Reflections on Becoming a Deacon by Jenny Alidina

When I was a little girl my sister and I used to tell each other what we were going to be when we grew up.  My sister wanted to be a Mummy, a nun and a greengrocer (not necessarily in that order) and I with the added bonus of eighteen months of wisdom and worldliness wanted to be a Mummy and a doctor.   Even at the ages of 4 and 6 however, we could not imagine becoming a priest as this was entirely a male preserve.  Yet God imagines what we consider impossible and then He makes it possible and I have found that He has done this again and again in my life. 

God’s call to me has always been very clear but circumstances and obtuseness on my part have made this a quite long journey but one that has been very fulfilling and rewarding.   I was therefore looking forward to my ordination with a sense of awe and disbelief as well some trepidation.  However, on the 30th September 2007 on a beautiful sunny day I was ordained a Deacon.  Margaret Sentamu who led our retreat preached and Bishop John led the service. It was a wonderful memorable day and many people were able to come and share in it. Afterwards we had an excellent lunch in the Parish Rooms.

What does a deacon do exactly? Well a deacon is there to serve others and Christ gave us the best illustration of this when he washed the feet of his disciples. Serving goes on within the Church but particularly out in the local community.  So I am getting alongside people in various different ways through visiting, attending Mums and Toddlers and visiting the Church primary School St. Mary's. A team of enthusiasts are currently practising their puppeting skills to put on a number of Advent puppet shows for Christmas. The Church sees the role of Deacon as an assistant to the Vicar but also as a team member working alongside others and encouraging them in their ministry.  So if you have ideas or projects that you want to implement – perhaps I can help.

As a Deacon I will be able to take funerals and baptisms but will not be able to marry couples or consecrate the elements in Holy Communion.   A year later I hope to be ordained a Priest when I will be able to take on all of these duties.

I am sure that I would not be at this point in my ministry without the encouragement, love and support you have generously shown me and I am most grateful.  Your prayers have been a great strength and comfort to me when times have been hard.   I look forward to serving you as your curate over the next few years and am really excited about discovering with you what God is imagining for St. Mary’s and for Chipping Norton.

Sermon Series Downloads

6th May More & More 1

13th May More & More 2

20th May More & More 3

the Easter Labyrinth

The Easter Labyrinth was built on the Monday of Holy Week by a small hard working team who transformed the Church into the Easter story starting with Palm Sunday in the Porch on to the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Sanhedrin trial, Peter's denial, the Praetorium, the Weeping Women following the cross, the Crucifixion and finally to the Empty Tomb. In each area there was time to reflect, to read, to interact with the surroundings and to pray.

 

The experience was designed to be reflective and spiritual and a way to meet with God. We were delighted with the response and people wrote wonderful and moving messages on the feedback sheet. For many it brought the Easter story and the Passion of Christ alive.

 

 

Graveyard Spruce Up

News Stories from 2006

Living Stones

The story so far……….

We have renewed the floor and heating at the front of the nave by erecting the “platform” over four years ago; we now need to renew the flooring in the rest of the church building but at the same time it would be good to improve facilities, making the building more accessible and comfortable, whilst enhancing its beauty and creating a more flexible space. Reg Ellis, our church architect, has produced proposals, which were presented in the name of the PCC to the church congregations on 17th September; the PCC also invited comments and guidance from the Diocesan Advisory Committee, which advises on the development and maintenance of church buildings in Oxford Diocese.

September 17th

Under the title, “Living Stones,” the PCC presented seven ideas for development, including re – flooring and providing a heating system for the nave and providing new seating, adding toilets and storage, adding a kitchen and ground-floor meeting room, making better use of the space in and above the Vicar’s vestry, creating a heritage area and improving the welcome area. For those of you who weren’t there – you missed a great morning !! Many thanks to all of you who filled in feedback forms: the results show quite overwhelming general support for all the proposals from those who were there, which was very heartening. Since then, various members of the working group for “Living Stones” have met with representatives of English Heritage, the Council of the Care of Churches with our Church Architect and members of the Diocesan Advisory Committee. Our proposals were presented to them by John Marshall, and we now await their response. If it is positive, the next step will be to ask our architect to provide more detail, including costings, for some of our ideas.

Sunday@7 Barbeque in the Church Grounds

 

House for Duty Priest

Chipping Norton Benefice in the Diocese of Oxford

We are delighted to say that this post has now been filled by Revd Andrew Keith who with his wife Judi have moved into Juxon House in Little Compton and will be serving in the five parishes.

Jo Graves reports on our Charter Service

St Mary's Church entered into the spirit of celebration of Chipping Norton Town's 400th Anniversary of the granting of the Town Charter by  King James 1st in 1606, by hosting a special service. The church was filled with Local dignitaries - the Town Mayor, Town Councillors and other local government officers who were suitably garbed in various versions of the costume of the time as the year -long celebrations were set in motion.

The Church was a very significant part of the town in 1606 and played a major role in the community so it was very fitting to gather in the Church, which has not changed a great deal during the past 400 years - and as the Vicar commented neither has the "dress" of the Clergy. The service was an adaptation of one which would have been used 400 years ago with some actual physical movement around the Church, much to the amusement of the congregation!

After the service,there was a further procession to the Town Hall where all and sundry were invited to partake of  Jacobean titbits and to partake of a specially commissioned Charter Ale - one of Hooky brewery's fine offerings.
A very fine exhibition in the Church displays the history of the evolution of the Town Charter naming those Bailiffs and Burgesses who were responsible for the original incorporation.

 

Music in Country Churches by Fiona Rossington
26th and 27th May

As the music of the Ysaye string quartet filled the beautiful old Church of St Mary’s, Chipping Norton, I reflected that it had been well worth the many hours of preparation.  Amazingly, the lorries carrying the staging and lighting, the marquee for the Old Vicarage Garden and the portable toilets had all made it to the bottom of Church Street.  Twenty people had turned up to be stewards or programme sellers and the audience were all seated where their tickets said they should be.  At the end of Friday’s performance we were confident that we could do it all again on Saturday, this time with The English Chamber Orchestra and the pianist, Piotr Anderszewski, and Prince Charles in the audience!  Pride comes before a fall….

By three o’clock on Saturday we heard that the orchestra’s flight from Prague was delayed.  Would they get here in time?  Walking down New Street soon after I was hailed by a young man leaning out of a car window and asking the way to the church – it was Piotr Anderszewski!  As directing him was difficult I joined him in the car and guided him to the Church, where he was told that the English Chamber Orchestra would not be able to reach Heathrow before 8.30pm so would he play on his own?  He thought for a moment while we all held our breath and then said “I have come to play – so I will play”!  So on Saturday we were treated to a wonderful piano recital and Prince Charles and various other eminent guests came and enjoyed it.  Before the concert the Prince spent time chatting to local people who had gathered near the church to see him and he was introduced to a select few, including our new mayor Gina Burrows, who presented him with some Charter Ale.