OUTPOST The magazine of the Anglican Chaplaincy in Norway

December 2015–February 2016

Other clergy holding the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Permission to officiate at Anglican Services in the Chaplaincy are: Knut Andresen, Trond Bakkevig, Geir Barlaup, Harald Grønnevik, Vebjørn Horsfjord, Ragnhild Jepsen, Jørund Midttun, Ragnhild M. Røskvik, Geir Sakseid, Bodil Slørdal, Harald Svendsen, Helene Selvik Thomas, Fredrik Ulseth, Tormod Wasbø and Tracy Rishton.

Persons authorised by the Bishop to assist in administering the sacrament of Holy Communion are: Priscilla Beck, Susan Boyd, Iris Evans–Bjørnø, Eirik Duerr, Torhild Fikseaunet, John Gylje, Mark Hamer, Cheryl Hogarth, Sigrid I Kvaal, Peter Lane, Philip Ringrose, Ursula Sonnewald, Linda White, Margaret Luthar, Penny Mietle, Guy Morgan, Peter Morgan, Andrew Mukaria, Betty Short and Rune Torsvik.

For further information see our websites: www.osloanglicans.no, www.bergenanglicans.net, www.stavangeranglicans.net, and www.trondheimanglicans.net. The diocesan website is www.europe.anglican.org, and the Church of England’s website is www.cofe.anglican.org.

Donations and payments to The Anglican Chaplaincy may be made to bank account 7029.05.14973.

For further details see page 11

SENIOR CHAPLAIN The Ven Dr Brian Russell Harald Hårfagresgate 2, 0363 Oslo oslochaplain@osloanglicans.no

22 69 22 14

ASSISTANT CHAPLAINS The Revd Peter Hogarth stavangerchaplain@osloanglicans.no

51 55 54 88 48 60 40 61

The Revd Mary Strømmen Lykkestien 4, 7053 Ranheim trondheimchaplain@osloanglicans.no

92 83 36 51

Bergen locums reside at … Langarinden 318, 5132 Nyborg bergenchaplain@osloanglicans.no

… and have use of this phone: 40 39 62 42

READERS IN TRONDHEIM April Almaas

Priscilla Beck 73 93 81 50

Ursula Sonnewald (permission to officiate)

READER IN BERGEN Iris Evans–Bjørnø 55 18 67 34

ARCHDEACONRY SYNOD REPRESENTATIVES

Ingeborg Wörheide (Oslo) Linda White (Trondheim) Eirik Duerr (Bergen) Chuks Onubogu (Stavanger)

66 80 81 36 55 32 18 47

CHURCHWARDENS Gregory Norton

churchwarden@osloanglicans.no Michael McNaull

FORSTANDER Ingeborg Worheide

COUNCIL MEMBERS Ekene Aqbalakwe, Kristine S Brorson, Michael Brooks, Helen Campbell Andrew Lane, David H Lovett, co-opted: Joseph Chidindi, Sampson Okeke Trond Werner Pettersen (Hon Sec) Sigrid Kvaal (Hon Treasurer)

22 46 07 53

CHILDREN’S CHURCH OSLO YOUTH GROUP OSLO YOUTH & CHILDREN STAVANGER

Kirstin McNaull Anne-Grete Larsen Denise Johnson-Joakimsen denisejohnson369@gmail.com

ORGANIST/CHOIRMASTER John Chapman chapmanmusic@aol.com

CLEANER/CARETAKER Peter Ekeuluabia

OUTPOST EDITORIAL TEAM Brian Russell (editor-in-chief), Roger Martin

WHO’s WHO Pru’s

Strøket 9, 1383 ASKER 66 75 80 66/ 99603734 (outside the main entrance

to Trekanten Centre)

Aran knitwear & fleeces

with embroidery

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for children from 1 year and adults

Leisurewear by Alice Collins,

Hammerschmid, Tulchan, Gardeur,

Brandtex, Erfo, Lana, Wallmann …

Larger sizes by Verpass

Tartan kilts and trousers

by Glaschu (Glasgow)

SIZES 36–52 ● QUALITY WITH

PERSONAL SERVICE!

OPEN 10–18 (Sat. 10–16).

Guild members 10% discount

THE ANGLO–NORSE SOCIETY–OSLO Patrons: H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.M. King Harald V

The Anglo–Norse Society was founded in 1921 to ‘promote friendship and understanding between our countries’, in the words of our first President – Fridtjof Nansen.

