Triangle Magazine - May 2022 edition

ISSN 2059-1659

May 2022

The church magazine for the parishes of

Clymping & Yapton with Ford

Triangle - May 2022

Page

Services for May 2022

Sunday, 1st May

Yapton 9.30 am Family Service

Clymping 11.00 am Parish Communion

Sunday, 8th May

Yapton 9.30 am Parish Communion

Clymping 11.00 am Family Service

Sunday, 15th May

Yapton 9.30 am Family Service

Clymping 11.00 am Parish Communion

Sunday, 22nd May

Yapton 9.30 am Parish Communion

Clymping 11.00 am Family Service

Thursday, 26th May - Ascension Day

Ford 10.00 am Holy Communion

Yapton 7.30 pm Holy Communion

Sunday, 29th May

Clymping 11.00 am Benefice Communion

St Andrew’s Ford

Every Thursday

10.00 am Holy Communion

Sunday School @ St Mary’s Yapton

8th May

22nd May

11.00 am (in Church)

11.00 am (in Church)

Please remember to check the CYF website and Facebook regularly

and look out for emails with updates.

Triangle - May 2022 Page 2

From the Rector

O

n Easter Sunday forty of us (plus a

few dogs!) gathered on Clymping

Beach to proclaim that ‘Christ is risen;

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!’

This month at Ascension Day, we

remember Jesus ascending to ‘God’s

right hand’ (1 Peter 3:22). It’s a

somewhat neglected Christian festival,

taking place on a Thursday, 40 days

after Easter. However, this phrase is

used in three different contexts in the

New Testament.

Sitting at God’s right hand - Jesus

occupies a position of power and

authority at the centre of the universe,

‘exalted to the right hand of God’ (Acts

2:33). This position was secured by His

death and resurrection, enabling us to

experience the life of heaven, including

eternal life, forgiveness, healing and

the power to transform lives and

communities. Is this our expectation

and experience?

Standing at God’s right hand - Our

experience of heaven is only partial

because of the presence of suffering

and disappointment in our lives.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, saw

Jesus ‘standing at the right hand of

God’ (Acts 7:56), when being stoned to

death. Do we see that Jesus is on the

throne and has a

purpose for our

lives, even when

we are going

through setbacks

and difficulties? As a

result of Stephen's death, the

church grew and the apostle Paul was

impacted. Where do we see the fruit of

the suffering in our lives?

Praying at God’s right hand - Finally,

we are told that Jesus is ‘interceding for

us’ at God’s right hand (Romans 8:34 &

Hebrews 7:25). Jesus is on our side at

the heart of the universe and fully

knows our needs when praying for us.

He is for us, even when we feel

defeated by the wrong things in our

lives. How does this help us now?

So where has Jesus gone? Because

He is in heaven, the Ascension opens

up the possibility that we can

experience the life of heaven, both now

and in eternity.

We celebrate Ascension Day in the

Benefice with services at Ford in the

morning and at Yapton in the evening.

Do join us if you can as we head

towards Pentecost.

Richard

Revd Richard Hayes

Day off is Friday

Our Rector

The Rectory, St Mary’s Meadow, Yapton,

Arundel, BN18 0EE.

( 01243 552962

revrichhayes@me.com

Full details of our ministry team, along with other contacts can be found at the back of the magazine.


From the Editor

Dear Triangle Readers

W

elcome to the May edition of

Triangle.

This will be my last edition as

editor of Triangle before Angela and I

make our way to our new home and

new adventures in Southampton.

Looking after Triangle has been a real

privilege but the time has come for us

to move on. Thank you all so much for

your encouragement, help, and

support over the years. Details of our

new Editor, Rob Newey, can be found

on page 6. Please be gentle with him

while he settles in!

Tragically, the war and suffering

in Ukraine continues, and so again this

month you’ll find a prayer for Ukraine

(p5), the Ukraine Appeal (p10), John

Rutter’s new work based on a

Ukrainian prayer (p22), and a report on

front line ministry in Ukraine (p37).

And so to my final thought - we

need to be encouraged to simply keep

going in these troubled times and I

think that the following verses from

the New Testament could be an

inspiration for all of us:

Let us not become weary in doing

good, for at the proper time we will

reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

Love must be sincere. Hate what is

evil; cling to what is good. Be

devoted to one another in love.

Honour one another above

yourselves. Be joyful in hope, patient

in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:9-12

Stay safe and well and avoid

counting yourself in the increasing

number of people who currently have

Covid!

Every blessing,

Nigel

( 07752 267773 (not after 8.00 pm please)

triangle.magazine@gmx.com

PLEASE NOTE

The deadline for the April

magazine is

SUNDAY 12 TH MAY

Items received after this date will normally

be carried over to the next month

Cover picture

Woodland path

© Gaby Stein

What you leave behind is not what is

engraved in stone monuments, but

what is woven into the lives of

others. Pericles

triangle magazine

Member Editor 2022


Prayer for Peace in Ukraine

This prayer is by Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Nations and Church

Relations for Christian Aid.

B

orders, barricades, bewilderment…

When the bargaining begins, God please protect peace. Sanctions,

security measured in minutes and it’s scary…

When safety scatters, God please protect peace. War dresses up in peacekeeper’s

clothes, Troops amass, the ground trembles and so do people…

When the future feels fragile, God please protect peace. The littlest, the least

likely to have a say, those whose lives are sanctioned and bargained over –

Violence always finds them first. And the ‘oh-so-important’ political

manoeuvres mean nothing to them. They just want to live.

When the winners want to wipe them out of the way, God please protect

peace.

We will not turn away, we will stand together. God give us the strength to

protect peace.

Amen

60 years on -

Coventry Cathedral

Tim Lenton writes:

S ixty years ago, on 25th May

1962, the new Coventry

Cathedral was consecrated. The

previous one had been

destroyed by German bombing

during World War Two.

On the night of 14 th

November 1940, the old Cathedral –

together with much of the centre of

Coventry – was devastated by

incendiary bombs, but the decision to

rebuild it was taken the next morning.

The Provost, Richard Howard,

wanted to do so as a sign of faith, trust

and hope, rather than as an act of

defiance.

This rejection of bitterness and

hatred led to the Cathedral’s Ministry

of Peace and Reconciliation. It is

symbolised by the Cross of Nails,

made from three nails found in

the old cathedral and set in the

centre of the altar cross.

The ‘new’ Cathedral was

an inspiration to many

celebrated artists, most of them

yet to become famous. Among

those commissioned by the

architect, Sir Basil Spence, were

Graham Sutherland, John Piper,

Elisabeth Frink and Jacob Epstein

(who created the striking sculpture of

St Michael defeating Lucifer).

The famous Charred Cross was

created when the cathedral

stonemason, Jock Forbes, saw two

wooden beams lying in the shape of a

cross after the bombing and tied them

together.

PP


Triangle has a new

Editor!

A

t long last we

have a new

editor who will

look after Triangle

starting with the

June edition!

Rob Newey has

kindly agreed to take up the reins and

will be supported by Richard and Tracey

Hayes and others to form an editorial

team.

Rob is well known to the

congregations at our three churches, in

local schools and other churches in the

area. He is a singer, composer, church

music consultant and outreach worker.

He’s also been involved in print and web

design.

You can contact Rob at:

triangle.magazine@gmx.com

( 01243 552956 or 07799 086898

Keep in Touch with

CYFchurches

Please check the Benefice website

regularly for up-to-date news:

cyfchurches.org.uk

Facebook – cyfchurches

If you’re not on Richard’s email

newsletter list, then drop him an email

and he’ll add you - just another

way for us to of keep in touch

with you:

revrichhayes@me.com

Richard - 01243 552962

CYF Fellowship Groups

Join us in one of the fellowship groups

around the Benefice; supporting,

learning, enjoying, praying together.

Each group has its own way of doing

things and we’re sure you’ll find one

that suits you. There are groups that

meet morning, afternoon and evening.

Some meet weekly, most meet

fortnightly.

If you’d like to know more contact the

Rector - details above.

Our advertisers

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Farm Shop 48 Pest control 14

Fitness & Pilates classes 12 Plumbing services 16

Foot healthcare 30 Property Maintenance 16, 17

Funeral Services 20 Skip Hire 32

Garden services 12,14 T’ai Chi classes 20

Help in the Home 12 Will writing services 14


Trees as weather

prophets

S

hall we, after all, enjoy a warm and

unspoilt summer?

In an article published in the Daily

Express in May 1913, two conflicting

predictions were reported.

Professor Bassett of Reading

suggested that we shall have ‘a summer

as bad as last year’, but another weather

watcher predicted that there would be a

good summer.

The Express reported that a Mr

John Willis, who conducts a weather

station in Norwich, was of the opinion

that they would enjoy a fine summer.

