February 200330p

St Martin's Magazine

St Martin’s ChurchHale Gardens, Acton

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.Luke Chapter 23 verse 34

St Martin’s Church, Hale Gardens, Acton, W3 9SQhttp://www.stmartinswestacton.orgemail: stmartinswestacton@btinternet.com

VicarThe Revd Nicholas Henderson25 Birch Grove, London W3 9SP. Tel: 020 8992-2333.

Associate VicarThe Revd David Brammer,All Saints Vicarage, Elm Grove Road, Ealing,London W5 3JH. Tel: 020 8567-8166.

Non-stipendary priestAlec GriffithsSt Martin’s CottageHale Gardens,LondonW3 9SQ. Tel: 020 8896-9009.

Parishes Secretary (9am - 2pm Monday - Friday)Parishes Office, 25 Birch Grove, W3 9SP.Tel: 020 8992 2333 Fax: 020-8932-1951

Reader EmiritusGeoff Lock. Tel: 020 8992-2455

ReadersDr Margaret Jones. Tel: 020 8997-1418Lynne Armstrong. Tel: 020 8992-8341

ChurchwardensClive Davies1 Park Way, Ruislip Manor, Middx HA4 8PJ. Tel: 01895 -635698 John Trussler, 19 Gunnersbury Crescent, W3. Tel: 020-8992-4549

Treasurer - please write c/o Parishes Secretary.

Director of Music – Kennerth Bartram Tel: 020-8723-1441Sunday School – Melanie Heap Tel: 020-8993-3864Brownies Tel: 020-8567-8166Youth Group – Michael Robinson Tel: 020-8992-7666Womens Group - Doreen Macrae Tel: 020- 8992-3907Magazine Editor – Duncan Wigney Tel: 020 8993 3751 e-mail: sad.wigney@virgin.net

SUNDAY SERVICES8.00 am Holy Communion

10.00 am Parish Communion& (Sunday School6.30 pm Evensong 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays

Taize Evening Service 4th Sunday

“God forgive them, for they know not what they do.”David Brammer

As we prepare to go to war with Iraq, an apparent consequence ofSeptember 11th, I am reminded of two incidents from amongst thesaturation of comment, analysis, and eyewitness accounts of thattime.

Firstly, the reaction of those on the hijacked Boeing 747 that crashedin Pittsburgh. These frightened passengers were instructed by theterrorists to get on their mobile phones and contact their loved onesfor they were about to die. Movingly, those with mobiles calledloved ones, not to shout hysterically about death, but to say howmuch they loved the person they were calling. It was a reminder tome that much of life is so superficial and so unimportant comparedto the experience of loving someone and being loved. Surely, Iwonder it is not our wish to create more human misery and sufferingin the illusion that this war will stop terrorism.

The second event was just as disturbing yet pointed to a divineprinciple that we must not loose sight of as we prepare for war.

The weekend of 9/11 a New York Priest was asked at the end of theSunday Mass what he had preached about in the service. Apart fromconsoling those who had lost loved ones, of which many attendinghad, he said that ‘God loved Osama Bin Laden,’ despite being namedas the prime subject for such a terrible crime. The priest was takinga great risk, but was also leading those within his congregation beyondthe human into Gods divine perspective of love and forgiveness.

As the media and politicians begin to crank up the propagandamachine demonising any one who is a refuge, or a Muslim, or whoopposes the war. It is important to remember, the whole ofcrime. The priest was taking a great risk, but was also leading thosewithin his congregation beyond the human into Gods divineperspective of love and forgiveness.

As the media and politicians begin to crank up the propagandamachine demonising any one who is a refugee, or a Muslim, or whoopposes the war. It is important to remember, the whole of

humanity are the children of God. Many may reject God’s love,many are lost and seeking God’s love, others commit heinouscrimes that fly in the face of Gods commands, but God still lovesALL humanity even terrorists. God even chose one such terroristto be his messenger. The Apostle Paul in his first letter toTimothy describes himself as a blasphemer, a persecutor and aviolent man. In his fanaticism for the Jewish faith he killedChristians and had many imprisoned. But he also says, in God’smercy, grace overflowed for him and filled with faith and love ofthe Jesus. Instead of a persecutor he became persecuted, insteadof violence he preached Gods love.

