IN TOUCHI-In-Touch
September/October 2010
The Methodist Church Witney
Minister’s Letter Dear Friends,
I want to start this letter by expressing my gratitude to you for allowing me to take an extended break this summer. It was a real blessing and I have returned fully refreshed, renewed and ready for whatever the next weeks and months hold. I know that it is going to be a very busy autumn and I am really looking forward to my first Alpha course at High Street and the first one we’ve done for a few years. One of things that I discovered sharing in the Alpha we held at Newland during the spring was that whilst Alpha is said to be about making new Christians it can be equally valuable for people who have been Christians for many years. In the first three paragraphs of this letter I have managed to include reference to three of the seasons – spring, summer and autumn. There is only one left….so let me remedy that. Many of us will experience periods in our Christian life when it seems to be almost permanent winter. Faith is difficult to sustain and God may well seem very distant from us. There will be a plethora of reasons for this – problems at home or at work, our health, personal relationships, grieving, loneliness, and fear. All of these can be helped by renewing our relationship with God. So, have you thought about coming to the Alpha sessions? We also need people to help with the programme and if you feel called to volunteer then talk with me or Jenny Carey. There will be lots of other things happening this autumn. Bible Studies with Peter Hancock, Chair of the Northampton District and Martin Wellings, Superintendent of the Oxford Circuit. Lots of fund raising activities with the opportunity they bring for us coming together for times of fun. Harvest Festival and what promises to be a very special Flower Festival. Operation Christmas Child is always a very significant time for us. And then before you know it will be… But I cannot possibly mention that in September! Through all of the busyness and activity we must not forget what it is we are about, who we are called to be. We are God’s people and the Lord is always with us, leading guiding and sustaining. Let us all be refreshed and renewed in God’s presence. With love Richard
October Bible Studies at High Street
Led by Rev Martin Wellings, minister at Wesley Memorial Church in Oxford and Rev Peter Hancock, Chair of the Northampton District.
Everybody welcome! Please look out for further information nearer the time
Personal News and Prayer Concerns Newland The highlights of the July-August period were our coffee morning on 17 July and our cream tea on 15 August. We were delighted to welcome Edie's daughters who called in to see us for the coffee morning and also Sandra and John whom we had not seen for a while. Alan had recently returned from his visit to America and gave us a very interesting account of his meetings with the Quaker community etc complete with excellent photos. The weather was very kind to us when we enjoyed our afternoon at Davenport Road for the cream teas. Many thanks to all the willing helpers who made it such a success and to Shirley and Dave for arranging it.
For the month of August we have had Bring and Share evenings to give Shirley and Dave a well earned break and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them and Judy for all the excellent meals they provide all year. It is greatly appreciated by us all, and especially by members who live alone, to be able to sit round a table and enjoy a meal with company instead of possibly a tray in front of the telly.
We continue to pray for Myrtle whose husband recently returned home from hospital and now must not be left on his own. We also pray for Gwyneth who does not enjoy very good health and John Butcher and Mary Calcutt in their respective homes.
We were sorry to hear of the death of Joan Cooper who was a long-time member of Newland. She will be remembered for always being able to produce timely contributions to our members meetings. Margaret Dewar
Davenport Road By the time this is in print most of us who have been lucky enough to get away are back from holiday. Some may have been on quite exotic ones, others perhaps not so. The main thing is that it is a break from the norm and as the saying goes, ‘a change is as good as a rest.’
Our Girls’ Brigade company have not long returned from camp at Littlehampton where 14 girls and six staff enjoyed good fellowship together, albeit with mixed weather! The Girls’ Brigade efforts at raising money on behalf of Hope HIV over the weekend of 25/26 June with their car wash and strawberry tea raised a wonderful total of £464.10. Well done girls!
On Saturday 17 July Grahame and Jos Faulkner celebrated 20 years of marriage and invited family, friends and church members to a party in the church. This indeed was a joyous occasion and we wish them many more happy years ahead.
Following our initial Vision Day in May, we are to look deeper at where we are going as a church. On Sunday 5 September following the 9.30am service, further discussion took place and lead into our ‘Rendezvous 2 Lunch Party’.
Commencing on Wednesday 8 September we are having a series of discussions entitles ‘Just 10’ produced by J John. This will involve the showing of a
On Sunday 12 September there will be an evening commissioning service for David Sarbutts who has been appointed pastoral worker in the Carterton/Davenport Road section. Members of Carterton Methodist Church and our morning congregation are cordially invited to attend.
