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Dear friends,

I recently did a funeral visit to a family in the parish. During the conversation, the grand-daughter came home from school dressed in some outrageous (to me) outfit. Apparently it was “Book Day” or some such title. The children in school were expected to turn up dressed as their favourite character from a book. I can’t remember who the child was meant to be but I do remember that it cost the parents (or grandparents) about £20 for the outfit. Thinking positively, I did wonder if it would be better for the school to have a dressing-up box for the children to pick out a character for the day – and then return it to the box for another occasion. I suspect that the logistics would be overwhelming. It does, however, raise the issue of the pressure now put on those who care for children to rise to the occasion. “No uniform day” demands a forfeit. School proms (hmmm!) cost parents vast amounts of money. The alternative is the child who stands on the margins because there simply isn’t the money or expertise to fulfil the corporate demand. I can still remember my brother and I dropping the school trip return forms in the bin on the way home from school. Fortunately, there were quite a few of us who didn’t have the money so we didn’t stand out. (Although saddened by a recent newspaper report of a young man who had died during a school holiday in South America, even now I can feel resentment at the “haves” who can afford such exotic trips.) The danger, of course, is of parents and others going into debt in order to fulfil the demands.

I write this, not least because of that funeral visit, but also because of the growing demand to “fix” the date of Easter. Even I, as a very conservative Christian, have been irritated by Easter falling early in the year. Yet aren’t we meant to be inconvenienced by God? The date of Easter is determined by the lunar calendar – just as the Jewish calendar is so ordered. Apparently, the chocolate egg manufacturers, among others, want a fixed date or day so that the marketing is easier, not to mention the flower growers who also like a late Mothering Sunday as well as Easter itself. There was a time when Whitsunday (Pentecost) was followed by Whitmonday (or is it Whit Monday?) which was a bank holiday. This annoyed someone because Whitsunday is always fifty days after Easter Sunday. In other words, a moveable feast. These days it is tidied up and is always the last Monday in May – which is sometimes the old Whitmonday when the feast and bank holiday coincide.

So what is this month’s gripe? The pressure put on people to fulfil an increasing number of demands put on them by those who want to make money. It started with Christmass Cards – then Easter Cards – then bought flowers at a funeral – excessive presents – wedding lists (thought useful, I have to admit) – Hallowe’en outfits – grandparents days on the back of so-called Mother’s Day. I am sure you could add your own overblown events which came from nowhere and now add to the pressure of life and purse.

We are told in holy writ that “the Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head”. He was not encumbered by “stuff”. We are. There must be something in our nature which the Lord calls us to battle against. I tend to have more food in the cupboard than I actually need. I will get fresh ingredients for a meal, knowing that there is something perfectly acceptable in the freezer. A friend has multiple versions of a symphony in his CD collection, knowing that he will never listen to all of them more than once in his remaining years – if that. (At least computers have made us less possessive of “things” – unless Amazon bids us to click with a small, deft, and often, unthinking action!)

THE parable of the man who tore down his smaller barns and built bigger ones to store his grain (riches) so that he could sit back and enjoy life (Luke 12:13-21) is one I hear all the time. “He had a wonderful pension-pot, bought a nice property in Spain, kept his house back here etc. etc. Everything wonderful – and then…”

“Live this day as it were thy last.” goes an old hymn. Wonderful words. Live each day to the full – enjoy every moment – and look forward to the Glory by being prepared and penitent. “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” it says in the Bible. Put things right if you can – or find the best opportune moment. Meanwhile, accept that not everything can be put right. Just because you have said “Sorry.” doesn’t mean that the other person is bound or able to forgive.

Finally, I mentioned about Catholic “givens” in my last letter. I’m afraid that my experience of the Swanwick Clergy Conference was top-notch in the speakers, fellowship, drink and evening worship. The masses, on the other hand, seemed to be without logic, order or respect for tradition. It made me realise how a lack of respect for “what the Church has always done” can only lead to the cult of what I like rather than obedience.

Enjoy the rest of Eastertide, Mary’s month of May – and the feasts.

Dear friends,

This month’s “Window” is coming out two days before Holy Week. I have no idea how Holy Week will be celebrated, other than the fact that we will do what the Church has done for at least 1700 years. An early account of Holy Week in Jerusalem is recorded by the holy nun, Egeria in the early 4th century. She describes, among other things, the the commemoration of the Last Supper in the Upper Room, the veneration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, and the great celebration of Easter in the night of Holy Saturday/Easter Day. If Egeria came to Holy Trinity Church (or, indeed, to any church which proclaims the Catholic Faith) then she would recognise the events taking place.

There is always the danger, particularly for clergy, servers and singers to get so involved in the drama of Holy Week (not to mention the occasional problems and sheer amount of hard graft getting everything in place) as to lose sight of what it is all about. I mentioned in last month’s magazine that the hour of prayer before the Lenten masses has been a real bonus for those who have taken part. In addition, for me, the reading of Brother Ramon’s book “When they crucified my Lord.” has been an opportunity to be fed. It has been, in effect, an extended Holy Week throughout Lent, thus releasing me to allow the worship of Holy Week to “do its own thing”. Holy Week is essentially visual – as were the events of that Week. The entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the cleansing of the Temple, the washing of the disciples feet, the taking of bread and wine during the Last Supper – all these are visual things. Yes, there are words but it is the ACTIONS which are central. Good Friday IS the carrying of the Cross. It IS Mary and John standing at the foot of the Cross. It IS Joseph of Arimathea (and friends) taking the body down and rolling the stone across the tomb. It IS running with Pteter, James and John to the tomb and finding it empty – or weeping with Mary and hearing your name. Apart from the incense, the one thing missing from any re-enactment of the events of Holy Week, is the smell or smells. Anyone visiting a Mediterranean country will be conscious of the smell of the soil, the perfume of the olive groves, the odour of scorched earth. I remember the long hot summer in 1977. Although I had never been to the Med. I recognised the same smell of the earth when I visited Malta and, later, Cyprus.

