PARISH

NEWS

MAY 2019

CHURCH OF THE HOLY SAVIOUR, TYNEMOUTH

www.holysaviours.org.uk

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Worship at the Church of the Holy Saviour, Tynemouth

SUNDAY

8.00 am Holy Communion [said]

10.00 am Holy Communion and Sunday Club for children in term time. On the second Sunday of each month the children join in the Parish Communion for a specially adapted liturgy at our All-Age service

6.00 pm Evening Prayer On the last Sunday of the month a Book of Common Prayer Evensong is celebrated.

MONDAY

5.15 pm Christian Meditation in the Parish Centre

WEDNESDAY

11.00 am Holy Communion [said] according to the Book of Common Prayer This service is held in the chancel. Coffee and biscuits are served in the Parish Centre before the service, from 10.15 onwards.

AT ALL TIMES

The Church is open during the hours of daylight and the Lady Chapel – recessed on the south side of the chancel – is available for personal use.

The Votive Candle stand beside the pulpit may also be used as an aid to prayer, remembrance and dedication. Please leave money for candles in the collection box on the stand. You may find the following prayer useful when lighting a candle.

Lord may this candle be a light for you to enlighten me in my difficult decisions, and may it be a fire for you to purify me from all pride and selfishness. May it be a flame for you to build warmth into my heart towards my family, my neighbours and all those who meet me. Through this prayer I place in your care those I come to remember, especially…........ In leaving this candle, I wish to give you something

of myself. Help me to continue this prayer into everything I do this day. Amen.

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THE VICAR WRITES:

None of us could escape seeing the awful scene of Notre Dame ablaze. It was a horrifying sight: so much history going up in smoke and flames as people looked on in silent disbelief. The outpouring of grief by the French public was very moving to witness. While this is an undeniable catastrophe, it seems oddly fitting for this disaster to have occurred in Holy Week. The determination to save and rebuild this iconic Parisian landmark is, perhaps, symbolic of the hope we have in Jesus’ passion and resurrection.

This event reminds me that our church buildings can be potent physical symbols in the heart of our communities, pointing to greater, unseen, spiritual truths. I often receive comments from those visiting for baptisms and weddings about our wonderful building. We are blessed by an impressive and inspiring place to worship. However, I am very aware of the danger of becoming too proud of it.

Jesus’ disciples marvelled at the almost complete Herodian temple in Jerusalem, an enormous gleaming edifice central to the belief, worship and identity of first century Jews. But Jesus said that he would tear it down and after three days rebuild it. In reality he was talking about the temple of his own body, destroyed on the cross but raised after three days. The real Herodian temple was short-lived, destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, thirty years after its completion. All that is now left of it now is the Wailing Wall.

This serves to warn me that we can get too caught up on the physical aspects of life. A magnificent church building can be a great inspiration and aid to worship, but it can also become an idol to us, deflecting our attention away from the truth that the church is not stone, wood and glass, but a living community of faithful people called to be the body of Christ.

In his address at the Chrism Eucharist in the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, Bishop Mark commented on how quickly funds had been donated to the rebuilding of Notre Dame, contrasting this with our constant struggle for funds to reach out to people with the good news of Jesus (though he did concede that our buildings speak of the glory of God). This raises questions for me about the part in which national pride has taken in the rebuilding efforts, in a largely secular society like France. I hope that the rebuilding of Notre Dame becomes more than a heritage project and challenges people to rediscover the reason for its existence. It is not simply an historic tourist attraction, but a living space which calls people together to discover the richness of lives built upon Jesus Christ.

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EDITORIAL

John Pearce writes: Next December 2nd it will be twenty years since the

Good Friday Agreement on the governance of Northern Ireland passed into law. It had been concluded the previous year, on Good Friday, 1998. The crucial element in the agreement was that it recognised both the wish of the Protestant community in Ulster to remain part of the United Kingdom and the ambition of Catholic Eire for progress towards a united Ireland, alongside a statement of intent that these conflicting ideas should be negotiated peacefully and without recourse to the appalling violence which had dominated Irish politics for far too long.

I first visited Northern Ireland in 1994, working as an English Language Examiner for the Central Council for Examinations and Assessment. I have never forgotten the sight of British police stations fortified with sandbags and barbed wire, soldiers climbing down from armoured cars in combat dress, fully armed, patrolling the streets, having my briefcase opened and inspected when I went into a department store to buy a newspaper; pavements in East Belfast daubed with stripes of red, white and blue, and the huge paintings of masked gunmen on the gable ends of houses in the western city. The following year, I was in an Examiners’ meeting when helicopters began clattering overhead, motorbikes roared past and police sirens sounded from three directions at once. “Something’s gone off”, said one of my colleagues in a casual tone. Indeed, something had: two policemen had been shot dead in the Falls Road, and the aggressive, body-searching security at the City Airport that evening brought home the fact that I had been living for two days in a war zone. This feeling was stronger and more frightening for the realisation that this was not in a foreign country, but, so to speak, on Tynemouth Front Street.

