ST. OLAF,

KING & MARTYR

£1.00

“There is a time“There is a time“There is a time for everything and a season for for everything and a season for for everything and a season for

every activity under the heavens:” every activity under the heavens:” every activity under the heavens:”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV)(Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV)(Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV)

St. Olave’s Diary

RAMSGATE

BEACH

2

SERVICES AT ST. OLAVE’S

St Olave’s is a member of the Finsbury Park Ecumenical group

of churches that includes the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church

and other Anglican Churches.

VICAR’S REST DAY : The Vicar’s rest day is Monday. Please try not to disturb him on

that day, unless it is urgent.

SUNDAY WORSHIP :

10.00am PARISH COMMUNION followed by refreshments.

All ages and families welcome.

2nd Sunday in month : Parish Communion including

Anointing and Laying-on of hands.

Sunday School and Crèche in the Parish Room

MIDWEEK SERVICE : Communion Service

10.00 am every Wednesday.

BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday (except last Wednesday) in Parish Room

7.30pm—9.00pm

REVIVAL SERVICE: takes place every last

Wednesday of the month 7.00pm—10.00 pm in church.

POWER NIGHT/NIGHT VIGIL: Every second Friday

of the month at 10pm-2am

SERVICES IN JULY:

5th July:

10.00am Sunday Parish

Communion and Anointing

5TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESENTATION

12th July:

10.00am Sunday Parish

Communion and Anointing

6TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

19th July:

10.00am Sunday Parish

Communion and Anointing

7TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

26th July:

10.00am Sunday Parish

Communion and Anointing

8TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

3

VICAR'S LETTER

Dear friends, I welcome you back to the St Olave's Diary. We have unfortunately not been able to produce this monthly magazine since the June 2015 issue and for this we sincerely apologise. I have received numerous enquires from friends, near and far, wanting to know why they have not received their copies of the magazine. It is pleasing to know how well received and valued the magazine is and we thank our readers for their occa-sional comments and suggestions. I am also inviting them to take up the challenge to write in the magazine. This July edition is two months late but it is better late than never.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS IN JULY The months of July/August were classified as the sleepy and inactive months in the Church's year when most Parishes, Areas and Dioceses maintain skeleton staffs in order to keep their activities at a minimal level of operation. This however has changed in recent years with many churches busy with doing services - marriage, blessing of marriage, bap-tism, special thanksgiving and organising camps and summer schools for children and youth. St Olave's has been busy doing similar things, and also ensuring that our usual community activities continue. The Bishop of London, The Rt. Revd. and Rt. Hon. Dr Richard Chartres used the month of July to announce the appointments of senior staff - Bishops and Archdeacons - in the Diocese of London. The Stepney Area of which we are a part has been handsomely recognised regarding those appointments and I will mention that in the August issue of this magazine.

HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE I returned from a successful pilgrimage, in the company of eleven other friends, to the Holy Land on Monday 5 July 2015. The Jordan and Sinai (Egypt) part of the trip was cancelled at the last moment because of se-curity considerations. Nevertheless, it was a fruitful time spiritually and the cancellation gave us the opportunity to use up the extra days to visit other holy places in Israel and the Palestinian authority Areas. The new Jerusalem Pilgrims (JP) have continued the fellowship and close rela-tionship they forged/built during the pilgrimage. Apart from exchanging texts, phone calls and emails, they have also met on three different occa-

4

sions in the United Kingdom including a pastoral/thank you visit to me at the Vicarage. I am grateful to the JPs for choosing to go on the pilgrim-age with me and pray that the blessings of the Holy Land will be perma-nent in their lives and in everything concerning them, in the name of Je-sus. The experience was beautiful and fulfilling for the group members and some are already asking for booking forms for the 2016 pilgrimage. The 2016 pilgrimage will include the Holy Land, Jordan and Sinai (Egypt). And, as Christians and people of other faith continue to pray for a peaceful resolution to the wars, conflicts, sufferings and violence in every part of our world, that the Lord will divinely intervene and bring His peace to bear in that region of our world. In the meantime, let us con-tinue to pray for peace and act in peace.

ST OLAVE'S PARISH OUTING Over 75 people went on the parish outing to Ramsgate on Saturday 10 July 2015. As in previous years, it was a truly family affair, with lots of food and drinks, brought and shared by all. Everyone was excited that morning as we gathered in the Church, for the notices and prayers be-fore embarking on the outward journey. Gone were those days when the Vicar's wife and a handful of people brought the merriment. And, with apologies, unfortunately I was not able to go on the trip because of a wedding service commitment in the church. I had planned to drive my car after the service and join the brethren in Ramsgate, but the wedding couple were late for the service and I would not have been able to arrive in good time to make any meaningful contribution. I was however, in constant and regular contact throughout the trip with my wife, the Church warden, Social Secretary and his deputy. I was informed that the weather was nice, the people had a fantastic time, it was fun, interesting and they engaged in lots of beach activities and sports and everyone was happy. The 86 seater coach, as they were ready to return back to London failed to start and it was later discovered that the driver had negligently ran down the batteries, by staying inside the coach with the music and probably the air conditioner on, throughout the time our people were on the beach. He belatedly tried to get other coach drivers to help him jump start the coach instead of informing the coach company. When this at-tempt failed, he had no option than to let them know and the problem was fixed very late. At this point I hurriedly cancelled the plan B I had put in place to bring our people back to London. It was almost midnight by the time the coach arrived at Bexleyheath in Kent, and by the time many

