Welcome to the April 2022 issue of the parish magazine for St John's East Dulwich. Each edition of The Gander includes news and insights from St John's and our local community in East Dulwich and Peckham, as well as book reviews and profiles of some of our members.

This issue has been put together by Christine Camplin, Jim Nurton, Tayo Olatunde, Sue O'Neill and Dorothy Oxley. Click Subscribe to be added to our mailing list and you'll be notified when our next edition is available. The next issue will be published in May.

From the Vicar...

Revd. Gill O'Neill

Welcome to the April 2022 edition of The Gander.
 
As I write, snow has just fallen, though not settled, in East Dulwich! Though it is Spring, the weather is not quite so sure. But as I look out of my study window I can see pink blossom and bright yellow forsythia, and in the nearby parks, buds are beginning to appear on the trees. Signs of new life are all around, and we can look forward to warmer weather and sunny days.

This month's edition of the Gander is blooming with the life to be found at St John's East Dulwich, from highlighting the climate emergency, engaging with the lived experiences of people who identify as LGBTQI+ on the Living in Love and Faith course, celebrating with Delorine Green as she completes her treatment for cancer, sharing coffee and cake to the popular coffee morning, and enjoying wonderful musical offerings, it is thrilling to see shoots of new life flourish and grow in our church community.

Perhaps Spring is a good time to consider how we might nurture the life of our faith? Confirmation classes begin in May, and are an opportunity to explore further the faith we have inherited, or deepen an emerging interest in the Christian life. Everyone is welcome, and we look forward to the Dulwich Deanery confirmation service in June.

In addition, you are invited to make room in your spring diary to accompany your fellow pilgrims at St John's as we journey together through Holy Week and Easter. The Easter Triduum (three days) allows us to enter into Christ's journey to the cross, to the tomb, and invites us to meet him in the Easter garden. I strongly commend these services to you, and encourage you to join us on this profound and joyful journey.
 

Lent 2022: We are continuing with our Eco Lent 2022 theme by encouraging everyone to give up or take up something to help the environment during Lent. This could be anything to do with your daily routine, travel, diet, home or garden maintenance or anything else.

The second Sunday in March (and Lent) saw us welcome Simon Brown and his wife Elaine to St John's. Simon is the Speaker's Co-ordinator at A Rocha and was invited to give an eco-related talk during the 10am mass. We are hoping that his visit will be the first of many more eco-conscious guest speakers at our Sunday service over the coming months and years.

The Eco Lent buzz has been growing. A few things members of the St John's community are doing during Lent include; giving up meat and installing a water butt to collect rainwater. Sue O'Neill tells us about her contributions towards reducing the demand for fuel across Europe and helping with the sanctions against Russia, by reducing the central heating in her home by 1-degree centigrade. Sue also talks about using a reusable water bottle and making use of a thermos flask for tea instead of buying takeaway when she is out and about.

Revd. Gemma Birt says, This Lent I have sought to reduce our carbon footprint by significantly reducing the amount of meat we consume and replace that instead with more pulses and vegetables. 
Also, I leave myself more time to travel to places, so that I can walk or cycle more rather than drive. 

Anne Coates has been very pleased with her switch to Earth Breeze laundry detergent eco sheets. She says that they are very cost-effective when you subscribe, plus a portion of their profits is donated to the Refuge charity.
 

February PCC Meeting: The PCC met on Wednesday 23 February via Zoom.
Reports were received from: Standing Committee (9 February), Treasurer, Stewardship Secretary, Wardens and Eco Church. Topics discussed included finances, stewardship, and the Wardens’ report on trees in the churchyard; box gutter replacement; funding applications for Centre toilets.

Over five weeks a group of about 12 met weekly as part of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) course – a structured framework for us to reflect on some challenging questions: How do identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage fit within the bigger picture of the good news of Jesus Christ? What does it mean to live in love and faith together as a Church?
 
In LLF we were invited to come together with all our differences, but all as people of God, to listen and learn together. We reviewed scripture, watched some short films made for all of Church of England and spent a lot of time in discussion with each other. 
 
Within our group we shared our individual experiences about our identities – most were heterosexual but there were also people from the LGBTQI+ community.
 
Throughout the course we saw and shared stories about different people’s experiences with the Church. We heard uncomfortable and painful experiences – people being rejected by their families because they are gay, a trans man who was physically ejected from his church because of who he is. But we also heard many stories of individuals, families and congregations welcoming LGBTIQ+ individuals with unreserved love and acceptance.
 