Professor Bassett based his ominous

prophecy on the nature of the water in

the Irish Sea, while Mr Willis relies on

old country folk-lore to the effect that if

the oak flowers before the ash (which he

observed was the case in 1913), then a

fine summer would result.

In a book called The Weather by a

certain Mr Chambers, John Willis found

reference to an old saying,

If the oak’s before the ash,

You’ll only get a splash;

But if the ash precedes the oak,

Then you may expect a soak.

Whether this folk lore

is a good predictor

remains to be seen; or

should we rely on the

state of the Irish Sea,

the Met Office, or that

piece of seaweed

hanging by the back door perhaps?

Make time for

your older

relatives

M

any of our

older people

are lonely. They

lost touch with

their families

during the

pandemic, and it

seems that they

have still not

caught up again.

A recent survey by AgeUK

found that as many as 27 percent of

people aged 60 and over admit that

they speak less to their families now,

and 24 per cent of older people say

they feel less close to their relatives

than before the pandemic.

The survey also found that

millions of older people have lost the

confidence to go out, and suffer

more from memory loss, disturbed

sleep, and anxiety.

The charity is urging people to

reach out to their older friends and

relatives and encourage them. It

warns: “The pandemic has had a big

impact on everyone and very few of

us are emerging from the last two

years completely unscathed.”

We probably all know some

older folk who are facing the same

problem. Is there anything that you

could do to help them?

PP


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Reflected Faith

The Meaning of

Colours - part 1

The Rev Dr Jo White continues her

walk through the church year.

I

n March, April and May this year

the coloured frontal of the altar will

have been changed many times – as

will the colour of the priest’s

vestments.

Each colour – and there can be as

many as six in a church’s store – has a

different meaning. They reflect the

significance of that day or the season.

In March purple was used as a

symbol of penitence, as we were in

Lent and trying to prepare ourselves

for Christ’s final act of love for each of

us.

Holy Week – the time of Christ’s

final journey – was denoted by the

colour red. Red, the colour of blood, is

used for feasts of martyrs as well as

those for the Holy Spirit – when it

more likely represents his flames of

‘fire’ which rested on those in the

Upper Room.

Maundy Thursday, we switched to

white for any Communion service, as

this celebrates the remembrance of the

first Communion with His apostles

which He commanded us to continue.

Good Friday, and we were back to

red.

Then on Easter Sunday, the day of

the greatest Christian Celebration, we

entered to an altar bedecked in gold or

the ‘whitest’ with the most elaborate

decoration the church possesses.

‘Plain’ White will be used for the

Easter Season signifying purity

and Christ’s triumph over

death until Ascension Day on

26 th May. This, being a special

and more significant day in the

life, death and resurrection of

Christ, goes to gold again: then

immediately back to white for the next

ten days.

On the day of Pentecost itself, Whit

Sunday, 5 th June, the colour will be?

Yes, you got it, red for flames of fire.

This month:

Watch out for the changing colours

indicating the special meanings that

day has in the life of the church. If you

could choose a different colour for a

different or even one of the same

meanings, what would you choose and

why? In June it will all change again,

so we’ll consider those next month.

Christian Pilgrimage

You can become a Christian in a

moment, but not a mature Christian.

Christ can enter, cleanse, and forgive

you in a matter of seconds, but it will

take much longer for your character

to be transformed and moulded to

His will. It takes only a few minutes

for a bridegroom and bride to be

married, but in the rough-and-tumble

of their home it may take many years

for two strong wills to be dovetailed

into one. So, when we receive Christ,

a moment of commitment will lead to

a lifetime of adjustment. - John Stott


War in Ukraine:

Diocese in Europe and

USPG launch Ukraine

emergency appeal

T

he Church of England

Diocese in Europe and

USPG, the mission agency,

have launched an emergency

appeal to get aid to people in

desperate need because of

the invasion of Ukraine.

Funds raised by the

appeal will support Christian

charities and churches carrying out

humanitarian work both in Ukraine

and responding to the arrival of

refugees in neighbouring countries.

Partners on the ground are

providing food, medicine, shelter,

care for children and people

internally displaced in Ukraine. With

refugees they are supplying care at

the border and beyond, including

attention to those from Africa and

Asia as well as Ukrainians who are

fleeing the war.

The appeal is for urgent help

NOW, but the work will go on for

many months.

The Church of England’s Bishop

in Europe, the Rt Revd Robert Innes

says: “War is horrible. It injures,

destroys, and kills in an often

indiscriminate and uncontrollable

‘War is

horrible.

It injures,

destroys,

and kills ...’

way. And now, we face war in

Europe.

“The people of our little church,

Christ Church Kyiv, find themselves

in the midst of this crisis. They are

typical of so many others.

“Some have fled the city

whilst others are still there;

praying for their safety and

for peace as they shelter as

best they can. These people

are our brothers and sisters.

Those still in Ukraine and

those who have fled need

our help.”

USPG’s General Secretary, the

Revd Duncan Dormor, adds: “Our

hearts and prayers go out to the

people of Ukraine. We have launched

this appeal in partnership with the

Diocese in Europe to stand in

solidarity with the people of Ukraine

and support church responses to the

current crisis.”

To donate to the Ukraine

emergency appeal, visit:

www.uspg.org.uk/ukraine

A thought from

CS Lewis

Affection is responsible for ninetenths

of whatever solid and

durable happiness there is in our

lives.


Christian Basics

No 5: Understanding

the Bible

Canon Paul Hardingham continues his

introduction to Christianity.

T

he Bible is a popular book, with

five billion copies sold

worldwide every year, as

well as a uniquely precious

book. At her coronation the

Queen was given a Bible, ‘the

most precious thing this world

affords’.

The Bible isn’t simply

one book, but a library of 66

books, composed by some 44 writers

over a period of 1500 years in a range

of styles including history, poetry,

prophecy, letters and apocalyptic

(looking at the end times). Despite

having a number of different writers,

the Bible claims one author - God

Himself!

As the Word of God, it is the

primary way by which God speaks to

‘the most

precious thing

this world

affords’

us. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is

useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting

and training in righteousness, so that the

man of God may be thoroughly equipped

for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Bible is inspired (‘the word of God in

the words of men’) and is a manual for

life, equipping us to live for God in

every aspect of our lives. We also have

the promise of the Holy

Spirit, who helps us to apply

its words to our lives: ‘But

when He, the Spirit of truth,

comes, He will guide you into

all truth’ John 16:13.

The Bible can also be

described as a love letter from

God, as it deepens our relationship

with Him. Jesus said: ‘You diligently

study the Scriptures because you think that

by them you possess eternal life. These are

the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet

you refuse to come to Me to have

life’ (John 5:39,40). Christians follow a

person not a book, and the Scriptures

are intended to help us to know Jesus

better. Like a signpost, the Bible points

us to the person of Jesus.

Time to take some

responsibility for our

health

D

id you know

that nearly one

half of the NHS

budget is spent on diseases that could

have been prevented? And that

Britain’s overall health budget is now

bigger than the GDP of Greece?

So says the Health Secretary, Sajid

Javid, who has recently warned that the

NHS cannot continue spending “vast

sums” on lifestyle conditions that are

“wholly avoidable”.

Just one example is obesity.

Obesity rates have doubled since

the 1990s, with two out of three

adults now overweight or obese.

Our lifestyles have also become

increasingly sedentary. The result? An

eighth of the NHS drugs budget is now

spent just on treating cases of diabetes,

90 per cent of which are caused by

excess weight.


ViV’s

Help in the home

Are you elderly and in

need a bit of help in the

home or a family with

busy lives?

I have been helping

people for over 20 years and have now moved

from Rustington to Clymping with my husband

and daughter.

I offer a personal one-to-one service weekly or

once a fortnight, whichever suits you.

Please call me on 01903 366815

All aspects of general maintenance

undertaken. No job too small.

Here are some of the many services

we can provide:

Grass & hedge

cutting,

Pruning, Weeding,

Fencing & repairs,

Small tree cutting,

Clearances,

Patio Cleaning,

Turfing,

General garden

maintenance

Matt Lubbe, Mobile: 07843 476446

Email: mattlubbe@hotmail.co.uk

Our local Primary Schools

‘Good Schools’

Yapton Church of England

Primary School

Further details from the Head Teacher,

Mrs Kim Huggett, 01243 551246

St Mary’s Clymping

Church of England

Primary School

Further details from the Head Teacher

Mr Aaron Morrissey, 01903 714325


God is in the Here

and Now

Continuing our series looking at Joseph.

W

e left Joseph in his role as

Governor, selling grain to those

who asked. And suddenly, there were

his brothers bowing down before him.

They didn’t know who he was. At 37,

looking Egyptian, speaking Egyptian

and very powerful he was

unrecognisable as the teenager he had

been. But he recognised them alright.

