‘Fear not for I am with you.’ Isaiah 41:10 · 7/6/2020  · ‘Fear not for I am with you.’ Isaiah 41:10. 2 ... moral commitment that carries a message ever more vital in today’s

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‘Fear not for I am with you.’ Isaiah 41:10

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Church information 8

Parish Mass times (via FACEBOOK) 9

Prayer calendar 18-19

Sponsorship in Church 9

Evidence to Action symbols key 41

St James C of E Primary School & Nursery News 31

Deadline for Magazine articles 44

Regular contents:

...from the Editor

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, A Time for Everything...

‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.’

It is astonishing to realise that I have been Editor for St.James the Great Magazine for a whole year! There have been ups and downs, but generally I have enjoyed, and

learned a great deal, from the experience. On page 11 of this magazine I am asking for feedback from you all regarding the magazines content for the last year and what you would

like to see leading into the future. Do you have something to share or say?

All articles will be considered; Fr.James has veto.

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Rector’s woolgathering

¹ https://talkradio.co.uk/news/dominic-raab-responds-criticism-over-game-thrones-comment-20061833449

Rev. Ralph Abernathy and MLK marching in Birmingham just before their arrest, April 12, 1963 © Charles Moor/Black Star)

Take the knee

Recently Dominic Raab, British politi-cian serving as First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs prompted criticism and scorn. Speaking on Talk-Radio Thursday, June 18, 2020 with Julia Hartley-Brewer. Raab was asked

whether he would adopt the pose – take the knee¹. He replied:

“Do you know what? I understand this sense of frustration, of restlessness, which is driving the Black Lives Matter movement. I’ve got say, on this take the knee thing – which, I don’t know, maybe it’s got a broader history but it seems to be taken from the Game of Thrones – feels to me like a symbol of subjugation and subordination, rather than one of liberation and emancipation. But I understand people feel differently about it, so it’s a matter of personal choice.”

Raab said he understood why some people took the knee, but said he would only do so “for the Queen and the Mrs when I asked her to marry me”. Well he may wait a long time for the Queen.

Raab draws the wrong conclusion as to where it has come from. It has less to do with an international best-selling television fantasy television series produced by HBO called ‘Game of Thrones.’

I do agree 100% with Dominic Raab that to ‘Genuflect’, that is to say to lower one's body briefly by bending one knee to the ground, typically in worship or as a sign of respect or in unity with others in demonstrating corporate unity of a single cause of justice is a personal choice.

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More currently a global movement is adopting this pose to maintain solidarity with those opposed to the brutal repression, racism and murder of those who are black. They are doing this to bring in change. Change and recognition in the understanding of the devastating effect of racism. A protest in Bristol included an unplanned tearing down of the statue of Edward Colston. For many years there has been a campaign for this statue to be removed. Colston’s direct links to Slavery, the profit of it all would have almost been airbrushed out of history.

In 1834 Britain abolished slavery, a defining and celebrated moment in our national history. However, that is not the whole story. What has been substantially forgotten is that abolition came at a price. The government of the day took the extraordinary step of compensating the slave owners for loss of their 'property', as Britain's slave owners were paid £17bn in today's money, whilst the slaves received nothing.

For nearly 200 years, the meticulous records that detail this story have lain in the archives virtually unexamined - until now.

In an exclusive partnership with University College London, historian David Olusoga uncovers Britain's forgotten slave owners.²

Forensically examining the compensation records, he discovers the range of people who owned slaves and the scale of the slavery business.

What the records reveal is that the slave owners were not just the super-rich. They were widows, clergymen and shopkeepers - ordinary members of the middle-classes who exploited slave labour in distant lands. Yet many of them never looked a slave in the eye or experienced the brutal realities of plantation life. In the compelling documentary ‘Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners’ Olusoga discovers that Colston made his fortune through human suffering. ³

Between 1672 and 1689, ships are believed to have transported about 80,000 men, women and children from Africa to the Americas. However, in the city of Bristol, he called home, his memory has been honoured for centuries. On his death in 1721, he bequeathed his wealth to charities and his legacy can still be seen on Bristol's streets, memorials and buildings. ⁴His statue, which stood on Colston Avenue in the city centre, made no

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mention of his notorious past. Colston was the local syllabus and local hero. All this changed.

So why did this statue fall an ocean away from Minnesota, 200 years after the end of Bristol’s slave trade?