The questions we asked of ourselves and each other were difficult – we had to identify and acknowledge where we have acted in a way that has caused pain to others, or we have stood by and not acted to stop or prevent others hurting people. The pastoral principles helped us understand what gets in our way to being the humans and the community we seek to be. We invite everyone to reflect on these.
 
Most importantly, by spending the time together, by reflecting on the scriptures and by confronting some of the harder truths about ourselves and our Church we recognised how we share so much more than those points where we differ.

“I am personally so grateful that we felt safe enough to tell the truth, to listen so well to each other, that there was such kindness and support that allowed everyone to feel that their views were welcome. On a wider note, I feel blessed to be part of a community that welcomes all people, including LGBTQI+ individuals. “

 

“As a parent of a gay teenager, aunty of a gay 35 year old and great-grand niece to my gay great Aunt whose relationship with her life partner was unrecognised I joined LLF to add my voice as an LGBTQI+ ally to the response to the Bishops. At the end of the course I am more hopeful and optimistic for change. I appreciate the patience and love of our community at St John's but I feel the church must not be passive on this subject. The course materials were outstanding.”

 

“For me gay issues are part of the wider justice agenda and are vital if we claim that we are all made in the image of God and are people who rejoice in our differences yet valued one another equally. Talking to people who did not attend, there were misconceptions about what the course was about eg only for married couples, only promoting the gay agenda. I think a lack was there was no attempt to look at singleness in the church or help for those who have experienced marital breakdown. I take confidence from the fact that views do change in the church. As someone who has lived through the struggle for women to be ordained I have seen big changes though there are still more needed! Somehow we need to stress that race, gender, sexuality, age and the rights of people with disabilities are all part of the same justice agenda.”
 
“I am pleased that at St John’s we have had the opportunity to participate in the LLF course. The course was well constructed and it was good to exchange views with other members of our congregation and the staff. I was gratified that others shared my views which are inclusive and embrace present-day understanding of relationships. I am hoping that other parishes will adopt the course. The Anglican Communion is not of one mind on issues of sexuality and in some countries the church is supporting discrimination and penalties against people of LGBTQI+ orientation. I think it important that our church, the Church of England as an established church, is seen to be inclusive and understanding and to fully affirm loving relationships.”
 
“I found the course enriching and enjoyed engaging with the other participants. It supported the principles that I live with. We are all created, redeemed and sustained by God. We should not be rejected for who we are. St John’s welcomes everyone.”
 
"I thought the course materials – especially the testimonial videos – were very powerful, and I was grateful for the openness and generosity of all those at St John’s who took part. I still find it shocking to hear about the discrimination many people have experienced, and continue to experience, in the church. It’s easy to say we are an Inclusive Church, to put up a poster and so on – but much harder to put that into practice and take steps that are truly bold and welcoming."
 
“The course was an opportunity for those of us who put ourselves forward to attend to hear from those who are living their lives as faithful Christians against a backdrop of discrimination and judgement from other Christians that has all too frequently been the norm for those from the LGBTQ community. The nature of Zoom meant that our own discussions were at times stilted and cut short. I hope that these debates continue and that we can chip away at this discrimination within the church, championing change, and that LGBTQ people will feel welcomed and whole within their Christian communities.”

 

If you would like to find out more about LLF, you can find resources including stories, Bible studies, interviews, films and podcasts on the LLF website: https://llf.churchofengland.org/ If you have any questions about the course, please speak to Revd Gemma or Jim Nurton.

What is confirmation?
Confirmation in the Church of England is, like baptism, an important Christian initiation and a sacrament of the church. It is an opportunity for those who have been baptised to affirm publicly their Christian faith and their membership of the Body of Christ, the universal church.
 
As many people are baptised when they are babies or as young children, it is a positive and conscious step as a disciple of Christ. Those who wish to be confirmed, but who have not been baptised, may be baptised at the same time as they are confirmed.
 
How do we prepare for confirmation?
Because confirmation is about affirming the Christian faith, it is usual for there to be some time for careful preparation and reflection for this service. There is no prescribed format for such preparation, but it will usually involve the opportunity for candidates to reflect on their faith in God, and what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
 
Preparation classes enable those considering confirmation to ask questions, big or small, about Christianity, faith, and the church. It might be an opportunity to learn more about the Eucharist, or to ask challenging questions: what do we mean by “sin”; what is forgiveness; why there is suffering in a world that is created by an all loving God.
 
It might be a chance to look carefully at the words of the Lord’s prayer and ask what they mean… what are we praying when we pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray?
 
