Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
February 2014
Sydenham Life
In and around the parish of St Bartholomew
www.stbartssydenham.org.uk
Like many, I have been enjoying the re-invention of Sherlock Holmes as a 21st century detective. The recent TV reworkings of classic Conan Doyle stories have brought the famous detective and his sidekick Dr Watson to our screens in a series of dazzling brilliance. A new generation has thrilled to Holmes’s amazing deductive powers. Fast-paced, witty and intriguing, the writers and producers have created a Sherlock Holmes every bit as daring and different as the one who first appeared in 1886.
And in the intervening 125 years he has acquired some new technology. But the bottom line is his amazing ability to size someone up after a few seconds, and draw accurate deductions about where they have come from, what they do, how they travelled, what colour their cat is, how they shaved that morning.
The world loved the Sherlock Holmes stories from the beginning, but the character was based on a real, living person. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had studied medicine at Edinburgh University and one of his teachers was Joseph Bell. He showed his students how to use observation, deduction and inference when diagnosing patients’ illnesses and his work paved the way for forensic science. His favourite party trick was to pick out a complete stranger and by observing him, deduce his or her occupation and recent activities.
Sherlock Holmes was never intended to be a super-hero. He is not in the league of Doctor Who (written and produced of course now by the same team as Sherlock) who has all sorts of superhuman tricks up his sleeve; not least, time travel, two hearts and a sonic screwdriver. Sherlock Holmes is definitely human, but uniquely, or at least, rarely gifted. His are all achievable human skills taken to a high level. He doesn’t profess to be a “saviour of the planet” like the good Doctor.
But Holmes, both then and now, was a bit of a difficult
character. A “high-functioning sociopath” he calls himself now. He is at the very least eccentric, and very few people can really commit to him because he’s so awkward.
Thinking about him made me consider myself. Observation, noticing things is a potentially useful skill in being an effective human being. Yet how observant am I? Holmes has a brilliant memory, a “mind palace” of almost computer-like capacity. Yet I am hopeless at remembering faces, names and places. Holmes not only notices and memorises, but he makes the connections. And he makes them instantly. Such people have a rare gift, if they can use it constructively. If I could sharpen up my observational and deductive skills, wouldn’t I be a more useful human being?
If I try to apply Holmes’s principles in weighing up someone I meet for the first time, I’m afraid of getting it wrong. But I wonder if Jesus of Nazareth was another person who was an expert at this. There are several instances in the Gospels where Jesus meets someone for the first time and instantly knows their story. He can see into their soul (Mark 10.17-22), know how many partners they have had (John 4), quote something from an earlier episode of their life (John 1.47), know exactly what to say to them in a given situation (Luke 7.36-50). Holmes was a fictional creation; Jesus was a real human being who lived on earth. He used those skills in his earthly life to offer a new way to those with whom he came into contact. Those were highly developed human skills.
But Christians also believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and still accessible to us following his ascension to heaven. His knowledge of us is not limited to his time on earth 2000 years ago, but through prayer we can be close to him today. Jesus really knows us and our needs, and, as he did in Palestine of old, offers us a new way to live and grow.
Michael Kingston
Tim Vine- Comic
Statue
Damaged
Quiz Time Football Faith
Across
2. Ruler of a country. ( _ _ _ _ , John 18:37) (4) 4. Not false, "I am the _ _ _ _ vine." (John 15:1) (4) 6. Jesus said, "I am the _ _ _ _ _ of Life." (John 6:35,41,48) (5) 7. Greek word for Messiah. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ , John 4:25-26) (6) 9. "The _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ lays down His life for the sheep." ( two words, John 10:11) (12) 10. "I am _ _ _ - _ _ _ the truth and the life." (two words, John 14:6) (6) 11. Opposite of death. ( _ _ _ _ , John 11:25) (4)
Down
1. Not a lie. ( _ _ _ _ _ , John 14:6) (5) 3. God is Christ's Father. Therefore, Jesus is _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ . (two words, John 10:36) (7) 5. Given physical life after death. ( _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , John 11:25) (12) 8. It shines bright in darkness. ( _ _ _ _ _ , John 8:12) (5) 9. A place to enter, like a door. ( _ _ _ _ ) (4)
The “I AM” sayings of Jesus Christ The answers from this crossword puzzle are from the gospel of John
in the Bible. Do the puzzle and find out who Jesus claimed to be!