What would he do next? He could have

had them imprisoned, tortured or

killed. He had the power. No-one

would question it.

But we know that he had chosen to

walk with God so instead, he set out to

find out what kind of men they had

become. Having suffered so badly at

their hands, he had every reason to

distrust them now.

What a wonderful example of

grace this is. Even after the evil done to

him, Joseph still wanted to be

reconciled with his brothers. This is just

like Jesus. No matter what sins we have

committed, Jesus loved us enough to

die on the cross so that we can be

reconciled with God. All we have to do

is take responsibility for and repent of

our actions. Jesus’ blood will cover it all

and we can be in relationship with

Him.

Now begins some strange actions

and behaviour from Joseph, designed

to find out the brothers’ hearts

concerning him. Through an

interpreter, Joseph accuses them of

being spies. Next, he asks detailed

questions about the family. Then he

insists on putting Simeon in prison

until they bring the youngest brother

Benjamin to him, despite their protests

that this will upset Jacob their father.

They are very afraid of the Governor.

Their guilty consciences make them

think they are being punished because

of Joseph. But that doesn’t mean they’re

repentant.

Once they’re back home and have

eaten all the grain they bought, they

have no choice but to take Benjamin

and go to ask for more grain. Bowing

before Joseph, he ordered that they be

taken to his house for a meal. They

were terrified, thinking that he wanted

to take them as his slaves. Oh the irony!

They weren’t afraid back then to let

Joseph be sold into slavery.

Simeon was released and joined his

brothers and a feast was provided.

Maybe they relaxed a bit. Joseph’s

reaction at seeing Benjamin – the only

brother not involved in all this – was so

strong that he had to leave and weep

privately. But he had one more trick to

play to see if his brothers were now the

honest men they said they were. He

had his servants give the brothers as

much grain as they could carry, but

also plant his own silver cup in

Benjamin’s sack. Then, as they left, they

were accused of stealing a cup from the

Governor’s house. Pleading their

innocence, they were searched, and the

silver was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Benjamin is heading for slavery, life

imprisonment – or worse.

What will Joseph do next? Join us

next time to find out.


Wasp & Hornet

Nests Removed

No Call-out charge

Insured & Certificated

Contact

Mike Bridle

07739 342145

01903 775621

mikejbridle@sky.com

P

lease pray for the two primary

schools in our benefice. Keep in

your prayers the children, the head

teachers, class teachers and all other

staff.

Remember, particularly, the many

children from disadvantaged

backgrounds; pray that they may find

peace and security in a loving and caring

Christian environment.

Keep the students in your prayers as

they move through the secondary

education system and onto colleges,

universities and apprenticeships.

Clear and understandable advice on:

¨ Wills

¨ Estate Planning

¨ Probate Services

¨ Powers of Attorney

Full details at

www.respectwills.co.uk

Contact Nikki Hobbs

on 07922 231032

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Gardener

with professional qualifications

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Connecting with Culture

‘This is Going to Hurt’: My Experience

T

he recent BBCtv series, This is

Going To Hurt, gives us a painfully

funny and heartbreakingly honest

insight into life in the NHS. It paints a

bleak picture.

Characters repeatedly pay forward

their traumas by snapping at each other

and throwing one another under the

bus. It’s brokenness stacked upon

brokenness that collides with others’

brokenness.

I’ve experienced this in part during

my seven years working as a junior

doctor in the NHS. But I’ve also

experienced that work need not be a

one-way trip towards self-destruction.

The series follows Adam, a junior

doctor in an understaffed obstetrics and

gynaecology department. In the first

episode he makes a mistake with lifethreatening

consequences. The series

follows him and his junior, Shruti, as

they continue to work whilst

navigating disciplinaries and managing

their personal lives.

The coping mechanisms displayed in

the series range from socially

acceptable caffeine addictions right the

way through to, most tragically,

suicide. Our protagonist returns to his

job each day like an abused partner

who won’t let go. It raises difficult

questions, not least for Christians.

Where is goodness, where is love, and

where is Jesus in this place?

When I first began work at a hospital,

it was as if Jesus dropped me off in the

carpark and picked me up when I

clocked out. Working without an

awareness of his presence with me,

around me, and in me robbed me of the

ability to hear his constant voice

speaking through my colleagues,

patients, and situations at work.

During the final episode of the series,

we meet a priest officiating a wedding.

He preaches: ‘Love completes us. It

fulfils us. It makes the half, whole’.

Love offers something that the

character’s work cannot.

These days, during procedures I pray

God will protect patients and bring

success. In difficult communications

with colleagues, God gently nudges me

about moments I’ve failed to be kind.

He also nudges me to be kind to myself

when the aforementioned procedures

don’t go as I hope. There have been a

few of those.

And Jesus has prompted me to take

care of the staff I work with. One

receptionist thanked me three times on

the same day for just asking how she

was after a stressful patient interaction.

Even in broken places and amidst

broken people, Jesus is at work. My

task is to see my workplace as he sees

it: a place full of opportunity to put his

goodness and love where his goodness

and love are most needed.

James Lainchbury

James is a GP trainee and youth leader

based in the East Midlands.

© London Institute for Contemporary

Christianity. Used with their kind permission


Illustration: Jonathan Thorne


Five Villages

Community

Minibus

T

he Community Minibus

Association (West Sussex) is a

registered charity, and operates as West

Sussex Minibus, run entirely by unpaid

volunteers. The charity has been

helping people get out and about in

rural West Sussex for more than

40 years.

The Five Villages Bus, based in

Barnham, covers the parishes of

Barnham, Eastergate, Aldingbourne,

Yapton and Walberton. It provides

regular shopping trips and social

outings for local people who are less

able to access public transport.

These trips are a door-to-door

service and run on a specific timetable

during the week. The cost of a return

trip is currently £4.00.

The regular trips include:

v Aldingbourne, Eastergate and

Westergate to a local Sainsburys –

Tuesday afternoons

v Barnham and Yapton to Bognor

Town Centre – Thursday mornings

v Walberton and Fontwell to a local

Supermarket or Garden Centre –

Thursday afternoons

v Aldingbourne, Eastergate and

Westergate to Bognor Tesco – Friday

mornings

v Barnham and Yapton to Chichester

Town Centre – Friday afternoons

(monthly)

We also offer our minibuses for use

by local community groups.

The service is offered to anyone in

the community who would like to join

the Association.

We are also looking for volunteers

to drive the minibus or assist

passengers during their trips.

For more information please call

Brian David on 01243 553635 or 0300

7727735, both numbers are charged at

the local rate.

Robert’s Home Maintenance

& Plumbing

City & Guilds qualified plumber

Interior and Exterior Property Maintenance

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Our 2022 Lent

Appeal

T

hank you very much for your

generous support for the selected

charities this year. Two soup lunches

were held in the benefice to support

the appeal and we are pleased to be

able to report that contributions made

at the lunches together with other

donations raised a total of £740.00

(including Gift Aid) to be divided

between the two charities; one local

and one overseas.

U Salvation Army, which continually

does so much to help the needy –

both locally, through their Bognor

Regis branch, and internationally,

where they have been very involved

in helping to provide humanitarian

aid to Ukraine.

U Shelter Box, a charity initiated by

Rotary which provides boxes of

equipment including a tent, tools,

kitchen set and other stuff to help

families affected and often made

homeless by disasters such as

hurricanes, volcanic eruptions,

floods, etc. Their slogan at this time

was: ‘GIVE A TENT FOR LENT!’.

Thanks also to Kathy in the office

for helping to co-ordinate everything

and all those of you who helped set up

and serve at the lunches, as well as

providing the soup and other victuals.

Liz Peart

John Stirland

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Ascension Day

Forty Days with the

Risen Christ

A

scension Day comes 40 days after

Easter. This is the period during

which the Risen Christ appeared again

and again to His disciples, following

His death and resurrection. (Matthew

28; Mark 16; Luke 24; and John 20.)

The Gospels give us little of

Christ’s teachings and deeds during

those 40 days. Jesus was seen by

numerous of His disciples: on the road

to Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee, in

houses, etc. He strengthened and

encouraged His disciples, and at last

opened their eyes to all that the

Scriptures had promised about the

Messiah. Jesus also told them that as

the Father had sent Him, He was now

going to send them - to all corners of

the earth, as His witnesses.

Surely the most tender, moving

‘farewell’ in history took place on

Ascension Day. Luke records the story

with great poignancy: ‘When Jesus had

led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,

He lifted up His hands - and blessed

them.’

