Diary Mar - Apr 2017

Weds 1 Mar 8 pm Elders MeetingFri 3 Mar 11.30 am Women’s World Day of Prayer service at

St Peter’s ChurchSat 4 Mar 9 am Prayer BreakfastSun 5 Mar 10.30 am Family Worship. Major David Scott Sat 11 Mar 9 am

3.30 pmCTM Prayer Meeting at Christ ChurchCTM Messy Church at Christ Church

Sun 12 Mar 10.30 am Family Worship with Holy Communion. The Minister

Sat 18 Mar 7.30 pm Quiz Night at Maidenhead URCSun 19 Mar 10.30 am Family Worship. Mr Geoff CroninTues 21 Mar 8.30 pm Marlene VerPlanck sings the Great American

Songbook – Jazz concert at Christ ChurchSun 26 Mar 10.30 am Mothering Sunday Family Worship.

The MinisterSat 1 Apr 9 am Prayer BreakfastSun 2 Apr 10.30 am Family Worship. The EldersWeds 5 Apr 8 pm Elders MeetingSat 8 Apr 9 am

10 am3.30 pm

CTM Prayer Meeting at Christ ChurchChristian Aid film show at Christ ChurchCTM Messy Church at Christ Church

Sun 9 Apr 10.30 am

4.30 pm

Palm Sunday Family Worship with Holy Communion. The MinisterDavid’s talk on Detroit – see page 5

Thurs 13 Apr 7 pm Maundy Thursday Passover Meal Fri 14 Apr 10.30 am

11.15 am

Good Friday service in the park, followed by Walk of WitnessCTM all-age service at Marlow Methodist

Sat 15 Apr evening Easter Concert at Christ Church – see page 10Sun 16 Apr 10.30 am Easter Sunday Family Worship with Holy

Communion. The Revd Hedley FeastSun 23 Apr 10.30 am Family Worship. The Minister

Followed by Church AGMSun 30 Apr 10.30 am Family Worship at Christ Church. With

Maidenhead URC. Mr Rob Lewis Followed by Bluebell Walk – see page 8

Weds 3 May 8 pm Elders MeetingSat 6 May 9 am Prayer BreakfastSun 7 May 10.30 am Family Worship. Ms Madeline Diver

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February 2017

Dear friends,

Happy Pancake Day. No wait, Happy Lent. Ah, that’s not commonly said. Happy Easter! That’ll do.

We have entered a busy church period. Pancake Day gets us ready for Lent. Lent gets us ready for Easter. Easter gets us ready for life! Of course, you only have to throw in Fairtrade Fortnight (27 Feb to 12 March this year), the change to Summer Time, Mothering Sunday and April Fool’s day… let alone everything else that is a normal part of church life, and you realise that this is a busy time of year.

I don’t know if you feel the same as me, but I often have the sense that life is busy, and getting busier. Life is far from simple. You can’t just re-insure your car unless you have phoned ten different companies to get the best rate. You can’t just go to one supermarket because you will miss the deals. Despite the increase of email etc, I still seem to have to fill in just as many forms by hand as before.

Perhaps we need pancakes to survive. Not hundreds, but one or two, just to help us get ready for Lent. Perhaps we need Lent, to remind us that we need to be simpler at times. Maybe stopping for a couple of minutes each day. Hopefully the prayer suggestions in this magazine will help us with that. It could be that we need to think about our life journey a bit more, rather than only thinking about the now. Our Easter events, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter will hopefully give us the opportunity to think about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and help us to think about our own lives.

As for the other events, it never hurts to think of Mothering Sunday as a time to help us remember that we are linked to others. Fairtrade Fortnight challenges us to think of how important others are in providing the things we buy, and how we can respect them through our spending. And April Fool’s Day…. Well, it should be a reminder that we are called to be ‘fools for Christ’ in our dreaming and living in a way that says there is love and hope for everyone. Everyone.

With all that in mind, have a pancake or two…

God bless,David

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Praying Through Lent

This Lent, perhaps we might be able to focus some of our prayer time in a common theme… maybe even at a common time. Below are some guiding prayer points for each week of Lent. Lent is our journey to Easter and prayer is a journey in itself.

You are free to use this as you can! Perhaps we might be able to spend a few minutes at work, in the car, with others, or walking the dog between 10.30 and 11.30 each morning… or even just two minutes. This time matches our regular prayers on a Sunday morning.

If this is helpful: brilliant. If you find it easier to do your own prayer thing either instead of, or as well as: brilliant.