That was the nearest I ever came to being caught up in the Troubles, and the rest of my Irish experiences [which went on for fifteen years] were entirely positive. The people were kind, cheerful, hospitable, warm-hearted and funny and I was made to feel welcome and valued by everyone I met – although, as an Englishman, I had half expected to be greeted with suspicion. Only once did I feel a momentary qualm, in a bar in the Ormeau Road. I ordered a beer and my English accent caused a momentary lull in the conversation until my appearance clearly reassured everyone that I was harmless. In later years, after the Good Friday agreement, I used to make my working visits into a short holiday, hiring a car and discovering the wonderful North Antrim coast, Lough Neagh and the mountains of Morne. Ulster was, I concluded, a magically beautiful country, with a decent, hard-working population mostly unconcerned with the vicious sectarian politics which disfigured their lives for so long. On my most recent visit, in 2015, there seemed to be a feeling of a community in the process of renewing and rebuilding itself.

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All of which reflections were prompted by the terrible events of Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, and the tragic death of the Belfast journalist Lyra McKee, which brought into horribly sharp focus the perennial questions of how a democratic society deals with terrorism and, more particularly, what should be our Christian response to it? Many people found it hard to stomach the participation of individuals in Ulster’s politics who had previously been actively involved in the IRA and the UVF, and I can entirely understand that. But, that said, what was the alternative? The aggressive policing of terrorism or the declaration of war on terrorist groups often has the effect of creating martyrs for the cause, which results in recruiting more terrorists who prosecute their campaigns with renewed and more vicious zeal.

The late Gordon Wilson, a quietly spoken, unassuming man from Enniskillen, best exemplified a Christian approach to terrorism. When the IRA exploded a bomb at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Enniskillen in 1987, Gordon and his daughter Marie, a nurse, were among the casualties – eleven dead and sixty four injured. Awaiting rescue, buried under rubble, he comforted Marie as she lost consciousness [she died later in hospital]. This experience would move most of us to want revenge. Instead, Mr Wilson came out of his dreadful personal Gethsemane determined to try to heal the divisions in his country. Incredibly, he forgave those members of the IRA who had planted the bomb, pleaded with the UVF not to take revenge, and founded a movement, the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust, sponsoring young people from both Protestant and Catholic communities to travel, gain perspective and learn about peaceful co-existence. Most of all, he spoke with simple eloquence of his dead daughter Marie and those who had killed her; even thirty years on, his Christ-like generosity of spirit moves me to tears.

In an interview with the BBC, Wilson described with anguish his last conversation with his daughter and his feelings toward her killers: "She held my hand tightly, and gripped me as hard as she could. She said, 'Daddy, I love you very much.' Those were her exact words to me, and those were the last words I ever heard her say." To the astonishment of listeners, he went on to add, "But I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge. Dirty sort of talk is not going to bring her back to life. She was a great wee lassie. She loved her profession. She was a pet. She's dead. She's in heaven and we shall meet again. I will pray for these men tonight and every night."

As well as being unbearably moving, those words for me offer the best possible starting point for dealing with terrorism. A terrorist, some say, is already being punished for what he does by being who he is. The Easter message of our faith is about hope born of tragedy. We should honour Gordon Wilson, who transcended with forgiveness the death of his daughter, by following his remarkable example. We, too, should use tragic loss to map out a path of love and reconciliation.

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Notes and News

John Pearce writes: Our congratulations are due to Jenny Bilton and

Hayley McTurk, who were married at the York Maze on Saturday 13th April, with a reception for 100 family and friends afterwards; everyone, happily, managed to find their way out. As befits members of the Bilton family, Jenny and Hayley have made their home within an easy six-iron shot of Tynemouth Golf Club, and they take with them our love and best wishes for a long and happy life together.

Joan Dotchin writes: On the 8th of May, 1994, the first group of women

priests in the Diocese of Newcastle were ordained. I was privileged to be among them, and hope to celebrate my Silver Jubilee with a Eucharist here at Holy Saviour’s, 25 years to the day. So if you are free on Wednesday, 8th May at 7.30pm, I would love to see you in church to share in the celebration.

Sunrise on Easter Day took place at 0549 and was greeted by a congregation of fourteen intrepid worshippers who assembled at the Spanish Battery to kindle the Easter fire. It was interesting to read, on Revd. Emma Duff’s Facebook page, that she had led a similar service for the people of St John’s, Wallsend in the Rising Sun Country Park. The riverside location for Holy Saviour’s reflected the baptismal elements of Easter Day, and the Rising Sun venue the Easter garden. Their common purpose is gloriously reflected in this magnificent Easter Day prayer: Blessed are you, Lord, God of our salvation; you share your wisdom with the forsaken and open to us the way of life. Give us wisdom, strength and understanding, that we may shine with the light of your glory and glow with gladness for you, O Lord, our maker and redeemer.

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ALL-AGE WORSHIP AT HOLY SAVIOURS

SUNDAY MAY 12th – 4th SUNDAY of EASTER

The 1000 Eucharist will be an All-Age service.

This will be a service of Holy Communion especially adapted so

that children of all ages can participate.

Music and songs will be accompanied by the Church Band.

REPORTING BACK, VISION AND MISSION

Steve Dixon has made this summary of his Vicar’s Report to the Annual

Parochial Church Meeting held on Sunday April 14th 2019.

For Holy Saviour’s Church, 2018 was a year of significant change. I am very grateful for the enormous efforts of all who played a part in keeping the worship and ministry of Holy Saviour’s moving forward through the vacancy between May and October. It is a delight to see so many people enjoying the social and spiritual life of Holy Saviour’s through involvement with the many groups which continue in their sterling work. My thanks are due to all who volunteer their time and energies to organising our groups and events.

