October / November services

October 2008

Sunday 5th

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am
  HARVEST SERVICE - THE MINISTER
• UMB 6.00 pm THE MINISTER
  Flowers - Mr A Brown IM
  Teas - Mrs O Jennings

Friday 10th
UMB 6.00 pm UMB Trustees special meeting

Saturday 11th
FRENCHAY 10am - 4.00 pm Workshop: Helen Ford GP, alternative therapist & spiritual healer
(Private consultations available on 31st October)

Sunday 12th

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr FRANK BUTLER BSc
• NO SERVICE AT UMB

Monday 13th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation Group

Saturday 18th
UMB Women’s League Coffee morning, 10 am-12 pm

Sunday 19th

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr BERNARD OMAR
• UMB 6.00pm Mr BERNARD OMAR
  Flowers - Mrs R Raitt Teas - Mrs F Webster
• Bristol Inter Faith Group: UWE, 2.00 m - 5.00 pm “CALMNESS AND CLARITY.” An experience of meditation from three different religious traditions.
  

Sunday 19th - Sunday 26th
World week of prayer for peace

Sunday 26th

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr PATRICK TIMBERLEY
• UMB 3.00 - 5.00 pm ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS”

Mon 27th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation Group

November 2008
Please note: Starting on 5th October, the UMB Winter service time is 3.00 pm
for all services unless otherwise noted.

Bright Lights continues 2.00pm - 5.00pm on 4th Sundays

Saturday 1st
FRENCHAY 10am - 4.00 pm Workshop: Helen Ford GP/ Alternative therapist/Spiritual healer

Sunday 2nd

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am THE MINISTER
• UMB 3.00 pm THE MINISTER
  Flowers - Ms Sally Pugh
  Teas - Mrs Susan Wildman

Sunday 9th

• FRENCHAY 10.30 am THE MINISTER
• NO SERVICE AT UMB

Monday 10th
FRENCHAY 6.15 pm - 7.45 pm Meditation Group

Women's League

Four of us travelled to Clevedon to meet up with Anne Weeks. We enjoyed a cup of coffee and a short stroll on the sea front before a pleasant lunch at the Little Harp pub. A wander around Clevedon Pottery and the garden ornament centre and a visit to the pier rounded off a most enjoyable day out.

On Saturday 18th October we will be holding a coffee morning with Bring and Buy at UMB from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. Proceeds to be shared between the chapel and ‘Sightsavers’ - the National Women’s League project for this year.

OLGA JENNINGS

age and wisdom

When you get old enough to look back a little, you will get a bit worried not to have done done things that were worth doing, and it is always well to remember we each have a spell to get things done, and we do not get the chance to do them again

~ Hubert Parry

Autumnal Threads

’Twas when the fields had shed their golden grain
And burning sun had scar’d the russet plain:
No more the rose or hyacinth were seen,
Nor yellow cowslip on the tufted green:
But rude thistle rear’d its hoary crown,
And ripe nettle shew’d an irksome brown,
In mournful plight the tarnish’d groves appear,
And nature weeps for the declining year:
The sun, too quickly, reach’d the western sky,
And rising vapours hid his ev’ning eye:
Autumnal threads around the branches flew,
While the dry stubble drank the falling dew.

Mary Leaper (1722 - 1746)

Frenchay news

On 13th September, just one week after an earlier wedding, some 140 people assembled for a 4 pm wedding. Of course not all expected to crowd into the Chapel, so fortunately the day was warm and sunny. The wedding flowers were taken to the reception but very kindly returned for our Sunday service. Sadly no outside speakers or large screen relayed the Service to those outside - perhaps on another large occasion....? There is a "feel-good" factor about being available for such important memorable occasions.

Heritage Open Doors. The Chapel was open on all four days of this national event. Not as many as at the wedding but people did come and there was usually someone visiting. They sought information not only about the building but about our beliefs and REQUESTED literature not waiting for it to be offered. Many stayed for about one hour as they thought of further questions. Several found it difficult to believe that we not only pre-dated Methodism but John and Charles Wesley who were not born until some 40 years after the Chapel was built. These were all "feel-good" days.

