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Letter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The VicarageLetter from The Vicarage

Easter 2009

Pancakes and Passion

Beginning with the pancake races of Shrove Tuesday (witness the look of sheer delight on the

face of this month’s cover), the ‘Ashing’ of Ash Wednesday on the first day of Lent (also involving

the children), and the grand theatre of Holy Week, there have been numerous opportunities to be

drawn into the narrative of Christ’s journey to the Cross and to Resurrection, as the Easter

story has been retold. The Palm Procession through the village led by children and donkey on

Palm Sunday, followed by the dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel, in which ministers and

congregation participate in the reading of the various parts, themselves becoming actors in the

drama, further involve us in the story.

There is an ancient Chinese porverb which is variously rendered in English as ‘Tell me, and I may

hear, show me, and I may see, but involve me, and I may understand’. This is the invitation and

opportunity of faith, which is why the apostle Philip’s response to Nathaniel’s cynical dismissal of

Jesus is ‘Come and see [for yourself]’, ‘deeds not words’ writes James, in other words ‘walk the

talk’. This retelling of the Easter story is no mere rehearsal of a piece of history, dead and gone,

some 2000 years past, but this is His Story, which might be our story, the narrative of our lives,

with the power even now to transform, renew, revive life (that’s resurrection). When we speak of

Christ’s ‘Passion’, we refer not only to his suffering and trial, but to his experience of our

humanity. The Latin word ‘passio’ means to become so deeply involved in another’s experience,

that you become yourself a part of it, it touches your soul. This is what we mean when we speak

of The Passion, God in Christ (‘Emmanuel’, ‘God with Us’), entering completely into our human

predicament, knowing all that it means to be human, ‘bearing our sorrows’.

For me, one of the real pleasures and privileges of ministry in the parish is that to the children of

our two infant schools - the opportunity not so much of 'bringing God into school as finding that

He is, of course, already well and truly there, no less than in the young, imaginative minds of the

children. The ‘passion’ of the children, their ‘hands-on approach to learning, is an inspiration. The

focus, indeed, of present educational philosophy is ‘child-initiated learning’, active learning as

opposed to passive. During a recent assembly I asked if anyone had seen the film of 'The Lion, the

Witch, and the Wardrobe' - many hands went up - 'and who wrote the book?', I asked, expecting to

hear the answer 'CS Lewis' - the hand of a five year old went straight up and declared, in all

seriousness, 'the author!' The young lad, of course, had got it exactly right - behind every story

is an author. The root of the word 'author' (again from the Latin) is 'the one that brings about

the existence of any object, or promotes the increase and prosperity of it' [Lewis & Short]- in

other words the author is also the 'creator'. God, our Creator, is the author of the continuing

and unfolding story of our lives. The Church, 'the Body of Christ' in the world, is a community or

family that gathers around God's Table to tell our stories and to re-tell His, the Author of life,

the Word, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and ending of all our stories. It is in this

gathering or 'communion' that we participate in the eternal story of life and of love -as we say in

the Eucharistic Prayer, that we might be 'partakers (participants) of [Christ's] body and his

blood'. No less than the Eucharist in which we share as the children of God, the dramatic events

of Holy Week and Easter, provide opportunities to be deeply involved in the story— leading us to

the Cross, and beyond that to resurrection, the place where life is remade and the story begins.

With every blessing, Fr John

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Ringing the changes Little Missenden’s ancient ring of bells were successfully removed, renovated, and rehung late last year following an impressive fund-raising campaign spearheaded by the Ringers themselves. Barry Cowper, Tower Captain, reports.

