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JULY 2000

Dear friends,

I was profoundly disturbed by the most recent meeting of the Thanet Deanery Synod, to such an extent that it left me feeling very fearful for the future of the Church of England – apart, that is, from a supernatural intervention by Almighty God.

The vicar of St Luke’s Ramsgate proposed for debate a very reasonable and, one would have thought, unexceptional motion in which we were invited to support the bishops of the Lambeth Conference in affirming the teaching of the Bible about human sexuality.

We then split into small groups for discussion. In my group, to my astonishment, two of the local clergy were very forthright in saying that the Bible was not at all clear about these matters. One of them even went so far as saying that if we take seriously the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality, we would also have to take seriously what it said about the role of women in the Church!

After small group discussion, we then had a plenary session, in which it was very clear that several clergy and lay folk had grave reservations about supporting the motion (I hasten to add, others of us spoke in favour!) Then there was a proposal from the floor that in view of the fact that this was a divisive issue, it would be better if no vote was taken at all. This new proposal was put to the meeting and carried by a substantial majority. After this debacle, the diocesan secretary, who happened to be present throughout the debate, got to his feet and congratulated the Synod on the way that it had conducted its business! Further more, he said, if the motion from St Luke’s had been passed, the Archbishop’s Council would not have allowed it to be discussed at diocesan level, as the issue of human sexuality was too divisive at the present time.

My reaction to all this is threefold. First of all, I find it quite extraordinary that so-called Christian people, clergy and lay, have a problem supporting a motion encouraging the bishops of the Church of England to stand by the Bible’s teaching on human sexuality. Secondly, if every time an issue was likely to be divisive, we decided not to take a vote, we would rarely come to a decision about anything at all. Thirdly, how can one possibly have true fellowship with professing Christians (clergy and lay) who sit so lightly to the plain teachings of God’s Word?

The prevailing culture in the Church of England is – "don’t rock the boat; you mustn’t upset anybody". What a woeful state of affairs. No wonder people are leaving the churches of our land in droves. How we need to pray as we’ve never prayed before, that God would send to us a revival from heaven, which will bring Christians to their knees in repentance, resulting in a determination to take their standards, not from the non-Christian world, but from the unerring revelation of Holy Scripture.

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Just to remind you that Joy and I are inviting all Church members to a barbecue in the Church grounds on Wednesday evening 12^th July at 7pm. This is a multiple celebration – 10 years as Vicar of St James’, our 25^th wedding anniversary and my 50^th birthday! Entry by ticket only, as we need to know numbers for catering. Joy has spare tickets.

With warmest Christian greetings,

John Cheeseman

FROM THE CHURCH REGISTER

We extend our prayers and sympathy to the relatives and friends of those committed to God’s care:

Funerals- May 30^th Lewis Norrington Aged 60

June 14^th Andrew Sansom Aged 20

Baptism- June 25^th Abbie Zannetti

JUNE SERMON TAPES

June 4^th AM "You shall not commit adultery" (Matthew 5v27,28)

PM "The meaning of the Ascension" (Hebrews 4v14-16)

June 11^th AM "Overcoming Temptation" (Matthew 5v29,30)

PM "Spiritual gardening" (Song of Solomon 4v16)

June 18^th AM Family Service – Peter Reed

PM The Sovereignty of God – Bill Turner (Phil 3v7-11)

June 24^th AM "Jesus on divorce" (Matthew 5v31,32)

PM "From fear to faith" (Habakkuk)

Tapes are available on request from Frank Clark.

Notes of the PCC Meeting – 22 May 2000

Information available in printed magazine only.

FRIENDS OF KENT CHURCHES SPONSORED BIKE RIDE SATURDAY 9^th SEPTEMBER 2000

Just a quick note as advance warning of the above event. I know it always seems to come round very quickly. Please book it on your calendar now, either because you plan to cycle for St James’, or because you are prepared to spend an hour or two welcoming cyclists to our Church.

I usually receive all the paper work fairly early in July and will pass it on to anyone interested. Please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to participate. Remember half of the money you raise goes to Friends of Kent Churches and half to St James’. I can be contacted on 224700 or see me at Evening service.

Jose Gibbs

LEWIS NORRINGTON

Thank you to every one for all the prayers and support I received during Lew’s illness and again after he died, for the messages, flowers and prayers we received as a family.

Thank you to Evelyn, Beryl, Margaret and Daphne for the help you gave me at this sad time in my life. To all those who came to the crematorium and to John for a very moving service.

Thank you all. Sara Norrington and Family

BARN DANCE

The Barn Dance held at St James Church Hall on Saturday 20^th May was enjoyed by all who attended.

Thanks to everyone who helped with the food etc – and made the evening a success.

Barbara Line

SATURDAY SHOP

The results of the Saturday shop never ceases to amaze, for the shop, in June, raised £170 for church funds. We are, as ever, grateful to God for his continued blessing on this event and to all who contribute in any way.

To replenish stocks, books, bric-a-brac, clothing, cakes, jams, vegetables and plants etc are always needed. If you can also help in these areas please contact Anne Clark on 831558.