As Christmas began the story of

Jesus’ life on earth, so Ascension Day

completes it, with His return to His

Father in heaven. Jesus’ last act on

earth was to bless His disciples. He and

they had a bond as close as could be:

they had just lived through three

tumultuous years of public ministry

and miracles – persecution and death –

and resurrection! Just as we part from

our nearest and dearest by still looking

at them with love and memories in our

eyes, so exactly did Jesus: ‘While He

was blessing them, He left them and

was taken up into heaven.’ (Luke 24:50-

1) He was not forsaking them, but

merely going on ahead to a kingdom

which would also be theirs one day: ‘I

am ascending to my Father and to your

Father, to my God and your

God...’ (John 20:17)

The disciples were surely the most

favoured folk in history. Imagine being

one of the last few people on earth to

be face to face with Jesus, and to have

Him look on you with love. No wonder

then that Luke goes on: ‘they

worshipped Him, and returned to

Jerusalem with great joy. And they

stayed continually at the temple,

praising God.’ (Luke 24:52,53)

No wonder they praised God!

They knew they would see Jesus again

one day! ‘I am going to prepare a place

for you... I will come back and take you

to be with me that you also may be

where I am.’ (John 14:2,3) In the

meantime, Jesus had work for them to

do: to take the Gospel to every nation

on earth.

Thoughts for the Month

The way to do a great deal is to keep

on doing a little. The way to do

nothing at all is to be continually

resolving that you will do everything.

It is not how much we have, but how

much we enjoy, that makes

happiness.

C H Spurgeon


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Hymn of the Month

Jesus Christ is risen today

T

his edition of Triangle will be

coming just after the Easter

weekend and I think I can do no better

than choose this as the hymn of the

month, surely one of the most sung

Easter hymns, in practically every

hymn book and set to the same tune. So

far this year, I have been

thinking about the 150th

anniversary of the first

appearance of Hymns

Ancient & Modern and Jesus

Christ is risen today was there

as number 107, but, for once,

this wasn’t the first time that

the words and tune were

linked. As indicated on the

print out of the hymn, both

originated in Lyra Davidica

of 1708.

The full title of this book was “Lyra

Davidica, or a Collection of Divine

Songs and Hymns, partly New

Composed, partly Translated from the

High-German, and Latin Hymns: and

set to easy and pleasant tunes, for more

General Use.” It is likely that very few

were printed, because only one copy

survives, in the British Library. In the

preface, the compiler says that his

object has been to introduce “a little

freer air than the grave movement of

the Psalm-tunes, as being both

seasonable and acceptable”, and goes

on to reflect that in Germany they

“have abundance of divine songs and

hymns, set to short and pleasant tunes,

the peasant at his plow, the servants at

their labour, the children in the street

‘each verse

refers to the

sufferings and

death of our

Lord as well as

his resurrection’

… make use of these for the expression

of their mirth” and goes on to hope that

his book may “yield a grateful savour

to God and man”.

There is no name of any compiler,

editor, author or composer

in the book containing

altogether 25 tunes and 31

hymns, so this, one of the

most popular of Easter

hymns, is by an unknown

author set to a tune by an

unknown composer.

This original version,

partly a translation of a

Latin hymn from Munich in

the 14th century, was

substantially modified in 1749 in a book

called Complete Psalmodist which kept

the first verse but rewrote the other

verses to make more or less the version

in our hymn book. For instance, the

original second verse was:

Haste you females from your fright

Take to Galilee your flight

To his sad disciples say

Jesus Christ is risen today.

Writing about translations, it

dawns upon me that quite a large

proportion of our Easter hymns are

translations, from Latin, Greek, or

German: 12 out of the 28 in our hymn

book, a surprisingly large number I

think.

(Continued on page 22)


(Hymn of the Month - continued

from page 21)

Our chosen hymn is made up of

three verses and each verse refers to the

sufferings and death of our Lord as

well as his resurrection, a reminder that

without Good Friday there would be

no Easter Day. In the first and second

verses, the first two lines are about the

resurrection and the last two refer to

the crucifixion, whereas in the third

verse, this is reversed and the

crucifixion comes first, with the hymn

concluding with the Lord resurrected

and glorified. Such an apparently short

and simple hymn contains the whole of

the Easter message – Christ crucified

and risen.

Peter Nunn

War in Ukraine:

John Rutter pens new

work after Ukraine

invasion

1. JESUS Christ is risen to-day,

Alleluia,

our triumphant holy day,

Alleluia,

who did once, upon the cross,

Alleluia,

suffer to redeem our loss.

Alleluia.

2. Hymns of praise then let us sing

Alleluia,

unto Christ, our heavenly King,

Alleluia,

who endured the cross and grave,

Alleluia,

sinners to redeem and save.

Alleluia.

3. But the pains that he endured

Alleluia,

our salvation have procured;

Alleluia,

now above the sky he's King,

Alleluia,

where the angels ever sing

Alleluia.

J

ohn Rutter’s works are much loved

across the UK. He’s now written a

new choral work in response to the

invasion of Ukraine.

Funds raised from ‘A Prayer for

Ukraine’, are going to the Disasters

Emergency Committee’s Ukraine

appeal.

Rutter explained: “How can a

composer respond to a global tragedy?

I suppose by writing music: like

everybody I have been shocked and

dismayed by the events of recent days.



(John Rutter - continued from page 22)

“The first thing I wanted to do was

write music that would respond in my

own way. I went to a late-night service

in my old college chapel where they

sang a setting of a lovely Ukrainian

prayer, so having encountered the

Ukrainian text, on Thursday I wrote

my own music. I hope the meaning of

the text will resonate in people’s

hearts.”

The words of the piece, which are

originally in Ukrainian, translate into

English as: “Good Lord protect the

Ukraine. Give her strength, courage,

faith, and hope. Amen.”

He added: “I hope it speaks in

terms which reach out to the Ukrainian

people in their hour of need.”

The score is available for free -

contact the editor for a copy - and you

are welcome to duplicate the score for

the sole use of your own choir. You may

like to make a donation to a Ukrainian

relief charity, perhaps equivalent to the

approximate cost of the copies had you

purchased them. If you wish, you are

free to make an audio or video

recording of the piece without a special

licence to do so.

Listen to the new work on

YouTube; just search ‘John Rutter - A

Ukrainian Prayer’. There are several

versions and also an interview with

John Rutter.


Intercessions for the month

Let us bring to God in prayer…

Sun 1st Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tue

2nd St Philip and St. Thomas. May we follow in the steps of the Apostles and

go steadfastly in the way that leads to God’s glory.

3rd The fire and rescue services, in this country and worldwide.

4th For those suffering deafness/hearing loss and all helping them.

5th International Midwives Day. Pray for those caring for parents and

babies before, during, and after childbirth, and for student midwives.

6th Our churchwardens, PCC, and synod members.

7th May those facing terminal illness know the comfort of trusting in our

Lord.

8th The Lord is my Shepherd... surely goodness and loving mercy shall

follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the

Lord forever.

9th Julian of Norwich. Pray for those called to a solitary life, often enclosed

in the ordinary, and those who now have an experience of some form of

isolation.

10th Mental Health Awareness Week.

Wed 11th All who are working in the hospitality area.

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

12th Focus on a charity you can’t support in any other way, and use the day

as prayer for all involved.

13th May families be united in love and care.

14th St Matthias, Apostle. Whether we are called or chosen, may we faithfully

follow in the way of Christ.

15th Praise the Lord from the heavens ... praise him all you His Angels, praise

Him all His host.

Mon 16th Those responsible for the training and support of the ordained ministry.

Tue

17th Parents and carers of secondary school students.


Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

18th Our government, especially our local MPs.

19th The ambulance and air ambulance personnel and their support

volunteers and networks.

20th Thank you for so many people willing to help in whatever way they

can, and may others feel the call to serve when needed.

21st For all sporting events participants and spectators.

22nd God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us.

Mon 23rd Christian Aid Week.

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tue

24th John and Charles Wesley, evangelists and hymn writers. May we also

have zeal for Your Gospel and rejoice in singing Your praises.

25th God grant rest and Peace to those suffering from insomnia, and those

whose sleep is frequently disturbed.

26th Ascension Day. God has gone up with a merry noise, the Lord with the

sound of the trumpet.

27th Rejoice in the joy of dancing especially, in Psalm dances, both in

personal response and in the delight of watching others.

28th Pray for people who are depressed, and those who feel unloved and

useless.

29th The Lord is King and has put on glorious apparel; the Lord has put on

His glory and girded Himself with strength.

30th The South Downs - for the wildlife and the people who work in and

care for this wonderful area.

31st Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. Pray for vergers and

others who welcome new and established members of church

congregations.

Prayers & Intercessions pages

A phrase from the Psalm of the Day is usually used on Sundays.

Please send suggestions, comments and items for inclusion to Eileen Keough at

40 Spinney Walk, Barnham, Bognor Regis, PO22 0HT. (01243 552577)


The Wondering

Soul

Dear Soul Maker

D

ear Soul Maker

what are you

allowing?

We are losing the

plot.

Our huge world

population has endured a global

pandemic while all the while

nurturing dictators which history tells

us can end in massive disaster.

