Sunday Service at10 a.m. with Sunday Church Club for children over 3 years of age

St Paul’s Church Magazine

www.stpaulswb.com

February 2015

“YOUR LINK”

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THIS MONTH

For us at St Paul’s and for Christians everywhere marriage is important. Last month we held our annual Marriage Preparation Evening for the 13 couples (so far) who have asked to be married at St Paul’s this year.

It’s important for many reasons - stability for the couple and the kids being one - but most importantly because it’s the way Jesus said we should be: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

But sadly marriage isn’t always the ‘dream’ we think it’s going to be on our wedding day. And for many people the dream turns into a nightmare and the marriage comes to an end. The latest estimate from the Office for National Statistics is that 42% of marriages end in divorce.

Marriage Week (7th-14

th February) is a great annual focus for couples to

take time to pause and concentrate on their relationships. And as it ends on St. Valentine’s Day there’s every opportunity to celebrate!

As Christians we believe we have God’s help and support in our marriage - it might sound odd but there are three people in a Christian marriage - her, him and God! If you like, a permanent Marriage Counsellor always on hand. And it would appear to work! The Ministry Team alone has between them nearly as many years of marriage as the church has been in Woodford Bridge.

So if you would like to meet the Divine Marriage Counsellor all you have to do is ask us! We’d love to introduce Him to you. Mac.

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REVEREND RAMBLINGS from our Vicar Ola Detox or Discipline? This country has a multi-billion pound industry dedicated to developing and selling thousands of products to help us feel fresh, clean and renewed – shampoos, shower gels, body lotions, face creams, anti-wrinkle serums and so on.

And, increasingly, people are turning to similar solutions to help them feel the same on the inside. Detox diets, colon cleansing and much more, most of which one wouldn’t want to talk about in too much detail! The aim of these solutions is to provide people with a sense of cleansing. Millions of people take spa weekends and sit in thermal springs, seeking to restore not only body, but also, somehow, the soul.

But the extreme makeovers of plastic surgery and Botox don’t seem to achieve for people the kind of psychological and spiritual benefits that many hope for.

When I was a child there was a regular TV advert with the slogan ‘Andrews Liver Salts for inner cleanliness.’ But of course, it was all about physical cleanliness. No matter how many doses of Andrews you might take, it wouldn’t give you the kind of spiritual cleanliness which comes from being forgiven and being right with God. This sense of inner cleanliness depends on something that God does – that’s why we can’t achieve it on our own.

Perhaps more than at any other time in the Christian year, Ash Wednesday is a call to take a good look at ourselves. This day calls us to a journey inward where we encounter and confront all that which causes separation between ourselves and God.

Ash Wednesday is the start of the season of Lent. I don’t know what images Lent conjures up in you (the thought of 40 days without chocolate fills me with horror) – but I hope it isn’t one of misery.

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Lent is a good season to take on the discipline of meeting together to learn, reflect, discuss and pray. So here’s introducing our 2015 Lent Course…

Another Story Must Begin Author: Jonathan Meyer

An original Lent course based on the film, the novel and the stage adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. Through discussion of some of the themes and principal characters of this epic narrative, the course explores the grace of God and our own fallen state and opportunity for redemption, and helps us to reassess what we can do with our lives and for those around us.

The course is based around five weekly group sessions: Responding to poverty and those in need (Fantine and Cosette) The sharing of bread and wine and an outpouring of grace (The Bishop of Digne) The disarming effect of grace (Jean Valjean) Duty to the Law (Javert) Redemption and Salvation (Bring us Home)

Each session includes watching short scenes from the Oscar-winning movie starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, and questions and reflections for group discussion. Each session also includes related Bible passages and suggested closing prayers.

Please don’t be put off if you don’t like films or musicals, or if you’ve never seen or read Les Misérables. There’s a more to the course than Victor Hugo’s novel, and plenty of biblical material to discuss and reflect on.

