April 2010 Trinitarian Newsletter, Holy Trinity Sloane Square

8/8/2019 April 2010 Trinitarian Newsletter, Holy Trinity Sloane Square

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TrinitarianThe Newsletter for the Congregation & Friends of

Holy Trinity Sloane SquareApril - June 2010

When evening came, his discipleswent down to the sea, got into a boat,and started across the sea toCapernaum. It was now dark, andJesus had not yet come to them. Thesea became rough because a strongwind was blowing. When they hadrowed about three or four miles, theysaw Jesus walking on the sea andcoming near the boat, and they wereterrified. But he said to them, It is I;do not be afraid. Then they wanted totake him into the boat, andimmediately the boat reached the land

toward which they were going.John 6:16-21 (NRSV)

I remember the old Gang Showsperformed by the Scouts. At the finale,

they would join together and sing, Were riding along on the crest of a wave and thesun is in the sky, keeping your eyes on the distant horizon

It seems that this is what Jesus is asking his disciples to do; look to the horizon andsee the risen Son. People may benefit from his miracles but never see the sign

pointing them to believe in Jesus. He knew that the crowds were attracted by hismiracles. They ate a miraculous meal, yet failed to see the significance in the personof Jesus. They were looking for food, not faith, and soon they would be hungry again.They needed to look beyond miracles to Gods new sign - Jesus.

Scholars are not sure whether he walked bythe water oron the water, but for me the

important truth is that he came to his disciples over the water, and said, Do not beafraid.

Water is often a symbol of death in the scriptures - for example, Moses as a baby inthe basket overcomes death floating on the water, the Red Sea parts so the Israelitesmight escape death, and of course Jesus baptism promises new life out of the waters

People may benefit from his miracles but never see the sign pointing them tobelieve in Jesus.

An Easter Reflection


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of death so that theworld might be saved.

The feeding of the fivethousand reminds usof the sharing of hislife. His walk acrosswater reminds us ofour rescue from the

fear of death. Jesusinvites us to accepthim as our guide andcompanion, to lead usin the way of peace.

They took him intot h e b o a t a n dimmediately the boat

r e a c h e d t h e[promised] land (v21).

The Revd Rob Gillion

Rector

Page 2 Trinitarian Holy Trinity Sloane Square

Fundraising Concert for theChoir of Holy Trinity

Charles Longbottom, Churchwarden

The Holy Trinity Choirs Concert on the 11th of February wasa very happy evening. Sixteen choristers led by our mosttalented Director of Music Andrew OBrien gave us awonderfully varied programme starting with some lovelyanthems and ending with The Owl and the Pussycat, asplendid Jazz improvisation on the piano by Oliver Lallemantand finally Somewhere over the Rainbow.

The singing was magnificant throughout but special mention

should be made to the three soloists Richard Wilberforcewho sang This is the record of John - Gibbons, Elinor RolfeJohnson who sang Brahms Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit, andSamir Savant who sang Nunc Dimittis - Howells.

There were also two very appropriate readings. The firstHoly Trinity, Sloane Street by John Betjeman read by Paulde Thierry and the second Betjeman Revisited a verymoving piece written by Janine Gillion and Darren Raymondand beautifully read by Janine.

The event raised well over 2,000 towards the cost of themusic at Holy Trinity. We owe our special gratitude and

thanks to all the performers who freely gave their time tomake this such a successful and happy time.

I would also like to thank Andrew OBrien and AlexandraStevenson for all their hard work in arranging the concert forHoly Trinity.

They needed to lookbeyond miracles toGods new sign -

Jesus.

A reflection

Bless this waterthat your servantswho are washed in

it may be made onewith Christ in his

death andresurrection

We owe our special gratitude and thanks to all theperformers who freely gave their time to make this such

a successful and happy time.


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Photos from the Fundraising Concert

images byJanine Gillion


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I can resist everything except temptation this quote from Oscar Wilde tells usmuch about the human condition.

My temptation this morning is to impress, after all this is St Pauls Cathedral, Ivebeen invited to preach I want to give a good account of myself. To beacknowledged as a fine preacher, a biblical scholar, a theological superstar.However, in the Bible I was given at my ordination by my Bishop there was thisinscription on the fly leaf Preach not yourself but Jesus Christ as Lord!

St Paul reminds me that sin is always lurking at the door and although we arereminded that were made in the image of God, we have to contend with theknowledge that we so often want to walk our own way rather than the way of Christ.