Saddam Hussain as with all who commit acts of terrorism andhuman atrocity needs to be brought to justice, having his civilliberty taken away. But we as Christians, are not called to bay forrevenge or spit hatred against those who are different from us.ours is not the religion of an eye for an eye. We follow the way ofthe cross, where the innocent Son of God is crucified by a bayingcrowd and responds by saying, “Father forgive them for theyknow not what they do.” We hope that our actions which stemfrom this prayer will prompt the oppressor to see what it trulymeans to be human and turn away from their oppressive acts.

Jesus said love your enemy and pray for them. As one who oncewas an enemy of God I thank God for loving and praying for me.So I too pray for those who commit acts of terror that they will berepentant and seek to perform an equitable act of recompense fortheir crime against God and humanity. We may in the end go towar, I still pray for the miracle of peace. But if we go to war let itbe with sombre reflection and remorse for the innocent that willdie, not with puffed up bigotry and patriotic fervour that deniesour responsibility to all humanity. “God forgive us.”

Revd David Brammer

And a Happy New Year?Nick Henderson (This is the leader written for January)

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, give me alight that I may tread safely into the unknown” so began theChristmas speech broadcast by the Queen’s father, George VI, in thedark early days of the Second World War, in 1939, when all seemedlost. The essence of the broadcast was that what is necessary is toplace oneself in the hands of God, who ultimately is our salvation.

The author of the poem was one Minnie Louise Haskins 1875 –1957, an otherwise obscure English teacher, made famous by theuse of her lines and subsequent and periodic bouts of newspapercorrespondence about the broadcast.

Nevertheless, for the first time for a long time her sentiments mightusefully re-emerge as we approach what seems to be a veryuncertain New Year with the growing prospect of a war with Iraq,conducted largely by the United States with the British hanging ontotheir coat tails. For once, the Churches have presented a nearunanimous front, with the new Archbishop of Canterbury in thevanguard, by opposing any involvement in the coming conflict. Alone voice, apparently in favour of military action, has been that ofthe Archbishop of York, though even this is largely a pressinterpretation as David Hope’s arguments for war are so hedgedaround with caveats as to be effectively nullified.

Whatever your view, William Rees Moog writing in the Times isindisputably correct in writing “a win in Iraq will be easy – theproblem will be the peace”. Not only is he is right already some ofthe unpredictable and unforeseen consequences of the currentsituation can be glimpsed. As I write, there are emerging,apparently opportunistic, events in the Far East, in North Korea.

This is a time for extremely careful and wise leadership,especially on the part of Western nations; let us pray that it willbe exercised. Amongst other things, the situation must not beallowed to become the focus of a confrontation betweenChristians the world of Islam, as there are potentially endless,dangerous permutations on a such-like broad theme in the nearfuture.

Oh, that we might have that light of which Miss Haskins wrote.Of course, in this vein, we have just emerged from Christmas,where one of the prevailing great themes, as developed inparticular by St John both in the Gospel of his name and in hisfirst Epistle, is also that of Jesus as “the light of the world”.Jesus’ own birth was quickly followed by a massacre (I write onthe eve of the feast of the Holy Innocents) and his teaching oflove would end with him nailed to the cross. It is obvious thatlittle has changed since our Lord’s time, except that ultimately theChristian Faith is one of resurrection hope, of new beginnings anda promise of judgement and fulfilment.

It is difficult to see the proverbial “wood for the trees” at timessuch as these. No doubt the people, listening to the King’sbroadcast well over half a century ago, felt much the same?Nevertheless, it is generally reckoned that they were uplifted bythe message and encouraged to keep the faith as ultimately thecrisis developed and passed, producing today’s world order.

Whatever happens to us in this New Year, and without wishing tosound melodramatic, it is reasonable to pray that the light ofChrist may dwell within us and in the spirit of the poem we maymove safely into the unknown. Out of this by the Grace of Godgood may come.