What is involved in the confirmation service?
Confirmation services in the Church of England are always conducted by a Bishop. I spoke to a Bishop recently who told me that conducting baptism and confirmations services was a favourite aspect of his role.
 
At the confirmation service, the Bishop prays for the candidates for confirmation and asks for them to be blessed by the Holy Spirit with these words
 
Almighty and ever-living God,
you have given these your servants new birth
in baptism by water and the Spirit,
and have forgiven them all their sins.
Let your Holy Spirit rest on them:
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding;
the Spirit of counsel and inward strength;
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness;
and their delight be in the fear of the Lord.
 
Having said this prayer, the Bishop reminds each candidate of God’s knowledge and love for them as individuals and then lays their hands on the head of each candidate. In doing this they are asking for God to “confirm” the candidate through and with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a very powerful and moving moment in the service as the Bishop prays for God’s blessing on each person.
 
After this, the whole congregation prays for the candidates, again emphasising how we live as Christians as part of a much greater whole, blessed by the support, prayers and encouragement of each other.
 
Dulwich deanery confirmation service
There is a Dulwich deanery confirmation service planned for 19th June 2022. At St John’s, we will be holding confirmation preparation sessions in May and June 2022. If you would like to more about preparing for confirmation, or baptism together with confirmation, please do get in touch at curate@stjohnseastdulwich.org.
 
We would be delighted to welcome you and help you consider whether you would like to be confirmed.
 
For further information
You might also like to have a look at this very helpful resource on the Church of England website: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/confirmations/confirmation-faqs

The picture shows Nicolas Poussin's painting "Confirmation" from his Seven Sacraments series, which is on display at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh (wikiart).

We have been enjoying some wonderful activities during March, courtesy of Southwark Council’s Neighbourhood Fund. On 2 March we were visited by Keziah Thomas, who played and spoke about the harp. This was a real musical treat! It was also great to hear Keziah’s journey in playing this wonderful instrument, and to be able to get up close to the harp and strum a few strings.
Then later in March we have been working with clay under the guidance of Lynn and Katherine from the Arts Factory. Our project has been creating coral tiles, in the style of the artist Courtney Mattison who produces beautiful creations inspired by coral. It has been wonderful to make something where we can indulge our creative whims and there is no wrong answer. We’re planning to finish with some paint too in a final session.
For April we are very pleased to be hosting a talk by Anne Coates, local author, on 20 April at 11:30; do join us to hear about ‘Finding Inspiration'.

     

 
Fees help: Southwark Scholarship Scheme covers the tuition fees for undergraduate university courses for applicants meeting the necessary criteria. These include being under 25, coming from a household with a total income less than £25,000 per annum, being resident in Southwark and more. You can see full details here https://www.southwark.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/help-you-to-find-a-job-or-training/southwark-scholarship-scheme-2021?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Since 2011 121 young people have been helped by the scheme.  

Can you suggest a name?: Southwark would like to hear your suggestions of names that could be used when naming or renaming roads, buildings or public spaces. Ideas of people from Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities are particularly welcome. https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/housing-community-services-department-community-engagement-team/namingplaces/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
 
Local elections are coming up on 5 May. If you are not already registered the deadline is 14 April. https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

You may also wish to register to make a postal vote. Forms requesting this must be returned by 5pm 11 working days before the poll. https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/voting-and-elections/ways-to-vote?

article=&chapter=2&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
 
Trees Southwark’s tree planting programme has surpassed it’s goal of planting 10,000 new trees by the end of 2022. The 11,500^th tree was recently planted in Leathermarket Gardens. The Council surveyed its streets, parks, woodlands and 34 Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation to help to inform the Tree Planting Strategy. Southwark is set to continue its tree planting work, to help meet the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Free training: Southwark Construction Skills Centre is offering free pre-employment training in connection with job opportunities with British Land at Canada Water. https://www.canadawater.co.uk/jobs-and-training?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
 
 

Since 1999, I have got together a large group of singers - friends and their friends  -  to sing a service of Evensong in a cathedral on a Saturday.  We have used both Southwark and Rochester, with Graham Powell as the organist.  Graham was brought up locally and went to our Church’s Primary School and became organist at St. John’s at one stage.  The two cathedrals have always made us welcome and let everything be as easy as it can be for us.  In advance of the service, we have two Sunday afternoon practices, usually at St. John’s, then we go and sing the service a few days later.  I always use a few young singers from Beckenham Youth Voices; they are talented young people, and we usually have one of them as soloist.

