The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | archive | people | church | village | friends | location |
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The Parish Church of St Andrew's, Medsteadwelcome | faith | services | events | news | archive | people | church | village | friends | location |
|
October-December 2007
Christmas At St. Andrew's
Ben's Christmas Message
Design Our Card
Operation Christmas Child
PCC Meeting: 21st Nov
News From Karamoja
Remembrance Day Service
Commemoration
Medstead WI
Bible Study
Christmas Decorations
Join The Choir
Church Bibles
Oars For Treloars
Bowls Club
Jazz Concert
Jumble Sale
Karamoja Supper
Earl Haig Poppy Fund
Valaam Ensemble
Autumn Events
Lights On
Memorial Walk
Gardeners Club
Births, Deaths & Marriages
July-September 2007
April-June 2007
January-March 2007
October-December 2006
July-September 2006
April-June 2006
January-March 2006
October-December 2005
July-September 2005
April-June 2005
January-March 2005
October-December 2004
July-September 2004
April-June 2004
January-March 2004
November-December 2003
Anglicans Online
BBCi: Christian News
The Church of England Gazette
The Church of England Newspaper
Church Times Online
Diocese Of Winchester
Ekklesia
Ship of Fools
St. Andrew's website is:
Christmas at St. Andrew's is always a very special time. This year we held the following services and special events:
Sunday, 2nd December: Family Communion & Posada, 11.00am.
The figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey, from our Nativity display, began their journey through Medstead, staying with a different family each night during Advent, re-enacting their search for lodgings as told in Luke 2:7-20.
This year each of the Benefice parishes organised a Posada. The word Posada means travelling crib and is, originally, a Mexican tradition. Each night, a different household made room for Mary and Joseph in a variety of ways, before passing them on to the next home.
Their journey around our Parishes and their presence in our homes was a great way for villagers, friends and families to come together and remember the true meaning of Christmas: to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Comments made in the travel diaries which accompanied the figures included:
We have found a special place on our dresser in the kitchen for them.
They looked tired so we put them on the big windowsill, we said a prayer and wished them on their way, we will miss them.
We thought Joseph looked a bit sad, so we all sat down to watch Strictly Come Dancing, which made Joseph look happier.
There was even room for the Bentworth figures at the Inn, where they made friends with a few of the regulars before turning in to rest.
Sunday, 9th December: Christingle & Family Toy Service, 11.00am.
A beautiful Christmas service especially for children, who each received a Christingle, to raise money for The Children's Society. Children were also invited to bring along new or good-as-new toys, unwrapped, to donate to Alton Social Services for distribution to local families in need at Christmas.
Tuesday, 11th December: Carols on the Village Green, 6.30pm.
Villagers gathered for festive carols led by Ben, with mulled wine and mince pies. The Village Christmas lights were switched on, and Father Christmas made an early guest appearance to distribute presents to village children! Thanks to the Medstead Village Hall Committee for organising this event.
Sunday, 16th December: Nine Lessons and Carols, 6.00pm.
On a crisp winter's evening, a packed church enjoyed the unfolding story of Jesus' birth, singing carols and listening to traditional anthems by the choir, followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the Church Hall.
For most of us who attended the service there was the real feeling these carols and readings announced the start of Christmas. When we listen to the television or radio we are bombarded by bad news; at this service, however, there was nothing but Good News, and with a full church, full choir, Christmas decorations, candles and goodwill most of us felt this was a really great start to Christmas.
Monday, 24th December: Crib Service, 3.30pm.
Our Christmas Eve family service where Mary, Joseph and the donkey returned to the nativity display from their Posada journey through Medstead, whilst children dressed up to participate in our delightful and touching nativity play. We also donated £35 to the Church Army, the organisation which provides the resources for Posada.
Monday, 24th December: Midnight Communion, 11.30pm.
Tuesday, 25th December: Christmas Family Communion, 11.00am.
The publication of this year's Christmas stamps by the Post Office will undoubtedly please many who were disappointed by last year's more secular issue. Political correctness, it is alleged, suggests that we should not advertise our Christianity for fear of upsetting people of other faiths.