5

of the members were dropped off from South London the remnant includ-ing my wife arrived in Woodberry Down after 1.00 am Sunday morning. Some of the members were naturally upset and unhappy about what had happened. Some, with babies and the elderly, had to pay for private taxis to bring them from Ramsgate to London. This, unfortunate incident has never happened before in the sixteen years that this outing has been or-ganised and I want to thank all the members and families who were af-fected for their understanding and perseverance. I also apologised for the inconveniences caused. We will surely make it up to you in 2016 and pray that the Lord will make all our future trips trouble-free. I am grateful to the Social Secretary and his Deputy for organising the trip, and my wife and the Churchwarden, for calming things and taking charge of a very difficult situation. I underwent an appendix operation at the Homerton Hospital on the 13th of July and I was hospitalised for some days. I have been recuperating since. I feel much, much better although I am still not 100 percent. With Blessings,

6

HIGH DAYS, HOLY DAYS

3rd July St Thomas the Apostle – confused and doubting Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, was an impulsive, confused, honest sceptic. Jesus could understand and work with such a man. Thomas’ impulsiveness was evident when Jesus prepared to visit Lazarus in Bethany. It was a dangerous trip to make, because of the Jews, but Thomas urged his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16) Instead, Jesus brought Lazarus back to life. Thomas’ confusion is shown in later talks with Jesus. He was not really sure where Jesus was going long-term (John 14:5). But Jesus accepted this confused commitment, and began to untangle it, patiently explaining: “I am going to my father”, and “No one comes unto the Father but by me.” Finally, Thomas’ honest scepticism is revealed after the Resurrection, which he flatly re-fused to believe - unless he could touch the wounds of the risen Jesus. Sure enough, Je-sus appears - but instead of scolding him, shows him the wounds. Thomas responds: “My Lord and my God” (John 20.26ff). Thus Doubting Thomas’ honest doubts, turned to honest faith, have become a reassur-ance for thousands of men and women across the centuries, who also want to follow Je-sus, but who require some proof of this amazing event - the Resurrection. In Doubting Thomas’ complete affirmation of faith, after meeting the risen, crucified Christ, they can find support for their own faith. Ancient legends tell how Thomas went on to India as a missionary. There are rumours that Thomas even built a palace for a king’s daughter in India, and thus he is the patron saint of architects. It is believed that he was martyred by a spear on 3 July, 72 AD in My-lapore, near Madras. 46 ancient churches in England were dedicated to him. 22nd July St Mary Magdalene - patron of repentant sinners It is easy to understand the popularity of Mary Magdalene over the centuries: she is the patron saint both of repentant sinners and of the contemplative life. Jesus drove seven demons from Mary, who came from near Tiberias in Galilee. She be-came his follower to the bitter end. She followed him to Jerusalem and was present dur-ing the crucifixion, standing heart-broken at the foot of the cross. Her love for Jesus did not end there, for she went to the tomb to anoint his body on the Sunday morning. Such faithful, humble devotion was richly repaid: it gave her a unique privilege among all mankind: she was the first person to whom the Risen Lord appeared on Easter Sunday morning. She thought he was the gardener at first. Mary Magdalene has sometimes been identified with the woman who anointed Christ’s feet in the house of Simon (Luke 7:37). Over the centuries many artists have painted this scene. Mary Magdalene’s feast has been kept in the West since the 8th century. England has 187 ancient churches dedicated to her, as well as a College in both Oxford and Cambridge.

7

St James the Great (25th July) By David Winter Jesus, fresh from his baptism and fired with his new calling, bursts into Galilee. Coming upon four fishermen working on the shore of the lake, he says to them, ‘Follow me’. With-out further ado or even a second thought, they abandon what they’re doing (and in the case of two of them, James and John, leave their poor old father alone in the boat with the hired crew), and set off with Jesus, they know not where. That is how Mark’s Gospel records the recruitment of four of the apostles of Jesus. Talk about a sudden change of life! All our understanding of human behaviour tells us that this is not how people normally respond to such a peremptory invitation: no questions, no explanation. Take it or leave it. Just ‘Follow me’. That however is on a superficial reading of the text. In fact, because we have four Gos-pels rather than just three, we know from John that one pair of brothers, James and John, and the other two called on the same day, had been disciples of John the Baptist, who had pointed Jesus out to them as the ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’. Subsequently two of them had sought him out and spent some time with him in the Jor-dan area. This was not quite the instant ‘conversion’ described by Matthew and Mark, though undoubtedly it evoked an instant response. For many of us on the journey of faith the experience of James and John - and the other two, Peter and Andrew - mirrors our own experience. First we know about Jesus, per-haps as children at Sunday school, or later as adults. Then we begin to ask questions and look for answers. Finally there may come a time when we hear his voice, as it were, calling us to accompany him on a life of love, service and commitment. For James (whose feast day falls this month) this moment was to turn his whole life up-side down. He became a leader of the church in Jerusalem after the resurrection and was the first apostle to be martyred, being put to the sword by Herod Agrippa in 44AD. His brother John, in contrast, lived on as a senior figure in the life of the emerging Church. For all four who were called by the lake that day, nothing would ever be quite the same again. But then all those who set out to follow Jesus wherever he leads them are usually in for a few surprise. 29th July Saint Olaf, King of Norway—King and Martyr King Olaf reigned over Norway for 13 rather peaceful years and he tried to convert his people using force, if needed. Conversion by the sword .was how earlier medieval mon-archs did it: for example, Charlemagne who compelled the Saxons to accept baptism, and St. Vladimir who converted Russia. Olaf was acting in good faith, fighting as he so well knew how, in the battle against Satan and the powers of hell. He would fight for his faith as before he had fought for his clan. Most memorable among his accomplishments as King was the development of what came to be known as St. Olaf’s Law. Ahead of its time, Olaf’s Law prescribed prayer to