We have had two thousand years of coming to a deeper understanding of the events of Holy Week, yet I will never forget waiting at the bus-stop to get to my church on Easter Day. The curate’s wife was on her way to my brother’s church for mass and shouted across the road, “Good morning, Brian. Christ is risen!” I shouted back, “He is risen, indeed!” In a sense, we experience again the great events as they happen – but in 2018. The fifty days of Eastertide then give us the opportunity to ponder, like Mary, on what we have experienced.

When the sadly missed Harry Reeves made his first appearance at mass, he said to me afterwards, “It’s sort of modern medieval.” A more recent visitor asked if there was a danger of simply recreating an out-of-date way of worshipping. There is always that danger – as there is the danger in more up-to-date churches of forgetting that we have a Christian past as well as present. The reason we have the Bible, Creeds and Councils is to keep us grounded in the “faith once delivered through the apostles”. We Christians are always in danger of wallowing in nostalgia. When S. Cyprian’s Clarence Gate (near Baker Street, London) was consecrated at the beginning of the last century it was strewed with rushes and herbs in the manner of churches in rural Norfolk in the 15th century. In central London! (Sir Ninian Comper’s S. Cyprian’s was described as Norfolk loftiness in the heart of London by Sir John Betjeman. It contains a wonderful “Majestas” “Christ in glory” which inspired our own Majestas. (By the way, that word is pronounced “Mai-estas” – as Father Antony Symondson pronounced it when correcting my pronunciation over the telephone. Ouch!)

We have been blessed this Holy Week with the presence of John Dixon from S. George’s Newcastle. He is exploring the possibility of ordination and The Reverend Pauline Shelton (who shares in directing possible ordinands – those seeking ordination) decided to send him to us to experience Lent and Holy Week. S. George’s is a very different tradition to Holy Trinity and I hope and pray that the experience is enriching rather than overwhelming. Having written that, shouldn’t we be overwhelmed by the glorious events we seek to set forth?

On that note, may I commend the film “Risen” to you. Everyone seems to have Netflix and other forms of film streaming. It is a fictional portrayal of the death and resurrection of Our Lord as experienced through the eyes of a Roman tribune. Occasionally sentimental, and missing out the fact that Jewish Christians were very slow to welcome Gentiles into their fold, it is the only decent attempt to depict the Resurrection that I know. Come and watch it after mass on the Wednesday in Easter week. (Cars will take people home after dark.)

Dear friends,

Did you know that I am, apparently, a blogger? I received a telephone-call from a man in Newcastle to say that he enjoyed reading my blog. “What blog?” I asked. ‘The one on-line on your church’s website.” “You mean the ‘Vicar’s Window’ in the parish magazine.” I replied. Does this mean that I have been a blogger since before blogs began. I would like to think of myself as the first blogger, were it not for the fact that clergy have blogged since S. Paul. (His, of course, being declared Holy Writ because the Church said it was. That is how the New Testament came into being.)

So, before we get on to anything religious, may I be allowed space to have a moan about corporate meanness in our society? Here are three examples:

1) Not being allowed to exchange five old £2 coins at the only remaining bank in Tunstall. It was bank policy not to provide that (or nearly any service) for people who did not bank with that particular company. “We look after our clients.” I was told. Maybe, but only until the bank decides to close more branches in order to boost profits. I only called in because my own bank had closed two local branches in recent years.

2) Every year, the car repair organisation presents me with a renewal notice. It roughly amounts to twice what I end up paying. I phone up, query the amount, and it is instantly reduced to half or less.

3) Christmass is a busy time for clergy and I didn’t intend to turn my car upside down so soon after Christmass two years ago. (Yes, that crash with Father Paul in the passenger seat – or do I mean roof?) This meant that the insurance of the replacement car is renewed soon after Christmass Day. I managed, this year, to overlook the notification and only discovered, with the arrival of my credit card bill, that my insurance had doubled. Nearly half a day on the computer and telephone resulted in a cheaper insurance with another company – and the loss of about £100 because of the transfer, not to mention another £80 for some other reason which I couldn’t fathom.

Why my particular gripe about the latter two incidents? For the simple reason that firms make a lot of money out of people of a certain age and/or disposition who assume that loyalty to a company will be rewarded. Not the case. If I had gone on line with the same insurer and asked for a new quotation (“quote” is a verb!) then the same company would have given me a much lower premium. It is exactly the same with home insurers. The outlandish premium is calculated on the assumption that the client will have the nous to look elsewhere or, at least, challenge the calculation. It is a good idea to have the cheapest quotation at the ready, that figure is often matched or bettered. Could it also be calculated in the hope that the client won’t even notice or think of challenging the figure?

I well remember two events involving Margaret Thatcher. The first was the horror at hearing her quote from the (so-called) Prayer of S. Francis at the start of her Term of Office. (“How could she?” I shouted at the television.) The second was her observation that “people like choice”. I don’t. I don’t want to have to calculate the cheapest I train fare or the cheapest route. I don’t want to spend hours finding a cheaper, more ethical gas supplier or, indeed, being at the mercy of the water company. I want a cup of coffee as I know it, not some nonsense of working out which on the board is nearest to a strong, hot coffee with a dash of ordinary milk.

Rant over. I hope everyone is enjoying Lent. I am finding the hour’s silence (with Eucharistic Adoration and, often, Morning or Evening Prayer) a real treat. I am not on my own and nor am I the one to get the chapel ready. I have no idea how much time is spent in prayer but there is prayer as well as recollection and, indeed, sheer silence and stillness. There is still time to come. Why not ask yourself the question, “If the entire congregation was made up of duplicates of myself, what would the worshipping and witnessing life of this church community be?” Don’t be afraid of growing in the practise of your Christian life. I am reading a book by Brother Ramon S.S.F. He writes very clearly about conversion and sanctification. We turn to Christ and then we put on Christ. We become Christ’s brothers and sisters in baptism – and become his brothers and sisters as we grow in Him.