It was torn down because of the brutal death of an African –American man who lived 3,892 miles away from Bristol. The black man, called George Floyd , was murdered mercilessly by an American Policeman.

The connection with the death of George Floyd between the statue of Colston is that Bristol City was enriched by the lucre of slavery. Envisage arguing that assaulting a granddad is a good thing providing you give half of it away to build a city. The passing of time does not excuse the evil of Colston’s original acts.

The result of George Floyd’s death and the tearing down of Colston’s statue brings in the change and necessary and painful reckoning with the past. The protest that took place in Bristol was inspired by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

² David AdetayoOlusoga OBE is a British historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and film-maker. ³ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b062nqpd ⁴ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-42404825#:~:text=Colston%20made%20his%20fortune%20through,has%20been%20honoured%20for%20centuries

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The Mayor of Bristol, Mr Marvin Rees became the first mayor of black African heritage to be elected by constituents in the UK in 2016. He said the issue of race had "always been there waiting to be agitated" and the fall of the Colston statue had brought it to the fore. The bronze sculpture's removal, and protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US, had exposed "underlying weaknesses in our society", he said. "I think people have been living in a dream world if they thought over the passage of time somehow we had got to a world where we were living Martin Luther King's dream and there was racial peace."⁵

The picture at the head of this article is that of Martin Luther King And Rev. Ralph Abernathy marching in protets in Birmingham just before their arrest. In the background others are kneeling and praying. In the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr championed peaceful “sit-ins, kneel-ins, and wade-ins” in order to “awaken the conscience of the white man”. As a social mannerism, kneeling has far more often been associated with humble obeisance, polite deference than with resistance or confrontation. Pious pilgrims kneel and so too do nervous lovers stammering to pop the question ’Dominic Raab’. MLK did this praying in the name of Jesus. Blessing those who cursed them (Luke 6:28). They were defying the principalities and powers of racism by submitting to God.

I have a copy of ‘To the Mountain Top – Martin Luther King Jr’s Sacred Mission to Save America 1955- 1968’ by Author Steward Burns⁶. It is a powerful poignant read. A spiritual history of the Civil Rights Movement. A rollercoaster triumph and tragedy of a story of nobility and courage in the face of despair. A testimony to the effectiveness of non violence and moral commitment that carries a message ever more vital in today’s em-battled world. A world that does not know where to put itself. It includes the story of the martyred men and women and young heroines involved in a holy campaign for equality, human rights, freedom and justice and a stand against racism. Kneeling and praying is not about the television pro-grammes called ‘Game of Thrones’ but it is often seen on TV. One such man, recently stopped, knelt and prayed. His pose for prayer was adopted as a secular protest against racism in August 2016. Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, opted to

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If you are interested in baptism,

funeral or marriage please

enquire to Fr. James McCluskey 01206 860419

⁵ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-53093656 ⁶ HarperSanFrancisco ISBN 0-06-054245-4 , 2004

kneel rather than stand for the pre-NFL (National Football League) game rendition of the US national anthem, in protest against racism and police brutality.

To be clear, currently ‘take a knee’ is a protest against the unfair treatment of Black Americans - but has now become a globalised symbol of fighting racism. The act is now per-formed by people across the globe as part of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, which is battling racism particularly within the structures of police and national institutions fol-lowing the death of George Floyd.

However, taking a knee is also Chris-tian proclamation than refusing. Raab’s suggestion that taking the knee is “a symbol of subjugation and subordination” is incorrect. It also ignores the opportunity to speak into the international global movement’’. All lives matter and black lives matter and taking the knee is also Christian. If you do choose to take a knee, particularly in support of a global move-ment against Racism, then be encouraged.

In the Bible Saint Pauls letter to the Ephesians 3:13-19 says: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Father James McCluskey SSC

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RECTOR:

Fr James McCluskey SSC The Rectory, 50B Priory St.

