Spring 2015 Magazine

36
Shepherd’s Watch The magazine for and by the people of the Good Shepherd www.goodshepherdbrighton.org.uk March 2015 60p Responding to Religious diversity... pg 4 Our visit to the mosque ... pg 6 Food Bank ... pg 11 Knowing me, knowing you … pg13 The 5 W’s … pg 21 Holiday Impressions .. pg 22 Victor and Constance, pg 24 Good News ..., pg 25 Programs, news and details of other events

description

The quarterly magazine of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Dyke Road, Brighton

Transcript of Spring 2015 Magazine

Page 1: Spring 2015 Magazine

Shepherd’s Watch The magazine for and by the people of the Good Shepherd

www.goodshepherdbrighton.org.uk

March 2015 60p

Responding to Religious diversity... pg 4

Our visit to the mosque ... pg 6

Food Bank ... pg 11

Knowing me, knowing you … pg13

The 5 W’s … pg 21

Holiday Impressions .. pg 22

Victor and Constance, pg 24

Good News ..., pg 25

Programs, news and details of other events

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Vicar

Revd. Felix Mascarenhas

The Vicarage, 272 Dyke Road Brighton BN1 5AE Tel (01273) 882987 [email protected]

Parish Office The Parish Office is open on Wednesday and Friday mornings

from 9.30 to 10.30. The Parish Office telephone number is

(01273) 553747

Deacon

Helen Rawlings

6 Beacon Hill

Ovingdean, Brighton BN2 7BN Tel 07967695753

[email protected]

Reader

Michael Miller

68 Ainsworth Avenue, Ovingdean, Brighton

BN2 7BG Tel (01273) 240287 [email protected]

Churchwardens

David Stevens: 2 Shirley Road, Hove, BN3 6NN, Tel (01273) 555197; [email protected]

Hannah Beattie: 36 Matlock Road, Brighton BN15BF Tel 07771511879, [email protected]

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While every effort is made to ensure all information in Shepherd’s Watch is cor-

rect, neither the Parochial Church Council nor the individual contributors can

be held responsible or accept liability for any errors and/or omissions.

The PCC does not endorse the companies, products and services that appear in

Shepherd’s Watch. Responsibility for any loss, damage or distress resulting from the use of or reli-

ance on any information in Shepherd’s Watch, however caused, is disclaimed

by the Parochial Church Council.

Introspection, Extroversion and Retroversion

Lent is here; and all that follows, if guided by the Holy Spirit, can blos-

som into a very fruitful season. It is a moment of grace for an "MOT" of our spiritual and even of our physical life.

It is a season of seasons, teaching us how to live the whole year round:

facing the winter blues, sowing better seeds in spring, enjoying the warmth of summer and seeing around with grace when days shorten

and leaves begin to fall.

Entering into oneself, or introspection, would be this season's age old

guiding principle. We are called to look at and into ourselves . "Then

he came to his senses" Luke 15.16b. Such moments of silence and contemplation are essential in Lent.

In the same parable, Luke depicts the picture from the other end:

"While he was still far away, his father saw him" Luke 15.20. It is an extroversion, a part played here by God. We need that confidence that

someone is welcoming us and accepting us. On our part, we are invited

to look at others, in mercy, forgiveness and solidarity. Fasting and almsgiving therefore form part of the discipline.

Retrospection is a sine qua non in our life if we want to change our life for better. "He would have eaten of the husks ..." Luke 15.16a. Though

planning and foresight is needed, a change of one's mindset can only

follow if we look back into our life and check what exactly went wrong.

At times people regard these exercises as foolish and useless. But the

test of truth and the fruits of the season can be gathered, only after the

experience. That is what it means when we celebrate Easter.

Fr Felix

While every effort is made to ensure all information in Shepherd’s Watch is correct, neither the Parochial Church Council nor the individual con-tributors can be held responsible or accept liability for any errors and/or omissions. The PCC does not endorse the companies, products and services that

appear in Shepherd’s Watch. Responsibility for any loss, damage or distress resulting from the use of or reliance on any information in Shepherd’s Watch, however caused, is disclaimed by the Parochial Church Council.

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"Responding to Religious Diversity” -A personal perspective

The first session

I joined the Engaging Christianity course not knowing what to expect but ready to engage with my fellow participants and to explore how we,

as Christians, can make sense of the diversity of religions being fol-

lowed in the world today.

About 14 people sat around the large tables in the Green Room with

Father Felix, Michael and Helen facilitating on that first evening as we started the first of seven sessions. We began with a prayer as we were

to do in every session. Michael put forward some suggestions that we

should commit to being open to listen to each others’ views and to keep

the discussions, in terms of what individuals said, completely confiden-tial. We all did our best do be open and honest as we each explained

what our early experiences with other religions had been. We had each

bought a copy of the course folder and this first session, as every sub-sequent session, was facilitated with tact and a genuine interest in

what everyone had to offer.

My sense at the end of that first session was of relief and joy. My relief

was because nobody seemed to be judgmental towards anyone else.

Divergent views were listened to and the discussions were held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and yet we were being supported (very

effectively) to explore some very challenging questions. My feeling of joy

was because it was thrilling to discuss such issues and the prospect of meeting together every Thursday evening to share our views felt like an

unexpected privilege. It had been a powerful session and I looked for-

ward to the rest of the course.