So to Holy Week and, once again, walking in the footsteps of the Lord on His journey to Calvary and the Tomb.

The last day of this month leaves us waiting. Have a good rest of Lent.

What happens in Holy Week?

Holy Week forms the last week of this month Time to look at what happens during that week, both the original events and the way we commemorate them in church.

PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week. It commemorates Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, seated on a donkey, while the people placed palms beneath his feet and shouted “Hosanna”. It appears to be a time of triumph but it is short-lived. Jesus himself has already warned the disciples of what is really to come. For this reason, the mass of the day begins with a triumphal procession. We gather in Burslem Park at 10am (the first junction of the path from the entrance opposite the church), hear the Gospel story (Matthew 21:1-13) and then proceed to church waving palm branches and singing. In church, the mood changes with the reading of the Passion narrative. (Mark 14:32-15:41) This is to remind us of what is to come. The congregation receive palm crosses to take home. The tradition is to put them between the figure of Christ crucified and the cross. They remain their until the following Ash Wednesday when they are used to make the ash to mark the beginning of the next Lent.

HOLY MONDAY

Holy Monday is also called “Fig Monday”. When Jesus entered Jerusalem he cursed the fig tree and it withered. (All very odd.) Mass (with devotional address) on this day is at 7.30pm and is preceded by Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at 6.30pm. Evening Prayer will be said at 7pm.

HOLY TUESDAY

Holy Tuesday does not have a title. Mass will be celebrated at 10am as usual – with Prayer Time at 0900 and Morning Prayer at 0930. The evening will follow the same pattern as on Monday.

HOLY WEDNESDAY

Holy Wednesday is also called “Spy Wednesday” – to commemorate Judas’ decision to betray Jesus and to meet with the Sanhedrin, the Jewish authorities. In the morning there will be mass celebrated by the Bishop of Ebbsfleet for his clergy and people at the cathedral. This starts at 11:30am and includes the renewal of vows taken by bishops, priests, and deacons at their ordination together with the blessing of the holy oils used for baptism, confirmation, ordination, consecration and healing. In the evening our pattern of worship is the same as for Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday.

HOLY THURSDAY

Holy Thursday is commonly called Maundy Thursday in England. This is because the Lord gave a “new commandment” to his disciples to “love one another”. The word “Maundy” is derived from “mandatum”, the Latin word for a commandment. In former centuries, before the Reformation, the monarch would wash and kiss the feet of twelve of the poorest people. This was to show the connection between the earthly and the heavenly monarch in living a life of service to the people. When it was revived during Queen Victoria’s reign, it was changed to handing out bags of money. Who could believe that such a change be made? The irony!

Holy Thursday is mainly celebrated with The Mass of the Last Supper. This celebration marks the institution of the Eucharist. It was during the Last Supper that Jesus took bread and wine and declared them to be Himself. It is at that Supper that He took a towel and washed the feet of the disciples. It was after that Supper that He went with the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane – to pray, to be betrayed, and to be handed over for execution. All these things are portrayed during the mass. The feet of some of the congregation are washed by the priest. There is a procession of the Sacrament (Jesus) with the servers (disciples?) to the Altar of Repose (Gethsemane) in the S. Thomas Chapel where a Watch of Prayer by the congregation (disciples) is kept until midnight, the time of betrayal. Meanwhile, in readiness for Good Friday, the altar is stripped and the furnishings removed to prepare for Good Friday. Psalm 22 is recited solemnly.

GOOD FRIDAY

Good (God’s) Friday is a day of solemnity. It is a day for fasting and abstinence. No meat. Hot Cross Buns to stave off the hunger pangs through not eating before 3pm, the time of Our Lord’s death. It is not a day for shopping. Gone are the days when the faithful would gather for the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion as well as the The Three Hours Devotion. Children’s activities at Holy Trinity take up the time from noon to 2.30pm. Stations of the Cross then follow.

The great celebration of the Lord’s Passion is the evening Liturgy at 7.30pm. “Liturgy” roughly translates as “The work (worship) of the people”. We gather in a bare church to hear the Scriptures. There is no Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle so there is no genuflection. No holy water in the stoup so no Signing of the Cross. The Passion according to S. John is recited and the great crucifix carried in for adoration and veneration by all who desire to. Being the symbol of the Crucified on that Holy Day, we genuflect and approach to kiss and reverence the Lord’s Cross – as Christians have done since the fourth century and earlier. The Blessed Sacrament of the Lord’s Body is then solemnly processed into church from the Altar of Repose. Holy Communion is received in one kind (the Body) before a final prayer and blessing.

HOLY SATURDAY

As I have said time and time again (even bishops get this wrong!) this is NOT Easter Saturday. That comes on the Saturday of Easter Week. There is no such thing as an “Easter weekend” – that is BBC Speak!

Holy Saturday is a time of quiet and getting ready for Easter. The church is swept and cleaned and the ornaments restored. The Easter Fire for the Vigil (time of waiting) is prepared and the Paschal (Easter) Candle stand is put in place. At 8pm the People of God gather outside the church for the blessing of the New Fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. There then follows a procession into the church hall for the readings from Scripture and Prayers as we wait to greet Christ risen. Don’t forget that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb “while it was yet dark” and found the stone rolled away and the body gone. When the final reading has happened we then sing the GLORIA with bells ringing (the first time since the Gloria of Holy Thursday) as we enter the church for the FIRST MASS OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD. The Gospel of Easter is proclaimed ( Al  l   i s – the first since Shrove Tuesday) and the people gather around the font for the renewal of baptismal promises. The mass concludes with the restoration of the Blessed Sacrament to the Tabernacle amid much bell-ringing and Al  l   i_s. There is then food and fireworks to conclude the day.

