (or lack of it) is welcome.
Blue Christmas
Christmas can be a painful time for some of us. It may be the first Christmas without a loved family member who has died; or the first after divorce; it may be a time that has always been difficult. As expats, we may find ourselves unable to join our families this year. For some, Christmas is simply a lonely time.
The constant refrain in the media, in shopping malls and at Christmas markets, and in churches and homes, emphasising the happiness of the season and getting together with family and friends,reminds many people of what they have lost or have never had. The anguish of broken relationships, the insecurity of unemployment, the weariness of ill health, the pain of isolation—all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating. For some of us, our spirits sink as the days grow shorter. We feel the darkness growing deeper around us. We need the space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern; we need to know that we are not alone. We need encouragement to live the days ahead of us. For these reasons, we will be offering a special ‘Longest Night’ or Blue Christmas service on Thursday 21 December at 6.30 pm.
All are welcome to join with us in sharing and hearing prayers, scripture, and music that acknowledge that God’s presence is for those who mourn, for those who struggle – and that God’s Word comes to shine light into our darkness. At the end of the service a prayer ministry team will be available to pray for anyone who would value extra prayers. Everyone, regardless of church background (or lack of it), is welcome.
Evelyn Sweerts
1 © The Iona Community from The Iona Abbey Worship Book, published by Wild Goose Publications, Iona Community, Fourth Floor, Savoy House, 140 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3DH, UK.
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A sound system for the chapel
At Septemberʼs meeting the Church Council approved some enhancements to the sound system in the Konvikt Chapel. The reasons, and the enhancements approved, are set out briefly below.
1. The current wired microphone system does not encourage regular use of the system, because ofthe risks from trailing wires, and the celebrant or preacherʼs limited freedom of movement.
The use of wireless microphones, and the relevant receiving equipment, all linked into the existing mixer and amplifier, will overcome the risks and inconvenience associated with trailing microphone wires. We expect to use two hand-held or stand-mounted microphones for readings and intercessions, and up to two lapel microphones with belt-pack transmitters, one for the celebrant and one other for more occasional use.
2. The lack of regular speech-reinforcement amplification can make it difficult for many listeners to hear some readers and speakers. This can be a particular challenge for hearing-aid users.Regular use of amplification will partly address this problem. The addition of an induction-loop amplifier and a hearing loop cable (discreetly fitted around the internal perimeter of the chapel) will make it possible for hearing-aid users to use the ʻTʼ setting. The use of a loop system is increasingly seen as best-practice where a public building may have hearing-impaired visitors.
3. The mixer (which pulls together and balances the sounds from microphones and instruments) should really be located close to where listeners are.At the moment, with the mixer near the organ and the altar, it is difficult to balance the sound and adjust the volume.
Moving the mixer to the opposite end of the chapel will make it simpler to make adjustments to balance and volume. Some special cable is required to take (wired) microphone
and instrument signals to the mixer, and to return the mixed signal to the amplifier.
4. Singers and instrumentalists who are behind the main speakers can find it difficult to hear whatthey are doing individually as part of the overall sound mix. The use of some additional monitor speakers, directed back to the musicians, will remove this difficulty.
The diagram illustrates the new sound system components alongside the existing parts.
Nick Jones
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InstrumentsVoices
Wired Microphones
Wireless Microphones
Wireless Microphones
Wireless Receiver
Monitor Speaker(s)
(New Components)
Introducing … Claudia & Ovidiu Dragan
Ovidiu was born in Sinaia, a popular Romanian mountain resort, where he lived for 19 years, andthen moved to the capital city, to spend the next 19 building a family and continuing his studies atBucharest University of Music. He was a university lecturer in choral conducting, obtaining a PhD in music in 2005, and guest conductor of a symphony orchestra. In April 2009 he moved to Luxembourg to work as a music teacher (of piano and solfège), conducting several choirs and brass bands, and was for seven years music director of the Harmonie Municipale in Differdange.
Claudia was born in Bucharest, Romania, where she studied economics and psychology, as well as Argentine tango and Chinese martial arts.
Tell us about your lives …Ovidiu I became the music director of the Anglican Church Choir two years ago and my constant thought is to grow this choir and further cultivate its brilliant and special Anglican choral sound, which so impresses me.
I started my musical journey when I was five, with piano and violin, and am currently developingmy passion for choral and instrumental ensembles, by combining the choir as often as possible with a viol consort, string ensemble, or even chamber orchestra (such as the OPL members who accompanied the Te Deum service in 2016).