Would you be interested in playing at St Christopher’s hospice one Sunday lunch time ?As part of the Social Programme here at St Christopher’s we offer live music each
Sunday between 12.30 and 2.30 in the Anniversary Centre whilst patients, family and friends enjoy Sunday lunch together. Members of the local community often come in for lunch as well. We cannot offer payment for your services but can offer you a free Sunday lunch. If
you’d like more information or might be interested please contact Tamsin Dives.
Dear Father God,
In life there are 3 G’s:
Givers, Grabbers and Goodies.
Givers always give,
Grabbers always take and
Goodies try to restore the balance.
We know that we can be all 3,
But ask God to guide us away from temptation and not be a grabber,
But to be strong and have courage to give to others
When we can and to be a goodie as often as we can,
Helping those in need.
Amen.
Written by members of St. Bartholomew’s Children’s
Church during Sunday School.
Your Local Independent Surveyor
Stephen Jones. RPSA & SAVA
Building Surveys for residential buildings.
Party Wall Surveyor. Floor plans. Damp Surveys. EPCs.
Snagging inspections. Roof surveys.
Specialising in the installation of:
Bathroom suites, Showers, Washing machines, WC’s,
Radiators, Tanks, Cylinders, Immersion Heaters.
All aspects of Domestic Plumbing
Free estimates/No Call-Out Charge
Call Donald on 07958 293749
PAINTING,DECORATING,PLASTERING,RENDERING
KITCHENS,BATHROOMS,WALL,FLOOR TILING
PLUMBING,ELECTRICAL,ODD-JOBS
111 Lawrie Park Gardens, London SE26 6HP
079 19 22 21 97 020 83 55 66 77
Free estimates—reasonable prices—good references
All jobs fully insured
PAINTING & DECORATING PLASTERING RENDERING
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS CARPENTRY
WALL & FLOOR TILING PLUMBING ELECTRICAL
The iconic statue of Jesus
Christ overlooking Rio de
Janeiro has lost part of its
thumb after being struck
by lightning.
A violent storm swept across
the Brazilian city with tens
of thousands of lightning
flashes recorded.
Photographers captured
Christ the Redeemer in a
night sky crackling with
thunderbolts before the
chipped thumb was noticed
in daylight.
It is the second time in as
many months that the statue
has been damaged by the
forces of nature.
Our local high street has recently been refurbished, no doubt at great expense (I have not found out the cost). Certainly a high price was paid by those who lived near the road-works, which lasted one year from September 2012-2013. Four-way working traffic lights were common and there was quite a bit of noise. Now we have had four months to enjoy the finished product.
There is no doubt that Sydenham Road looks better. The pavements are shiny and even. The road surface is smooth. Pedestrians have had the balance tipped in their favour, with two extra pedestrian crossings. Mini-piazzas have been created at the end of Venner Road and Queensthorpe Road. That terrible, knobbly bit of pavement on the west of the railway bridge has at last been fixed. So a great deal to be thankful for. We have a good looking high street.
And yet the underlying problem with Sydenham is still not solved; the traffic. I think it was pretty obvious that putting in two extra light-controlled crossing would not help the flow of traffic. We still have the problems of jaywalking and the “Sydenham turn”, as drivers hold up all the traffic for their own convenience. Too long a phase for pedestrians to cross and too long for traffic emerging from Newlands Park don’t help.
Like me, I guess many of you are in Sydenham Road as both pedestrians and motorists, so you get to see both sides of it. Does it need to be as busy as this? Just look at Penge in the rush hour and the queues are nothing like as long. It’s only partly the fault of the heavy volume of traffic. Largely it’s the inefficient traffic control systems that are the problem.
Michael Kingston
THE MIKADO FROM SCRATCH COME AND SING GILBERT & SULLIVAN’S THE MIKADO IN A DAY OR JUST COME ALONG AND LISTEN TO A FUN PERFORM-
ANCE IN THE EVENING! - SATURDAY 1ST MARCH – ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH
Singers rehearse in the afternoon (1pm – 5pm) and put on a concert performance in the evening (7.30pm). All chorus sing-
ers welcome. Some roles still available. Vocal scores available to borrow (£10 deposit), or bring your own.
Tickets: Performers: £10 Audience only: £8 (concessions £5)
To express interest in singing (chorus or roles) or to enquire about audience tickets, contact Lesley on 07785 905355 or
email [email protected]. This event is a fundraiser for South London Community Music.