Don’t leave this to the Faithful Few. This Holy Week is the duty of all Christian people to observe and celebrate. “CHRIST IS             !”

Dear friends,

This month sees the end of the Christmass Cycle with the Feast of Candlemass. For entirely selfish reasons, the sung mass will take place on the eve of the feast at 1930. This will include the usual candle-lit procession from the porch to the altar. February 2nd is the actual Feast Day and there will be the standard midday mass for those unable to be present on the Thursday evening. Come and celebrate the Presentation of the Christ in the Temple.

This month also sees the start of the holy season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is on the 14th and masses will be celebrated at 0900 and 1930. Come and receive the ashes as a sign of penitence and make a good start to the penitential season.

I have been trying to think what to do this Lent as a special religious activity. We have usually had study groups and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for half-an-hour before all masses. I suspect that meeting together to study has ceased to be the draw that it once was. I am more energized by the idea of spending an hour in church in silence prior to mass – with or without the Sacrament exposed. My plan is to do this every Sunday, as we have in other Lents, from the start of Morning Prayer. Prior to weekday masses the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the Chapel of S. Thomas for an hour. Some may wish to sit in church and spent a time of silence in the (unheated) space. Morning Prayer will be said as usual – but without the preliminary discussion and friendly conversation. I am not even sure about praying. I quite like the idea of simply being in God’s House and doing whatever comes to mind. It may be contemplating a window or an icon or statue. It may involve reading the Bible or some other religious text. It may be centred on reciting a single text, a Taize chorus or suchlike. It may even be a time for day-dreaming, sleeping, or simply being there. Participants may wish to talk about their experience after mass. I am hoping that there will be no conversation between the end of the prayer-time and the beginning of mass. Perhaps we could take our cue from those religious orders which communicate by signs? May I emphasise that there will be no arriving time. Come when you want to. Don’t be afraid to enter the chapel after exposition has started. Move around the church as you desire. Use the space and the time – just don’t talk!

In addition, there are a number of Office Books (Prayer Books) which provide daily Scripture and prayer. The one that we use publicly in church is available to be borrowed – or purchased for £5. If you are not sure how to use it then come on a Sunday am, Tuesday am, Wednesday pm and/or Thursday am when it is recited within a group and is easier to grasp.

The Lent Lunches (following the Friday midday mass) used to be very popular but now seem to attract only the Friday regulars together with 2-3 others. There was a time when up to twenty took part. We provide soup, bread, cheese and hummous, tea and coffee. There is a collection taken for the work of the church in Ho Diocese, Ghana. Come and make this an occasion for prayer, fellowship and self-offering.

Stations of the Cross will take place on the Fridays when Stations do not form part of the Sunday liturgy for that week. In other words not the 23rd February or March. These will commence at 11am.

The Lent Lunches (following the Friday midday mass) used to be very popular but now seem to attract only the Friday regulars together with 2-3 others. There was a time when up to twenty took part. We provide soup, bread, cheese and hummous, tea and coffee. There is a collection taken for the work of the church in Ho Diocese, Ghana. Come and make this an occasion for prayer, fellowship and self-offering.

Stations of the Cross will take place on the Fridays when Stations do not form part of the Sunday liturgy for that week. In other words not the 23rd February or March. These will commence at 11am.

Lent boxes are available if you wish to support the Additional Curates Society or the Church in Ghana – or both.

Finally, there are the Lent devotional books which Marie has ordered. They cost £2 – 25p each and provide material for daily use in private, together with other articles on a Lenten theme.

I hope that this will provide a period of refreshment after a particularly gruelling December/January. There was a glimpse of pleasant weather the day I write this – a reminder that the relentlessly cold and drippy winter does have an end. Who knows, maybe the coughs and colds will disappear and we will all be back at mass en masse.

So, have a wonderful Candlemass and a refreshing Lent. Most clergy view Lent as an ordeal. I am hoping that this year it will be an occasion for renewal. The purpose of being in church or chapel in silence is primarily to open ourselves to God’s quiet voice in our souls. A few weeks ago we heard the story of the infant Samuel spending the night in the Temple in Jerusalem and being woken by the voice of God calling him. Let us cultivate such silence and stillness that the voice of God may be heard in our time and in our community.

Dear friends,

During the days prior to Christmass I had a number of phone calls from people who wanted to help with providing food for homeless and housebound people. From the conversations which followed, I get the impression that people now see the church as the stop-gap for a situation created by the collapse of society as we knew it, together with the financial straits caused by the mishandling of finance in the past few years. Unfortunately, the absence of people in the pews means that there are not the able-bodied people available to make up the provision formerly offered by social services. To give an example, the Baby & Toddler Group was originally operated from Hamil Road Methodist Church. An ageing congregation meant that they could no longer provide the service. Thanks to a visit from some of the mothers involved, the toys and people moved to Holy Trinity. Later, Surestart worked with the group until government funding allowed for daily provision within the PVFC complex. This nearly caused the closure of the Baby and Toddler Group because many of the users transferred to the free (and daily) facility. Now that the funding has been withdrawn our own group is the sole provider within the neighbourhood. We are also blessed with a number of very keen helpers, including the parents and guardians themselves.

Now what we provide is all well and good, but it is not the reason why the church exists in Hamil Road. No one rang to ask about times of worship. There is a danger that people will only see the church as of use if it is providing support within the community. There have been a number of surveys recently. The aim has been to ascertain how much free time is given by Christian volunteers to provide for the needs of people within communities. Luncheon clubs, baby and toddler groups, youth clubs etc. are seen as the prime reason for the existence of the church. I remember one priest making the observation that Sunday Schools were the free child-minding service provided by the church until the recent wholesale decline of that institution. How many parents in the past sent their children to the Sunday school of the church they attended themselves? Not many.