Colchester, CO12QB 01206 860419 CHURCHWARDEN:

Mrs Lucy Mason 01206 386766

CHURCHWARDEN:

Mr Stephen Pawlak 01206 728443 DEPUTY

CHURCH WARDEN:

Mrs Jean Hecker PARISH SECRETARY:

Mrs Clare Moles TREASURER:

vacant ELECTORAL ROLL:

Mrs Sheila Sansom PARISH SAFEGUARDING:

Mrs Clare Moles 07751329314

[email protected] HEALTH & SAFETY:

Mrs Janet Walker

INTERCESSIONS:

Mrs Kate Thurston PARISH MAGAZINE EDITOR:

Mrs Susan Brandeis magazinestjames@

btinternet.com GIFT AID:

Mrs Diana Londal SACRISTAN TEAM:

Mr Paul Bareham CHILDREN’S LITURGY:

Mrs Diana Irven

FLOWERS: Mrs Susan Brandeis

READERS: Mrs Janet Walker

SIDESMEN:

Mrs Lucy Mason PARISH EMAIL: officestjamescolchester@

btinternet.com

CHURCH INFORMATION

HON Associate Priests at

St. James Church: Fr Alan Cross SSC,

Fr.Richard Costin SSC 01787 829118

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PARISH MASS TIMES

Sponsorship in the Church

The Sanctuary Lamp, also

called a Chancel lamp, is placed

before the tabernacle or aumbry in Old Catholic, and Anglican churches as a sign that the

Lord is present and that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved

or stored.

To sponsor the lamp: talk to a Churchwarden or Fr. James.

5th July

Lamp sponsored in thanksgiving for the Ministry of Fr.James in this Parish and for Kate and all the family.

Thursday 12:30p.m

Friday at Midday - Rosary Prayers

Sunday 10a.m

26th June

Sponsored by Barbara Tuffin in blessed memory of Betty

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Evocation

In 1972, I moved to Colchester from my parents home in Great Horksley. To my present house in Greenstead Road, which I bought by

auction at the old Society of Friends building; which was near the old library in Shewell

Walk. I continued as a chorister at St.Mary at the Walls, but it did not take me long to discov-er the during the week masses at St.James the

Great. There I met again June Woods, the ‘cyclist of Horksley’, who lived next door to my

paternal grandparents. I remembered her from St.Mary’s 8a.m Communion Services in the ‘60s. I have recently spoken with her on the

phone, and she still seems as bright as a button in Great Horksley Manor Nursing

Home. Another familiar face was Joan Crisp. I remember how

she attended a dialogue one Sunday evening at St.Mary’s and when Canon Ralph Stephens asked if anyone else wished to

speak she said, ‘I think you are very nice, Rector’. Needless to say she came to St.James after St.Mary’s closed. St Mary’s joined forces with the Headgate United Reform Church, by the

new building of Christchurch which replaced the Christchurch ‘Tin Tabernacle’. An interesting point is the Lion Walk Church

(then congregational) had a splinter group which met in Chapel Street. However when Ken Forbes, the URC Minister went to Li-on Walk, he also took over Christchurch URC.

My next article will be mostly about St.James in the days of Tim-othy Thompson who loved to tell the children of St.James’ School that he bought the bread roll for the parent’s communion at the

Scotch Bakery which used to be on East Hill.

To be continued...

by Brian New a member of St.James the Great

congregation

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Zoom: A new way of doing Coffee Mornings?

The Church Coffee Morning: an an-cient tradition in all churches, as much of an institution as the mandatory rendition of 'Away in a Manger' on Christmas morning, or the guaranteed failure of the PA system whenever parish finances are mentioned. No-body knows for sure how far the Church Coffee Morning dates back, but I like to imagine that the English Reformation came about over a cuppa and a bourbon biscuit, shared by King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, at a church coffee morning in the 16th Century. This of course is purely conjecture.

So when we found ourselves plunged headfirst into 'Social Distancing' in March, the cessation of the Church Coffee Morning was a concern. At St James, we share a drink and a biscuit every Sunday after mass to enjoy fellowship, and don't usually let any occasion pass without refreshments of some kind to mark it. As well as the essential spiritual nourishment we receive at church, many people enjoy, and in some cases rely on, the social aspect and fellowship of church. After observ-ing other churches successfully holding coffee mornings over the internet, it was decided that this was something we could have a go at. Our platform of choice? An application called 'ZOOM'.

Zoom has gained a huge amount of popularity over Lockdown, with people using it for all sorts of things from choir practices, to book clubs, to board meetings. Here at St James, we have used it for school Governor's meetings and PCC meetings, with a mostly high level of success. Of course, one drawback of Zoom is that our more mature parishioners are less likely to have the facilities to use Zoom, and they may be the ones more likely to be shielding and therefore more isolated. Having said that, one advantage of lockdown has been the increase in IT skills from all sorts of unlikely quarters. Adapt and over-come!

