Stories, Devotions,
Poems, Prayers,
& Pictures from
Woolwich Parish Newsletters
Advent One 2002
― Advent One 2003
Every
week we produce a newsletter to distribute amongst the congregation and anyone who
is interested in our activities. Each newsletter contains: items for prayer, an
article related to the theme for the week, details of the worship, news,
notices, pictures, and the gospel reading for each Sunday. If you would like to
receive a copy of the newsletter each week please contact either the Rector or
the Parish Administrator (see the ‘How to Contact Us’ page for contact
details).
In this section of our website we have
included some of the articles,
prayers, poems, and readings from our newsletters over the past year. [For
copyright reasons other articles could not be published here.] Each article is
a reflection in some way on the time of the Christian year in which it was
written and on the life of our parish.
All items were edited by the Rector, the Revd Jesse van der Valk, unless
otherwise stated. We hope that the articles give you food for thought and
prayer and that you enjoy reading them.
Please click on the links in the contents
list below to go to the article of your choice.
CONTENTS
v Grahame’s Story [Advent One 2002]
v It’s Christmas ― Again! [Advent Two 2002]
v Mother’s Song [Advent Four 2002]
v Psalm 148 [Christmas One 2002]
v Give Peace A Chance [Epiphany 2003]
v A Song Offering [Baptism of Christ 2003]
v The Rector’s Baptism [Baptism of Christ 2003]
v Why the Fish became a Christian
Symbol [Epiphany Two 2003]
v A Japanese Version of Psalm 23 [Epiphany
Three 2003]
v A Prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
[Epiphany Three 2003]
v Astronomy and Astrology [Second before Lent
2003]
v Love the Animals [First in Lent 2003]
v When you are Ill [First in Lent 2003]
v Our True Mother Jesus [Fourth in Lent 2003]
v Statement by the Arcbishops [Passion
Sunday 2003]
v Trevor Huddleston 1913-98 [Second in Easter 2003]
v The Merry Month of May [Fifth in Easter 2003]
v Wind, Wind, Blow on Me [The Day of Pentecost 2003]
v Father’s Day [Trinity Sunday 2003]
v The Apostle Paul [Second after Trinity 2003]
v My Ordination [Third after Trinity 2003]
v Sea Sunday [John the Baptist 2003]
v Mary’s Song of Praise [Birth of the Blessed Virgin
Mary 2003]
v David Livingstone 1813-73 [Holy Cross Day 2003]
v Thanks from Grahame [Seventeenth after Trinity
2003]
v Blessed are the Merciful [Bible Sunday 2003]
v On the seashore of endless worlds
[All Saints and All Souls 2003]
v The Day Death Died [Remembrance Sunday 2003]
v Hope? ― Malcolm Boyd [Advent One 2003]
• Grahame’s Story [Advent One 2002]
Grahame Stephens was born in the Hospital for Mothers
and Babies, Woolwich, in 1933. He was baptised on Christmas Eve at St Michael
and All Angels Church a few weeks later. The Rector had just returned from the
Grahame grew up with his Mum and Dad, brother Malcolm, and sister Janet.
He looks back on these days with great affection. He first attended St
Michael’s School; and later won a scholarship to Shooter’s
Grahame started his working life as a trainee manager with Marks and
Spencer, with whom he spent three years, before moving to Peek Freens. The next
thirty-one years were spent with this company, in a variety of positions. He
was an active member of the P. F. Sports Club, and enjoyed football, cricket,
tennis and running. Grahame completed thirteen full marathons, including eight
Grahame and Sheila were married in 1963. And hope to celebrate their
Ruby anniversary next May. They have three children: Alisdair, Marcia, and Heather.
Heather recently gave birth to their first grandchild, a wonderful baby boy
called Jamie. One of the greatest moments in Grahame and Sheila’s life was
meeting Mother Teresa in 1990.
In
1999, Grahame started to train for the ordained ministry, and was finally
ordained deacon last September, on St Michael’s day! He is now working in a
voluntary capacity as the Assistant Curate in the parish.
Grahame is very grateful for the support he has received from Sheila and
his friends in the parish; and would value your continued support and prayer.
• It’s Christmas ― Again! [Advent Two 2002]
For to us a child is born
Unto us a son is given
I can’t wait to open my presents!
Oh no, not again!
I’ll be glad when it’s over
Which relatives shall we go and see this year?
How are we going to afford it?
