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United Reformed ChurchNewsletter for September 2006 |
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Alan Wood Ideas, Please! In the July issue of the NewsLetter there was an article entitled "What If?’ by George Smith. This basically proposed that if Epsom URC and Banstead Rotary Club could each raise £1,000 for ‘Pump Aid’, then various sections of Rotary would boost this up to £7,000. It seems worthwhile doing, doesn’t it? Well, so far we have had one Sunday Breakfast, which raised £57 – and not a lot else! Remember, last year’s efforts raised £800, and that included about £300 from the Brownie Guides. This year we won’t have the Brownie contribution, so in effect, we need to raise double last year’s amount to achieve our target. Can we do it? Of course we can! But let’s have your ideas on what you want to do. How about twenty more breakfasts? And please, Please, all those that can, make your contributions through Gift Aid, and the reclaimed tax can go towards the £1,000, so that means we might only have to raise, um, ah, er, about £800! Now there’s an idea! So let us have your ideas on what YOU like doing, and let’s get to it! Now here’s my idea: I am intending to take part in
the
September is the month when everything starts up after the summer break. We hope your loins have been freshly girded for the various events and programmes that the various group committees have arranged for you – so WELCOME BACK! (top)For several weeks over the summer, some of the lectionary readings were taken from the book of Ephesians, and I for one really enjoyed their forthrightness. Especially about speaking the truth. Have you ever told a lie? Well, maybe you won't mind admitting to it so much once you hear that over 90% of us lie regularly. People tell about two lies a day, or at least that is how many they admit to. Isn't that amazing?? Timing is important, isn't it? There are some things that are true, but ought not to be told at this time. When your friend has failed to get good exam results may not be the time to talk about the A stars that you got. There are lots of different ways to say the truth. The wrong truth, or the wrong person telling the truth at the wrong time, or the truth told in the wrong way for the wrong reason, can do a lot of harm. Honesty and cruelty go together quite well. Most of us don't tell the great big, obvious lies, do we? We just tell the porkies, the white lies, the lies told out of kindness or compassion. If someone says, "Isn't my baby the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?" what harm does it do for me to say, "Oh yes!"? Yet we ought to admit that even these occasional white lies in which we fail to tell the complete truth to one another, are dangerous. Our whole society is built on being able to trust what people say. We often know, don't we, when someone praises us but doesn't really mean it? Not telling the truth can be habit-forming, a way of trying to be liked by everyone, of not upsetting anyone. We need to be careful with the lies we tell. Telling the truth to another person shows not only that you are a person of trust, but also that you trust the other person to be the sort of human being who can be truthful. Telling the truth to someone ought to be a way of showing respect. Telling the truth is not just a matter of "telling it like it is" but rather telling the truth in the right way, to the right person, at the right time, for the right reasons. So Paul speaks of "speaking the truth in love." Pat We’re delighted to report that Doris Swan is continuing to make very good progress. She hopes to be as good as new very soon. Doris thanks all friends for their thoughts, cards and good wishes received while in hospital and while recovering at home. Doris and Archie appreciate the support that they have received from so many friends and extend their sincere thanks. Lynne Lewis is in considerable pain and discomfort with her neck. May she soon find relief from so debilitating a condition. Phyl Cary is rather below par, and we hope for better news soon. We hope that Peggy and Joe Wilson get over their recent problems. We give our continuing love and concern to Linda Jeeves Prayers and love we extend to Sonia, Dorothy, Mary and Marjorie Marjorie will be celebrating her 90th birthday on 15th September. Our congratulations and good wishes to her. We will, when convenient to the family, be marking the occasion. Congratulations to Rebecca Drake, having gained a 2:1 degree in Law at Cambridge. She will now be going to Law School. As a result, Rebecca will be available for playing the organ for us on most Sunday mornings for a year. Well done, and our thanks to Rebecca for her help. Congratulations are due, too, to Michael Wood, who has gained a 2:1 Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree in Popular Music Performance. Jenny Snashall is being ordained to the Ministry of the URC on Saturday 16th September at New Malden URC at 7 p.m. (19:00). Friends will be most welcome but are asked to advise Church Secretary Margaret Barnard on 020-8942 9768. The Carpets are complete!
