The Arcadian

The May 2024 Newsletter of

Our next service will be on Pentecost Sunday 19^th May and will be a Communion at which The Rev. Michael Bever will preside. 

PLEASE NOTE that the Salle des Fêtes will be unavailable that day owing to the Village holding a Vide Grenier.  We will, therefore, at Sheila Britten’s kind invitation, we holding a picnic in her garden instead.  Parking in the Village will be at a premium so it is recommended that you try to find parking on the road close to Sheila’s house before church and walk the last bit.  Her address is 4 rue de Venelle.

Sandy’s Church Alphabet – M is for Meditation – The Rev. Sandy Borthwick

I am a little concerned when I find, in garden centres,  statues of the Buddha. How would I feel if I were in a Buddhist country and found a crucifix or cross for sale as a garden ornament.  The statue of the Buddha is intended to give feelings of peace and contemplation, and many people find the novelty of Eastern Buddhism different from our Western experience.  Novelty has its value, but we, as Christians should be aware that we have a long tradition of contemplation and meditation that can be a very powerful tool in our armoury against the cares and concerns that we experience in our lives.

The Christian tradition of Meditation, or Mental Prayer has, in the past, been practiced and written about by many mystics who form a long line of practitioners from the early church to today.

Ignatius of Loyola, Peter of Alcantara, Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Avila, Thomas a Kempis,  are well known Christians mystics who have written a great deal of helpful material about the practice and experience of meditation or mental prayer as it is often called.  A book I have found most helpful is called "The Art of Mental Prayer"   by an Anglican Benedictine, Bede Frost.

Another Anglican writer who deals with the subject is E. Allison Pears who has written a great introduction to the Spanish Mystics such as St. John of the Cross.

Many of you will be well-practiced in Meditation but I offer a few ideas for those who are beginners.

Preparation.   Be comfortable and lift your mind to God our Father knowing that He is with us.  Make an act of confession; perhaps use the form from the Eucharist. And then ask for God's help to make our meditation with devotion and calm.

The Reading. Choose a passage of scripture which can be either from the Old or New Testament. Not too long but we should read with our whole heart and will.

The Meditation. Use both intellect and imagination to enter into the subject. Be present at the event, think about the action and hear the words being spoken. Do not let too much violence weaken the exercise but view the situation with the inner eye.

Also consider the meaning of the action. What is God telling us, what blessing does He want us to receive?

Thanksgiving and Offering.  Finish with an act of thanks to the Father who has been with us in the 'still small voice' and thank Him for His grace in our lives. Finally we say with the Psalmist 'What reward shall I give to the Lord for all His benefits to me, I will receive the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord'.

From Janet – Praise for the French Health Service

Concerned about my eyesight for many months, I was finally pushed into making an appointment with the ophthalmologist. At 10:30 the time of the RV I was called in for the first test. An hour later after four separate tests, a meeting with the consultant, and a few minutes of waiting time, I left with appointments for two separate cost cataract operations, their preliminaries and follow-ups and prescriptions for the necessary medication. Marvellous!

Le petit potager  from “Doigts demi-verts”

From Jim

On the 10th of April, while walking the dogs, I heard my first nightingales and cuckoo - the latter nearly a month later than last year. So far, however, I've seen only two swallows and no swifts. My neighbour usually has six or seven pairs of swallows nesting in his workshop; this year only one has come. On Easter Sunday, outside the church at Savigny-en-Veron, I watched a grea-tit bring nesting material to a nearby tree. “Springwatch” is coming towards the end of May.

Great Christians of the past – Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Saint Dunstan (c 909-2988) was the leader of a great religious revival in England. He organised, revived, rebuilt or founded many religious houses, among them Malmsbury, Westminster, Bath and Exeter, and integrated the life of these houses into the lives of the people. He was also an artist, a craftsman and a lover of music, as well as a statesman and compiler of the first English Coronation Service for the crowning of English kings. He was successively Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, Bishop of Worcester Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury and was later canonised. His work restored monastic life to England and reformed the English Church.  His 11th century biographer, Osbern, himself an artist and scribe, states that Dunston was skilled in “making a picture and forming letters” as were other clergy of his age who reached a senior rank. Dunstan served as an important minister of state to several English kings. He was the most popular saint in England for nearly two centuries, having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness, not least among which were those concerning his famed cunning in defeating the devil.

Cookery Corner

Raspberry and White Chocolate Waffle Pudding.   

(serves 8)

Ingredients:

480g (about 14) waffles

300g raspberries (fresh is best, but frozen are fine)

200g good-quality white chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tbs plain flour

3 eggs

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp vanilla extract

500ml (2 cups) thickened cream

2 tbs icing sugar, to dust

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Butter a medium ovenproof dish.

Cut waffles into 2cm cubes. Place half in the dish, topped by half the raspberries, then half

the chocolate. Repeat layers.

Whisk together sugar, flour, eggs, rind, vanilla and cream.

Pour over waffles and set aside for 10 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until golden.

Dust with icing sugar.

