England's Church

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said separating the Church from the state would not be "the end of the world". Dr Rowan Williams said there would be benefits in the disestablishment of the Church of England. There was a "certain integrity" in decisions made by the Church not having to be "nodded through by Parliament afterwards". But he rejected the idea of a disestablished Church in England in the near future.


Establishment of the Church of England - with the Queen at its head and the prime minister responsible for senior appointments - gives it special influence denied to other Churches but it also means laws passed by its governing synod have to be confirmed by Parliament.

Dr Williams, a former Archbishop of Wales, where the Church is disestablished, said: "I can see that it's by no means the end of the world if the establishment disappears. "The strength of it is that the last vestiges of state sanction disappeared, so when you took a vote at the Welsh synod, it didn't have to be nodded through by Parliament afterwards. There is a certain integrity to that."
He said he would oppose disestablishment if it was motivated by secularists "trying to push religion into the private sphere".

"I believe the Church exists because of God, not because of the state," he said.
"At the moment the Church of England is in its established position, a helpful umbrella for other faith organisations, a foot in the door of secular society, and I'd be very loathe to lose that.
"I think society would lose from it as well."

Church of England said: "The government has repeatedly stressed the value it places on the establishment of the Church of England as something valued by people of all faiths and none.
"The Church is honoured to perform this service to the nation, which embraces a wide range of aspects - from the parish system and bishops in the House of Lords, to church schools and helping the nation mark important events."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789192.stm

http://anglosaxonanglicans.org/origins/cofe.htm

http://www.anglican.org/index.html


http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/

Christmas isn't like it used to be

We can trace the history of Christmas back to Saturnalia, the Roman festival where everything was turned on its head. The slave would act the master and vice versa. Presents were exchanged within families.

If we go on to the Middle Ages we would find a Christmas that differed from the Victorian vision.

Victorians romanticised childhood and put them at the centre of things.

Pre-Victorian Christmases were social in the wider sense - less the nuclear family, more adult, more convivial. It wasn't so family centred it could be wilder instead of this wonderful sweet celebration at home. You might go to a special church service and drink at the tavern.

The rise to dominance of Puritanism during the English Civil War led to a period of sporadic assaults on the Christmas tradition. When Puritans opposed Christmas they felt the partying had taken over.

By the end of the 18th Century, Christmas had declined in importance as a holiday. But in the 19th Century it enjoyed a resurgence in Britain that spread across the Atlantic and helped shape the way much of the world celebrates it today. Charles Dickens played a big part in it, setting out in his novels a vision of Christmas that people could re-engage with.

Although many would say Dickens was the inventor of the Victorian Christmas, he based it very much on the 18th Century - stagecoaches in snowy lanes, jovial landlords, squires giving presents to the poor and presiding over groaning tables.

One of the key aspects for us about Christmas is a break from work - a couple of weeks for the luckiest. But in Victorian times Christmas Day was often just another day of grimy toil.

And there were plenty of new traditions. The tree, the turkey, Christmas cards and crackers all came to a prominent place in the celebrations.

Many believe it was Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, who first brought the German Christmas tree concept to Britain. The idea of a fir tree festooned with decorations and candles did not immediately catch on, having to wait until its enthusiastic adoption by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Turkey had been in the country for centuries, but only in the 19th Century started to make its journey to Christmas meal, finally achieved after World War II.

If there is one significant element that truly can be said to have been lost from the Christmas experience it is the exhortations to a personal brand of charity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7783277.stm

http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/

Give a special present this Christmas - Give blood

The age limit which prevents regular blood donors from continuing to give blood beyond their 70th birthday has been scrapped.

There are currently 1.414 million registered blood donors in the UK, with one in ten aged 60 or above.The age limit on blood donations was raised from 65 to 70 in 1998.An age limit was put in place as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the donor, but recent evidence from other blood services has shown no harm to donors over the age of 70.

People who have donated in the last two years will be able to continue giving as long as they meet selection rules.