Our last such event was on March 5^th, this year. Choral Evensong is one of those services which all Christians are happy to sign up to; it is based on words from scripture, and everyone is happy to sing particularly wonderful settings of the words.
 
This time we were in the early days of Lent.  We sang the anthem ‘Turn Thy Face From My Sins’, written in about 1800 by Thomas Attwood.  Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were by Charles Villiers Stanford, an Irish composer who wrote several musical settings to these words; we used his service in B flat this time.  The set Psalm was 29, a joyful and lively Psalm sung to more music by Thomas Attwood.  The hymns were ‘Be thou My Vision’ and ‘Take Up Thy Cross and ‘The Saviour Said’.

 
Following last month's article on community dentistry, I've had an enquiry about whether there is any NHS Podiatry (foot care) service in Southwark. The answer is yes, there certainly is.  The service is run by the Guy's & St Thomas's Community Foot Health team, and covers both Southwark and Lambeth.  The nearest local clinic to St John's is on the first floor (there’s lift access) of the Tessa Jowell Centre, on East Dulwich Grove, London SE22 8EY. 
You can either ask your GP to refer you, or refer yourself, using a referral form which you can download by clicking on 'referrals' on the following web page:https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/our-services/community-podiatry/referrals.aspx. 

Anyone without internet access should be able to pick up a printed form from their GP surgery or from the Tessa Jowell Centre, which is open Monday and Friday from 8.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m., and from 8.00 a.m.- 4.30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Completed forms can also be handed in there or sent by post or email to the address or email address given on the bottom of the form.  There is likely to be a waiting list for an appointment.  If you have any questions, you can ring the team’s main enquiries line, 0203.049.7900 – this can be quite busy, so you may have to wait in a queue.
 
If you have a serious, urgent foot problem, there are also a number of walk-in clinics listed on the referral form which can be attended without an appointment.  The only one of these in Southwark is The Artesian Podiatry Centre at 94 Alscot Road, SE1 3GG.
 
If you require a home visit from a podiatrist, you will need to get a referral from your GP.   I would imagine that they may have some system for urgent referrals for housebound people.

We are delighted to report that Revd Delorine Green, who many will remember from her time with us at St John's before completing her training for the ministry and taking up her curacy at St Peter's, Walworth, has now finished her chemotherapy and is doing well.  She sends her heartfelt thanks and blessings to everyone.

Music List for April to June 2022 (Year C)

April 3^rd – Fifth Sunday of Lent
Introit: plainsong proper
Processional: 84 “It is a thing most wonderful”
Psalm: 126 The Lord has done great things for us
Gradual: Lenten Gospel Acclamation. “Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name.”
Offertory: 90 O sacred head, sore wounded (1^st. version)
Communion: Anthem – “God so loved the world” (“The Crucifixion”), by John Stainer   
Recessional: 83 “Glory be to Jesus”
Setting: Penitential Rite from “Short Mass for Advent and Lent,” by Stephen Dean, Sanctus, Benedictus and Eucharistic Acclamation from “St. Andrew’s Responsorial Acclamations,” by Stephen Dean and Agnus Dei from “Mass of St. Edmund of Abingdon,” by Derek Fry, until Palm Sunday
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sunde gross” (BWV 622) – J S Bach

April 10^th – Palm Sunday
Processional:  509 All glory, laud and honour
Psalm: 118 This is the day the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it
Gradual: 511 Ride on, ride on in majesty
Offertory: 86 My song is love unknown
Communion: plainsong proper 681
Anthem – “O Saviour of the world,” by John Goss
Recessional: 95 When I survey the wondrous cross
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen” (Op.122, No.6) – Johannes Brahms      

April 12^th, 13^th. and 14^th. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Holy Week – said Mass with hymns at 8.00p.m.
Monday - Offertory: 439 Praise to the holiest in the height (1^st.) 
Post Comm: 294 Just as I am, without one plea.
Soprano songs: 1. Rune of Hospitality by Edmund Rubbra; 2. There is a Green Hill by W. Horsley &   
Cecil Frances Alexander; 3. My song is love unknown by John Ireland & Samuel Crossman
Tuesday - Offertory: 84 It is a thing most wonderful
Post Comm: 82 Drop, drop, slow tears
Piano music: 1. Sarabande (from English Suite No.1) – J S Bach; 2. Andante (from
Sonatina in C major, Op.36, No.1) – Muzio Clementi  3. Night’s Shining Peace (from “In Southern Seas”, by Walter  Carroll)
Wednesday   Offertory: 384 Jesu, my Lord, my God, my All
Post Comm: 391 King of glory, King of peace
Soprano songs:1. “Cuius animam” (“Stabat Mater”) – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; 2. Taize chant – “Stay with me”; 3.“Pange Lingua” – Marc-Antoine Charpentier
  