Serve with cream or ice-cream

AND FINALLY …

Somewhere in the backwoods of the USA an RC priest, an Episcopalian minister, and a rabbi want to see who's best at his job. So each one goes into the woods, finds a bear, and attempts to convert it. Later they all get together.

.

The priest begins, “When I found the bear, I read to him from the catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his first communion.”

“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God's holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”

They both looked down at the rabbi, who is lying on a hospital trolley in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn't have started with the circumcision …” 

Important Numbers

Samu – 15

Gendarmes – 17

Pompiers – 18

First responders European Emergency – 112

Cancer Support Deux Sevres

                 English-speaking service for all the support you might need

Phone: 06 40 77 27 35

or  email: www.cancersupportfrance.org

Our Committee Contacts

President: Jim Burrows – 05 49 22 41 78
Secretary: Carole Taylor – 02 47 97 74 86 – mumsikins@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Sheila Britten – 05 49 98 59 54 – sheilabritten3@gmail.com
Jane Sanders -  09 86 51 95 59  – sandersjane49@gmail.com
Andrew Staley – 07 87 80 34 38 – rev.staley@googlemail.com

Janet Colman -   05 49 66 65 66 – janet.colman21@gmail.com
Arcadian Editor: Geoff Cornwall – 05 49 63 06 31 – gcfrance6052@gmail.com

Website Co-ordinator: Clare Lane – clarelouiselane@yahoo.com

Web address: escoval.jimdofree.com

The Arcadian

The March 2024 Newsletter of

Our next service will be on Sunday 17^th March and will be a Communion at which The Rev. Michael Bever

will preside. 

This will be followed, as usual, by a Bring & Share Lunch

World Day of Prayer

 (formerly Women’s World Day of Prayer)

Ruth and Michael Bever are hoping to hold a little gathering in their house on Friday March 1st for the World Day of Prayer.  It will be at 10.45 starting with coffee followed by the  service about 11am and then a bring and share lunch.  The service - always on the first Friday in March -  used to be just for women but now is for both sexes!!    Ruth has the service sheets already and hopes that Michael will play the hymns on their electric piano! 

Their address is:  6, Place de la Mairie, St Clementin, 79150 Voulmentin. 

Telephone 05 49 72 57 91 or mobile  07 94 88 33 170 

Please make a note in your diaries and let her know on  ruthbever@icloud.com if you are intending to join them.

Sandy’s Church Alphabet

K is for Kyrie Eleison (Kee ree ay   Elay ee son)

Greek for 'Lord have Mercy'

In the early Church of the 2^nd Century it was the custom for the deacon to say a litany with the congregation.  This was particularly true in the East but less common in Rome and the West.  Part of the congregational response to the litany was the chant Kyrie Eleison a phrase which became part of the Eastern Eucharist.  By the 4^th Century the Kyries were common in the Eastern Church but the custom of singing the words in Greek didn't reach France until the fourth century.

The Latin Mass continued the custom and at the reformation the Kyries were included in the Prayer Book of 1549  albeit in an English translation.  Also the English translation was ordered to be said during Morning and Evening Prayer, after the Creed and also during the Litany as well as the Eucharist.  By the time of the Prayer Book of 1552 Archbishop Cranmer was anxious to appease the Protestants and so substituted the Ten Commandments in the place where the Kryies were said however he contrived to keep them alive by having a response to each commandment that included the phrase ' Lord have mercy upon us^’.

The later revisions of the Prayer Book provided a 'Summary of the Law' with a response Amen. Lord have Mercy and the Common Worship revision restores the Kyries in a sixfold form Lord have mercy (2) Christ have mercy (2) Lord have mercy (2).

By tradition each group relates to the persons of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Coming as part of the penitential rite the Kyries can be regarded as a plea for God's mercy, however the phrase 'Lord have Mercy' on its own was used by Romans in their worship of the gods and also in praise of the Emperor.  It became equivalent of the Hebrew cry 'Hosanna'.   Today we may use hooray or cheer.   The Kyries may then be regarded as a cry of triumph or acclaim.  However we view the words they have long been a part of Christian worship and a vital part of our prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Many famous composers have set them to music as part of the liturgy or for choral performance, from Bach to Mozart to Palestrina; others have written music for congregational singing allowing people, where possible, to take an active part in the solemn celebration of the Eucharist.

Keeping Safe

We are, all of us, getting older.   Some of us, whether by choice or by loss, are living on our own.  I heard recently of a chap who is alone and very much part of a church here in France (not this one!) who suddenly had what he then believed was a heart attack.  Luckily for him he was able to contact one of his French neighbours who got hold of  SAMU and he was taken safely to hospital where it turned out that it was not a heart attack and the next day he was able to return home none the worse.  The said neighbours knew that he was involved with a church and managed to get hold of one of the Churchwardens.  When I heard about this I realised that the situation could have been much worse but for the good neighbours.  I have since discovered a system run by The Lions Club in much of France known as LIONS SOS. 

I gleaned the following note translated from the Lions Club website:

The operation called “LIONS SOS” was launched in 2007 by the Clubs of Haute-Savoie and Normandy, and then deployed across much of France.  This involves placing written and vital information relating to the person's health in a small box stored in the refrigerator door. This immediately tells the emergency services about the patient's state of health and medications and can save vital time.   On arrival they will see the LIONS SOS sticker on the back of the front door and know that an information sheet is available in the refrigerator.