At the time of writing the spotlight is on our youngsters who have received their GCSE results. Jenny Postlethwaite has been delighted to learn that she has obtained 2 A stars, 5 As and 4 Bs with distinction in IT; Maria Huckin has obtained 2 A stars and 3 As which has given her great satisfaction. They and Sheila Masawi are to continue their A level studies. Two of our other younger members, Hannah Bailey and Lizzy Britton are looking forward to starting university in the next few weeks. Hannah will be studying sports science at Anglia Ruskin College, Cambridge and Lizzy is doing graphic communication at Loughborough University. We pray that God will be with them all in this important stage in their life’s journey. Alan Clack
Graham Carvey was taken ill on 8 July, this resulted in him having a triple by-pass operation. All went well and Graham is making a good recovery. Connie Shearwood had a stroke but is now progressing slowly. Mary Witt is recovering from a fall which left her badly bruised and shaken. Geoff Hamilton is still far from well. We remember them all and pray that their health will improve and that they will know the love of God surrounding them.
We continue to remember in our prayers: Marie-France Bishop, Wendy Dixey, Ray Brooks, Nina Huckin, Norman Britton, Linda Souch, Frances Witt, Aubrey Cummings, John Williams, Eileen and Peter Walker, June and Ken Pratley, Peter and Debbie O'Loughlin, Tony Clark, Alan Clack and baby Lexi. We also remember Joan Beale, in her own home; Ruth Ealey in Freeland Nursing Home; Ron Wilson in the Homestead, Carterton and Doris Radburn in Rosebank, Bampton. May they all feel the presence, love and peace of God surrounding them and holding them close. Dorothy Brooks
High Street Our church was full for the Circuit Service on 25 July to say farewell to Asif and Rohama Karam and their three daughters as they leave this circuit and move to new appointments in a circuit in South East London. We pray that they will be warmly welcomed, quickly establish themselves in their churches and have a well-received, rewarding and fulfilling ministry there. There was another lively but meaningful Junior Church service at the end of June followed by a picnic and games on the Leys in sunshine. Thanks to all those who took part. On Sunday 22 August we were pleased to welcome Richard back from his month’s holiday/mini-sabbatical.
Congratulations to our young people on their A level results. Megan Maisey will be going to York University to study history, Mim Donoghue to Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to study stage management and Sam Donoghue to Brunel to study politics. We pray that they settle in quickly, make new friends and find a supportive and caring church fellowship. We also congratulate our young people who have their GCSE and AS results and pray that they are able to continue with the A levels that they want to do and need for their future careers. Congratulations to Duncan James who has graduated in engineering and is now working for Costains the large construction company, also Olivia Lucey who has graduated in medicine and is working at Lewisham Hospital. Congratulations also to Charlotte Lock on a special award she has received for innovation from the British Olympic Foundation. Well done to all.
Congratulations to Mary Lucey on becoming a grandmother for the first time. Rachel and Oliver now have a son, Sebastian, born in Scotland where Rachel and Oliver live. Maria Howard is also due our congratulations as she is now a grandmother too. A daughter, Julia Maria, was born to her son Michael and Paulina in Bristol where they live and work.
We were sorry to learn of the death of Irene Child who had been living in The Homestead MHA in Carterton for a couple of years and remember her daughter and family in our prayers. We remember Jenny Lines and her family on the death of her mother, Joan Cooper, who died in Newland House after a long illness. We have fond memories of Irene and Joan, two delightful ladies who attended worship regularly until they were too frail. A well-attended thanksgiving service took place in our church for Ernie Souch well-known for his work with the Boys’ Brigade and other youth groups especially gymnastics and the Old Boys’ Association. Ernie worked for some years as a photographer with British Leyland.
We pray for Bob Bird, suffering with cancer of the lungs and Tony Hutchins suffering with pulmonary fibrosis. We also remember in our prayers Liz Bird and Grace Hutchins as they care for Bob and Tony at home.
We continue to remember in our prayers Sharon Cockwell, Maisie Slade, Debbie Cotton, Joy Taylor and Graeme Scott with their various health difficulties and Carmen Sherwood who is experiencing severe back pain. We are thankful that Heather Price and Gertie Baston are making such good progress after hip surgery.