The Frenchay congregation much appreciates the services taken by our Minister. Services taken by members of other Chapels are also much appreciated and we thank them not least for travelling long distances to reach us. On 21st September our own Yvonne Aburrow conducted the very thoughtful Service which was based partly on the Autumn Equinox. Thank you Yvonne.

The music from Bob, Delydd and Marie rarely gets a mention, but we are extremely fortunate to enjoy such talented musicians. Thank you.

BERNARD OMAR

From the Minister

TO BE A PILGRIM…

Dear Friends,

I have recently returned from a “Pilgrim Adventure”. That is the title of a Christian organisation which organises and leads walking and nature holidays/retreats.

Each morning we started the day with a gently held time of worship with a Celtic/Christian flavour. The style would be familiar to many of us: sitting in a circle, lighting a candle, sharing prayers and reflections for the day.

Each evening we also gathered in a similar way and towards the end of the week our meeting included personal stories, favourite poems and memories and also a time for singing, sharing jokes.

To begin and end each day in this way created a strong feeling of belonging and being held and I feel sure had a profound effect on the quality of our walking together. However separate we were in speed, ability, distance, we were together, watching out for each other.

It was also a delight to discover that two members of the group were familiar with aspects of Unitarianism and wanted to know more. One worked in a bookshop owned by Brondeifi Unitarian Church, Lampeter called "Du" [Black Spot]. My other fellow traveller was familiar with and helped research the history of the Warrington Academy in Cheshire, which has strong Unitarian connections, Joseph Priestly being one of its most famous tutors. That made a change from: “Unitarian? What’s That?”

In this way, friendships and relationships were created both by what we had in common and also from experiencing new ways of being together and sharing.

And so… in the spirit of Pilgrim Adventure let us continue to: “Gather together to commit ourselves anew to our God, in our relationships with each other, with the natural world and with our deepest selves.”

Blessings… Lindy

The “Black Spot” in S.W. Wales. So called due to the number of Unitarian Chapels in a small area each marked with a black spot on the map.

Western Union

The Western Union Council meeting at Bridgwater on 20th September, endorsed the action taken by the Western Union Executive to propose Neville Kenyon, our link with the General Assembly, as National Vice President 2009/2010. We were most pleased to learn of the success of the proposal.

The next two years will see changes to all the Ministers in the Western Union. The implications and possibilities will be considered by several members of the Executive. Written contributions to the Western Union Chronicle have not been forthcoming. This is YOUR opportunity!
BERNARD OMAR
President - Western Unitarian Union

Maths with Arthur Brown

Some time ago, Frenchay had an auction of talents at which people paid good money for this talk, and for many other contributions from other members. I have not been able, for various reasons to fulfill this obligation and give them value for their money until now. The people who paid up, bought this talk, which will be at 7pm at Frenchay on Thursday 27th November, not just for themselves, but all of you. Particularly those who:

• Found maths boring,
• Didn't see any use for it,
• Thought they weren't clever enough to do it.

It isn't boring, its uses are all pervading in the modern world, you don't have to be particularly clever to understand it if its explained properly, and you can't be a well balanced citizen of the world today unless you at least understand what it is about. This talk won't make you into a mathematical genius, but all the same, you might find that it will set you on the road to acquiring that balance, and you might learn things that will astonish you!

ARTHUR BROWN

Bristol Interfaith Group

The Group had a stall at both the Islamic and Sikh day long events in Eastville Park. BIFG also supported the Peace Event at Bristol Cathedral on Sunday 21st September. Rev Lindy Latham was invited to offer a prayer for Peace, as were others including a Rabbi, a Buddhist and several Sikhs. It is a new departure for the Cathedral and a welcome one, but not without difficulties.

Our next events are:

“CALMNESS & CLARITY” Sunday 19th October, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm at:
Octagon Multi Faith Chaplaincy Centre, University of the West of England
Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane Bristol BS16 1QY

An experience of meditation from three different religious traditions.