It was good to see increased numbers attending our regular worship and some of the seasonal services. The All Souls service, Advent Carols and Christmas services were well attended and it is wonderful to see a full church for such occasions. The service to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice and the rededication of the War Memorial was a particularly poignant moment in the life of our community. There are challenges ahead of us as a worshipping community, but I am certain that we can prayerfully move forward and continue to grow in confidence, spiritually and numerically. I hope can build on the good foundations we have at Holy Saviour’s. Future plans include:

• engagement with the Diocesan ‘Leading Your Church into Growth’ programme

• the creation of a three-year plan for mission and growth

• development of our ministry to children

• growing our ministry to the elderly

• introducing new Common Worship service booklets

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• providing a more welcoming entrance to the church

• reducing our regular financial expenditure and undertake a stewardship programme.

Alongside these plans we will also be welcoming a new self-supporting Assistant Curate into training within the parish. I believe that with all these developments taking place we will continue to discover a fresh sense of God’s calling on us as individuals and as a congregation.

Steve Dixon writes: Thank you to so many of you for engaging in the

process of voting for the list of words and phrases which the PCC devised as part of drafting a new vision statement for Holy Saviour's. The list as you have it here is in the order of popularity, with the most popular at the top, and some further suggested phrases from the congregation. The task is now to devise a vision statement using the words you voted for. The PCC will take the final decision, but could I ask any of you who are wordsmiths to think of a vision statement using the most popular words as proposals to take to the PCC. These could be emailed to me at vicar@holysaviours.org.uk or handed in to the Parish Office.

1. Welcoming

2. At the heart of the

community

3. Friendly

4. Worship

5. Inclusive

6. Non-judgemental

7. Family church

8. Caring

9. All ages

10. Sense of belonging

11. Community

12. Listening

13. Fellowship

14. Generosity of spirit

15. Deepening understanding

16. Active in worship

17. Teaching about God

18. Continuing learning

19. Inspirational

20. Wishing to grow

21. Relevance

22. Challenging

23. Involved

24. Part of the wider church

communion

25. Solvent

26. Reflective

27. Interpretation

28. Wide-ranging cross-section

29. Good wedding venue

Phrases added later include a healing church and reaching out. All contributions towards compiling our vision for the future will be gratefully received.

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OUR NEW CHURCHWARDEN IN HER OWN WORDS Janice Torpy has been part of Holy Saviour’s for many years in various capacities. This Palm Sunday, she became our new Churchwarden; she talks to John Pearce.

JCP: Janice, you weren’t brought up in Holy Saviour’s church? JT: I was baptised at St Augustine’s, but when I was about three, a neighbour used to take me to Stephenson Street Congregational church [it became St Andrews later], and then I ended up at the People’s Mission. I lost my Dad when I was fourteen, and though I didn’t lose my faith, I couldn’t understand it, and I just didn’t go back to Sunday School. JCP: It’s hard to make sense of at any age...... JT: At the same time my faith was something that was always there. I came to Holy Saviour’s through going with a friend to the Procession of Witness on a Good Friday, and then my sister started to help with the Holy Saviour’s Brownies, and that was when we both started attending regularly, Later, when we moved house. I attended St John’s in Killingworth for many years, but when we settled back in Tynemouth I found my way back to Holy Saviour’s. JCP: And you’ve been involved with various areas of church life ever since? JT: I was confirmed and married at Holy Saviour’s in 1979 by Revd. Norman Taylor. I taught in the Sunday School, and David Bilton recruited me as a Server, and more recently of course I’ve been involved with W3, as well as helping Sheila Park and Barbara Walker – two remarkable ladies – with the church flowers. JCP: What is it that binds you so firmly to Holy Saviour’s JT: I love the church building, and inside it is so calming, it is so welcoming when you walk in. It has beautiful windows. And I’ve always found it to be a friendly and

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welcoming church. And now that I’m Warden I’m going to make a point of attending the 8.00 Sunday service sometimes – I’m their Churchwarden as well. JCP: So when you were asked to be Churchwarden, what made you say yes? JT: It took a long time; David Bilton gave me a book – A Survival Guide for Churchwardens – and when I read the history of the office I realised what a powerful position it had once been. But when I thought about it I realised that it is a job I’m qualified to have a go at.......God’s been there for me in lots of ways throughout my life, and I think maybe it’s my turn to give a little bit back.... JCP: .....your turn to be there for Him. And what might have made you say no? JT: I think what worried me was time, the size of the commitment. If I’d still been working full time I would have said no; but I never work for more than two days a week now. And then I thought that I’m quite involved in the church in any case, the girls are grown up and away now, so there is nothing stopping me: and I think I will find it interesting as well. JCP: And I sense that you might have thought less of yourself if you’d said no? JT: Possibly; and in the end I didn’t have a good enough reason to refuse. JCP: In the past you’ve said that you would like to see the social side of the church developed. Do you have ideas about how we might do that? JT: The W3 group generates quite a lot of ideas which have a social aspect, and from time to time when we discuss them in committee we ask ourselves if we should open the activity to the whole church as a fund-raiser. We do a lot for charity, but it’s good to do things for the church as well. I was happy when I found out that the PCC has a social subcommittee, but they still need to be supported by people taking ideas to them to develop on behalf of the church. JCP: Outside the church, what aspects of life mean a lot to you? JT: I’m very family oriented, and now that Trevor has retired, we try to do one long-haul holiday every year, to make the most of this time of our lives. I actually love the travelling as much as I enjoy being in places like California and China... you learn so much from travelling about how the rest of world lives. JCP: Now this next question is a bit of a bouncer! If you could change one thing about our church, physical or otherwise, what would it be? In my email I gave the example that I would remove the pews and buy comfortable stacking chairs. JT: I’m quite old fashioned, and I like the pews, so I wouldn’t remove them. At St John’s, when the girls were little, pews were useful because one end of them was blocked by a stone column, and I sat at the other end so they couldn’t escape...... JCP: ....and you’re trying to escape answering the question..... [laughter] JT: At the moment, I can’t think of anything. I believe that change for change’s sake is something to be avoided. If things work, then they don’t need fixing. That’s not to say that I won’t see things differently in course of time, though. JCP: Janice, thanks for sharing yourself with us, for your time and the cup of tea.