The image of God in us is marred by sin.The first thing to recognise is we are not Christ. Thats not an excuse but there is avery real sense in which to be human is to fail and it is in our weakness and failurethat God can deal with us, broken before the Cross.

This is a paradox to become someone in Gods eyes we have to acknowledge ourtotal reliance on him and our failure. Some of the spiritual giants of faith knew thissense of complete worthlessness including St Paul who called himself a wretchedman for always finding himself doing the very things he wanted to avoid doing, and

failing to do the things he wanted to do.So it is important surely to be realistic about what makes us tick and acknowledgethat we are not Christ. Having said that, we are invited to follow him, learn from him,be a disciple.

In the story of the wilderness Jesus teaches us strategies to overcome thetemptations that he faced and shows how he defeated the enemy. Jesus is led by theHoly Spirit into the wilderness in order to be tested, tempted yet without sin.

My wilderness?...

I knew I was called to be the Prison Chaplain toShek Pik prison in Hong Kong and it was confirmedin a number of ways. No dove descending on myhead, no loud voice from heaven but everything Ihad experienced, from a placement in Pentonvilleprison to a quiet day in Wormwood Scrubs seemedto lead up to it. So I put myself forward as Chaplainand entered the prison and the ministry withenthusiasm.

I walked the corridors, listened to prisonersproblems, said prayers, struggled to learnCantonese, took services in the prison chapel. Twoyears in as I wandered confidently on my usualround of visiting, a note was pushed through the

Lent is Easter in disguise! Sermon preached atSt Pauls Cathedral, 2010 by The Reverend Rob Gillion



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bars of one of the cells by a prisoner into my hand. On it was a picture of a pair ofshoes overshadowed by bars and underneath was written Why dont you step intomy shoes and find out how much it hurts.

After years of retreats and conferences seeking strength to minister in varioussituations and serve I was faced with the challenge of a wilderness experience which

would make or break, test or transform, would highlight my failure and fragility, wouldfrighten yet fascinate. I would be examined, rigorously tested. Here was a wildernessindeed.

For Jesus his time in that wilderness, that desert was challenging the way to achievehis ultimate goal. Jesus was invited to impose his own will by turning stones intobread; never deal with people as persons but rule from above;

never get his hands dirty but rely on the miraculous. Jesus said No to each one inturn a scripture backed no to each temptation. Why?

Because it would be impersonal, abstracted from relationships, and disengaging fromlove.

The way of Jesus is always exercised in personal ways creative, saving, blessing,serving.

We cannot follow the way of Christ without love or intimacy no matter how well wedo it no matter how accomplished this is the Way, the way of relationships.

So reluctantly I accepted the challenge and invitation from Ah Tim, the prisoner, tostep into his prison shoes, not just to contemplate it, but live it solitude, isolation,

loneliness, cut off from friends and family, and asked the Governor if I could spendsome time as a high security prisoner unfortunately he said yes! It resulted in beingput into solitary confinement, threatened by someone who thought I was thegovernors spy, and being given the job of a cleaner a bejai. But the most powerfulmoment was when my name was changed by the inmates from Father Rob to FatherRobbery. Crime, not understanding punishment, to experience life in chains. Butmost important in some small way I was one of them.

From birth to death we are reminded of the gravity of our situation. Its gravity whichbrings us down to earth. To face reality. If only I could fly, a dream of the prisoner

with his clipped wings. But we all have our limitations, and yet through the limitationsof the Cross Jesus was ultimately set free. That is our saving grace. We mustnt runaway from the reality of this world, we must embrace it, live in it, but seek glimpses ofhis glory. The desert for all its arid dryness does have the occasional oasis, a desertflower in bloom. The wilderness is a challenge and an opportunity. Not a place tofear.

Lent is a season in which we are made aware of the need to prepare for that gloriousresurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Day. Never let us lose sight of the fact that

Lent is Easter in disguise!I pray that you find time perhaps in the light of this Lenten season to be drawn by theHoly Spirit to step into someones shoes; enter into your wilderness and bechallenged and tested by a loving compassionate God, so you may serve him in spirit

and in truth, for the truth will set you free through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen



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The Chelsea Schubert Festival is happy to announce a broadening ofits layout in the coming year. The May June season has alwaysbeen a buzzing time in London and Chelsea in particular, and wehave decided to organise a weekend of music which will coincide withthe magnificent Chelsea Flower Show.

The weekend will take place between 28th 30th of May, 2010 atHoly Trinity Church, Sloane Street and this will come in addition toour usual September activities, this year between 12th - 19thSeptember.