Nicholas

Letter from the Bartletts

Dear Nick,

Here’s wishing you a very happy Christmas, or should we say ,hope you had a Happy Christmas, as writing our Christmas letterfrom abroad in the middle of December does not bode well forthe post.

We hope that have had a good year, and for your sake slightly lesshectic than ours. We are now settled in our flat in Brasilia, andcan at last sit back and breathe little. We began our preparationsfor moving here back in February with two weeks residentiallanguage training, and it’s been an uphill struggle since! Therefollowed a few days in Athens on a cheapy Easyjet offer torecover, which was great – one of the best citybreaks we’ve hadand another very easy place to travel with children.

All Saints and St. Martins gave us a warm send off at Easter, andwe moved to Birmingham for a three month mission trainingcourse, which was hard work but a good opportunity to changegear - Ealing straight to Brazil would have been the shock of ourlives.

Thomas eventually enjoyed his time at the nursery in Birmingham– he took a couple of weeks to get used to it, although when weloitered outside the window we could see that the minute we wereout of sight he was straight in with the toys. The best thing forhim was living near Stratford – funnily enough he wasn’t toointerested in Shakespeare, but the Teletubbies shop was a greatdraw.

July saw the big move to Brazil – we had quite a difficult 3 weeksto start with , living in one room on top of the Diocesan offices,with no kitchen , sharing a bathroom with a language school –

they looked quite bemused when we took Thomas in for a bath inthe sink.

We were very pleased in August to move to the language schoolfor incoming missionaries where we spent the next three months.We were the only Anglicans amongst 28 monks and nuns, so weraised a few eyebrows to start with, and we had a smashing timethere – the course was excellent, the people were great, andThomas was in his absolute element with constant entertainmentfrom all round.

The Bishop’s daughter, Lu, looked after him while we hadlessons, and they really hit it off: the rest of the time he had therun of the place , drawing on blackboards and playing in thegrounds. His birthday party was a highlight, with all the nunsjoining in pass the parcel and singing Happy Birthday inPortuguese and English.

The time came to move again in November, and it’s lovely tohave a home again for the first time since April. We have a brandnew flat in a very nice area of Brasilia, and we even have a spareroom, so get your holidays booked now. We have a park andsandpit right outside Thomas’ window and he enjoys runningaround with his new Brazilian friends there. The rest of the timehe leans over the balcony (thankfully netted in) calling “See,friends!” He has coped incredibly well with all the moves thisyear, and he enjoys life here immensely.

Richard began services at the Anglican Cathedral at the beginningof December, and it’s looking promising – the carol service nextweek will hopefully bring in a good international crowd. Thewhole of Brazil stops for January and February, so we hope totravel a little then to visit some friends made in the languagecollege, and then things will really get going at Carnaval time.

Life is certainly different here and it takes some getting used to –of course we miss family and friends, but also the sorts ofroutines and structures that make up British life – we’re stillgetting to grips with the way of life here. We can get by languagewise but some things are just beyond us – usually the things thatare just as much hassle in English – like dealing with telecomcompanies. But the people here are only too willing to help usout as we muddle along. The gap between rich and poor isenormous even here in Brasilia – the third world exists inside thefirst world city – maybe next year we can become a little moreinvolved in some of the church social projects.

This time last year we felt on the verge of a new adventure, butreally it’s only just beginning now. Who knows what 2003 willbring? Here’s hoping it will bring you and yours everything youwish for, and a little more peace around the world. Let’s hopethat’s not too much to ask. With love to you all – please keep intouch.

Jenny, Richard & Thomas

Support the Bartletts

Richard Bartlett our previous Associate Vicar, together with hiswife Jenny and young son Thomas, is working in Brazil. Theyhave been sent to establish a ministry to the English speakingcommunity in Brasilia. They went out with USPG, a missionarysociety that arranged for people to work with the church overseas.USPG is looking for people who are prepared to support Richardand Jenny financially on a regular basis by giving a little everymonth to the project. If you would be interested in seeinginformation from USPG about their project, with a view tocommitting a little every month towards it, please let me know. Glynis Forbes (020 8579 5114).

We weren’t able to capture the wise men on film, but RussellEngland did manage to take this picture of the angels at thenativity on Christmas Eve.

