Castleford Team Parish Parish Magazine - October 2015 The churches of: All Saints, Church Street, Castleford, All Saints, Lumley Street, Hightown; St Michael & All Angels, St Michaels Close, Smawthorne and St Paul the Apostle, Pontefract Road, Glasshoughton.
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CLERGY Rector: Fr. Michael Wood, 01977 518127 The Rectory, 15 Barnes Road, Castleford WF10 5AA team.rector@castlefordteamparish.org.uk Team Vicar: Fr. Mark Watkins, 01977 511659 The Vicarage, St Michaels Close, Castleford WF10 4EY team.vicar@castlefordteamparish.org.uk Asst. Curate: Fr. Kevin Greaves, 01977 512404 The Vicarage, Churchfield Lane, Glasshoughton WF10 4BP curate@castlefordteamparish.org.uk Polish Priest: Fr. Gregory Ruszczynski,
07842 883648
Lay Pastoral Minister: Mrs Lynda Maw
01977 518078
Parish Office: (Enquiries for Baptisms) Saturdays at 10.00-10.30am at All Saint’s Church, Castleford. Editor, Magazine & Pew Sheets (including Diary Dates): Andrew Goyns,
01924 898593 magazine@castlefordteamparish.org.uk
October 2015
THE RECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, There is a fairly new book called “Genesis, The Bibluffers Guide” written by a stand-up comedian called Paul Kerensa. It is the book of Genesis retold in a very simple and very funny way. The account of creation in Genesis Chapter 1 is just wonderful. We are told that the moon and the stars were created so that people wouldn’t trip up when they went to the toilet at 3am which they wouldn’t have done any way because they hadn’t been created yet. In with all of the trivia and froth there will suddenly come something which draws you up and makes you think ‘gosh.’ There is a little discussion asking if the story of creation is true or did creation evolve. Creation or evolution? “Evolution could be created and creation can evolve” Did God create the world in seven days, of course not says the book, he did it in six! Creation is something we take for granted; we could not live without creation because we are right in the middle of it. Thoughts of creation are important at this time of year because this is when we give thanks for the harvest. Even if we don’t see a field from one year end to the next, never-the-less the harvest is still essential for our existence and therefore we have a responsibility to care for that which provides us with our daily bread. Not just care though we also have a duty to give thanks. Saying thank you is vital. Sadly it is true that many in our world are only too willing to take without giving a second thought. Saying thank you is important, not just to each other but to God, the giver of all that is good.
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October 2015 (continued from page 3) The refugee crisis is not getting any easier, if anything it may even be worse as people continue to risk their lives to find a new home. We have so much but we must never take that for granted and must always be mindful of those who have nothing at all. So this harvest time we give thanks for creation, for our food but also ask that we may hold the needs of those who have nothing in our hearts. With my love and prayers.
A PRAYER FOR REFUGEES Almighty and merciful God, whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own; look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger, homeless and hungry. Bless those who work to bring them relief; inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts; and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 4
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THE REAL ADVENT CALENDAR 2015 Why we need to share the story It might be difficult to believe but several surveys show that the knowledge of the Christmas story is fading. Among 5-7 year olds, 36% don’t know whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas and 72% don’t know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Among adults less than 12% know the full nativity story and 51% say that the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas. The Christmas Starts with Christ campaign hopes to reverse the trend by telling the Christmas story in new ways.
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October 2015 Buy buying The Real Advent Calendar which is priced at £3.99 each, The Meaningful Chocolate Company, maker of the calendar is hoping to fund a baby clinic in Kenya and support overseas farmers by donating £15,000 from the expected sales this year. However, it is not just the charitable donation that makes The Real Advent Calendar unique. It includes a 32-page Christmas story-activity booklet designed to be used every day in Advent. The booklet has all the traditional nativity characters and gives more detail about the Christmas story. The calendar also comes with 24 Fairtrade Belgian chocolates and a line of the Christmas story behind each of the foiled windows.