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From the Registers – Christmas to Easter 2019

Weddings Baptisms

13th April Mark Noutch & Charlotte Paton 13th January Joshua Mendes Rudd

Funerals 10th February Albie Thomas Lamb

3rd January Joan Milburn 10th March William Stanley Chaplin

15th January Dennis Wright 7th April Amelia Hemsley

8th February Anne Dearman 14th April Effi Summer Taylor

9th February Audrey Woodward 28th April Loki Raine Pearce

27th February Betty Preston

13th March Richard Connor Wilson

14th April Josephine Winifred Calvert

CORRESPONDENCE

Ian Davis writes: I feel I must write in reply to John Pearce’s editorial in

April’s Parish News. I am surprised that John, with his left-leaning politics, can support the ESTABLISHMENT - that is MPs of all parties, the House of Lords, the Civil Service, the Judiciary and large business.

The Remain MPs have an agenda to keep us in the EU so that they can have expenses-paid visits to Brussels, the Lords even more so. Lord Mandelson was kicked out of Parliament three times and was offered a Commissioners job at £80,000 a year plus expenses and a pension. Lord Kinnock was also given that post; he said he would root out corruption in Brussels. The first thing he did was to fine the whistle-blower, then get all his family jobs with the EU. What Nigel Farage received pales into insignificance. Moreover, Lords Mandelson and Kinnock were not the only ones.

The Civil Service also have a very cosy relationship with the EU. They are also worried that they might have to work on our withdrawal from the EU. I now come to the Judiciary. The Human Rights Act enabled Cheri Blair and her Matrix Chambers to become one of the highest earning Chambers in the City. Also so many Lawyers are MPs and enjoy the EU High Court Fees.

Now I come to Economics. The Customs Union is a protectionist racket. The Customs Union puts a tariff wall around all member states imposing charges on goods imported. This makes the import of clothing, food and footwear more expensive and these are items which poorer families spend heavily on. Outside the Customs Union, these prices would fall. Under EU rules 80 percent of this tariff goes to Brussels. The sum over eight years is £18 billon. Poor UK households paying over the odds for non-EU imports have footed the bill as well!!

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The EU is bad at striking deals because members’ interests often conflict. Britain has more chance of a better deal negotiating alone. We can cut deals favouring sectors where we are strong, like services, and not skewed towards French and German interests as the EU deals often are.

The prospect of better deals is endless. Big business hides behind the Custom Union. Smaller dynamic firms with new trade agreements would help exports to the world’s fastest growing EASTERN Markets. Thanks to Teresa May’s endless bungling, we are facing more delays, playing into the hands of the Remainers.

I could go on about more and better things outside the EU, but for the sake of our children and grandchildren let us leave the EU’s clutches and its economic basket case. If this does not happen, then 17.5 million of us will feel disenfranchised. Then we are dangerous!!

Yours sincerely, Ian Davis [A BREXITEER]

David Littlefield writes: Could you spare the occasional hour or two to

help the Scouts? I am looking for three or four people to assist us with interviewing potential adult Leaders and others wishing to assist with our activities.

This would be on an occasional basis, as the need arose, with informal interviews taking place [usually] in the evenings at our District Headquarters in North Shields. There would be some training which can be done ‘on line’ and all that is needed is a willingness to join the occasional team of three....perhaps three or four times a year.

Interview panels would include an experienced Leader as well as lay members and the aim of such panels is to assess a person’s suitability and commitment to work with young people. The Scout Association would complete any necessary paperwork. People agreeing to help with such interviews would not be required to undergo the usual checking as is the case with potential Leaders.

If you are interested then do contact me at davidjlittlefield@outlook.com or on [0191] 2578740. I would welcome enquiries without anyone feeling under an obligation. Many thanks in advance.

David Littlefield Chairman, Tynemouth Scouts District Appointments Committee

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FIVE REFLECTIONS ON THE LENT COURSE

John Pearce writes: The Lent course proved to be so popular that,

instead of meeting in the Vicarage as planned, Steve Dixon had to use the Parish Centre. The Alan Bartlett book, Looking through Jesus, was based on forty readings from St Luke’s Gospel which we read daily before bringing our personal reflections to the meetings. It was a very rewarding course, shedding new light on the familiar and enabling us to share our thoughts, feelings and Christian experience in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Our thanks are due to Steve Dixon for choosing the book and bringing his wide-ranging but down-to-earth scholarship to the meetings. A selection of comments from other course members appears below.