• Labyrinth - Walking Meditation - Cassandra Howes
• Sufi Heart Rhythm Meditation - Alistair Beattie
• Meditation from the Sikh Tradition - Inderpal Kaur Singh.

There will be an opportunity to discuss experiences. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring something vegetarian for a shared meal. Tea and coffee provided.

Week of Prayer for World Peace 19 - 26 October

For more details, please see the BIFG website

“MIDWINTER CIRCLE” Thursday 11th December, 7.30 pm at:
Redland Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Bristol BS6 6JE
An evening of readings and music with members of Bristol's different religious traditions. Bring and share vegetarian and non- alcoholic refreshments.

Contact details: Anula Beckett, anula.beckett@bifg.org.uk or Bernard Omar, bernard.omar@bifg.org.uk

BERNARD OMAR

music and vision

For Susan Wildman’s service at Frenchay in August - with the themes of challenging blindness in Africa and of vision in general, I thought that it would be interesting to play music by composers either born blind or who had become blind in later life. Perhaps two of the most important were Bach and Handel. Amazingly although they were born in the same year, 1685 and within about 80 miles of each other, they never met. In later life they were both treated by the same German eye surgeon. We take good or adequate light for granted in looking at small musical notes - but a cumulative life of doing so in dull candle conditions must surely have a drastic effect on the sight of composers. In fact the eye surgeons efforts with Bach and Handel seem to have had little effect and both lost their sight in their layer years.

The French have had a long tradition of encouraging musical studies among blind children. Indeed Louis Verne (1870 - 1937) whose ‘Berceuse’ I played for the Musical offering at Susan’s service became organist of Notre Dame in Paris - indeed he died at the organ loft there, which is surely a nice way to go! Before the service I played a piece by Jean Langlais (1907 - 1991), another famous Parisian organist and composer.

My two English composers were John Stanley from the 18th Century - his Trumpet voluntary was my Postlude and a “Prayer’ by Alfred Hollins (1865 - 1942). He was a pupil at Worcester college for the Blind and later became a well known recitalist and composer. Worcester was of course the home town of Elgar who knew Hollins and actually accompanied him to London to assist in a musical examination - Elgar being about 8 years older.

So I played music by six composers - I should have added a piece by Helmut Walcher - the blind German organist who recorded the complete organ works in the 1950’s on surviving instruments from the 18th Century which revealed his music to the very best effect; that would have neatly squared the circle!
BOB COOK

from the desk

Having greatly appreciated my break from editorship due, with my grateful thanks, to Yvonne Aburrow’s producing 2 issues, it is time to start the Autumn season. It will be hard to distinguish it from this year’s summer, but nevertheless some members have been active in the last few months.

The ‘Summer’ ended with Frenchay’s successful participation again in ‘Heritage Open Doors’ in the first weekend in September.

The chapel was open for 4 days but this year unfortunately, UMB was forced to
withdraw due to ‘Staffing difficulties’ but will be there again next year! This had
the happy outcome of allowing UMB members to see some other buildings in
Bristol in the, for once, beautiful weather.

A notable event before the next newsletter will be the birthday of Frances Long, who we were pleased to see one Sunday recently at UMB. Best wishes to her from everyone.

Now that the marathon of repair work and follow-up at UMB is over, Susan has finally discovered a job title for all that she has been doing over the past 4 years. In a Scottish church magazine seen at a friend’s house in Dumfriesshire was a report on urgent ‘Window repairs’, written by the ‘FABRIC CONVENER’!

A less welcome piece of news is that I very much fear that the Group copier, on which this newsletter is usually printed, has suffered a major failure. This issue has had to be printed at a commercial rate as a matter of urgency. Given the way things are nowadays a replacement copier may well be more cost effective than attempting to have the present one repaired. This has put into focus the whole matter of the cost of producing the newsletter. This has been on the order of £250 a year. Last week’s Group planning meeting decided that we shall have to make more direct, regular appeals to all readers for support. All contributions gratefully received! Hopefully a new copier will be ready for the next issue.
PETER WILDMAN