HOW TO ORDER If you want to buy a Real Advent Calendar through the Parish please write your name on the order sheets that can be found in every church. Please give your money to your Church Wardens at the time of placing your order. Because of the expected high demand for the calendars the deadline for any orders is Sunday 25th October. Fr Kevin will then place the orders on behalf of the parish and he will then give the calendars to the Church Wardens as soon as they are delivered.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARDS Don’t forget to get your parish Christmas cards which will be available in the churches shortly. Watch out for a note on the Pew Sheet when they are on sale
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MOTHER TERESA – 65 YEARS AFTER FOUNDATION OF THE MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY Mother Teresa – known officially as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta since her beatification in 2003 – was something of an icon. This month marks the 65th anniversary of her foundation of the Missionaries of Charity to look after people who had been abandoned by everyone else. She believed love by itself had no meaning and had to be put into action through service. She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in what is now Skopje, Macedonia, but was at the time part of the Ottoman empire. Her family was Albanian, originating in Kosovo. She died in 1997, within a week of one of her greatest admirers, Princess Diana. When she was 18 she joined a group of nuns in Ireland, and took her religious vows in 1931. She moved to India originally as a teacher. She usually wore a white Indian sari, with blue trimmings, out of respect for the traditional Indian dress but was regarded as a traditionalist, being against contraception, and when she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 she described abortion as "the greatest destroyer of peace today". She attracted a great deal of criticism for this and for what some people considered was rough handling of the patients in her homes, as well as the lack of hygiene, and her acceptance of suffering. In later years she travelled outside India, and in 1991 returned to her homeland to open a home in Tirana, Albania. The Missionaries of Charity now consists of over 4,500 religious sisters and is active in 133 countries.
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PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS How many plastic carrier bags do you have stashed away? To save you the hassle of counting, it would probably be about 40 – that is the average for households in the UK. But the amount of new bags that we use each month is likely to drop drastically from this month (October) onwards. For whereas in England shoppers used 11.7 free bags each month last year, in Wales, where a 5p charge for each bag was introduced, just two were used each month. And in October of this year the charge will be introduced in England.
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October 2015 CROSSWORD Across 1 He must be ‘the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well’ (1 Timothy 3:12) (6) 4 ‘For we must all — before the judgement seat of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:10) (6) 7 ‘They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their — end’ (Ps 107:27) (4) 8 See 19 Across 9 It concerned who among the disciples would be the greatest(Luke 9:46) (8) 13 Formed by the Jews in Thessalonica to root out Paul and Silas (Acts 17:5) (3) 16 ‘He has sent me to bind up the — ’ (Isaiah 61:1) (6-7) 17 Moved rapidly on foot (Matthew 28:8) (3) 19 and 8 ‘ — a great company of the — host appeared with the angel’ (Luke 2:13) (8,8) 24 Hindrance (Romans 14:13) (8) 25 Comes between Luke and Acts (4) 26 Empower (Acts 4:29) (6) 27 ‘Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a — !’ (John 2:16) (6)
Down 1 Sunrise (Psalm 119:147) (4) 2 The part of the day when Cornelius the Caesarean centurion had avision of an angel of God (Acts 10:3) (9) 3 He was one of those who returned with Zerubbabel from exile inBabylon to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:7) (5) 4 ‘No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born — ’(John 3:3) (5) 5 Animal hunted or killed as food (Ezekiel 22:25) (4) 6 ‘He encouraged them — — remain true to the Lord’ (Acts 11:23) (3,2) 10 Ruses (anag.) (5) 11 Jewish priestly vestment (Exodus 28:6) (5) 12 Visible sign of what had been there (Daniel 2:35) (5) 13 This was the trade of Alexander, who did Paul ‘a great deal of harm’ (2 Timothy 4:14) (9) 14 ‘This is my — , which is for you; do this in remembrance of me’ (1 Corinthians 11:24) (4) 15 One of Noah’s great-great-grandsons (Genesis 10:24) (4) 18 Traditionally the first British Christian martyr (5) 20 Relationship of Ner to Saul (1 Samuel 14:50) (5) 21 Jacob had one at a place he named Bethel while on his way to Haran, fleeing from Esau (Genesis 28:12) (5) 22 Bats (anag.) (4) 23 ‘You strain out a — but swallow a camel’ (Matthew Solutions on page 31 23:24) (4)
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PUZZLES WORDSEARCH
Clues for October 2015 To St Luke, whose feast-day is 18th October, we owe a beautifully written gospel as well as the Book of Acts. He was a Greek physician and faithful travelling companion to St Paul. Under house arrest near the end of his life Paul noted, ‘only Luke is with me’. Luke’s gospel focuses on the compassion of Christ, and offers us moving parables, such as the Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son. Women figure more prominently in Luke’s gospel than in any other: look out for the extended story of the Virgin Birth, and stories of Mary, Elizabeth, and the woman who was a sinner. His gospel also features more poor people, more lepers, more ‘sinners’, who are all shown to be ‘inside’ the love of Christ. In Acts, Luke skilfully links sacred and profane history, as subsequent archaeology has shown. He tells of how the early Christians moved away from Jerusalem into the pagan world, and especially on to Rome.