So we set a date, and advertised widely (bring your own drink and biscuits, standard sage green church cup and saucer: optional). Our first Zoom coffee morning was held on Sunday 7th June at 11.30am. We were a small but jolly band of about nine or ten, with two small

Cont...

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interlopers occasionally appearing from my section of the screen to steal biscuits. Some had gone rather maverick with their drink choices; as well as tea or coffee, gin and wine appeared on the drinks menu. It was a happy hour or so; it was wonderful to see the faces of people we've missed, and to catch up on all the news. Sometimes it was a little tricky to work out who was talking and when, but we managed and it was a real tonic, for me at least.

Will we do another one? I think our hope is that we can see each other in person soon. Never again will I bemoan the lack of chocolate Hob-nobs! For me, one of the real positives of this whole situation has been the realisation of how much of church life I took for granted. At St James, we have a flourishing social life which comple-ments our worship, and that is something to be very grateful for. Soon, we'll get back to it. Until then, let's pray for a strong internet connection! Clare Moles

July Diary & Prayer Calendar

1 Wednesday - St Oliver Plunkett B/Martyr. Pray for the

church in Ireland 2 Thursday - Pray for priests who experience fatigue/lonliness.

3 Friday - St.Thomas, Apostle, feast. Pray for Christians in India 4 Saturday - St.Elizabeth of Portugal. Pray for the poor and the

sick in obscurity. Pray for the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. 5 Sunday - 15th in Ordinary Time. Pray for our parish.

6 Monday - Maria Goretti, Virgin Martyr. Pray for young women victims of sexual violence and assault.

7 Tuesday - Pray for Alderwood Care Home. 8 Wednesday - Pray for those locally addicted to gambling. 9 Thursday - Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and companions,

Martyrs. Pray for persecuted Christians in China. 10 Friday - Pray for the elderly and infirm of our parish.

11 Saturday - St.Benedict, abbot, patron of Europe feast(Eu). Pray for Christian advisors of politicians.

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12 Sunday - 16th in Ordinary Time. Pray for our parish.

13 Monday - St.Henry. Pray for an increase in devotion to pray-er.

14 Tuesday - John Keeble, Priest, Tractarian, poet, 1866. 15 Wednesday - St.Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor of the Church. Pray for Theologians who teach Ordinands.

16 Thursday - Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Pray for increase of vocations to religious life. 17 Friday - Pray for Year 6 school leavers, St.James the Great

C of E School. 18 Saturday - Pray for local business

19 Sunday - 17th in Ordinary Time. Pray for our parish. 20 Monday - St.Margaret of Antioch, Martyr 4th century. 21 Tuesday - Pray for Colonia Court Care Home.

22 Wednesday - St.Mary Magdalene, feast (Patroness of con-verts).

23 Thursday - St.Bridget, religious patron of Europe. Pray for the Sisters of St.Margaret, Walsingham & church in Sweden. 24 Friday - Pray for Church Wardens.

25 Saturday - St.James the Great, Apostle, feast. Pray for re-newal and regeneration of Christian faith. 26 Sunday - 18th of Ordinary Time.

10a.m Patronal Festival Mass, Livestream from St.James the Great Church.

Pray for our parish. 27 Monday - Brooke Foss Westcott, Bishop of Durham teacher of the faith (most known for co-editing The New Testament in

the original Greek 1881). 28 Tuesday- Ss.Nazarius and Celsus, 1st century martyrs. 29 Wednesday - Mary, Martha,Lazarus, companions of Our

Lord. Pray for all women of the church of St.James the Great, Colchester.

30 Thursday - William Wilberforce, Social Reformer, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson (Anti-slavery campaigners 1833, 1797 & 1846.)