The content and context of the course As the sessions continued this quality of open and genuine participa-tion continued. We (mostly) diligently did our homework each week

(which consisted of reading from the course folder or watching short

films). During these discussions we grew closer as a group, we listened to each other and learnt lots. With guidance we discussed questions

such as ‘Do we all worship the same God?’ and ‘What can we learn

from other religions?’ We talked and puzzled and at times it felt that my perceptions were challenged as never before. Nevertheless, the

sense was that together we were making progress; we were each able to

voice our opinions and were encouraged to be honest and expansive by

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our facilitators. We had some good laughs and were asked to use our

brains and our imaginations to think deeply about where we stood on questions of religious thinking and morality. It seemed too that in re-

sponding to the questions in the course folder, we often came to a con-

sensus which seemed to suggest a shared openness to respecting reli-

gious diversity, while holding on firmly to our own convictions of faith.

This course felt to me to encourage careful thought about the world we

are living in today. A world in which, it seems that we are encouraged to view religious diversity with fear and derision. Gradually we were

led, through open discussions and the expertise of our facilitators, to

consider whether we could be humble in the face of difference and we were asked to explore together to what extent we can learn from the

way that those of other religions approach their faith. As a group we

were ourselves diverse, in terms of life experience, our individual faith journeys and, of course, our different outlooks.

Unexpected outcomes

I was deeply moved by an unexpected outcome of these shared discus-

sions of how we relate to other religions. A personal outcome for me

was a level of increased commitment and tenderness towards the relig-ion that I have grown up in and grown into. There was also a wonder-

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ful sense of connection with the people around the table as we worked

through the Thursday evening course. The church services on Sundays seemed to resonate with a fresh vitality on account of the deep belong-

ing that I was feeling towards my own Christian faith. In our weekly

discussions, I felt we gradually came to the conclusion that people of

other religions feel as passionately about their religions as we did and through concerted discussion we seemed to reach the consensus that it

is imperative to offer others respect and more than this, many of us felt

moved to seek to engage with those of other faiths as fellow, faithful human beings.

Why religions still attract people? In my earlier years I had always experienced some reservations towards

organized religion. I questioned how can anyone be so sure that their religion is the right one and doesn’t the fact of so many religious wars

in human history indicate that we have all got something fundamen-

tally wrong in the way that we seek to relate to our God. But today,

despite the tragedy of war and atrocities, still being carried out in the name of God, Jehovah or Allah, I appreciate my own Christian faith

and the strength it gives me and also I value the opportunity to come

together with others who also profess this faith, to share and celebrate our ties. This is a major attraction of religion; this sense of belonging to

a shared community that look to the fact of our creation with thanks-

giving and awe.

This course has offered me the opportunity to address with others what

attracts me to confess my faith and to consider how I can stand firm in my faith and still be open to those who had different faith convictions,

as well as those with no faith. Here in the UK, confessing a Christian

faith is perhaps potentially stigmatizing and may opens us to ridicule

and charges of being naïve and without intellectual sophistication. Holding a Muslim faith in the UK today however opens that individual

to potential abuse and almost certainly to suspicion and hostility. It is

my view that a strong impulse for many of us (as human beings) is to worship and offer thanks to God. People who adhere to other faiths

such as Jews and Hindus have their own challenges to deal with by the

way society views or stereotypes them. This course has convinced me that we need to respect that although our religions might differ, it is

the very fact of our faith that offers us the opportunity to make deep

and lasting connections.

A possible legacy of this course

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Being involved in this course was a real privilege. We were able to have genuine and profound dialogue without necessarily always coming to

all-round agreement. We shared our experiences and opinions and re-

spected the rights of each other to hold views that differed to our own.

In a sense these outcomes from the course mirror those that we should hope for in relation to inter-faith discourse; mutual respect, attempts to

understand and appreciate our differences and genuine dialogue.

Whatever our faith or beliefs, it is an appreciation of our shared hu-

manity and our appreciation of the everlasting loving kindness of God,

that can be the catalyst that can bring us together.

It was wonderful to be able to have the opportunity to explore how

much we have in common with others and how we, as committed Christians, are obliged, by virtue of our faith, to hold open our minds

and our hearts to connect to others, especially in these difficult times,

to take us into a more unified future.

Yaa Asare

Our visit to Brighton Al-Quds mosque on 22nd January 2015

As we neared the end of our 12 week religious diversity course the group decided we should experience religious diversity first hand . We

decided to visit our neighbours at the Al-Quds mosque as we had

looked at some length at the Muslim faith and Islam is the second larg-est religion after Christianity which is the first . Many of us had never

visited a mosque before but we knew the ladies amongst the group had

to cover their heads , apart from that we had no expectations .

Upon arrival we took our shoes of at the entrance and were very

warmly welcomed by the Imam and two fellow worshipers. Once in the

prayer hall there were chairs laid out on the prayer carpet and a table laden with Biscuits ,Chocolates , Tea and other refreshments in readi-

ness for our visit. The hospitality and greeting was such that we knew

immediately that we were not only welcome but we were wanted in the same way that you might welcome a much loved guest or friend, the

rest of our visit was characterised by this warmth.