There is a great danger in the church itself seeing itself as a social provider, a champion of social issues and a leading campaigner against global warming and other environmental issues. If I were to suggest that we are actually in the business of rescuing souls bound for hell that they may, by God’s grace through baptism, confirmation, confession, holy communion, and anointing enter heaven – then I would be considered narrow-minded and too heaven-centred. Yet that is what the Church is about. We seek to save souls through the grace of God. I would put it even more extremely by saying that the social provision made by the churches actually detracts from that primary task. If contemplative religious communities (not running schools, hospitals etc.) serve a purpose, it is that of setting before us the uselessness of the Church as a provider of earthly comforts. We are here to worship God and to bring others to the same. We are here to bring people to worship as the Lord Himself has told us to worship. “Do this in memory of me.” is what He demanded. “Go out into the world and baptise…” is another command. Jesus healed the sick because He wanted to show signs of the Kingdom and God’s ultimate desire for His people – not to provide a quick-fix.

I realise that what I am saying would appear to be in danger of self-indulgence. Putting on inspiring worship, proving what could be seen as religious grand opera or drama, could be seen as self-centred. We need to realise that it is not put on for us but as an offering to God. If it has any effect on us then it must be to produce a desire to do more for God and in God’s way. This could be the providing of care for people in need – but it has to grow out of that devotion and prayer and not be a substitute for it. The problem is that people ask me what they can do to help others via the church when really they should, by joining in worship week by week and meeting with fellow Christians in fellowship, be inspired to do good works which flows out of that discipleship, not be a substitute for it.

I’m afraid that I told one person, “I am not Social Services. I am in the business of bringing people to the Lord and calling them to worship by entering into Christ’s offering of Himself.” Unfortunately, people seem to find time to do good works but have lost the faculty to offer worship. I don’t think that the Church and Christians help. We seem to regard worship very much as an optional extra. This seems to be especially the case when the major Christian festivals are celebrated. Crib services are no substitute for the mass for anyone who has been baptised and confirmed. Family commitments must come second to the worship of God. Did not Our Lord teach us to hate our families? If I have tried to do anything as vicar of this parish, it is to put before the People of God (and would-be People of God) the basics of the Christian Faith. To put it in a nutshell, I cannot understand why churches closed on the Sunday when it snowed. “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am in their midst.” It is our duty and joy to offer worship. There is no substitute.

VICAR’S WINDOW

Dear friends,

Thanks to a suggestion by the people at “Business Products”, our magazine now boasts a much more sophisticated cover. I now send a suitable photograph and text via my mobile telephone and Glen prints the required number of covers. Last month, the month of Christ the King, showed the “Majestas” (Christ in majesty) which hangs above the east window in Holy Trinity Church. This was based on Sir Ninian Comper’s figure of Christ which forms part of the tester (canopy) over the high altar at S. Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate, London. Comper used the image of the beardless Christ in many of his churches. The original is a painting in Palermo Cathedral in southern Italy. The tradition of painting Christ without a beard originates from beardlessness being associated with wealth and rank. Roman emperors and senators were among the people who could afford to shave or be shaved. Today it is hard to find a (young) man who hasn’t got a beard – not to mention wall-to-wall tattoos. Fashions come and go.

In Comper’s original there are two six-winged angels (Seraphim) above and behind the figure as well as two beneath His feet. In other depictions, Comper placed the Seraphim to left and right of Crucified. I adapted the images to the space and placed them in the bottom corners of the triangular space. Laurentiu, the Roumanian artist (then working in Liverpool at my home church of S. John, Tue Brook) took Comper’s design and gave it an Orthodox flavour. The angels at Christ’s feet (supporting Him) are called Thrones. These are angels mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament who were seen as whirling wheels with eyes. Christ holds His right hand in blessing while His left hand bears the Book of the Gospels with the (Roumanian) Alpha and Omega, Christ the beginning and the end. It is very much the glorious Christ come in judgement at the end of time. All very appropriate given that we are entering the holy season of Advent when we celebrate Christ’s first and second coming.

So to the first coming. “When came in flesh the Incarnate Word, the heedless world slept on, and only simple shepherds heard that God had sent His Son.” This month’s cover shows the Holy Family in the stable as we have it beneath the altar in HTB. Although Pope Benedict XVI didn’t approve of such arrangements, I’m afraid that it works well in a tiny church like ours. As you will have read in last month’s magazine, the figures have been repainted and the manger scene will be refurbished in time for Christmass. Next month’s magazine cover should include a complete manger scene, the Magi having arrived for January 6th.

I write this on so-called “Black Friday” when the world is caught up in a shopping frenzy. Like Hallowe’en, this has been deliberately manufactured by the retail industry. Don’t let it all get you down. As Diane said (in The Royall Family) “Christmas isn’t for the children.” Well, not just for children. Christmass is for everyone who seeks to follow the Lord Jesus. He “became incarnate of the Virgin Mary”. In other words, God took flesh of Mary’s flesh in order to dwell among us. This is why we recite the Angelus three times a day, 0600, 1200, and 1800 – or whenever possible. Here it is, without the 3×3+9 bells which normally accompany the responses.

V. The angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.

R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R. Be it unto me according to thy word.

V. Hail Mary…etc.

V. And the Word was made flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.

V. Hail Mary…etc.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V. We beseech thee, O Lord, to pour thy grace into our hearts, that as we have known the incarnation of thy Son, Jesus Christ, by the message of an angel, so by His +Cross and Passion, we may be brought to the glory if His Resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord.

Amen

Dear friends,

The month of November is the Month of the Dead. “El dia de los Muertos” (The Day of the Dead.) is the title given in Mexico. Anyone who has seen the Bond film “Spectre” will remember the amazing opening scenes of a great procession of people dressed, among other things, in skeleton suits. Like many people, I thought that this was an annual event – until I learned that it was invented for the Bond movie. “El dia de los Muertos” is indeed celebrated, but only with intimate gatherings at churches and graveyards to pray for the dead. This takes place on All Souls’ Day. Since “Spectre”, Mexico City has decided to keep the procession going each year, not on November 2nd but on All Saints’ Eve (Hallow’een in this country.)