We also pray for our housebound friends: Winifred French and Kay Keates in the Cotswold Home, Bradwell Grove; Amy Mills in Madley Park House; Audrey Harris, Hayward Hodder and Beryl Kennedy in Newland House; Mollie Morrow in Rose Bank, Bampton; Mary Calcutt and Peter Wilson in Middletown Grange, and Christine Bourke and Pino Wickson in Mill House Nursing Home. We trust that they feel the warmth and love of our prayers and the comfort and peace of God with them always. Anne Crawford
Rev Ian Lunn – a Tribute
Ian Lunn was circuit superintendent and minister of both High Street and Davenport Road from 1987 until his retirement in 1992. When he started with us he had just stepped down from being Chairman of the Bristol District as he wished to return to circuit work for the last part of his active ministry; so for those five years Witney enjoyed the Methodist equivalent of what rarely happens in the Anglican church - a former bishop serving as a full-time parish rector! And it soon became clear just how fortunate we were in this, as Ian’s great gifts of spiritual leadership and pastoral care, combined with superb administrative abilities, became manifest to us. It was my own added privilege to have been one of his church stewards and to have experienced at first hand the way in which he worked. He was essentially a quiet man, but a thoughtful one and able to speak with great authority when necessary. He knew well how to nudge us gently in the right direction, both in his sermons, that were never platitudinous, and in his committee chairmanship - never forceful but always able to prevent rifts arising from differences of opinion and to facilitate consensus. For instance it was in his time that, after significant division of opinion within the Church Council, the church did eventually purchase ‘Songs of Fellowship’, with Ian’s support but not without his warning that ‘no less than 75 of the songs in it begin with the word ‘I’’! He was by nature self-effacing and therefore not an easy person to probe in the normal course of events, but in his last few months in Witney this changed for me! It was decided to mark his retirement - from the active ministry as well as from Witney - with a ‘Desert Island Discs’ for both him and his wife June, herself a former vice-President of Conference and still an active person at Connexional level. Alan Bailey and I were deputed, on behalf of Davenport Road and High Street respectively, to arrange the details. We spent two whole summer evenings with them at the Manse going over their past lives and seeking their choice of music (including some congregational hymns) that recalled important moments in their history. They were extremely patient with our questioning and both gave of themselves in a way that they would never have considered appropriate in the normal course of their ministry. With invaluable help from two others - secretarial from Jill Bailey and audio-technical from the late Jim Briggs - we eventually managed to distil the material into a couple of hours for presentation on the night. The church was packed and the assembled people were amazed at what they learnt about the two of them on that occasion!
It would not be appropriate, nor indeed possible, to attempt to summarize the contents of those interviews, but I particularly recall Ian telling us how, as a local preacher in Wiltshire (where he was a young lecturer in agricultural science preparing to candidate for the Methodist ministry) he had ’phoned with the hymn numbers the home of the organist of the small chapel where A few weeks after Ian and June had left Witney to return to live in Keynsham, which had been their home while he was Chairman in Bristol, they were kind enough to invite the High Street stewards and their spouses to dinner in their ‘new’ home, a very happy personal epilogue to Ian’s ministry in Witney. Tom Jones
I was junior circuit steward with Alan Bristow as senior, when we were seeking to appoint a superintendent minister for our circuit. I recall travelling to Keynsham with our wives to meet the Lunns and have dinner with them. It would seem to be quite a coup to have the Chairman of Bristol District, whose wife was Vice President of the Methodist Conference come to us as Superintendent in the Witney and Faringdon Circuit. At that time the Superintendent was based at Witney High Street. In Ian and June we found real treasures. Ian, the quiet methodical and dedicated minister whose preaching invariably left one wanting more and inspiring us in the quiet confidence of his love of Christ. June, in her preaching and in her artistic Christian greeting card ministry, was a bonus for us here. Ian was involved in the original planning of High Street Church premises renovation - indeed we believed that it was this challenge which influenced his decision to come to Witney. It was a matter of deepest regret to Ian, and to all of us, that circumstances did not allow him to see the scheme through to fruition during his time with us. Ian’s quiet calm and ability to see through problems, both spiritual and temporal, to their solution was a rare gift, from which High Street as a church and many of us as individuals, have reason to be deeply grateful. We last saw Ian in Hereford when we were staying with friends. We were in the main pedestrian shopping area when a motorised wheelchair zoomed past. ‘Ian’ I yelled and it was hard to tell who was more surprised. It was a joyous meeting. Ian was staying with his daughter, but still cherishing his independence. I am glad we met him there and glad to remember him as our minister and as a friend. Brian Drowley
Ian and June Lunn came to Witney at a crucial time for our circuit, and especially High Street. The previous superintendent minister, John Platts was taken from us by the Connexion to be Chair of The Darlington District after he had been with us for only two years and much of the excellent work he had started was in danger of being thwarted. After many years as Chair of the Bristol District Ian had all the experience and wisdom that was required to take on the circuit and High Street’s massive building Ian was a quiet, thoughtful, spiritual man and could create that special atmosphere when leading worship. Not only could he use poetry to enhance that atmosphere but sometimes he even produced his own poems. Another gift which we appreciated greatly was his rapport with children. In church he always came down to the front to see the children go out to the Junior Church classes, an action we appreciated greatly. He saw the Junior Church as an active part of his congregation and on deliberately planned occasions he left the adults in the hands of one of the local preachers and went into classes with them, not to lead or advise but just to take part alongside the children themselves. That rapport was also seen with individuals as well. The baptismal services he led illustrated his empathy with parents and babies. We also remember that our grandchildren treated him as they would us, with intimacy and affection, sometimes to our embarrassment but not his. We believe that God sent him to us at that crucial time and gave him that special grace which fixed him in our affections and also those special skills which are now part of High Street’s legacy. Joyce and Ken Mumford
Sower, Nurturer, Winnower Glory to you, New Covenant Maker, sower of seeds, for whom and through whom all things exist. We thank you for recreating us.
pointing to the possibilities of growth. We thank you for being with us. Glory to you, Harvesting Spirit, winnower of husk and chaff, blowing through our hopes for today. We thank you for renewing us.