Will this photograph be used to embarrass each of them on their18th birthday? Surely not.

Don’t lose your vote

Revision of the electoral roll is due by 9th March. Forms areavailable at the back of the Church for any changes which mayneed to be made.

The Annual Parochial Church meeting will take place on Sunday6th April at 11:15. Nomination forms for the PCC andChurchwardens will be available soon.

Weekend away

Campion House, Osterley is running a weekend from 7th - 9thMarch entitled, ‘Coping with Change’. The write-up says, “Thisworkshop provides the opportunity to reflect on the process andpattern of change in your life. You will also explore new ways ofdeveloping and using your gifts and talents so as to live life morefully.” If you would be interested in joining a group from AllSaints who are hoping to go on this weekend, please come andhave a chat with me. Glynis Forbes (020 8579 5114).

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Another Weekend Away

The location of the Parish Retreat has been fixed. We will bestaying at the Retreat Centre in Fareham, Hampshire. It will starton Friday 19th September and run to Sunday 21st September.More details to follow.

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Remembrance Day

Thank you very much for helping our appeal. In this district wecollected £5,324.48 of which £75.70 was collected by you.

Without your help we would be unable to continue our welfareand benevolent work. Thank you again. I hope you will be ableto help us next year.

Yours sincerely,

C. PendrousLocal Honorary Organiser

USPG news letter from the Bartletts of Brazil

Mixing Religion and Politics!

Christmas is over, the New Year fireworks have faded away andas the long Brazilian summer holiday draws to a close, thoughtsbegin to turn towards Carnaval. Unfortunately, Brasilia does nothave Carnaval, but it does enjoy the privilege of being at thecentre of election fever, and even to our uneducated eyes, theredoesn’t appear to be much difference!

Perhaps you have seen coverage of the election of a new BrazilianPresident in the British news, and could grasp a little of theexcitement and optimism at a new start and fresh hope for thishuge country of Brazil.

The celebrations have been two fold here – firstly during theactual elections which took place last October. The roads were asea of colour as each party employed manistestantes, youngpeople who stood at every junction waving huge banners anddistributing stickers and flags.

Cars were emblazoned with publicity; ranging from the serioussupporters whose cars sported the stickers of only one party, tothose who were paid to advertise any party under the sun, and hadstickers of four or five parties squashed together on their onevehicle!

Drivers would toot when they saw ‘matching’ supporters, soBrasilia was just a mass of noise and excitement. The city wasmostly blue and red, blue for the governador Roriz and red forLula as president and Magella as governador for the PT party –the trabalhistas.

The Church was right in the midst of all this. The dominant

Roman Catholic Church and other traditional churches – theAnglican Church included – were heavily supportive of Lula andthe PT Party. The newer Pentecostal churches were largely insupport of Roriz. From the widow of the Anglican Bishop ofBrasilia’s flat, next to the Cathedral hung the most enormous redflag for Lula! Whoever said that the church should keep out ofpolitics?!

Whatever your politics, Lula is a figure to be admired, havingmade three attempts at the presidency after growing up in anilliterate family in the Northwest. A radical left-wing figure in thepast, he has undergone the professional image makeover, yetseemingly without sacrificing his principles. The excitement athis election was just immense – so much hope placed in one manfor such huge change, so many prayers for a new beginninganswered, that many political analysts are now wondering if hecould ever satisfy the peoples expectations.

Brazil waits with anticipation, and at his inauguration here inBrasilia on January 1st, the second stage of the process, theatmosphere was one of mass optimism and celebration.Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Brasilia, reportedlytravelling 2000 miles on ox-carts, riding 5 days on buses, andwalking for 27 days to join in Lula’s “party for the people”. Theheads of state were here too, including Hugo Chaves of Venezuelaand Fidel Castro of Cuba, who described the scenes and mood asreminiscent of the Cuban revolution. For most Brazilians it waslike winning the World Cup all over again. The Esplanado was amass of red as Lula’s posse, as it was called, began it’s processionto the congress – it looked reminiscent of a British state occasion,until the crowds, unable to contain their excitement, surgedforward to hug their new president, even in his open top RollsRoyce, the police horses took fright, and it began to look asthough it might degenerate into chaos!

