An Epiphany Message from the Dean of Winchester Cathedral, the Very Revd Catherine Ogle

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’” 

M. Louise Haskins

Dear brothers and sisters,

At this time last year, COVID-19 was something few of us had heard about and was a very long way away.  We simply didn’t have any idea of what we were going to face during 2020.  But an unknown threat became a familiar part of daily life as the tiny virus swept across the world.  Our lives were turned inside out and upside down in some way or another.

Now, many of us have spent Christmas separated from loved ones, perhaps for the first time ever.  Others have worked throughout in essential services and are weary.  Some of us have lost employment and, sadly, some of us are bereaved.  Many of us enter a new year with anxiety, loneliness or frustration.  I have the sense that most of us are ‘walking wounded’.

As we begin this New Year, the church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany and the journey of the Wise Men to the Christ child.  Until now, the Nativity scene has been Mary and Joseph and the baby with the shepherds, representing the local people who recognised God’s great gift. The Nativity scene has animals, angels and the star representing the response of the whole of creation. Now, with Epiphany and the coming of the Wise Men we see each continent, and therefore the whole of humanity, represented at the stable.  

This year, the gifts that the Wise Men bring have a particular meaning for me.

Gold represents all that is precious in life. Perhaps this is a time to reassess what is most important to us.  Faith teaches that true glory is found in patterning our lives after the example of Jesus in loving service, and seeking God in one another and our everyday lives. Love is what is precious. 

Frankincense represents prayer, the longings of our hearts, both those that we can articulate and those that remain unspoken. God knows the secrets of our hearts and our hopes and fears.  This is the time to pray, because when we pray, we begin to cooperate with God who transforms lives and communities. Faith transforms daily life.

Myrrh represents ointment for healing. Out of so much suffering and loss in the past year, humanity has been connected in its common vulnerability and common cause. We have glimpsed a different future where we work together for the good of all, the healing of the nations and the planet. Hope transforms the world.  

We don’t know what the future holds but we have faith, hope and love. The advice of the man who stood at the gate of the year is this:

‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’  

I do hope that, whatever your circumstances, you will know the comfort and energy of God’s daily presence. I hope that this New Year will bring love, healing and a new sense of faith and hope for us all.  I close with an audaciously hopeful prayer, written for New Year 2000 from Churches Together in England:

Blessed Lord Jesus, let there be: respect for the earth, peace for its people, love in our lives, delight in the good, forgiveness for past wrongs, and from now on a new start. Amen.

With blessings and best wishes

The Very Revd Catherine Ogle

Dean of Winchester

HOPE IN DIFFICULT TIMES

A message from the Rector, originally written for the Sandleheath Newsletter.

A rather belated Happy New Year to all. 

I’m writing after Christmas, but still in the Season of Epiphany – a season which begins with the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem, but soon leaves the infant Jesus behind, and moves on to the bigger picture.  The Sunday after Epiphany is the Feast of the Baptism of Christ – within a week we have moved from the birth of Jesus to him adult ministry. 

Other Advent themes include the Wedding at Cana, where John tells us that Jesus performed him ‘first sign’ by changing water into wine – a very substantial quantity of it – gallons and gallons!  What does that say about God’s generosity?

Then we reflect on the calling of the first Disciples, and on how God might be calling us in this difficult time.  Perhaps to care for family, neighbours, friends; perhaps by phoning, or shopping, or dog-walking, or other practical things; perhaps simply to pray more, to spend more time consciously in God’s presence; or, perhaps to be involved in some sort of ministry, either within the Church or in the secular world?  I am surprised and delighted by how many people have reflected on their lives during this time of enforced isolation and separation, and feel called as lay ministers, or worship leaders, or ordained ministers.

Looking back to Christmas, in spite of all the difficulties and oddities, it was a good time of celebration in many ways.  The highlights were, I think, the Open Air Carols in all four AVC Parishes, which were all great occasions – they were the only things which had a degree of normality about them.

Now, we look as if we are moving into a time of great Lockdown, as this new strain of the virus takes hold, just as the vaccination programme is beginning, with all the hope that that was bringing.

