Newsletter, October 2009
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I feel quite sorry for October. It is a sort of in between month where nothing much happens – except of course if you are a child or work in a school – then you get half term! October isn’t quite summer and it isn’t near enough to Christmas to get excited. Even its name is indicative of an identity crisis. Since January and February were added to the calendar, it isn’t the eight month at all Of course, the trees can be beautiful as autumn really takes hold – but that too brings its own melancholy.

Nor is October allowed to slip quietly away into the great festival that is the beginning of November – and again it suffers an identity crisis! The great feast day of All Hallows – otherwise known as All Saints and celebrated in the Christian church since the fourth century - has been hijacked. Traditionally know as All Hallows Eve the end of October has become Hallowe’en and is now nothing but a ploy to get people to part with money for cards, fancy dress and the like and to give some children an excuse for behaving badly. I ‘googled’ Hallowe’en on my computer and was horrified at what I could access. One thing was a ‘free game’ It was called something like Hallowe’en Fun and the point of it was to ‘Protect your mansion from the attacking zombies then sell their dead bodies to earn money.’ Is that fun? On an even more serious note, it has become a time for cults of the devil and worship of evil. All this, sadly, is easily accessible on the internet.

Of course, this is a far cry from dressing up as witches or even skeletons, playing apple bobbing , and generally having fun with pumpkin lanterns and the like. I am less sanguine about the American ‘Trick or Treat’ custom. In the village where we know the children – and I hope none of them would carry out the trick threat - I suppose it may be seen as a bit of fun. Certainly I keep a supply of sweets handy and usually get called on. But I know some elderly residents find it threatening and I really just don’t see the point of wanting to frighten people. If you want to dress up, which is usually great fun, why not have a pumpkin procession through the village and allow those who want to show their appreciation to do so with treats that can be shared?

I wish we had an ‘open’ churchyard. I would keep Hallowe’en in the continental tradition where a short service in church gives thanks for the lives of those who have gone before and grave lights are lit on each grave to remember good lives well lived. Many countries in Europe keep All Saints as a public holiday and in France particularly, families start the day by visiting the cemetery with chrysanthemum plants to put on the graves of loved ones (don’t ever take a chrysanth as a gift to a supper hostess!) The town band usually parades through the street and everyone goes off for the customary ‘long lunch’. It is a day of celebration and light – and thanksgiving for the goodness of those who have gone before.

Our church is dedicated to All Saints – this year the Feast Day falls actually on a Sunday – more of this elsewhere in the Newsletter. As the date approaches, please will you give thought about how you will respond to the increasing commercialism and secularisation of this great Festival? Above all, how we can balance the simple fun of some of the children’s Hallowe’en activities with the undoubted encouragement of the spread of evil? Please talk to the children with whom you have contact about the real meaning of the day – and come and celebrate the goodness of All Saints at our Patronal Festival so that we can give back a real identity to the day.

Yours in Christ

Jo

all churches dedicated to All Saints

all whose hearts are set on evil

our children and all who care for them and teach them

A big thank you to Jenny and David Allender for hosting the September coffee morning. It was a very enjoyable event and raised £207 towards church funds. There will be no coffee morning in October, but coffee will be served at The Michaelmas Market at Hall Farm on the 9th and 10th October and part of the proceeds will be donated to church funds, so please do support it.

Loving God, the birth of your Son Jesus Christ brought great joy to Mary and Joseph. We give thanks to you for everyone whose birthday we celebrate this month. May they ever grow in your faith, hope and love. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

The last two tidying up days at the Cemetery have been very successful and, as a result, the Parish Council is organising another session for Saturday, 10th October between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm and is looking for as many people as possible to help. This time, we will be concentrating on removing the ivy from the front wall so it would be very helpful if volunteers could bring loppers with them. The work required isn’t too demanding and everyone finds time for a chat and a laugh so why not join us?

For further information contact Phil Atkinson (881603).

Janet Cockings and Gill Betts will be providing Coffee and tea at this two day event on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October. Celia Hanbury has very generously said that all the money we take may be shared between the Church and the Village Hall. Any contributions of cakes and biscuits or assistance on the day would be very welcome. We are likely to be catering for quite a large number of people so please contact Janet 881419 or Gill 720615 if you can help.

When work or life gets difficult, we may think back to childhood. Things were a lot easier and our problems were much smaller when we were young. Or where they? The challenges we faced back then may seem small and insignificant now, but they surely didn’t feel that way at the time. Somehow we endured the challenge and grew as a result. The next time you face a difficulty, remember this: The task before us is not greater than the power behind us. And there is power behind you. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" Matthew 11:30

You may know that All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year. It gives an even better opportunity for us to thank God for the foundation of our beautiful church and for all who have worshipped and worked here through the centuries.

At our last PCC meeting we received, with great regret, a letter from Len Savage asking that we find someone else to take on the ‘Little Jobs’ that he has been doing for our church for many, many years. A member of the Savage family has been responsible for locking and unlocking the church each day for about 150 years – and that is not all. Len has taken in the cash to the bank each week, he has acted as sacristan, he has helped with running repairs, he has been verger at weddings, funerals and baptisms – and so much more - most of the work done quietly and unobtrusively. It was decided at the meeting that we should like to say ‘thank you’ to Len with a sort of ‘retirement party’. We agreed that All Saints Day was an ideal day and we would have a ‘Bring and Share’ lunch after the morning service. When I told him, Len was delighted but a bit puzzled about why we should want to make so much fuss!

As I write this, however, Len is quite seriously ill in hospital - and we all wish him well - but I think it would be wonderful if we could go ahead with our plans for I cannot think of a better way of giving thanks for all that Len and his family have done for our church through the years – and for the many others who have also given of their time and effort selflessly and tirelessly to ensure that All Saints is a true reflection of Christian values in Turvey.

Jo Spray

Bring and Share Lunch on All Saints Day November 1st.

Please see the sheet on the tithe table at the back of church!

Phoenix Cards Coffee Morning: Friday 13th November 10-11:30 a.m.

At the home of Sarah and Mathew Beecham, Lace Cottage, 3, Newton Lane Turvey. Please join us for refreshments and an opportunity to purchase Phoenix cards, gift wrap etc. in time for Christmas. The products are very reasonably priced and of a high quality. 10% of sales will go to church funds. Hope you can make it!

If you keep a green bough in your heart, then the singing bird will come.

Chinese Proverb

Lord we praise you for the harvest of the fields around

For fields of wheat and barley, for oil seed rape and maize

For healthy herds, for sheep and pigs

We give thanks

We praise you for the harvest of local hedgerows for the straggling bramble; for black showers of elderberry for mushrooms nestling in the dewy grass

We give thanks

Lord we praise you for the harvest of talents in this church

For buildings well maintained; for flower arrangements and music

For responsible stewardship, for charities supported we give thanks

We praise you for the harvest fellowship here at All Saints

For friends made and support given

For people with whom to laugh and with whom to weep

We give thanks

Lord we praise you for the harvest of prayer in this place

For commitment deepened; for discipleship taken up

For the cross carried and the burdens borne

We give thanks