8

Christ for peace, required newborn babies to be allowed to live and not abandoned in fields or forests, slaves were to be ransomed each year, polygamy was forbidden, and severe penalties were exacted for rape and the kidnapping of women. Olaf himself trav-elled the length of Norway promoting his new Christian Law, and he insisted that it be applied equally upon both rich and poor. This new concept, equality before the Law, and the Christian ideas which surrounded it, were a bit too much for some of the clan leaders. Lured with gifts from a foreign king, they turned traitor toward Olaf and supported Canute of Denmark in his successful at-tempt to unseat him. For two years, Olaf lived as an exile in Russia, praying and fasting. Then one night in a dream, he heard God calling him to return to Norway, to re-conquer it for Christ. And so with a small band of warriors, Olaf re-entered his homeland, but out-numbered two to one, met his death on July 29, 1030. Immediately he was revered as a martyr and his tomb became a holy shrine. Within a year, Olaf was declared a saint by the local bishop, and the faith which he had laboured so hard during his lifetime to instil, with little effect, began to flourish and grow after his death. What the sword couldn’t do even in “good faith, ”the Spirit did. Norway became Catholic. In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 13, verse 44, we read: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When he found one really valuable pearl, he went back and put up for sale all that he had and bought it.” Once Olaf found Jesus Christ, his heart yearned to serve none but Him, as best he knew how, willing to sacrifice all. In I Kings, chapter 3, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream: “Ask something of me,” the Lord said. Solomon asked for an understanding heart that he might know right from wrong, so he could judge his people wisely. Olaf did not pray for riches, but for the wisdom in serving God as Christ would want him to. Pondering our patron St. Olaf, we stand before the mystery of God, grateful that God works with vessels of clay, calling them and us to know Him, love Him and serve Him al-ways, yes, always in the context of our times. “For we know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28) 30th July William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson During the 18th century many people in England, from MPs to freed slaves, got involved in the campaign to abolish the slave trade. On this day in July the Church of England re-members especially William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson, three very different but all tireless campaigners against the evil practice. (The prayers for this day are at: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/festivals/lesser-fe...) An Anglican clergyman, Thomas Clarkson (1760 – 1846), was one of the most prominent of the anti-slavery campaigners. In 1787 he helped form the first Abolitionist Committee, and his energy and hatred of injustice made him a ‘moral steam-engine’. He travelled

9

hundreds of miles to gather evidence from people caught up in the slave trade, from ship captains to doctors. Olaudah Equianon (1745 – 1797) was an ex-slave living in London who became one of the most prominent black campaigners. His 1789 autobiography tells how he was kid-napped in Nigeria, sold into slavery and sent to the West Indies. It ran to nine reprints, and was translated into many languages, bringing home to people the horrors of the slave trade. William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833), of course, became the main figurehead in Parliament. He came from a wealthy family in Kingston-upon-Hull, and represented the town in Par-liament. He was recruited by Thomas Clarkson, who saw the need for a brilliant advocate within Parliament. Wilberforce was an inspired choice: not only wealthy and well- con-nected, but a gifted orator with a social conscience, especially after his conversion in 1785. He made his first speech in Parliament against slavery in 1789, but it was not until 1807, after a debate that raged for many years, that the Abolition Act was finally passed. 31st St Joseph of Arimathea – the man who buried Jesus Have you ever suffered from gossip? Ever discovered that people are saying some really wild things about you? If so, Joseph of Arimathea would understand – and sympathise with you. This decent, godly man of the gospels seems to have fired the imaginations of all sorts of odd people down the centuries. Joseph was a rich, prominent member of the ruling Jewish council – the Sanhedrin. Mark’s gospel describes him as having been ‘waiting for the kingdom of God’ for years, and even being a secret disciple of Jesus. He played no part in the trial or crucifixion. When Jesus was pronounced dead, Joseph had the seniority needed to approach Pilate for the body – and get it. Near to where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, cut deep in the rock. Joseph himself already owned it – and it was still new and empty. So Joseph laid Jesus there, and wrapped him in a linen cloth, according to Jewish burial custom. Joseph did not bury Jesus alone - Nicodemus helped him, while some women who had followed Jesus trailed miserably behind. Matthew tells us that the last thing Joseph did for Jesus was to sadly roll a big stone across the entrance to the tomb, and then go away. With that, Joseph passes out of his-tory - and into legend. For in the centuries that followed, Joseph was swept up into the Legend of the Holy Grail, the Legend of Glastonbury, and even bits of the Arthurian leg-ends. It was said that the Holy Thorn, which flowers at Christmas, had sprung from his staff. The mind boggles at what Joseph would have made of it all. One suspects he would have preferred to stick to the simple, but far better, true story: as having had the im-mense, unique privilege of laying the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb. Even if Jesus did-n’t stay very long!