We’ll be meeting in church at 20:00 on Wednesday evenings 25

th February, 4

th, 11

th 18

th and 25

th March.

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ST PAUL’S IS KNOWN WORLD-WIDE!

Hi Alan,

Happy New Year to you and your wife,

This is a very belated email to say thank you for your assistance and kindness when my husband and I visited your Church in August, 2014.

We really enjoyed attending Worship at St. Paul’s, taking communion where my Grandmother and her family would have also knelt and then spending some time walking in the Church graveyard. Thank you for going to the trouble of looking up the records for us and locating my Great Uncle’s name (Frank Edwards). Everyone was very warm and friendly and we have very fond memories of attending the service and walking around Woodford Bridge, including a beautiful lunch at the local hotel. I have old postcards of your Church and this hotel which I located in my Grandmother’s photo album.

Many thanks again and sorry for this very late email, God bless you and the Congregation of St Paul’s,

Regards, Lynne and Les Sykes Two Australians who really enjoyed their time in Britain, August, 2014

A SIMILAR WELCOME AWAITS YOU TOO!

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We’ll pray for you - even if you don’t usually come to Church!

We at St. Paul’s believe that when things go wrong in our lives, or in the lives of those we love, praying to God our Heavenly Father can help the situation and even change it at times.

If you would like us to pray for you please phone Vera Hunt on 0208 227 0701 and leave a message with your name and telephone number if you get the answer phone. Vera will phone you back to find out what your request is. Your request will then be put on our Prayer List for one month. You can change or renew your request by phoning the above number. May God bless you as you put your trust in Him.

From the Parish Registers We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thess.4:14. Lord Jesus Christ, you comforted your disciples when you were going to die: now set our troubled hearts at rest and banish our fears. Amen.

5th January: John Campbell Healey

Feeling quizzy? For those of you who enjoy a Quiz Evening we have two of them on offer in March. The venue will be St Paul’s Church Hall, and a ploughman’s supper will be included in the ticket price.

March 7th - Quiz Evening to raise funds for Redbridge Voluntary Care Tickets £9 Contact Vera Hunt 020 8227 0701 March 14th - Quiz Evening to raise funds for The Bible Society Tickets £8 Contact Valerie Hodges 020 8505 1694

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When I retired from the classroom a friend sent this to me!

Retiree Mental Fitness Evaluation

This test is to ascertain your mental state now. If you get one right you are doing OK, if you get none right you have a problem. There are 4 test questions. Don’t miss one. Stop and think about it and decide on your answer before you read on.

Giraffe Test 1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? The correct answer: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

Elephant Test

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? Did you say, ‘Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator’? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the

giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

Lion King Test 3. The Lion King is hosting an Animal Conference. All the animals attend ... except one. Which animal does not attend? Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is

in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

Crocodile Test 4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you do it? Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Haven’t you been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Conference. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the Retirees they tested got all questions wrong, but many pre-schoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively proves the theory that most Retirees do not have the brains of a four-year-

old! Mac.

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FEBRUARY SPIRELIGHT TESTIMONIALS commemorate

3rd George Pleasance WW1 7th Doris Fenn 9th Joseph Langdell 11th Antronihi Sideras 14th Dorothy Cottrell Fred Wood Herbert (Tom) and Mary Barlow Ivy Nickelson 18th Matthew Barnbrook 20th Eileen and Wiktor Urbanek 23rd Joseph Turner 24th Ivy N. 25th Anthony Westley Francis Grayston WW1 27th Linda Savage 28th Christine Stone

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join the Spirelight Testimonial Scheme.

Choose a date which is special to you - your birthday or that of a loved one, your marriage anniversary, or any other date which is special to you, and then contact Len on 020 8590 8815 for a Dedication Form - or drop in to the Sunday Service at 10:00 every Sunday.

There is no charge, but donations towards the cost of illuminating the spire will be most welcome.

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I was on holiday on Tenerife, having written my article for the February Magazine, when the attack on Charlie Hebdo took place. It set me thinking about the values of free-speech on the one hand but the need to respect the views of others as well.