Luke, Feast, Day, Written, Gospel, Acts, Greek, Physician, Travelling, Faithful, Paul, Compassion, Parables, Prodigal , Son, Good, Samaritan, Women, Poor, Lepers, Sinners, Jerusalem, Pagan, Rome, Early, Christians SUDOKU EASY
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READINGS FOR OCTOBER 4th October
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The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity (G) HARVEST FESTIVAL Joel: 2: 21-27 Psalm : 126: 1 Timothy: 6: 6-10 Matthew: 6: 25-33;
11th October
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The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity (G) Amos: 5: 6-7, 10-15 Psalm: 90: 12-end Hebrews: 4: 12-end Mark: 10: 17-31;
18th October
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LUKE THE EVANGELIST (R) Isaiah 35: 3-6 Psalm: 147: 2 Timothy 4: 5-17 Luke 10: 1-9;
25th July
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The Last Sunday after Trinity (G) Jeremiah: 31: 7-9 Psalm: 126: Hebrews: 7: 23-end Mark: 10: 46-end;
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DIARY DATES FOR OCTOBER Sunday 4th
HARVEST FESTIVAL Usual Sunday morning services. 6.30pm Evensong at St Paul’s followed by Harvest Supper & Charity Auction
Monday 5th
2.15pm at St Paul’s - Glasshoughton Infants Harvest Festival
Tuesday 6th
2pm Standing Committee meets at The Rectory
Wednesday 13th
9.30am & 11am at St Paul’s - Park Junior Harvest Festival
Thursday 15th
Clergy Study day at Bradford Cathedral
Friday 16th
7pm at Castleford “Wine & Sing Evening”. A chance for a glass of wine and to learn some new music
Sunday 18th
3pm at St Michael’s “PET SERVICE” bring your pet and your friends to church
Tuesday 20th
10.30 Castleford Hall - Dementia Training Session 7pm at Castleford PCC Meeting
Wednesday 21st
2pm at Castleford - Three Lane Ends Harvest Festival
Sunday 25th
“GIFT DAY” Parish Mass at Castleford 10am
Thursday 29th
2.00pm Dementia Friendly Service for those living with Dementia and their Carers
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October 2015 The Rev Dr Gary Bowness continues his tongue-in-cheek letters from ‘Uncle Eustace’…
ON WHAT THOSE ADVERTS FROM PARISHES WANTING CLERGY REALLY MEAN… The Rectory St. James the Least My dear Nephew Darren So, you are being encouraged to look at adverts for parishes for that happy day when you will have charge of your own church. You wonder if you should look to moving to another part of the country; I suspect it may be better if you look to moving to another planet, as your reputation may not yet have travelled that far. Reading the specifications that parishes provide, giving a picture of life in their community, need to be read in the same way as estate agents’ specifications for houses for sale. Both demonstrate a triumph of optimism over reality. Let me help you decode some of the statements you will find:
“We look to grow our Sunday School” – We do not have a Sunday School.
“We have an enthusiastic choir” – We have a choir totally out of control.
“Our youth group is always eager to learn.” - Our youth group experiments with some strange substances.
“The new incumbent should be sympathetic to our musical tradition”- The new incumbent must be able to play the organ as well as lead the Services.
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“While cherishing our traditions, we see the need for change” – We always see the need for change, but alter anything at your peril.
“Plans for church renovations are in hand” – The building is in imminent danger of collapse.
“We have a large range of church groups” – You will have to run a large range of church groups singlehandedly.
“The vicarage is being refurbished” – The vicarage is a death trap. It has rising damp and dangerous electrics will not be fixed for many months yet.
“There is opportunity for developing ecumenical relations” – No one in living memory has ever spoken to clergy of other denominations in our town.
“The new incumbent should have a sense of humour” – He or she will need it when reading this specification.