But Lula safely arrived at Congress and was sworn in to great

responsibility – to satisfy the hopes of these people. Hisinauguration speech saw the crowds visibly moved as he declared“If by the end of my mandate, every Brazilian can have breakfast,lunch and dinner, I will have completed the mission of my life”.We wait and pray that this will indeed be a new beginningespecially for the poor in this country where extremes of wealthand poverty are so great.

Christmas Carols in the sunshine.

Meanwhile the English speaking Chaplaincy was inaugurated bythe Bishop at Thanksgiving – the last Thursday of November; thelocal Brazilian congregation’s choir joined people from manynationalities to celebrate the beginning of another new thing –albeit on a rather smaller scale! Weekly services have graduallybuilt up, and it was good to join the Brazilian congregation for abi-lingual Carol Service – only the second such event in thehistory of the Cathedral. At the end of December the Bishop ofBrasilia retired, and the process to find a new Bishop began. TheDiocese held a Family Weekend, with representatives from eachparish present, to begin the process of discernment; the newBishop will be appointed in June, and consecrated at the end ofAugust – anyone in need of a new job?!

Beginning a mission from scratch is an exciting process,involving a lot of being in the right place at the right time andmaking your services known – Christmas proved an excellentopportunity for that. It is good to see the congregation grow alittle more each week, we pray that it will continue to do so. Lastweek Jenny began a Toddlers Music Group in the Parish Hall –Thomas jumped around to all the songs with great, andfortunately infectious, excitement!

At the end of the summer holidays the Youth Group begins – ofcourse, with a trip to the 10 Pin Bowling Alley, and the new

Youth Band plays in the Cathedral for the first time at Candlemas– rather a curious mix of instruments, including ‘cello,saxophone, trombone and piano accordion – we wait to hear whatit will sound like!

However, beginning something new, as well as tapping into newtalent and fresh opportunities, is also a time to uncover areas ofgreat need. This has certainly been the case for one young Britishchap, Craig, with whom Richard is now locked in the mosthorrible prison cell, about an hour’s drive outside Brasilia, everyThursday afternoon. Here Craig tells his own story:

In 1988 while I was doing a gap year in Brasilia a child was shotdead in front of me on the street. I resolved then to return toBrazil to help the street children. In 1991 I returned and built ahome for street children, and since then have assisted over 400boys and girls, including the mentally handicapped.

“Abrigo Warboys” (named after my home village inCambridgeshire) grew with the support of British Charities,UNESCO, Rotary International and many English speakingEmbassies in Brasilia; it became a model village complex forkids, with school, sports and leisure facilities, including farming.

Relations with the local authority were always strained, they usedthe Abrigo as a child dump; I have been persecuted by them formany years. Things came to a head in May 2002 when I tried toexpel a rebel teenager, and he retaliated with a blackmail threat,accusing me of child abuse. He gained support from the localauthority, and staff who had been sacked; he forced other kids tocomply with his story, and I was arrested on 1st July 2002.

I was denied a fair trial and a translator, and even though theteenagers retracted their accusations which had been made underduress, evidence in my defence was ignored, and I was convictedwithout a defence to 48 years in prison. Most of the childrenwere forced to leave the Abrigo and are now at risk, many havevisited me in jail. A campaign has been launched, with newlawyers, to revoke this great miscarriage of justice, and prove myinnocence. Please pray that this will happen soon.”

So 2003 brings many new hopes and visions for many here, albeitagainst a background of difficulty and even misery for a hugepercentage of the population, in many different ways. We hope tobe able to update you on many things next time – not least onCraig’s case – but most things here in Brazil take a long time, andthe legal system is perhaps slowest of all. Please continue to prayfor Brazil, its new leaders at this time of change; for the church,for our ministry here and all to whom we minister.

Please give thanks for:• The inauguration of President Lula, and the new

Government of Brazil.• The ministry of the retiring Bishop of Brasilia, Dom

Almir dos Santos.• The beginning of the English speaking Chaplaincy and

the many opportunities for mission and ministry that ithas brought.