The Brownies on Holiday
at the Pack Holiday at Westcott Secretary’s
Letter 
This week we went to the Wisley Flower Show and I can say with certainty that God is alive and well. The floral exhibits were quite beautiful especially the gladioli. I had no idea that there were so many colours and varieties, but I am sure someone else apart from the growers had something to do with making them so beautiful. We are very lucky to live in a part of the world where we can enjoy such beauty. August seems to be flying by and the nights are slowly drawing in which reminds us that autumn is around the corner and the organisations will begin again. I hope you have all enjoyed a rest and will return full of enthusiasm. Harvest is the next celebration on the calendar: don’t forget we are collecting for "Pump Aid" again this year; the details have been in a previous Newsletter. There will be a lunch in Unity Hall after Morning Worship on Sunday, 17th September, more details about this later – listen and watch out for them. All the profits from this will go to "Pump Aid". Come and enjoy the fellowship and food and the money will go to a very worthy cause. I am sure you already have the date in your diary:- Harvest Festival at Epsom 1st October followed by Harvest Lunch at Ewell after Morning Worship. I have the order form for 2007 Diaries; please let me know if you would like one.
NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FOR A.G.M. Due to unforeseen circumstances of folk not being able to attend the meeting on 15th November, the Meeting has been moved to WEDNESDAY, 22nd NOVEMBER. Please make a note in your Diary. Sunday Breakfast for Pump Aid Bright and early on Sunday, 6th August, a small number gathered together in Unity Hall for breakfast. This was a very happy occasion and everyone there enjoyed what was on the menu. Thanks to Phemie for all her work in the kitchen and for planning and cooking such a delicious meal.
Although the numbers were few, with so many away on holiday, we still managed to raise £57 for ‘Pump Aid’ to start us off on our mammoth task of raising £1000 for the charity this year. We were very grateful for all the donations from people who would have attended had they been available. Do you like having the occasional breakfast in Unity Hall? Please let know if this is something you like to do. (top)PUMP AID LUNCH A lunch is being arranged on Sunday 17 September in Unity Hall at 12.30 in support of Pump Aid. Cost of lunch £6 under12s £4 The lunch will be a cold buffet. Friends may wish to contribute ingredients or dishes, this would be much appreciated but could you please let Sheila Smith or Phemie Young know what you are donating and how many portions by Sunday 10 September. The lunch will follow the joint all age service and baptism with the Rough Ditch Band. Pump Aid is our harvest charity this year, everyone has been so generous in the past am sure with a bit of effort the target of £1000will be reached. Please sign the list in the foyer by 10 September 2006. JOHN DONNE: Poet, Politician, Playboy and Priest I was wandering through the National Portrait Gallery some months ago, when I spotted a most extraordinary man. He was huddled up in the shadows, with a long face looking out from under a wide-brimmed hat. This was John Donne, the English poet, painted in 1595 by an unknown artist. He was reputed to have commissioned this painting of himself to woo an unresponsive lover. It's not known whether he succeeded or not! Regarded as one of the most charismatic of portraits, John Donne, then twenty-three years of age, is depicted with an unlaced shirt at a time when he was writing famous love poems, such as 'To His Mistress Going to Bed' and ‘The Flea’. But he was more than a poet. He was a pop star, a rake, and, later, an inspired preacher. Many people today, though they may recognize some of his words, like ‘No man is an island’ and ‘For whom the bell tolls’, aren't familiar with his poems and his sermons. Four centuries after John Donne wrote, ‘Go and catch a falling star...’, the singer, Perry Como, came along with a song entitled, ‘Catch a falling star’. Donne's poems struggle with the paradoxes and perplexities of the things that have mattered - love, sex, death, truth and belief. And his lyrics were set to music by his contemporaries, and played in barbers’ shops while customers were shaved. Born a Roman Catholic, John Donne saw his brother perish in prison, and an uncle hanged for his faith. Donne sailed on a naval expedition to Cadiz in 1596, and then he knocked around London in a show-off hat and a frilly shirt. He often attended the theatre, wrote exquisite poetry and fell in and out of love a great deal. In a scandal that would sit easily in the 21st century, John Donne eloped with a teenager, Anne More. Her outraged father had the poet imprisoned. With sorry wit, Donne wrote, ‘John Donne, Anne Donne, Undone’! Their marriage produced twelve children and some of the most delightful love poetry ever written. When Anne died at the age of thirty-three, Donne was broken-hearted. He wrote, ‘She whom I loved hath paid her last debt...’