I have two children from my previous marriage. They have both studied music since their early years, which I think has also given them very good skills with languages. This summer I married Claudia, whom I met again in December 2015 after 25 years, as unexpectedly as in a movie. We offer each other every day a second chance for a beautiful life together, both being in second marriages.
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Claudia I joined Ovidiu in Luxembourg in July 2016, and recently tied the knot in the blessed presence of representatives of the Anglican congregation. As a psychotherapist, I appreciate and enjoy Luxembourgʼs multiculturalism and especially the Anglican Church of Luxembourgʼs openpolicy towards all Christians. Luxembourg has so far given me wonderful opportunities to grow spiritually as well as professionally, working from my first month with refugees and other disadvantaged people. I am a specialist in verbal and expressive therapies (art therapy, dance / movement therapy), and enjoy working equally with adults and children, currently assisting clients both in Differdange and Luxembourg City.
What are your interests?Ovidiu In spite of a growing lack of interest in religion amongst the younger generations, I wish to refresh the musical spirit within the choir. The Anglican Senior Choir has a very good anchoring in tradition, which gives energy and confidence to newer members regardless of their age. I am happy also to be in the middle of a very friendly and convivial community.
Claudia I love to take long walks in the countryside, to tend our house plants, as well as to read and dance. I enjoy discovering new features of our marriage, nourishing together our spirituality and our talent for storytelling.
Finding our Church …Ovidiu I come from an Orthodox background, having also conducted the Romanian church choir in Luxembourg. From a musicianʼs point of view, I find Anglican chant complex, resourceful anda huge interpretative potential. Anglican music frequently benefits from the experience of a professional to help the congregation in its worship. It also provides satisfaction by presenting a degree of difficulty challenging enough even for professional musicians. At every rehearsal I am astonished by the quality and flexibility of our experienced Anglican voices. There is especial enjoyment in exploring together with the choir the many aspects of our international musical culture.
Claudia As an Orthodox Christian myself, I enjoy Anglican services and have recently dared to join the choir, to try to contribute to the inspiration I receive from this church every Sunday. While I miss my family, I find the Anglican church and especially the choir feel like another home from home.
Favourite hymn …Ovidiu As a parent loves his children equally, I think each hymn I interpret with the choir has its beauty, and cannot decide which feature to place first: the deep meaning of the text, the beauty of the tune or its harmonic refinement. For a quick answer, I will choose a hymn which now comes to mind, with its medieval Irish character and esoteric text: Be Thou My Vision.
Claudia My choice is All Hail the Power of Jesuʼs Name (NEH 332).
Ovidiu & Claudia Dragan
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Rejoicing in the Lord alway
On 17 September the Choir sang Henry Purcell’s anthem Rejoice in the Lord alway in the originalversion for solo voices, chorus and strings, accompanied by eight players specially recruited fromlocal friends, Differdange-Petange Music School and Esch/Alzette Conservatoire.
From left to right, in the front row: director Ovidiu and sopranos Jennifer, Magda, Mary, Claudia & Carolyn; treble Benedikt; second row: altos Kristina, Jane, Fiona, Alison, Pavla & Jane; third row: tenors Kerry, Nick, Stuart & Henry and basses Newman, Clive & Edward; back row: organists Robin, Jean, Robert, Ron & Alan; in the string section: Sally (viola), Anna (cello), Jo, Camal & Naori (2nd violins), Joao & Mathilde (1st violins) and Laurene Schuller (leader).
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Reverse Advent 2017
This year the Church is again inviting people to participate in a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’, this time directly in aid of the Fondation Maison de la Porte Ouverte (FMPO), which supports families in need in Luxembourg (http://fmpo.lu/).
How it works1. Find a sturdy box or two, or a shopping bag you can spare.2. Starting on 16 November, try to put one item in your container every day. Suggested donations are listed below. If you have children, it is easy to get them involved in choosing items as well. If you can’t manage every day: don’t worry, every little helps! Perhaps on the days when you can’t add an item, you could take the time to pray for whoever will receive the food and for the work of the FMPO.3. Do invite your friends to participate as well – everyone is welcome at our Family Carol Service, when we will be collecting the donations.4. By Sunday 10 December (the date of the Family Carol Service) you will have donated up to 24 items. Please bring them to church, from where a team will take them to the FMPO. We will be inviting FMPO representatives to join us that day as well, and they will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Items that are especially appreciatedTea, UHT milk, ground coffee, biscuits, biscottes/toast, sugar, jam, honey (small jars preferably), tinned vegetables, stock cubes, rice, pasta (normal and gluten-free), sachets of powdered/instant soup, small bottles of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, packs of fruit juice (from concentrate) and new,unused toys. The toys will be gift-wrapped by the FMPO and given to children who otherwise won’t get a Christmas present. If possible, try to include a few Christmas-themed items, for example Christmas biscuits or Stollen.