I might go to Midnight Mass
It’s bad luck for the
Perhaps I should become a vegetarian
I’m C of E (I always go to church at Christmas
and Easter)
It’ll be lonely this Christmas
For some people anyway
Peace on Earth and good will amongst men!
Perhaps we should have the war in the New Year
The weather will be better for it then
I love to sing carols by candlelight
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
The Rector said we’d better not have candles
though
Because of the Fire Fighter’s strike
So, are we going to have a Christingle Service?
I really miss you at this time of year
My soul doth magnify the Lord
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
Are you coming to watch me in the school play?
I hope so!
Christmas Sacred - Christ Massacred
See you at the Xmas party
Santa will be coming!
I hope to kiss her under the mistletoe
Please give to the Disasters Emergency Appeal
Millions might starve
I think we should wait for the New Year Sales
Anyway
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
What are you getting for Christmas?
By J. v. d. Valk
• Mother’s Song [Advent Four 2002]
I give you the Earth
My child, gift of love;
Its contoured face carved
By time and the weather’s knife;
Its patchwork of forests
Sewn with the threads of rivers
Its oceans
Of salted life
I give you the rhythms
Of time and tide, and voices,
The drumroll of rainfall
When the ground’s tight skin is dry;
I give you a choir
Of leaves, to sing the wind to you,
A palette of sunlight
To paint a canvas of sky
I give you your place
On this planet of wonder
God’s polished crown jewel
Set spinning in a starlight dome;
I give you the garden
His artistry has landscaped
To be your playground and classroom,
Your palace, your home
For joy
I give you laughter
For peace
I give you sleep
For fear and failure
My embrace
To call upon;
I give you the Earth
My child
Gift of love
And I give you my prayer
That you live
To pass it on
By
Gerald Kelly of Tear Fund
• Psalm 148 [Christmas One 2002]
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels; *
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon; *
praise him, all you stars of light.
Praise him, heaven of heavens, *
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord;*
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them fast for ever and ever; *
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, *
you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and mist, *
tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word;
Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and birds on the wing;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and women,
old and young together; *
let them praise the name of the Lord.
For his name only is exalted, *
his splendour above earth and heaven.
He has raised up the horn of his people
and praise for all his faithful servants, *
the children of
• Give Peace A Chance [Epiphany 2003]
These are the words of the Lord God, the Holy One
of Israel ‘Come back, keep peace, and you will be safe.’ Isaiah
38:15
You have heard that it was said ‘You shall love
your neighbour and hate your enemy’, but I say to you ‘Love your enemies, and
pray for those that persecute you’.
Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be
called sons of God.
Jesus - Matthew 5:
43, 9
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him drink.… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.
Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time;
hatred ceases by love – this is an old rule.
The Buddha
There is no limit to extending our services to
our neighbours across State-made frontiers. God never made those frontiers.
My goal is friendship with the whole world, and
I can combine the greatest love with the greatest opposition to wrong.
Mahatma Gandhi
The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly
that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows. One day we must come
to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we must seek, but a means
by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful
means. How much longer must we play at deadly war games before we heed the
plaintive pleas of the unnumbered dead and maimed of past wars?
Now let me say that the next thing we must be
concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is
the non-violent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life. Every man is
somebody because he is a child of God.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Everyone must fight for peace.
Nelson Mandela
• A Song Offering [Baptism of Christ 2003]
This
is my prayer to thee, my lord – strike, strike at the root of penury in my
heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give
me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent
might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And
give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.
From Gitajali [Song Offerings]
By Rabindranath Tagore, 1912
• The Rector’s Baptism [Baptism of Christ 2003]
The Rector’s baptism in a lake in The congregations from St Andrew’s and St
Swithun’s Churches,
• Why the Fish became a Christian Symbol
[Epiphany Two
2003]
Many people in New Testament times spoke and
wrote in Greek. The N.T. is written in Greek. The ancient Greek word for fish
was ιχθγε (pronounced
icthus). These letters also stand for the first letters in the Greek words for:
‘Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour’. In addition, Jesus first disciples were
fishermen. Hence, early Christians used the fish as a secret symbol of their
faith.
•
Bethsaida was a small fishing town, situated on the shore
of the Sea of Galilee, just below the
• A Japanese Version of Psalm 23 [Epiphany Three 2003]
The Lord is my pace setter…I shall not rush
He makes me stop for quiet intervals
He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity
He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his
guidance is peace
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will
not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by
anointing my mind with his oils of tranquillity
My cup of joyous energy overflows
Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I
shall walk in the Pace of my Lord and dwell in his house for ever.