I n just over six months and as a result of the great generosity of a large number of people, not all of them from the Parish,

the appeal which we launched towards the end of 2007 to raise £20,000 to cover the anticipated cost of re-hanging our historic bells had reached its target. This is a tremendous achievement and our most sincere thanks go to all who have contributed, in whatever way, to this most heartening result. As well as individual donors there are many others who donated anonymously together with those who contributed by attending the Old Time Music Hall evening, as well as by sponsoring those who walked 55 miles along the Kennet and Avon Canal (and got soaked to the skin, literally, on the final day!). In particular, thanks are due to Ruth Groves, whose enthusiasm encouraged the members of the Hyde Heath Old Time Music Hall Society to give up their Friday evening, as well as rehearsal time, to put on a great entertainment, thoroughly enjoyed by all those present and raising in the region of £2,000 through the sale of tickets, drinks and the raffle. Thanks to the Milton Brewery, Cambridge, for donating their excellent beer for the occasion. Gillian Little, another of our ringers, together with Julie Bunker, an experienced canal walker from Great Kimble, jointly conceived the idea of initiating the sponsored walk along a good length of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Gillian then proceeded to make all the arrangements, including the overnight stops and her efforts resulted in around £800 being added to the fund from the sponsorship of the six gallant walkers who nobly braved the elements to take part. Peter Wiltshire hit upon a very novel way of raising money. He was unfortunate enough to need a heart operation, and decided to ask his friends to sponsor the length of time he would be under the anaesthetic. Fortunately the operation was very successful and the fund benefited accordingly! The ringers at Little Missenden join me in expressing our great gratitude to all those who have given so generously in support of our project. Ringing continued as usual for Sunday services, morning and evening, until the bells were taken out in early October for the re-hanging work to be carried out. This work was completed relatively quickly and the bells were ringing again in early December. It was a great joy to have them back in time for Christmas. The ringers are extremely grateful to all those who donated so generously to the appeal, enabling us to re-furbish the bells and securing them in good order for the fore-seeable future. We are blessed with a fine ring of bells, three of which are really ancient, the oldest dating from around 1340 and we felt very strongly that it was our duty to ensure their continuing viability for coming generations. The Bells will be rededicated by the Bishop of Buckingham at a special service on Monday 18th May at 7.30pm.

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The bellringers contributed (voluntarily) much of the hard labour required to lower the bells from the Tower (above); the children of Little Missenden School are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal to the ancient bells, as Barry Cowper and Ruth Groves explain how they were removed (right).

The old oak headstocks have been replaced with new steel ones, which should ensure the bells continued ringing for generations to come.

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D uring the last 12 months the Parish

has invested considerably in the

renovation and maintenance of the three

churchyards in Little Missenden, contract-

ing tree surgeons and landscapers to do the

kind of work that really is once in a genera-

tion: felling trees that had randomly seeded

and grown in inappropriate places (in sev-

eral cases splitting gravestones or completely

overwhelming whole sections of churchyard

(had you noticed the leaning holly tree re-

moved from close to the West Tower?); the

Lime Trees along the west boundary wall

have been crowned, dead wood removed,

and the canopy raised to reveal the long-lost

aspect across the Misbourne valley toward

Deep Mill;

Trunk-sized roots of saplings

that had grown up between the

Lime Trees, forming a solid

‘curtain’ of green obscuring the

view were excavated using a

mini-digger, and in so doing

long-lost Memorial stones were

rediscovered, lying in the

undergrowth or buried beneath

the soil (the oldest being 18th

century with a fascinating relief

inscription of a skull and cross-

bones); the rear of the main

churchyard has been cleared of

the old rubbish tip / bonfire,

the ground levelled and new

grass laid to make space for a

‘Garden of Remembrance’, the

central feature of which will be

a ‘Memorial Plinth’ in stone,

for the placing of small stone

tablets in memory of loved

ones, and overlooking the River

Misbourne and the spring

bulbs of the Manor House

woodland.

An artist’s impression of the low-lying Memorial

Plinth (about 2 feet high, 3 feet deep)

Tending the GardenTending the Garden

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Musical rearrangement

T he Parish said a fond farewell and thank you to Olwen Morris, Director of

Music and Organist at St John the Baptist for the past four years (and prior to that) in February, as she has now left to take up a new musical opportunity at St Mary’s Amersham. A special Choral Evensong was held in Olwen’s honour, where we were able to make a presentation to her, and Olwen’s parting words to us appear over the page (on page 9). Pictured right, Olwen at the piano with daughter Anna, after one of her many concerts.