The Imam had prepared a presentation and was very ably assisted by

two fellow worshippers one of whom stood out as a learned scholar

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with a PHD, he was erudite and spoke eloquently about Islam and Is-

lamic affairs. The Imam told us that worshippers pray on the prayer mat facing Mecca and we saw a section of the room had been parti-

tioned off for women to pray separately, this avoids distraction and en-

hances the devotion of the prayers to Allah. There were no images or

pictures of Allah on the walls as there is no evidence that anybody knows what Allah looks like. The mosque itself was simple and unpre-

tentious devoid of signs of worship, again to keep the minds clear of

distraction during worship. This particular mosque is also used as a community centre enabling it to serve the important function of sup-

porting the varying needs of the Muslim community and from our hos-

pitality it serves to promote also community engagement and thus fos-tering the harmony so essential to the multi cultural society that we

live in.

We learned of the five Tenets at the core of Muslim life which are as

follows :

Faith . Religion dominates a Muslim’s life and is always upper most in their

minds.

. Monotheism - belief in one God is the most important and founda-tional concept in Islam. God or Allah in Arabic created everything in

the world and has power over everything within it. Allah is the only one

deserving of any worship and the ultimate purpose of all creation is to submit to him. Mankind was created to worship God. God sent mes-

sages to guide people in fulfilling this purpose. Some of these messen-

gers include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad peace be upon all of them. The final prophet was Mohammad peace be

upon him (pbuh)

Prayer . For Muslim’s worship is a comprehensive concept consisting of spe-

cific rituals as well as general actions that promote good. It encourages

people to conduct every aspect of their lives with God consciousness. The Quran is the central religious text of Islam which Muslims believe

to be a revelation from God to Muhammad peace be upon

him .Muslims pray five times a day at Dawn, Noon, mid afternoon , sunset and nightfall. Friday is a special day for Muslims and many will

try to the Mosque to pray together get .The importance of prayer at the

heart of Islam cannot be overstated, hence the presence of a digital clock on the wall in the Prayer Hall setting out the times of prayer.

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Muslims pray to Allah who is held in the highest esteem and revered.

The life of a Muslim is based on trying to please God and form a very good relationship with God so that one may gain degrees of respect and

friendship with the All Merciful. We saw the devotion to prayers whilst

the group presentation was taking place when a worshipper prayed to

Allah undisturbed by our presence. Before prayer worshippers perform Wudu which involves using washing

facilities to clean parts of the body usually in preparation for formal

prayers.

Concern for the needy and charity

This is important as Muslims believe that everything belongs to God and are possessions are purified by setting a proportion for those in

need of one’s capital income.

Self-Purification

This is important and each year in the month of Ramadan when all

Muslims fast from first light until sun down abstaining from food and

drink. There are notable exceptions including the sick and elderly. This fasting is seen as a method of self-purification.

The annual pilgrimage to Makka- the Hajj Those that can afford it and are well enough to travel are expected to

travel at least once in their life time.

There are a number of commonalities between Islam and Christian-

ity .The Quran acknowledges that during his prophetic mission Jesus

Performed many miracles. It is not surprising then to learn that Islam tolerates other beliefs, this is specifically provided for in the Quran, Is-

lamic law protects the privileged status of minorities. We were referred

to a number of examples of Non Muslim places of worship in Islamic

countries.

Islam teaches that ones life doesn't end on earth, rather it is followed

by the eternal life of the hereafter. Muslims believe that they will return to God when they die, therefore instead of the end death becomes part

of a continuum which stretches in to eternity.

Muslims seek salvation in the hereafter by living a god conscious and virtuous life in this world. The fear of accountability in the hereafter

along with hope in the promise of Gods ultimate justice motivates them

to orient their present lives around the comprehensive worship of God, this being the true purpose of human existence.

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Muslims believe in the day of judgement, resurrection, Heaven and

Hell.

At the end of the presentation ,our questions were answered honestly

and openly, the Imam and his fellow worshippers present was kind enough to commemorate our visit by taking photographs with us. The

Imam has since sent us these lovely photographs. Each member of our

group was given their own copy of the Quran to keep as we left, we were genuinely surprised at this generosity.

The visit was significant and memorable for many reasons ,as we

walked back a number of our group expressed their surprise at how different Islam as stated in the Quran and those who pray in the

Mosque really was from the stereotypes and perceptions that we see

and hear in the media. Our visit to the mosque underlined the fact that Islam is a religion of peace, love and generosity. We fail to under-

stand how what we have just witnessed could in some quarters be so

grossly misrepresented and would urge others to raise their awareness of other faiths by looking in from the inside, rather than relying on oth-

ers misconceptions and perceptions. We understand that there are

various interpretations of the Quran as practised in different countries but the interpretation that the Imam has placed on the Quran as prac-

ticed in the mosque is that which I have recounted herein.

Augustina Tetsola

=======================

Afternoon Tea in style, or Treasure in heaven.

Matching china - cups and saucers, side plates, supper plates, three

tiered cake stand, sugar basin, milk jug, all carefully collected and

added to the original "half tea set" wedding present. Larger cups for breakfast, jam dishes. I was so pleased that the "For Export only" no-

tices had gone from so many things.

Utility items were no longer acceptable in plain

white. We had left boring shortages behind and

could have more choice.

Grandma's china was well known and so present

giving was easy. The patterned china filled the cupboard - and then -

it could not go in the dishwasher because it had gold rims.The family gatherings were getting bigger.

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Now, after all that collecting, even the charity shops don't want it ! I

would like the cupboard space for other things but .........well, piece by piece it must have cost a lot of money.

Now, a mug of coffee and a biscuit is great and the mug can go in the

dish washer.