Parish Pump

10

ACROSTIC

FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

Faith in the Name of Jesus Christ and obedience to God, go together:

Obeying God’s Word and laws, displays belief, trust and hope in our Redeemer

Laws of love, Jesus taught by word and deed, as ways to live right with God and neighbour

Living aright with God is top priority for enhancing human labour

Our All-knowing God already offers us the power we need, to play our part;

Willingness to accept God’s Spirit for God’s purpose, is a decision of one’s heart

Eyewitnesses of Jesus’ earthly mission, related with the Good Shepherd bodily,

Responding in positive ways, many lived out their new lives in Christ boldly.

Scripture is the path WE MUST FOLLOW, as the Living Christ in us directs.

Our part is to actively respond to the greater power in us, to perform by God’s grace,

Fortunate are believers who open and make their hearts Christ’s dwelling place.

Changes under Christ’s rule, aim at producing characters that are flawless,

Hence His Spirit’s indwelling, to enhance growth of habits that are faultless

Realities of such changes could manifest in lives that are Christ-centred,

Ineffective workers of God we risk to be, if we choose to be self-centred.

Seek God’s help for strength to persevere in walking Christ’s ways of light and love,

Trying to be faithful? Yes, effort counts, when directed from above.

Elsie Pabs-Garnon

11

CREATED FOR SERVICE

"I THE LORD thy God am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5).

Jealousy is one serious nature of God. He hates rivalry. He does

not possess in half, but in full measure. When Lucifer tried to

equate with God, he was summarily dealt with and cast out of

heaven. The devil lost his position and became the enemy of

the Most High because he wanted to equal God.

Whenever Israelites derailed from the track, they behaved con-

trary to the principles God laid down for them and rebelled

against God by worshipping strange gods. His anger came over

them. God would either allow their enemies to triumph over

them or visit them with plagues. This is because He is averse to

His children including you, serving or worshiping other gods.

The first law of God is, "Thou shall have no other gods before

me". (Exodus 20:33). This brings to mind our popular

song: “All other gods, they are the works of men; You

are the only God, there is none like You”.

For instance, in the corporate world there is the boss that oth-

ers must take instructions from. A responsible wife must lov-

ingly submit to her husband, just as the primary assignment of

public officers is to serve the people. Serving God is the most

acceptable service. If you don't serve God, certainly you will

serve the devil, which is an open invitation to incur the wrath of

God.

"Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell

him, Thus saith the LORD, GOD of the Hebrews. Let my people

go, that they may serve me". (Exodus 9:1). God wants those

who will serve Him faithfully. He demanded the immediate re-

lease of His people from Pharaoh so that they can serve Him.

Be conscious of the fact that God made you to give a pleasur-

able service to Him. He didn't make you so that you can rebel

12

against Him. Many people in the world today deny His exis-

tence, yet, He didn't destroy them because He's patient with

them for repentance. He hates the activities of evil-doers, still,

He remains patient for them to come to repentance.

What qualifies you to serve God is repentance from sin by

accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

You may be wondering about how you can best serve God, yet,

it is very important to let you know the rudiments of service to

God before going into it.

Roman 12:1 says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the

mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service".

For your service to be acceptable to God, you must be a living

soul in Christ and you must be holy as Jesus Christ is holy.

Therefore, you must not engage in idol worshipping of any

kind.

Remember that God is a jealous God who will never share his

glory with anything or anybody. Bear in mind that He created

you for a purpose, and that is to serve Him faithfully in spirit

and in truth (John 4:24).

There are many ways by which you can serve God. You can

serve God through Worship (Psalm 96:9), praise (Psalm

50:23), prayer and fasting (2 Chronicle 7:14), Truth (John

4:24), Holiness (Hebrew 12:14), caring for the needy (James

1:27), Love (1John 4:16), Giving (2 Corinthians 9:7), Singing

(Exodus 15), blessing the ministers of God (Mathew 10:42),

Caring for the Church (John 21:15-17), Serving in the Church

(Psalm 69:9; John 2:17) etc.

As you decide to serve the Lord today, it shall be a great re-

ward to your soul.

God bless you.

Adebayo Banjo

13

A LUTHERAN VIEW

I do not know about you but time seems to fly pass. One of the things which

bring this home to me is the Annual King’s Weekend.

This is an event I really enjoy but involves a lot of activities and unfortunately

some pain for me.