Moving from tier 3 to 4 doesn’t affect the regulations for worship, but it does change the perceptions of the risks for us all.

As I’ve continually said, no one should be feeling obliged to do anything they feel uncomfortable with.  On the other hand, I’m aware that there are those for whom coming to Services in Church is very important for them.

Having spoken with the AVC STaff Team, and seen e-mails from Wardens of the AVC Churches and others, we have decided that across the AVC we should have some Services in Church, but mainly be on-line. 

There is a great deal of worship offered on-line, and people have much to choose from.

If you’d like to join the AVC, we are on-line every day at 10.00 on Facebook, often live on YouTube as well – or Services are posted there afterwards.  You can access Facebook directly, or via our website.  The address for all of these is AvonValleyChurches.

We also have a phone line, 01425 543305, on which people can hear live Services and catch up – it’s probably easiest to put your phone on to ‘speaker’, and the call charges are the same as for any local call.

For those who wish to meet in Church, we’ll have one or two Services in Church each Sunday, as we did during the late summer – please see Partners for details – you can find that here on the AvonValleyChurches website, and have it by e-mail each week.

It looks as if this latest Lockdown (pretty much!) is likely to last a few weeks or more, so we’ve decided to do Lent on-line this year.  From the 17th February, Ash Wednesday, we’ll be running a Lent Course based on the wonder film, the Greatest Showman.  It’s called ‘From Now On: A Lent Course on Hope and Redemption’.  Anyone on-line can join in, and we’ll find ways of offering to those not on-line as well.  Full details to follow.

We have some difficult weeks ahead of us, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, with the new vaccine being rolled out, and so we just have to wait in hope.

 As Peter Sills wrote in the Church Times recently:

VÁCLAV HAVEL, the Czech poet and first president of post-Soviet Czechoslovakia, said: ‘Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out’.   This is the quality of Christian hope.  Our hope is not a refusal to face the facts of the world, dreaming of an ideal society, but a belief — in the face of those facts — that a better world is possible and worth striving for.

Do make an effort to find ways of enjoying this season of Epiphany, and then getting ready for Lent.  And do search the Scriptures, and keep an eye open in your daily lives, for signs of hope – like the seeds and bulbs under the ground, already getting ready to burst open in the spring, so the signs of the Kingdom of God are all around us, if only we have eyes to see.

Blessings to you all.

Canon Gary Philbrick

Rector.

A Prayer for the New Year

Canon Sue Wallace posted this prayer in response to her Thought for the Day on Thursday, December 31st – you can see Sue’s Thought on our Facebook page.

A New Year Prayer from  ‘Celtic Daily Prayer’, from the Northumbria Community.

This day is a new day

That has never been before.

This year is a new year,

The opening door. (Open the door)

Enter, Lord Christ;

We have joy in Your coming.

You have given us life;

And we welcome Your coming.

I turn now to face You;

I lift up my eyes,

Be blessing my face, Lord,

Be blessing my eyes.

May all my eye looks on

Be blessed and be bright,

My neighbours, my loved-ones,

Be blessed in Your sight.

You have given us life

And we welcome Your coming.

Be with us Lord,

We have joy, we have joy.

This year is a new year,

The opening door,

Be with us Lord,

We have joy, we have joy.

TIER 4 – JANUARY SERVICES

Dear All,

Happy New Year, when it comes, and thanks for all that so many people did to ensure our Christmas Services continued as best they could.

The highlights were, I think, the Open Air Carols in all four Parishes, which we all great occasions – they were the one things which had a degree of normality about them.

Moving from tier 3 to 4 doesn’t affect the regulations for worship, but it does change the perceptions of the risks for us all.

As I’ve continually said, no one should be feeling obliged to do anything they feel uncomfortable with. On the other hand, I’m aware that there are those for whom coming to Services in Church is very important for them.

Having spoken with most of the Staff Team, seen e-mails from Wardens and others, my feeling for Sunday 3rd January at least is that we should have some Services in Church, but mainly be on-line.

Several of the Staff Team are isolating, and so we can have the 8.15 at Fordingbridge, the 10.00 at Fordingbridge and the 10.00 at Breamore (6.00 Sanctus is due to be on-line anyway).