Having severed our links with Rome in the 1500s, we tend to forget how that Church persecuted scientists like Galileo and Copernicus for making the absurd suggestion that the earth revolved round the sun!! Medical research was also very difficult. Not surprising then that the great French Philosopher Voltaire, who spent a lot of time in Germany where he was not subject to Church interference wrote, ”I may not agree with what you believe, but I will fight to the death for your right to your own beliefs”. Which may well go some the way to explain the French ideal of complete Freedom of Speech!!

Now the Pope has stepped in supporting Freedom of Speech, but also stressing that with Freedom comes responsibility, and that Freedom of Speech should not be seen as Licence to mock the faith of others. I do delight in “Religious Humour” and “Religious Cartoons”. Many, many years ago my wife bought me some Monastic Cartoons by Brother Choleric!! In the forward to this series of three books the author stated that ”the humour and the satire was always directed at the wearer of the habit not at the habit itself. People lampooned, not their beliefs. That is quite a different matter!!

One of the other things that struck me about this whole episode is the difficulty of translation from one language and culture to another. If you say “suburb” in English, people think of pleasant places on the edges of towns, clean air and leafy roads. The French word “banlieu” which is usually translated into English as “suburb” has a totally different connotation in French. It implies the large, down at heel housing estates on the edges of towns, usually made up of large tower blocks. Think of the whole of Woodford Bridge covered in Tower Blocks like the Broadmead Estate and you get some idea of the scale. Most of the inhabitants of “les banlieux” are poor and many are immigrants from the former French Colonies in North Africa.

None of what I have written justifies what has happened but it may help us to understand how hopelessness leads to extremism. I can

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remember at the height of the Vietnam war, right-wing American politicians advocating bombing Communist China. A lone voice called out “Bomb by all means, but drop washing machines and fridges and a few cars, not explosives”. What a change we have seen in China as its wealth and living standards have risen!!

But there is another point too. If there were to be a Mothers’ Union Trip to Saudi Arabia, the organizers would be told that a female is not allowed out on the streets unless accompanied by her husband or a male relative. In quite a large part of the Muslim World women have to have their heads covered and wear “modest” clothing. When abroad, one keeps an eye on local custom and practice. Fine!! Are we right to expect the same respect for British Customs from “immigrant communities” here!! I was quite shocked to read in my daily paper that the Oxford University Press was seriously thinking about banning all mention of Pork from school text-books for fear of offending Jews and Muslims. There is a very wise old saying “Live, and let live”.

We saw how the humiliation of Germany after WW l, the difficult economic conditions…..the hopelessness of ordinary people…led to the rise of Hitler and Fascism. It is a mistake which needs to be remembered. We have seen how economic progress has seen a great change in the attitude of the Chinese one answer to radical Islam could be to look to the welfare of the poorest Muslims throughout the world.

My dentist is Jewish, he also hails from South Africa. His view is that if South Africa can sort out Apartheid and create a mixed race democracy…..then it ought also to be possible to sort out the hatred in the Holy Land, which lies behind so much of the ill feeling, which escalates into random acts of violence and terror.

I usually pray the Daily Services of the Church of England “on screen” using my computer, and after using the daily cycle of intercessions clip in to other sources.

Last night I found this:-

We pray for all nations: that they may seek the way that leads to peace, that human rights and freedom may be everywhere respected, and that the world’s resources may be generously shared. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Ian Monks

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Drinking from my saucer

I've never made a fortune and it's probably too late now, But I don't worry about that too much, I'm happy anyhow. And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed. For I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed. Haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough But I've got loving ones all around me, and that makes me rich enough. I thank God for His Blessings and the Mercies He's bestowed. For I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin. But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again. So Lord, help me not too gripe, about the tough rows I have hoed. For I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed. If God gives me the strength and courage when the way grows steep and rough. I'll not ask for other Blessings for I'm already Blessed enough. And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads... Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer, ' Cause my cup has overflowed. Thanks for finding this, Vera - Praise God from whom all blessings overflow!!