Daisy Walpole

=======================

Food for those in need

Every couple of weeks I take about 8 full bags of food from the basket

in the church porch to the Basics Bank near the fire station in Brigh-

ton. I’ve been doing this since May last year when I took over the task

from Janet Annis when she moved to Goring. I am amazed how

quickly the food mounts up and I am humbled by how grateful the staff

at the centre are.

The Basics Bank is the social welfare arm of the Brighton & Hove City

Mission. They support people who are in genuine financial crisis that

isn’t a result of their choice of lifestyle. They offer practical support

with food. They are able to give up to four weeks support with food

parcels to the value of £25 per week. Those with particularly difficult

situations can receive help for longer.

It might seem incredible that there should be a need for food parcels in

our mostly affluent and advanced society today, but the reality is quite

different. Clients say to them that they have not eaten a meal for days

and they say that it’s a humbling experience to see their reaction when

they visit and see the full shelves on display in the Basics Bank.

The Basics bank operates by referral only from recognised agencies.

Currently they work in partnership with over 40 different agencies

across the city. By working with recognised agencies they are able to

ensure, as far as possible, that their resources are targeting those who

are really in need. The agencies include Age Concern, Brighton & Hove

City Council, British Red Cross, Social Services and Clocktower Sanc-

tuary – a charity the Good Shepherd supported last year.

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This is the list of suggested items for donations:

Tinned goods Packets

All meat, vegetables and fish Sugar, Cereals

Spaghetti Sweet biscuits

Tomatoes Packet sauces/instant

Fruit and Desserts mash potato Rice/Noodles

Tea, coffee, drinking chocolate

Stock cubes and gravy

Jars and Bottles

Pasta/Curry Sauce Toiletries (male and female)

Jam/Marmalade/ Shampoo/shower gel

Chocolate spread Toothpaste/brushes

Honey Deodorant/razors

Marmite Toilet rolls

Peanut butter

Fruit Juice/Squash

Long-life Milk

They will also accept fresh vegetables such as potatoes and ap-

ples – but it would be helpful if you could let me know if you put

these into the basket so that I can arrange a delivery as soon as

possible.

The Basics Bank is something most of us can easily support –

just an extra packet or tin when you shop of maybe donate the

“free” item when you Buy-one-get-one-free. The local people who

will be the recipients really do need your help – and I’ll be more

than happy to take 8 bags every week.

Pat Hunter

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Knowing me knowing you ....

Sheena Richardson has been a regular attendee in our church for the last three years or so. She has been taking care of our hall bookings and has also joined the Social Committee.

I was born in Paisley,Scotland 54 years ago. My Father was Scot-tish and was born in Lahore, India (which is now Pakistan) My

Mother was Russian and was born in Singapore. I have 2 broth-ers. Stuart, who lives in Edinburgh, & Bruce, who lives in Kuala

Lumpur. Malaysia.

My Father worked for The Chartered Standard Bank, so a year after I was born we moved to Colombo in Ceylon (which is now

Sri Lanka). Next move was to Malaysia. We lived in Alor Star,

Penang & finally Kuala Lumpur. We moved every 2.5 years.

From the age 9 I went to a boarding school. Dollar Academy in Scotland. While I was there my parents moved to Lahore, Kara-

chi, back to Kuala Lumpur & finally to Brunei. I travelled to these country's 3 times a year during school holidays.

I left school at 16 & lived in Brunei with my parents for a year before going to college at Evendine Court in Colwall, Worcester

and completed a Cordon Bleu Diploma.

My first job was as an Assistant Chef in Blairloggie Hotel(Scotland) for 4 months before being made redundant. I

then worked as an Assistant Chef in a Hall of Residence for Ed-inburgh University for 4 years.

I moved to London & worked as a Head Chef for a Kings College Hall of Residence for 4 and half years then moved to another hall

as an Assistant Manager & worked there until I was made re-dundant in 2012.

I loved living in London but decided it was time to move. As I

have always liked Brighton/Hove I decide to move here & was

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lucky to find a flat in Hove which was the first of two best thing I

did. Second was coming to the Church of The Good Shepherd! I was made to feel so welcoming. I felt I had come home.

Less than a year later I was baptised & confirmed at St Marga-

ret's Church in Rottingdean by the Bishop of Chichester.

I was asked to take over the running of the bookings for the Church Hall. I was honoured to be asked as I have always loved

meeting new people & helping any way I can, which is why I

have taken over the running of the Tea Club for the over 55s and like the Church Hall am enjoying it very much.

Another reason I love Brighton/Hove are the theatres. I espe-

cially love musicals even though those of you that have sat near me know I can't sing in tune but love doing it!

I think as long as we keep welcoming new people into the

Church the way I was welcomed & keep doing all the things that

we do in the Church we will be here for a long time.

Thank you for reading my piece, I hope I have not put you to sleep.

God Bless, Sheena Richardson

Guild of the Servers of the Sanctuary

Brighton Chapter.

Guild of the Servers of the Sanctuary, Brighton Chapter,

are holding a Sung mass, Feast of title at the Good Shep-herd on Monday 13th April at 8pm. Members of the Good

Shepherd are warmly invited to join us. Refreshments will be served after the Service.

John Holden (P.G3 Councillor

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Choral Concert: The Esterházy Chamber Choir

Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor

And also Rheinberger: Mass in E flat major Stanford Motets

Saturday 28 March 2015, 7.30pm Church of St John the Evangelist, Knoyle Road, Preston,

Brighton BN1 6RB

Conductor: Sandy Chenery

Tickets £10 in advance from our website, £12 on the door

(under 16’s free)

See Website www.esterhazychoir.org for more details

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The Five W’s

One of the ways we can increase attendance at events is to ensure that

they are well publicised. We have two regular mechanisms for doing this: the weekly sheet and our web site, but the advice below also ap-

plies to material for this magazine, posters and anything sent to local

news outlets.