For the rest of the month we’ll have one or two Services in Church, as we did during the late summer, but mainly be on-line – please see Partners for details

We do now have the phone line, 01425 543305, on which people can hear live Services and catch up.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, with the new vaccine being rolled out, and we wait in hope.

As Peter Sills wrote in the Church Times recently:

VÁCLAV HAVEL, the Czech poet and first president of post-Soviet Czechoslovakia, said: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” This is the quality of Christian hope. Our hope is not a refusal to face the facts of the world, dreaming of an ideal society, but a belief — in the face of those facts — that a better world is possible and worth striving for.

Best Wishes,

Gary.

SMARTIE TUBES FOR KINKIIZI

The Mission Matters Group would like to thank God for the amazing generosity of our Benefice. £1000 has been received in the Smartie Tubes, and will go to the Christchurch Deanery Kinkiizi Fund, to be forwarded urgently to our friends in Uganda, where it is desperately needed in a Covid situation much more threatening than ours, and will be used wisely. Thank you so much to all who gave.

Pat Bloomfield

Welcome to Laura Cowdery

We are delighted to announce that Laura Cowdery will be joining us as Digital Communications Enabler/Digital Support Worker.

Message from The Vice-Dean of Wincheser Cathedral, Canon Roly Riem

Dear Friends,

Back to square one. That’s the fear we all have as a new lockdown looms.

Covid has taken us into a game of Snakes and Ladders where the progress we seemed to be making over the summer now seems to be just a moment’s advantage in a long slog around the board. Suddenly we face the longest snake, from near the finish right back to the beginning.

But we are not back to where we started. More than 47 000 are already dead as a direct result of the disease. We are fed up and frustrated; mental illness is increasing; businesses are on their last legs; those who can make the most difference to our health and wellbeing are the most exhausted; the most vulnerable will once again become isolated; and all this is happening as flu and dark nights return.

I don’t want to deny hope, rather to be realistic about the weeks ahead, and to acknowledge the scale of the problem. We cannot honestly say that that we are ‘rounding the curve’ or that the figures we face have been exaggerated. Those for excess deaths tell an even bleaker story.

The historic prayer book of the Church of England was completed in the plague-ridden 17th century. One of its prayers entitled, ‘In the time of any common Plague or Sickness’, emphasises just how ‘normal’ looked to them. It begins, ‘Almighty God, who in thy wrath didst send a plague upon thine own people in the wilderness.’

I admire the frankness of this opening. It acknowledges that no favoured group can expect exception from sickness, and that one bad thing can, and often will, happen on top of another – the wilderness and the plague must have been a terrible combination.

After naming another heaven-sent disaster which dispatched 10 060 souls, the prayer continues: ‘have pity upon us miserable sinners … may it now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sickness.’

21st century people, who know about viruses, tend not to imagine God turning the tap of sickness on and off to punish us, but there is something here to appreciate. When we face a crisis beyond our resources and feel ourselves punished and picked upon, then only God can finally save us: God working through those researching treatments for the illness and a vaccine; God sustaining those who feel at the end of their tether; God prompting us to help our neighbour.

This is more than a fancy way of talking about our own initiatives and actions, because God is super-natural energy, available to people who require pity and whose best efforts constantly fall short – ‘miserable sinners’ in the Prayer Book’s language.

The times of ‘pestilence’ we are facing aren’t historically unusual, and we must relearn the lesson that in the bleakest of times we are not on our own: there is an Almighty God to call upon, who can deliver us from our afflictions. He is there to help us in our struggles.

Latest Community News:

As I have said, the coming lockdown will return us roughly to our state at the start of July. This is going to hard for us all and we will do our best to support each other as the restrictions bite. One way the Cathedral will support you is by reinstating our Daily Reflections, from Thursday 5th November.

From Thursday also volunteers will not be allowed to undertake their duties in the cathedral. I write this with great sadness and in full appreciation of the extraordinary service volunteers have given in the past months. The human contact has been good for us all, as well as for our visitors and worshippers online and in the cathedral. We hope that in December things will change quickly for the better.

