Parish Magazine Online

JULY/AUGUST 2010

More than a year ago in a touching display of humility during a sermon, my colleague Toni Ashcroft remarked that she was 'nothing special'.

The comment moved me at the time and it still does. But I want to qualify her modesty in two ways. She is special because, like the rest of us, she matters to God. It was for all our sakes that Jesus shared our world and suffered at its hands. But she is special too in another way that she will appreciate with her scientific background.

As I write these words, celebrations are going on to mark the tenth anniversary of the reading of the human genome - the 3 billion - letter-long message that carries with it the promise of selfknowledge to humanity. Each letter is a pair of chemical bases that has accumulated over the 3.8 billion years that life has existed on Earth.

This fact tells us that the journey to fashion something as complex as a human being is both incredible and amazing. Our species's history from its genesis in Africa to its present oversight of the planet is now evident to us just by reading the genome. About 5 million years ago we parted company with the chimpanzee and later the extinct Neanderthal, a real human. We are special because it has taken an awfully long time for us to emerge in our present state and it is even more fascinating to contemplate what we might evolve into another 3 billion years from now.

In the meantime the genome project will eventually shed light on a central issue that has divided theologians and philosophers for centuries: the question of original sin. By showing in greater depth what we are really like under the skin, genomics may be able to show what is nature and what is nurture. In other words we may be able to agree more readily on how perfectible we really are as human beings.

For now we remain a conundrum with the ability to land a space craft on Mars and murder children. Both facts aside however, we remain special: making a human being (warts and all) is almost impossible to imagine once we realize how long it has taken us to arrive here.

Liz Walker would like to thank everyone for all the kindness and support shown to her and Grahame during her recent hospitalization. She is recovering well and looking forward to being back in church soon.

The implementation of our recommendations are almost complete, the final part will be the official opening of the Wmamanga Clinic/Health Education room. By the time we go out in November we should have the money to provide a water well, a latrine and security fencing. The improvements in health have been beyond our expectations, from being the worst statistics to above the national average.

The villagers are now proactive making more demands on what is available.

In education so many children are passing to go to senior school that is causing problems trying to finance them for their places. (It is only primary school children who are offered free schooling)

The citizenship programme we introduced in 2002 is still very active. Ownership of projects is proving to be very effective. This is one part of our training which we are very proud of. We are very aware of the support of the Holy Trinity congregation, who have supported our fund raising events, and of the very generous donations given. Thank you all most sincerely.

It is a great pity that you are not able to see the improvements and the joy on the faces of the villagers. Aside from our project we have also been able to support a wide range of Christian churches by providing bibles and Christian literature, church furniture and school furniture and providing first aid training for teachers and parents.

These are just a few things that we will miss when we are no longer able to go out to Kenya.

There cannot be many Parish Churches which can boast of a longstanding Arts Festival such as ours which has now completed 45 years of consistent high quality programmes.

This year's Festival had the usual mix of events to educate, entertain and enthral the substantial number of people who visited. The opening night - a dinner attended by Lord and Lady Fearn - proved to be a truly pleasant occasion, at which many enjoyed a good meal, and then listened to the interesting talk by our guest. His talk about Southport as seen through his eyes as a child, as a councillor, an M.P and then as a member of the House of Lords was both enlightening and humorous.

Saturday evening saw the first visit by Close Harmony - a group of nine present and former musicians from Liverpool Cathedral. Their well balanced programme of music, some serious, some light hearted was delightful. The songs were interspersed with amusing stories told by Ian Tracey. A great evening which many asked to be repeated in the future.

Sunday's Festal Evensong brought together a larger than usual congregation that heard music new to Trinity. The choir, accompanied by Professor Ian Tracey, was in fine voice.

During the first week of the Festival, the lunchtime recitals were attended by larger numbers than in the recent past. They were very well entertained by all our guests who included students from Chetham's Music School, David and Fiona Williams, Dr. Sue Garner-Jones, Merchant Taylors' Stanfield Choir and our Organ Scholar, John Forster.

The middle weekend was a very busy time - there was the two day Art Exhibition which needed a massive effort from many hands, the Wingates Brass Band Concert and the Sunday evening service of Compline.

The Art exhibition drew in excess of 300 exhibits from local artists. This year the event went ahead despite the enforced absence of Christine Garner through illness. However she communicated brilliantly with committee members by phone so that everything went ahead as usual!

Southport Magic Circle paid their first visit to the Festival and thoroughly mystified and entertained a small but highly enthusiastic audience with a variety of magic. The main contribution of the audience was to make the superb supper disappear!

The final Saturday event was the Love and Joy Gospel Choir from Anfield. Their enthusiasm and sheer joy were infectious and several members of the audience were soon up dancing, clapping and singing. Highlights were probably Steal Away and You'll Never Walk Alone.

Thanks are due to the many people who helped before and during the Festival. A wide range of tasks were covered by a variety of helpers who acted as stewards, ticket and programme sellers, programme designers and printers, publicity agents, stage builders, piano and organ movers, exhibition designers and hangers, refreshment providers, cleaners, and for some, artists in events. Well done to all who assisted in any way whatsoever.

We look forward to a super Festival in 2011 - yes most of it is already planned and booked. However, you, the reader can help the committee to plan by letting us know the type of events you would like to come to - after all it is YOUR festival.

Ever since we have had Trinity school children from year 6 coming on a Tuesday for their Helping Hands project we have all taken a much more personal and intense interest in our Church school. We were really delighted to receive a copy of their latest Ofsted report and feel very proud to be mentioned in it.
The School ,its Head, Staff and Pupils have all done splendidly and we would like to send our congratulations to them all as well as our best wishes for their future and say how much we are looking forward to the next batch of recruits. May the link between the School and the LUNCH CLUB long continue !

It was a great shock when I realised that this edition of the magazine was to be the last that I would produce.

The fact that the economic climate is hitting churches as well as individuals is obvious from all the rising costs of our bills etc. However I would like to thank all the kind people who have e-mailed me, phoned, sent cards and letters and spoke to me.

Thanks to all who have helped me with contributions and articles over the last fourteen years, I would not have been able to produce the magazine without your help.

Lastly I want to thank my son Gary who every month (sometimes from the other side of the world) has done the final formatting for me. As he has sent this to the printers ready to transfer straight to the printer he has kept the cost down which has amounted to a good saving over fourteen years.

Thank you to all

SUNDAYS
8.30am Holy Communion
10.15am Parish Communion (First Sundays in month are usually a Family Communion with children taking part)
10.15am Sunday School
(For 3 year olds upwards - on all except first Sundays and school holidays)
6.30pm Evening Prayer

WEEKDAYS
11.30am Tuesdays
Holy Communion
7.15pm Wednesdays
Choral Evensong
7.15pm 1st Friday in month
Book of Common Prayer Communion

OTHER SERVICES
(e.g for Saints Days): as announced

Practising members of other Christian denominations are invited to receive Holy Communion.
If you are not confirmed but would like to receive a blessing please come forward with other communicants and place your hands below the altar rail.

We hope you will join us for refreshments in the Parish Centre after the Service