Lent starts with Ash Wednesday on March 1st, but these themes are designed to start on Monday 6th, with the fifth and final week taking us to Maundy Thursday. These themes are loosely based on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Lent course.David

Week 1: Journey (week commencing 6 March)Please pray for:

The journeys you are making this week, giving thanks for the people you will meet, and the places you will see.

Those we know who are travelling, short or long distances. Those around the world who are facing perilous journeys. Churches, that we may be a sanctuary for those struggling with their life

journey.

Week 2: God’s Being (week commencing 13 March)Please pray for:

Our awareness of God the creator, God’s Word alive in the world, God’s life-giving breath.

Our ability to see God in the eyes of others. The names of God, as we remember as many adjectives as we can for God. Church, the body of Christ, that we may faithfully serve God’s will.

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Week 3: Food and Drink (week commencing 20 March)Please pray for:

Those who grow and make the food and drink we can enjoy. Those who each day have to struggle to get enough to survive. Those who seek to share. Church, that as we regularly share in bread and wine we may be aware of

God’s will of ‘daily bread’ for all.

Week 4: Greed and Suffering (week commencing 27 March)Please pray for:

Our own habits of spending, especially thinking of our choices on what we spend money on and the ethical choices we make.

Those who feel less of a human being because they don’t have what their neighbour has. May our identity be found in love, not property.

Those who suffer in their lives because of others’ lust for items. Churches, that we may bring about a just and equal world where there are

no more tears.

Week 5: Jesus, the Jew (week commencing 3 April)Please pray for:

Those who suffer around the world because of their faith. Those enabling conversations between people of faith. An appreciation of the Old Testament, the scriptures that Jesus held to. Our Maundy Thursday meal as we link our faith history with the stories of

Easter…

Palm Sunday and DetroitFor the April edition of Reform magazine (the URC magazine), I have been asked to write the ‘Chapter and Verse’ section for Easter. In that piece, I mention very briefly my experiences in Detroit. As a privilege to those in Marlow and Maidenhead, I will be giving a talk about my experience there on Palm Sunday (April 9th) at Maidenhead. Starting at 4.30pm and ending at 6pm it will explain in further depth what Detroit as a city has gone through, and how some churches are responding. It is open to everyone – you would be more than welcome and you might even get a cup of tea or something!DavidRadio Marlow

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Just in case you want to listen, David will be the guest on Faith Matters, the Radio Marlow show, on Tuesday 14th March. It starts at 9pm.

Easter events at Christ Church

April 9th Palm Sunday Worship, led by David, 10.30am

April 13th Maundy Thursday Passover meal at church, 7 pm

David will lead a time of fellowship on Maundy Thursday evening. This will be an informal act of worship followed by a traditional Passover meal. Please sign up on the list in the Wessex Hall.

April 15th Easter Concert – see page 10

April 16th Easter Day service, 10.30am

House Group / Lent GroupHouse Group continues on Wednesday mornings at Doreen’s and in addition the Lent Group will be meeting on the following Tuesdays at the Ashfords to look at the CTBI’s five-part interfaith Lent materials: 21 Feb, 7, 14 and 28 Mar, 4 Apr. If you are interested in joining in with either group please speak to Doreen or Martin.

Churches Together in Marlow The Women’s World Day of Prayer service will be held at 11.30 am on Friday

3 March at St Peter’s Church. The service comes this year from the Philippines, and the theme is “Am I being unfair to you?”

Lenten Lunches will be held at St Peter’s Pugin Hall, from 12 noon to 2 pm each Friday, including Good Friday.

The Good Friday Walk of Witness will start in Higginson Park at 10.30 am, ending with all-age worship in the Methodist Church at 11.15 am.

Thy Kingdom Come 2017: Churches of all traditions are invited to partner in prayer in the days leading up to Pentecost, from 25 May to 4 June. The aim is to pray that the family of God, called to be one in Christ, may see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to transform many lives and communities in our land.

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Muriel Burdell 7 December 1920 – 12 December 2016

A service of thanksgiving for Muriel’s long life was held at Christ Church on 5th January, conducted by the Revd David Downing.

Muriel Amy Burdell was born in Marlow and lived most of her life in Marlow. She was a true Marlovian. Her first experience of work was in the library at Boots in Maidenhead but the outbreak of war saw her assigned to the land army, working at Liston Court.