Please pray for:• President Lula, and the new Government of Brazil in the

enormous task that lies ahead of them.• Wisdom and Discernment for all involved in the

appointment of the New Bishop of Brasilia.• Craig Alden in prison, and the children of the Obrigo who

have been forced to return to life on the streets.

The continued growth and pastoral engagement of the Englishspeaking Chaplaincy.

A New Angel

Halle Charlize K’cho Clottey was christened at St. Martin’s OnJanuary 5th 2003. She was born on 28th October 2001. HerGodparents are Shirita Davis and Angela Davis.

Huttonlookinghappy,Nick lookingconfident,Halle lookingnervous

TheChristeningParty

The Lent Course

This year our Lent study has the theme “How being a Christianhas changed my life.” A variety of people in various professionsshare their thoughts with us.

Each Thursday evening in Lent inSt Martin’s Church Hall the programmewill be:

7:30pm Austerity Supper (Soup, bread, cheese & fruit)8.00pm Speaker8:45pm Questions and Discussion9:15pm Compline

6th March Barbara ButlerExecutive Secretary of Christians’ Aware

13th March Jonathan CecilPrincipal member of Actors’ Church Union

20th March The Revd. Prebendary Sandy MillarVicar of Holy Trinity Brompton

27th March The Very Revd. David L. EdwardsNotable Church historian and former Provost of

Southwark, Dean of Norwich

3rd April Anne Widdecombe, MP

10th April George BodinDeputy Lieutenant of Greater London

Indonesian Eveningat

All Saints Parish Hall

Elm Grove Road, Ealing Common

Friday 14 th February 2003 at 8pm

Opportunity to talk with Lorraine Roberts, cookand author of �Six Lessons in basic IndonesianCooking�. Her book will be on sale for £10.

Bookings: The Parishes Office, Tel.020 8992 2333

Indonesianmeal

musicanddance

drinks atthe bar

Price £10Children £5

DIOCESAN FINANCE ADVISER

10th December, 2002

Mr John Trussler,19, Gunnersbury Crescent,Acton,London,W3 9AA

Dear John,

COMMON FUND PLEDGE 2003

Thank you for the promise made on behalf of your parish towardsthe cost of ministry and mission in London for the forthcomingyear.

The amount promised by your parish is £40, 573, an 8% increase,so particular thanks for your generosity from which a significantcontribution will be made to the resource challenge of the wholeDiocese. We continue to support Church schools in the Willesdenarea by asking each parish to contribute an extra 1% in additionto their Common Fund payment.

As you know, the increase requested by Bishop Richard for 2003is 8%. Most parishes in Willesden have risen to this challengeand some have even gone beyond this mount, for which we

As a result of this, Willesden Area’s increase is about 6%. TheArea is therefore just meeting it’s costs whereas in 2002 it wasmaking a small contribution.

Wishing you every blessing for the coming year

Yours sincerely,

Ken Ogilvie

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View from America

Comedian and actor Robin Williams, an Episcopalian, recentlyappeared on television where he gave these 10 reasons to be anEpiscopalian

10. No snake handling9. You can believe in dinosaurs8. Male & female, god created them, male and female, we

ordain them7. You don’t have to check your brains at the door6. Pew aerobics5. Church year is colour coded4. Free wine on Sunday3. All of the pageantry – none of the guilt2. You don’t have to know how to swim to be baptised

And the number one reason to be an Episcopalian

1. No matter what you believe, there’s bound to be at leastone other Episcopalian who agrees with you.

Facing the Unthinkable – child protection training

Facing the Unthinkable offers training and support to both clergyand laity as it addresses many of the issues covered by theDiocese of London Child Protection Guidelines. Please encouragethose with direct responsibility for children to attend. Twotraining sessions have been arranged for 2003; one on Tuesday29th April, another on Saturday 1st November. Both run from09.15 to 13.30.

Both will be held at London Diocesan House. Last year we wereoversubscribed and had to turn people away, so please book earlyto guarantee your place.

The Facing the Unthinkable seminar is led by David and PaulinePearson of the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service. Theyboth have extensive experience in child protection – David as aSenior Social Services Manager, Pauline as a counsellor withchildren and adults who have been abused.