. He is thought never to have written another love poem at all. John Donne then renounced Catholicism, became a Member of Parliament for Brackley, took holy orders and ended up as the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. Comparisons are odious, but looking around the National Portrait Gallery, it's hard to find another face that radiates so much character and charisma. The Renaissance pop star come preacher, according to that portrait, has a merry twinkle in his eye. As he might have put it himself: the boy Donne good! Betty Hay’s 80th Birthday Kim Menagh Sunday, 30 July, was set aside to celebrate Mum`s 80th birthday, although the actual birthday was 2 August. During service on Sunday morning Mum was surprised to be presented with cards and a present from church friends and a round of `Happy Birthday` accompanied by Charles at the organ. Following service, attendees enjoyed a piece of her very large birthday cake!
The celebrations continued when we took Mum and friends and family to The Ritz, Piccadilly, on Sunday evening to enjoy ‘afternoon tea’ at 7.30 p.m. – the party totalled 13 in all. The elegant surroundings, service and attention to detail did not disappoint. Sandwiches, scones and delicate patisseries were washed down by several cups of tea. Later on in the proceedings Mum was yet again surprised by the presentation of a smaller cake with another round of ‘Happy Birthday’ played by the pianist with waiters and other guests singing along! The toast was helped along with a glass of champagne. We said goodbye to friends and family at 9.30 p.m. and made our way home recounting the events of the evening. I know these memories will stay with Mum for a long time, as she thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. Mum has asked me to pass on her gratitude and heartfelt thanks to everyone who made her 80th birthday such a special occasion with their kindness and thoughtfulness. Garden Party at the Manse Thank you to Pat and Peter for hosting a garden party for both Epsom and Ewell congregations at the Manse on 5th August. The weather was wonderful and there was plenty to eat and drink as we enjoyed the company of our hosts and other friends.
Donations for the charity for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease amounted to the grand total of £168. Thank you again, Pat, and we will all be looking forward to next year! The Situation in Darfur We have received that following information via the Synod Office: "I am contacting you on behalf of Waging Peace, a non-profit-making organisation based in London. On 17 September, numerous organisations around the world are participating in a "global day for Darfur". For its part, Waging Peace is organising Active Faith: A Prayer for Darfur, a minute of multi-faith prayer to be held at the gates of Downing Street. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has kindly agreed to write a prayer for the event. I would therefore ask you for help in distributing information about the event to all of the ecumenical officers concerned with social policy in various denominations in London. We would be most grateful if you would be willing to assist in ‘spreading the word’. To that end, please find attached a press release for Active Faith, as well as background information concerning Darfur. Please do let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. Thank you in advance for your help. All the best, Christa Bennett 32 Queensway, London W2 3RX Tel: 020-7243 0300 PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christa Bennett Office: 0207 243 0300 Email: christa.bennett@wagingpeace.infoActive Faith: A Prayer for Darfur London – September 17 will mark an international day of action for Darfur. Events are being planned all over the world to draw attention to the ongoing genocide in western Sudan. The Most Reverend the Archbishop Desmond Tutu has kindly agreed to write a prayer for Waging Peace to use for a minute of multi-faith prayer, which is to be held at the gates of Downing Street. Additionally, Waging Peace is in the process of securing prayers from other influential religious leaders. We aim to remind our prime minister of his