An anonymous contributor1 writes: As a lifelong church goer, I was

surprised and intrigued by two reflections from the Lent course. I had never really thought about Jesus’s choice of disciples. I knew the names of most of them and the occupations of some of them but had failed to really think about the reasons behind his choice of this core inner group. When we think about the very important role they had and the fact that they were a pretty “mixed bunch” and not the most reliable it seems amazing that they came together to be his disciples. They were people who would not normally be together. They were from all sorts of different backgrounds. It was challenging for them to follow Jesus but they found that faith gave them strength and confidence to work together. They came to spread the word even though at times they were not the most reliable disciples and friends. Did Jesus know what he was doing when he chose Judas along with the others? I had never really thought about that.

The second reflection was about Joseph. Like Alan Bartlett, I had rarely thought of him beyond the image of him depicted in the primary school nativity play as the person with the tea towel on his head leading Mary on the donkey towards the inn. With Luke [and Alan Bartlett] we see Joseph as a much more protective figure with immense grace. He is the one who is crucial to “putting on the show”. God entrusted him to protect and bring up his son, to be his surrogate father. I had never really considered just how crucial his role was. It gave me something to think and rethink about.

1 I should make it clear that all contributors to this feature sent in signed articles. This contributor requested anonymity which I am happy to provide. I am prepared to publish articles anonymously provided that they are signed when they come in; even at this parochial level of journalism, sources who wish to remain anonymous will have their wishes respected [Editor].

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June Norton writes: I found the Lent course most enjoyable and

informative. It was based on Luke's Gospel and we studied the miracles and parables and through discussion we endeavoured to understand more fully Jesus Christ's humanity and his divinity and attempted to come to a better understanding of God. I feel now that I know the person we call Jesus Christ a little better, but my concept of God is still a little distant and needs more study, but I have not given up!

This worthwhile exercise does leave one with more questions than answers but, as Alan Bartlett, the author of Looking Through Jesus says in his introduction "it is OK to ask honest questions".

Clare Dixon writes: Studying in a group is something I enjoy so the Lent

Course has proved to be a great shared experience, as well as thought-provoking. As I am quite a shy person I find it difficult to speak up, but love to listen to the ideas of others and compare these to my own thoughts and beliefs.

I have to admit that I struggled with the style of writing Alan Bartlett uses, however, one reflection caught my attention. The session was based on the passage in Luke chapter 11, verses 5 – 13, where Jesus is asked about prayer and talks of a neighbour asking for bread late at night to feed a friend who has travelled a long distance. Jesus proposes we would most likely respond to the request, not because of friendship, but because of the shameless audacity of the neighbour to disturb the sleeping household. Jesus then goes on to say

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

We have all prayed for ourselves, friends and family, places and events and have been left questioning why our prayers have not been answered. As Bartlett says we are quick to trot out phrases such as God Knows or God works with human beings not over them for our comfort. In my opinion God honours persistent prayer; however he does not always do in the way we have been praying, but in line with the plan God has for our lives and the lives of others.

One prayer that is always answered is asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Luke 11, verse 13b. Bartlett says “That may not in fact be what we asked for, but it may be what we most need in order to cope with what is not answered.”

Perhaps I need to rethink the way I pray?

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Revd.Timothy Duff writes: One of the things I found interesting was

getting to know others better, particularly when we split into small groups, to hear of their experiences and their takes on the chapter of the course book we were thinking about. At the last session of the afternoon group, Steve thanked us for being gracious, in that we had at times expressed differing views but felt able to do so and be listened to. Would that our politicians could do the same!

Alan Bartlett's book, Looking through Jesus, on which the course was based was well titled. His aim was for us to look at Jesus' life and actions, Jesus who was God in human form, who may be the best window into God we have been given, to gain a greater understanding of the nature of God. The book helped me, though I found its style rather colloquial at times, which tended to obscure its meaning.

That cannot have been the author's intention, but persistence paid off. The last three chapters, covering Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day spoke very directly to me. Good Friday: Jesus, even on the Cross, reaches out yet again to those on the fringes of society, to the criminal beside him, promising him a place in Paradise. Holy Saturday: us, learning to wait, not knowing what will happen or when; realising that God's timing is not our timing. Easter Day: making the fundamental point (so beautifully sung at the beginning of our Parish Communion that day): Had Christ, that once was slain, ne'er burst his three-day prison, our faith had been in vain: but now hath Christ arisen. On so many Ash Wednesdays I have preached about making a good journey through Lent to Easter. The book and the course helped my journey this year.

What’s on...

The Mothers’ Union: Cathy Duff writes: Meetings for May and June

are as follows:

Thursday 16th May 2.00 pm Beetle Drive Monday 3rd June 2.00 pm. Talk : "The freedom of years" Harriet and Donald Mowat Thursday 20th June 2.00 pm Talk: The Family Support Centre at

HMP Northumberland Norma Wilmott Tuesday 25th June 2p.m. Quiet afternoon at St. Georges

Cullercoats

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Holy Saviour’s Tynemouth

Wind and

Song

Sacred and secular music for a Whitsun Evening

with

Colla Voce Chamber Choir

and North Wind

Saturday 8th June at 7.30pm

Admission £5 – children free

Interval Refreshments

The programme will include music by Hubert Parry and Thomas Morley, folk-songs and items for the choir

and the North Wind ensemble.