Left, the solid curtain of green is

cut and dug away to reveal the

view below; the ground is levelled

and new grass laid. In addition,

the access path to the Vicarage

Churchyard has been improved,

the old broken fencing replaced

with wrought iron railings, to give

a brighter welcome.

The whole project has been made

possible not only by a significant

investment from church funds, but

also through the establishment of a

‘Churchyard Renovation and

Maintenance Fund, which has so

far raised some £3,300 - thank you

to all those who have contributed

so generously.

We are also indebted, as ever, to the many volunteers who give of their time and

energy to help with churchyard clearance from time to time. If you would like to

contribute to the Churchyard Fund, please contact one of the Churchwardens.

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The Parochial Church Council of Little Missenden endeavours to give up to 10% of its income to charity: a number of causes are supported, and among the likes of the Children’s Society, Christian Aid and other more local charities, we have this year given our support to two organisations in particular, both of them very topical - Medicins Sans Froniteres (who provided medical relief in the midst of the fighting in Gaza earlier this this and last year) and Combat Stress, whose necessary work, not least to our Service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, we report here.

C ombat Stress is the leading charity specialising in the care of British Veterans who have been profoundly traumatised by

harrowing experiences during their Service career and who are suffering from poor mental health as a result. Many Veterans leave the Armed Forces with highly debilitating conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Their problems can remain masked for years, and they and their families may be struggling to deal with matters at home. Even the toughest people find it hard to shrug off the horrors of war. Haunted by the deaths of friends, memories of ambushes and guilt about those they have killed, many former Servicemen suffer from sleeplessness, flashbacks, and uncontrollable outbreaks of temper. The “hidden scars”, as they are described by the Prince of Wales, the patron of Combat Stress, often lead to heavy drinking, divorce, violence, unemployment, crime, prison and even suicide. Since the Falklands War, more ex-Servicemen have taken their own lives than have been killed in action. Yet there is still a stigma attached to admitting weakness and seeking treatment. Many are too proud to ask for help while they are still serving in the forces. Once they have left, and are no longer the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, it takes an average of 14 years for someone to approach Combat Stress. Usually, they only do so when their lives have already fallen apart. With thousands of members of the Armed Forces returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the charity believes there is an urgent need to help those who are suffering from trauma and anxiety before their lives, and those of their families, are irretrievably ruined. In the past three years, Combat Stress has seen a 53 per cent increase in referrals. Last year alone, 1,160 new cases came forward – some still suffering from the untreated after-effects of serving in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Cyprus, and even the Second World War. Among those returning from war now, many will eventually seek the help of Combat Stress. Rather than wait until their civilian lives have deteriorated, the charity wants to encourage those people to come forward now. The sooner they get help, the more effective it will be. The size of the problem is vast, but small sums of money can make a considerable difference: £25 is enough to fund a session with a psychologist; £40 will buy an hour with a specialist psychiatrist. The NHS can help, of course, but Combat Stress, which was set up in 1919 to help those left devastated by the First World War, provides services, a safe environment and a specialist understand-ing of veterans’ experiences that the health service simply cannot offer. At the moment, the charity runs three residential centres in Surrey, Shropshire and Ayrshire, which provide respite and therapy. With all three operating at full capacity, Combat Stress wants to mark its 90th anniversary next year by extending these facilities.

Since July 2007, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has been providing post-operative care and physiotherapy to hundreds of people wounded by fighting in the Gaza Strip. In March 2008 a pediatric clinic was opened in Gaza for children under 12 years of age. In Nablus, on the West Bank, as in Gaza, MSF provides psychological, medical and social support to families affected by violence. The team is composed of 11 international volunteers and 108 local staff members. MSF also operates a psycho-logical support program in the West Bank town of Hebron. MSF has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 1989.

