Colchester Christ Church News – November 2018

Christ Church Anglican Congregation Vision Statement “Through our worship, mission, nurture and service we want to enable all

people to enter into a living relationship with Jesus Christ”

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In this month’s news:

• The Rector writes – November 2018

• Prayer of the month

• Tis the season …. Be aware, be alert

• Colchester Foodbank

• Church Library

• Crib Festival

• Traidcraft

• A Parish Pilgrimage 2019

• Remembrance Sunday

• Curry and Scalextric Evening

• Christ Church Walk

• Advent Quiet Day

• Light overcomes darkness

• Fairtrade Easy Apple Cake

• What’s on

• November diary

The Rector Writes November 2018 “No Greater love!”

Jesus said, “Greater love has no-one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12f These are the days of remembrance. On 4th November it is All Saint’s or All Souls day when we remember the dearly departed of our families, our church and community. Halloween has passed with a ‘Hero Parade’ and party games reflecting the light of the ‘Saints’ against the darkness in the world. On 11th November it is Remembrance Sunday when we remember those who have fallen in conflict, both of the armed forces and civilian populations. In between is Guy Fawkes Night, the 5th November, when we remember the audacious plot to bring down parliament by its destruction of building and parliamentarians alike. This year and across the world, Remembrance Sunday has a particular poignancy. Along with the world community we will stand for two minutes’ silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 100 years to the moment when the guns stopped firing on the western front during World War 1. It was to be the last of all world wars – so it was thought. Soldier, sailor, airman and civilian alike are gathered up in the

simple action of standing to remember. This year we will be reading the names of the 118 service personnel from our parish who perished in the two great wars. Some of these names may have faces and stories that have been passed down to the longest serving generation of Christ Church Parish but for most of us they will not. But regardless of knowing a name, our remembrance will be shaped around our understanding of the anonymous and sacrificial ‘laying down’ of life against tyranny and evil. This at first sight might seem a duty but perhaps when grasp the vastness of the sacrifice made by so many we cannot but be struck by the awesomeness of the gift of life offered anonymously by one person to another. Jesus said “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13:Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12f

Jesus was reminding his followers that he was to lay down his life for them, no longer servants but friends. This was to be his final trial to take on himself all that was wrong in the world. Surely there has never been such a great love freely given by one friend to another by whom his death has given life. True also that we may not have met those who we will remember by name on the 11th November, each giving their lives for our freedom. Let us be grateful to those who did not know us yet in Jesus words “laid down their lives for their friends” on land, air and sea. Each remembrance tide, I recall the following poem by Ulrich Schaffer which I believe enables us to be thankful for those whose loss and sacrifice may seem pointless and memory bitter. These words speak of life beyond death; eternal life which comes from dying itself most wonderfully enacted by the simple dandelion.

I am persuaded by the dandelion To take the wings of the up-drift To parachute into enemy territory To fall to the ground To be walked on To lose beauty And so give birth To a whole generation of fliers It was Jesus in his death for us his friends who gave birth to a generation of fliers. Each year we will remember those who we love but have died. We will remember those who have lost their lives in conflict and war. Our comfort however comes in remembering faithfully our Lord Jesus Christ, whose friendship is eternal and gives us the opportunity to remember life now and embrace new life for ever. We therefore give thanks as he commands, “Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Yours ever

Paul

Prayer of the month

Attributed to a seventeenth century nun I did not fully realise that this was a prayer when I first met it hanging on the wall in our school secretary's office. She was a lovely calm person and this was well suited to her. Judith Budge