We invite you to come along to one of our monthly meetings at Frogner Church ‘kirkestue’ in Bygdøy Allé 38. Our events include talks on an array of topics, musical evenings, outings, Christmas Party and get–togethers, with time for mingling and refreshments afterwards.

ANS membership is open for all, and for a modest annual subscription you can attend free events and receive our local Newsletters and the ANS Review magazine, which covers articles from Norway and Great Britain. Please visit our website: anglonorseoslo.com. Ring 41510840

or send us an e–mail: mail.anglonorse@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

St Edmunds Church thanks all generous corporate and individual donors for their

support of our Annual Bazaar Grand Draw Raffle and Silent Auction!

Please support them during the Christmas Season and coming year!

Pamela & Michael Brooks Sue & Kåre Danielson Ingrid Hanssen

Brenda Kristiansen Katie Toivonen

Ambrosette Dameklær & Skjønnhetspleie

Ingeborg Wörheide Janette Øksnes

Embassy of India

Welcome to our concert series in

St Edmund’s Church on Saturdays at 17:00,

organised by the organist and choirmaster at

in collaboration with the Norwegian Academy of Music.

English tea & scones are served from 4.15 pm.

IMPORTANT NOTICE Please submit material for the next edition of Outpost

by Sunday 31 January

Donations Many thanks for donations to the Anglican Chaplaincy in Norway.

Donations and other payments may be made to the chaplaincy account, 7029.05.14973 (from abroad IBAN: NO1770290514973,

BIC: DNBANKOKKXXX).

If you would like a donation to be directed towards a specific purpose, please indicate on the giro.

For 2015 Norwegian tax payers can receive tax exemption for donations between

kr 500 and 12 000 per year, i.e. you pay from gross income.

To make this possible, please ensure the treasurer has your 11–digit personal number.

The Senior Chaplain’s Notes

New life in northern Europe!

New life in the East End is one name for

a British tv series being shown in Norway

and Sweden. It is a largely true story about

midwives in east London in the 1950s and

1960s, working from a Christian community

in the city. This convent still exists and is

now in east Birmingham and I served them

as a priest during my time in Birmingham.

Christmas is about the birth of new hopes

and new possibilities – new life in Northern

Europe! All new life is fragile at first and

uncertain. We cannot take it for granted. It

needs protection and nurture, shelter and

support. There are real risks. So it is with our

personal and spiritual life. We make new

beginnings but may not be confident and we

can need a lot of support to take the steps.

Advent and Christmas is the time to

think of preparing and welcoming new

beginnings. It is a time also to look to see

how we can give protection and nurture,

shelter and support to others. What, I

wonder, might be the new beginnings

God is preparing for us? Will we be able

to welcome them and work with them well?

When I first began coming to northern

Europe, I saw snow and ice as a problem.

When I worked with Norwegian clergy

from the north, they spotted this. One said:

if you have many logs or tree trunks cut and

ready to move, you would wait for the ice

because then you can easily draw them along

the ice. If you try to move them with lorries

before the snow comes, you will have an

enormous task. The ice can be your helper!

In our congregation in Finland, I know a

botanist. He said that the worst danger to

new life is when it is drastically cold in

winter and there is no snow. The cold

sinks into the earth and into the roots that

can bring new life. They can be damaged

and killed. So give thanks for the snow, he

said, it gives a layer of protection and safe-

ty until the roots are ready for the warmth

to bring them out when the time is right.

So, in this winter time, let us give the

necessary protection to new beginnings;

and let us be ready to go forward when the

welcome to new life comes fully to us.

The Ven Dr Brian Russell

Senior Anglican Chaplain in Norway

Bergen Notes Revd Martin Riley led our first Harvest

Festival service in Mariakirken. Fruit and

vegetable gifts were placed on the altar

steps and taken to the Salvation Army

kitchens after the service. We sang the

usual popular hymns including We plough

the fields and scatter and Come, ye thankful people, come, and were pleased to welcome

many visitors. On entering the church people

were given paper fruit on which they were

asked to write things to thank God for. A

bare tree was placed in the centre of the

church, and then during the service every-

one was invited to hang their paper fruit on

it. In no time it looked very colourful with red,

green and yellow shapes. The service was

followed by a harvest lunch with delicious

food brought by all members of the congrega-

tion, giving us an opportunity to sit and chat.

On 4 October the theme of the Family

Service led by Iris was the rainbow. The

children took part wearing an appropriate

colour round their necks and reading a

special verse. During the service they also

coloured pictures of a rainbow produced

by our new Sunday school teacher Norah.