In this country, we have gotten used to all the rubbish that is peddled on All Saints’ Eve (31st October). A pity that it, like most things, is driven by commercialism. Parents dragging their children around supermarkets are forced to buy yet another load of tat, some of it decidedly sinister. It is sad to see that graveyards and churches are associated by many people (and the young, in particular) with ghosts and ghouls, murder and fear. When I tell young people that I sometimes enter Holy Trinity Church in the dark (morning or evening as the year draws to a close) they respond universally with the question, “Aren’t you afraid?” I thought that the perfect love of God was meant to cast out fear – not generate it. Mind you, I do like the Mexican tradition (real) of decorating graves with fake skulls. Medieval vestments worn at a requiem were always black with decorations of skulls and bones.

So, the month begins with the dead. The dead who are now raised to glory in the great Feast of All Saints’ -and the dead who are waiting for the General Resurrection and are now being purged of their sins through the love of God. These we commemorate on All Souls’ Day with the lighting of candles and the offering of requiems. Don’t miss mass on these two days. Holy Trinity isn’t the only church keeping these holy days. If you can’t get to mass then light a candle and pray in your own home.

Armistice Day and so-called Armistice Sunday fall this year on the 11th and 12th. Again, requiems are offered for the dead. For those who don’t know what the title means, it comes from the opening chant for the day, “Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.” “Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.” It is a mass of rest for the dead – resting in the peace of God.

Gathering around cenotaphs is laudable – but it is the gathering of the faithful at mass which is most truly Christian. Don’t let the former replace the latter. It is one thing to remember the dead, it is another to pray for them. Only one action proclaims the resurrection victory of Christ our Lord and King.

Then comes, in this parish, the Dedication Festival. It was on November 19th that the then Bishop of Stafford consecrated the Hamil Road Church as Sneyd Parish Church. This year it falls on a Sunday but we will be keeping it on the Monday evening. It is a celebration tinged with sadness. We sing an hymn in honour of those who have worshipped with us and now sleep in Christ’s peace. Yet the sadness must give way to hope and expectation.

Sing praise, then, for all who here sought and here found Him.
Whose journey is ended, whose perils are past.
They believed in the light and its glory is round them,
Where the clouds of earth’s sorrow are lifted at last.

The month ends with the end of the old Church Year. The Feast of Christ the King falls on the 26th. It is the culmination of all that started with Advent last year and also looks forward to the beginning of a new Advent. Before the Feast of Christ the King was introduced, the last Sunday of the old year was called “Stir up Sunday”. It originates with the Collect for the Day, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful servants…” Traditionally, this is the day to mix the ingredients of the Christmass Pudding. My Aunt May used to make a Christmass Pudding for her own family as well as her brothers and sisters. Quite a feat, given that made for six or seven puddings. Threepenny bits were hidden in the mix – luck or unlucky for some, depending on the care taken when eating the wonderful creation. Inflation produced the move to sixpences.

Enjoy this month and get ready for the next!

Dear friends,

Many many years ago, I attended High Mass at a church on Merseyside. The choir sang beautifully, the church looked stunning, the “bowing and scraping” in the sanctuary was second-to-none. Perhaps I was too new to the church thing (any church) that I found the experience both mystifying and downright hilarious. I had a fit of the giggles.

Not many months later, I attended S. Luke’s Tranmere, a gloomy, red sandstone pile at the other end of the park near my then home. S. Luke’s had a small congregation and was due for closure. I walked into the church on S. Luke’s Day as the procession wound its way to the sanctuary. I can see it all now, nearly fifty years later. I was captivated by the reality of worship. I wanted to be part of that experience – and became part for the eighteen months that remained until the church was closed and demolished.

I learned well at S. Luke’s. I never missed a mass – and continued not to miss after the building had gone and the community dispersed. I learned that the mass was the worshipping heart of Christianity – and that Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, was the object of that worship.

All in a gloomy church in the backstreets of Birkenhead.

Since then I have worshipped in churches with orchestras and grand architecture, large congregations and high drama, laser projections and clouds of incense. All very lovely and I am glad of the experiences – but I sometimes wonder if these aspects of worship can become a substitute for worship. I love beautiful churches – but there is always the danger of idolatry. We can worship something other them God without realising it. The excellent preacher, the priest who “says a lovely mass” as the nuns in Father Ted exclaimed. Choral singing and organ fanfares. Even the singing of favourite hymns.

Some of you will have heard my tale of being invited by a friend to attend Sung Mattins (Bible readings and songs and sermon) at Chester Cathedral. There was to be an orchestra present and the music was the grandest. The service would have leant my missing mass at S. Luke’s. “No thanks.” I said. “But its a chance of a lifetime to hear this music.” “I’d rather go to mass in a mud hut than go to the most epic event in a cathedral.” was my reply. I realised then that the mass had captivated me.

Why is it so important? Why so important day by day? Simply because Jesus gave it as the means of offering true worship to the Father. Christ’s sacrifice made present and offered. Christ giving himself in Holy Communion. “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you do not have my life in you.” says Jesus in S. John’s Gospel. “The disciples knew the Lord in the Breaking of Bread.” according to S. Luke. ‘The Apostles met daily for the Breaking of Bread, the prayers, and fellowship.” according to Acts. It all boils down to this – and everything else flows from it, including social action and personal behaviour. (Or it should.)

A friend was diagnosed as HIV. He was put on medication. Each day he consumed pills, large pills, by the dozen. He never missed a pill or an appointment with the hospital. Why did he do this? Because his life depended on it. The pills are now much reduced and he is a long-term survivor.