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A warm welcome to our church! One of the comments that pleases us about St. Paul’s is hearing of the warmth of welcome received by visitors and newcomers. This seems to be especially true of recent years as we have watched with delight as our congregation has grown, especially with an increase in the number of parents with young children. The carpet area at the back of the church is active on most Sunday mornings. We are also always pleased to welcome “wedding couples” who stay with us for a while. Although we are having problems with our church boiler at the moment we try to ensure a physically warm welcome as well as a socially and spiritually warm one. The church is in use on more occasions during the week than the hour and a half on Sunday mornings when we meet as a worshipping community, with Pastor Ola’s Lighthouse congregation now meeting on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday and Friday evenings, and with regular weekday activities of our own, we paid £2,923 last year in gas and electricity charges for the church. Our electricity bill should tumble further since we have recently replaced 500 watt lighting elements in the roof-lighters with low energy ones running at 28 watts! We changed 9 lamps, a saving of 4,248 watts of power! Our energy bill for 2014 for the halls was £4,290. Our overall energy costs in 2014 were £7,213.

Cheques and

balances Len, our Treasurer, writes …..

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leMothers'

Union Marrianne Stevens, Branch Leader, writes …..

At our first meeting of this new year we received a visit from Lorraine, a friend of Valerie and Peter, who is a Chaplain working on the waterways. (For those who do not know, Valerie and Peter have a narrow boat.) She told us of how, after much consideration and soul-searching, she decided to take on this work and how her experiences have been such a joy; how she has met and helped so many people in a variety of ways as she has travelled on the waterways and how her experiences have widened her own horizons. We are so grateful to her for coming to see us and sharing the joy she has both for our Lord and for the people she meets.

However this month has brought us sadness as well as joy. Joan Ware, a member of our branch for many years and much loved by us all, died on 11th January last. Joan was not a member of St. Paul’s Church but attended St. Mary’s in Woodford. However as a member of our MU Joan has been responsible for knitting hundreds of teddies given out to young children at their baptism, Easter chicks, the Last Supper tableaux we have, and many Christmas stable figures; she has staunchly supported our Kenyan Quiz by selling copies to the members of the various groups to which she belonged; she has introduced us to speakers she thought would be interesting for us. Even on those evenings when it has been impossible for her to come along to our meeting she has been interested to hear about the activity. I personally, and I know many others also, are going to miss her sense of humour, her directness when she had something important to say, her encouragement, compassion and her commitment to the branch. She is much loved by us and will be greatly missed. We give thanks for the privilege of knowing her. Our love and sympathies go out to Ron, her husband, and the whole family; we pray that our Lord Jesus will comfort them and bring them His peace.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday. 3rd February next when our Annual General Meeting will be held in church at 8 p.m. starting with Eucharist. Our Vicar, Ola, will be leading the Eucharist Service at the start of the evening and will chair the meeting itself.

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KENYAN STREET CHILDREN’S APPEAL (UTUGI CHILDREN’S CENTRE)

After Christmas a team of workers, together with Revd.

Pam Wilding, went out to Kenya to visit (and work at)

the Centre and the feeding stations which our Appeal helps to

support. On their return we will receive an update of the work which

is being done, and learn of the progress of the children which we are

very much looking forward to having. In the meantime we are

continuing our fundraising activities: the mini-shop which is held on

Sunday mornings after the Service is now manned by the Sunday

Club children and they are doing an excellent job. People continue to

contribute their “copper” coins for which we are very grateful and over

time they do mount up nicely. On Saturday, 14th February

(St.Valentine’s Day) there will be a Boot Sale in the Church Hall from

10 a.m. until 12 noon and all support and donated items are very

much appreciated.

Our next Holiday Club for primary

aged school children will be held

on Monday, 16th

February from 10 a.m. until

12 noon in the Church Halls. There will be the

usual activities of keep fit, dance or drama,

craft work, refreshments, based on a Biblical

story.