The world’s economy and that of

several countries have been and are

being decimated by war. Sanctions

which take time to subdue these fires

are slow to apply and to take effect.

Their outcome may cause further

conflicts born out of deprivation. Both

sides in conflict are increasing their

war’s velocity by supplying arms and

equipment to deliver them.

Huge populations are told

massive coordinated lies convincing

them that the wars are necessary for

the inhabitants of the distraught

countries involved. But You know all

this.

Our leaders and their opponents

need divine inspiration or direct

intervention in order to stop this

madness. We do not know what to

pray for but you know what we need.

Are we to be the parents of a

dying race?

Now is not the time to wring our

hands over what we should have

done or our failure through inactivity,

corruption and greed. Our sorrow is

plain to see in the carnage wrought by

war.

So I pray….

Assist all the relief efforts with Your

direct assistance and wisdom.

Give Divine discernment to military

leaders and politicians and give them

courage to follow it.

Thank you for our beautiful world and

everything on it. You are not hard to

love but it is difficult, and apparently

illogical, for many to turn to You.

So please count their tears and distress

as prayers to You.

May the world quieten and hear You.

Amen.

Clymping Easter

Flowers

T

hank you from the Clymping

Flower Circle to everyone who

gave so generously towards the

Easter flowers.

Your donations, as in previous

years, having been used to buy the

Easter flowers resulted in a surplus

and this will be used to fund the

church flowers during the coming

year, especially at Harvest and

Christmas time.

Special thanks to those who

came on Easter Saturday and

worked so hard to make the church

look so beautiful for Easter Sunday.

Muriel Glynn


St James the Least of All

On the perils of the church picnic

My dear Darren

A

Spring parish picnic is always a

good idea – although you must

bear some details in mind. First,

whatever date you choose will turn

out be the wettest of the year. English

picnics are invariably eaten under

umbrellas while wearing Wellingtons

and the sort of determinedly cheerful

look that defies anyone to admit they

would rather be home in front of the

fire.

Second, no matter how early in the

year, wasps will emerge from

hibernation in huge numbers, and

terrorise Mrs Hornby with the picnic

baskets. And thirdly, someone will

bring along their (hungry) dog. Last

time Colonel Psmith’s spaniel outdid

herself: she leapt up, head butted a

piece of Madeira cake out of Mrs

Horngirdle’s hand - and ate the lot –

before even a crumb could touch the

ground. A good piece of field work,

that.

Half-way through the afternoon,

some over-excited member of the

party will decide to arrange a game of

rounders. (Mr Poppinjay tried this one

year, as in his youth he had been

athletic. Fortunately, the ambulance

got there quickly, and the ankle healed

well.) Then the mothers who join in

will completely ignore the ball sailing

past them, while they discuss some

burning topic of Mother’s Union

gossip.

In the meantime, the

young choir members,

who were the reason for

arranging the game in the

first place, will have

drifted off to the lake to

throw stones at the ducks while no one

is looking.

For our annual picnic, I use my

own car, making sure it is so full of

clerical robes and church magazines

that no one else can fit in. Throughout

the day, I keep returning to it to make

sure no one has broken in to steal the

Communion wine – and taking the

opportunity to catch up on the cricket

scores. By the middle of the afternoon,

I usually remember that some urgent

duty, such as blessing a traction

engine, demands my departure.

The rest of the party, by now

soaked, cold and knowing the coach to

take them home is still several hours

off, only wish they had such

demanding work to tear them away.

Your loving uncle,

Eustace


‘Churches Count

on Nature’

C

hurches and cathedrals

across the country are

preparing for the annual

Churches Count on Nature

event.

The ‘citizen science’ event

- set to run between 4-12th

June - will welcome people to

churchyards and encourage

them to record what animals

and plants they see.

That data will then be collated on

the biological records hub, the

National Biodiversity Network.

Last year more than 540 activities

and events were organised by

churches across the country. People

submitted 17,232 recorded pieces of

data on wildlife they saw, with more

than 1,500 species recorded.

This year’s event will take place

during the same week as Love Your

Burial Ground Week (4-12th June).

Churchyards and gardens have

been called an “incredible home of

biodiversity, making up thousands of

acres of green oases in every

community of the country”. Last year,

hundreds of parishes got their local

community searching for insects and

plants in their open spaces.

As the Bishop of Norwich has

pointed out: “The Gospels are full of

stories of the growth of seeds, the

choking of thistles, the beauty of lilies

and the fruitfulness of trees. We have

the privilege and responsibility to

care for the earth and to tread gently

on it. The Churches Count on

Nature is a great opportunity

to help people understand

their local environment and

that biodiversity is essential for

the processes that support all

life on earth, including

humans.”

Last year, many parishes

used Churches Count on

Nature as an opportunity to

reach out to their local

community.

Churches Count on Nature

is jointly run by the conservation

charities A Rocha UK, Caring for

God’s Acre together with the Church

of England and the Church in Wales.

Andy Lester, from A Rocha UK,

said, “Churches Count on Nature is a

unique opportunity for those who

love their churchyards and church

spaces to take part in the largest ever

nature count. With nature still in

decline nationwide this count will

provide valuable data on what is

happening to wildlife. In turn that

will help us to collectively work to

take targeted action for nature’s

recovery.”

Last year 540 groups organised

events during Love Your Burial

Ground Week, resulting in over 1,700

new wildlife records. More than 4,000

people got involved.

With over 20,000 churchyards

and other burial grounds across

England and Wales, these special

places are seen as crucial havens for

wildlife.

Image © A Rocha UK


Garden Tips

from Alan Doick

{ Plant your tomatoes in a cold

greenhouse or polythene tunnel.

They can be planted in the soil or in

grow bags. If planting in the soil

which may be very dry water

thoroughly before hand to help the

plants get quickly established.

Planting in the soil is fine generally

for a year or so but there can be a

build-up of soil pests and diseases

and then apart from using chemical

control one should plant in grow

bags.

{ Re-pot healthy plants now. Plants

are growing quickly now. They use

the water and nutrients in the

compost rapidly and pots quickly

fill the pots.

{ Sow a few lettuce seeds every two

weeks to ensure continuous

supplies.

{ Earth up all varieties of potatoes,

and if possible water early varieties

in dry weather to ensure heavier

yields.

mildew last year

start spraying

them now.

Control aphids,

greenfly, on shoot

tips.

{ If possible, remove the dead flower

heads of rhododendrons, azaleas

and pieris to tidy their appearance

and prevent seed forming.

{ The warmer weather means that

greenhouse pests such as whitefly

are breeding fast. Control them by

spraying at intervals as

manufacturer’s instructions or buy

biological controls by post.

{ Sow runner beans at the base of

canes where they are to grow. By

the time they emerge all fear of frost

should be past.

{ Keep bedding plants well-watered

and protected from frost.

Garden Thought

‘How lovely is the silence

of growing things.’

{ Sow annual herbs, especially basil,

which will grow quickly now in the

increased warmth and light.

{ Protect dahlias planted in the

garden from late frosts. Check

shoots for greenfly and rub them off

or spray.

{ If roses suffered from black spot and


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The hymns of the

Wesleys

Canon David Winter writes:

T

his month the Church

calendar celebrates the

lives of John and Charles

Wesley. John’s great gift to the

Christian cause was the little

matter of founding the worldwide

movement known as

Methodism. His brother

Charles had an equally

profound impact through his

hymns. He actually wrote

over 6,000, most of which

aren’t sung nowadays, but among the

ones we do still sing are all-time

favourites – ‘Love divine, all loves

excelling’, ‘O for a thousand tongues

to sing’. ‘Jesu lover of my soul’, ‘Hark

the herald angels sing’ – and scores

more.

Forty years ago almost everybody

knew quite a lot of hymns, but sadly

that’s no longer true. Traditional

New dog breeds

Singing

hymns is a

wonderful

experience

at its best

hymns aren’t usually sung at school

assemblies, not even in church

schools, and while the audience for

‘Songs of Praise’ on BBCtv is

substantial, most of those watching

are over 50.

With only about ten per

cent of the population even

irregular church-goers there is

inevitably a lack of familiarity

with hymns of any kind.

Christmas carols are an

exception, as is ‘Jerusalem’

and ‘Amazing Grace’, because

they are frequently heard

outside church.

Singing hymns is a

wonderful experience at its best – just

ask a Welsh rugby crowd singing

‘Bread of heaven’! It seems a pity to

lose it.

It’s not a bad idea to take ten

minutes and think about what is your

favourite hymn, and why – ancient or

modern doesn’t matter. Then try

singing it in the bath or under the

shower – a very purifying experience!