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Chris Clinch, Musical Director of Colla Voce, writes: Colla Voce is

a Chamber Choir based in the North East of England. The choir performs in a number of venues across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and further afield. It evolved from Cantoris, a choir started by the late and much-missed Stephen Pettitt. It meets on an ad hoc basis, according to need, and likes to sing a varied repertoire, from opera to part-songs to sacred music.

We also enjoy a short annual trip to sing choral services. This has included Westminster Abbey, and Southwark, Derby, Leicester and Carlisle Cathedrals. Malcolm Soulsby, organist of Holy Saviour’s Church accompanies us in rehearsal and concert, and three of our members also worship at Holy Saviour’s, which makes our June 8th concert something of a home fixture.

North Wind are five local musicians who share a passion for music and performance and play a wide variety of music ranging from baroque through to contemporary. They are Hazel Graham [flute], David Tomson [Oboe], Jonathan Caudle [clarinet], Ben Wooley [French Horn] and Harriet Gilfillan [bassoon]. They have performed regularly together since 1999 in a variety of venues, primarily in the North of England. As well as concerts, they have also played for weddings, car launchings, art exhibitions and formal dinners. Their programmes are devised individually to provide a variety of musical styles for each occasion.

Sunday Club: Sunday Club has begun to meet again regularly under the expert

guidance of Victoria and Gareth Ruddle. The children’s “report back” to the congregation at the end of the 10 o’ clock service invariably shows that they are being taught skilfully and engagingly. At the same time we could still do with volunteers to help with Sunday Club sessions. If we could assemble a team large enough to make leadership an occasional rather than a weekly duty and then we could assure the club’s future more securely. If you wish to volunteer, please leave your details with Stuart Crozier, Parish Administrator.

Dusting & Gardening Dates: The team meets every other Friday from 9am

onwards to clean the church and the Parish Centre, and tidy the garden - followed by coffee, chat and Ian Crawford’s famous Cheese Scones at about 10.45am If you are able to give any time, the next dates are May 10th and May 24th.

Knitting (and nattering) for fun Our get-togethers take place on the

second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. This month we will meet on May 7th and May 21st. Bring some needles and wool or a project you are working on – you’ll be most welcome. If you prefer to sew, that’s fine.

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The Soup Lunch Club meets every Wednesday at 12 noon in the Parish

Centre. Soup and and bread are followed by cakes and tea or coffee, all of which costs only £4.00. If you are able to help by providing soup or cakes, please use the sign-up sheet at the back of church.

At the moment we are covering the weekly rota effectively enough, but new cooks and confectioners are always welcome. In the first instance, if you wish to volunteer, email the editor of the Parish News [JCPrintmail@gmx.co.uk] and your message will be passed on. Please note that all out of pocket expenses for ingredients can be reinbursed if you wish.

Equally, if you know someone who might like to join the Lunch Club, then please enourage them to come along at 12.00 on a Wednesday, bring them if you can, or if they need transport, contact Stuart Crozier in the Parish Office or email John Pearce at the Parish News email address.

The Bay Food Bank:John Pearce writes: One of the first academic

studies of food-bank users was published in December last year following research carried out by the University of Bath. The following article is condensed from the study published in the Voluntary Sector Review.

“Food banks have become the subject of heated debate in the UK. For some they are an indictment of ‘austerity Britain’ and reflect an increase in the numbers living in extreme poverty, while others see them as little more than a ‘free lunch for scroungers’, but findings from a new study suggest that the reasons for people’s use of them is often more nuanced than is presented by politicians and commentators. The study involved in-depth interviews with 25 food bank users in Bristol, and found that benefit penalties and precarious employment were both important factors in food bank uptake, but that use was very often more complicated than being an ‘unmediated response to hunger’.

All interviewees for the study reported significant financial hardship. Some were in low-paid employment but were facing short-term financial difficulties due to changing jobs, moving home, servicing debt or other unusual costs. More frequently, participants were benefit claimants whose income had been reduced by delays in processing new or revised claims. The researchers heard many reports of benefit penalties causing financial hardship, such as the under-occupancy penalty or ‘bedroom tax’, or cuts in Jobseeker’s Allowance. Typically, a sudden loss of income, caused by benefit penalties or delays, job losses, or equally sudden

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unanticipated costs, often relating to housing or heating, created a short-term budgetary crisis, which had caused hardship.

Although, all of the people interviewed faced financial hardship, their use of the food bank was not always caused by hunger or lack of food. Some people used the food bank to free up income that they would otherwise have needed to spend on food. Extracts from interviews on why some of the people interviewed used the food bank in Bristol suggested:

I missed an interview by five minutes with the Jobseeker’s Allowance people and they sanctioned me so I lost two weeks’ money. This is why I’m here today. I was just five minutes late, and I phoned them up beforehand and told them as well, but they still didn’t accept it.

I wouldn’t have any, [food] yeah. No, because I haven’t got the money, you see. I’ve only just claimed it. It’s not just filling up the holes in the cupboard. I really haven’t got the food there.

I know I couldn’t really afford to get a car, but it’s a catch-22 thing really. I need a car to get a job, because I can’t really do a lot of work without a car, but then I can’t really afford it. ... Basically if I didn’t have the car then I’d have been all right.