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Tis the season to……..be aware, be alert In this season which is getting darker by the day with the clocks going back, it is easy to see why we like to make the most of the sun and warmth (and maybe plan a last minute winter getaway to the sun). Also it seems the shops are filling up with “darker” stuff on offer. I don’t mean a darker funny Christmas jumper, or dark chocolate, they are enjoyable and good for us, (especially the dark chocolate). But darker, more sinister things appear, around Halloween. Here is a thought to consider, “does what you choose to dress up in, and go into character, say something about who you truly would like to be, or aspire to?” Just as much as what you choose to eat says something about you? “You are what you eat” apparently, according to Dr Gillian McKeith. I quite literally got a shock the other day when I went in to buy something and a shop assistant with a fake cut throat asked if she could help me, then as I went to pay, the lady on the till looked up at me with contact lenses that made her eyes look demonic. What was also strange, were the people around me, they did not find it disturbing, but almost normal and even enjoyed their shopping experience??… Now I love to dress up, and have fun with my kids, as you can see from the photos

from the Hero Parade, but something inside me thought “what has gone wrong here? Why do these ladies want to distort their natural beauty, for make up from hell?” If this was real, these people would not want to see this much blood and death, I am sure, so why pretend like they do? I may sound a bit like a Halloween scrooge, but as a parent to young children, I want them to have the best chance in life of living it to the full being surrounded with things of life, not of death. The Apostle Paul wrote to the early church to advise them how to live lives to the full, In Philippians 4:8 NIV “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Paul was saying to focus on things, activities, have conversations and relationships, that bring you life and health, not death. I have some theories as to where this comes from, one is our western culture does not talk much about death prior to it actually happening. So the reality of death is at times seen

as fantasy and fiction, over the fact that it is real and for those living through death and loss of a loved one…devastating . Western school’s don’t teach on death, and western families find it hard to discuss death until it actually happens, (not so in other cultures). There is more in this than I have time to write, but pop up death café’s have been springing up because young people want to come together to talk about death and work out together how to cope with this reality. At Christ Church we do already talk about death and loss in a caring, supportive setting in the “Support in Loss” group. Maybe we should have a space for young people and families to talk about death and other tough or even taboo subjects too? In the new year, I will be sharing more about some new initiatives to support families through “Faith at Home” times and a Parenting course in the new year. The mental health of young people today is a massive concern for all who work with them. If you are interested in the latest research and articles look online at Oct 2018 Youth and Children’s work magazine, or speak to me about some of the meetings and conferences I have been too. The culture our young people live in now is “toxic” for their mind, body and soul. It is also a “look at me generation.” Lived out with selfies,

snap chat, instagram, twitter, and dressing up in more graphic detail. It is part of that heart cry from them saying “I am here!!... look at me, I am special, lovely and have talent.” Unfortunately statistics show that for some young people, unless they get a certain amount of likes or positive emojis from their social media posts, they think they are not liked, loved or worth much. When the truth is they are loved so much and are worth dying for on a cross. They are priceless and made with unique talents. They are all special and are heroes in Jesus’ eyes, they just need people to tell and show them. This is one reason for our Hero Parade, to celebrate together, our little (and big) heroes God has given us in our families, and bring them into the spotlight to say you are worth so much and have so much God has for you to enjoy. His invitation is still the same, “come, taste and see.” On 31st Oct that was our invitation to families to come in from the cold dark night and taste and see all that is good from God. Let’s be mindful in this coming season of what is the best way to be spending our time, money, words, love and who with? So together with God, we can be carriers of light and life to our families and community and to

prayerfully push back the darkness in the world. To hear more about how to take care of our whole self as God created us, we are hosting a ladies pamper afternoon on Sunday 25th Nov from 1pm at Christ Church. Or come along to Spirit Space on sun 11th November 6.30pm, where I will share more about “being yourself” and looking at your own unique story in helping

others along their faith and life journey. Numbers 6:24-26(NIV) 24 “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Emma Jarratt