Glory to you, Holy Three, wholly one, dancing together like thistledown on the wind. We dance with you and celebrate your gift of life. Unattributed
HighStreet Methodist Church, Witney
21 September – 30 November
Course starts Tuesday 21 September at 6.30pm with a meal. It will run every Tuesday until 30 November.
Course leaflets and more information available in the Coffee Bar at High Street Methodist Church
Volunteers needed for:
All Welcome!
News from Kosova
In July, I went out to Kosova for a week as part of a summer mission team with the Girls’ Brigade in partnership with Smile International. I had an amazing week with an amazing team who I made great friends with. I spent the first four days helping to run a holiday club at a church in a Romany gypsy village. The church was just one room, about half the size of our hall at Davenport Road and we had around fifty children crammed into it each day in 40 degree heat! Dealing with the heat and the other conditions was our first major challenge as was the language barrier, especially as I was in charge of outdoor games. However, we had a great team of translators and gradually we managed to connect with the kids and had a lot of fun together. The most important part was that most of those children came from Muslim families so to be able to share the love of God with them was a real blessing. I also spent time with some of the churches and the Girls’ Brigade companies in the town of Gjakove where I stayed. It is amazing to see the passion that the Christians have for their faith in Kosova! As a Muslim country, being a Christian is so important to them, especially as they can get into a lot of trouble because of it and so it was great to see them so enthusiastic in their worship. We could learn a lot from them! The trip was very humbling at times, particularly when we visited a widow who had lost her husband and four sons in the war and is struggling to move on eleven years later. I also had the chance to visit some of the war graves with one of the Smile team directors who had survived the war. He told us of some of the horrors that he had been through during that time. It really brought home how much the country had suffered, and the real reason for us being out there. I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to be just a small part of what Smile International is doing in such a beautiful country and I really hope to be able to go back next year! Lizzy Britton
Meeting for Prayer at High Street
Every Thursday 9.30-10.15am Drop in to this quiet oasis of calm in a busy week or when you are shopping or visiting the market stalls.
Third Thursday Holy Communion 10.30 to 11am Come and join in this short act of worship with Holy Communion. This is an opportunity to set aside some time mid-week to join in hymns, prayers and a short ‘Thought for the Day’ by Richard.
By the Windrush Flower Arrangement Club
‘Witney Life’
To be held in the MethodistChurch, High Street, Witney
25-27 September
To raise funds for a new Centre for Children and Young People
The Old School Building Appeal: New Life for a Building New Lives for the Community
Exhibition times Saturday 25 September 9.30am-5pm Sunday 26 September 12.30-4pm Monday 27 September 9.30am-4pm Stalls: plants, cakes and preserves.
Admission Free Programme £1.00
Getting away from it all? Is this the reason we go on holiday? To get away from it all? The trouble is, that it is all still there when we get back home! Sometimes the main feeling people have at the end of their holiday is a sense of depression about taking up the daily grind of everyday responsibilities again. Clearly there is something wrong here. We should return ‘like giants refreshed’ with new zest and enthusiasm for our daily duties. It all depends upon our attitude and expectations of holidays. Are we merely indulging in escapism and pretending that the fundamental things in our lives are not really there or are we in a positive way seeking recreation. The Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, said, ‘we are converted many times…This endless series of large and small conversions, minor revolutions, leads finally to our transformation in Christ.’ Holidays can be occasions when some of these small conversions take place. We have opportunities to observe both manufactured and natural beauty. We see and experience patterns of life different from our own. All this gives us a larger vision of the diversity and magnitude of God’s creation. We can spend time reflecting upon our life at home, work and at church. Without suggesting that we should all set out to have ‘educational’ or ‘improving’ holidays, we should welcome these opportunities as an important part of our recreation. Similar principles are at work when we go to church worship. Do we go to get away from ordinary life for an hour? If we approach it properly, it is a time when we step aside for a time in order to get a true perspective upon our life and work, to receive God’s guidance about it and offer it to Him. Both holidays and church-going can be mere escapism. Rightly approached, they are important aids to daily Christian living and renewal. From an old church newsheet
The Valley Gate
One of the ancient ways into Jerusalem was through the valley gate. At some point in our lives we will all have at least one ‘valley experience’, when things are hard, when difficulties seem insurmountable, when we’re sad, ill, worried, consumed by doubt or mourning someone we love. Nobody leaps from peak to peak throughout life and spends all the time on the mountain top, even if they seem as if they do! Sometimes all that we can do is just continue to walk on and go through the motions. But there is help promised to each of us: ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’ And as we walk through that valley… ‘The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.’ From a church magazine – adapted by RL
The Old School Building Project
Fundraising Events September – November
Saturday 25 to Monday 27 September ‘Witney Life’ - Flower Exhibitionby the Windrush Flower Arrangement Club Saturday 25: 9am-5pm with stalls of plants, cakes and preserves. Sunday 26: 12:30-4pm Monday 27: 9am-4pm. The coffee bar will be open throughout.