WANTED: GOLD SILVER JEWELLERY MILITARY CLOCKS COINS CLEARANCES
GORDON CARTWRIGHT Antique Dealer Since 1951 I wish to buy: any broken gold or silver items; pre-decimal coinage: 6d, 1/-, florins, half-crowns or
crowns; any other foreign coins or banknotes; gold or silver jewellery also wanted. Also jewellers boxes –
any quantity. Clocks, wristwatches whether working or not; any old and interesting items. Costume jewel-
lery wanted – any quantity; any amber items, amber beads – broken or not. We also want cutlery sets and
teaspoons. Silver items wanted including dressing table sets, tortoise shell items, silver photo frames; any bronze items.
Any foreign or British stamp collections; old newspapers or magazines and theatre programmes. Postcard albums and old
atlases bought. Any crocodile wallets, photo frames, handbags, suitcases or collar boxes. Corkscrews always wanted.
Paperweights by any named makers – if not signed we will still make an offer. Military items: any military photos or
cards; any WW1 or WW2 items; medals and badges etc. Also swagger sticks, pace sticks, uniforms or just
hats or berets. We also do house and flat clearances. Please call any time – there is an answer phone if
we are out. Thank you for taking the time to read my advert. We will call round at your convenience.
Tel: Gordon Cartwright on 020 7735 8851
Time Vine is one of the country’s top comics, who happens to be a Christian.
“I’d rather be a comedian who happens to be a Christian. Part of that I think comes from the fact
that I can make more of an impact like that.
“If I go and perform at Spring Harvest – which I do enjoy and would love to do more of – then they're not going to
be surprised if I don’t swear. But if you go into a comedy club as one of four acts, and the other three are all f-
words, when I come on and do my act well, that's got impact.”
Tim still plays drums in the church where he grew up. Brought up in a Christian family (his brother is broadcaster
Jeremy Vine) he says he sometimes wishes he had “a more dramatic conversion story”.
“There have been lots of points along the way where God has become more im-
portant to me, and that relationship has gone deeper. But then there were also
several times when I felt like giving it up, and then times when I've realised that
it's what has got me through.
“I think my faith has got deeper, because if you have different hurdles and
struggles in life, it begins to mean more to you. When you're younger you
don't quite realise what it’s worth. But it turned out, in a very natural way, that this
job – comedy – kind of evolved for me, and I really feel like God decided that
this job would suit me best. I didn't start in comedy until I was 24, and yet when
I did start, it didn't feel like a leap into the unknown. Instead it felt familiar, as if my
life had, in some pre-planned way, been leading up to that moment.”
Comedy may be a cutthroat business, but Tim refuses to use swear words or crude humour.
“I just prefer the sort of comedy that you can sit and watch with your family. I really believe there's a massive audi-
ence out there for stuff that's clean and harmless but also very, very funny. I'm sure that my faith plays a part in
not wanting to do stuff that's rude, but I guess it's also about the fact that when you think about it, a swear word is
just an extra word that you don't need.”
Adapted from an article from
New Life Christian News.
Sydenham Life Editor
Richard Dax
0793 1152874
England and Aston Villa striker, Darren Bent says that his faith in God helps him
deal with his sporting injuries and personal setbacks.
Bent said: ‘I’ve been through some hard times here at Villa and at Spurs, and
missing out on major tournaments with England too. It has been difficult, but I’m a believer that good
things come to those who wait and I believe If I am patient and I have faith then more good things will
happen to me in my life and career.’
Capped 13 times by England, Bent came to Christianity through his grandmother. ‘My grandma got me
into religion because she used to carry me to Church every Sunday,’ Bent recalls. ‘I read the Bible
every day before I get up. You’ve got to have faith!’
Taking his Bible everywhere he goes, and going to church whenever he can, Bent’s more than happy to
help the church: ‘Although it can be hard with Sunday games, whenever my Grandma needs me to do
something for the church - to go along to an event or sign something - then I’m more than happy to do
that.’
Teetotaller Bent is in no doubt that he and his family get their strength from their faith: ‘It’s always been
a support for me. I know in my household and with my family it’s a big part of our lives and what we do.’
His teammates are respectful of his beliefs too. ‘I don’t get any stick for my faith in the dressing room,’
comments Darren, ‘I think the lads realize it is a personal choice of mine, and they respect that. A lot of
footballers have now got tattoos with hands praying and stuff like that, which can be a bit clichéd, but I
have got my faith and it is important to me.’