W

ith all the new crossbreeds appearing, would you

fancy one of the following?

v Collie x Lhasa Apso = Collapso: a dog that folds up for

easy transport.

v Pointer x Setter = Poinsetter: a traditional Christmas

pet.

v Pekingese x Lhasa Apso = Peekasso: an abstract dog.

v Terrier x Bulldog = Terribull: a dog that makes awful mistakes.

v Bloodhound x Labrador = Blabador: a dog that barks incessantly.

v Deerhound x Terrier = Derriere: a dog that’s true to the end.



Gigglebox - laughter is good for you!

v The young minister took his wife to

the Maternity Hospital and was told

it would be a long labour. So, he

agreed to ring at lunchtime for

news. But when he phoned, he

dialled the wrong number and got

the County Cricket Ground. He

said: “I brought my wife to your

place early this morning. Is there

any news?”

He was surprised to be told: “Yes,

there are seven out and the last

two were ducks.”

v A Cheshire vicar has two cats.

Their names are Ancient and

Modern – because they are

both hims.

v What did your teachers say about

your progress at school?

¨ One of my French reports simply

said: ‘Sheila attended the lessons’.

Sheila B, Surrey

¨ My housemaster wrote: ‘He has an

overdeveloped unawareness.’

Ian J, Wirral

¨ A friend’s son’s report said: ‘By the

time he has mastered French, he

will be too old to cross the

Channel.’ M K, Dorset

¨ My teacher observed: ‘The

improvement in his handwriting

has revealed his inability to spell.’

Colin S, Switzerland

¨ My teacher was a realist: ‘I am

sorry to have to tell you that he is

doing his best.’ Stan P, Surrey

v Nine year old Joey, was asked by

his mother what he had learned in

Sunday school.

“Well, Mum, our teacher told us

how God sent Moses behind enemy

lines on a rescue mission to lead the

Israelites out of Egypt. When he got

to the Red Sea, he had his engineers

build a pontoon bridge and all the

people walked across safely. Then

he radioed headquarters for

reinforcements. They sent

bombers to blow up the

bridge and all the Israelites

were saved.”

“Did your teacher really

say that?!” asked his mother,

somewhat alarmed.

“Well, no, Mum. But if I

told it the way the teacher did,

you’d never believe it!”

v Church members were discussing

the vicar’s and the curate’s sermons.

The churchwarden said: “The vicar,

now, when she says ‘in conclusion’,

she concludes. But the curate, when

he says ‘lastly’ – my! How he do

last!”

v After a certain Dean retired, a

number of years ago, from his

cathedral, he began writing for the

press. Soon a rival paper declared

that he was no longer a pillar of the

Church of England, but now only

two columns in the Evening

Standard.


This month Michael Blencowe of the

Sussex Wildlife Trust takes a look at:

The Raven

M ay 14th 1264. The aftermath of the

battle. Two thousand corpses lie

strewn on the slopes and riverbanks

around Lewes. Some view this as a

victory; for others this is defeat. But for

a large, black bird who has calmly

watched the bloodshed from the sidelines,

this scene of slaughter is an allyou-can-eat

buffet.

Democracy never tasted

so good.

Smart birds, Ravens.

Way before 1264 they’d

realised they needn’t

waste their energy

killing to eat when other

less intelligent species

can do the dirty work for them. For

centuries Ravens exploited man’s

enthusiasm for resolving quarrels with

clubs and swords. Ravenous Ravens

dined out at all the finest battlefields,

burial grounds, gibbets and gallows.

Hanging around with corpses

would get anyone a bad reputation but

the Raven’s took on mythological

proportions. Across the northern

hemisphere the bird became respected

and revered by many cultures as an

omen of death, denizen of the afterlife,

messenger of defeat. This sinister CV

secured them a plethora of portentous

appearances in everything from the

Old Testament to Game of Thrones.

The sight of a Raven struck fear in the

heart of man who would dare not harm

it. Today Ravens still occur in our

Picture © Tom SB Lee. Sussex Wildlife Trust

folklore as the earthbound spirit of

King Arthur, and at the Tower of

London the birds are entrusted with

the fate of the kingdom.

Yet aside from all the make-believe

malevolent accolades bestowed on the

Raven, it truly is magnificent to watch.

As befits Britain’s wickedest bird, the

Raven certainly dresses

the part in a costume of

sleek, glossy black

feathers, shaggy ‘beard’

and stout dagger beak. It

commands the sky;

wheeling on wide wings

and uttering its guttural

‘cronk cronk’ call.

Sometimes their behaviour is

incongruous with their evil image. To

see Ravens rolling and tumbling

through the air during their joyous

display flight is like catching the grim

reaper doing the hokey-cokey.

When not busy instilling fear in the

population, Ravens performed an

important clean-up job ridding

Britain’s towns of rotting rubbish and

the bird was protected by royal decree.

But in the 17th century people’s

perceptions changed and for centuries

the birds were persecuted. Ravens, and

the old beliefs they represented, were

exorcised from England. By 1895 they

had vanished from Sussex.



Overdue library

book returned -

313 years late

I

f you have ever been late in returning

a library book, take heart: the 1704

copy of The Faith and Practice of a Church

of England Man was recently handed

back to Sheffield Cathedral.

A handwritten inscription inside

reads: “This Book belongs to ye Lending

Library in Sheffield Church 1709.” It left

the library just over 300 years ago.

Sheffield Cathedral’s Reverend

Canon Keith Farrow said that the family

of a deceased woman who lived locally

had asked in her will for it to be

returned. “Now it’s come back home.

It’s a joy to have this little jewel back in

the cathedral.”

With overdue fines of 50p a day,

librarians could have charged the family

more than £54,000 for the book — which

itself is worth about £300.

The canon joked: “We might have

got a new roof or something.” PP

There, but for the

grace of God, go I

The Ven John Barton

writes:

T

his saying is

attributed to John

Bradford (1510-1555),

who was one of the

Protestant

Reformers. When he saw

criminals on their way to execution,

Bradford would utter, “But for the grace

of God, there goes John Bradford.” It

was his way of acknowledging that he

depended every day on the mercy of

God, despite his sins, which he

considered were on a par with those of

rogues.

Sadly, Bradford’s freedom was to

last only a short time, for he was

convicted as a heretic, incarcerated, and

finally burned at the stake, during the

reign of Queen Mary. Renowned for his

prayer life and preaching, Bradford had

continued to proclaim the Gospel in

prison. One of his biographers wrote,

“He lived a long life in a short space of

time.”

(Continued from page 34)

But informed, tolerant attitudes

have recently allowed Ravens to return.

They mostly breed on our chalk cliffs

and quarries but can be seen flying over

our towns and cities. In our comfortable

world of surround sound and selfies

there is something reassuringly sinister

about watching a Raven circling

overhead; a spectral souvenir of our

brutal, primitive past. Sussex will never

again be the site of a bloody

revolutionary battle. But there’s no harm

in a few Ravens hanging around. Just in

case.


Arundel Lido

- now open!

T

his year, the lovely lido at Arundel

celebrates its 20th year of being run

by an independent Charitable Trust (the

lido was previously run by Arun

District Council).

The 2022 summer season will run

from Saturday 30th April - Sunday 11th

September, followed by cold swims and

Festive Swims.

Arundel Lido offers outdoor

swimming with heated pools in a

stunning setting and is the only

remaining lido in West Sussex.

There are ambitious plans to

improve the facilities too. Back in June

2018 planning permission was granted

for a new community building at the

Lido, including a multi-functional hall

for events and use by local groups, a

gym, a café and heated changing rooms.

A lido is more than just an outside

swimming pool. The term “Lido” is

from the name of the place in Venice

where bathing took place. Lidos usually

have areas for sunbathing, relaxing and

eating and are designed for activities

around water. The Arundel Lido offers

all these facilities.

Find out more at

arundel-lido.com

or call them on

01903 884772

Yapton Cottage

Gardeners’ Society

T

he Cottage Gardeners’ Spring

Flower Show held in the Village

Hall was a popular event with the

general public; the local populace was

evidently still relishing returning to

relative freedom, after the worst

features associated with the pandemic.

The vases of flowers were of the

highest quality; two new members

amply demonstrated what it took to

stage daffodils, all beautifully clean and

of good size. There were further fine

exhibits in the other cut flower classes,

plus potted plants and some vegetables.

Flower arranging had a particularly

good display, as did the cookery section.

However, all was not well in

photography, handicrafts and children’s

entries; we need to do much better in

these sections of the show.

In terms of the success of

participation, and the number of entries,

this show was three-quarters of the way

along the road to the glory days in the

years prior to the arrival of Covid-19.

Walberton Gardeners’ Club and

Felpham & Middleton Horticultural

Society also had excellent shows of

daffodils at their spring events.

By the time that this note is

published, there will have been a

general meeting of the Society to move

the accounting year, plus Alan

Humphrey, Society member and dahlia

judge, who will demonstrate

propagation of the dahlia from cuttings.