Facing the Unthinkable costs £13 per person (which includes aworkbook worth £3). Please send a letter indicating which sessionyou wish to attend, and a cheque payable to LONDON DIOCESANFUND to the relevant person:

Tuesday 29th April 2003 Please book via: Mary Hawes, LondonDiocesan House, 36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4AU.

Telephone: 020 7932 1255

Saturday 1st November 2003 Please book via: Jan Redshaw,Kensington Area Office, 865 Great West Road, Isleworth, MiddxTW7 5PD

Telephone: 020 8580 2140

Competition

Here’s photograph of a familiar object taken from an unfamiliarangle, as Robert Robinson used to say. No prizes for guessingwhat it is. Answer below the photograph.

Christingle Service Smashes RecordFrom Camilla Reid

The total raised at the Christingle Service on December amountedto £255.50. According to Nick this is a record, so well doneeveryone. A cheque has now been sent to the Children’s Society. Camilla Reid would like to give special thanks to Sally, Faith,Viv and Inge for their help in making 40 Christingles in 2 and ahalf hours - another record I’m sure. As always another thankyou to Alan Pearson for providing the oranges.

Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow DandelionsAuthor Unknown - thanks to Andrew Choo

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that aregoing to take over my garden. My children see flowers for Mum andblowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirtyperson who probably wants money and I look away. My children seesomeone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune and don’t havemuch rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen. My children feel thebeat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don’t knowthem, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel itmessing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My childrenclose their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to theground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.My children say, “Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Pleasekeep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don’t want to go toHeaven yet. I would miss my Mummy and Daddy.”

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirtycarpets. My children sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross,and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given children to teach or to learn from? Nowonder God loves the little children! Enjoy the little things in life, forone day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

Cardinal Hume LecturesThird Series 2003

The Temple Roots ofChristian Theology

Margaret Barker

Author of The Gate of Heaven, The Great Angel and TheRisen Lord

CreationMonday 24 th February 2003

CovenantMonday 3 rd March 2003

AtonementMonday 10 th March 2003

WisdomMonday 17 th March 2003

All lectures 5.45 pm - 7.00 pm The Brinkman Room, Heythrop College, University of

LondonKensington Square • London W8 5HQ

Tel: 020 7795 6600

The lectures are free of charge and open to the public.Nearest tube is Kensington High Street.

Overseas Visitor

Later this year we will be joined by Joseph Kaswanyundo ofMalawi. He is a priest in training and will be with us for 2months. He arrives in the UK on 27th April and will spend hisfirst two weeks at the College of the Ascension. He then joins usfor the remainder of his stay in the UK. His letter to Nickfollows.

Dear Nicholas,

Greetings in the Most Precious Name of our Lord and Saviour,Jesus Christ.

Without taking long I wish to write you some of my expectationsas I come to your place. In the first place I would like to learnthe challenges that the Church of England is currently facing ifthey are the same with those the Church of the Province ofCentral Africa is also going through. On top of this I am lookingforward to seeing the role the youths and Mothers’ Union in theEnglish Church play. I would also like to learn the strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the church isencountering. After narrating the cross-section of my expectationin brief, I now tell you who I am.

I was born on 13th July 1971 in a family of four children, one boyand three girls. As my father died in a car accident in 1978 mymother married again and had another two girls, making a familyof six children. My mother didn’t stay long with this husband asshe wanted to have more time looking after us, so she divorcedhim. I went to primary school at Sopani, Buzi and Malomo whereI got selected to go to St. John Bosco Secondary School in 1988.I finished my secondary education in 1992 where I got theMalawi School Certificate of Education.