Saturday 2 October 7pm Supper Quiz Teams of up to six people. Supper to include ploughman’s, dessert and tea or coffee. Tickets: £7:50 available from Anne and Keith Crawford
Saturday 16 October 7:30pm Simeon Wood Evening We are pleased to welcome back Simeon Wood who gave a very popular concert three years ago. Simeon will perform on a variety of wind instruments. Ticket prices available closer to the event.
Saturday 27 November 7:30—9pm Tales of Oxfordshire and Christmas Fionnaghal will be our storyteller for the evening, first telling stories from around Oxfordshire and then kick starting Advent with stories of Christmas. The evening is aimed at an adult audience but is suitable for children aged 9+. Refreshments will be served in the interval. Tickets: £5, children 9+ £3
All events take place at High Street Methodist Church, Witney
Thanks to your support, the following sums have been raised:
Plant Sale £448 Sponsored Walk £498 Jonathon Vierra £817 Coalville Male Voice Choir £909 Music and Musings £200 Auction Evenings £397 Another Brick in the Wall £500 Short Story competition £30 Cryptic Quiz £172 Open Gardens £254 Sponsored Swim approx £500 Treasure Hunt £110 Cream Teas £178
Yes! Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!
We want to celebrate ‘Witney Life’ in a very special way
So many things still happen…
and will continue to happen in Witney
Many of these will be portrayed in flower arrangements prepared by members of the Windrush Flower Arrangement Club and displayed in the church.
This will be an event to which YOU will want to come and bring your family and friends to enjoy the church alive with flowers.
Then tell other friends and neighbours so that they can visit too.
The Word is the Seed In nature the seed has the germ of life within it, the power of germination. The thin blade pierces the earth and becomes a plant, a bush, a tree. So within the human spirit…you sow a word which will lie hidden and then burst into life, bearing fruit in maturity, character and action. The order of growth in the harvest of the spirit, is the same as in nature; thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold. All I have to do is to hold it in the dark of my spirit, in inner warmth; your word, like a seed, does the rest. My spirit must lie open to your Spirit, like the earth to the seasons of the year to yield a harvest of joy, peace and love, for ourselves and others. At the right moment the word will germinate, push down its roots, push up its leaves, its flowers and its fruit and become the full expression of the seed you gave, O divine Sower. Anon
People prone to exaggeration often say, ‘I would trust her with my life.’ This is meaningless, in the same way as saying, ‘I bet you a million pounds.’ Saying, ‘I would trust him not to lick my ice cream while I’m in the post office’, has meaning. That’s why a good way of seeing whether you can trust people with big things, is to see whether they’re trustworthy with the little things! Seen somewhere, but can’t remember where! RL
Harvest Thanksgiving Glory and honour are yours by right, Lord our God, for you created all things, and by your will they exist.
We praise you, mighty creator, whose glory is reflected in what you have made. How perfect you are in power, in majesty, in wisdom! How marvellous, how beautiful, how good is your creation!
Mighty creator, most merciful God, we worship and adore you, for you are our creator, to whom we owe every breath, and you have set us in a world of beauty.
We confess with shame, that too often we have been unfaithful creatures, unworthy stewards of creation.
our complacency and our pride. Pardon our selfishness, our abuse and misuse of your bounty.
Grant that, with thankful hearts, we may use your gifts wisely, and share our plenty with others.
We thank God for the splendour and beauty of creation, for the love that made the world, for the good and fertile earth, for the fruits of the earth, for the life that sustains our life.
We thank God for those whose labour supplies our physical needs; For those who harvest the earth and the sea, for those who transport the yield, for those who process it and those who sell it.
We thank God for his greatest gift:
We thank God for his Holy Spirit: The Lord and the giver of life; for the Church, which is God’s new creation, for the privilege which is ours of being part of it.