It was a most enjoyable morning, and we

learnt a new hymn, All for Jesus. On Sunday 11 October at 15.30 clergy

and committee members met in Ana and

Eirik Duerr´s home for a Chaplaincy coun-

cil meeting. Over the following couple of

days clergy from Stavanger, Trondheim,

Oslo and Bergen met for three sessions to

give everyone the chance to tell one another

what problems or new ideas had been faced

during the past year, and to share the vari-

ous mission strategies and plans for the

future around the chaplaincy. Eirik, Iris and

Brian also met with the Dean of Bergen to

discuss our continued use of Mariakirken.

So far our services in English have been a

success, with many people – not only tour-

ists – joining our worship each Sunday.

On Sunday 8 November, as the Swedish

church had morning worship in Maria-

kirken, we met at the war graves in Møl-

lendal at 11.55. The annual ceremony was

attended by the British and Canadian con-

suls and representatives of the Norwegian

military. Wreaths were laid and crosses

placed on the graves. After the ceremony

refreshments were provided for all in

Kronstad Hovedgård.

We have begun rehearsals for the Carol

Service, with a record-breaking attendance

of over 40 people! In addition to our ser-

vices of Nine Lessons and Carols (see

Upcoming Events), the choir will also sing

for the residents of Engensenteret.

Iris Evans-Bjørnø Bergen Lay Reader

Stavanger Notes When you read these notes, hopefully we

will have successfully had our November

Learning to Listen conference in Stavanger.

We have found that despite our best

efforts to be active in youth activities and

young peoples’ work, we often lose our

young people to activities outside our

church community. Our vision in the past

has been to provide what we think our

young people need. We have found ho-

wever, especially with our constant

turnover of people, that it has been hard

to sustain the numbers attending our

youth groups.

Our prayer life in the church has

highlighted the importance of God’s work

through young people and we believe that

it is important to listen to them. We hope

that this conference led by Tony Cook and

his team from Bath and Wells diocese will

help us in this work. Tony has been acti-

vely promoting these issues throughout the

Church of England, developing skills in

listening to our young people. This work

can help us understand what our

youngsters feel about their faith life and

what they are seeking. Do please explore

Tony’s web site for the Church of England:

learn-to-listen.org.uk.

We shall be busy in December preparing

for and celebrating the Christmas season. As

we honour this time when Christ, the Lord of

heaven and earth, came to us humbly to give

himself for our sake, may we also humbly

open our hearts and minds to those around us

who are in need, and most of all in need of

the knowledge of God’s love.

God bless you all this Christmastide.

Peter Hogarth Stavanger Assistant Chaplain

Trondheim Notes The Trondheim congregation is going

through a period of both celebration and

change. We are celebrating 40 years of reg-

ular services and have found this both a

good incentive for giving thanks for all the

blessings we have enjoyed, and an excuse to

enjoy ourselves together in events like our

recent well-attended international dinner.

Before this magazine comes out we will

have shared our gratitude to the local Nor-

wegian church in a joint ‘jubilee’ service in

Nidaros Cathedral followed by a reception.

There have been many changes during

those 40 years, including the coming and

From the Registers

baptisms St Edmunds

Sunday 20 September Matthias Varden

Stavanger Sunday 20 September

Charles Edward Nash

confirmations Stavanger

Sunday 18 October

by Erling Petersen, bishop of Stavanger

Michael Lee-Løvøy Jodi Lee-Løvøy

Azibukoweletam Elizabeth Paul NiKechi Iro-Ukpai

Ndidi Iro-Ukpai

funerals Birkeland Church, Bergen

Friday 6 November Peter conducted the funeral of

Margaret Mary Berglund, aged 95, a founder member

of the Bergen Congregation.

Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim Monday 10 August

April M Almaas and Priscilla Beck led the funeral of Jeanne Ann Keogan Eirheim. The burial of the urn in the Cathedral

graveyard took place on 21 September, also led by April and Priscilla.

Ten little Churchmen

10 little churchmen went to church when fine,

But it started raining and then there were 9.

9 little churchmen stayed up very late.

One overslept himself and then there were 8.

8 little churchmen were on the road to heaven.

One joined a rambling club and then there were 7.

7 little churchmen heard of Sunday ‘flicks’.

One thought he’d like to go and then there were 6.

6 little churchmen kept the place alive.

One bought a video and then there were 5.

5 little churchmen seemed loyal to the core.

The vicar upset one of them and then there were 4.

4 little churchmen argued heatedly

Over ceremonial and then there were 3.

3 little churchmen sang the service through,

Got a hymn they didn’t like and then there were 2.