Colchester Foodbank Colchester Foodbank charity works in partnership with Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea Foodbanks to provide emergency food to local individuals and families in crisis. Frontline professionals refer people to the Foodbank, over a third of those they send there for help are children. The Foodbank provides a lifeline of support when things get really difficult for people, to stop them getting much worse and hopefully to help make things better. The charity's biggest cost is operating the warehouse - about £20,000 per annum. The warehouse is where the Foodbank’s army of volunteers welcomes clients, as well as receiving, sorting, storing and then redistributing food to people in need which has been generously donated by local people. For the same cost of renting, the Foodbank could pay to buy a building if they can just raise enough for a deposit first. At the time of writing this (mid-October), people have already generously donated £30,879. The Foodbank is hugely grateful that, during the period of Advent Christ Church PCC has adopted the Service Group’s recommendation to support the “Be a brick, Buy a brick!” campaign. This will be launched

during worship on the morning of Sunday 25 November. If you wish to donate £10, place your donation in the receptacle provided, write your name or prayer/message on a brick and add it to our ‘wall’ in the foyer. Thank you for making time to consider and, hopefully, support the "Be a Brick, Buy a Brick!" appeal. Clive Joyce Finance Trustee, Colchester Foodbank

Church Library The Library is open! It can be found in the smart new custom-built bookcase on the balcony

Come and have a look

There are all kinds of books to suit your need and satisfy your curiosity:

Bibles with different translations of familiar words which can give a fresh slant

on what we read

Books to comfort and encourage such as “Travelling Light” by Max Lucado

Books about inspiring lives such as Corrie Ten Boom’s “Tramp for the Lord”

Books for a good read: exciting,

absorbing and thought provoking such

as “The Shack”

Books of prayers

Children’s books for all ages with little

books for little people on the bottom

shelves in the boxes

History books

Books by well known and respected

authors such as CS Lewis

And lots more …… Come and see for

yourself

Browse, borrow (sign out in the book) and bring back

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News from Traidcraft Dear Friends, As you’ll have heard, Traidcraft plc has recently been going through a period of consultation. We’ve received hundreds of messages of support from shareholders, Fair Traders, fair trade shops, staff, suppliers, and producers, and it’s all contributed to this latest update. It’s the passion and drive of these communities which has proven to our Board that Traidcraft’s mission isn’t yet over. There’s still work to be done, and we know we’re the ones to do it. Our Board is currently investigating a proposal which would mean Traidcraft is downsized, but transformed into a fair trade business of tomorrow – fit for purpose (and success) in the 21st century. Traidcraft would maintain its pioneering spirit, and seek to deliver greater transparency and added value to ethical consumers. If the proposal is accepted, Traidcraft would continue to operate, and you’d be able to continue to shop with us and change the lives of growers and artisans worldwide.

The Board believes that this transformation is possible, as long as our loss-making model changes. A new model is being developed by internal staff and external advisors, and we hope to share our vision with you in the week commencing 5th November. Downsizing will be an essential part of this journey. While this proposal is being considered, it’s been unavoidable that all current staff have been formally served notice of their redundancy. This will also have an effect on our producers. We’re proactively working with our sister charity, Traidcraft Exchange, to identify the producers most at risk and provide the support they need. Traidcraft Exchange will be launching an appeal this Christmas to raise funds for this work. If you’d like to be kept informed about this, please email hello@traidcraft.org with your details. We have a lot to do in the coming few months, but we’re hopeful that we may now have sight of a bright new beginning for Traidcraft plc. In 1979 we introduced fair trade to the UK, and at the turn of our 40th year we’re planning to do it all again,

working in new ways to make trade fairer for people and the planet. Thank you for your ongoing support – in letters, e-mails, and orders…. We ask you to keep purchasing from us to invest in this bright future. Our latest collection is the biggest and

most impactful range we’ve ever had. Shop with us, and continue to make a difference. Kindest regards, Robin Roth CEO, Traidcraft

A Parish Pilgrimage in 2019 30th May – 2nd June 2019 We are organising a short parish pilgrimage in 2019 which will be shaped around the medieval traditions of pilgrimage and follow one of the pilgrim routes of that time. There will be two distinct aspects to the pilgrimage

1. A Physical Pilgrimage for those who are able to walk around thirty miles across three days of walking. This will follow ‘St Edmunds Way’ from Bures, where St Edmund was crowned King to The Cathedral at Bury St Edmunds where he is buried. The walk will be completed in three stages on Friday, Saturday and Sunday ending with Evensong at the Cathedral.