31 Friday - St.Ignatius of Loyola, Priest memorial. Pray for an increase in vocations of Spiritual Directors.

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The Birth of John the Baptist

Born 6 months before Our Lord, St John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. He was the last and the greatest of the prophets and, as the forerunner of the Saviour, he prepared for the coming of Christ. The celebration of his earthly birthday marks the coming of the new dispensation. (From the weekday Missal) Fr James wrote so eloquently about the Feast of Corpus Christi in June’s magazine and the pilgrimage he made with Kate in 2018, and so, as I sit at my desk preparing to celebrate the Mass tomorrow as we celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist, I would like to share with you something of the sites that Jill and I visited on pilgrimages to the Holy Land which are related to John the Baptist can be found. Regrettably the Mass tomorrow has to be a ‘private Mass’ because of pandemic regulations in force. Having said that, Fr James has agreed that I can celebrate in the church and, as in all celebrations of the Mass, the faithful, present or otherwise will be an important part of the prayer base. In spite of many visits to the Holy Land over the years it was 2008 when I first visited the site of the birth of John. Near Jerusalem in the Judean hills is the village of Ein Ka-rim, recognised as the place of his birth. Its countryside site, and its closeness to Jeru-salem, meant that it was a suitable site for Zechariah and Elizabeth to live, so that Zechariah could commute from home to his duties as a priest in the Temple. It was here, while on duty in the Temple as the main celebrant priest he had to enter the Holy of Holies, and where he had the vision telling him of the conception and birth of his son, who would be called John. Zechariah couldn’t believe what he was hearing because he and his wife Elizabeth were elderly and considered well beyond child-bearing age. His querying of the message brought the response that he would be unable to speak from that point until the circumcision of his son a few days after his birth and he had named him John. That in itself was unusual because it was the custom to name the first-born son to be named after his father and everyone would have expected him to be called Zachariah. But ‘John’ it was and, as we read, this was the outcome.The confirmation of the importance of John comes with the visit of Mary to Elizabeth three months before he was born, and the comment that the baby leapt in his mother’s womb further confirmed the role he was to play and mentioned at the beginning of this account. Near the village of Ein Karim there are many grottoes characteristic of the limestone of the Judean hills. Grottos are mentioned later in the gospels when we read of our Lord’s birth, his burial following the crucifixion, and the use made by them as stabling and sheep folds. In Ein Karim here are grottos dedicated the John and a most beautiful basilica to celebrate John’s conception and birth. Nearby are a polyglot of carved

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rocks with the words of the Magnificat, words spoken by Mary on her visit to Elizabeth. No doubt John, by virtue of the fact that his parents were elderly, was orphaned early in life, but he took himself off to live in the wilderness as he prepared himself as a precursor to the ministry of Jesus. He was a fearsome preacher as he encouraged his listeners to repent of their sins and, as a symbol of their repentance, to be washed clean – baptised – in the River Jordan. His style of life and his preaching suggests that he was influenced by the Essenes, a semi-quasi-monastic sect who had abandoned the excesses of life and immorality as they saw it in life of the time. The pilgrim can visit an Essene site by going to Qumran in the Jordan valley between Jericho and the Dead Sea. It was near here that some of the Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1945. John was known as the ‘Baptist’ and there are two sites dedicated to his ministry, Yardenit, just to the south of Galilee, where pilgrim services can be held and where specially prepared candidates, dressed in simple white can go down into the river and be baptized by their priest by total submersion. My pilgrims had been baptized, but for those who wished it, there was an opportuni-ty to renew baptismal vows through submersion in the Jordan. A moving and inclusive experience. The other baptismal site is at a site known as Bethany-across-the-Jordan, and known in the gospels as Bethabara. Here the river Jordan forms the current boundary between Jordan and Israel. We visited it from the Jordanian site as this was the next stage of our pilgrimage. It is certainly in keeping with John and the wilderness, as it is a wilderness because politically in is part of the demilitarized zone on either side of the border. It was here, not too long ago that the ruins of a first century Byzantine church was found, dedicated to John, and has led theologians to accept that this was a site where baptisms took place. Many churches and Basilicas have been, or are being built, by many denominations to recognize the importance as a Christian site. One perhaps downside to this particular visit was the fact that here the river Jordan is relatively narrow and the baptismal platforms on both sides of the river, Israeli and Jordanian, are manned by heavily armed border guards, but that is the current political state of the Middle East. Regrettably this may still be a condition we have to accept for this particular Holy Site. John’s courage in his ministry to uphold the truth, particularly about marriage, and his subsequent beheading as a result, challenges us in a time when it is not popular to speak the truth or live by the truth. Both he, and St Thomas More who was Beheaded by Henry VIII when he opposed Henry’s perceived attitude to marriage, remind us that just because certain behaviour is enshrined in the law does not mean that it is morally right. John turning attention away from himself towards Jesus reminds us to do the same in our lives. In each of us, we ourselves decrease and Jesus is to increase. St john the Baptist, pray for us.