Adapted from an article by Hefin Rhys Jones, Christian.co.uk
II Cor 5:7
We can check + fix and set up your laptop, desktop, tablet, Apple Mac and
PC computers, Mac OS and Windows, software, hardware, internet;
and provide tutoring to use your computer.
Free quote, prices start as low as £35 for local, professional service.
Call or text Paul on 07595 679 275 or 0208 265 0450 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pawonthebutton.co.uk
Are you looking for a great venue for a party, evening class, concert, after
school club or other event or regular activity?
St Bartholomew’s Church has a variety of spaces available to hire at very
reasonable rates for all sorts of events or regular activities.
One-off hire charges are from £22 per hour and excellent discounts are
available for regular users.
For more details, contact Lesley on 07785 905355 or at
This is one of those few days in the Church’s year which doesn’t commemorate something happening. It simply happens to be 40 days before Easter, and therefore the beginning of that great period of fasting
and prayer known as Lent. It’s the day when we begin our long, careful and prayerful approach to Easter. As a sign of our humility, or at least intended humility, we receive the sign of the cross made in ashes on
our forehead.
The Sung Eucharist with ashes takes place at 8 pm on March 5th.
FUNDRAISING CONCERT FOR THE JACOB BARNES SCHOLARSHIP – MUSICWORKS CHAMBER COURSES
GREAT ROMANTIC MASTERPIECES
SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2014 AT 7.30PM – ST BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH
Programme features Dvorak String Quartet in E flat Major, Op. 97; Strauss Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op. 13; Gliere String
Octet in D Major, Op.5. Performers are past and present musicians from MusicWorks.
FREE ADMISSION WITH A RETIRING COLLECTION IN AID OF THE JACOB BARNES SCHOLARSHIP
Sundays
8am Eucharist (said)
10am Parish Eucharist (Sung)
All-Age once a month
6pm (some Sundays) Evening Service or
Sunday@Six (Children’s Eucharist) check for details
Weekdays
8.30am Morning Prayer, Tuesday-Friday
9.30am Saturday
5.30pm Evening Prayer, Tuesday-Saturday
9.15am Eucharist, Wednesday
12.45pm Eucharist, Thursday
020 8778 5290 4 Westwood Hill, Sydenham, SE26 6QR
[email protected] Vicar’s day off: Monday
The church is usually open every Saturday morning between 10 am and 12 noon for anyone to drop in. A member of staff is
available to discuss weddings, baptisms,etc
February
5th- in loving memory of Aunty Chris. Paddy Do you have an anniversary, birthday or special event
you wish to light up? Maybe there is someone you want
to remember. You can sponsor the floodlighting of St
Bartholomew’s church for one whole week for £10.
Claire Adams: 020 8676 0608
Wedding
Those whom God had joined together
December 13th
Obasuyi Osahenrumwen and Sandra Osagiede
Confirmation
November 26th in St Bartholomew’s:
Elizabeth Alphonso, Phoebe Dax, Elisa Goldsmith, Naomi Kingston, Hilary Newlove-Mensah, Stephanie Newlove-Mensah, Obasuyi Osahenrumwen.
Funeral
May they rest in peace and rise in glory
November 28th Roger de Klerk (43)
January 2nd Barbara Nielsen (73)
February 9th Education Sunday
On this day we celebrate education. Anyone who is a teacher, pupil, parent or governor is welcome to join us at the Parish Eucharist at 10 am on this day. The service is all-age in ethos and there will be an act of prayer and dedication .Our guest preacher this year is The Rev Garry Swinton, chaplain of Grey Coat Hospital School (CofE) Westminster.
Women’s World Day of Prayer Friday March 7th
This ecumenical day of prayer is always celebrated on the first Friday of March, near International Women’s Day (March 8th). Around the world Christian women will be using the same service, drafted by women in a different country each year; this year’s is from Egypt. On March 7th, St Bart’s is hosting one of the local services, which will be at 7 pm.
A healing service is a simple service with a reading, lots of prayer, some gentle hymns and a light sermon, all with
healing as its intention. The service culminates in the laying on of hands by the priest on the head of each individual who
comes forward, with anointing with olive oil, an ancient symbol of healing.
All are welcome, and the service lasts about 40-45 minutes.