Age Concern, said: "Many older blood donors will welcome the news that their age will no longer prevent them from donating blood, allowing them to continue contributing to this vital service."The change to National Blood Service rules is a great example of how breaking down age barriers brings huge benefits, not only to older people, but society in general."We hope it will encourage other organisations to look carefully at their policies and ensure they don't unnecessarily exclude people because of their age."

Earlier this year some people with diabetes and high blood pressure were cleared to donate blood for the first time.A committee of experts ruled it was safe for these groups to give blood, even if they are taking medication to control their condition.

NHS Blood and Transplant is also asking individuals of all ages to donate blood over Christmas, when supplies often come under intense pressure.On average, the blood services across the UK need 8,200 donations each day to keep up stocks.Blood does not keep for long and so the blood services need to have sufficient stocks to meet demand for between nine and 10 days.

The National Blood Service is not to be confused with the National Health Service.We are an integral part of the NHS, and we guarantee to deliver blood, blood components, blood products and tissues from our 15 blood centres to anywhere in England and North Wales.Naturally, we also ensure that the blood we supply is properly screened and is safe for patients. Every year we collect, test, process, store and issue 2.1 million blood donations. We depend entirely on voluntary donations from the general public, and try to encourage our existing donors to give three times a year. (It's amazing what the promise of a free cup of tea and some biscuits will do...)

The minimum age is 17, and you can book online for a centre near you at a convenient time. Donor sessions are held in halls in villages as well as in towns and the permanent centres such as Birmingham. Check out

www.blood.co.uk for more info or call 0845 7 711 711.

http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/

Christian group's poetry protest

How far should we go - are we willing to go - to protect christianity?

Around 250 Christian activists are protesting outside the Welsh assembly building during a poetry reading.
Patrick Jones was invited by two assembly members to read from his collection Darkness Is Where The Stars Are, which has already led to claims it is "obscene and blasphemous".
Mr Jones was "shocked" by the turnout but said it was good for free speech.

Stephen Green, director of Christian Voice, said: "This turnout shows the strength of feeling of people."
Protesters sang hymns and some held placards before the ticket-only event inside the Senedd building.
Mr Green added: We're seeing the Christian faith attacked on all sides."
"Now it's under attack in a seat of government in the UK."
Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Conservatives was at the demonstration, and was asked if he was showing his support.
He replied: "Yes, essentially."
"Our group opposed this {reading] at the home of Welsh democracy, promoting something which is anti-Christian and we would say that if it was any recognised religion."

Mr Jones was asked by Labour AM Lorraine Barrett and Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, who said he wanted to make sure the poet was not "gagged".
"I think this is a good day for democracy. We've head both sides - Patrick has had his poetry reading and it's also important for people to be able to make their views known."
One of the poems that has offended Christians, called Hymn, includes a reference to Mary Magdalene having sex with Jesus.

Mr Jones is the brother of Nicky Wire, of the Manic Street Preachers.
A books-signing launch event was cancelled at a Cardiff branch of Waterstone's last month after an earlier protest was planned.
He signed copies of the collection of 30 to 40 poems in the street instead.
Mr Jones, who has said he is "really proud" of the book said after the protest: "I was really shocked at the turnout and I think that's healthy for democracy but I don't think many of them have read the poem.
"A bit of a moral panic has been created but what happened at Waterstone's set a dangerous precedent."
He insisted he had not singled out Christianity in his poems, but was questioning beliefs in society.

Mr Green said: "I didn't want to get party political about this, but I've had a number of letters of support from members of the assembly.
"The Conservative group has come out against this locally and many Plaid Cymru members have too.
"I am not taking sides, I'm just telling it how it is."

http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/index.html

www.bridgnorth-anglican.org

Keeping the house warm

A neighbour told me that because I was over 70 I’d be able to get free loft insulation but they had no idea how to go about getting it.

I lead an active life — I’m never bored — but since retiring I’ve spent more time at home and I’ve noticed the bills go up.