The next event in the Cottage

Gardeners’ calendar will be the sale of

summer bedding plants in the Village

Hall on May 21st, from 10.00 am to

midday, with morning coffee and baked

goods and preserves for purchase.


‘Frontline

Ministry’ in

War-Torn Ukraine

T

he horrific events of recent weeks

have caused Christians in Ukraine

to reflect on what it means to be a

follower of Jesus in a time of war. For

my Ukrainian friends, words such as

‘discipleship’ and ‘mission’

have taken on new meanings.

They are no longer academic

concepts, but have literally

become matters of life and

death.

The war, for all its

suffering and hardship, has

given Christians in Ukraine

unprecedented opportunities

to engage with their local

communities. Our charity, Dnipro Hope

Mission, is privileged to equip not only

‘professional missionaries’, but also

‘missional professionals’ in Ukraine.

One of our partners, Alexander,

who before the war was working as a

vet, is now engaged full time in

delivering life-saving medicines to care

homes and orphanages on the frontline

in Eastern Ukraine. He often has to

literally dodge bullets on his way to

deliver essential supplies. In this

context, ‘discipleship’ involves real

courage as well as compassion.

Another friend of ours, Roman,

worked as a lecturer. He now uses his

skills as a communicator and linguist to

write very powerful reflections (in

English) about the cultural and spiritual

‘all of us are

sll called to

join in God’s

mission to

transform the

world’

changes that he is observing in Ukraine

as a result of the war. He thereby helps

people throughout the world to grasp

the deeper issues at stake in this war.

One of my own relatives, who was

working as an opera singer before the

war, now finds himself on the streets of

Dnipro filling sandbags and digging

trenches. He puts his professional

operatic voice to good use by singing

Ukrainian folk songs and

Christian hymns while out on

duty. By his ‘singing ministry’

he helps to lift the spirits of

people caught up in this new

frightening and surreal

situation.

In the village where my

wife grew up, elderly women

have discovered a new

vocation: to bake pies for a

local Ukrainian garrison

defending the region from the Russian

invaders. The pies are sent to a local

church, where they are given to

Ukrainian soldiers returning from the

frontline.

These testimonies of ordinary

people doing extraordinary things

challenge us to think about what we can

do on our own ‘frontlines’. Although

we might not find ourselves literally on

the frontline in Ukraine, all of us are

still called to join in God’s mission to

transform the world into the image of

his Kingdom.

Joshua T. Searle

Chair of Trustees, Dnipro Hope Mission

© LICC Used with permission


Recipe Page

A very best

‘no-chocolate’

chocolate cake

(apart from the icing and

filling that is!)

Ingredients for the cake

ä 2 oz (50g) cocoa

ä 6 tablespoons boiling water

ä 3 eggs

ä 2 tablespoons milk

ä 6 oz (175g) self raising flour

ä 1 rounded teaspoon baking powder

ä 4oz (100g) baking spread especially

for cakes or soft butter

ä 10 oz (300g) caster sugar

Ingredients for the icing & filling

ä 5 oz (150g) plain chocolate broken

into small pieces

ä 5 fl oz (150ml) pouring double

cream

ä 3 tablespoons apricot jam

ä 1 small bar white chocolate

(optional)

ä Bake in the pre-heated oven for

about 30 minutes until well risen

and shrinking away from the sides

of the tin.

ä Cool for ten minutes.

ä To turn out loosen the sides of the

tin with a palette knife if needs be,

then stand the tin on a mug or

baked bean tin, hold the sides

firmly and press down to release.

For the icing & filling,

ä Pour the double cream into a

saucepan and place over a medium

heat until just simmering, remove

from the heat, then add the

chocolate and stir well until the

chocolate is melted and the mixture

smooth. Set aside and allow to

become cold and almost set.

ä Spread the tops of each cake with

apricot jam.

ä Sandwich the cakes with half the

icing and spread the remainder on

top.

ä Shave the white chocolate into curls

with a potato peeler and arrange

over the top of the cake to decorate.

Method

ä Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC

fan/Gas 4

ä Grease 2 x 20cm (8″) loose-bottom

sandwich tins.

ä Measure the cocoa and boiling

water into a large bowl, and mix

well to make a paste.

ä Add the remaining ingredients and

beat again until combined.

ä Divide the cake mixture between

the prepared tins.


May Day and

unbridled

merriment

May is the month when the ancient

pagans used to get up to ‘all sorts’! The

Romans held their festival to honour

the mother-goddess Maia, goddess of

nature and growth. (May is named

after her.) The early Celts celebrated

the feast of Beltane, in honour of the

sun god, Beli.

For centuries in ‘Olde England’

the people went mad in May. After the

hardship of winter, and hunger of

early Spring, May was a time of

indulgence. One Philip Stubbes,

writing in 1583, was scandalised: ‘for

what kissing and bussing, what

smooching and slabbering one of

another, is not practised?’

Henry VIII went ‘maying’ on

many occasions. Then folk would stay

out all night in the dark rain-warm

thickets and return in the morning for

dancing on the green around the May

pole, archery, vaulting, wrestling, and

evening bonfires.

The Protestant reformers took a

strong stand against May Day, and in

1644 May Day was abolished

altogether. Many Maypoles came

down - only to go up again at the

Restoration, when the first May Day of

King Charles’s reign was ‘the happiest

Mayday that hath been many a year in

England’, according to Pepys.

May Day to most people today

brings vague folk memories of a young

Queen of the May decorated with

garlands and streamers and

flowers, a Maypole to weave,

Morris dancing, and the

intricacies of well dressing at

Tissington in Derbyshire.

May Day is a medley of

natural themes such as sunrise, the

advent of summer, growth in nature,

and - since 1833 - Robert Owen’s

vision of a millennium in the future,

beginning on May Day, when there

would be no more poverty, injustice or

cruelty, but harmony and friendship.

This is why, in modern times, May

Day has become Labour Day, which

honours the dignity of workers. And

until recently, in communist countries

May Day processions were in honour

of the achievement of Marxism.

There has never been a Christian

content to May Day, but nevertheless

there is the well-known 6am service on

the top of Magdalen Tower at Oxford

where a choir sings in the dawn of

May Day.

An old May carol includes the

lines:

The life of man is but a span,

it flourishes like a flower

We are here today and gone tomorrow -

we are dead within an hour.

There is something of a sadness

about it, both in words and tune, as

there is about all purely sensuous joy.

For May Day is not Easter, and the joys

it represents have always been earthbound

and fleeting.

PP


Sudoku

Easy

Sudoku

13.5 wide

Harder

Solutions on page 44


Local Directory

Check with the organisers or website for meeting dates and times

Name Location When & Contact

Sonshine - Church for

people with learning

difficulties

Knit & Knatter

Yapton Village

Women’s Institute

Yapton & Ford

Community Group

Downland Art Society

Five Villages Minibus

Yapton & Ford Local

History Group

Village Friends

Good neighbour scheme

Clymping Pétanque

Club

Clymping

Church Hall

Clymping

Church Hall

Yapton & Ford

Village Hall

Yapton & Ford

Village Hall

Walberton Sports

Pavilion

Regular shopping

trips

Yapton & Ford

Village Hall

Various

Clymping

Village Hall

First Sunday at 3.00 pm

Alan Doick

01243 554810

Joan Rees

01243 552961

Third Tuesday at 10.00 am

Maggie Brackley - 07789 790706

every Wednesday

10.30-12.00

www.downland.org

Colin Morris - 01243 584274

Brian David - 01243 553635

First Monday each month (except May &

August) yaptonhistory.org.uk

Meg Brackley 07925 217843

villagefriends6@gmail.com

clympingpetanque.simplesite.com

U3A - Arun West various u3asites.org.uk/arunwest/groups

BEADYS - St Wilfrid’s

Hospice Support Group

various Gill Kelly - 01243 552230

Five Village Society various Joanna Williams - 01243 551524

Yapton Short Mat

Bowling Club

Samaritans 116 123

Citizens Advice

Operation Crackdown

Love West Sussex

Yapton & Ford

Village Hall

Tuesdays 6–9 pm, Fridays 1.45–4.45pm

Chairperson - 01243 863057

Secretary - 01243 582574

Call FREE any time, day or night,

from any phone, anywhere

0344 477 1171 (0300 330 0650 from a mobile)

www.arunchichestercab.org.uk

Report anti-social driving or abandoned vehicles

www.operationcrackdown.org

Report highway matters incl. potholes, footway problems, etc.

www.lovewestsussex.gov.uk


Across

1 Overpowered (Deuteronomy 11:4) (11)

9 ‘The — are mantled with corn’ (Psalm 65:13) (7)

10 ‘Each man—a sword to his side’ (Exodus 32:27) (5)

11 On the death of Jesus the curtain in the temple was torn from— to bottom

(Matthew 27:51) (3)