The weekly sheet has limited space, but more detail can be added on

the web site. In any case it is important that information is given in good time and it is clear, consistent and succinct. A good checklist

(developed by journalists to make sure their reports covered the essen-

tials) is to use the 5W’s and H. These are:

What: a basic description of the event for the Weekly Sheet, with more

detail for the Web Site;

When: The date and time (start and, if necessary, finish); make sure

this is agreed and fixed with all involved; there is nothing worse than

getting these details wrong. If the time has to change, make sure this is well publicised in good time;

Where: eg Church, Hall, Vicarage. If it is away from the Church give details of how people will get there and meeting time;

Who: a note of people involved; where these are from outside the Church our web site can carry more background, pictures and web

links;

Why: consider whether this is needed, for example as a support to one of our charities;

How: use this if you are asking people to do something in advance of the event.

So if you are involved in setting up an event please make sure you use this checklist to let Gerry have a note for the weekly sheet and send me

the detail for the web. Of course errors can crop up; if you spot one,

please make sure we know immediately.

Thank you.

Peter Rose

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Holiday Impressions

I have just returned from a cruise in South East Asia during which, among other places, I visited Burma, Malaysia, Thailand and Singa-

pore.

I had visited Singapore on business about twenty-five years ago and was pleasantly surprised to see the changes that have taken place. I

am pleased to say that Raffles Hotel still exists: the long bar has been

relocated but throwing peanut shells on the floor is still encouraged and you can still get a good ‘Singapore Sling’. However, I am not certain

whether the founder members would have approved the eating of fish

and chips in the bar or the presence of a McDonald’s restaurant along-side the hotel.

This city-state and island presents as a well-ordered and thriving mod-ern community. What impressed me most was the cleanliness of the

streets, walkways and shopping areas. It is evident that a strict policy

applies in relation to cleanliness and spitting and chewing gum is pro-

hibited. Offences carry severe penalties including being lashed, a pun-ishment which is said to have been carried out involving a young

American despite an Appeal for clemency and attempted intervention

by Singapore’s President.

People generally, including the young, are

well dressed, have neat hair styles and are courteous. The equivalent of our tube was

a pleasant experience. The trains were spa-

cious, no litter and certainly felt safe, which was one of the boasts of the opera-

tors. Zena and I used the tube, which was

cheap and fast, on several occasions and

were eagerly assisted by locals when we had any doubts as to where we were going.

During one journey a young man offered

me his seat: am I looking that old? Look around you – can you imagine encounter-

ing such a situation in this country today?

Directions are clear and Zena was pleased to see a notice displayed in a

station toilet regarding the delicacies relating to the use of ladies’ toi-

lets. I often wondered why women take so long in the toilets. Singaporeans see themselves as a multicultural society but I was inter-

ested to learn that although they respect one another’s beliefs there is

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an expectation that everyone will conform to the culture of the indige-

nous population. Attempts to grow the size of the population and thereby swell the numbers of non-indigenous races, were rejected by

the people and English is accepted as the main language for one simple

reason – it unites the different ethnic groups. So why is it that we find

it so difficult to employ similar practices in this country and now find that in many schools English has become a second language and that

many ethnic groups are simply going their separate ways? Why aren’t

we seeking to eliminate the production of vast quantities of written ma-terial in a multitude of languages at the expense of the taxpayer?

Interestingly the Singaporeans that I spoke to could not understand why this country continued to give in to the demands of immigrants.

They subscribed to the view that when in Rome you should do as the

Romans do. Doubtless they would have applauded the recent remarks of Prince Charles who thinks that immigrants should subscribe to Brit-

ish values.

While appreciating that members of the Royal Family have to exercise care when commenting on affairs involving the State it has to be re-

membered that he has a good track record and sees himself as a future

‘Defender of the Faiths’. In the latter respect, it seems to me that he would be better placed as ‘Defender of Faith’ which is in danger of ex-

tinction and surely should be the underlying objective of all faiths, re-

gardless of their practices.

Other matters of interest that came to light during the visit to South

East Asia included the fact that many people recognised the benefits that the British had brought to their countries in the past – including

the architecture that is a lasting testimony to a bygone age that now

blends in well with today’s modern structures – and their attitude to

work. The majority have a simple philosophy – everyone should work and families should be responsible for their elderly relatives. There may

have been a time when we would have shared views of this nature: in-

stead we seem to be creating an increasingly dysfunctional society that spends its time seeking to reshape society around the unrestrained

gratification of the adult population, often at the expense of children’s

rights and has little or no time for its neighbour.

Perhaps the time has come to embrace our successes of the past in-

stead of engaging in worthless navel gazing and trying to be popular.

Neil Kelly

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Victor and Constance

Transport is in the news. “And it is getting worse,” said Constance

whose train last week gave up the ghost at Three Bridges; she was on

her way to London.

Alas, gone are the days when Brighton residents could demand a better

service from our Railway bosses who would at least listen to what their

customers had told them. Sir Laurence Olivier once wrote to the Brigh-ton Railway Chiefs to complain that kippers had been taken off the Vic-

toria Line’s breakfast menu. The bosses apologised and kippers

were back. Actually I have some sympathy for our Sussex railway workers and most of the staff try to be helpful. But the staff are disap-

pearing. Where have they gone? That’s what I would like to know.