Fr. Richard Costin

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The Coronavirus, Church & You Survey

You are invited to take part in this national survey…details below

The Covid-19 pandemic has obviously had a profound effect on churches. The lockdown has severely restricted ministry in areas such as pastoral care, fellowship groups, and serving the community. On the other hand, for those with online access, worship has taken on new and creative forms over the last few weeks. Many clergy and ministry teams have risen to the challenge of operating in the virtual environment. As we pass the most severe period of lockdown, it seems a good time to assess how churchgoers have responded to the experience, and what they think the future might hold. How well have people coped with the pandemic? Has it strengthened or weakened their faith? How has it been for clergy and ministry teams trying to work in this new environment? How have those receiving ministry found this novel experience? Will vir-tual ministry become part of the post-pandemic landscape, and will this be a good move for your church? We have developed a survey over the last few weeks in discussion with bishops, clergy and lay people which we hope will enable you to record your experience of the pandem-ic, the ministry you have given or received, and what you think will happen to churches in a post-pandemic world. In an article to launch the survey in the Church Times, the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, wrote: “This survey is an attempt to go beyond anecdote… It will capture evi-dence of both excitement and fears for the future, of where stress levels have changed, and whether personal faith has weakened or grown.” This is an online survey, which we estimate it will take you about 20-30 minutes to com-plete. Most of the questions simply require you to tick boxes, though there are options to specify your particular circumstances, and an opportunity at the end for you to tell us your views in your own words. Alongside questions about the pandemic and ministry there are sections which ask about you: these are important because they will allow us to see how the lockdown is affecting different sorts of people in different contexts.

The survey can be completed on mobile phones, though it is more quickly completed on devices with larger screens such as tablets or computers. You can access using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/ycsq9fy2

Please forward this link to any churches or churchgoers you feel might want to take part in the survey and support this research. We should have some initial results within a few weeks and will make these available as widely as we can.

The Revd Professor Andrew Village, York St John University [email protected] The Revd Canon Professor Leslie J. Francis, Visiting Professor York St John University

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We are the longest established Thai Restaurant in Colchester, Essex, Britain’s oldest recorded town. We pride ourselves on serving only the best in truly authentic Thai dishes, all freshly prepared and cooked from locally sourced suppliers by our highly experienced Bangkok trained Thai chef’s. Thai 1 Colchester can be found just a few hundred yards on the right hand side travelling up East Hill Colchester, going towards the Town and Castle Park. For those not familiar with Thai 1 or Colchester, please take a look at our website for directions, www.thai-1.co.uk. We hire out our restaurant for private functions and offer an excellent outside catering service. We also offer our same Thai 1 menu to takeaway. We deliver to anywhere within the Colchester area, free. We also offer a 10% discount on all takeaway collections.

during the current lockdown

delivery only support local

business

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News

www.st-james-colchester.essex.sch.uk

St James' C of E Primary School | Guildford Road | Colchester | Essex | CO1 2RA

Tel: 01206 865747 | email: [email protected]

Copyright 2017, St James C of E Primary School. All rights reserved.

Headteacher: Belynda Fellows

As I write this, it seems unbelievable that this week-end is mid-summer

and four weeks to the end of term. Our plans for the school year have gone

completely awry. There are no class trips to celebrate the end of the school year, no SATs results to open with trepidation and no Sports Day with our

traditional family day on the school field.

The children who we have been able to welcome back into school have

quickly settled in to their new classrooms and in some cases a new teacher.

The stringent safety measures of two metre distances, new routes around the school and the constant hand washing are now part of their daily rou-

tine.

The children who are still learning from

home are supported by our ‘Home Learn-ing Team’ and of course their stoic

parents.

Our year six children have been busy and

created a fantastic model of ‘The Titanic’.

My staff and I ask for everyone to stay safe

and pray the school will be open to the

whole school before not too long. Titanic model, Yr 6

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ST.JAMES THE GREATER

FEAST OF

25 July

Pain

ting o

f ‘S

t.Jam

es the G

reat’ b

y G

uid

o R

eni

Mass to be live

streamed

from St.James the Great Church,

Colchester

Sunday

July 26 10a.m

Our Patronal Festival Sermon by Fr.Taemin Oh,

Rector of The Parish of St George, Enfield in Freezywater.