personal commitment not to allow another Rwanda to occur. In addition to those from different faiths in London who will participate at Downing Street, churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples all over the UK will be joining the event by using Archbishop Tutu’s, or their respective leader’s, non-denominational prayer in their services. September will mark the first anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ doctrine. In addition to this policy, which has been endorsed by the British government, our prime minister Tony Blair stated in 2001 that we would have a duty to act to stop another Rwanda. We welcome this opportunity to remind the Prime Minister of his moral obligation. We ask that:
The importance of these demands is underlined by the UN’s Jan Egeland, who warns that 100,000 people may die each month in Darfur and Chad if the situation continues to deteriorate. If you wish to participate in the prayer, or to register your religious or community group for Active Faith, email your postal address to Waging Peace at christa.bennett@wagingpeace.info or 020-7243 0300.DARFUR: BACKGROUND TO A GENOCIDE In the last three years an estimated 400,000 people have died in the remote and arid western region of Sudan called Darfur. In addition, three million people, or half the population, have been driven from their villages and are now in camps on either side of the Sudan-Chad border. The United Nations warns that if humanitarian agencies cannot improve access to the camps, disease and hunger could claim as many as 100,000 people a month. Why is this happening? The Black African tribes in Darfur have been deliberately targeted by Arab nomadic militias on horse and camel called the Janjaweed. The fundamentalist Islamic government of Sudan give the militias wages, arms and ammunition. In effect the regime in the capital, Khartoum, uses the Janjaweed as its proxies to ethnically cleanse the region of Darfur. Sudan’s armed forces also support the Janjaweed with bombing raids. Ninety per cent of Black African villages have now been destroyed, and the locals’ livestock has been stolen. Many women and girls fleeing the invaders have been raped and tortured, and they continue to be raped by militias lying in wait for them near the refugee camps. The Janjaweed openly admit they believe the Black Africans are racially inferior, referring to them as ‘slaves,’ even though all concerned are Muslim. The Khartoum regime has a track record of persecuting its Black African citizens. It used Arab militia proxies in oil-rich southern Sudan, where two million mainly Christian Black Africans have died in the last twenty years. How did it start? In the last five years the international community has urged Khartoum to stop the war against the southerners in order to access Sudan’s massive oil reserves. The people there wanted an autonomous regional government with more say in their own affairs. The southerners have inspired tribes with grievances elsewhere in Sudan. Khartoum is unpopular because power and money are concentrated in the capital, and there has been very little regional development. When it became clear a peace deal would be signed between Khartoum and the south, the rebels in Darfur began to campaign for autonomy. The regime tried to crush the rebels, fearing Sudan would fall apart. It has also imprisoned, killed and tortured those campaigning for more freedom in other provinces. Some rebel militias in Darfur are also guilty of murder, rape looting, and impeding the progress of humanitarian groups. The rebels are believed to be responsible for 3% of the deaths, while the Janjaweed and government of Sudan have done 97% of the killing. One rebel group signed a Darfur peace deal in May 2006, but the rest suspect the government of Sudan will not abide by its promises, pointing out that Khartoum has ignored its commitments in the deal with the south, signed in 2005. Kofi Annan has confirmed the government of Sudan is already in breach of its promises. What is the international reaction? The United States, Canada and Germany have all determined genocide is ongoing in Darfur. The African Union has 7,000 soldiers monitoring Darfur, but they do not have the powers to protect civilians or disarm those responsible for the violence. Since the peace deal was signed in May, the violence has escalated, and spilled over into Chad. However, the Sudanese president, General al-Bashir, has ruled out allowing a United Nations peacekeeping force into Darfur. The National Islamic Front junta in Khartoum has long warned that outside intervention would unleash a popular ‘jihad’. President Bashir recently