Where have all the Advent Hymns Gone? 2 December 2012, 6.30pm

South Leicester Christian Partnership

Advent Evening Service at St Guthlac, Knighton,

Holbrook Road

Sunday 2 December 2012, 6.30 pm

Where have all the Advent Hymns Gone?

A service of hymns, prayer and meditation with assistance from the

Choirs of St Guthlac, St Mary Magdalen and friends

OCOFOL is our One Church, One Faith, One Lord Hymn Book

Introduction and Prayer

O come, O come Emmanuel. The Great O Antiphons, 12-13 century (O&N 480; OCOFOL 469). Verse one solo: Gwion Thomas

Prayer

Choir: Creator of the starry height. Plainchant, 7^th century. (O&N 135 vs 1, 2, 3, 5. OCOFOL 124).

Prayer

Come thou long expected Jesus. Wesley (O&N 128; OCOFOL 117).

Prayer

Choir: In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful. Taizé.  (O&N 929; OCOFOL 766)

Prayer

The Lord will come and not be slow. Milton (O&N 655).

The Lord will come and not be slow;
His footsteps cannot err;
Before Him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.

Truth from the earth, like to a flower,
Shall bud and blossom free,
And justice, from her heavenly bower,
Bless all humanity.

The nations all whom Thou hast made
Shall come, and all shall frame
To bow them low before Thee, Lord!
And glorify Thy Name!

For great thou art, and wonders great
by thy strong hand are done:
thou in thy everlasting seat
remainest God alone.

Prayer

Wake O Wake with tidings thrilling. Nicolai arr. Bach (O&N 703; OCOFOL 690, vs 1 and 2)

Prayer

Hark a herald voice is calling. 6^th century. (O&N 263, OCOFOL 247).

Prayer

People look East. Besançon carol. (O&N 557, omit v 3)

People, look East. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth, and set the table.

People, look East, and sing today,
Love the guest is on the way.

Furrows, be glad.  Though the earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there;
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flow’r may flourish.

People, look East, and sing today,
Love the rose is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch.  When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.

People, look East, and sing today;
Love the star is on the way.

Angels, announce to man and beast
Him who cometh from the east.
Set ev’ry peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.

People look East, and sing today;
Love the Lord is on the way.

Prayer

The God of Abraham praise. Based on the Hebrew Yigdal. (O&N 642. OCOFOL 627).

Prayer

Hills of the North, rejoice.  (O&N 282, OCOFOL 270)

Prayer

Lo, he comes with clouds descending. Wesley (O&N 405. OCOFOL 399).

Concluding Prayer

Our thanks to Andrew Painter for playing the organ for us tonight.

Special SLCP Advent Evening Service 2 December

Where have all the Advent Hymns gone?

Sunday 2 December 6.30 pm at St Guthlac’s, Holbrook Road

A special SLCP service of favourite hymns for Advent in the context of an informal service of prayer and reflection.

Singing led by the joint Choirs of St Mary Magdalen and St Guthlac, Knighton. Please suggest favourite hymns from your own tradition to Revd Richard 2125677 or rjbonney@gmail.com

Jim Kenney on how rapidly changing values are shaping our world 3 November 2012

Non-stop Turmoil or Global Spring?

Saturday 3^rd November 2012

10.00 am – 4.30 pm at St. Philip’s Church, Evington Rd, Leicester LE2 1HN

Ticket : £10 including vegetarian lunch

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Sonya Brown 0116 210 1744 son.the.rev@me.com

Daud Sameja 07932086254 daudsameja@hotmail.com

Led by Jim Kenny, visionary and big picture thinker

Are religious values under threat in a rapidly changing world?

How can the religions cooperate in shaping the future?

CHRISTIAN and MUSLIM speakers will address these main themes and involve participants in workshop reflections.

Timely and provocative, this conference is a chance for Christians and Muslims to explore contemporary religious & spiritual values, and help shape the future

JIM KENNEY is Founder and Director of the interreligious adult study centre Common Ground, near Chicago, and was formerly the International Director for the Parliament of the World’s Religions. He master-minded the ground-breaking gatherings of the Parliament in Chicago (1993) and Cape Town (1999), both events attracting thousands of people.