My dear nephew, caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware! Your loving uncle, Eustace
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HIGH DAYS & HOLY DAYS IN OCTOBER 1
Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. Apostle of the Franks 533: Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury, Social Reformer 1885
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George Bell, Bishop of Chichester, Ecumenist, Peacemaker, 1958
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William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Reformation Martyr, 1536
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Denys, Bishop of Paris, and his Companions, Martyrs, c.250 Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, Philosopher, Scientist 1253
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Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644
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Wilfrid of Ripon, Bishop, Missionary, 709
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Edward the Confessor, King of England 1066
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Teresa of Avila, Teacher, 1582
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Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, Reformation Martyrs, 1555
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Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107
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LUKE THE EVANGELIST
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Henry Martin, Translator of the Scriptures, Missionary in India & Persia, 1812
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Alfred the Great, King of West Saxons, Scholar, 899
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SIMON & JUDE, APOSTLES
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James Hannington, Bishop of eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyr of Uganda, 1885
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Martin Luther, Reformer, 1546
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A SAINT FOR OCTOBER DENYS OF PARIS (WHY LOSING YOUR HEAD IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING) Have you ever held your head in your hands and felt that events were against you? Then Denys is the saint for you. This Christian martyr knew all about holding his head in his hands when times got rough. According to Gregory of Tours, Denys was an Italian bishop who became the first bishop of Paris. Along with five other bishops, he had been sent by the Pope to convert all of Gaul. Denys reached Paris, where the common people welcomed him, and his preaching was met with great popular success. In time he even went on to establish a Christian centre on an island in the Seine. That was the beginning of Christianity in Paris. However, Gaul was still under Roman rule, and trouble began for Denys when in the year 250 the Emperor Decius issued an unusual Roman imperial edict. All the citizens of the empire were required to sacrifice to the Emperor in order to prove their loyalty to the old ways. Once they had sacrificed, they could obtain a libellous (certificate) to prove they had complied. This sacrifice was of course out of the question for any Christian, and Denys and several leading Christians in Paris refused. Soon Denys, along with a priest called Rusticus and a deacon called Eleutherius, were imprisoned and beheaded. So loved had Denys been by the people that stories soon sprang up about how he had then picked up his head and carried it for ten kilometres, preaching a sermon as he walked. Today you can see a stature commemorating this unusual (!) event in the crypt of the Roman Catholic Basilica of Denys in Paris.
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DEMENTIA UPDATE Dear Friends, On the 20th October at 10.30am we will be having another Demen a Friends Awareness Session in the Parish Rooms. The session is expected to last up to 12.00 noon and will include refreshments. The first part of the session will be delivered by Adrian Barnes‐White from the Alzheimer’s Society, giving an overview of demen a. The second part will be delivered by now a friend of the parish, Anita Ruckledge – Lead Demen a Nurse for the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust. She will give an overview on what is happening within the NHS specifically Pinderfields Hospital on recognising people with demen a and suppor ng them and their families when they are placed on a ward. Posters are available to promote this, as this is available to all. Please take some and give to neighbours as well as asking your local shops to display them. Volunteers are also s ll needed for our next Demen a Friendly Service, which will be on Thursday 29th October at 2.00pm at Parish church. If you would like to help out at the Service can you please let me know. Volunteers are needed to welcome visitors, help out on refreshments and also to sing in a small choir. If you haven’t done so already, posters are available from your church wardens adver sing the service. Please take some posters and take them into your local shops and ask them if they will place it in their window or no ce board. The more people we make aware of the service the more who will come. Thank you all for you continued support.
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HALLOWE’EN? TRY ANOTHER WAY! Across the centuries there have been two traditional feast days that signal the end of Harvest and the beginning of Winter. They were known under the name of ‘Hallowtide.’ All Saints Day, on November 1, is followed in some traditions by All Souls Day on November 2. Both, to a large degree, have been held to commemorate the lives of past saints and martyrs of Jesus Christ. They are preceded on October 31 by Hallowe’en – a derivation from ‘All Hallows Evening.’ Partly because Hallowe’en heralded the dark days of Winter, it steadily came to adopt a ‘darker’ feel, featuring – along with the traditional carved pumpkins and apple-bobbing – a party atmosphere, geared to children, with play-acting along the lines of goblins, witches and broomsticks. This ethos has been dramatically fed in recent years by films and books teetering on the magical and the occult, to the extent that Hallowe’en today, with the help of massive commercialism, has become Britain’s third biggest festival of the year. In earlier times these antics could perhaps be accommodated, even adopted, as a piece of fun within the life of a village. But with the growing influx of cultures that are alien to the traditional Christian West, we now have on our doorstep heathen ritual malpractices, ‘honour killings’ and sub-human hatred and terrorist plots that echo Solzhenitsyn’s diagnosis: “The demon of evil like a whirlwind triumphantly circles all five continents of the earth.” What genuine place can Hallowe’en have in all this?
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October 2015 It is timely that churches and Christian groups are now putting on their own creative fun nights on October 31. Just click to the internet to devise yours! True; evil can feel fun! But - emphasised the French philosopher Simone Weil - it is only FICTIONAL good that is boring and flat, while it is FICTIONAL evil that is attractive and profound. By contrast - she insists - real life turns the tables: “Nothing is so beautiful and wonderful, nothing is so full of sweet and perpetual ecstasy as the GOOD; no desert is so dreary, monotonous and boring as EVIL�
HIGHTOWN COFFEE MORNING There will be a coffee morning at Hightown on Saturday 24th October 2015 from 10.00am to 12 Noon. 25
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HYMN: THE STORY BEHIND … O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home!