I see the Sacrament in the same way. My life depends on it. It is food for this life and the journey to the next. It is lovely to have it in the setting of incense and song, beautiful architecture and powerpoint projection. But they are style, not substance. The substance is a validly ordained priest using the right words with the right matter, bread and wine. It is by the strength of this food that I seek heaven and hope to avoid hell.

So there you are. The Gospel according to…? I believe, Jesus and the Catholic Church. It matters not that I am entirely attentive. I am not having my ears tickled by a sermon or song. It is the Bread of Angels, heavenly food. I may even be inattentive when I am saying mass, it matters not one jot. Of course, better appreciated when celebrated and received with care – like any food – but the nourishment is without question because it is what the Lord promised.

Finally, when you are on your deathbed and not out-of-it with drugs, get a priest to hear your confession, anoint you, and give you viaticum – that food for the journey which is beyond compare.

Dear friends,

This has been a busy month. The Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady was kept wonderfully on the Sunday afternoon at S. Werburgh’s and at Holy Trinity on the day. Thankfully, a number of people and priests from neighbouring parishes joined in our celebration. I say thankfully because a number of our own people were either on holiday or employed in more important matters. I fail to understand the inability of Christians to fulfil their Christian duty on Holy Days of Obligation. There is a great danger that the total Christian observance is restricted to Sunday morning mass – if that! We have a duty to offer worship to God. I suppose a lot depends on our desire to go to heaven or hell. Beware of thinking that God takes discipleship lightly.

I was made very conscious of this recently. A colleague died and I felt it imperative to offer a mass of requiem for the repose of their soul as soon as possible. “And lo between our sins and their reward, we set the Passion of thy Son, our Lord.” When mass is offered for the repose of a dead person then that is exactly what we are doing. I fear this taking for granted that we will all be united in heaven on the strength of our own goodness. Christ is the REDEEMER. He wins us back from the jaws of hell though his death on the cross. Holy Cross Day celebrates the finding of the True Cross in Jerusalem by S. Helena, the Emperor Constantine’s mother. ‘We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. For by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.” Let us be certain that our salvation is wrought by none other than the Lord of Glory. Come to mass on that feast day September 14th.

Then there was the trip to Llandudno. A lovely day with lovely weather in a very jolly place. Read Ruth’s articles and note that we managed to turn it into a mini-pilgrimage with mass to start with and prayers at an holy well to (nearly) finish. All this in the company of Sister Mary Catherine of the Benedictine Community of the Holy Cross (the Cross again!) who was holidaying back in her former parish. Carol Smith was a faithful worshipper at Holy Trinity before taking the veil. Note, also, that she was on holiday and still observed the Feast of the Assumption.

Sad to report that Pauline Martin died in a nursing home in Stafford. Her funeral was at Sneyd Church before her interment in the burial ground of Stafford Crematorium. Pauline was a member of the Mothers’ Union and spent time faithfully worshipping with us and then more intermittently. Let us not forget Our Lord’s teaching about keeping the hand to the plough.

Ruth’s husband, Fred, was laid to rest last month. His funeral requiem took place in our church and his ashes received into Salem Church, Smallthorne, where he was a faithful worshipper. A goodly number of worshippers and friends gathered on both occasions. Kim, the minister, then said prayers as Fred’s ashes were laid to rest.

Oh dear! Lots of death’s this past month. Alan Shutt, long-term organ tuner and builder – and faithful and long- suffering helper of myself when rebuilding the Compton organ at Sneyd Church. Alan was a lovely, gentle, person and was very patient when I came up with complicated ideas and snags when adding to the pipework, He and Josie were married at Sneyd church over twenty years ago. More recently he was organist and very faithful worshipper with Josie at the United Reformed Church in Porthill. I was able to attend and speak briefly | about Alan. Please keep them both in your prayers.

And a wedding! Alexis, Hilda Burgess’s niece (former organist and M.U. member) was married to her partner Lee at an amazing church off the coast of Anglesey. It is called ‘The Church in the Sea” and can be found on “t’internet”. A lovely day with lovely weather. Hilda and her sister, Norah, would have been thrilled.

Nothing else exciting to report. The profile for this parish and for S. Werburgh’s has almost been completed The next stage will be to advertise and see if there is a priest who believes himself to be called to serve in these two parishes in the near future. If someone is appointed soon then it will be good for me to have full-time colleague to work with so that this church and S. Werburgh’s may flourish in the future. For the present (as always) it depends on everyone in both congregations. Are we faithful in worship? Do we welcome the stranger in our midst? Do we reach out to others to draw then to Christ? Does our lifestyle attract or repel? Do people know that we the Lord’s people?

Enjoy the rainy season and return from holiday refreshed.

Dear friends,

A little basement window for the double month. Here are a few items of news and comment.

1. The terrible events in the past few weeks, both deliberate and accidental, make for harrowing reading and viewing. Thank God for the outpouring of human-kindness in the face of adversity.

2. The decision taken by the Scottish Episcopal Church to allow same-sex couples to marry in church. Goodness knows what effect this is going to have on the Church of England. (The SEC is a branch of the C of E north of the border, to put it simply and slightly wrongly.) I would argue that the C of E’s acceptance of the remarriage of divorcees, together with the acceptance of contraception, has paved the way for this decision. The C of E can only follow suit – as it eventually did when The Episcopal Church (A branch of the C of E in the USA!) went ahead with the ordination of women to the priesthood.

3. Several stalwarts of the Church have gone to Abraham’s bosom in the past few weeks. Rita Brown from Holy Trinity, Doreen Redgate from S. Werburgh’s, Ruth Walker’s husband, Fred, from Salem Methodist Church, Smallthorne, Glenys McIntyre from S. Saviour’s. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

4. Trinity Sunday was celebrated in style. Some of the S. Cecilia singers came to give us a hand – and stayed to share in the splendid lunch. Those who got it together know who they are. A big THANK YOU to all of you – and to the visiting singers, who sent a note of appreciation. Father Ron’s sermon is reprinted below. Thank you, father, for helping us to understand the mystery!