This conference is based on Jim’s inspirational book : Thriving in the Crosscurrent: Hope and Clarity in a Time of Cultural Evolutionary Sea Change (Quest Books 2010)

UK Drone Campaign Network Petition, Sept. 2012

Report on £4 billion of secret expenditure by the UK on drones

The Drone Campaign Network petition:

Since June 2008, UK forces have carried out around 300 airstrikes in Afghanistan using armed unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones), controlled from thousands of miles away. Although there is some public information about US drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, there is almost no public information about drone strikes carried out by the UK in Afghanistan.

There are serious ethical, moral and legal questions about the growing use of armed drones which need to be properly debated. However, it is impossible to have such a debate while information is being kept secret. At the very least, it seems that public discussion is being controlled.

We call on the UK government to end the secrecy surrounding the use of British drones in Afghanistan and to release all necessary information for a proper public debate. This should include the reasons for individual drone strikes and the number of people killed. 

Lift the Veil - End the secrecy surrounding the use of British drones

Many people are extremely troubled by the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones) to launch attacks at great distances. Traditionally, one of the key restraints on warfare has been the risk to your own forces and, if this restraint is taken away, unmanned systems may simply make war more likely. The way that unmanned drones have enabled a huge increase in targeted killing is also causing deep disquiet amongst legal experts and scholars.  

However, perhaps the greatest concern relates to what is seen as one of the key capabilities of drones – their ability to loiter over an area for hours or even days. Evidence is beginning to emerge that the persistent presence of drone sitting over remote villages and towns, simply looking for ‘targets of opportunity’,  leads to an increase in civilian casualties.

Despite growing public concern, the UK is to double the number of armed Reaper drones in operation by 2013 and is also pressing ahead with plans to develop new armed drones over the next decade, all without public debate or parliamentary scrutiny.

There are serious questions about the use of drones: 

Does the geographic and psychological distance between the operator and target make attacks more likely?  

Does using unmanned systems mean attacks will happen more often?  

Does the supposed accuracy of drone sensors and cameras mean that commanders are more willing to undertake ‘riskier’ strikes (in terms of possible civilian casualties) than they would previously have undertaken? 

All of these questions, and many more, need to be debated openly and honestly, requiring careful analysis and judgement based on evidence. Unfortunately, that evidence is being kept under wraps. While it may be necessary to keep some information secret, we do not believe it is appropriate or legitimate to refuse to disclose any and all information about the circumstances in which Reapers have been used over the past four years. There is, at the very least, a sense that public discussion is being stifled.

With the use of armed drones set to increase, we need a serious, public – and fully informed – debate on all these issues. Read more about drones, secrecy and the campaign of dronewarsuk

Ecumenical Reflections at Rearsby Convent, Sept 2012

I do not know the composition by denomination of the large group who met at Rearsby convent on 22/09/12. Suffice it that it didn’t seem to matter very much. This Anglican went with an R.C friend and I think that was the spirit of the day. The sun shone on the Convent, lighting up the beautiful grounds and indoors Fr. John Daley shed light in to some dark places.

He began with a tease which he did with such effect that for a moment I looked at the exit door! He suggested that whatever our background we would at the end of the day have become totally reconciled to the Roman Catholic views on some very important issues and that finally he would celebrate the Eucharist for all of us, oh and we would also each get a Rosary blessed by the Pope!... 

Of course it was a huge spoof but also perhaps prepared us for a mental shake up and the need to keep alert to all the strands which were threaded through this day of prayer and study. He taught us with formidable theological knowledge. He explored some of the unhappy history of relationships between the R.C. church and other denominations and also dispelled some beliefs which have tormented Catholics over the years. These of course were very real and yet sound strange to Protestant ears. Fr. John used many illustrations from his home life before he became a priest and from his long ministry.

The last hour of music and reflection was a moving and peaceful end to the day. As ever we had a wonderful welcome from the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace. (No habits and a very great involvement in issues of peace justice and fairtrade which you would hope to find in all our churches.) In conclusion, there seemed to be agreement that it had been a good day that people would be happy to repeat especially to hear more from Fr. John.

Hilary Janes