As promised, all the prayers you have written and placed in the ‘prayer frame’ in church will be burned with incense by

Fr.James as a final offering unto God. To celebrate with us wear something red today; send a photo of you, your family/friends wearing red and they will feature in next months

magazine.

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St. James Prayer

James, man of prayer, pray that we may listen and respond to God’s call in our lives.

James, holy apostle,

pray that we may be disciples of Jesus in word and action.

James, devoted friend of Jesus, pray that we may be strong in our devotion to one another.

James, the fisherman, patron of labourers,

pray for us in our labours and help those seeking employment.

James, witness of the transfiguration of Jesus, pray that we may see the glory of God revealed in our lives.

James, compassionate teacher,

pray that we may serve one another in love.

James, faithful to God’s call, pray for us in our efforts to live our Christian faith.

James, comfort of the troubled, pray for those who are suffering.

James, holy martyr,

pray that we may be prepared to accept our own death

Blessed James, may your inner spirit of peace, good work, discipleship and prayer always be an inspiration to us.

Holy Apostle, walk with us on our journey of faith. May your prayers

obtain for us the wisdom to discern God’s call and the strength to endure, so that we may grow in holiness and rejoice in communion with

all the saints. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus

that causes it

Official names have been announced for the virus responsible for COVID-19 (previously known as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’) and the disease it caus-es.

The official names are:

Disease coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

(SARS-CoV-2).

Why do the virus and the disease have different names?

Viruses and the disease they cause, often have different names. For example, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. People often know the name of the disease, but not the name of the virus that causes it. There are different processes, and purposes, for naming viruses

and diseases.

Viruses are named based on their genetic structure to facilitate the development of diagnostic tests, vaccines and medicines. Virologists and the wider scientific community do this work, so viruses are named by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses(ICTV). ICTV announced ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)’ as the name of the new virus on 11 February 2020. This name was chosen because the virus id genet-ically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003. While related, the two viruses are different.

Diseases are named to enable discussion on disease prevention, spread, transmissibility, severity and treatment. Human disease preparedness and response is WHO’s(World Health Organisation)role, so diseases are officially named by WHO in the International Classification of Diseases(ICD). WHO announced ‘COVID-19’ as the name of this new disease on 11 February 2020, following guidelines

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previously developed with the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

WHO and ICTV were in communication about the naming of both the virus and the disease. What name does WHO use for the

virus?

From a risk communications perspec-tive, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003. For that reason and others, WHO has begun referring to the virus as the ‘ virus responsible for COVID-19’ or ‘the COVID-19 virus’ when communicating with the public. Neither of theses designations are in-tended as replacements for the official name of the virus as agreed by the ICTV. Material published before the virus was officially named will not be updated unless necessary in order to avoid confusion.

www.who.int

36

A message from HRH The Prince of Wales for Remember Me

‘Together with the rest of the world, the people of the United

Kingdom have experienced personally and in our community life. The shock of sudden change in response to the COVID 19 pan-demic. For too many among us, this has brought tragedy and

heartbreak. For some relatives have not been able to be present at the time of their loved ones passing. For many, the loss of their loved ones has been made all the more agonizingly painful by the

necessary restrictions on funerals, on travel and gatherings. For all of us, there has been anxiety in the present as we have won-

dered what the future will be. People of every faith and none believe that each human being is unique and precious. We also believe it is essential that we remember. You recall how our lives

individually and together are shaped by the joys and sorrows of the past so that we may look forward with hope for the future.

This virtual book of remembrance is here to help us remember, not just to recall our loss and sorrow, but also to be thankful for everything good that those we have loved brought into our lives

and all that they have given to others. We give thanks for how our lives have been woven together with theirs and through this book. You are invited to share their lives with others so that we and

those who follow us can all remember what has been. And build together a better and more hopeful future. Peace be with you.’