There were no staff to be seen when I last travelled from Hove and the ticket office

was un-manned.

Who is to blame for the problem on our Brighton lines? The Conservatives of

course, who hired one Doctor Beeching to

close our branch lines; an action which proved an unmitigated disaster.

Not so long ago I met Clive. Here in his own words is his is his fascinating story: The

Engine Driver’s Tale.

‘I live in Hove Actually but I have spent

much of my working life on the Bluebell Railway. I left School at 15 and

then went to art school. I only stayed there for six months but long

enough to learn how to be a cartoonist. On leaving art school I joined the railways and became an engine cleaner; most of the time I was on

night shift. But I enjoyed myself. I was fascinated by the marvellous

steam engines that I cared for and by the time I was 23 I had become a driver. I found that being a driver was a most exciting way of making a

living. It was a hard job but rewarding, demanding skill and sensitivity,

and there was companionship on the railways which I much enjoyed.

One day I was taking a boat train down to Southampton Docks when I

was signalled to take the slow track to allow an express to overtake. As it happened the slow track was clear and I kept pace with the express;

passengers loved that kind of thing. After a while the express began to

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edge ahead and I found myself opposite its dining car. The steward

held up a teapot. Making sure that there were no signal posts, I passed over two cups which the steward filled and past back. All this when the

two trains were thundering along at over 70 miles an hour.

It was a bad day for me when British Rail finished with its steam en-gines. I didn’t like the diesels, so I left and became a lorry driver. But

my wife was determined that I should do something more, so I took a

degree at London University in adult education and began teaching. But, despite everything I always wanted to get back to steam engines

and now I teach others to drive those marvellous locomotives which we

keep on the Bluebell Line in East Sussex.

I run many of the Engine Drivers courses and have a wide variety of

pupils: Lorry drivers, accountants, a grandmother, teachers, pilots, a nuclear engineer, lawyers, farmers and doctors, thought I must say

that I wouldn’t like to fly with some of the pilots. I intend to keep going

for as long as possible, besides I never made any pension arrange-

ments. Still if all else fails I can always go back to being a cartoonist. My book, Billy the Loco Cat, is due for a reprint.

Tim Parker

===============================

Good News about God’s work in our world today

In today’s world good news seems to be in short supply; that is, if we

accept all that the media would have us believe. In fact, there is much that doesn’t get into the news which is positive, inspiring, and encour-

aging. I’ve outlined below only a few items which have recently ap-

peared in Christian publications.

The first is relating to Tanzania where the African Inland Mission is

running a successful livestock project for pastors and evangelists. It aims to help them in a sustainable way by encouraging them to breed a

herd of goats by lending them several goats and then asking them to

return the original ones to the project within a few years, thus enabling these pastors to supplement their incomes by selling the produce Not

long ago, twin goats were born and an extra herder was hired to help.

The whole project is proving very successful.(Maybe Felix should take

up breeding goats in the Vicarage garden!)

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Another piece of good news is reported by the Bible Society which has

sponsored a listening to God’s word project in Ethiopia, Called ‘Faith Comes By Hearing’, an audio recording service. It is reported that

there are listening groups in 1,000 churches. Prisons, refugee camps,

orphanages and rehabilitation centres are also using these recording to

great effect. Many lives are being touched and transformed by the power of God’s word. Good news, indeed.

One of the most heartening items of news comes from Elam Ministries,

working to spread God’s word in Iran, where I was born of missionary

parents. A twenty year translation project came to fruition in the pub-

lication of the entire Bible in the Persian language. Greek and Hebrew scholars and literary experts in the language worked tirelessly to bring

this publication in a readable, understandable text that had never been

done before. This new Bible was launched in London last September. Over five hundred church leaders from around the world and many

others attended the celebration. The worship was described as

“exuberant. The Iranians were unable to contain their joy and excite-ment.” The suffering church in Iran is expanding at an amazing rate, as

disillusioned young people are searching for meaning and hope for

their lives Countless numbers are turning from their former faith, in spite of great risks, and finding on the internet and through satellite

programmes Christian teaching explained. Lives are being transformed

as men, women and children trust in Jesus. So the need of Bibles is great, and now at least 100,000 of the new translation will be available

and distributed in a variety of ways, to help build up the new believers.

There are many other situations around the world where God is ac-

tively at work. Let’s give thanks for the Good News of the gospel and

support in prayer all those involved in building God’s Kingdom, how-

ever humbly, where they are.

Margy Weir

The service of Healing and Ashes—22.02.2015

The service had been very carefully arranged with the imposition of

Ashes showing repentance and the healing session in the Lady Chapel.

Complicated but all guided and easy.

The preacher was the Rev. Canon Peter Wells.and his sermon was help-

ful to me.

I had puzzled over the idea of "being saved". It seemed odd that my

guilt could be transferred to Jesus and I had fretted about this idea.

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Canon Peter suggested that Jesus suffering on the cross and His

intervention in my life "saved" me from some of the awfulness I might

daily commit. It was so true.

I would have been even worse without the love shown on the cross.

My friend felt that we might be diverted from some of our own

interpretation of events.

A great Lenten start!

Daisy.