2. A Spiritual Pilgrimage for those who do not wish to do the walking for which there will be resources for meditation and prayer over the same three days and probably a programme of activities within the church.

On Thursday evening and the two evenings during the walk there will be an evening programme for all pilgrims at Christ Church including a short act

of worship, a meal and an entertainment reflecting the focus of the pilgrimage – St Edmund – and the medieval traditions of storytelling. The walkers will meet at Church each day and be taken to the starting point for the days walk. At the end of the walk they will be returned to Christ Church, with time to go home and get ready for the evening. We are still working on all the details so watch for further announcements. Currently we estimate that the costs for all Pilgrims will be of the order of £35 each to cover the meals on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. For the walkers there will be an additional cost of around £25 each to cover the costs of transport. The only action that you need to take at this point is to put the dates in your diary. Nearer the time we shall be asking people to sign up so that we can get a clear idea of the numbers who wish to take part. David Lankshear On behalf of the organising team

Fairtrade Easy Apple Fruit Cake Ingredients: 200g softened butter 200g soft brown sugar 3 eggs beaten 300g self raising flour 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp baking powder 2 eating apples grated 200g mixed fruit soaked in port Method

• Heat oven to 180˚c/fan 160˚c/ Gas Mark 4.

• Butter and line the bottom of a deep, round 20cm cake tin or large loaf tin, with greaseproof paper.

• Beat the butter, sugar and eggs together in a large bowl (or electric mixer) until pale and thick.

• Gradually add the flour, spice and baking powder. Using a large metal spoon, gently

• Fold in the fruit until evenly combined.

• Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 50 minutes to an 1 hour or until the cake is golden, springy to thetouch and has shrunk away from the tin slightly. A skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean when it’s ready.

• The cake is nice with a sprinkle of Demerara sugar on top.

• This will keep for at least a week wrapped in an airtight container.

November 2018 Diary Sunday 4th November 8.00 am Holy Communion in St Mary’s Chapel 9.30 am Morning Worship Traidcraft 3.00 pm All Souls Remembrance Service 4.30 pm Messy Church Monday 5th 10.00 am Coffee + Tuesday 6th 9.00 am Morning prayer 10.00 am Time Together 3.15 pm Messy Crafts Wednesday 7th 10.00 am Holy Communion Friday 9th 7.30 pm Splodgy Youth Saturday 10th 11.00 am Christ Church Walk 7.00 pm Curry and Scalextric Evening Sunday 11th 9.30 am Morning Worship 10.40 am Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial 6.30 pm Spirit Space Monday 12th 10.00 am Coffee + Tuesday 13th 9.00 am Morning prayer 10.00 am Time Together 3.15 pm Messy Crafts Wednesday 14th 10.00 am Holy Communion Thursday 15th 9.00 am Breakfast Café Friday 16th 7.30 pm Splodgy Youth

Sunday 18th

9.30 am Café Church 3.30 pm Ven. Annette leaving service at Chelmsford Cathedral Monday 19th 10.00 am Coffee + Tuesday 20th 9.00 am Morning prayer 10.00 am Time Together 3.15 pm Messy Crafts Wednesday 21st 10.00 am Holy Communion Thursday 22nd 9.00 am Breakfast Café Sunday 25th 9.30 am Holy Communion 1.00 pm Time 4U Ladies Retreat Monday 26th 10.00 am Coffee + Tuesday 27th 9.00 am Morning prayer 10.00 am Time Together 3.15 pm Messy Crafts Wednesday 28th 10.00 am Holy Communion Thursday 29th 9.00 am Breakfast Café Friday 30th 7.30 pm Splodgy Youth Saturday 1st Advent Quiet Day at Assington Hall Sunday 2nd 8.00 am Holy Communion in St Mary’s Chapel 9.30 am Morning Worship 4.30 pm Messy Church

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