2 little churchmen disputed who would run

The next parochial concert and then there was 1.

1 faithful churchman, knowing what to do,

Got a friend to come to church and then there were 2.

2 sincere churchmen each brought in one more,

So their number doubled and then there were 4.

4 sturdy churchmen simply could not wait

Till they found four others and then there were 8.

8 eager churchmen searched around for souls,

Praying, working, witnessing, drew others in by shoals.

Shoals and shoals who every pew at every service fill.

Oh, God, supply this grace and zeal to do thy perfect will! submitted by Paddy Hanevik,

Bergen

mark the two minute silence. Whilst the

Act of Remembrance at the Commonwealth

War Graves continues at 2 pm , the British

Ambassador informed us in October that the

annual service at 3pm in Frogner church will

no longer happen. This is a disappointing

loss, as it was an important occasion, well

attended and held there since 1957.

Uniting in Worship The week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Last year we held one service in four parts,

each in one of four churches. We will do the

same this year! On Thursday 21 January our

service will begin this year at 7 pm in St

Edmunds church, with our choir to lead us,

and then we will process in turn to the Swedish

church nearby, then to Holy Trinity Church of

Norway, concluding with a blessing and re-

ception in St Olav’s Roman Catholic Church.

Looking ahead Lent and Easter

On Ash Wednesday, 10 February, there

will be an evening communion service in

St Edmunds at 7 pm, with the imposition

of ashes, to mark the beginning of Lent.

Mothering Sunday is 6 March, when we

will have our Presentation on Mothering.

We will keep Holy Week with a service

at 7 pm on Maundy Thursday, 24 March.

Good Friday is 25 March and we have

begun to plan our united service with the

American Lutheran Church. This year it

will be in the Lutheran church hosted by

their new pastor, Joel Hova-Hegener.

Easter Day is 27 March and we have our

11 am service.

After Easter

For Pentecost, Monday 16 May, we will

have a Chaplaincy visit with choir to Ba-

lestrand for an ecumenical Communion

service in the English church there at 10

am, shared with the parish of the Church

of Norway. This builds on our ecumenical

service for Ascension Day in 2015.

Our Confirmation Service is on Sunday

5 June with Bishop Paul from York dio-

cese in the UK. We have a youth group

preparing and some adults.

The Ven Dr Brian Russell

Upcoming events Tromsø

Wed 16 Dec: Carol Service 19:00 attended by

Brian

Drammen Tue 15 Dec: Carol Serrvice, Bragenes Church

19:00, followed by a reception

Trondheim Sat 5 Dec: Christmas Sale Waisenhuset 11–15

Sun 6 Dec: Joint service in the Cathedral with the

student congregation

Sun 13 Dec: Christingle, Vår Frue Church

Tue 15 Dec: Carol Service in the Cathedral with

the Cathedral choir 18.00

Oslo Sun 6 Dec: Children’s Nativity 11.00

Sun 13 Dec: Carol Service 18.00

Fri 25 Dec: Christmas Day Communion 11.00

Advent bible studies after church coffee on

29 Nov, 6 and 20 Dec

Kristiansand Wed 16 Dec: Carol Service Oddernes Church 18.30

Stavanger Sun 6 Dec: Christingle, Bethel 10.30

Sun 13 Dec: Nativity Service, Bethel 10.30

Wed 23 Dec: 9 Lessons and Carols,

Stavanger Cathedral

Bergen Sat 19 December: Carols, Korskirken 15.00

Sun 20 December: 9 Lessons and Carols 18.00

Fri 25 December: Joint Christmas Morning

Service with the Norwegian Church

going of chaplains. I too am now embark-

ing on a change. From 2016 I will be mov-

ing from having a license as Assistant

Chaplain to having ‘permission to officiate’.

It is a ‘semi-retirement’ but I expect I will

find plenty to do – I am already engaged

in a diocesan training course for spiritual

directors (more information later) – and

with my husband retiring next autumn

there are also plenty of home, personal and

family projects being jotted down on our

lists! I have really enjoyed my work over

the last 12 years since I was first ordained,

and am delighted that Revd April Almaas,

who already serves our congregation as a

priest with permission to officiate, is will-

ing to serve as locum priest from January.

Meanwhile the Advent and Christmas

programme will continue with many of the

regular features. December starts with our

social and fund-raising Christmas Sale on

Saturday 5 Dec in Waisenhuset, and we

welcome donations, helpers and customers!