We give thanks to the Lord for he is good, And his goodness and mercy, love and power endure for ever. Adapted by RL
Returned Home Some people will remember the young Doreen Meredith, also known as Derry. Her mother was the eldest daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth Buckingham, who, a century ago, lived at Chasewoods Farm near Hailey and were stalwart Methodists. Years later Mrs Buckingham and daughters Maud, Mary, Florence, Ethel and Dorothy lived in West End, Witney and were involved at High Street. By the age of 13, Doreen had lost both her parents so she came to live with her grandma and aunts in Witney in 1932. On the boat returning from a trip to South Africa Doreen met a young man called Jock Leslie. He worked with his father who had a large farming estate in what was then Nyasaland, now called Malawi. Three months later in 1951 Doreen and Jock were married in Hailey Methodist chapel. Her grandmother had laid the foundation stone so it was a special place for the Buckingham family. They then left Witney to live in Nyasaland. Despite the great distance and communication difficulties Doreen and her family and friends in Witney kept closely in touch. Doreen came here to have her second child, Zanna. When Doreen and Jock retired from farming in 1998 and moved into a retirement settlement for expats they took her piano with them. She regularly played Scottish songs and hymns on this in the communal area. On my last visit to Malawi one of the first things I saw was Doreen’s ancient (1933 edition) and well-worn Methodist hymn book on the table by her armchair. After Doreen’s death in 2005 Zanna found in her mother’s bible a poem entitled ‘My Creed’. This was read at her mother’s funeral. Recently, looking in Mary Buckingham’s hymn book dated 1935, I found the same poem. Margaret Brown tells me that it was a Guiding hymn sung to Londonderry Air. Both Doreen and her Aunt Mary lived by these words:
I would be true, for there are those who trust me. I would be pure, for there are those who care. I would be strong, for there is much to suffer. I would be brave, for there is much to dare. I would be friend of all – the foe – the friendless. I would be giving and forget the gift. I would be humble, for I know my weakness. I would look up – and laugh and love – and live. MA Walter
Doreen asked for her ashes to be brought back to Witney. Her husband made the same request before he died last September. Recently their granddaughter brought the ashes to England. Zanna and her husband are travelling from South Africa to Witney and the ashes will be buried on 17 September alongside nine other members of the Buckingham family in Hailey village churchyard. The churchyard is only about 100 yards from what was the Methodist chapel, now a house. The journey will be completed. If anyone would like to share memories of Doreen with Zanna in September please contact me. Gillian Haley
Harvest Festival is one of the oldest known festivals still celebrated. The word harvest is from an Anglo-Saxon word ‘haerfest’ meaning autumn. It then came to refer to the season for reaping and gathering grain and other grown products. The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox came to be called the Harvest Moon. So in ancient traditions Harvest Festivals were traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon, the full moon which falls in the month of September. The celebration of harvest in Britain dates back to pre-Christian times when the success of the crop governed the lives of the people. Saxon farmers offered the first cut sheaf of corn to one of their gods of fertility, in order to safeguard a good harvest the following year. The last sheaf was thought to contain the Spirit of the Corn, and its cutting was usually accompanied by the ritual sacrifice of an animal - often a hare caught hiding in the corn. Later, a model hare made from straw was used to represent the continuity of the Spirit. This practice eventually led to the making of plaited corn dollies, symbolising the goddess of the grain. These were hung from the rafters in farmhouses until the next year. When the harvest was in, a celebratory supper was held in which the whole community took part. These traditions continued after Christianity arrived in Britain, sometimes in a slightly different form. There were ceremonies and rituals at the beginning as well as the end of the harvest and church bells were rung on every day of the harvest. A corn dolly was made from the last sheaf of corn harvested - a figure made of plaited straw, which was held aloft and carried with great ceremony to the celebrations - and it often had a place of honour at the banquet table, and was kept until the following spring. The horse bringing the last cartload was decorated with garlands of flowers and colourful ribbons. A magnificent harvest feast was held at the farmer's house and games played to celebrate the end of the harvest. The modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at his church at Morewenstow in Cornwall. Victorian hymns such as ‘We plough the fields and scatter’, ‘Come ye thankful people, come’ and ‘All things bright and beautiful’ helped popularise his idea of harvest festival and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with flowers and produce for the Harvest Festival service. The tradition continues today in most churches in some form with gifts being brought for distribution to people in the community. The festival often has an ecological aspect to it with thankfulness for the harvest of the earth and the seas mingling with penance for our misuse of the world’s resources. RL – various sources