Another reason for using the food banks was the supportive and non-judgmental approach adopted by their volunteer staff. This contrasted with the way that many of the users said they had been treated by staff in the state benefits system. Welfare professionals must follow strict rules about who is entitled to what, and they also have to impose penalties on people. Food banks have a more flexible set of rules and they can respond to people’s needs promptly.

I was slightly nervous and a little bit embarrassed, but once I came down it disappeared. It was so nice when you walked in and wasn’t what I was expecting. People didn’t judge me. I felt like I was begging, and that I shouldn’t be, but when you come down here they’re so friendly and they put you at ease. You understand that there are a lot more people out there, like myself, who struggle as well.

You get treated like a human being here. At the benefit place, they just look at you as though you’re a name and number, and they look at you and think: “Well, you should work. You shouldn’t be on benefits.” This is better, voluntary style. It’s a lot better, a lot more human, where before it’s like more pen and paper, everything’s got to be done by the book. You don’t get nothing for nothing from them, but these places are a lot better.”

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SAINTS ALIVE! [2]

ST EDMUND, ENGLAND’S FIRST PATRON SAINT

Clive Harper writes: After retirement, Valerie and I worshipped in Anglican

Churches in two villages in Warwickshire: St Peter’s Church in Dunchurch, at one time an important staging post linking London to Birmingham and Oxford to Leicester; and St Edmund’s Church in the smaller village of Thurlaston.

Thurlaston is a beautiful village set on the side of Draycote Reservoir and the Church stands on a slight rise overlooking the reservoir; built in 1848 as the village school, it was also used for Church worship; in 1925 the building was fully converted into a Church and dedicated to St Edmund, King and Martyr of the 9th Century. The reason why it was dedicated to St Edmund is because there was a previous church in Thurlaston, then known as Torlawestone, which was licensed as early as 1360AD and also dedicated to St Edmund.

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The most reliable sources indicate that Edmund was a King of East Anglia of Saxon descent; born in the year 841 he was part of a Royal line and was crowned King on 25th December 855 in Bures St Mary in Suffolk.

In the year 869, Vikings came from Denmark to rape and pillage and wage war. King Edmund engaged them in battle and was killed.

However there is a different account which places King Edmund alone against the invading hordes; challenged to renounce his Christian faith he refused; he laid down his arms and calmly faced his enemies, emulating his Master who faced the Romans and the Cross unarmed and unbowed.

Tortured with arrows and beatings Edmund refused to yield his kingdom to the invading hordes; he was beheaded and his head transported to another place. But legend has it that his head was guarded by a wolf until it could be reunited with his body.

Subsequently he was buried and his name became famous; churches were dedicated to his name and he was honoured as a saint and martyr; during the Middle Ages Edmund was regarded as the Patron Saint of England and he also became the Patron Saint of the Abbey at Bury St Edmunds, where his remains are buried and where, in the year 1433 the young King Henry IV arrived at the Abbey; This visit by King Henry was commemorated by a ‘life’ of St Edmund put together by John Lydgate, the pre-eminent poet of the fifteenth century; the manuscript can be found in the British Library with all its poetry and illustrations; it is said that The Life of St Edmund, King and Martyr, is unsurpassed; it is possible to obtain a facsimile of the work from the British Library.

Truly, from this record, England has a major saint; worthy to become, once more, the Patron Saint of England should George fall into disrepute. St Edmunds Day is now 20th November, the date of his death in 869.

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TOWARDS A VISION OF OUR MISSION

John Pearce writes: I don’t know to what extent I qualify as a wordsmith, but I know that I can’t resist a challenge involving words. Below is my attempt at framing a mission statement using the words published in Steve Dixon’s article on page 8. It contains all thirty-one words and phrases, moreover in their order of importance. Although a healing church and reaching out were not voted on, I have bracketed the former with number 8, caring, and the latter with number 11, community.

Holy Saviour’s must be a welcoming place, secure at the heart of the community it serves. At worship, we should be friendly and non-judgemental, a Christian family church with family values at its core. Our caring stance should make us a healing church – healing itself and others. All ages should feel welcomed by our reaching out to them and generating a sense of belonging to a genuine faith community.

We should be a listening church, creating Christian fellowship with the generosity of spirit that led Christ to deepen the understanding of his love by ministering to everone. We must be active in worship, teaching about God and continuing learning, so as to be inspirational, wishing to grow in grace and outreach. We must prove the relevance of our church to the parish it serves, challenging its values, getting involved in mission. As part of the wider church communion, we need to be solvent both materially and spiritually.

We need to be reflective, providing practical interpretations of the Gospel message to a wide-ranging cross-section of our community. A church known to its parish only as a good wedding venue is a church needing urgently to renew its energy, faith and purpose.

Which perhaps demonstrates how relativly easy a task writing a mission statement actually is – although I had to write two hundred words in order to incorporate all the core material. Helen nailed it when she read it and said “Do you not think it’s a bit too snappy?” – getting to the heart of the matter using one hundred and ninety-one fewer words than I did. I hope that my effort will inspire others to produce something crisper and more direct. On a related matter, I drew attention in the March Parish News to the fact that I had written well over half the copy in that edition. I am happy to report that last month and this, I wrote rather less than a quarter of the copy, with many parishioners sending in notes, news, feature articles and even, from Anna-Rose Hope, some poetry to make an interestingly varied mixture. Long may this trend continue.

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And finally, some secular food for thought: Guardian writer Holly

Baxter is an atheist who thinks that religious holidays have value.