HOLIDAY CLUB

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Redbridge Voluntary Care

Update from Vera Hunt

During the past month our Volunteers have successfully responded 22 requests for transport, 4 for help in the home, 9 asking for a visit and another 7 needing an escort. 1 person needed a wheelchair pusher, and 2 needed their pension collecting, 7 needed some shopping, and we were able to help 4 more with information. 8 people needed someone to take them for a walk, 1 person needed us to collect their prescription, we were able to help 10 people with taking children to and from school and another 2 people needed help filling in forms. We even helped one person prune a small fig tree!

Sadly one of our lady Volunteers has died

On Saturday 7th March we are holding our annual Quiz Evening in our Church Halls. This is one of our major fund raising activities and you will be most welcome to join us. There will be eight people to a table and the cost is £9 per person. Please bring your own drinks. There will be a raffle taking place on that evening. Please let Vera Hunt know if you would like to join us individually or make up a table with friends.

What does God mean to you?

What’s YOUR story? We’d love you to share it with us. What does God mean to YOU? You may be someone who has had a relationship with God for decades or just months. You may be someone for whom ‘God’ is a difficult concept. We want to know what ‘God’ means to you.

The March‘Your Link’ is waiting! Send your story in about 500 words with a picture to macleonard@virginmedia.com .

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Ian Monks writes …. LENT and its MEANINGS

It would probably be true to say that Lent has a negative image, and that it is seen as time for giving things up. The name itself goes back centuries and means “when the days lengthen” and is closely related to one of the German words used for spring “Lenz”. So Lent is a time for growth, spiritual growth and getting closer to Jesus.

Christmas is always celebrated on 25th December, but the rest of the Christian Year depends on the date of Easter, which is a moveable Feast. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon following the equinox on 21st March, So Easter Sunday can be as early as 22nd March or as late as 25th April.

Lent starts on Ash Wednesday which can be as early as 5th February or as late as 10th March. This fluctuation of 5 weeks in the Spring does have implications for the Mothering Sunday and Easter flowers!. With the warm weather we have been enjoying I have already had Rhododendrons and Azaleas in bloom!!!

After Christmas we commemorate the Baptism of Jesus, when, after he has been baptised by John, he is authenticated for his mission through a heavenly voice saying “You are my Son, my Beloved, on you my favour rests” and the Holy Spirit on Him like a dove. Jesus is then led out into the wilderness to be tempted….for 40 days. Forty is not to be taken literally, forty days, forty years…a Hebrew idiom meaning for a long time.

So in earlier times when people were “excommunicated”, not allowed to take communion, because of some very grave and serious sin, they had to have a special time of repentance for what they had done wrong, before being readmitted to the fellowship of the Church at Easter. [We have “Anger Management Courses” today, and after serious motoring offences, some people have to retake their Driving Test] Easter with the symbolism of the new light and life of Christ, was the traditional time for Baptism …..joining Christ’s family on earth, so it was also seen as the appropriate time to reinstate the penitent.

The Judean Wilderness is one of the bleakest places on earth. Out in the wilds, Jesus would be far from the comparative luxury of his everyday life, as he faced the tempter.

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So in addition to the idea of “rehabilitation” contained in the idea of Lent, there is also an attempt to get closer Jesus in his retreat from the world. By all means give up what you like for Lent…….but I personally don’t see any point in giving things up for Lent………and then “pigging out” on Easter Sunday!! Any money saved would be a welcome donation to charity. I love the way Robert Herrick expresses some of his thoughts:-

Is it to quit the dish Of Flesh, yet still To fill The platter high with fish?

No; ‘tis a Fast, to dole [give] Thy sheaf of wheat And meat Unto the hungry sole.

Gradually the Church came to realize that we could all benefit from some sort of special preparation for Easter, when we come to contemplate the Lord’s death and resurrection. Do we ever think of the mental anguish of a young man, being willing to lay down his life for his friends, we hear enough of the physical pain of a death on a cross.