In my experience, it's not people of other faiths who get worked up about such issues; instead, it's the atheists (who prefer to term themselves 'secularists') who get in a 'tizzy' over anything that smacks of religion. It's been quite heartening to read of the reaction from other faith leaders to the release of these stamps.
Collective worship (we used to call it 'assembly') at Medstead School has been following a very interesting book, which sees the world as a village of one hundred people. It then uses ratios from amongst the one hundred to examine issues ranging from health care to education, wealth and food supply.
According to the book, eighty percent of the world's population believe in God; of that number, fifty percent are Christian. That being so, Christmas will be celebrated by an enormous number of people around the world, suggesting that the atheists - a tiny minority - might expect celebrations to be going on all around them!
We shall celebrate in these four parishes in our normal fashion, with Carol Services, Christingles, Crib Services, Carols on the Green (in Medstead), etc. etc. I know many clergy and church people who approach the season in some trepidation. Certainly, it represents hard work, but I find Christmas such an amazing festival, with its promise of "God with us", that the sheer joy of what God had achieved in Jesus Christ carries me along in an air of barely-controlled excitement!
If you find something less than excitement springing up at the thought, perhaps it's time to shift away from the material necessities (tree, food, drink, presents, parties...) and re-focus on a baby born to a human mother, small, vulnerable and, at the same time, Saviour of the world.
I wish you all, in due time, a very Happy, exciting and Blessed Christmas.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email
Congratulations to Joseph Bowling and Miles Caddy from Medstead School, winners of our competition to design the cover for our village Christmas Card.
The winning entries have now been incorporated in the designs for two different cards, which are now being distributed to the 600 houses in Medstead Parish. All of the entries, including the two winning designs, are now on display in the Church Hall.
Thanks to local artist Jennifer Lines and to Ben for judging the competition and to Ian Waine and Pat Brough for supporting the competition at Medstead School and Medstead Preschool. Most of all, thank you to all the village children who participated and sent in such great designs!
If you would like extra copies of our cards to print and give to your friends, you can download our 2007 card, below.
Related Links:
2007 Christmas Card
Right click on the link, select "Save Target As..." to save the file to a local directory. The card is in Adobe pdf format, compressed using Winzip.
As part of the Benefice's Christmas celebrations we, once again, joined in with the excellent project Operation Christmas Child, run by Samaritan's Purse.
This year, the Benefice's contribution to the Operation Christmas Child Campaign resulted in 123 shoe boxes, filled with gifts for children of all ages who would otherwise receive no presents at Christmas because of war, poverty and natural disasters.
The pupils at Bentworth School filled 75 boxes and there was much excitement when the van came to collect them!
Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
Kathryn Flenley
The Parochial Church Council met on Wednesday, 21st November and, in addition to the usual items of business, discussed the following:
The next PCC Meeting will be held on Monday, 14th January, 2008 at 8.00pm in the Church Hall. If you have any matters you would like discussed, please contact the PCC Secretary.
Related Links:
Karamoja Update
Design Our Christmas Card
Vision Day
The new term has now started at the Diocesan Training Centre (DTC) in Lotome, South Karamoja, with 15 new students, whose educational backgrounds vary considerably. Some left school at the end of their primary years while others have completed their secondary education.
A new tutor, Zobock Okello has been appointed to help run the two-year course under the principal, Rev. Simon Aisu Akol. The DTC will be sending us biographies and photos of the students via the Karamoja Link Committee.
The Karamoja Link Committee has agreed a commitment to sponsor fourteen of the fifteen £1,000 student bursaries, with the final bursary being covered by the Karamoja Dioceses themselves. Each bursary funds one student for the full two-year course.
Bursary sponsorships have been confirmed by several of the Alton Deanery churches and the Karamoja Supper on 16th November alone raised enough to support one student bursary.
Through the Standing Committee, our PCC has agreed St Andrew's will sponsor a bursary from existing funds. Our Jazz Concert in support of this commitment on 25th November raised sufficient funds to cover the first year of this bursary in full, a splendid achievement.
Our other Benefice churches in Bentworth, Lasham and Shalden are also considering supporting a student bursary on a joint basis.