On Friday I set out to find the starting point. As I searched I met some other

people and together we eventually found the correct address. Much to my relief

we started with a sit down coffee and biscuits. We were given an introduction

which was very beneficial before we walked to the British museum to see De-

fining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art.

We were told it would take half an hour to an hour to go around the exhibition;

when I checked my watch at the end I found I had been there 2 hours. I recog-

nised many of the figures as I studied Ancient history, at A Level, many years

ago. After a good rest I returned home.

Saturday was an early start for a walk called Victorian London. We met at Bank

station for a tour with a blue badge guide who had expected students because he

had been told he was taking King’s College people .

The group certainly contained an age range, I saw one graduate of 1951 to late

2011. The guide was also surprised at the amount of knowledge of the partici-

pants, unlike the usual tourist groups. As we looked around Southwark Cathe-

dral a music student, pointed out that the buried organist and choir master of

kings is one of very few modern people in the cathedral. I made a mental note to

visit next time I am there. I have to admit that my thoughts turned towards find-

ing somewhere to sit down and have a coffee towards the end of the walk.

Later I called into King’s College on the Strand to sort out Sunday's events. Due

to the start time on Sunday I was unable to go the early service. I arrived at the

Imperial War Museum and was misdirected to the meeting point but as I was

lost with lecturer it did not prove too much of a problem.

Once settled in a comfortable chair with a coffee and biscuit we were given a

talk on the Dardanelles by a professor from King’s, it always surprises me how

little we know of our history.

We also had an introduction to the renovated museum by someone who was in-

14

volved in the restructuring. Due to pressure of time I was only able to look

around half of the ground floor. I must go back at some point.

1pm and it was time to meditate in the Peace Garden. I am going to try two of

the suggested techniques as I find it very hard to switch off. From there I dashed

to Moorgate for a walk called Hidden Gardens. I arrived just in time to hear her

outline of the walk. I realised that I knew all the places. We started with Bun-hill

fields a place I dash through frequently on my way to meetings (Carmel in city).

Again I discovered that I had passed the monuments without a second glance.

We looked at Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe) and John Bunyan

where we took a group photo.

I remember reading Pilgrims Progress in one sitting, which made my mother

cross as I had totally forgotten the tasks she had set for me. The leader explained

that this area was a burial ground for non-conformists; she mentioned that there

is a Quaker burial ground nearby.

I was able to explain exactly where it is and that there is a quiet garden there

plus there is a meeting house.

We crossed the road to Wendy's Chapel, where again I was able to be of assis-

tance. I saw the Revd. Jennifer Potter and waved, she then agreed to open up for

the groups. We had a welcome 10mins sit down while the history was explained

to us. The walk continued to Finsbury Square where we looked at a drinking

fountain given by Thomas Smith the inventor of the Christmas crackers.

I had to leave the walk here as I needed to get home to eat and set out for

church.

We held a special holy Eucharist service which was attended by both the Lu-

theran bishop Martin Lind and the bishop of London Richard Chartres along

with our own pastor (Eliza Zikmare) and Revd. Prebendary Rose Hudson to

celebrate the Provo agreement .

I was able to have big talk with the bishop of London reminding him that I had

worked for 1year before going to Kings and attended St. Stephen’s every

Wednesday lunch time service. This concluded my Kings weekend

I was very grateful for these experiences, despite the exhaustion and pain. I give

thanks to the Lord for allowing me to take part.

Rosemary Warner

15

Across 1 Relating to the Jewish day of rest (10) 7 Point of view (Matthew 22:17) (7) 8 20th-century Brethren philanthropist

whose construction company became one of the UK’s biggest, Sir John — (5)

10 Girl’s name (4) 11 Peter was accused of being one in the

courtyard of the high priest’s house (Luke 22:59) (8)

13 The fifth of the ‘seven churches’ (Revelation 3:1–6) (6) 15 ‘Now the famine was — in Samaria’ (1 Kings 18:2) (6) 17 Banned by the seventh Command-ment (Exodus 20:14) (8) 18 Insect most closely associated with itching (1 Samuel 24:14) (4) 21 Bantu tribe which gives its name to tiny landlocked country in Southern Africa (5) 22 Familiar material in churches that use an overhead projector (7)

CROSSWORD

Solutions on page 26

23 Last book of the Bible (10) Down 1 The young David’s favourite weapon (1 Samuel 17:40) (5) 2 ‘Your vats will — over with new wine’ (Proverbs 3:10) (4) 3 Once yearly (Exodus 30:10) (6) 4 Milled it (anag.) (3-5) 5 Region north of Damascus of which

Lysanias was tetrarch (Luke 3:1) (7) 6 Comes between Philippians and 1 Thessalonians (10) 9 Lake where the first disciples were called (Luke 5:1–11) (10) 12 Abusive outburst (8) 14 Are loud (anag.) (7) 16 Printing errors (6) 19 ‘Take my yoke upon you and — from me’ (Matthew 11:29) (5) 20 Jacob’s third son (Genesis 29:34) (4)

16

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

This month we start a new series looking at the ‘one anothers’ in the New

Testament. We begin with the challenge of loving one another, as John says,

‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God’ (1 John 4:7).

Authentic Christian community in our churches will be shaped by how much

we love each other. What does John say about this?