Her late majesty Queen Victoria got married in Lent and was taken to task by the Bishops. Her reply was that Lent only applied to Sundays and that weekdays did not count!! The reverse is actually true. All Sundays are Feast Days of the resurrection so do not count as part of the Lenten Fast

For me, there are three interesting points about the temptations. First of all, how have they made it to the light of day? Jesus was alone in the desert being tempted by Satan, he must have discussed his experiences with his disciples or…………Jesus was on a religious mission and not out to enter the political arena or to try to compel belief. The temptations show him avoiding these pitfalls and answering Satan back by quoting from scripture. He did not hanker after a temporary temporal kingdom. He did not want to be made King. Matthew and Luke contain details of the temptations, Mark’s Gospel is very, very brief indeed. Mark achieves the same point with what is technically called “the Messianic Secret”. After each miracle those involved are told not to tell anyone else, ”hush keep it dark”. Thus the chance of Jesus being forced into becoming a “resistance Freedom fighter” is eliminated.

I wish you a thoughtful Lent, growing closer to Our Lord in his passion and an enlightening Easter.

Happening in February …..

Sun 1st PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE 10:00 Informal Communion Mon 2nd 20:00 Standing Committee Tue 3rd 19:00 Vestry Hour 20:00 Mothers’ Union AGM Wed 4th 10:30 Holy Communion Thu 6th 10:00 Seniors’ Coffee …………………………………………………..

Sun 8th 10:00 Parish Communion Thu 12th 20:00 Textiles Group Sat 14th 10:00-12:00 Boot Sale ……………………………………………………

Sun 15th 10:00 Informal Communion Mon 16th 10:00-12:00 Holiday Club Tue 17th 19:00 Vestry Hour Wed 18th ASH WEDNESDAY 10:30 Holy Communion 14:00 Seniors’ Get-together 20:00 Holy Communion …………………………………………………..

Sun 22nd 10:00 Parish Communion Mon 23rd 10:00 Holiday Club Wed 25th 20:00 Lent Course (1) Thu 26th 20:00 Textiles Group

St. Paul’s welcomes anyone who is disabled - our Church has disabled access facilities through the South Door off the main road, and a hearing loop for anyone using a hearing aid.

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St. Paul’s People…...

Vicar Revd. Ola Franklin 020 8506 0662 ofrank@btinternet.com

Curates Revd. Ian Monks 020 8550 2390 irquemonachi@hotmail.co.uk

Revd. Alan Bolding 020 8550 2070 apbolding@onetel.com

Licensed Lay Minister Mr. Mac Leonard 07831 744999 (Reader) macleonard@virginmedia.com

Authorised Local Preacher Mrs. Jill Leonard 07778 013047 and Pastoral Assistant jleonard@serlecourt.co.uk

Churchwardens Mrs. Pauline Bolding pbolding29@gmail.com 21 Portman Drive Woodford Green, IG8 8QN 020 8550 2070

Mr. Len Stevens 78 Ashgrove Road, Goodmayes, IG3 9XD 020 8590 8815

Organisations and contacts …...

Organist Mac Leonard 07831 744999

Nicola’s Dancers Nicola 07956 479334

Playgroup (Delia Ware) Daily 9.15 a.m.-12.00 noon 020 8504 5465

Mothers’ Union: 1st Tuesday in month 8p.m. 020 8590 8815

Guides Thursday 020 8491 6431

Brownies Thursday 01708 768496

Church flowers Pauline Cohen 07730 787147

paulinecohen030@btinternet.com

Weekly News Sheet: Pam Varughese 020 8550 3406

pamvarughese@gmail.com

Magazine Editor Mac Leonard 07831 744999 macleonard@virginmedia.com

Magazine Adverts Len Stevens 020 8590 8815

Church Halls Hire Pauline Bolding 020 8550 2070

pbolding29@gmail.com