I called the Home Heat Helpline and ask about the free insulation. I got through straightaway. It all happened very quickly. I got put through to my energy supplier and they made an appointment to come and do a survey.

Just five weeks after calling the Home Heat Helpline we’ve had 11 inch thick insulation put in the loft. I’ve already noticed a difference.

When we had the insulation done we thought of our friend Ida and her husband. Ida must be nearly 80 now and doesn’t get out much. She lives in quite an old house and I know she spends a lot on heating because she’s at home all day.

She has trouble on the phone so we called the Home Heat Helpline for her and got a survey done in no time at all.

It’s so easy, I’d advise everyone to call them.”

To chat to a specially trained advisors call us for FREE on 0800 33 66 99. If you have difficulty hearing you can use the minicom service on 0800 027 2122.

They can advise you on benefits, grants for free home insulation, reduced tariffs and special payment options your energy supplier provides to help those struggling with their fuel bills.

You can call yourself, on behalf of a relative or to help out a friend, patient, client or neighbour that you’re worried about.

The Home Heat Helpline is open 9am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays — and it won’t cost you penny to ring, it’s free.

It can be tough trying to find out if you qualify for special grants and services to help you save money on your heating bills. Just finding the right number to ring or the best person to talk to can take up a lot of time. But that’s where the Home Heat Helpline comes in.

If you’re struggling to pay your fuel bill or worried how you’re going to stay warm, the Home Heat Helpline will make it easier for you to find the answers.

Anyone can phone us for FREE on 0800 33 66 99 and talk to our team of friendly expert advisors – many of them are ex-nurses and social workers so they know how important your call is.
We can provide you with straightforward, clear information on benefits and grants and give you advice on making your home more energy efficient.

We work alongside dozens of welfare organizations as well as all six major energy suppliers so we know what services and options there are for people who need help — from grants for free home insulation and winter rebates to flexible payment plans and benefit entitlement checks. The following services are available from every energy supplier:

The Priority Service Register — a special service for elderly or disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions that includes bills in easy-to-read larger text or in Braille, as well as security passwords and a free annual gas safety check.

The disconnection safety net which prevents vulnerable customers from being cut off if they can’t pay their bills on time.

Grants for free home insulation

Reduced tariffs (sometimes known as social tariffs), trust fund grants or winter rebates.

Depending on your needs we will either help you directly or put you straight through to the right person at your energy provider.

It makes sense to find out what you’re entitled to. The Home Heat Helpline is here to help, so make that call.

www.bridgnorth-anglican.org

St Nicholas, meet Santa Claus

Meant to do this blog before St Nicholas on 6 December, but exhaustion from over-enthusiastically helping Santa at Arley prevented it. Hope it doesn't diminish its interest - and it's still relevant to discover the origin and historical development of St Nicholas...St Nick...Santa Claus (which took several centuries).

The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts.

The American Santa Claus, as well as the Anglo-Canadian and British Father Christmas, derive from these legends.

"Santa Claus" is itself derived from the Dutch 'Sinterklaas'. The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the birthday of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a God of Myra in present-day Turkey.

Sinterklaas has a long white cape, wears a white bishop's dress and white mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long black coloured staff with a fancy curled top. He carries a big book with information about all the children, whether they have been good or naughty in the past year.

Traditionally, in the weeks between his arrival and the 5th of December, before going to bed children put their shoes next to the chimney of the coal fired stove or fireplace, or, in modern times, next to the central heating, with a carrot or some hay in it and a bowl of water "for Sinterklaas's horse," and sing a Sinterklaas song; the next day they will find some candy or a small present in their shoes, supposedly thrown down the chimney by Sinterklaas.

http://familyfeastandferia.wordpress.com/2007/12/02/reading-material-for-the-feast-of-st-nicholas/

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=458

http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/

Advent imagery - the wreath

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.

Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is Purple.

This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Purple is still used in Catholic churches.

The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death.

The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection.