I can never understand why the Methodist Church makes so little of the Harvest Festival. Thankfully we do reasonably celebrate the harvest in this Circuit but in many a town church it is reduced to a few tins of processed foods destined for a charity box, some green apples and a few flower arrangements. Truly the Harvest goes on all the year round, for the cows are milked, eggs collected, vegetables gathered, animals sold for meat, fish are caught every day. The grain harvest comes in the Autumn and as the year closes down it is the time for the Harvest Festival. Alongside of this there is the never ending procession of beauty and colour from flowers and fruit that continue all through the year. Live in any sizeable town and sadly you hardly notice all this happening. The Church needs that special time to pause and wonder at the miracle of the Harvest and give God the glory and praise and above all to be thankful. But the harvest does not just happen; it is a working together of man with God in an ever increasingly complex world. Man now has frightening power to develop or destroy. Only through Christ can we begin to see the way we should behave towards each other and see how Harvest is sufficient for all. How thankful people are who have virtually nothing! It is amazing. How much more thankful are people who are given hope! I believe in Fairtrade because it gives people hope. Hope dies when you work every hour God gives you and you still end up with not enough food for your children, or clothes, or schooling and no medical care. In the world of producers there is a source of hope. Help it to grow. The Winward Isles in the West Indies really have only one export, bananas. Cruel EU and World Trade Organisation rules pressed into action by greedy nations and traders caused the banana farmers in the islands of Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent to drop from 27,000 to 4,000 between 2000 and 2008 and there followed widespread poverty and unemployment. Of the 4,000 remaining farmers 3,400 are members of 48 Fairtrade groups in Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent. Hope and dignity has been given by Fairtrade to many people around the world, growers of apples, citrus fruits, coffee, cocoa, grapes, mangoes, pineapples, rice, sugar, vegetables, cotton, tea, sugar, nuts, and beauty products. Give God thanks for the harvest and remember those who make it possible. Thankfulness is a gift of God and it makes us human. Let us share it. ElginCrewe
Holidaying in Jersey? Bed and Breakfast in a Christian home in Jersey. Call Sally and David on 01534613925 or 07797783884. We met David when we went to the Methodist Church when were on holiday in Jersey. Dorothy Brooks
District News Northampton District Methodist Youth Assembly The Methodist Youth Assembly is designed to enable the Methodist Church to hear from young people, and for young people to hear from each other, have fun, find support, learn and make a contribution. One 2009 assembly delegate said: ‘Youth Assembly is a truly inspirational event that left me feeling spiritually refreshed, and enthused to include God in every part of my life.’ This year's youth assembly is in Swindon, Friday evening 19 November until Sunday afternoon 21 November. All young people are invited to attend. Details available at: http://methodistyouthassembly.eventbrite.com
Methodist Conference The Methodist Conference met in July, in Portsmouth, and dealt with a wide variety of business, including the inauguration of the Rev Alison Tomlin, former chair of our district, as President of Conference. Details of the Conference, including videos of Alison’s presidential address and all the debates are at www.methodistconference.org.uk
Healthy Circuits The ‘Healthy Circuits’ process is now picking up pace across the district. Healthy Circuits is a method of enabling circuits assess their health, according to a series of criteria the district has put together. Details of the criteria for assessment can be found at: www.methodistdistrict23.org.uk
District Executive– Ruth Bemrose, secretary to the executive. The Methodist Church’s connexional (national) team members are suffering from an overload of work. This is affecting the quality of what they produce, and leaves little time for visionary thinking. It was suggested that connexional officers could consult more widely, and make better use of the expertise in districts and local circuits. Strategies developed in this way would relate better to people in local situations. The Methodist Conference is the church’s highest governing body, and meets annually. Our district’s autumn synod will encourage circuits to discuss some of the issues due to come to the 2011 Conference to formulate views and feed them into the district and connexion. There was discussion about the proposal to seek a new communities development officer for the Oxford diocese, whom the diocese and the district would support financially. A decision has yet to be reached. The district is on track to complete the Mapping a Way Forward – Healthy Circuits process so that a report can go to our 2011 spring synod. The Leicester city centre missioner district project will cease when Deacon Andrew Carter moves on this summer. It is hoped that the local circuits involved in this project will take on some aspects of the work Andrew began. It was encouraging for the executive to be able to recommend to synod the appointment of several volunteers to district posts. The Newburys
CURRENTAFFAIRSCELEBRITIESGENERALKNOWLEDGEGEOGRAPHYHISTORYPOLITICSSCIENCE WITNEYHIGH STREET METHODIST CHURCH Registered charity No 1129034
Bring your friends as a team of up to 6 people for a
7pmSaturday 2nd October
Tickets in advance £7.50 including ploughman’s supper with pudding, coffee or tea from Keith and Anne Crawford
in aid of the OldSchool BuildingFund
Fun - food - competition - intellectual challenge - stir up your brain cells CURRENTAFFAIRSCELEBRITIESGENERALKNOWLEDGEGEOGRAPHYHISTORYPOLITICSSCIENCE
Reworking of familiar words…
Our Father in heaven, remind us constantly that you are parent to all your children, whoever and wherever they are or come from, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, establishing peace and justice, hope and life for all peoples, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, disturb us into an awareness of the needs of others. Forgive our sins, our pride and also our prejudice As we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation especially keep our hearts and minds open to see the good in others. Deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, just and true, the power, gentle and fair, and the glory, shot through with the colours of love are yours, for ever and ever. Methodist Conference 1994
Affirmation of Faith
We believe in one God Who created all the world, Who will unite all things in Christ and who wants all people to live together in one family.
We believe in God the Son who became human, died and rose in triumph to reconcile all the world to God, to break down every separating barrier of race, culture or class, and to unite all people into one body. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only Lord over every area of human life, who summons everyone, both individual and society, in Church and State, to seek reconciliation and unity between all and justice and freedom for all.