The use of this project will bring peace of mind to the beneficiaries, elderly, isolated people, weakened by illness, disability and others,  as well as their families.

The little plastic boxes and full instructions may be collected free of charge from many Pharmacies across much of France, certainly in both the Vienne and Deux Sevres.

From Andrea’s Kitchen

In anticipation of St Patrick’s Day I offer 

Irish Soda Bread

Preheat oven to 200C or Fan 180C

250g plain white flour

250g plain whole meal flour

100g porridge oats

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1tsp salt

25g butter, cut into small pieces

500 ml buttermilk **

Dust a baking sheet with flour.

1   Mix the dry ingredients and rub in the butter.

2  Add 3/4 of the buttermilk and mix quickly with a knife.  Then add further buttermilk as needed to form a soft dough.  HANDLE GENTLY 

3   Bring the dough together with fingertips and shape into a round flattish loaf about 8” inches diameter.

4   Put on the baking sheet and score a deep cross on the top.

5   Bake for 30-35 minutes until loaf sounds hollow.  If not ready then turn upside down and bake for a further few minutes.

6   Leave to cool on a wire rack covered with a tea towel to keep the crust soft.

7   Serve either sliced or in wedges but eat while very fresh.  Does not keep well.

**(to make your own buttermilk mix 500ml whole milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes until thickened slightly)

From Jim

Where have all the finches gone?

No, not a version of the Bob Dylan ballad, but a genuine question.   When Janet moved to St. Varent, there was not a bird to be seen in the garden.  A bird table arrived at Christmas, was set up on Boxing Day and within 20 minutes blue tits and great tits arrived.    That winter and a couple of subsequent years there have been mobs of up to 30 goldfinches and greenfinches and regular numbers of chaffinches, tits, dunnocks and robins.   This winter, however, plenty of sparrows, 4 blue tits, 4 great tits, an infrequent robin, 4 wood pigeons, 4 collared doves and that's all.  Not a finch to be seen.  I know that greenfinches are suffering in England from a disease - is this also true for France?   

Perpétua and her Companions

Perpétua (died 203) was a young married woman. Her companions were Felicity, a slave girl, and four other Christian men. All were thrown to the wild beasts in the arena after imprisonment and trial. Their story, written partly by Perpétua and another of the martyrs and completed by an eye-witness, is one of the most moving and impressive documents of early Christianity.

The day of the martyrs' victory dawned. They marched from their cells into the amphitheatre as if into heaven, with cheerful looks and graceful bearing. If they trembled it was for joy and not for fear.

Perpétua was the first to be thrown down, and she fell prostrate. She got up and, seeing that Felicity was prostrate, went over and reached out her hand to her and lifted her up. Both stood up together. Rousing herself as if from sleep (so deeply had she been in spiritual ecstasy), she began to look around. To everyones amazement she said: 'When are we going to be led to the beasts?’ When she heard that it had already happened she did not at first believe it until she saw the marks of violence on her body and her clothing.

The people, however, had demanded that the martyrs be led to the middle of the amphitheatre. They wanted to see the sword thrust into the bodies of the victims, so that their eyes might share in the slaughter. Without being asked they went where the people wanted them to go; but first they kissed one another, to complete their witness with the customary kiss of peace.

Bravest and happiest martyrs! You were called and chosen for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

                 From an account of the martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs of Carthage

…. and just before we go….

 Fishy Story

Some time after the Ark landed, God was in touch with Noah again. To Noah’s surprise, he was asked to build a second craft.

Would it be the same as the first one, Noah enquired.

‘No, this one is special – it’s just for fish.’ God answered.

‘For fish?’ Noah asked. ‘Any particular sort of fish?’

‘Yes, indeed, Noah,’ came the reply. For carp.’

‘I see, said Noah, who didn’t really see at all. ‘Any special construction requirements?

‘I want a hold, at least ten decks, and an upper deck at the top. It has to be a multi-storey carp ark.’

Important Numbers

Samu – 15

Gendarmes – 17

Pompiers – 18

First responders European Emergency – 112

Cancer Support Deux Sevres

                 English-speaking service for all the support you might need

Phone: 06 40 77 27 35

or  email: www.cancersupportfrance.org

Our Committee Contacts

President: Jim Burrows – 05 49 22 41 78
Secretary: Carole Taylor – 02 47 97 74 86 – mumsikins@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Sheila Britten – 05 49 98 59 54 – sheilabritten3@gmail.com
Jane Sanders -  09 86 51 95 59  – sandersjane49@gmail.com
Andrew Staley – 07 87 80 34 38 – rev.staley@googlemail.com

Janet Colman -   05 49 66 65 66 – janet.colman21@gmail.com
Arcadian Editor: Geoff Cornwall – 05 49 63 06 31 – gcfrance6052@gmail.com

Website Co-ordinator: Clare Lane – clarelouiselane@yahoo.com

Web address: escoval.jimdofree.com