As examples of casuistry,these extracts take some beating......

Some time ago, in conversation with two of my best friends (both religious) I came across the criticism that when I celebrated Christian holidays in the UK I was nothing more than a hypocrite. At first I was willing to accept my perceived hypocrisy and continue living my life as I choose to, cognitive dissonance knowingly intact. But as I've got older I have come to understand exactly why my atheist family and I celebrate Easter – chocolate in abundance, no mention of resurrection necessary – and I see no hypocrisy. In fact I have come to realise that acknowledgement of the significance of these holidays is socially responsible.

What reduced trading hours on Sundays and public holidays do for society is force us to step off the treadmill – and we shouldn't underestimate that value. There are financial arguments for getting rid of reduced Sunday hours or bank holidays. But we hold steadfastly to the Christmas break and the Easter weekend because we collectively value that time as a positive gift from our ancestors. The tradition of embracing time away from work with close friends and family, whatever the cause, is one in which everyone of every belief can take part. It is important for a functioning society: it humanises the realities of wages, commutes and working days, where rampant capitalistic overdrive seeks to dehumanise them. It puts a speed limit up where there used to always be one, allows us to reconsider the relatives we live far away from, and has a positive impact on our mental health.

That is why David Cameron's2 comments this week on the importance of the Christian faith, and of teaching children that Easter isn't just about chocolate eggs, left me unconvinced. Yes, I believe that from a cultural perspective biblical stories are interesting and enriching to learn about; a knowledge of the context behind any religious holiday is a powerful resource. But instead of taking Easter back to religion and arguing that our problem lies in disassociating Christianity from its holidays, Cameron would do better to concentrate on protecting workers from exploitative systems that force them to work over every holiday. He should consider the need for social bonding and time away from the grindstone that unites us all, and therefore concentrate on the most important aspect of religiously based holidays. The fact he has ignored these simple truths while spouting Christian fables is what makes him, and not me, the real hypocrite this Easter.

2 These extracts are from an article written in 2014. David Cameron was Prime Minister

from 2010 – 2016 in which latter year, for some reason, he resigned.

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THE COPY DEADLINE FOR THE JUNE 2019 PARISH NEWS IS

THURSDAY MAY 23rd. PLEASE EMAIL ARTICLES TO

JCPrintmail@gmx.co.uk OR LEAVE THEM IN THE PARISH

NEWS MAIL BOX IN THE PARISH CENTRE

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Services

Sundays 8am Holy Communion 10am Holy Communion 6pm Evening Prayer [4th Sunday Evensong]

Wednesday 10am Holy Communion [BCP]

Sunday Club Sundays 10am

To discuss arrangements for Baptisms & Weddings, please speak to the Vicar after

the 10am Sunday service

For further information please telephone the Parish Office on 597 9815 or email to hstcrossway@gmail.com

Pram Service 2nd Monday 2pm in Church

Babies & toddlers

Vicar Revd. Captain Steve Dixon Email office@holysaviours.org.uk Telephone 07729 393 580

0191 697 4562

Parish Administrator Stuart Crozier Church Office Tel. 0191 597 9815 Email hstcrossway@gmail.com Church website: www.holysaviours.org.uk

Churchwardens:

Janice Torpy Tel: 07920 049 341 Email: janicetorpy@gmail.com David Bilton, 19 Ashleigh Grove Tel. 2580270 Email: drbilton@gmail.com

PCC Vice Chairman: Gareth Ruddle,10A Dockwray square Tel. 2584835

PCC Treasurer: Karen Bilton, 19 Ashleigh Grove Tel. 2580270 email: kebilton58@gmail.com

Church Flowers: Sheila Park, 15 Ashleigh Grove, Tel. 257 5481 Barbara Walker, 2 Monkstone Crescent, Tel. 257 4159

Activities

Mothers’ Union 1st Monday 2.00pm Parish Centre 3rd Thursday 2.00pm Parish Centre Cathy Duff Tel 0191 257 4811

W3 – Women’s Group 1st Wednesday 7.30pm Parish Centre Debbie Baird Tel. 296 1663

Rainbows Lucy Skillen Tel. 07891101262 Laura Elgie laura.elgie@live.co.uk

Brownies Pat Corbett Tel. 0191 2800510

Guides Grace Paul Tel. 07803371929

Rangers Grace Paul Tel. 07803371929

Beavers Gillian Smith Tel. 296 1426 tynemouthbeavers@gmail.com Cub Scouts Fiona Lydall Tel 257 3047

Scouts David Littlefield Tel. 257 8740

Explorer Scouts Lucy Mace Tel. 258 5948

Group Scout Leader Michael Dyer Tel. 2596236

Asst. Group Leader David Littlefield Tel. 257 8740

Scout Hut bookings:

Helen Preston Tel: 257 0574

Tynemouth Village Day Centre – Parish Hall Tel. 259 5569

Manor Road Community Playgroup – Parish Hall Leaders: Glynis & Heather Tel: 07854222597

Mother & Toddler Group – Parish Hall Friday 9.30am

ARTICLES FOR THE PARISH NEWS These should be submitted to the editor, John Pearce, at JCPrintmail@gmx.co.uk – the deadline will be published each month. Post written contributions in the Parish News Mailbox outside the Parish Office. All queries to 0191 291 2742 or 07903 227 192.