February 2018

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Published: Thursday, 08 February 2018 13:22

A Happy New Year to all our readers. Christmas is now a distant memory as we resume our routines and begin to work our way through the early months of 2018. We talk about the twelve days of Christmas, ending with the feast of the Epiphany. In fact the Church observes a much longer period - forty days - culminating in the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple on 2^nd February. We recall how Jesus' parents brought him to the Temple to do for their first born son what was required by the Law of Moses. It is at the time of that event and rite of passage that the aged and faithful Anna and Simeon arrive on the stage and recognise their Lord. The Presentation is a pivotal feast day: both looking back to Christmas and the joy of Jesus' birth; and looking forward to the coming days of his passion. Thus the crib remains in place until February, its wooden structure a poignant pointer to the wood of the cross. As we observe during the Good Friday Liturgy as a simple cross is brought into our midst, “This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the Saviour of the world. Come, let us worship”.

Among the Christmas presents that arrived at the Rectory was one for “Wesley”; beautifully wrapped, it came with best wishes “from the dogs of Dock Lane”. It was a scented Parisien Pomander; the Rectory has never smelled so sweet! The Abbey Church is about to smell as sweet.....

Incense has been offered in worship for centuries. Frankincense was among the mysterious and valuable gifts offered to the infant Jesus by the Magi – “Incense owns a deity nigh”. Good Liturgy is constructed to engage our whole self, to stimulate all our senses, and feed our imagination. One of the elements of good liturgy is, for example, the use of colour. Every Sunday we feast our eyes on magnificent flower dispays, beautiful and colourful altar hangings and vestments. Movement is also important, as the opening procession draws us into the unfolding drama of the Eucharist. Singing and chanting stimulate the sense of hearing. Sweet smelling incense encourages more participation. I still remember the first time I experienced “Rosa Mystica” at St Thomas', Lymington. Made exclusively at Alton Abbey, the smell captivated this young lad as the thurible swung, its chains tinkling as clouds rose to the rafters of the church. In the Book of Revelation, the burning of incense is an important part of the worship of heaven. The Sunday Eucharist is nothing less than a foretaste of life in heaven.

Of course the use of incense is nothing new at the Abbey Church. As from February, we shall be using it on the 2^nd Sunday of the month.

Wednesday 14^th February is both St Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday - the beginning of Lent. The forty days of Lent encourage us to grow in faith and devotion to our Lord. As well as the usual 10.30am service, there will be a 7pm Eucharist at the Abbey with ashing.

Jane Barnicoat-Chongwe and I will be running the Lent groups on the Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Lent. Using a course on Prayer by Robert Warren and Kate Bruce, we shall be considering the themes: Prayer as relationship, as enjoying God, as listening, as worship, as care. For all of us, prayer can seem like hard work or a bit of a mystery. Wherever we are on our faith journey, this course encourages joy and delight in prayer. The sessions include Bible Study and discussion. If you have never experienced a Lent group, do please consider it.

The Tuesday group will meet at the Rectory from 7pm-8.15pm. Our first session will be Tuesday 20^th February. The Wednesday group will meet in the Abbey Room at 11.30am, following the morning service. A light lunch will be available at 12.30am, and we shall be away promptly by 1.30pm. I hope you will be able to join us for one of these sessions. The material will be the same for both morning and evening, so feel free to mix and match. NB There will be no Tuesday meeting on 20^th March, but a combined session at lunchtime on Wednesday 21^st March.

Each year the Trustees of the East Boldre Educational Charity disperse funds in accordance with the Trust's Deed. It's objectives are reviewed annually, but the purpose of the Charity is “to promote the education, including the social and physical training, of Church of England children resident in East Boldre”. Applications for grants may be made to me, as Chairman of the Trustees, or addressed to Mrs Jan Saunders c/o Beaulieu Abbey Church Office. The Trustees will be meeting on Thursday 1^st March.

As I type this, January 2018 marks the centenary of the loss of submarine G8 in the 1st World War. It left for a patrol in the North Sea but failed to return and it is believed fell victim to a mine on or around 14th January. It has never been found. Sub-Lieutenant Philip Armstrong of Oxleys, Beaulieu, was a member of the crew and in his memory the wooden Calvary which stood at the south end was erected by Sir Frank and Lady Armstrong. It was the only memorial to the loss of G8. Over the years the wooden parts of the memorial have been damaged by wind and rain and in 2007 a new stone cross took its place. Some of the wooden cross was used to produce the red cross which now stands behind the High Altar. The figures now stand beside the altar in the Gallery Chapel.

On Thursday 15^th March, 7.15pm-9pm, we shall be holding a FORUM at the Abbey Church. Based on the format of BBC's “Question Time”, an invited panel will respond to questions from the floor. The subject for the evening will be “NHS – crisis or opportunity.” Tickets will be £10. Further details to follow via the Benefice News, Beaulieu Churches website, and weekly newsheets.

With the love and prayers of your parish priest.