Bishops James and Joseph have met with other Ugandan Bishops in Kampala to discuss the management of church schools. At present there is a shortage of Christian head teachers.
A Confirmation Camp is planned in the Northern Diocese for those who have recently been confirmed. Topics will include Christian teaching, HIV and issues surrounding marriage in childhood.
Parts of western Karamoja including Abim, in the south-west region of North Karamoja and Iriiri, on the western side of South Karamoja, have suffered the worst floods since 1962. Cattle have been lost and people have died as houses collapsed. Bridges have been washed away and Kotido has been inaccessible except by plane.
As well as the immediate problems, the crops which were almost ready for harvest have been destroyed, raising the very real prospect of starvation. The roads which were closed in North Karamoja are however now starting to be re-opened.
David Hayward
Related Links:
Faith In Action: Karamoja
Karamoja Supper
PCC Meeting 21.11.07
Uganda Flood Emergency
Karamoja Visit
As usual, the memory of those who were killed fighting for our country meant the church was packed for our Remembrance Service, on Sunday, 11th November.
Before the service we assembled around the War Memorial to listen to Maurice Johnson read the Roll of Honour. Wreaths were then placed on the Memorial by:
The local youth groups also took part in the service and there was a definite feeling of us all coming together to remember those who have died, and indeed are still dying, that we might live in a peaceful, free country.
The Last Post was beautifully played on the trumpet by Laura Jurd. It rained a little as we stood around the memorial but there must have been many who thought this minor discomfort was nothing compared to what those whom we were remembering had done for us.
Meanwhile, in the Church Hall, village children, joined by the youth groups, created this year's remembrance banner, 11.11.07, which was displayed outside the church.
Let us remember with gratitude those who, in the cause of peace and the service of their fellow men, died for their country in time of war.
Over the course of my ordained ministry, I have conducted a very large number of funerals, of people ranging in age from the still-born to 106 and all points in between. Within my own family, too, I have conducted or assisted in funerals - rather more than I would have liked - but the death of my own sister, Sylvia, at the age of 60 has felt somewhat different.
Possibly its because she is the first of my generation of blood relatives to die that seems to have brought death that little bit closer than before, though any parish priest lives close to these matters in our everyday lives.
My thanks to those of you who have sent cards and flowers; your kindnesses have been much appreciated. Her funeral was a challenging, but also impressive, occasion. As County President of Somerset Royal British Legion (Womens' Section), her coffin was led into church by about twenty branch standards from all over Somerset; they 'dipped' in tribute afterwards, as her coffin was driven away to the crematorium.
Just a few days before, I had been asked to go back to one of my former parishes (the Vicar was out of the country) to conduct the funeral of a young man of 46, who had been killed in a motorbike accident - he'd been going too fast, as usual, and no other vehicle was involved. He was someone at whose marriage I had assisted; I baptised the first of his children; now I was conducting his funeral. This also was a hard occasion to share.
I wonder, sometimes, if we forget the grief caused by the deaths of those whom we shall commemorate again on Remembrance Sunday? Of course, many died a long time ago, nearly a hundred years for those killed in 1914, but we have been forced (at least that is what it can feel like) - and quite rightly, in my view - to include among the Rolls of Honour those who have died in many conflicts since the end of World War Two, deaths which continue right up to the present moment. The work of the Royal British Legion (of which I also am a member) is as much in demand today as at any time in its history: please support the Poppy Appeal!
My sister lived for 60 action-packed years until cancer finally claimed her. The young motor-cyclist lived into his forties and died as he had lived: in 'the fast lane'. So many of those whose deaths we remember on 11th November were far younger and, whether in ancient conflict or modern, gave their lives as a sacrifice for freedom.
All around the country, on Remembrance Sunday, bands will play, colours will be carried, names read and wreaths laid. I sincerely trust and hope that all of us will be part of a commemoration somewhere that day.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email
Four new members and several visitors were welcomed at the October meeting. Before business began Janey Matthews, herself a WI member from Cheriton and also a volunteer at Naomi House Hospice shop, was presented with thirteen colourful patchwork cushions, which members of the craft group had made after being inspired by an article in the WI Life magazine.
