Fr Brian’s Ramblings
FEBRUARY 2012
CHRISTMAS FARE – I have received several very appreciative letters and phone calls from people to whom presents were taken from St Stephen’s just before Christmas including the County Community Project to whom we delivered a huge Hamper of Christmas edible goodies.
Jill, Ginny and their band of helpers did a wonderful job in buying, wrapping and distributing these gifts and of course, this would not have been possible without the generosity of so many of you who donated cash for gifts or items for the hamper. A big THANK YOU to all concerned.
THANK YOU – I am sure that I have expressed my sincere thanks to all of you who so kindly gave me Christmas presents – your thoughtfulness was much appreciated. However, I did receive two gifts – a Santa Claus tie and a W H Smith Gift card- neither of which carried the name of the donor, so whoever you are, many thanks indeed – the tie especially raised a lot of merry conversation in the Care Home where I spent much of St Stephen’s Day afternoon.
I DON’T BELIEVE IT – No joke either! A recent magazine contained an advert for ‘RENT a REV’ . The name of the person concerned was given as was his phone number and a rather attractive illustration of the ‘Rev’. He is described as a former CofE vicar who now offers a much broader ministry as an ordained member of the Open Episcopal Church. With over 15 years experience he creates and performs special ceremonies for people who for whatever reason choose to come to him. He does not push religion or evangelise but seeks to meet people where they are and enable them to express what they need to. A special service offered is ‘Tailor-Made Christenings’ . He has obviously found favour with one of his ‘customers’ who wrote this appreciation:
‘Rev X helped us to create a wedding day that I thought only existed in my dreams. He was so flexible, warm, inspiring and professional. He has touches that no one else could offer!’
Is it a coincidence that the CofE is at present leading discussions among liturgists as to how to make baptisms and funerals more user friendly-so watch out ‘Rev’, you might find you have to face fierce competition from round the corner!
I DON’T BELIEVE IT – episode two – The EAGLE HAS FLOWN – Our brass lectern is a thing of beauty that I hope will last forever in St Stephen’s but not in far flung Romania.
Interpol is investigating the appearance of a heavy brass eagle lectern at an Antiques Fair in Romania, 1,500 miles away from its home in Ashton Keynes, near Cirencester. The lectern was engraved with the words ‘Holy Cross Church, Ashton Keynes’ and an eagle eyed observer ( no pun intended) emailed the police immediately. It is believed that the thieves carried it out of the church in broad daylight in September last year. Hopefully it will eventually be returned .
What amazes me is that the church, when told of the recovery, said that the lectern had been put in a corner and nobody had noticed it had gone missing, so they are not exactly sure when it was stolen. Can you believe it!
The COOK FAMILY – Those of you who remember one of our former curates, Fr David Cook, may be interested to know that he still keeps in touch and writes interesting anecdotes about the ‘tribe’ which is now travelling in several countries – Ireland, South America, Chile, Argentina, , Nottingham and Glasgow. Fr David and Ann are grandparents and brief notes about some of the tribe are as follows:
Maura and Pablo have a son Saffi, born 24th February last year. He was dedicated at the Methodist church in Caistor in July and all the guests were asked to display ‘mad hair’.
Niall has a girlfriend, Sarah and he is awaiting auditions for an Acting School.
Anja is courting Darren and they have just spent a gap year in South America. Gabrielle is working in Glasgow.
Nuala is in her final year at Glasgow University, working part time as a waitress. Mairead lives close to her parents with her partner. Scout and Assisi are both in the best of health and Scout started school in January.
SUCCESS AND CONGRATULATIONS – You might remember that last Autumn, I gave some tutorials to a young man by the name of Danny Toner who was applying for a scholarship to Dean Close Senior School. One of the assignments he was given was to complete a profile of a church . Danny chose St Stephen’s.
I am pleased to say that Danny received an A+ for his work and has accepted the offer of a place at Dean Close in September. His enthusiasm alone would have earned him the place but I was interested why he chose St Stephen’s.
His reasons form part of the introduction to his project:
As St Stephen’s was local I thought it would be appropriate to pick it because instead of driving out once a week to get to one of the biggest and best cathedrals in the country, St Stephen’s was just at the end of my road, making it accessible at any time I want.
Another reason is that most small churches have some fantastic local stories about them, which I will be sharing in the history section of my project.
Finally I love the feel of St Stephen’s. It’s got a very warm vibe. The Vicar is always there too so it comes in handy when I want go over and ask some questions.
Danny focused on five areas for study: Buildings and history; Beliefs and services; Outreach; funding; music. Accompanied by photographs he had taken, Danny’s written project gave a very fair and sometimes flattering picture of his and our Parish Church and its Community. Well done Danny and it was good to see you and your parents at our Christmas services.
WEDNESDAY MORNING COFFEE and CHAT – I was asked recently for my opinion on the proposed ‘Dignity in Dying’ Euthanasia proposals. It is something that has to be faced and I propose to provide an opportunity for a short discussion on the subject at coffee time after the 10.30 Eucharist on Wednesday 8th February. Your opinions at this discussion will be very welcome and appreciated.
A WARNING! (Copied from the Parish Magazine of Trellech, Diocese of Monmouth)
Many of us are now using the modern, energy saving light bulbs. They save money on our electricity bills, BUT be warned, they contain mercury which is very toxic. SO….
- If you break one, ventilate the room for 15 minutes covering your nose and mouth and leave the room Do not inhale the gas.
- Wearing rubber gloves, sweep up the broken pieces with a dustpan and brush, covering your mouth and nose so that you do not inhale the dust. DON’T Vacuum clean as that can then spread mercury to other rooms that you may clean on another day.
- Dispose of broken pieces in a thick plastic bag and take it to the same place that recycles batteries- usually a Civic Amenity Site.
- If you should cut yourself with a piece of glass, seek medical attention straight away. Mercury is very poisonous on the skin; if it enters the blood stream through cuts; if breathed in.
A WARNING! (Copied from the Parish Magazine of Trellech, Diocese of Monmouth)
Many of us are now using the modern, energy saving light bulbs. They save money on our electricity bills, BUT be warned, they contain mercury which is very toxic. SO….
- If you break one, ventilate the room for 15 minutes covering your nose and mouth and leave the room Do not inhale the gas.
- Wearing rubber gloves, sweep up the broken pieces with a dustpan and brush, covering your mouth and nose so that you do not inhale the dust. DON’T Vacuum clean as that can then spread mercury to other rooms that you may clean on another day.
- Dispose of broken pieces in a thick plastic bag and take it to the same place that recycles batteries- usually a Civic Amenity Site.
- If you should cut yourself with a piece of glass, seek medical attention straight away. Mercury is very poisonous on the skin; if it enters the blood stream through cuts; if breathed in.
WORTH REPEATING – I was given this prayer some time ago and think it expresses in a very picturesque way, the Christian’s vocation, author unknown.
May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector for those without protection,
A guide for those who have lost their way,
A ship for those with oceans to cross,
A bridge for those with rivers to cross,
A sanctuary for those in danger,
A lamp for those in need of light,
A place of refuge for those in need of shelter,
And a servant to all those in need. Amen.