It was during the war that Muriel met her future husband Tom in Maidenhead where she was a volunteer helping at a mess set up to feed the troops. Tom was posted to Burma but contracted a serious tropical disease and returned home. The couple were married in Tom’s home town of Peterborough on 21 March 1945, shortly afterwards moving to Hitchin where Tom returned to his first teaching post. In 1947 Tom took up a new teaching post in Maidenhead and this meant they could return to Marlow. Along came Celia and Paul, and after tending the early years of their childhood and following Tom’s appointment as head of Holy Trinity Cookham in 1956, Muriel spent several years employed as the school secretary.

On retirement Muriel and Tom continued to work together, this time recruiting members of the National Trust at Cliveden. They enjoyed holidays abroad and often took their two grandchildren Simon and Toni on days out, for walks, to gardens and to the airfield at Booker to watch the air planes. Muriel re-joined the congregation here at Christ Church where Tom was organist for nearly 25 years, and she loved to attend the tea parties held by other senior members and to go out for trips with the Blind Society. She loved parlour games, her grandchildren recalling a particular game where they were blindfolded and thought they were being thrown off a chair from the height of the ceiling – a game they have since had the pleasure of entertaining their own children with!

Despite the adversities of two serious illnesses and partial loss of sight and hearing, Muriel remained remarkably focussed and cheerful almost to the end.

Muriel’s family recalled how she loved the company of other people and was always chatty, with a knack of making the most mundane event into a humorous story and chuckling to herself as she told it. Those who knew Muriel will miss that chuckle and the sparkle she always had in her eye. We send our sympathy to Celia and Paul and the family.

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Christ Church Chat

Burns Supper – thank you!Our annual Burns Supper was a huge success with a record number of participants. Well done Pauline and thanks to everyone who helped or took part in any way. £523 was raised for our mission fund.

Events coming upQuiz NightSaturday 18 March, 7.30 pm in the hall at Maidenhead URC

Waiting for you will be a baked potato dinner (choice of fillings, and followed by a pudding!) and lots of Gordon’s questions. Bring a team (5/6/7?) or join a table on the night. And bring your own drinks and nibbles. 

Tickets at £10 (£5 for U18s) from Alison Holton on 01628 639592. Or you can pay on the door but they do need to know numbers so please tell Jean for definite by the previous Sunday and she will let Alison know.

Bluebell walk – Sunday 30 AprilWe are planning a joint walk with the folk from Maidenhead URC on the afternoon of Sunday 30 April. Please listen for announcements. We hope you will be able to join us looking for bluebells.

In-house concert Maidenhead – Saturday 24 JuneYou are all invited to participate in this home-grown entertainment at Maidenhead URC on the evening of 24 June. Put on your thinking caps now and if anyone would like to perform – singing, dancing, recitations, acting, music, stand-up comedy, magic tricks … you name it, all offers welcome – don’t hesitate to come forward. An audience is also required! Put the date in your diary. More details to follow.

Poetry, Puds and Promises evening – postponed to summer or autumn

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80th birthday party – Sunday 25 JuneAfter church on 25 June we are planning a birthday celebration for all those in our church who have recently passed or are about to have their very big birthday! You are all warmly invited. It will be a buffet lunch with birthday cake and party games. Pray for a sunny day so we can all enjoy being in the church garden together.

MarmaladeMany years ago, as one of the many efforts to raise money towards our refurbishment, we decided to copy the parable of the talents. Church members who were interested received a small sum of money to develop their talents. Jean Sewell made and sold delicious biscuits, the then Church Secretary made individual salads, gardener that I am bought seeds and sold plants, Sheila Lowden bought oranges and made marmalade. Sheila was the only one to carry on over the years and about six years ago when Sheila felt it had become too much for her, Carolyn took over. Selling the marmalade now raises on average £100 per year for Church funds so is much appreciated. Buy some and try it, it’s very good and it will help carry on that parable of the talents.

Gladys Wright

Jean SewellJean was 95 on 24 January 2017. In honour of her birthday – and because Gladys has mentioned her biscuits (see above) – I am including below her recipe for a delicious lemon curd cake which she gave me years ago and I often make. (ed.)

6 oz margarine 6 oz caster sugar7½ oz self-raising flour 3 large eggs 3 dsps lemon curd (I put half a jar usually as it makes it really moist and tasty) 3 tbsps milk – mix all together and bake 40-50 mins at 180C / 350F.

Dear readers, Don’t forget my appeal for more book reviews in the Nov-Dec issue. I have not received any ... What about sending in your favourite recipes for New Forum instead?! (ed.)

And the answer to last issue’s Riddle is, of course – Nothing !What is greater than God, more evil than the Devil, the rich have none of it, the poor have plenty, and if you eat it, you die?