I was taken to go to Theological College in 1993 where Igraduated in 1996. in the same year I got married to Loyce andlater ordained to Deaconate on 11th August 1996. My ordinationto priesthood took place on 27th July at Mpasa Parish in 1997. Ihave got one baby girl – Gloria – who is now four years old. Iam in my third parish which is Lingadzi working as a ParishPriest as well as Diocesan Training Chaplain. As a priest I amtaking care of five outstations and have a parish population of notmore than two thousand Christians. I do my pastoral work,visiting Christians, strengthening the weak and encouraging theelderly. I am involving as much as possible more youths andMothers Union in my ministry. As a Diocesan Training Chaplain,I am supposed to be getting right candidates for theologicaltraining on behalf of the Bishop, providing post-graduate trainingto the clergy and laity, in service training for the clergy and laityscholarships, where possible, and to find Retreat Conductors tothose expecting to be ordained to both Deaconate as well aspriesthood.

In brief this is what I can say for now. Thank you

Rev Fr Joseph Kaswanyundo

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A Visitor from the Taize Community

A brother from the Taize community, Brother Matthew, is comingto St John’s Church, Stanmore, on February 16th at 8.30pm, toshare about Taize and to speak with anyone interested on comingon the Willesden Area Trip to Taize this summer. This is aimedespecially at 15 to 29 year olds but all are welcome. For furtherinformation please contact Alison Christian on 020 8954 0276.

St Giles-in-the-FieldsSPRING 2003 LECTURE SERIES

Being Good: Perspectives onvirtue from world religions

Lectures take placeat St. Giles from 6.15 –

7.15pm.

Lectures are FREE.ALL are welcome

Monday 10 FebruaryIslam – Dr Ataullah SiddiquiSenior Research Fellow,the Islamic Foundation

Monday 24 FebruaryJudaism – Rabbi Jackie Tabick

Vice President, ReformSynagogues of Great Britain

Monday 3 MarchBuddhism: Dr Damien Keown

Reader in Buddhism,Goldsmiths College

Monday 17 FebruaryHinduism – Shaunaka Rishi Das

Director, Oxford Centre forVaishnava and Hindu Studies

Monday 10 MarchChristianity: The Rt Revd Richard Harries

Bishop of Oxford

Dates for Your Diary

February

Sunday 2nd 10am Family Service – Candlemass – Presentation of Christin the Temple

Sunday 9th Adult Confirmation Classes commence

Tuesday 11th 7:30pm Ealing Deanery Synod – All Hallows, Greenford

Thursday 20th Enthronement of Rowan Williams, Archbishop ofCanterbury

Saturday 22nd Rosamund Girgis-Hannah’s marriage to Timothy

March

Sunday 2nd 10am Morning Prayer & Guest Speaker (No Family Service)11:30am Holy Communion6:30pm Informal Youth Service

Tuesday 4th 7:30pm All Saints, Peasant Feast

Wednesday 5th 8:00pm Ash Wednesday. Holy Communion and Ceremony ofthe Ashes

Thursday 6th 6:30pm Japanese Eucharist8:00pm Lent Lecture

Thursday 13th 8:00pm Lent Lecture

Thursday 20th 8:00pm Lent Lecture

Sunday 23rd 10am Confirmation led by the Bishop of Willesden,Pete Broadbent

Thursday 27th 8:00pm Lent Lecture

Sunday 30th 10am Mothering Sunday Family Service

More Dates for Your Diary

April

Thursday 3rd 8:00pm Lent Lecture

Thursday 10th 8:00pm Lent Lecture

May

Sunday 4th 10am Family Service with Covenant Players

Sunday 25th 10am Rogation Sunday and Beating the Bounds

Thursday 29th Ascension Day – We hope the repairs to All Saints’tower will be complete and we will be able to celebrate Christ’sascension from the tower.

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The LanternGreek Taverna

The Ealing Gazette’s Restaurant of the Year 2002Established 1946

The Lantern is a lively, bustling Greek Cypriot Taverna.100 yds from Ealing Common Station, on the Uxbridge

Road.

We offer you the complete night outwith good food, wine and entertainment

SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK

Our Meze, Live Music and the sheer exuberance of the Lanternwill ensure that you have a wonderful time

To reserve your table phone

020 8992 4267

5 Station ParadeEaling Common, W5 3LD

(opposite Ealing Common Station)

The Estate Agents for all types of residentialproperty in Ealing, Acton and surrounding areas.Independent, professionally qualified with extensiveexperience of property sales.

For prompt personal attention and free marketappraisal please contact:

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