Recognise that God first loved us: ‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries

without making them give you any of theirs.’ (Chrissy, age 6). At heart, love is

not just feelings but action! Although we are underserving, God demonstrated

His love for us in the person of Jesus, by sending Him to die for us, ‘This is

love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning

sacrifice for our sins’ (10). We can only show God’s love to others if we have

first-hand experience ourselves. It’s the Holy Spirit who draws us into the loving

embrace of the Father and Son, to enable us to experience the love between

members of the Trinity.

Recognise the call to love one another: How can we show people what God’s love looks like? It will be seen and ex-

perienced in the life of the Christian community within our churches. ‘No one

has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is

made complete in us’ (12). Significantly John uses the same opening phrase in

John1:18 when referring to Jesus. The implication of his words is that if you

want to know what God is like you have to look to Jesus and the Church!

As ‘Church’, we are called to demonstrate God’s love in the way we behave

together, by how we pray, support, encourage, forgive and welcome each other.

How do we experience God’s love in the groups and Sunday congregations that

we belong to?

Colin Urquhart has talked about a roundabout which most churches reach at

some point, when they ask, ‘Where do we go from here?’ There are various

roads off the roundabout, marked ‘evangelism’, ‘healing’, ‘social involvement’

etc. They try the roads but find they all lead back to the roundabout. Finally,

they notice a little dirt track marked ‘love one another’. So often God has to be-

ing us back to that track and tell as again, love one another!

Parish Pump

17

RELIGIOUS HUMBUG

I confess to being an aficionado of religious humbug (but only as something to be sa-voured and then laughed at). This was reinforced by my time in the Middle East where overdoses of powerless religiosity were continuously churned out by the local media – and most particularly on a certain day of the week when at least one entire page of every newspaper would be devoted to religious articles, questions and answers. Some of the more bizarre content that was then openly printed out there (and provided my amuse-ment) could not now be published in the UK. However nothing emanating from the Mid-dle East can match the quality my favourite example of religious humbug which was crafted long ago in the heart of good old England – British religious humbug at its very best!

The background is secret messaging. For centuries those whom we now know as spooks have been communicating in codes, ciphers and cryptology. However for mes-sages to be able to pass unnoticed through enemy hands the only technique available is to pass a concealed message within an apparently innocent communication (stenography) – and hope that it will not be noticed – a sort of Trojan Horse. Of neces-sity a Trojan Horse has to be much bigger in (mis)information content than the inner hid-den message. If the outward communication is too small then the concealment within will be noticed. For example some POWs in WWII were said to have posted innocent-looking paintings or drawings home in which there was a foreground of blades of grass in a lawn – however messages were hidden within these pictures using Morse code. The drawings included blades of grass, which by curving to the left or right indicated either the dots or dashes of a Morse code message (don’t try this at home! …- - - … Morse code has been forgotten).

In modern internet usage secret messages are now hidden within the pixels of innocent-looking pictures and are undetectable to the naked eye – there are doubtlessly many other new high-tech methods of hiding messages being used on the internet, which by now will be making serious headaches for our intelligence services.

This story concerns a clever servant and his imprisoned master and predates by a few centuries today’s high-tech methods of stenography. The popularly accepted account of this real-life trickery is generally as follows:

At the time of the English Civil War, Sir John Trevanion was locked up in Colchester Cas-tle in Essex (to the northeast of London). His fellow royalists Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle had recently been executed and he was expecting the same fate for crimes

18

against the government. (Some very illiberal Liberals had recently been elected into power by a significant majority of the locally-voting swords, muskets and cannons). Sir John’s servant R.T. sent a letter to his master’s prison, that appeared to be offering an obsequious overdose of religiosity. The letter passed the scrutiny of Sir John’s captors and was delivered to him by his jailer.

On the following evening, whilst apparently awaiting death Sir John asked to be allowed to pass an hour of private prayer in the chapel of his prison. However Sir John was somewhat less devout than his jailers, and used his hour of solitude to make good his escape – he was never recaptured. This is the full dose of religious humbug that the crafty R.T had delivered to his master.

“Worthie Sir John, --Hope, that is ye beste comfort of ye afflicted, cannot much, I fear me, help you now. That I would saye to you, is this only: if ever I may be able to requite that I do owe you, stand not upon asking me. 'Tis not much that I can do: but what I can do, bee ye verie sure I wille. I knowe that, if dethe comes, if ordinary men fear it, it frights not you, accounting it for a high honour, to have such a rewarde of your loyalty. Pray yet that you may be spared this soe bitter, cup. I fear not that you will grudge any sufferings; only if bie submission you can turn them away, 'tis the part of a wise man. Tell me, an if you can, to do for you anythinge that you wolde have done. The general goes back on Wednesday. Restinge your

servant to command. R.T.”