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The two events we have for you as Easter approaches are:

Tuesday 21 March, 8.30 pmMarlene VerPlanck

In association with Marlow Jazz Club, we present, on tour from the USA, Marlene VerPlanck singing the Great American Songbook with John Pearce (piano), Bobby Worth (drums) and Paul Morgan (bass). “Probably the most accomplished interpreter of popular material performing today” New York Times. Tickets £10 from 01628 486227 or 486571 or online via www.musicinmarlow.org.uk

Saturday 15 April, eveningEaster music – Stations of the CrossDan and Marisa Cornford will be giving a viola/piano recital at Christ Church on the evening of Saturday 15 April. This follows on from the wonderful concert given by the Loddon Piano Quartet on Easter Saturday last year.

Marisa writes that she is in the throes of composing 14 miniatures based on the Stations of the Cross for viola and piano; this will last around 30 minutes. Her inspiration are the Stations of the Cross paintings by Norman Adams at St Mary’s (the Hidden Gem) in Manchester, where she used to go to church during her years as a student. She will show pictures of the paintings during each of the short pieces. This will be a London premiere!

Along with this, the duo will play Joachim’s Hebrew Melodies, Britten Lachrymae and Arvo Part’s Fratres. All very suitable Easter repertoire. There will be some poetry readings - Lord Byron wrote a collection of poems entitled Hebrew Melodies which Joachim used as his inspiration for his pieces of the same name.

This is an outside booking so we are not selling tickets for it. There will be a flier and more publicity in due course.

Martin and Jean

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Treasurer’s Report

I will be presenting the accounts for 2016 at the AGM on 23 April, so will produce the usual figures for you at that time. The unaudited accounts show a surplus for the year and I will be asking the AGM to confirm a transfer of funds to the Mission Account, for future work whether in the UK or overseas.

The very successful Burns Night in January raised £523, also for the Mission Fund. Many thanks to those who masterminded the event. I have also made a number of payments recently to our “good causes”, sending £394 to WaterAid as a result of the harvest/autumn appeal and £193 to Wycombe Homeless Connection for whom we collected at Christmas.

I will be handing out new Gift Aid forms in the near future to those who give through the envelope scheme, or by Direct Debit, and who tell me they are a taxpayer. The wording of Gift Aid declarations changed again last year: old forms remain valid but, as most of those I have on file are now quite old, it seems sensible to bring them up to date. If you are not currently using the weekly envelopes and would like to, just have a word with me.

By filling in a Gift Aid form you enable us to claim tax back on your donations, you don’t have to do anything further. But do please note that you should not sign a Gift Aid declaration if you do not pay tax at all or only a very small amount: the key wording in the form is “I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference”. If your circumstances change, do please let me know.

It does cost quite a lot to keep Christ Church going: the gas bill for January was almost £400! We are called to respond in gratitude for all that God does in our lives, and your financial contributions are one form of that response. Thank you for your continuing support.

Martin Ashford

Big Day Out – Saturday 1 July

The Wessex and South Western Synods of the URC are organising a day of activities and fun for all ages following the 2017 URC theme, Feasts and Festivals. It is to be held on Saturday 1 July at the Burgate School in Fordingbridge, Hampshire. Do put the date in your diary. More information from wessexswbigdayout@outlook.com.

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Christian Aid Week: 14 – 20 May 2017This year Christian Aid Week focuses on refugees. Christian Aid Week started sixty years ago to support the work Christian Aid was doing with refugees in Europe in the aftermath of WW2. The situation then seemed just as challenging as the refugee crisis now. CA Week remains a massive movement today, uniting 20,000 churches to demonstrate the love and justice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Count Your Blessings during Lent using the Christian Aid leaflet (copies available in foyer at Christ Church). Pray that this journey will give us a meaningful Lent and help transform communities around the world.

Saturday 8 April, 10 am – Christian Aid has produced some videos about their work in refugee camps in Greece. These will be shown at Christ Church on Saturday 8 April, starting at 10 am. You are all welcome to come and watch them and enjoy free coffee and biscuits!

Sunday 14 May, soup and bread fundraising lunch for Christian Aid at Christ Church following church service

Sunday 14 May, 7.30 pm – Christian Aid concert at Christ Church Marlow. Taplow Youth Choir, directed by Gillian Dibden MBE. A varied programme including short motets and well-known spirituals, with both solo and ensemble singing. Tickets £10 available from 01628 486227.