May I remind you that there is a way of keeping in touch with others after Evening Prayer/Evensong, via Zoom? This happens every day apart from Tuesdays and Thursdays. The easiest way to reach this is via the link on our livestreaming site: https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/service-live-stream/. It is a friendly group, with which members of the clergy join in. Those wanting to speak to a priest please phone the pastoral number 01962 857701 or contact us directly be email. Those wishing to ask for prayers please email pray@winchester-cathedral.org.uk. Please check our website for updates, but those who cannot access email will be sent the Dean’s letter by post during the lockdown.

The cathedral nave only will be open between 11noon and 3pm, should you wish to come in for prayer and reflection. We hope to livestream all services, with special attention to Sundays, though we do not yet know what musical forces will be possible. As during the lockdown there is no public worship, Remembrance and Advent Sunday services will be livestreamed at the address given above. Tickets for services in December will be suspended until we know what we can offer.

Let me finish by quoting from a prayer sometimes falsely attributed to Francis Drake, rather mellower than the one in the Book of Common Prayer, which may give us the courage to press on:

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Roland Riem

Vice-Dean and Canon Chancellor

Winchester Cathedral

HAZEL RICKETTS – New Co-Director of Music at St Mary’s, Fordingbridge

Music Director

We are delighted that Hazel has been appointed Co-Director of Music at St Mary’s, Fordingbridge, to succeed Clive. Hazel is a Music Teacher, choir director, organist and enthusiast for Church Music and, especially, young people – we hope she will also be able to work in our schools. I’ve put a little bit about her below, taken from the Wareham Choral Society , which she conducts. She will start in early November. Gary.

Hazel Ricketts lives in Salisbury. She has a music degree from the University of Surrey and an MA in Musicology from the University of Southampton.

Hazel works as a freelance musician in the Salisbury Area, working largely within church music.

She runs a monthly singing group at St Birinus Church, Morgan’s Vale, introducing new and modern hymns to the group which are then incorporated into church services, and plays for services (piano or organ as needed) both monthly at St Birinus, and as required at several other churches in the area.

Other work includes accompanying music exams, and, on a voluntary basis, working with the local RSCM committee organising and running events.

In addition, Hazel is the Conductor of Castle Singers, which is Hampshire County Council’s work place choir; a mixed ability group who meet once a week in their lunch hour to sing for fun. Their repertoire is diverse, including Renaissance Madrigals through to modern popular music, mainly in 4 part harmony.

She is also a peripatetic keyboard and piano teacher for Hampshire Music Service. teaching individual and small groups of up to 4 children, and a Teaching Member of Salisbury Area Music Co-operative, teaching the piano and clarinet to children aged between 6 and 11 at three schools in the Salisbury area.

Hazel also teaches from home; piano, clarinet and theory, and pupils have ranged in age from 6 – 71.

BISHOP’S COMMISSION FOR MISSION

Are you a lay person? Would you like some input for your existing
ministry, or do you feel that God might be calling you to serve in some new way? More interested in learning from otherswho are passionate about their ministry than in getting a formal qualification? Want help to see how your sense of calling might grow, or how you might develop your ministry? Then Bishop’s Commission for Mission could be for you.

The Bishop’s Commission for Mission, which will be delivered on-line in the Autumn, is a great way to explore a new area, and see whether that is where you are being called.

There are introductory and closing sessions, and six evenings, all on-line.

In the autumn we are offering Creation Care, Prayer Champions, Pastoral and Worship.

It would be great if we could fill those courses to their limit with people from the AVC.

(And, eventually, when our new Worship Pattern (originally planned to be launched on May 1st) begins, if we are to sustain that pattern, we need lots of Lay Worship Leaders -at least 5 new ones, and preferably more!!!)

Full details and dates of the Autumn 2020 Programme, with dates, are here:

BCM FLYER – AUTUMN 2020

Videos explaining the 4 BCM Streams are here:

BCM VIDEOS

If you think any of this might be for you, talk to Gary or any of the Staff Team – and we can put you in touch with some of our current dozen or so BCMs so you can see whether this might be the right next step for you.