On Friday the 28th there will be an exciting concert with TenorAndrew OBrien, Soprano Alexandra Stevenson and The Revd Rob

Gillion and Janine Gillion. It will be an inspiring combination of wordsand music.

Also, during the May events, we will be collaborating for the first timewith a new group which specialises in performance on instrumentsfrom Schuberts time. The group is called the Guildhall PerformanceLaboratory and is made up of teachers and advanced students fromthe Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

They will be holding an education day on Saturday 29th May whichwill include a master class with students from the London Collegesand the group will play a concert itself on the concluding day, Sunday30th May in the afternoon.

September will present a superb array of musicians both new to thefestival and some who have performed for us in the past.

The Chelsea Schubert Festival Song Competition will continue into itssecond year involving students from across the country and aSchumann day of concerts and lectures will be held to celebrate thegreat composers 200th anniversary.

Please check our website closer to the time for more information:

www.chelseaschubertfest.co.uk

By Marc Verter

we will be collaborating for the first time with a new groupwhich specialises in performance on instruments from

Schuberts time.


2010


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History in the Making

On Mothering Sunday a new Branch of Mothers Union was opened here at HolyTrinity. The World Wide President of Mothers Union, Rosemary Kempsell, preachedat the 11am Sung Eucharist.

Branch Leader, Lynette Paul, former Diocesan President of Mothers Union, invitedlocal Branch Leaders from within the Diocese to share Lunch with the new memberswho had been admitted into membership during the Eucharist.

This is the first time a Branch of Mothers Union has been formed within UpperChelsea. We welcome its partnership in mission as a grassroots worldwideorganisation with 3.6 million members working in over 78 countries.

Membership is open to women and men who are baptised in the Trinity, and who areconcerned with the strengthening of marriage and family life.

Information leaflets and a membership application form are available from LynettePaul or the Church Office.

Lynette Paul and Rosemary Kempsell


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place his finger into the

wounds. What an image,and an extraordinaryrequirement of faith, totouch in the most invasiveand private way, insideJesus flesh.

After he has seen and

touched, he believes andexclaims My Lord and myGod! Its a veryadvanced, credal outburstof faith, to which Jesusresponds: Blessed are

those who have not seenand yet have believed.

This is not a chastisementof Thomas on Jesus part,

The forthcoming May/June

edition of Choir & OrganMagazine will include a'New Music' focus on myl a t e s t p i e c e , T h eIncredulity of SaintThomas.

Commissioned jointly bythe magazine and the

Choir of St John's College,Cambridge, I was asked toset an Eastertide text for,unsurprisingly, Choir (&Organ)! I set about thetask with trepidation. Tobegin with I find itimmeasu rab l y moredifficult to compose

jubilant and joyous music(haven't you seen howgrumpy I can get onSunday mornings!). So Iset about pouring throughthe post-resurrectiongospel narratives insearch of a more visceralencounter, and was

delighted to recall theconfrontation betweenJesus and his doubtingd i s c i p l e , T h o m a s .

You'll remember thatThomas refuses to believeChrist's presence amongstthem (he has already

revealed himself to otherdisciples) unless he seesthe crucifixion marks ofnails and spear in hishands and side, and can

but is more designed

as a lesson to thee l e v e n d i s c i p l e spresent in the room tospread the faith and toencourage the faith tospread long after theyhave all passed away.

Having trained as an

opera singer, I'm of thestrong opinion thatdrama should beencouraged within thechoir stalls, and thedramatic implicationsinherent in this sceneare obvious. Just looka t C a r a v a g g i o ' s

gruesome painting,from where I borrowedmy title, and we get agreat sense of thetension and wealth ofemo t ion i n t hec o n f r o n t a t i o n . Idevised a would-bedialogue between

Thomas and the Christrisen and in doing so,negated the role of theevangelist. It wasimportant, therefore, toestablish a clearlyd i s t i n g u i s h a b l elanguage for eachcharacter - rather in

the same way thatyou'd recognize thevoices of differentcharacters in The

Archers!

New Composition by Richard Wilberforce

A member of Holy Trinitys Choir

Richard Wilberforce

Image by Phil Dunlop



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Thomas' words are strictlyset to a repeating cycle ofeight chords. The effect ofthis sometimes fast-moving cycle is one of

restlessness, endlesspacing up and down -nervous and unsettled. Bycontrast, Jesus music isan extremely simpledescending scalic phraserising by a tone at a timefor the duration of thepiece, closing with a final

treble solo on a top A. This

repeating melody is set inobstinate oblivion to thehumanist ic harmonicsurround of the eight-chord cycle, and this

serves to deify andtranscend his words, aswell as programmaticallyhinting at his eventualascension, as the phraserises and rises al fine.