December 2017

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Published: Tuesday, 05 December 2017 14:08

FROM THE RECTORY

This is a combined edition. Our Benefice News can only be as good as those who contribute to it. Thank you to those who have provided articles throughout the year - including clergy, parishioners, local reporters, authors, researchers and photographers. Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, and importantly, thank you to you, our readers. Our thanks to Jaki and John who each month have received our copy and produced excellent editions.

As I write, charity literature continues to drop through the letterbox encouraging my support this Christmas; which is a particularly difficult time for those who find themselves homeless. Among the leaflets – actually one of the few that didn't end up contributing to “Wesley”'s teething routine - was one from “Crisis at Christmas”. It claims that some 160,000 households across Britain are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. A recent article in the “Lymington Times” (10 November), draws on the charity Shelter's figures, reporting that the New Forest is among the top 50 areas of the UK with the highest rates of homeless people. “Crisis at Christmas Charity” is running a “Table” scheme; each 'place' providing company, three nutritious meals, a bed for the night if necessary, a health check, advice on housing and employment, and access to year-round training and support. Remarkably, in 2016, the charity enabled 37,552 meals to be served, and provided 797 health checks. All this and more for the modest sum of £26.80.

As you know the Waterside Winter Night Shelter is due to open on 1st December. Whilst we shall not be providing a venue, nevertheless several of you have kindly volunteered to help with this project. Our PCC's agree the charities we support for the year. I know that many of us have our own 'pet' charities that are close to our hearts. Whatever the demands and pleas, we cannot do everything. Thank you for supporting our church charities as generously as you have this last year.

December contains the four Sundays of the season of Advent. 3rd December is Advent Sunday. On the one hand, we are anticipating the joy and pleasures of Christmas: the renewing of friendships, the parties and the presents. On the other hand, the Church tells us that Advent is a season of restraint and penitence: reflected in the absence of flowers, the solemn purple altar hangings and vestments. The Gloria is not sung until its joyful explosion at the Midnight Mass of Christmas. Christians have always rejoiced at the birth of Jesus from the earliest days, but have also always had in mind the Second Coming of Jesus - ‘in glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead”, as the Collect puts it. Thus Advent has encouraged the faithful to reflect on the themes of Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell, the so-called “Four Last Things.”

You will find in this edition details of our benefice Christmas services. This year Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday. There will be no 9.30am service in the Abbey Church because there will be the benefice Midnight Mass. There will, however, be a 8am Holy Communion at Buckler's Hard, and the 11.15am Carol Service at Exbury. The benefice Crib Service will take place at 4pm.

On Christmas Day there will be an 8am service at Buckler's Hard, a shortened Holy Communion with carols at the Abbey Church, and Holy Communion at 11.15am at East Boldre.

This edition straddles both 2017 and 2018. I find myself looking forward to a new year wondering what it will bring, both excited and not a little anxious. We have no way of knowing what lies ahead. Certainly 2017 has been momentous, including the Referendum and the decision to exit Europe; all this will need to be worked out further in the coming year. I hope it will be a happy and healthy one for my family. I find myself recalling ML Haskins' words, spoken by George VI in his 1939 Christmas broadcast, “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.' And he replied: '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.'”

The most important event of January 2018 is our Confirmation Service at the Abbey Church on Sunday 14th January. It will be the only morning service of the day. Please note the later start - 10am - and make every effort to come and support those who are taking this next and important step on their spiritual pilgrimage. There will be Evensong at 4.30pm.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our services during the Christmas period.

With every blessing for Christmas and the New Year.

November 2017

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Published: Thursday, 02 November 2017 16:08

FROM THE RECTORY

“Wesley” continues to grow apace and as I type he is nudging my knees, anxious for attention and exercise. Over the weeks I have seen him increase in confidence. He makes me laugh: he does not like the sound of motor-bikes, but delights in the metallic noise of his empty food dish, which he rolls and chases around the kitchen. Now when I lose a bunch of keys, the first place to check is his bed; the TV remote has become a favourite gadget to chew. Recently, I was amused to see him poised in front BBC's “Strictly Come Dancing”; like the celebrity contestants, he also responds to encouragement and praise – but I've noticed the message penetrates quicker when accompanied by a tasty morsel!

This month includes Remembrance Sunday. On Sunday 12th November there will be Morning Prayer at 10am at the Abbey Church, followed by the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial. Our preacher will be The Revd Canon Ray Hubble. At 3pm there will be Evensong at St Paul's, East Boldre, followed by an Act of Remembrance in the churchyard. Please note, there will be no evening service at the Abbey.

Our second Rector's Benefice Lunch – 12.30pm for 1pm - takes place on Sunday 25th November. If you have not yet experienced it, do join us. Further details on our weekly newsheets.

We shall be having a benefice Confirmation service on Sunday 14th January 2018. The Bishop of Southampton will be coming to the Abbey Church to conduct it. The Christian faith is a journey. The service derives its meaning from baptism. At our baptism parents and godparents publicly declared on our behalf that they believed in God, and that they would encourage us to grow in the faith of the Church. At Confirmation, candidates 'confirm' from their own mouths those earlier promises, and their decision to live a life of committed discipleship. Those who have been confirmed are then able to receive the bread and wine at the Holy Communion. I have been pleased to receive several names already, but it is not too late to be included; please speak to me as soon as possible. Our first session will be at the Rectory, 7.30pm-8.30pm on Friday 17th November. I hope that you will be able to join us, as we seek to encourage one another, and build up each other in the way of Christ.