To reflect this emphasis, originally Advent was a time of penitence and fasting, much as the Season of Lent and so shared the color of Lent.

In the four weeks of Advent the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice").

The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday Advent candles reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season.

There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. In Scandinavia during Winter, lighted candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.

By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas.

After all, Christ is “the Light that came into the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God (cf. John 3:19-21). By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.

http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/

International Day of Disabled Persons: Raising the profile of disability and development

Did you know that 10% to 20% of people around the world are disabled? Too often their freedoms are restricted - and their potential overlooked.

To encourage more people to think about and act on the issues facing disabled people, in 1992 the United Nations observed the first ever International Day of Disabled Persons. It's been taking place on 3 December ever since.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty.

They are headed by a Cabinet minister, one of the senior ministers in the Government. This reflects how important the Government sees reducing poverty around the world. They have two headquarters (in London and East Kilbride, near Glasgow) and 64 offices overseas. They also have over 2500 staff, almost half of whom work abroad.

Disability is a human rights issue. So long as people with disabilities are denied the opportunity to participate fully in society, no one can claim that the objectives of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been achieved." Bengt Lindqvist, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability.

There are many organisations working towards raising the profile of disability within development.
They include the the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union, World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and Voluntary Service Overseas which are all working to prevent disability and ensure that disabled people enjoy equal opportunities in their communities and schools.

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=109

http://www.handicap-international.org.uk/page_384.php

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/devawareness/disability-day-lead.asp

www.bridgnorth-anglican.org

Giving blood

An appeal for more platelet donors has been made by the National Blood Service as supplies fall to their lowest level over the Christmas period.

Platelets are very small cells that work as the body's clotting agent.
The supplies need to be constantly renewed as they only have have a five-day shelf-life.

They are life-saving treatment for many critically ill patients, notably cancer sufferers undergoing chemotherapy and for unborn babies needing transfusions.

Platelets are made in the bone marrow and released into the bloodstream in the same way as red blood cells.

If a blood vessel is damaged, platelets will become 'glued' together at the site of the damage to form a platelet plug.

Collecting platelets is a specialised process in which the blood is filtered, the platelets collected, and the remaining blood returned to the donor.

They can be donated more frequently than whole blood donations because no red cells are taken, which ensures the body's iron levels remain unaffected.

Platelets given by donors can help up to three adults or 12 children.

Alex Thomas, 21 - bellringer and occasional crucifer, is proud to give blood, and tries to beat his time record each four-monthly visit. As an O neg blood group, he's chuffed to be 'special' in that his blood can be given to anyone in an emergency. Hopefully, he'll qualify to give platelets, too.

His mum used to give blood but now can't, being on restricting medication, but she does her bit by putting up posters - and transporting Alex! Adam looks forward to being able to give blood, when he gets to 16, next April. Dad, Chris, will now go back to giving blood having cleared his malaria vaccination restriction.

Can you, or someone you know, start giving blood - and even platelets? It's something that costs only time, and can save a life.

Read some stories here https://secure.blood.co.uk/e21cases.asp#brett

www.bridgnorth-anglican.org

Advent calendar

Here is Liz Roberts' lovely advent calendar, now in use in our family kitchen. We also have an 'open the windows' variety, with a stable scene, so we are well set up to watch the days passing.





The December-January magazine Cross Link is now out - and with it the retirement of Avril as its editor (though not, as has been rumoured, from the team office - she says it takes more than handing over the magazine to get rid of her!).



Avril told me she originally agreed to do the magazine for six months - quite some years ago! Thank you, Avril, for all your efforts - and I know you'll find something else to fill the time...







Today is World Aids Day. The number of people living with HIV is continuing to rise in every part of the world - including in the UK. HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system - the body's defence against diseases. There are now 33 million people living with HIV worldwide and 80,000 people living with HIV in the UK. Our prayers today are asked for them, their families and friends, and those who care for them.


http://www.bridgnorth-anglican.org/