==============================

GOOD SHEPHERD FESTIVAL 2015

A week of fun and entertainment for all

Saturday 13 June: 2pm to 5pm: Family Fun Day with

“Marvellous Mutts and Friends” Dogs Pet Show, Live mu-sic, Stalls, Admission Free, Grand Raffle, Bouncy Castle and

many other games for all.

Sunday 14 June: 10.15am: Festival Eucharist, Preacher:

Christyan James.

Tuesday 16June: 2pm: Programme of music and singing By students from our neighbouring schools. 6.30pm to 8.00pm: The Teddy Bears return for their Sky-

gliding! Bring a picnic to share.

Thursday 18 June : 7.30pm: Confirmation Service for

Brighton Deanery candidates. The Rt Revd. Richard Jackson presides.

Sunday 21 June: 10.15am: Festival Family Eucharist Led by our young people with the dramatization of the theme

of Prodigal son.

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HOPSCOTCH

Jo Halling Operations Director

9, Aymer Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 4GB

Tel: 01273 385577

[email protected]

www.hopscotch.uk.com

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OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERVICES: 8am, Holy Communion

10.15am, Parish Eucharist

10.15am, “Time for God” informal worship for all ages, in Church Hall On the third Sunday of each month there is a single All age Eucharist

in Church at 10.15

6.30pm, Choral Evensong : Please look at the details on our website. (Eucharist on Thursday at 10.30am followed by Coffee and on Saturday

at 9am)

February 2015

18th : Ash Wed. Eucharist, 7.30pm, Lent courses from Feb. 23rd.

22nd: Lent 1, Eucharist with ashes & Healing Ministry, 10.15am

28th: Lent Breakfast/Talk , by a Representative From 'Hearing Dogs for the Deaf' 9.30am

March 2015 1st: Lent 2; Breakfast for all at 9.45

7th: Lent Breakfast/Talk, by a Representative from ‘Water Aid’,

9.30am 7th : Spring Gardening, Followed by lunch 9.45am. Volunteers please!

14th: PCC Away-day. 10.00 - 15.00, All Saints, Patcham

15th: MOTHERING SUNDAY, 4th of Lent

22nd: APCM, soon after the Eucharist of 10.15am 28th: Lent Breakfast/Talk by a Representative from ’Carousel’ 9.30am

29th: PALM SUNDAY. Holy Week Program details on the next page

April 2015

5th: EASTER; Treasure Hunt for children after the 10.15am service.,

May 2015

24th : PENTECOST

11th : Easter IV Good Shepherd Sun 10.15am; Choral E Song 6.30pm 24th : TRINITY SUNDAY

June 2013

13th : Fam Fun Day 2-5pm, Festival week-end begins

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HOLY WEEK PROGRAM

Palm Sunday 24th March 10.15am: Procession of Palms from the Hall. Dramatised Passion

Gospel & Sung Eucharist leading into the Holy Week

We take part in the Dramatised Passion taking us back to the first Holy week. No TfG service for children in the hall on this Sunday! 6pm: Stations of the Cross.

Mon. Tue.& Wed 30th, 31st Mar. 1st April 8pm: On Mon. Eucharist at Good Shepherd; Tue. at St Matthias’ and

Wed. at St John’s

We have reflect quietly on different aspects of Jesus’ passion.

Maundy Thurs. 2nd Apr.

8pm: Eucharist & Shared Supper with Washing of Feet followed by Watch.

Our Church becomes the Upper Room; we recall the Last Supper, wel-coming Christ in Communion. The Lady Chapel then becomes our Geth-semane; we keep vigil there and respond to Christ’s call: “Watch and pray with me!”

Good Friday 3rd April, 10am: Family Service followed by Hot Cross Buns

Our young people will explore Jesus’ journey on Good Friday and build a garden to await his Resurrection.

1pm: An Hour Before the Cross: Reflections, Silence and Hymns, led by The Revd Dr Mathew Phillip

2pm: The Liturgy of Good Friday with the Proclamation of the

Cross and Holy Communion

We discover the Cross in Words (the Passion Gospel), the Cross in Wood (as the Cross is carried into Church as a focus of our devotions) and the Cross in Bread (as we share in the Sacrament).

Easter 5th April

8am: Eucharist

10.15: Easter Eucharist We light the new fire and the Easter candle symbolizing Christ, the light of the world, risen from the darkness of the grave. We process joyfully

into Church and sing the Easter Song of Praise. We celebrate the Eucha-rist of the Resurrection as we welcome Him into our lives. Treasure hunt for children at the end!

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Mothers’ Union Spring Calendar

Saturday 7th March 9am Corporate Communion in the Holy Redeemer

Chapel

Thursday 12th March 12.45pm Talk Time led by Carole Briggs at 57

Tamworth Road, Hove. Followed by snack lunch

Thursday 9th April 12.45pm Talk time led by Beth Parker at First floor flat, 35 Hove Park Road, Hove. Followed by snack lunch

Thursday 23rd April 7.30pm Dr Sue Lipscombe will speak about her work. Venue TBA

Saturday 2nd May 9.00am Corporate Communion in the Lady Chapel

Saturday 9th May Diocesan AGM and Spring Council at Haywards

Heath Methodist Church. 10.00am till 3.00pm

Thursday 14th May 12.45pm Talk Time led by Pauline Nissen at 1

Shirley Road, Hove, Followed by snack lunch

A date for your diary: Don’t forget the Brighton District Overseas Day

to be held here at the Good Shepherd on Saturday 26th September.

Lots of help will be needed!