From a Collection by Mother Teresa
• A Prayer of Mother Teresa of
[Epiphany
Three 2003]
Lord, open our ears,
That we may hear the cries of the hungry, the
cold, the frightened, the oppressed.
Lord, open our hearts
That we may love each other as you love us.
Renew in us your spirit
Lord, free us and make us one.
• Astronomy and Astrology [Second before Lent 2003]
“ Astronomy is the oldest of the sciences and has contributed to the
progress of many arts; it was well known to the ancients, and especially to the
Hebrews, who observed most diligently the course of the heavenly bodies, in
accordance with God’s command to Abraham: ‘Look now toward heaven and number
the stars’ ”.
“ No one will persuade me,
neither Paul nor an angel from heaven, nor even Melanchthon, to believe in the
predictions of astrology, which are mistaken so many times that nothing is more
unreliable. For if they prophecy correctly even two or three times, they make
known their prophecies; if they fail, they keep them secret.”
From: Table Talk ―
Conversations with Martin Luther
• Love the Animals [First in Lent 2003]
“This is the sign of the
covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you”
(Gen. 9)
Love all God’s creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love
every leaf, every ray of God’s light! Love the animals, love the plants, love
everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in all
things. And once you have perceived it, you will begin to comprehend it
ceaselessly, more and more every day. And you will at last come to love the
whole world with an abiding universal love. Love the animals: God has given
them the rudiments of thought and untroubled joy. Do not, therefore, trouble
it, do not torture them, do not deprive them of their joy, do not go against
God’s intent.
Fyodor
Mikhail Dostoevsky
• When You Are
Going down with a serious illness makes you
rethink your priorities in life.
Recently I came down with pneumonia
and had to spend a week in hospital. I had to be off work for several weeks and
it may take years to recover my strength fully. It makes you reassess things.
May be work is not so important as it seemed? Shouldn't I spend more time with
my children?
All in
all I have realised how important family and friends are at this difficult
time. But also how important faith is too. During the dark periods in hospital,
when the doctors did not seem to know what was wrong with me, I had to say a
little prayer to myself. One night, when I thought I was getting better and was
due to be discharged the following day, I suddenly came down with a heavy fever
and high temperature. There was no explanation, but a few quiet recitations of
the Lord's Prayer seemed to do the trick. Prayer works.
I would like to thank everyone for
signing my card wishing me well. It was very thoughtful. Special thanks also to
Jesse and David, who visited me at home shortly after I came out of hospital and
laid their hands on me. They prayed for me too and their calls appear to have
been heard. I am much better now and hope to be back to full strength in a
couple of weeks. See you all soon.
David (St Michaels’ Church)
• Our True Mother Jesus [Fourth in Lent 2003]
A mother’s caring
is the closest, nearest and surest for it is the truest. This care never might
nor could nor should be done fully except by him alone.
As we know, our own
mother bore us only into pain and dying. But our true mother Jesus, who is all
love, bears us into joy and endless living. Blessed may he be!
A mother feeds her
child with her milk, but our beloved mother Jesus feeds us with himself. In
tender courtesy he gives us the Blessed Sacrament, the most treasured food of
life.
I dare to say full
surely, and we should believe it, that there never was so fair a man as he,
until his brightness was clouded by trouble and sorrow, Passion and death.
As truly as God is
our father, so just as truly is he our mother.
In our father, God
Almighty, we have our being; in our merciful mother we are remade and restored.
It is I, the strength and
goodness of fatherhood. It is I, the wisdom of motherhood. It is I, the
Trinity, it is I, the unity. … It is I, who teach you to love.
From Julian of
• Statement by the Archbishops [Passion Sunday 2003]
The
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr
David Hope, issued the following joint statement on Thursday 20 March 2003:
“The road that has led us to military action with
• Trevor Huddleston 1913-98 [Second in Easter 2003]
Born in Bedford, the son of a future Commander of the Indian Navy, he
joined the Community of the Resurrection and was sent to
• The Merry Month of May [Fifth in Easter 2003]
This
is how children used to celebrate the Merry month of May
• Wind, Wind, Blow on Me [The Day of Pentecost 2003]
Wind,
wind, blow on me; wind, wind, set me free.
• Father’s Day [Trinity Sunday 2003]
Let
us pray for all fathers
and
their role in family and community life.