Thursday 30th November is the feast of St Andrew the Apostle. The Gospel tells us that after the fisherman encountered Jesus, he knew he could not keep it to himself, and excitedly rushed off to fetch Simon-Peter. Thus Andrew, Peter, James and John were launched on their journey of faith, prepared to leave everything behind in order to throw in their lot with the One who had been promised from of old. In the words of a hymn we shall sing during Advent - “Hark! The glad sound the Saviour comes, the Saviour promised long. Let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song”. It would not be a simple, straightforward road, and those first disciples would have to learn the way of Christ-like sacrificial love; Andrew himself would be martyred in Greece. Each of us, marked by the cross at baptism, is similarly challenged to consider what fidelity to Christ and the Gospel might look like for us personally. Significantly, the Sunday before Andrew's feast day is called “Christ the King”. Bringing to an end the long season of Trinity, we are directed to the costly, self-giving love of the King whose coming we proclaim during the purple season of Advent.

On Saturday 2nd December, the eve of Advent Sunday, we have arranged an outing to Winchester Cathedral for their Advent Procession. This service, a perfect preparation for the season of Advent, begins in darkness and ends in the light. Sung by the cathedral choir, it combines beautiful music, candlelight, readings from Scripture, and some of the Church's oldest and most beautiful hymns. I hope that you will be able to join us. Further details about the coach trip will be posted on the benefice website and through the weekly newsheets.

With my love and prayers.

September 2017

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Published: Tuesday, 05 September 2017 09:12

From the Rectory...

“Lord of all, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise”*

I imagine, by now, many of you are getting "back to normal" — returning to regular rhythms of work and life, as the holiday season ends. I hope you have been able to use the summer in fruitful ways — to relax, rest, recover, and think. For recreation (re-creation) itself was built into the very fabric and work of creation by God, who commands us to rest. Summer is a time of reflection and discernment— and stepping back, retreating, changing scenery, is perhaps one of the most effective tools to consider life and its direction.

The most important event of this month is our Flower Festival, 15th-17^th September. Community and church groups have been planning their displays, and they will bring their creative skills to bear as they interpret lines from F S Pierpoint's hymn of thanksgiving, “For the beauty of the earth”*. The Abbey Church lends itself so well to floral displays, and we can be assured of a feast for the eye. As we gaze on such beauty, may we be led to a greater awareness of our many blessings - including the abundance of creation and the gift of family and friends. The proceeds will go to Church Funds. The festival concludes with Choral Evensong at 5.30pm on Sunday 17 September.

Sunday 17^th September is Harvest Thanksgiving at St Paul's, East Boldre. Following the morning service there will be a soup and cheese lunch. Sunday 24^th September will be Harvest at St Katharine's, Exbury.

On Tuesday 26^th September we shall be enjoying our benefice outing to the Isle of Wight. Following a guided tour of St Mildred's Church, Whippingham, and lunch at Godshill, we shall visit the Benedictine Abbey of our Lady at Quarr, where we shall join the community for Evening Prayer.

I am delighted that our churches are open daily for personal prayer and reflection. At the Abbey I am grateful to the team of welcomers on duty before the visitors to the Motor Museum arrive after noon. As you know, we have introduced religious books alongside the various items and gifts on sale at the back of church. This stock is renewed regularly, taking account of the church's seasons, and among other things, there are gifts appropriate for baptism and marriage. At the end of August we shall  have installed a bespoke bookstall/cabinet. This was generously financed by Paul Nicholas, and crafted by Colin Kitcher. The nearby children's corner continues to be much appreciated by visitors, and by parents in church with children on Sundays. My thanks to Liz Wigfield who organises this area, and to Miranda Elliot who has begun preparing appropriate crafts once a month.

This month contains St Mathew's Day, the feast of St Michael and All Angels, and Thursday 14 September is Holy Cross Day. Traditionally, of course, Good Friday is the day when we focus on the cross. The Church gives us another day, outside Holy Week, to meditate on its mystery. One of the most famous depictions of the crucified Lord is that by Salvador Dali. Inspired by a sketch by John of the Cross, the crucified Lord is viewed from above. Instead of dwelling on the pain and dereliction of crucifixion, the artist seeks to accentuate the beauty of Christ, who is bathed in the light of the Father’s love, and triumphant in his death.

I am hoping that we shall have a benefice Confirmation Service in January. A number of people have already spoken to me about their desire to take this step in their faith, and make their own the promises made on their behalf at baptism. There will be some sessions by way of preparation, and we shall be using some of the Pilgrim course. If you are not yet confirmed and would like to know more, please speak to me. The date I have agreed with the Bishop is Sunday 14^th January 2018, 10 am at the Abbey.

With the love and prayers of your parish priest.