At first sight it would appear that, even by the standards of his time, the deferential R.T. was somewhat incapable in both spelling and punctuation. However R.T. was far more devious and devoted than your average servant. The letter conveyed a concealment ci-pher in which each third letter after a punctuation mark set out the true message. The hidden message was:

“PANEL AT EAST END OF CHAPEL SLIDES”

The loyal servant had told his master how to escape. Here is the same message with the cipher-text highlighted

“Worthie Sir John, --Hope, that is ye beste comfort of ye afflicted, cannot much, I fear me, help you now. That I would saye to you, is this only: if ever I may be able to requite that I do owe you, stand not upon asking me. 'Tis not much that I can do: but what I can do, bee ye verie sure I wille. I knowe that, if dethe comes, if ordinary men fear it, it frights not you, accounting it for a high honour, to have such a rewarde of your loyalty. Pray yet that you may be spared this soe bitter, cup. I fear not that you will grudge any sufferings; only if bie submission you can turn them away, 'tis the part of a wise man. Tell me, an if you can, to do for you anythinge that you wolde have done. The general goes back on Wednesday. Restinge your

19

servant to command. R.T.”

Academic comments published on this letter, point to the totally unnecessary comma in the text “soe bitter, cup.", as being the most obvious indicator of a secret message being present. However there is no need for us to believe that Sir John would ever have needed to pick up on the dodgy punctuation in order to have been alerted to the presence of a concealed message. Christians both know and understand the commonality of purpose and understanding that exists between master and servant – between the Lord Jesus and Christians – “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Jn 15:51”. Sir John would have instantly recognised that the outward message was complete humbug, because it was not in the natural style or language of his servant. His only problem would have been the time he needed to unscramble the cipher - which appears to have been several hours.

Is there a hidden message within the text of this article – both No and Yes. No - there is no cipher text hidden away here. Yes - the Spirit of the living God speaks to each and every individual with a personal message - one-to-one - that cannot be blocked or inter-cepted by any jailor – physical or spiritual. “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind …those who find me find life and receive favour from the Lord. But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death” (Prov 8 v 4, 35-36). Quieting your soul; listening, accepting and the acting on the Spirit-given messages from our loving Father can sometimes be a matter of life and death.

Postscript: One day when the Middle East underground Church leaders were meeting, Vincent – a USA military officer (who was a strongly committed, mature and self-disciplined Christian), was asked what he would be speaking about at the next service. I interject with an intended joke and said “Something religious…” – mistake! Vincent im-mediately jumped up straight and said “ No! It will NOT be anything religious – I HATE religion!” I quietly said to myself “that man knows something that I need to learn”. Con-cerning “religion”, as the word is commonly used now, Vincent was absolutely right – but that doesn’t stop me laughing at humbug.

Barry Blakesley

The above reflects the personal views of an Anglican heretic and might not conform to

the teachings of any particular church or organisation.

20

WHO IS THAT MAN IN THE STERN?

“What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41 KJV) You won’t be taking photographs in the face of a storm on Lake Galilee – the whole ex-perience never fails to be overwhelmingly scary! Here were 12 men in a boat, and – al-though several of them had known the lake from childhood as lifelong fishermen – once the winds were to start up, they would know they were in a crisis, hauling down the sail, bailing for their lives - they’re all hard at it…. bar one. Excuse me, who is that man in the stern? Why is he not helping? Why, it’s their leader, Jesus, asleep on a cushion. Is He not aware of our predicament? People have been asking that all down history. Exactly 800 years ago England’s famous Magna Carta had to be signed on the banks of the River Thames at Runnymede, to curb the abuse of King John’s power that had led to civil war and widespread distress. Eighty years earlier, the reign of King Stephen was so terrible that it was said, “God and His an-gels slept.” Is Jesus asleep in heaven, as far as events in Nepal, Syria, North Korea or the Sudan are concerned? Or when that answer to prayer seems a million miles away? As the terrified men wake the Lord up, and as He stills the storm with just a word, He then asks, “Where is your faith?” Implication: It’s all very well to believe when things are calm…. but if we’re only disciples of Christ for the happy days, then we’re going to be let down one day. The 17th century Puritan minister Stephen Charnock once wrote on the subject of faith despite ‘Trouble’: ‘Without it we shall be as light as a weather-cock, moved with every blast of evil tidings; our hopes will sink or swim according to the news we hear.’ True, the major problems of believers are a thing of the past, in that they have accepted eternal peace with God through Christ, their once-crucified and now living Saviour and Lord. But they will be sharing the vagaries of life on this fallen world with everyone else. So why be a Christian? Answer: Because Christianity is true. Because Jesus is whom He claims to be! And I want to know the truth for the truth’s sake. Which is why EVERYONE needs to sort out the question, “Who is that Man in the stern?”