A Time to HealA Time to Heal

Faith, Hope, and Faith, Hope, and CharityCharity

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A s I leave my post here, at St John the Baptist as organist/Musical Director, my

first desire is to express my deepest gratitude to the Congregation and staff, for

all the love, kindness and consideration sh

own to me over the past four years.

I know already how much I shall miss th

is dear place. There is a presence here, wi

thin

the building itself - an opportunity, perhaps, to sense Time and Eternity in a

particular way. I think we all know how

fortunate we are to have St John the Bap

tist

Church as our place of worship. We als

o know that the Christian Church is all

of

us. We go out from here and try to spread the meaning of Christ around in our daily

lives.

Now - some specific words of thanks. As a c

ongregation, you have so often shown

appreciation for my musical offerings. Thank you for this. You have offered

comfort in my sad bereavement. Thank y

ou for this. You have prayed with me for

personal needs of my family. Thank you.

You have put up with - and not complained

- about my shortcomings - late arrivals, untidy books in the vestry. Thank you!

John, you have perhaps the strongest reason for my persuasion to stay for four years

instead of six weeks - as intended. Your musicality, beautiful intoning, an inclination

to enjoy incense, that twinkle in the eye a

s well as an innocent enthusiasm and a

readiness to open the Church doors to everyone - these things made me want to stay

on.

Choir next then! I remember past days whe

n there was a big choir here. For various

reasons, it dwindled in size. Nev

ertheless, there is still a nucleus

- and we must thank

Anna, Ester, Sarah, Walter, Patricia and David for their loyalty and practical

support over these years. Not only have they helped produce some grand events - such

as Advent and Christmas Carol Services, but they regularly sing the traditional

Evensong Service in all weathers! Dorothy

Hilton - you have always been ready to

stand in and take over at a moment's notice sometimes. We have needed you - and

Thank you Dorothy. Anthony, Treasurer

, and Church wardens. Thank you too for

smoothing the path always.

Tim Harper, the Vicar of St Mary's, has be

en very welcoming and patient over

delaying the transfer date into March. So - why am I leaving anyway? I find it

difficult to answer this myself, since there a

re no real negative reasons for quitting.

Maybe 'here' has become for me a 'comfort zone' - to use a modern term. As a

musician, I'm used to moving on - new experiences, new works, and new pla

ces and so

on. True, St Mary's has a bigger organ and that's a bit of a challenge I suppose, for

a proper pianist that is! I'm not going because they have a 'bigger choir', although

I'm interested to see what I can do there m

usically. But there is a very personal reas

on

which draws me towards this very differe

nt place.

David, my deceased husband, played there for several years and built up a 4-part

choir. Quite often, he used to suggest that I should go there.

Now - I would like to sit wher

e he sat.

God bless you all.

Olwen Sunday, 15 February 2009

The Parish said a fond farewell and thank you to Olwen Morris, Director of Music and Organist at St John the Baptist for the past 4 years (and prior), who has taken up a new opportunity at St Mary’s Amersham. Olwen and her musically prodigious family will be sadly missed in Little Missenden - often introduced at concerts by Fr John as the ‘Family von Trapp’ (that celebrated family of ‘The Sound of Music’ fame). Here are Olwen’s own words of thanks to the Parish.

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Keeping Hope Alive

Christian Aid Week is a celebration o f l i f e . B r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r over 300,000

people over 7 days, it harnesses the Church’s passion for change and turns that into life for people in poverty. Hope crosses denominat ional boundaries. All of us hold onto the hope of a better future for the poor and oppressed in our world. God’s love is made complete in us, his people (1 John 4.12) - and in unity we must act out that love by working for a better life for others. If you receive an envelope through your door between 10th and 16th May, please consider those for whom Christian Aid seeks to bring relief - of all faiths and none.

You are invited to

The Parish of St John the Baptist Little Missenden

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Sunday 26th April 12noon

in church, following the morning service.