For more information please speak to Edward Ojo, or contact him by email: [email protected].
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Be a Boaz
There are two stories in the Bible that present the contrasting attitudes of two farmers to wealth. In the book of Luke, Jesus told the parable of the rich man whose farm yielded more than he could handle. So, he thought to himself, ‘Here I am with my fields bearing so much fruit, and with me having very little storage space for it all. This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
By contrast, the Old Testament tells the story of Naomi who had spent some time in a foreign land. She had been well-off when she set out, but disaster and ill-fortune had left her destitute andhumbled as she returned to the village she had left behind. Her two sons had died but Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law (a foreigner), had stuck by her. To make ends meet for herself and her mother-in-law, Ruth had to gather the few grains that fell on the ground as the men working for Boaz, a wealthy farmer, harvested his fields. Boaz could have told his men to chase Ruth away orlock her up for trespassing on his land. Instead, he asked them to deliberately drop some grain on the ground so that she could pick it up to feed herself and Naomi.
In the first story, the farmer was rich, stinking rich! He could not think of anyone else but himself. His biggest worry was how to store and conserve his riches. In the second story, Boaz was rich, but he knew what it meant to be poor. He was not going to do his charity openly or in an embarrassing manner either.
The parable that Jesus told was not to discourage people from reaping the fruit of their hard labour. It was more to do with how riches often blind a lot of people to the suffering of the less fortunate around them.
The news in September 2017 from STATEC (the national statistical office) that, on average, every person in Luxembourg throws away 123 kilograms of food each year does not come as a surprise. Yet it should shock us all because, believe it or not, there are people in this country who are in a lot worse situation than Naomi and Ruth were.
We are blessed so that we can be a source of blessing to others who are less fortunate. The truth isthat we are richer than we realise. We do not need to be wealthy farmers to realise that we have a choice to make: we can choose either to be a Boaz, or the self-centred farmer in Jesus’s parable.
Our Church community is a charitable one. We do care. Our responses to calls for support of the poor have been most encouraging. What you give might not seem much to you. But it means a lotto the people on the receiving end. They are very grateful.
Thank you!Edward Ojo
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East Acklam
For the fruits of his creation,thanks be to God!
For his gifts to every nation,thanks be to God!
For the ploughing, sowing, reaping,silent growth while we are sleeping;future needs in earth’s safe keeping,
thanks be to God!
In the just reward of labour,God’s will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour,God’s will is done;
in our worldwide task of caringfor the hungry and despairing;in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.
For the harvests of the Spirit,thanks be to God!
For the good we all inherit,thanks be to God!
For the wonders that astound us,for the truths that still confound us;most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God!
F. Pratt Green (1903-2003)
(The poem appears as No 286 in Hymns for Today’s Church, which we sang at this year’s harvest festival. It is set to the tune East Acklam by Francis Jackson, who was for many years the organist at York Minster. In his book about hymn tunes Cyril Taylor, who composed Abbot’s Leigh as the alternative tune for ‘Glorious things of thee are spoken’, gives East Acklam top rating as the perfect melody. –Ed.)
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People responsible for:
Charities Martin Curwen 34 82 26 [email protected]
Children’s Ministry Coordinator [email protected]
Coffee Carole Vlachavas 43 84 [email protected]
Communications Philippa Seymour 35 90 97Committee [email protected]
Community Group Rani Roloff 621 181 [email protected]
Ecumenical Moira Hogg 34 70 42Representative [email protected]
JPIC Group Philippa Seymour 35 90 [email protected]
Flowers Lucyna Muscat 621 294 [email protected]
Intercessions Carol Birch 26 51 03 [email protected]
Junior Church rota Siân Crisp [email protected]
Lions & Lambs Cherry Kent [email protected]
Lumen magazine Edward Seymour 35 90 [email protected]
Mothers’ Prayers Rani Roloff 621 181 [email protected]
Music & Choir Ovidiu Dragan [email protected]
Readers 9.30 am Richard Deeley 33 77 [email protected]
Readers 11 am Elizabeth Galvin [email protected]
Readers 6.30 pm John Overstall [email protected]
Safeguarding Moira Hogg 34 70 42 [email protected]
Webmaster John Dimond 691 850 [email protected]
Wellsprings Cheryl Fisher 621 238 452
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