The Incredulity of SaintThomas will be premiered

in Cambridge on Sunday

9th May at Evensong(6.30pm) by The Choir ofSt John's College, and willb e r e c o r d e d a n dbroadcast on their website

thereafter.(www.sjcchoir .co.uk).

The score will be availableto download from theChoir & Organ website(www.cho i rando rgan .com).

Holy Trinity Sloane Squarepresents the

Annual Trinity Arts and Crafts Guild Exhibition of 2010

Earth, Air, Fire and Waternormal church hours

Sunday 23rd

- Sunday 30th

May

OPEN EVENING AND LAUNCH

Tuesday 25th

May 6.30pm - 9.00pmWhere art can be enjoyed and where wine can be sipped during a

performance of dance, music and word at 7.15 pm.



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Holy Week 2010

Sunday, 28 March Palm Sunday8:45am Holy Communion

11:00am Sung EucharistChoir: Holy Trinity Choir

Setting: Missa Brevis - IvesAnthem: Wash me throughly - Wesley

Introit: Hosanna to the Son of David - Weelkes

Monday, 29 March Monday of Holy Week7:00pm Said Eucharist with hymns & devotional address

Tuesday, 30 March Tuesday of Holy Week7:00pm Said Eucharist with hymns & devotional address

Wednesday, 31 March Wednesday of Holy Week7:00pm Said Eucharist with hymns & devotional address

Thursday, 1 April Maundy Thursday7:00pm Liturgy of Maundy Thursday(followed by the Vigil until Midnight)

Friday, 2 April Good Friday7:00pm Liturgy of Good Friday

Saturday, 3 April Holy Saturday8:00pm Easter Vigil & Eucharist

Sunday, 4 April Easter Sunday8:45am Said Eucharist

11:00am Sung Eucharist

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed Alleluia!


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DESIRE FOR LIFEA Biblical Study Course Series

devised and led byThe Revd Rob Gillion and The Revd Graham Rainford

Desire for Life - Risen Life in JesusA Study Course through St Johns Gospel

Wednesdays 14th, 21st and 28th Apriland 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th May

Desire for Life - Holy Spirit in the ChurchA Study Course through Acts of the Apostles

2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th June

7.30pm 8.45pm

Some Dates for your diary


Thursday 22nd April7.15pm Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Including election of Churchwardens

Sunday 23rd May (Pentecost Sunday)11.00am Confirmation

The Right Reverend Kenneth Stevenson, the retired Bishop ofPortsmouth has been invited to take a Confirmation Service at HolyTrinity. If you would like to be confirmed please contact the church office -020 7730 7270.

Monday 24th May6.30pm Trinity Arts and Crafts Guild AGMAll welcome to attend

Thursday 10th June7.00pm Mothers Union Meeting

Fleur Dorrell, the Head of Faith and Policy for the Mothers Union will bethe speaker. The talk will be about the Mothers Unions work inlegislation.

Friday 11th and Saturday 12th JuneNormal Gift DayChurch Gift Day envelopes will be available.Hours Please support Holy Trinity Church.


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HOLY TRINITY SLOANE SQUARE

Sloane StreetLondonSW1X 9BZ

United Kingdom

Phone: +44 (0)20 7730 7270Fax: +44 (0)20 7730 9287

info@holytrinitysloanesquare.co.ukwww.holytrinitysloanesquare.co.uk

Rector & Area Dean of Chelsea: The Revd Rob Gillion

Email: [email protected]

Assistant Priest: The Revd Graham RainfordEmail: [email protected]

Awareness FoundationDirector: The Revd Nadim Nassar

Awareness Foundation phone: +44 (0)20 7730 8830Email: [email protected]

www.awareness-foundation.com

Ann Dent

Morning & Evening Prayer is said daily, Monday to Friday, at 9.00am & 5.00pm

Saturday 10.30am & 4.00pm

The Eucharist is celebrated on Wednesdays at 6.30pm, and Thursdays at 1.10pm

On Sundays, the Eucharist is said at 8.45am, and Sung at 11.00am.

April 2010 Trinitarian Newsletter, Holy Trinity Sloane Square

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