We believe in God the Spirit, the pledge of God’s coming reign, who gives the Church power to proclaim the good news to all the world, to love and serve all people, to strive for justice and peace: to warn that God judges both the individual and the nations; and to summon all the world to accept God’s reign, here and now.
From ‘Declaration of Faith’, Presbyterian Church of South Africa, 1981
home …
A Quiet Weekend
Retreat at
Douai Abbey, near Reading, 21 - 23 January 2011
Organised by Rev’ds Phil Hoar & Brenda Woods and Becky Fisher for the Methodist Retreat and Spirituality Network
A quiet weekend
Is that what you need?
Time to be – away from the pressures of work or family or church!
Time for you,
and time for you to be with God
There will be led sessions exploring the story of the man with two lost sons and plenty of space for your own praying and thinking and being.
Douai Abbey is set in its own grounds with easy access to beautiful and peaceful countryside
Cost: £125
Reduced rates are available for anyone who would have difficulty paying this, please ask. MRSN offers an EARLY BIRD discount of £10 to anyone booking by 15 October.
For more information about being on retreat at Douai, why not chat with Brenda Woods, Anne Crawford, Dawn Haley or Ruth Neville or pick up a leaflet from your church.
NewlandChurch
Speakers for September and October
Thursdays weekly Sundays monthly
Thursday 7.30pm Dave Richardson 2 September ‘King David’
Thursday 7.30pm Graham Faulkner 9 September Local Preacher from Davenport Road
Thursday 7.30pm Reverend Richard Donoghue 16 September
Saturday from 10am Open House at Newland 18 September Join us for coffee, tea, cake and chat
Thursday 7.30pm Father Adrian Gabb-Jones 23 September St Kenelm’s, Minster Lovell
Sunday 3pm Keith Crawford 26 September Sunday Worship
Thursday 7.30pm Steve Holborough 30 September ‘Some more of his Poems’
Thursday 7.30pm Ruth Lapworth 7 October
Thursday 7.30pm Ross Adkins 14 Oct
Saturday from 10am Open House at Newland 16 October Join us for coffee, tea, cake and chat
Thursday 7.30pm Reverend Richard Donoghue 21 October
Sunday 3pm Martin Bucknall 24 October Sunday Worship
Thursday 7.30pm Andrew Maisey 28 October Ten Commandments: relevant for today?
Anyone is welcome to join us any Thursday at our small chapel, at the east end of Witney on the road out to Oxford opposite Newland War Memorial. We are under the auspices of High Street and are a group of about 30 from different churches in the area.
Dates for your Diary September Every Wednesday from 8 September - 6 October 7.15pm at Davenport Road Just 10 studies on the Ten Commandments
Sunday 12 6pm at Davenport Road. Commissioning Service for David Sarbutts as circuit pastoral worker. With Communion Tuesday 14 7.30pm at Faringdon. Circuit Meeting Saturday 18 from 10am at Newland. Open House coffee, tea, cake & chat Sunday 19 10.30am at High Street. Harvest Festival
Saturday 25 – Monday 27 at High Street. ‘Witney Life’ a flower exhibition
Every Tuesdayfrom 21 September - 30 November from 6.30pm at High Street. Alpha course
We’day 22 7.30pm at High Street. Church Council Sunday 26 3pm at Newland. Sunday Worship with Keith Crawford October Saturday 2 7pm at High Street. Supper Quiz At Davenport Road. Harvest Supper Sunday 3 8.30am at High Street. Communion 9.30am at Davenport Road. Family worship for Harvest 6pm at Davenport Road. Worship for Harvest Thursday 7 7.30pm at Charlbury. Local Preachers’ Meeting Saturday 16 from 10am at Newland. Open House coffee, tea, cake & chat 7:30pm. Simeon Wood Evening. Tickets on sale soon Sunday 24 3pm at Newland. Sunday Worship with Martin Bucknall Tuesday 28 7.30pm at Davenport Road. Church Council Sunday 31 6pm at Davenport Road. Circuit Service November Sunday 7 8.30am at High Street. Communion 9.30am at Davenport Road. Family and parade service ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copy date for November/December issue Sunday 24 October – ruthlapworth@hotmail.com
A story is told of John Ruskin, the famous art critic and artist. One day a friend of his showed him a handkerchief made of very fine material. A blot of indelible ink had stained it and apparently ruined it beyond repair. Ruskin asked if he might have it. His friend agreed but couldn’t understand why he should want it. Some days later Ruskin brought the handkerchief back and on it, beginning from the blot and making it the centre of the whole design, he had drawn the most intricate and beautiful pattern. The handkerchief became the woman’s most treasured possession and attracted great admiration from all who saw it. God has a way of taking the most unlikely things, even us, whoever we are, and making something beautiful out of them; but we must be willing to hand them over to his control. From a church magazine
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Fairtrade - Autumn Time
Coming