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Online book of remembrance opened at St Paul’s St Paul’s Cathedral has launched Remember Me, an online book of remembrance for all those who have been living in the UK who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People of all faiths, beliefs or none are invited to contribute to Remember Me. HRH The Prince of Wales , who recorded a video message, said: “This virtual book of remembrance is here not just to recall our loss and sor-row, but also to be thankful for everything good that those we have loved brought into our lives.” Family, friends and carers of those who have died can submit, free of charge, the name, photograph and a short message in honour of a de-ceased person via the Remember Me website. The deceased person must have been living in the UK. Remember Me will be open for entries for as long as needed. It is intended that the Remember Me site will be-come a physical memorial at the Cathedral.

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Supporting the local Community

(Rosie-Mae. Graham, age 11)

At the beginning of lockdown I noticed that quite a lot of people where wear-

ing face masks, because of that there was a large shortage, which meant

that people needing masks where not able to purchase them. I was lucky enough to receive a sewing machine

for Christmas and therefore decided to use my skills wisely to make them. I started of by making a couple and my

mum advertised them on the Colches-ter Community Facebook page. To my

surprise they where incredibly popular and that evening I had over fifty or-ders. I sold each mask for £3.50 and I

decided to donate all my proceeds to the NHS scrub fund.

During the lockdown my mum has continued to work at her school and

she told me that some family’s where struggling to feed their children, there-fore I decided to donate the rest of the

proceeds to support them. Overall I managed to raise over £200. I am no

longer making the masks since I need to concentrate on my school work, but if you wanted to have a go yourself

there is a link below that you can type into your device and it will give you a

video of how to make one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FB--BOyTiU

41

'No single recipe' for growth

The findings of the Church Growth Research Programme didn’t reveal a “single recipe” for growth but the researchers found that there are a

number of common factors which appear to be associated with growing churches of any size, place or context.

The findings highlighted eight common factors of growing churches. These symbols will appear throughout the magazine in the future. See

how many you can spot and let it give you hope for the life of our church.

Key to symbols:

42

One of the hottest months

of the year, July, is the 7th month according to the

Gregorian calendar. It was the fifth month in the early

Roman calendar and called Quintilius, meaning fifth. A Roman

Senate renamed the month to Julius (July) in honour of Julius Caesar, who was born on 12 July.

The Anglo-Saxons names for the month included Heymonath or Maed monath, referring to haymaking and the flowering of mead-ows.

St.Swithin’s Day is 15 July and it is said whatever the weather is on this day will continue so for the next forty days.

‘St.Swithin’s Day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain.

St.Swithin’s Day, if thou be fair, For forty days ‘twill rain nae mair’.

Swan Upping

The census of swans takes place annually during July on the river Thames in a ceremony known as Swan

Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.

The English Oyster Season officially begins on St.James’ Day 25 July. Whistable Bay, on the north Kent coast, is famous for its oysters and the locals hold an annual oyster festival on this

day. The festival dates back to the early 19th century.

Events in history:

1937: 999 emergency service introduced. 1837: Registration of births, death, marriages begins in Britain. 1997: British rule ended in Hong Kong after 99 years.

1928: Equal voting rights are granted to women in Britain. 1901: First fingerprints used for identification. 1969: Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.

1946: The bikini is show cased for the first time.

43

Birthstone: In some parts of the world, the ru-

by signified peace, harmony, and power; while in others, rubies were a sign of good health,

wealth, wisdom, and a happy love life. In the modern age, rubies are strongly associated with vitality, energy and physical strength .

Birth flower: The larkspur represents the strong

bond of love. In general, it signifies an open heart, ardent attachment to someone and the celebration

of positivity. As with many flowers, the symbolism changes with the colour of the bloom.

Feast of St.Christopher 25 Ju-

ly, patron saint of travellers. St.Christopher was a man of

great size and strength who devoted himself to Jesus by helping travellers across a

dangerous river...when they arrived on the opposite shore, the child identified himself as Christ, telling

the holy man that he had just carried the weight of the world.

The story of David and Goliath; 1 Samuel 17: 1-50

Answers for the

Wordsearch in June’s issue of the

Parish Magazine

44

DISCLAIMER

The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the

individual authors and contributors and not of the Churchwardens, Parochial Church Council, the Editor nor the Publisher. The appearance of advertisements in the St.James the Great & St.Paul Parish Magazine or the website is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval

of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety.

PLEASE NOTE

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information to be published on

the website or in the Parish

Magazine please let us know when you submit your article.

Thank you.

DEADLINE FOR THE AUGUST MAGAZINE

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Please mark all material- “Parish Magazine”

‘I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’ Genesis 9:13