STRAWBERRY TEA

Please note that this year’s Strawberry Tea will be held on Saturday 8^th July at 3.00pm in the Church Centre. This is open to all and includes your friends and neighbours. Tickets cost £2.50 each.

SUMMER FÊTE

Hopefully it is not too late to remind you that the Summer Fête will be held in the Church Centre and grounds on Saturday 1^st July at 1.00pm. This may give you just one week to donate bottles, handicrafts, books, cakes and games, boutique, toys, garden produce, groceries, jewellery and bric-a-brac etc for the various stalls. If you can help then please telephone on 833128.

WAM

ST JAMES’ HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE APRIL 2000 GALILEE - DAY 1

Soon after 8am we were all boarding the coach, either by the front door, or for those of us who knew our place, by the back door. It was quite surprising how soon we each adopted a certain seat on the coach and headed straight for it each morning. We really are creatures of habit! There was a buzz of anticipation as we travelled out of Tiberias and along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. No doubt we were all wondering if it was all going to be as we expected, or were we in for some surprises?

Sadly, views across the Sea towards the Golan Heights were restricted because of the heat haze and many of us were disappointed that there were none of the beautiful sunrises for which the area is well known. Even so, the countryside was wonderful – the underlying rock is basalt covered with a very fertile volcanic soil. We drove past plantations of mangoes and bananas, olive groves and vineyards. Cacti were used as hedging and bourganvillias of giant proportions grew everywhere like weeds!

Slowly we were becoming acclimatised to the heat, although Joe advised us all to buy several bottles of mineral water at our first stop. This was the Church on the Mount of the Beatitudes and commemorates Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Financed by Mussolini, it was designed by the Italian architect, Antonio Barluzzi. We were to come across this name several more times during our stay in the Holy Land and I think we all found his work very sympathetic to the location and meaning of the sites commemorated by his buildings. Neither my words nor the space available would do justice to the beautiful building or the gardens – it’s a pity we can’t print some pictures of many of the places we visited. It was here that we started pestering Colin Fidler to tell us the names of the birds flying around the gardens as even little brown birds looked exotic compared with ours at home!

A quick coach transfer along the road took us to Tabgha, the site of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The present church was completed in 1984 but is over the site of the original 4^th century building that was destroyed by the Persians in the early 7^th century. Some of the original mosaic floors still exist – beautifully worked birds and fishes the largest of which are only found on the Nile and suggest the mosaicist may have been Egyptian, while in front of the altar is one depicting the loaves and fishes. This design is used on pottery made locally and several pieces have found their way into Thanet kitchens!

Next stop was the Church of Mensa Christi, built on a rock at the very edge of the Sea of Galilee. This spot commemorates Christ’s Resurrection appearance to the Disciples. Down at the water’s edge, away from the crowds (these three sites were very busy), we had a Bible reading and the chance to refresh our feet in the sea before being shepherded kindly but firmly back to the coach by Joe.

Capernaum was our next stop – even more crowded. This became the centre for Christ’s Ministry in Galilee after he had been expelled from Nazareth. In Christ’s time, Capernaum was a busy fishing port as well as being a frontier post on the way to Damascus. It fell into disuse over 1000 years ago and over the last 100 years has been the scene of archaeological excavations. In 1968 a house was uncovered and the Franciscans who owned the site claimed that it was Peter’s house. There is now a Church built over it in such a way as to leave the underlying archaeology on show. There are extensive remains of a 4^th century Synagogue that was built on the foundations of one dating from the 1^st century. It was here that Jesus worshipped and preached. In another part of the excavated site were simply houses and shops, again dating from the 1^st century. It was quite moving to think that those stones were the remains of buildings that Jesus would have known so well. We also were able to study examples of olive presses made from the hard basalt rock was well as Roman carvings and milestones.

Another fairly short coach journey took us to a local Kibbutz where we were to board a boat for a journey on the Sea of Galilee back to Tiberias. By now a sharp breeze had sprung up – very common around midday apparently it was certainly cooler out on the water. There was a feeling of peace while on the boat after the hustle and bustle of the morning. Lunch beside the water in Tiberias was a complicated affair with variously priced ‘set menus’. Many of the party tried ‘Peter’s Fish’, while for me the highlight of the meal had to be the bowl of fresh dates! It was here that 17 year old, blue-eyed, fair-haired Elizabeth first discovered that Middle Eastern young men are attracted to Anglo-Saxons! Neither had she realised quite how many surrogate Grandmothers were on the trip with her until then!

Next stop was a visit to one of the Baptismal sites on the River Jordan. Needless to say, the various religious traditions favour different sites to commemorate the baptism of Jesus. The one we visited was a modern commercial site at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee and although geared to cope with large numbers of pilgrims, was actually fairly quiet during our visit. Most of us were surprised how narrow the River Jordan is! Away from the purpose built baptismal platforms the river was overhung with trees and we enjoyed a peaceful sojourn before having to make our way out through the inevitable souvenir shop.