The speaker for the afternoon was Anne Breakwell who was giving her penultimate talk. Anne proved a very interesting speaker and told everyone about her jewellery business and all about the process and various stones she uses in its manufacture. Anne also explained about the various birthstones for each sign of the zodiac. Anne had brought along a wonderful selection of her jewellery and sales were brisk as everyone stocked up for themselves or for Christmas!
The craft group have now turned their talents towards Christmas and have been making beaded baubles and also Christmas tree decorations using patchwork techniques.
Those not of a crafty disposition have also been busy, as a supper for over 50 people had been catered for and also several members had provided food and helped after the memorial service for Alton WI member Camilla Boreham.
Just to ensure no one gets bored, the walking group had been rambling in glorious autumn sunshine at Alice Holt, with a lunch at Country Market afterwards; and the Single Ladies Sunday Lunch group had also enjoyed a lunch out. The skittles team had enjoyed an evening competing in the Austen Group round and had finished a creditable third.
Medstead WI always looks forward to welcoming new members and visitors to their meetings in Medstead Village Hall on the second Thursday of the month. During the winter months the meetings will start at 1.45pm.
Gill Siddall
Related Links:
Medstead WI, July-September 2007
Contrary to what many people believe, the first English language version of the Bible was not the familiar King James (or 'Authorised') Version of 1611; it was, in fact, produced by William Tyndale in 1525 - in Hamburg!
Tyndale had been keen to translate from the original Greek of the New Testament directly into English, but his aim was not popular: it is reported that, in dispute with a prominent English priest, Tyndale replied, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."
His desire was prevented by the then Bishop of London, Cuthbert Tunstall, so he went to Germany. When the first copies of Tyndale's New Testament translation arrived in England, it was attacked as 'subversive' by the Church's authorities.
Tyndale, having left England in 1524, never returned to his homeland. King Henry VIII firmly disapproved of putting the scriptures into English. Betrayed by a friend, Tyndale was arrested and put to death at the stake. His last words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes!"
The Gospel readings in church for the past few weeks, and continuing until Advent, have been following through a large section of Jesus' teaching as set out in Luke's account. A common feature of that teaching has been, one might say, subversive because Jesus has taught in terms which set the standards of the day on their heads. Time and again, Jesus has illustrated how people's approach to God and to one another has so often been at variance with God's approach.
Much of his ministry, as revealed here, has been 'subversive' - small wonder, then, that leaders both religious and political sought to get rid of him. The hymn-writer Patrick Appleford (b. 1925) referred to this subversion in his hymn, Oh Lord, all the world belongs to you, every verse of which reflects how Jesus is "turning the world upside down."
Victor Hugo wrote: "England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England."
Perhaps in Tyndale's time, when those who could read became the first get to grips with the Bible for themselves, there was a thirst for its teaching. In later times, as the Bible steadily became the world's best-selling book, knowledge of verses and paragraphs became widespread - perhaps the "boy that driveth the plough" would have shared in this knowledge.
But merely knowing a thing is no guarantee of understanding or of impact upon life. T S Eliot: "Those who talk of the Bible as a 'monument of English prose' are merely admiring it as a monument over the grave of Christianity."
William Tyndale is commemorated by the Church on 6th October. Christians everywhere could honour his name no better than by getting the Bible out and reading it. (Advice and reading aids widely available).
Our Services page now includes links to the bible passages used in the readings, so you can study the text online before or after the service.
Ben Flenley
Comments? email
Related Links:
Services & Readings
After 50 years of organising and decorating our Church Christmas tree, Jennifer Lines has decided to hang up her tinsel and baubles. A huge thank you to Jennifer is in order for such long service.
Christian, Katharine and Bethany enthusiastically helped Kerry and Debs with this year's tree.
Many thanks to all those involved in making our church look so splendid for this wonderful season. We particularly thank the flower arrangers who massed on 22nd to make the splendid floral arrangements which perfectly complement the traditional decorations.
Christmas is coming and the choir will be starting to rehearse for the Carol Services very soon.
We always welcome new members and we are currently looking for recruits. You do not have to be able to read music. There is no age limit, though we would suggest that younger children should be of primary school age.