House-to-house collection 14-20 May – in the UK £11m was raised during Christian Aid Week last year to fund vital work in the poorest communities across the world. Could you join our team of collectors? We raised £6,894 in Marlow last year, that includes £1,045 raised by Christ Church. Collecting is an act of Christian witness. It shows people that the church cares about poverty and injustice in this world. Speak today to our Christian Aid rep, Catherine Johnson 01628 483940.

Saturday 20 May – Walk the Country for Christian Aid. Sponsored walk between Henley and Nettlebed. Walk 5, 10 or 15 miles through the varied Oxfordshire countryside – woodland and stunning hilltop views. Registration 8.30-10.30 am. Start Bix Village Hall, RG9 6BS. Further details from oxford@christian-aid.org. Suitable for all ages.

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Marlow Refugee Action GroupDo you want to respond to the refugee crisis but don’t know how?

The continuing refugee crisis has touched many of us and it’s difficult to know how we can respond. Vanessa Faulkner – who came to talk to us in the Sunday service on Sunday 19 February – has started a group to provide a coordinated Marlow response working with a similar group in High Wycombe. What this group has achieved is an inspiring story of ordinary people coming together to do amazing things.

Through the Marlow Refugee Action Group you can donate food, clothing, medical supplies etc to go in a monthly container delivery to Syria. They are looking for baby care packs and toiletry packs and you can see what is required for these below. They also urgently need coats, blankets and duvets (with covers only), so if you have any that you no longer need, or would be happy to part with, then please do give generously.

You can drop donations into Marlow Refugee Action Group’s first collecting bin in the porch of All Saints, which is open during the day. If you would like to know more, or get involved, please email Vanessa Faulkner on MarlowRefugeeAction@gmail.com or phone her on 07810 366657.

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Statement on the United Reformed Church Past Case Review

We have all made mistakes and we want to learn from those mistakes.

People have been hurt by bullying or abuse in churches in the past. Things went wrong and people may be carrying the hurt inside them. We want to learn from the past and do better in the future. The Past Case Review is a way for the United Reformed Church to listen and to learn.

We truly want to hear about any behaviour which may need challenging, or if you have been hurt in the past by anyone in the United Reformed Church.

If anyone who has had any connection with your church wishes to share something that has happened to them within any United Reformed Church, we would ask them to get in touch with the Past Case Review team.

We want our churches to be safer places, where people can grow without fear.

Telephone: 020 7916 8682 Website: www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review Email: pastcase.review@urc.org.ukFurther resources and information are available online at www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review

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Duty RotaMar - Apr 2017

Date Elder Steward Steward5 Mar Mr Beck Mrs Jones Mrs Wendes12 Mar Mrs Blair Mrs Inman Mrs Waters19 Mar Mrs Brownridge Mrs Reed Mrs Bowes26 Mar Mrs Connolly Mrs Beck Dr Johnson2 Apr Mr Flett Mrs Milne Miss Milne9 Apr Mrs Hunt Mrs Wyllie Mrs Willshire16 Apr Mrs Smith Mrs Wendes Mrs Inman23 Apr Mr Ashford Mrs Waters Mrs Jones30 Apr Mrs Bailey Mrs Inman Mrs Reed7 May Mr Beck Mrs Beck Mrs Bowes

Communion duties:Table preparation Serving

12 Mar Mr Beck Mrs Brownridge9 Apr Mrs Smith Mr Ashford16 Apr Mrs Bailey Mr Beck

Flowers Please sign up on the notice board to celebrate your birthdays etc. If you would like flowers arranged for a special occasion, please arrange this with Janet Milne, Judith Inman, Alison Jones or Nicki Connolly.

5 Mar12 Mar19 Mar26 Mar2 Apr9 Apr16 Apr23 Apr30 Apr7 May

Brenda ReedGladys WrightJudith InmanDoreen McGechan

Helen SmithEasterEaster

New ForumPlease send copy for the March-April issue to the editor

by Sunday 23 Apr – hand to me at church or email jeanashford@yahoo.com

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Christ Church United Reformed ChurchOxford Road, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2NL

Sundays 10.30 amMorning Worship - Family Service and Junior ChurchHoly Communion every second Sunday in the month

Minister

Revd David DowningManse phone: 01628 634281

Mobile: 07967 502710Email: revmandm@gmail.com

Hon SecretaryMartin Beck11 Clarefield DriveMaidenheadSL6 5DW01628 620066

Hon Treasurer Martin Ashford 24 Squirrel Rise Marlow Bottom Bucks SL7 3PN Tel: 01628 486227

Hall bookingsEmail: bookings@christchurch-marlow.org.uk

Check your bookings via our website:

www.christchurch-marlow.org.uk

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