5. Wonderful worship at Christ Church Tunstall for Corpus Christi and, on a quieter note, at Holy Trinity the following day. Good to be with Christian brothers and sisters for whom the feast days are a source of joy and celebration.

Have a good holiday – if you haven’t been already.

Every blessings

SERMON FROM TRINITY SUNDAY BY FATHER RON WHITTINGHAM

What is God Like? Who is he?

That’s a question that has been asked since the earliest days of human history. The earliest religions often thought of many gods, spirits of the natural world – sun, moon and stars, sea and sky, spirits of mountains and rivers and great trees.

Abraham was the first person known to have worshipped one God, the creator of all. But it was Moses who taught the Hebrew slaves escaped from Egypt a faith in this One God, with laws governing the worship and conduct of a community. This was a mysterious God who lived at the summit of Mount Sinai and came down in a cloud of light, or in wind and storm and lightning fire. a God who was found in wind or spirit or breath – just one word in Hebrew.

In our First Reading we heard of an encounter between God and Moses. God descends in a cloud. Moses calls his name – the name God had revealed to him earlier: a Name which is represented in the Hebrew Scriptures by 4 Consonants represented in our alphabet as YHWH. When they saw these letters, the Holy Name of God, they would not, perhaps could not, pronounce them, so they said Adonai, which translates in to Greek as Kyrios,and English as THE LORD. The Name means something like I AM – or I am who I am or I will be who I will be. We could call that simply BEING. In this reading God reveals himself as The Lord, a God tender, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness. The Old Testament prophets explored this revelation of God over more than a thousand years of relationship between God and his people Israel who over and over again rejected his commandments and chose to follow the more colourful gods of their pagan neighbours. Only a minority faithfully kept his commandments.

The question “What is God like” was finally revealed when he sent his Son Jesus the Messiah to reveal him fully and to save his people – not just the people of Israel, but all people who would accept him as Lord and God.

Jesus, in our Gospel Reading, speaks of himself as the Son of the God whose love is so great that he sends his Son to save the world. Again in these words of Jesus it is the Name we are asked to believe in, the Name of Jesus, which in Hebrew means God Saves, Jesus who is The Lord and God. Elsewhere in S. John’s Gospel he says” Before Abraham existed I AM” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father” He speaks of God as a loving Father for all, one whom we can approach in familiar terms as Abba, Daddy. Jesus reveals the true nature of God in his own life and death and resurrection. On the Eve of his death on the cross as a willing sacrifice to save the world he promised his disciples he would come back to them; he would send the Holy Spirit as a Counsellor, an Advocate. On Resurrection Day he breathed on his apostles and said” Receive the Holy Spirit”. On the Day of Pentecost the Spirit came to them in wind and fire. So the revelation to Moses in the desert came to fullness through the Crucified and Risen Christ.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit; this was how the Apostles and other disciples, among them Mary, the Mother of The Lord, experienced God.

But how were they to explain this? As Jews they had been taught “The Lord your God is one “ Then, as today, there were those who accused Christians of having three gods. During my ministry in Leicester some Muslims would say to us” We have One God; you have three.” But the Apostles were convinced, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God, three ways in which God has revealed himself to us. So St. Paul, in one of the earliest single verses linking Father , Son and Holy Spirit, speaks of the love of God the Father, the grace of Jesus Christ the Lord, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. He and others came to understand that these three revelations of God were One Being in relationship together, the Spirit binding the three in unity, a bond of love.

The Holy Trinity is a mystery; yet a mystery revealed. God is love. Love is relational. You cannot have love where there is no relationship. In the best human relationships love between lover and loved is mutual. So it should not surprise us that God, who is pure Being, should be not a simple unity – One is One and all alone, as Jews and Muslims believe, but a complex union of Three-in-One. For three centuries believers struggled to define the Trinity, not least because it was questioned by a large breakaway group within the Church ,the Arians, who said, “There was a time when the Son did not exist” Eventually a Council of Bishops at Nicaea adopted a definition and a Creed which we will shortly recite. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father. This Creed was further improved at a later Council at Constantinople to reach the version we use today at Mass The Athanasian Creed summarises and develops this Faith. . One of my theology lecturers at Oxford, Dr. Kelly, began a lecture on it “The Athanasian Creed is not a Creed, nor is it by S. Athanasius.” Athanasius, then a Deacon, drafted the Nicene Creed. He was later Archbishop of Alexandria in Egypt.

The Trinity defines us as Christians, different from other religions. But in the end it is a revelation from God who is not so much to be understood as to be worshipped in all his mysterious glory, the glory of love revealed in creation and resurrection, but above all on the cross. God is love, kind, compassionate , suffering love. He does not need us, his creation, but he gives himself to us endlessly as Father Creator, Saviour Son and Guiding Spirit, the Holy Trinity.

So what does this mean for a Parish whose Church is dedicated in honour of the Most Holy Trinity?

First, we bear witness here to the glory of God who is to be worshipped and adored. He loves us and that love must be returned in prayer and praise and obedience to his will and commands. Here we learn to worship, to pray, and through the reading and preaching of the Word to know him better, then to receive Him into our lives in His Son Jesus Christ as we take and eat and drink his Body and Blood.. It is through the action of the Holy Spirit that bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, and it is the Spirit who binds us together as Communicants, sharers, in His Body the Church.

Then we, who are baptised in His Name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are sent out to proclaim our faith and share it with others so that they may come with us to God in Christ, through the Holy Spirit and themselves be baptised in His Name. Thirdly because God is a God of loving relationship we are encouraged by reflecting on the Holy Trinity to become a loving fellowship, caring for one another, welcoming strangers, showing to them and to our local community, our Parish, the love of a compassionate, tender, faithful, forgiving God. Worship, mission, service in His Holy Name -that is our calling and privilege as his loving and beloved children.