Rehearsals are at 10.00am every Sunday in the Church Hall. Just come to one of our rehearsals, or contact Wendy Busby for more details.
Visitors to St Andrew's will have seen the new bibles which have been donated to us. The bibles were dedicated by The Revd Simon Baker at the Advent Sunday service on Sunday, 2nd December and Simon reminded us they are there to be read.
As the readings are given in the Pewsheet they can be read in the quiet time before the service or they can be followed whilst they are read from the Lectern.
Many thanks to the anonymous donor for their generous gift to our Church.
Related Links:
Ben Writes... Bible Study
Services: Readings Online
I write to thank you for the space you provided for publicity for the Treloar College Centenary Appeal.
This also gives me an opportunity to thank The Medstead Sports Club for entering a team. The 100 mile row was completed in a rowing time of 12 hours 26 minutes and 45 seconds, and raised £3,250. A big thank you to those of your readers who sponsored the rower so generously.
Treloar's cannot begin to thank Tony Chivers enough for the considerable amount of time and effort he has put in to raise this fantastic sum of money for Treloar's. This amount can actually make a real difference to the lives of our students, by helping to provide resources. We will be continuing our Oars for Treloars campaign in 2008, so if any of you are interested we would be delighted to hear from you.
Fiona Janczur
Events Manager, Treloar Trust
Related Links:
Oars For Treloars Update
Medstead Bowls Club's AGM, on Friday, 30th November, reviewed the most successful year in the Club's 15-year history.
Whilst many clubs are losing members, we increased ours to over fifty. Our all-weather green allows us to play outdoors in all but the worst weather, falling back to an indoor short-mat rink when needed, whilst our social events continue through the winter.
Financially, we are in a comfortable position. Loans have been repaid and the club has been able to build up a reserve towards renewing the carpet of the green, when necessary.
We have also made improvements. New battens and ditch liners have been fitted around the 40 x 40 metre green. The clubhouse's outside woodwork has been re-painted and new playing equipment storage cupboards built.
During the winter we run two competitive knockout events: The Winter Cup and, for the less hardy players, the indoor Short Mat. Both are singles events with each round played over 18 ends. Their finals will take place on Winter Finals Day, on Saturday, 23rd February 2008.
We shall enter a team, again, next year in the Stan Hardman League. We have already arranged ten friendlies for next summer, mainly on Sunday afternoons, including several against clubs we have never met before.
Wilf Robinson
The highly talented Laura Jurd and Martynas Vilpisauskas were in concert, in the Church, on Sunday, 25th November in support of our commitment to the Karamoja Bursary Scheme.
Playing trumpet, piano and vocal jazz to a full church, the concert raised, after expenses, over £500, enough to pay for a year's study in Karamoja for one of the Christian Ministry students.
Thanks to Laura and Martynas for their work in organising and presenting this wonderful concert.
Related Links:
Faith In Action: Karamoja
Karamoja Update
Our annual autumn Jumble Sale was held on Saturday, 17th November in the Church Hall and, despite the inclement weather, we raised £818 for church funds.
Thank you to all those who contributed to this success, either by providing or collecting items, helping on the day, baking cakes for the event and, in particular, to our bargain hunters, who travelled from far and wide to support us.
With more stalls, our latest sale was the most popular yet, due to both the quantity and the quality of our jumble. The village is now taking a break from rummaging through lofts, spare rooms, garages and garden sheds until our next, spring, sale in April 2008.
As part of Alton Deanery's fundraising efforts for Karamoja, a supper was held on Friday, 16th November in Four Marks Village Hall.
The supper was very successful, with all 120 tickets being sold. Guests were treated to a splendid casserole chicken with grated potato crisp topping, or vegetarian equivalent, plus a variety of delightful puddings, pies, etc.
Use of alternating black, yellow and red paper napkins at the table seatings, depicting the principal colours of the Ugandan flag, contributed to a colourful evening for everyone.
Presentations were given by the Rev. Kennett Westmacott, Chairman of the Karamoja Link Committee, Rev. James Campbell, Bentley/Binstead, and Rev John Ellison, Northanger Benefice, drawing on their respective visits to Karamoja earlier this year.