Canon Gary Philbrick

THE REVD MIKE TROTMAN

Sadly for us, but wonderfully for Mike and his family, he has been snapped up by the Diocese of Salisbury at his first interview. He and Heidi would have loved to stay here for longer – he has been signed off by the Bishop to apply for other posts, but there is a deadline of June next year – but this post was advertised and looked so ideal for him that I encouraged him to apply for it.

The official notice from the Bishop of Sherborne reads:

We are pleased to announce that the Benefice Patronage Board, comprising Benefice representatives, the Archdeacon of Dorset, Bishop of Sherborne and Rural Dean have appointed the Revd Michael Trotman to be the next Rector of Parkstone St Peter and St Osmund with Branksea St Mary. Michael is currently Training Curate in the Avon Valley Churches and brings much experience and gifts to the post, including a background in teaching and facilities management and an interest in developing fresh expressions and outreach. The appointment is subject to DBS. Michael feels very much called by God to this post and those involved in the appointment believe him to be the right fit, and are looking forward to welcoming him and his family sometime in the autumn. Bishop Karen and Archdeacon Antony wish to thank all those who were involved in the appointment process.

Mike’s last Service is likely to be sometime in September – we are still negotiating dates.

Mike and his family will be greatly missed here – they have done so much, and made such an impact during their two years here. But we wish them every blessing for their future ministry and life.

Gary.

BWANJA SCHOOL APPEAL – KINKIIZI, UGANDA

On behalf of the Deanery of Christchurch.

Encourage everyone to take part, saving 40 pence daily for the 40 days of Lent (Sundays don’t count!) = £16 + £4 Gift Aid (for taxpayers) = £20 .

Details and Jar Wrappers for printing are available on the link below:

http://www.avp-benefice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Bwanja-Appeal-2020-page-724×1024.jpg

http://www.avp-benefice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/4040-jar-wrapper-page-1024×724.jpg

Lent Appeal Leaflet

Jar Wrapper

DROUGHT IN KINKIIZI DIOCESE – request for help

Dear All in Christchurch Deanery:

We’ve had distressing news of the continuing drought in Kinkiizi, Uganda – see pictures overleaf and the message from the Diocesan Secretary below.

People have been very generous with the Hymnathon recently, and Gill Tybjerg from the Deanery will be taking some extra money from Deanery funds specifically for the drought with her when she goes next month.

However, if anyone would like to make an extra donation, we would need to know by Monday, July 3rd, so that she can take it with her on Friday 7th.

Please also remember Kinkiizi Diocese in your prayers.

Canon Gary Philbrick, Area Dean

From the Diocesan Secretary of Kinkiizi Diocese:

To all our development partners and well wishers

Christian love and greetings from the Diocese of Kinkiizi in Kanungu District, Uganda, East Africa to all our development partners and well wishers.

We thank you for your continued support for our Ministry to God’s people.

We are writing to bring to your kind attention the adverse effect that the prolonged drought has seriously caused to our people in Uganda and Kanungu District in particular some people have already started dying as a result of hunger. We fear that if nothing is done urgently, many more people are going to die. Schools may not operate up to the scheduled time of second term because of lack of food.

There are very many families affected but we would like to provide support to the most needy families with beans, posho and rice.

Each of these items is estimated at the cost of Ugx 3,000= (Three thousand shillings only) per kilogram today. We do not know what the cost will be tomorrow as it is changing every other day. As a church, we feel we cannot sit back while our people are facing this great challenge.

We will appreciate any kind of support towards our efforts to mitigate this challenge facing us today.

We have attached photos showing the extent of the effect of the drought on our crops.

We thank you for your positive response to our appeal.

Yours in Christ’s service.

Rev.Can.Bernard Bagaba

Diocesan Secretary. Diocese of Kinkiizi

www.kinkiizidiocese.com

Our sufficiency comes from God (2Cor.3:5)

THE DROUGHT IN KANUNGU DISTRICT, KINKIIZI, UGANDA

Rev’d Sam visits from Uganda, with Sally Johnson and Mark Ward