The final scheduled stop of the day had nothing spiritual about it all – a visit to a diamond factory in Tiberias. Few of us realised that this is one of Israel’s major industries – 60% of the world’s diamonds are polished here.

As a finale to the day Beryl Bing decided she needed to visit the bank and the Post Office. I offered to accompany her and after Joe had given us instructions on how to cross the road, we set off. Once or twice we wondered if we would ever see the rest of the group again as we dodged in and out of the traffic! Like well brought up English ladies we would press the ‘wait’ button and pelican crossings, only to discover that Israeli drivers do not realise that the Green Man means that pedestrians are allowed to cross. We made several mad dashes across the roads!

To be continued .......

José Gibbs

TRIP TO LAMBETH PALACE

On Saturday 3^rd June, seven members of our church travelled to Lambeth Palace with about 25 members of the congregation from St Philip’s, Cliftonville, who had notified us previously having spare seats on their coach. The Palace is only open to the public on a few specified days during this millennium year, 2000.

Leaving Thanet by 9.45am we had an uneventful journey to London, where the coach left us for 5½ hours outside the Palace, at noon. Entrance tickets for 1pm or 1.15pm had been distributed en-route, the group having been divided into two sections. This gave us time to rest briefly in the adjacent gardens, part of the Museum of Garden History, closed on Saturdays. We also had time to stroll ¼ mile along the riverside to observe The London Eye, the giant wheel which has many pods and takes 1 hour for a complete rotation.

Soon we retraced our steps to the Palace, surprised there was no bag search at the entrance, but rules stated that no photography was allowed. We immediately watched a short video film, introduced by His Grace George Carey, the 103^rd Archbishop and were then asked to descend to the crypt, which until recently had been used as storage for furniture and books. This is the oldest part of the Palace. It has been restored and now used as a chapel occasionally, with a lovely modern plain wooden altar – also a modern painting of Christ’s head, hung in a recess. The river originally came up to the walls when building commenced in the 12^th century.

We returned to ground level where our guide led us into the Great Hall, now housing the Palace library. It has a magnificent hammer beam ceiling, built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but heavily damaged during Oliver Cromwell’s time and again less so during World War II, deeply gorged burn marks still being evident on the large oak table. Apart from thousands of books, manuscripts etc., we saw a few under glass cabinets, also the gauntlets belonging to James I who removed them prior to his death on the scaffold, giving them to Archbishop Abbot, James I saying to him just one word "Remember". The King had been very supportive to the founder of the library in 1610 by Archbishop Bancroft. The library is open to the public by appointment.

We ascended stairs to the Post Room, so named as a large central post originally supported the ceiling. Due to deathwatch beetle, it has been removed – this was discovered during restoration, together with other damage during World War II. There is also a special post box here, one of only three in the country, the others being at Buckingham Palace and The Houses of Parliament.

We went on into the Guard Room. Very necessary in previous centuries, as archbishops were more vulnerable, being politically involved with matters of state. Here this is another fine hammer beam ceiling and portraits of some of the earlier archbishops. Later we saw part of the Picture Gallery, with easily recognisable more informal portraits of the five archbishops who have been in office since the beginning of our present Queen’s reign.

Next we viewed the official banquet room, only about 24’square and laid for 6 place settings, so quite informal. The table can be extended but for large informal banquets the Great Hall is used. Leading off this small dining room is an enormous lounge with beautiful moulded plaster ceiling and informally furnished in pale colours. The grand piano here was often played by the wife of the former archbishop, His Grace Robert Runcie. She gave recitals here to raise money for restoration of the Palace Herb Garden that we visited at the end of the tour.

The chapel was the final part seen before the guide left us after 1¼ hours. Every window contained lovely stained glass. There are no central pews, only stalls on two side walls, one for each archbishop world wide. The present archbishop’s enthronement cape, in an adjoining room, is on display.

Outside we were able to enter a marquee where charcoal sketches were on exhibition, also another larger marquee where a small general exhibition and small display of guide books, bibles and postcards could be purchased. We also enjoyed delightful refreshments in the cafeteria section where the staff were extremely cordial.

With about 1½ hours to spare before waiting for the coach to collect us, we decided to walk across Lambeth Bridge to relax under a shady tree in Victoria Tower Gardens. Rain greeted us on the Thanet Way. After thanking our hosts from St. Philip’s, we alighted from the coach after a most informative and happy day together. Pat Taft

JESUS SAID:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6 vv19-21

BED BLOCKS AND WALKING STICKS

The nephew of the late Miss Kennett has 4 blocks (sufficient to raise 2 beds) for those suffering from high blood pressure or similar conditions requiring one end of a bed to be raised higher than the other. They could equally be used to raise armchairs.

In addition, there are two walking sticks also available suitable for a person who is not too tall.

If you are interested, please contact Frances Kidd on 831039.

GROWING UP

After church one Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mum, I’ve decided I’m going to be a minister when I grow up."

"That’s okay with us," his mother said, "but what made you decide to be a minister?"

"Well," the boy replied, "I’ll have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit still and listen!"

JULY DIARY

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