Lunch will be served.

RSVP The Parish Office

You are invited to

A Service for

The Rededication of the

Church Bells

At Little Missenden

By the Rt Revd Dr Alan Wilson

Bishop of Buckingham

On Monday, 18th May

At 7.30pm

10th to 16th May 09

T hanks to the very many people who responded to our Stewardship and Giving Campaign during 2008, we are delighted to report an increase in giving to the mission, ministry and maintenance of the Parish of St John the Baptist Little Missenden of some £10,000 per annum (including the benefit of Gift Aid). This is an immensely encouraging result, not least in the midst of a ‘credit crunch’. If you would like to contribute, please contact one of the Churchwardens.

All things come from you

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Beat the Bounds: Saturday May 16th 2009, 9am

S ince 2006 several members of the Parish have

gathered to complete what we have

affectionately nicknamed ‘Walking the Dog’, as

the shape of the boundary resembles the shape of

a dog - ‘nodding the head’ around Hyde Heath;

‘wagging the tail’ around Little Kingshill and

‘shaking the paw’ around Little Missenden - a

walk of approximately 13.2 miles.

The practice of ‘Beating the Bounds’, walking the

boundaries of your Parish and praying for a

fruitful harvest and protection from disaster, is an

ancient custom which almost certainly has its

roots in pre-Christian ritual. In days which

offered little excitement to ordinary people, one

can quite imagine that processions around the

countryside in lovely spring weather were

very popular. After fields were blessed, there

was opportunity for much merrymaking.

These processions had also been useful in

showing people their parish boundaries. As

the civic function of the Parish grew, these

boundaries became even more important.

So, the custom of 'Beating the Bounds' grew

up to show everyone, and especially the

younger members of the parish, where the

boundaries lay.

Contact Peter Charles on 01494 713186 for

more details about this year’s walk.

Walking the Dog

The shape of the boundary of the Parish of Little Missenden bears the uncanny resemblance of a dog: join us on May 16th to ‘nod the head’ around Hyde Heath, ‘wag

the tail around Little Kingshill, and to ‘shake the paw’ around Little Missenden.

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Little MissendenLittle MissendenLittle MissendenLittle Missenden

BuntingfordBuntingfordBuntingfordBuntingford

A scension Day 2008, the children of Little Missenden C.E. Infant School released red balloons with stamped addressed tags attached to mark this (today) lesser celebrated, but among the foremost of Christian Festivals. The balloons travelled approximately 50 miles in a north-easterly direction, and five were recovered around the village of Buntingford in Hertfordshire. Join us for a service of Communion with the school children this Ascension Day, Thursday May 21st at 9.30am.

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The Back Page

Crossword

This Month’s Sudoku: Hard 1-9

Across

8. Regret (7) 9. Salt of uric acid (5) 10. Lancashire town (5) 11. Pertaining to Mars (7) 12. Puts down (4) 13. Submerged up to the knees (4-4) 16. Turtle (8) 19. Packs tight (4) 22. One that tempts (7) 23. Anorak (5) 24. Unite (5) 25. Disable (7)

Sudoku Previous Solution

Previous Solution

Down

1. Wrist band (8) 2. Hire (6) 3. Avarice (5) 4. Inhabitant of Germany (6) 5. Fourth part (7) 6. Nautical (6) 7. Hammer head (4) 14. Communicating corridors (8) 15. Skye town (7) 17. Comment (6) 18. Coniferous tree (6) 20. Sudden (6) 21. Plant louse (5) 22. Compact by pounding (4)

Church Bulletin Blunders

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

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ST JOHN’S GUILD Leader: Mrs. Dorothy Hilton,