13 Stagger (Isaiah 28:7) (4)


Across (continued)

16 ‘Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought——and doesn’t do it, sins’

(James 4:17) (2,2)

17 Stir up or provoke (Acts 13:50) (6)

18 Burden (Luke 11:46) (4)

20 ‘As far as the east is from the—,so far has he removed our transgressions from

us’ (Psalm 103:12) (4)

21 Sign (Luke 23:38) (6)

22 ‘After that, Jesus poured water into a basin and began to—his disciples’

feet’ (John 13:5) (4)

23 The nature of the seven ears of corn which swallowed up the good ears in

Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41:23) (4)

25 Has (anag.) (3)

28 ‘This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth,—sons’ (Genesis 10:1) (5)

29 ‘I will...make them drunk, so that they...sleep for—and— awake’

(Jeremiah 51:39) (4,3)

30 Paul said of him, ‘he often refreshes me and is not ashamed of my chains’

(2 Timothy 1:16) (11)

Down

2 Worth (Matthew 13:46) (5)

3 ‘A bruised — he will not break’ (Matthew 12:20) (4)

4 ‘Suddenly a great company of the heavenly — appeared with the angel’

(Luke 2:13) (4)

5 Slip (anag.) (4)

6 ‘Take an awl and push it through his — — into the door, and he will become

your servant for life’ (Deuteronomy 15:17) (3,4)

7 Bountiful (2 Corinthians 8:2) (11)

8 ‘Therefore, as we have — , let us do good to all people’ (Galatians 6:10) (11)

12 Acquire (2 Timothy 2:10) (6)

14 Container cover (Numbers 19:15) (3)

15 ‘He...became obedient to death, even death on——!’ (Philippians 2:8) (1,5)

19 Refrain (1 Peter 2:11) (7)

20 ‘She began to—his feet with her tears’ (Luke 7:38) (3)

24 One who worships Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva (5)

25 ‘Give to everyone who—you’ (Luke 6:30) (4)

26 ‘I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my—come from?’ (Psalm 121:1) (4)

27 One of those whom the Lord said would be taken from Jerusalem and Judah as

judgment on them (Isaiah 3:2) (4)


Sudoku Solutions

Easy

Harder

8.8 high

Crossword Answers

ACROSS: 1, Overwhelmed. 9, Valleys. 10, Strap. 11, Top. 13, Reel. 16, To do.

17, Incite. 18, Load. 20, West. 21, Notice. 22, Wash. 23, Thin. 25, Ash. 28, Noah’s.

29, Ever not. 30, Onesiphorus.

DOWN: 2, Value. 3, Reed. 4, Host. 5, Lisp. 6, Ear lobe. 7, Overflowing.

8, Opportunity. 12, Obtain. 14, Lid. 15, A cross. 19, Abstain. 20, Wet. 24, Hindu.

25, Asks. 26, Help. 27, Hero.

Safeguarding

If you have any questions about adult or child safeguarding

matters please contact one of our Safeguarding Officers in the

first instance for more help and information.

ª Alan Doick 07522 605457

(Adults, Lead for Benefice)

ª Esther Hunt 07773 095068

(Children, Lead for Benefice)

ª Maggie Berney 07940 449328

(Children - in training)


Triangle

Sources & resources

Unless an article is specifically

acknowledged with a name, then the source of

miscellaneous articles will usually be usually

followed with one of the following ‘codes’:

¨ ACE - The Association for Church

Editors.

¨ PP - Parish Pump.

¨ LICC - London Institute for

Contemporary Christianity

¨ BS - Bible Society

Articles from these sources are © cleared

and used with permission. Images come from

the editor’s personal collection or from various

copyright free sources. Images submitted by

readers are always very welcome.

Parochial Church Council

Meetings

The PCC meetings for Clymping and

Yapton with Ford are held bi-monthly as

announced on our church notice boards.

‘Condensed’ reports of the meetings are

generally available in church. Questions

about the PCC meetings should be

directed to Sue Fitzgerald in the first

instance. Sue’s is secretary to our two

PCCs and her contact details can be

found on page the next page.

Clymping Village Hall

Large Hall with Stage, Kitchen & Bar

facilities, Disabled Facilities

and a Playing Field.

Suitable for Parties, Receptions, Clubs,

Meetings, Activities

For more details, Google:

‘Clymping Village Hall’

Enquiries & Bookings: 01903 725311

Email: clympingvh@gmail.com

Clymping Church Hall

Function Rooms

Suitable for Receptions, Parties,

Conferences, Clubs, Group Activities,

Staff Meetings

Seating capacity for 80 people.

Excellent facilities including:

disabled access, baby changer, AED,

upgraded kitchen,

crockery and cutlery available, if

required, for hall use.

Large outside grass area available for

activities.

For enquiries and bookings contact

Chris Keeling - 01243 585584

Yapton & Ford Village Hall

Community Facilities for Hire

This excellent modern building has three

halls of varying sizes and a fully

equipped kitchen (including cooker and

fridge).

The Large Hall has a stage, sound

system, bar and kitchen and is ideal for

parties, weddings, clubs and large

meetings.

The halls, hireable separately, offer

opportunities for all sorts of functions and

activities, large or small, at very competitive

rates - crockery, cutlery, heating and

electricity are included

For enquiries and bookings contact

Mandy Keet

01243 553494 or 07940 325844

www.yaptonhall.org


CHURCH CONTACTS

You’ll find the Benefice Church Office at Yapton and Ford Village Hall

Mrs Kathy Draper

(Secretary)

Benefice website

Facebook

Usual opening hours: 9.15 am - 11.15 am

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Please call or email before visiting

t: 01243 553653 (answer phone at other times)

e: cyfoffice@tiscali.co.uk

Correspondence should be addressed to

The Church Office, c/o The Rectory, St Mary’s Meadow,

Yapton, Arundel BN18 0EE.

www.cyfchurches.org.uk

cyfchurchesbenefice

PCC Secretary - Clymping PCC and Yapton with Ford PCC

Mrs Sue Fitzgerald - 01243 584733

Data Compliance Officer - Vacant

Safeguarding - Details of our safeguarding officers can be found on page 44

LOCAL CONTACTS

Clymping

Parish Council

Yapton Parish

Council

Ford Parish

Council

Police

Community

Support Officer

Clerk: Nadine Phibbs, 25 Fittleworth Garden, Rustington BN17 3EW

T: 07776 194192

E: clympingpc@gmail.com W: www.clymping.org.uk

Clerk: Andrew Gardiner, 38 Ruskin Avenue,

Bognor Regis, PO21 5BW

T: 01243 859141, E: clerk@yaptonpc.gov.uk.

W: www.yaptonpc.gov.uk. Office Hours, Yapton & Ford Village Hall, Mon,

Wed, Thurs, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm

Clerk: Carol Hatton, Yapton and Ford Village Hall, Main Road, Yapton,

Arundel, BN18 0ET. T: 07908 571164

E: clerk@fordwestsussex-pc.gov.uk. W: www.ford.arun.gov.uk

There are now four PCSOs covering all of the Littlehampton area. The

Yapton area PCSO is Caroline Wilson. If you need to contact the police

for non-emergencies or local issues, then call 101 (fixed charge of 15p) or

email: 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk


Ministry Team

Clergy

Revd Richard Hayes (Rector), 01243 552962, Day off is Friday

The Rectory, St Mary’s Meadow, Yapton, Arundel, BN18 0EE.

Clergy with permission to officiate

Revd Bill Garlick - 01903 883698 Revd John Ironside - 01903 722884

Revd Canon Jo Gavigan - 01243 553653 Revd Derek Goddard - 01243 555843

Revd Pam Swadling (Deacon) - 01243 820154

Readers

Mrs Liz Peart - 01243 583078

Mr John Stirland - 01243 554890,

Mr Martin Draper - 01243 553653

Clymping

Churchwarden

Mr Chris King - 01243 586963

Verger

Mrs Wendy King - 01243 586963

Treasurer

Mr Colin Morris, 23 West Close, Middleton-on-Sea, PO22 7RP - 01243 584274

Organist & Choirmaster

Mr Peter Nunn - 01903 782552

Messy Church

Messy Church, for all ages. Contact the Rector for more information

Women’s Guild - 2 nd and 4 th Wednesday of each month

Mrs Joan Rees - 01243 552961

Yapton with Ford

Churchwardens

Cdr. Rupert Head

Mrs Bex Holden - 07846 135221

Verger - Yapton

Verger - Ford

Vacant Mr David Donovan - 01903 726006

Treasurer - Mrs Annemarie Doick - 01243 554810

Choirs

Yapton Choir, Mrs Marcia Smith - 01243 552300

Sunday School - 2nd & 4th Sundays in term time

Esther Hunt - 07773 095068



Triangle Magazine - May 2022 edition

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