told the South African leader, Thabo Mbeki, that the West’s concern about Darfur was the result of a sinister international Jewish plot, linking it to the invasion of Iraq. The British Government deserves enormous credit for leading the world in the generosity of its humanitarian response. But we have been less clear in recognising the culpability of the Sudanese government. Although the UN Security Council has voted for targeted sanctions against the architects of the genocide in Darfur, and for a no-fly zone, no action has been taken. The head of Sudanese intelligence was recently allowed into London for medical treatment, despite being on the UN’s list of war criminals. He is also cooperating with the Americans in the war on terror, skilfully leveraging Khartoum’s links with Al Qaeda. Waging Peace is calling for a UN peacekeeping force with a strong mandate allowing peacekeepers to intervene to protect civilians and to disarm aggressors. We should also immediately enforce all UN resolutions against Sudan, including sanctions and travel bans targeted personally at the architects of the genocide. In 2001 the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, declared that if Rwanda were to happen again, Britain would have a duty to act. Regrettably, it seems that just as in Bosnia and Rwanda, there is a lack of will to stand firm against tyranny. Experienced Sudan-watchers believe Khartoum can be forced to back down, but it requires a united and serious show of resolve now plainly lacking. We hope our day of prayer for Darfur will refocus our Prime Minister’s commitment to the innocent victims of genocide. Becky Tinsley 020 7243 0300
* * * A Diamond Wedding * * * Maurice and Joan Young are celebrating their Diamond Wedding on 9th September and are inviting all friends to an ‘AT HOME’ from 4 p.m. onwards and "would be so delighted" if friends from Epsom could join them at this time. There will be a marquee in the garden and a caterer for the food. If you would like to attend, please contact Alan Wood for details. Felpham is about 55 miles away from Epsom down the A24 and should take around 1½ hours’ travel time. Afternoon Fellowship The new session begins on Thursday, 28th September at 2.30p.m.. Reverend Jenny Snashall will be with us to conduct a Communion Service. We look forward to meeting together again and will be delighted to welcome any friends able to join us Dear Friends, I am writing to thank you all for remembering my 95th Birthday, it was very kind of you all to think of me. I did appreciate all the cards, flowers and gifts I received. It was lovely to have so many old friends and relations to the Party and I hope you all enjoyed the "Pimms and Strawberries" as much as I did.
God bless you all, Peggy (Smith).
Women’s Church Council On Tuesday 12th September from 10.00 to 12 noon, Coffee Morning and Bring & Buy Table in aid of the Young Carers. There are a number of young people in Epsom and Ewell who have the responsibility of caring for a member of the family who may be seriously ill, have a disability or have mental health, drug or alcohol problems. Young Carers is a project aimed at providing care within the family and assisting with information about benefits and help available, someone to talk to, breaks from caring, social activities of own choice and time to have fun. Do come to the Longhurst Room, and meet with friends over coffee, all desirous of helping the Young Carers.
Copy for the next issue should be with the Editor by 217th September for publication on 24th September 2006. And Finally . . . A surgeon, an architect and a politician were arguing as to whose profession was the oldest. Said the surgeon: “Eve was made from Adam’s rib, and that surely was a surgical operation.” “Maybe,” admitted the architect, “but prior to that, order was created out of chaos, and that was an architectural job.” “But,” the politician pointed out in triumph, “somebody had to have created the chaos first!” |
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sponsored
Bike Ride for the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust (see the August
issue), and I will suggest that the half of the money I raise that is
returned to our church is donated to ‘Pump Aid’. Sponsor forms
will be available in the church foyer and I am asking you to
sponsor me per church visited. I haven’t got a route worked out
yet, but there could be around thirty churches visited. Don’t forget
that we need Stewards at our church between 09:00 and 18:00 to provide
hospitality to riders from other churches – please sign the list in
the foyer. If enough people sign up, it’ll only be for an hour or so
each