John Ellison's presentation included fascinating camcorder film extracts of the new Bishops' inaugurations and a general flavour of how different life is in that part of the world.
All donations made on the night went to Alton Deanery's Karamoja Diocesan Training Centre Bursary Scheme.
David Hayward
Related Links:
Faith In Action: Karamoja
Karamoja Update
Karamoja Visit
Scarlet poppies grow naturally in disturbed ground throughout Northern Europe. The destruction brought the First World War transformed the earth into fields of blood red poppies growing around the bodies of fallen soldiers.
Their significance as a lasting memorial to the 'Fallen' was realised by the Canadian military surgeon John McCrae in his poem, In Flanders Fields, written in December 1915:
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard among the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up your quarrel with the foe:
To you with falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields."
For most, the experience of conflict is remote but there are those, even today, with the Services on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, who need the support the Royal British Legion provide. So, please give generously to the Poppy Appeal.
Glyn Bradley
The Valaam Ensemble will be returning to our benefice, on Friday, 2nd November with a concert in St Mary's Church, Bentworth, starting at 7.30pm.
This promises to be a unique and, genuinely, not to be missed concert. Featuring only their voices, without instrumental accompaniment, their repertoire generally consists of a mixture of folk singing and liturgical chanting in the tradition of northern Russia.
Formed in 1993 by five professional male singers, the Ensemble is dedicated to restoring the Valaam Monastery, a spiritual center for Russian Orthodoxy which suffered considerable destruction during the Soviet regime and located on a group of islands in Lake Ladoga, northern Russia.
The Ensemble perform for the thousands of pilgrims and tourists who visit the islands over the summer months. During the rest of the year, they travel on concert tours which have taken them to England, Germany, Finland, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. They have also recorded several albums, which will, no doubt, be available for purchase during the Concert.
A retiring collection will be made, with funds going towards the restoration.
Related Links:
The Valaam Ensemble
Highlights of our autumn calendar of events include:
Valaam Ensemble: 2nd November
Karamoja Supper: 16th November
Jumble Sale: 17th November
Patronal Concert: 25th November
Please see our Events page for more details.
Our Social Committee is also eager to recruit a few more members for its work. If you are interested, please contact Sharon.
Sharon Blackshaw
Medstead Lawn Tennis Club's newly installed third court floodlights were officially opened by Cllr Maurice Johnson on Thursday, 1st November.
Finance for the project was raised through various social events and generous grants from Medstead Parish Council, The Wake Trust and the Medstead Fête Committee. Medstead Tennis Club would like to thank the Parish Council for their support and encouragement.
All three courts at the Club are now equipped with floodlights, which allow play to continue throughout the winter season. Tennis activities are organised on most week-day evenings and coaching is also available.
Tony Cox
This year's walk, in aid of the Medstead over-60s Christmas Party on Sunday, January 6th, 2008, will be held on Sunday, October 7th, starting at 9.30am from The Castle Of Comfort.
The main, sponsored, walk will be over a ten-mile off-road route. Sponsorship forms are available from The Castle Of Comfort and The Handy Stores.
Anyone wishing to take part without sponsorship is also welcome, and a donation of £10 is suggested.
The family walk, which starts an hour later at 10.30am, again from The Castle Of Comfort, will be about four miles in length, over a different off-road route. This shorter walk is for parents and children to enjoy our lovely countryside together.
Entry to this walk is by donation on the day.
Club meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, in the Village Hall at 7.30pm for 8.00pm:
Tuesday, 2nd October:
Dr. Roland Fox on Fungi & Truffles.
Tuesday, 6th November:
Annual General Meeting.
New members are always very welcome.
Gill Siddall
A very big thank you to all of you who came to see me on Friday, 9th November to make my 80th birthday such a memorable day.
My thanks to you all also for your cards, good wishes and very generous gifts.
Geoff
We welcomed the family and friends of Ned Cleland to our Church on Sunday, 14th October.
Ned was Baptised at a special Baptismal Service at 12.30pm and we welcome him into the family of our church.