We join the Norwegian student congregation

for a ‘vandremesse’ on 6 Dec, a service

where we move around a dimly lit Nidaros

Cathedral as we worship, lighting candles

to counter the darkness. The popular

Christingle service aimed specially at

younger families takes place in Vår Frue

Church on 13 Dec at 11 am. The even

more popular Carol Service takes place in

the Cathedral on 15 Dec at 6 pm. And of

course Christmas Day itself will be cele-

brated in Vår Frue Church at 11 am on 25

Dec. We finish 2015 with a quiet service

in Vår Frue at 11 am on 27 Dec.

The New Year will see our regular services

and Sunday School continuing and an

invitation as usual to join in the Annual

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, where

a range of events will be held in Trondheim

between 17 and 24 January. (see bønneuka.no).

Volunteers to join in the prayer chain during

the week should contact Susan Boyd on

93069068.

Lent starts early in 2016, as Ash

Wednesday is on 10 February. Details of

pancake parties, Lent study groups, and

charity appeals to mark the season will be

published in our local newsletter in the

new year (if you would like to receive this

contact Linda White on 48200195), and

on our website and Facebook.

Meanwhile, Advent, Christmas and New

Year greetings to all Outpost readers

around Norway, especially all those, like

our friends up in Tromsø, who live far

away from a regular Anglican Church

base but who like to keep in touch and

who also form part of a far-flung spiritual

fellowship. Come to see us if you’re in

Trondheim on a Sunday!

Mary Strømmen

Trondheim Assistant Chaplain

Oslo Notes Looking back to the Autumn

Once again we took part in Oslo city-wide

Culture Night with choral evensong on

Friday 11 September. We welcomed 60

people. The church building was also part

of the Open buildings event in Oslo that

weekend, and another 60 people visited

the church during the two afternoons. On

Sunday, my former colleague Hayward

Osborne, Archdeacon of Birmingham,

preached for us.

We have also had the pleasure to wel-

come back two of our former chaplains in

Norway. On 27 September, Canon Dr

Trevor Park MBE preached for us, and on

Sunday 11 October the Revd Janet Heil

preached and presided for us.

On Remembrance Sunday, we extended

our 11 am service to include the full Act

of Remembrance, with trumpet solos to

Sunday Oslo Bergen Readings * Stavanger Trondheim

DECEMBER 2015

Sun 6 Advent 2 11:00 Family Communion with Nativity

11:00 Mariakirken unless specified Family Service

Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6

10:30 Bethel unless specified Family Service

18:00 Evening Prayer Chapter House

Sun 13 Advent 3 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18

11:00 Holy Communion 11:00 Christingle Vår Frue Church

18:00 Carol Service

Sun 20 Advent 4 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45

10:30 Family Communion 18:00 Holy Communion (Quiet) Chapter House

Fri 25 Christmas Day

11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Joint Service with the Norwegian Church

Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14

11:00 Holy Communion Vår Frue Church

Sun 27 Christmas 1 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist Galatians 3:23-25;4:4-7 John 1:1-18

10.30 Holy Communion 11:00 Service of the Word Vår Frue Church

JANUARY 2016

Sun 3 Epiphany 11:00 Family Communion 11:00 Family Service Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a John 1:10-18

10.30 Family Service 18:00 Evening Prayer Chapter House

Sun 10 Baptism of Christ

11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist Isaiah 43:1-7 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

10.30 Holy Communion 11:00 Family Communion Vår Frue Church

Sun 17 Epiphany 2 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11

10:30 Family Communion 18:00 Holy Communion Cathedral

Sun 24 Epiphany 3 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21

10:30 Holy Communion 11:00 Service of the Word Vår Frue Church

Sun 31 Epiphany 4 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30

FEBRUARY 2016

Sun 7 Next before Lent

11:00 Family Communion 11:00 Family Service Exodus 34:29-end Luke 9:28-36

10:30 Family Service 18:00 Holy Communion Chapter House

Wed 10 Ash Wednesday

19:00 Communion with imposition of ashes

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Sun 14 Lent 1 11:00 Sung Communion 12:00 Eucharist Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Luke 4:1-13

10.30 Holy Communion 11:00 Family Communion Vår Frue Church

Sun 21 Lent 2 11:00 Sung Communion 11.00 Eucharist Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Luke 13:31-35

10.30 Family Communion 18:00 Holy Communion Cathedral

Sun 28 Lent 3 11:00 Sung Communion 11:00 Eucharist Isaiah 55:1-9 Luke 13:1-9

10.30 Holy Communion 11:00 Family Communion Vår Frue Church

* Each congregation uses or omits Old Testament readings according to local tradition