Parish Pump

21

THE IMPACT OF PRAYER

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world” stated Archimedes, a Greek philosopher and mathematician. He observed that if a lever was bal-anced on a positioned fulcrum, it could move proportionally much greater weights than the force actually applied. As Christians, our ‘place to stand’ is on the finished work of Christ, secure in our identity as sons and daughters of the living God. And the lever that God has given to influence our workplaces – and other everyday contexts – is prayer. Yet the very culture of those places might cause us to question the value of time spent in prayer. The belief that we don’t have enough time is widespread. Once this is assumed, prioritisation against certain criteria becomes essential, and those criteria reveal our true values – often linked to success based on observ-able achievement. If prayer does not immediately meet these criteria, then finding time to pray becomes a struggle. Paul’s letters contain not only his own prayers for churches, but also requests for prayer for others and for himself. Prayer was the lifeblood of the early church, through which Christians saw the spread of the gospel, miracles of sal-vation, healing and deliverance, prison doors opened and guidance received. As E.M. Bounds wrote: ‘”God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.” We know that the climate in any given place determines what grows there, which is why we can grow different flowers and vegetables inside a greenhouse than in a garden. The climate or culture of our workplace determines what can flourish there and what withers. An atmosphere of shalom (wellbeing, har-mony, safety) produces a very different crop than one of fear or blame. What thrives in your workplace? What withers despite your hard work and effort? Paul points to the difference prayer might make when he urges us to pray in or-der “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”.

Parish Pump

22

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

23

24

25

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

26

FROM OUR RECORDS

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS

THOSE WHO CELEBRATED THEIR BIRTHDAYS IN JUNE

Ven Dr L. Dennen

Mrs Clara O. Adeleke

Mrs Funmi Olubodun

Mrs Rosemary Obilana

Sarah Rebeca Wider

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK

Ms Regina Dankwa

Chief (Mrs) Felicia Fakorede

Mrs Jose

Mrs Susan Laleye

Ms Sonia Smith

Olawale Osun—1st Mr Kolawole Adejobi—4th Mrs Janet Ayodele—4th

Master Lana Roberts—6th Rachael Kofeosho—6th

Mrs Adedayo Shofolahan—7th Miss Debbie Ayodele—7th

Mrs Oluwatoyin Akinnawo—9th

Olabanji Atanmuyide 10th Malachi Okedele—10th

Ozo Ossie Onyebalu—12th Mr C.O. Elugbadebo—12th

Joy Chukweke—14th Miss Ayodele Akinnawo—17th

Mr Stephen Ladipo—19th Mrs Tayo Sojinrin—23rd

Across

1, Sabbatical.

7, Opinion.

8, Laing.

10, Olga.

11, Galilean.

13, Sardis.

15, Severe.

17, Adultery.

18, Flea.

21, Swazi.

22, Acetate.

23, Revelation.

Down

1, Sling.

2, Brim.

3, Annual.

4, Ill-timed.

5, Abilene.

6, Colossians.

9, gennesaret.

12, Diatribe.

14, Roulade.

16, Errata.

19, Learn.

20, Levi.

27

THE BREAD FOR LIFE PROJECT

Since Monday 16th August 2010 The Bread For Life Project

has been providing hot meals (150 containers of jollof rice and chicken)

to homeless people, under the direction of Mrs Folake Roberts

and the support of some dedicated volunteers who help with cooking

and distribution of the food as well as those offering financial support

Our vocation as Christians and human beings is to love and be touched

by the pain of other people. Your support would be appreciated in order

to enable the continuance of this important work.

Please make cheques payable to the "Bread For Life Project"

and addressed to Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts or Mrs Folake Roberts.

If you prefer to pay directly into the account, the details are as follows:

BREAD FOR LIFE PROJECT

BANK : METRO BANK

ACCOUNT NO: 11062571

SORT CODE: 23-05-80

Thank you and may the good Lord reward us

for all that we do in His name.

Amen

28

Finding Out AbOut St. OlAve’S

Our ideals

We are a congregation of

men and women; boys and girls

who are trying to live for God

in a world that has largely

chosen to ignore Him.

We believe that it is God’s world

and that He has given the answer

to all human problems

in Jesus Christ.

As a body of believers, we offer to all

who come regular opportunities

for worship and service that point

the way to God as our strongest

resources in all aspects of life.

We will be pleased to welcome you

to any of our activities. You will find

a warm welcome at St Olave’s.

—

VICAR:

The Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts St. Olave’s Vicarage,

Woodberry Down, London, N4 2TW Tel/Fax : 020 8800 1374

Mobile : 077 8210 0399 Email : tunde.roberts@talk21.com

CHURCHWARDENS: Mr. Ola Bello

28 Clarence Road,

South Tottenham, N15 5BB Tel: 07983221545

Mr Olu Sholagbade 81, The Ridge

Dollis Valley Way Barnet EN5 2TT

Tel : 020 8449 4413

SECRETARY: Mrs Funmi Olubodun

Flat 3 Orion Hse.,143a Balaam St., E13 8AF

Tel: 07958 685 665

TREASURER Mr Colin Akinnawo

19 Kings Road, London, N18 2QR; Tel: 020 8807 8902

CHOIRMASTER: Mr Adebayo Banjo Tel: 078 8870 3585

ORGANIST: Mr Magnus Adewunmi

34 Anna Close, Regents Estate,

London, E8 4NW Tel : 077 8951 1830

MOTHERS’ UNION LEADER:

Mrs Folake Roberts St. Olave’s Vicarage, London, N4 2TW

Tel: 020 8800 1374

ST. OLAVE’S DIARY IS THE PARISH MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF ST OLAVE,

WOODBERRY DOWN. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE OR RE-

CEIVE A REGULAR MONTHLY COPY, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ANY OF THE CONTACTS

UNDER WHO’S WHO IN THE PARISH