Under the shadow of Thy throne Still may we dwell secure; Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defence is sure…
A thousand ages in The sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night, Before the rising sun.
Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) is often called the ‘Father of English hymnody’. Certainly before his hymns came along, congregational singing was a tedious business.
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October 2015 (continued from page 26) Watts was born in July 1674 in Southampton. (At the time of his birth, his father, an educated deacon in a dissenting Congregational church, was briefly in prison for his non-conformist beliefs.) As a boy, Watts showed outstanding ability with language (learning Greek, Hebrew, Latin and French). He also had an unusual ability for easy rhyming in English. (At the age of five, when scolded for giggling in family prayers, it was because he had seen a mouse on the bell-rope, and instantly composed the line: ‘There was a mouse, for want of stairs, ran up a rope to say his prayers!’) Watts’ literary ability, combined with his interest in theology, made him very unhappy with the congregational singing of the day, which focused almost entirely on strict metrical versions of the psalms. One Sunday after church, Isaac complained to his father about this. His father challenged him to write something better. Though only 18, Watts accepted the challenge, and produced his first hymn – which was duly sung the following Sunday. It was such a success that he wrote new hymn texts every Sunday for the next two years. In all, he went on to write more than 600 hymns. Some of them are still well-loved today: from this one, ‘O God, Our Help in Ages Past’, which is a paraphrase of Psalm 90, to ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’, and the Christmas carol ‘Joy to the World’.
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PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD
WORDSEARCH
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS EASY
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October 2015 COMPLAINTS – HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM EFFECTIVE? (Advice courtesy of Parish Pump from Solicitor, David Pickup) I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. (Psalm 142:1,2 KJV) Perhaps it is a British thing, but we do not like to complain, do we? The psalmist was a complainer – even to God, we are told. Most large organisations, especially public bodies, want us to complain because good service standards are important. They have well designed complaints systems and independent ombudsmen to oversee it all. The first thing is to try to resolve an issue informally. If this has not worked, use the proper procedure. You can probably find how to on the company’s website. Be precise about what you are complaining about. Be clear – use account numbers, references and dates. Put in the names of persons involved, if you know them. Do not leave it too long because most procedures have deadlines. Keep it short, simple and to the point. Ask a friend to look at it first to make they understand what you are complaining about. Be firm but polite and business-like – you are more likely to be listened to. It may be helpful to use numbered points, in date order. Keep a note of dates. Be reasonable. It may be an apology will suffice, but do not be fobbed off. Think about what outcome you want. Is it an apology? If so, get a genuine apology. If you are told “we are sorry you felt let down” that is not an apology; “We let you down” is. Perhaps you want the organisation to change their ways so something bad does not happen to other people. And another thing: if you get a good service from someone, tell the company. It might make their day. 33
October 2015 PARISH OFFICERS PCC Secretary: Mrs Mavis Whitehead PCC Treasurer: Mr Andrew Goyns Stewardship & Gift Aid Secretary: Mr Arnold Randall Gift Day Secretary: Mrs Dawn Heyworth Family & Children’s Worker Mrs Karen Richardson CHURCHWARDENS David Field, Castleford: 01977 707120 Mavis Whitehead, St Paul’s 01977 550529 Pauline Morris, St Michaels 01977 668790 Ian Fletcher, Hightown 01977 550139
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01977 550529 01924 898593 01977 278611 01977 514515 01977 552524
DEPUTY CHURCHWARDENS
Hilary Wilkes, Castleford: Karen Ferrier, St Paul’s: Emma J Lisle, St Michael’s Susan Fletcher, Hightown
SERVICES All Saints’ Castleford SUNDAY Mass (Said)
8.00am
Sung Mass (except last in month)
9.30am
Tuesday Mass (Said)
7.00pm
Saturday Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary
9.30am
All Saints’ Hightown SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
10.45am
Wednesday Mass (Said)
7.00pm
Saint Michael and All Angels SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
10.45am
Thursday Mass (Said)
10.00am
Saint Paul’s, Glasshoughton SUNDAY (except last in month) Sung Mass
9.30am
Wednesday Mass (Said)
10.00am
LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: Combined Parish Mass at 10.00am - ( see diary section for venue ) FOR MAJOR SAINTS’ DAYS IN ALL CHURCHES