TEL: 01494 862565 1st Wednesday in month except Jan and Aug – 10.30 am - Vestry

CHURCHES TOGETHER Mrs Joan Craig, TEL: 01494 864651

LIGHTHOUSE CONTACT Mrs Sue Rose

TEL: 01494 865775,

LITTLE MISSENDEN C OF E FIRST SCHOOL

Headmistress Mrs Trisha Bridges TEL: 862021

HYDE HEATH INFANT SCHOOL Head Teacher

Mrs Julie Moulsdale TEL: 783835

MAGAZINE

ADVERTISING: Mr. Richard Higham Manor Farm Cottage,

Little Missenden HP7 0RA TEL: 862520

DISTRIBUTOR Mrs Barbara Cann

18 Brays Close Hyde Heath HP6 5RZ TEL: 783254

Lt. MISSENDEN FESTIVAL: Mr John Buston TEL: 864686

HYDE HEATH DRAMA GROUP Mrs Sylvia Brown TEL: 776193

VILLAGE HALL BOOKING: Little Missenden:

Mr John Pulsford TEL: 868572 Hyde Heath:

Mrs Gill Munrow TEL: 773988 Lt. Kingshill:

Mrs S MacDonald TEL: 867373

Sundays at St John the Baptist, Little Missenden: 8am BCP Communion (Said); 10.30am Parish Communion

(except 3rd Sunday, Morning Prayer); 6pm Evensong. St Andrews, Hyde Heath:

9.15am Holy Communion (1st and 3rd Sundays)

PARISH PRIEST The Revd John Simpson, The Vicarage, Little Missenden HP7 0RA.

office@lmchurch.org THE PARISH OFFICE

office@lmchurch.org TEL: 01494 862008

The Parish of St John the Baptist Little Missenden, Hyde Heath and Little Kingshill

Patron: The Earl Howe

HYDE HEATH WEBSITE www.HydeHeath.com

HYDE HEATH COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL GROUP

Ms Rachel Mystri TEL: 782845 Hyde Heath Infant School –

9.15 am -11.45 am Monday - Friday Toddlers’ Session

10.00 am - 11.30 am Wednesday Hyde Heath Village Hall

A registered provider of Early Years Education

BROWNIE GUIDES: Hyde Heath School Monday 6.00 pm

Ms Shanta Gillot 01494 722674

HYDE HEATH SCOUT GROUP:

BEAVER SCOUTS - Hyde Heath School Tues 6.15pm

Mr T Wye TEL: 792387

TEL: CUB SCOUTS - HH Village Hall Tues 6.00pm Mrs B Cann

TEL:783254

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES: LM Village Hall 3rd Thurs 2.30 pm

Mrs Stephanie Whitehead T 862631

LM Evenings -Village Hall 2nd Wed 8.00pm

Mrs Marjorie Becket TEL: 714493

HH Eves. Village Hall 2nd Thurs 8.00 Mrs Jayne Faversham TEL: 864677

LK Village Hall 2nd Thurs 2.00 pm Mrs Jean Lishman TEL: 864392

WRVS REPRESENTATIVES:

Hyde Heath: Mrs Creevy T714618

LICENSED LAY MINISTER & SEC. TO PCC: Mr. Gary Beynon,

20 Westfield, Hyde Heath HP6 5RE TEL: 01494 774111

CHURCHWARDENS: Mrs Marian Dickinson

The Pippins, Brays Close, Hyde Heath HP6 5RZ TEL: 01494 792694

Mr John Lamb Little Maple Tree, Chartridge

Chesham HP5 2TF TEL: 01494 784889

TREASURER Mr Anthony del Tufo,

Manor Farm Cottage, North Road, Chesham Bois HP6 5NA TEL: 01494 416330

STEWARDSHIP OFFICER: Mr John Lamb

Little Maple Tree, Chartridge Chesham HP5 2TF TEL: 01494 784889

BELL RINGERS Mr Barry Cowper , TEL: 01494

725566 Practice - Monday 7.45 - 9.15 pm Sunday ringing - 10.00 and 5.30pm

FLOWERS:

Mrs. Margaret Washington, Ashcroft, , Little Missenden HP7 0RF

TEL: 01494 863768