----------------------------------------------------------

Christian Aid Week 10th - 16th May 2015

Although we will not be doing a house to house collection this

year please support this worthwhile cause by coming to the Cof-fee Morning on Saturday 23rd May 10.30am til 12.30pm in the

church hall. Bring your friends and neighbours! See further pub-licity nearer the time.

Christine James

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Are we being served?

At this time of year it is nice to get away from the cold weather and this year there was an added bonus – I was able to escape the attentions of

the media with its endless bombardment of often biased material rela-

tive to the forthcoming General Election – or should I say lottery? The

problem is that I have had to return and will have the pleasure of lis-tening to the gobbledygook that is being served up as part of our diet

by over-zealous reporters, commentators, statisticians and know-alls,

for some weeks to come.

Clearly a General Election should be taken

seriously: some would argue that it affords us the opportunity of telling elected officials

and law makers how we feel about educa-

tion, public safety, social security, health and other issues. But are such objectives

being achieved?

It goes without saying that the decisions of

a significant proportion of a fickle electorate are based on self-interest, as against the

collective good and it is for this reason that

some political parties thrive on the envy and greed that exists in society. In my view

our predicament was aptly summed up in

an article written by Michael Leapman in 1998, titled ‘Welcome to the world of weasel words’ in which, among

other things he said:

“We are living in the age of weasel words, where things thought too dreadful to be said outright are clothed in soothing euphemisms”.

“In politics the rules are slightly different. Words are chosen not to exag-gerate or shade meaning but to give an impression quite opposite to the truth”. Surely democracy is about trust and openness - not covert manipula-tion; it is also about respect for Parliamentary process. But isn’t it a

fact that politicians seem to increasingly ignore our views: they tell us

what we wish to hear today, they go their separate ways tomorrow? : we are in danger of re-electing politicians that were complicit in creat-

ing our current ills and should have been cast into the wilderness, to

engage in more of the same: we are reviled for expressing personal

views: escalating immigration issues remain unresolved: we have a situation where a party that failed to destroy the Union could now play

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a prominent role in our governance: we are at the mercy of ‘so-called’

experts presenting incomprehensible facts and figures daily that we really do not understand, let alone trust. You couldn’t make it up!

Clearly it is accepted that Governments exercise political authority over

the actions and affairs of the people but many believe that compared to its pre-twentieth century functions, government (in Western democra-

cies) has taken on new and vast roles. In this connection, it would be

interesting to know what Adam Smith, the eighteenth-century Scottish moral philosopher would say about the expanded role of modern gov-

ernment today. Smith’s views were rational; he believed the ideal func-

tions of government were few and well defined. In his classic work, ‘An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations’, written in

1776, he outlined three important government functions: national de-

fence, administration of justice (law and order), and the provision of certain public goods (e.g., transport infrastructure and basic and ap-

plied education). Clearly, government has grown beyond the bounds of

these limited duties.

Some people would argue that government has expanded because of

necessity; that modern society requires redistribution of wealth for sta-

bility and regulation to constrain the excesses of an unfettered market. Many believe it is unrealistic for government in the twenty-first century

to adhere to the limited roles envisioned by Smith. However, I am of the

view that Smith is right concerning limitation of government involve-ment, as government’s expanded roles are now crowding out traditional

and essential functions to society’s detriment and removing the need

for us to take a measure of responsibility for ourselves.

In my view the coming election will be one of the most significant elec-

tions in our history, the outcome of which could establish whether we

remain a credible force on the world stage. In the circumstances it is essential that we vote and carefully consider where we will place our

cross on polling day. We require strong leadership with trusted allies

whose track record can withstand scrutiny – not a mishmash of indi-viduals whose loyalties can be bought for thirty pieces of silver. We

need to put aside partisan issues: we need to think outside the box and

above all, think beyond our interests in the interests of the common good.

Neil Kelly

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Hall Bookings: Tel. Sheena on 07932591172 or

[email protected]

Grub Club Meets on third Monday of the month. All welcome. Please contact

Daisy Walpole at (508600) or Pat Hunter at (555954)

Choir Choir practice: Sunday morning at 9. All are welcome. Please contact:

Derek Froud (681007)

Flowers If you would like to donate an

arrangement in memory of someone or help with the flower

arranging, please contact church office 882987.

Stewardship Secretary David Nissen

1 Shirley Road, Hove, BN3 6NN Tel (01273) 554183

[email protected]

Bell Ringing Ringing practice every Tuesday evening in the Tower. New ringers

are always welcome. Please contact Pat Hunter (555954)

Notice-boards Information (lists and posters) for

the notice boards may be placed in

the tray in the church porch w i n d o w s i l l o r c o n t a c t

Martin Cruttenden (505225).

Our Service Times

Sunday Worship 8am Holy Communion 10:15 Sung Eucharist

10:15 “Time for God”

6.30pm: check on the web *On the 3rd Sunday of

each month this will be a Family Eucharist to which

children are particularly welcome.

“ Time for God” Services are

held in the Church Hall. Weekday Eucharist

Thursday:10:30am

Saturday: 9am

=====================

Magazine

Contributions to the magazine are welcome.

Please leave copy at the back of Church by 15th of

every Feb., May, Aug. and

Nov. or e-mail [email protected]

or to The Vicar —————————————-

Tea Club Meets on the first Monday

of the month at 1.30pm. We welcome all who are 50

years plus, and would like some company. Just come

along. Tel. Sheena on

07932591172 or sheenarichardson@btintern

et.com