April 14^th.- Maundy Thursday at 8.00p.m.
Processional: 280 Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness
Psalm: 116 I will lift up the cup of salvation
Gospel Acclamation: “I give you a new commandment,’ says the Lord. Love one another as I have loved you.”
Washing of Feet: Choir – “In Monte Oliveti,” by G B Martini “Ubi caritas,” by Maurice Duruflé “I give to you a new commandment,” by Peter Nardone
Offertory: 273 And now, O Father, mindful of the love
Communion: Anthem – “Ave verum corpus,” by William Byrd
At the end: 268 Of the glorious body telling 515
Setting: Nashdom Mass, by Anthony Greening (Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei)
 
 

April 15^th.- Good Friday
12 noon Meditation 
Includes three pieces of flute music
 
1.45p.m. Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
Psalm: 22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Gradual: 92 there is a green hill far away
St. John Passion: Tomás Luis de Victoria
After the Passion: 95 When I survey the wondrous cross
Procession with the Cross:  Response – “Come, let us worship”
Veneration:“Crux fidelis,” by John IV of Portugal, leading to 517 Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle (as required)
After the Intercessions: 445 Rock of ages, cleft for me
During Communion: “Popule meus,” by Victoria
 
Sunday, April 17^th. – Dawn Mass at 6a.m.
Exsultet: sung by Deacon
Psalms and Canticle: said
Gradual: 110 Jesus Christ is risen today
Offertory: 296 Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour (1^st.)
Communion:  Anthem – “Christ the Lord is risen again,” by Anthony Foster
Recessional:120 Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son
Setting: Gloria from the Lourdes Mass, by Jean Paul Lecot; Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus  Dei from the Nashdom Mass, by Anthony Greening
Voluntary: Festmarsj – Mons Leidvin Takle
 
Sunday, April 17^th. - 10.00a.m. Festival Mass with Junior Choir
Introit: “This is the day” – attributed to Osbert Parsley      
Processional:120 Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son
Psalm: 118 Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!  This is the day the Lord has made
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia - “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.”             
Offertory: 124 Ye choirs of new Jerusalem
Communion: plainsong proper 683
Anthem – “Come, ye faithful, raise the strain,” by R S Thatcher
Recessional:110 Jesus Christ is risen today
Setting: as Vigil Mass;
Voluntary: Passacaglia in D minor – Dietrich Buxtehude
   
April 24^th. - Second Sunday of Easter    
Processional: 117 The Day of Resurrection!
Psalm: 150
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia at Taize chant 13 – “The stone which the builders rejected; has become the chief
cornerstone”             
Offertory: 125 Alleluya! Ye sons and daughters of the King
Communion: Anthem – “Since by man came death” (“Messiah”), by G F Handel 
Recessional: 121 This joyful Eastertide
Setting: until June 2^nd. - Coventry Gloria, by Peter Jones; Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei from Nashdom        Mass (Anthony Greening), but different music on May 15^th. and 26^th.
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag” ( BWV 629) – J S Bach
 

One way that young people are included in our services is through the Junior Choir, led by our Director of Music John Webber. John and two of our junior choristers tell us more about the Junior Choir here:
 
John Webber writes: The Junior Choir has something which I felt drawn to introduce when I first came to St. John’s.  Many young people have been a part of it over the years.  Our current members are also longstanding and are pretty experienced.  They are all capable of singing a solo and they know the service well.  We need to recruit and that is an aim that Revd. Gill and I have discussed a lot during the last two years, but so far it has not been practicable to act on our wishes.  In the meantime, I am rightly proud of the six young singers who are very much a part of the musical team and we look forward to their continued support.
 
Zara Barmby:
 
How long have you been in the choir? I have been in St John’s choir for nine years, ever since I was six years old!
 
What do you like best about choir? The choir is a lovely community, and I love that it’s a chance for everyone to come together and enjoy singing. Joining the choir has created so many opportunities for me, from improving my singing skills, joining in on more singing extracurricular activities, and more!
 
Have you done the RSCM Diocesan Singing Awards and what was involved? Yes, the preparation leading up to receiving the award taught me so much and I have continued to use those skills from then on!
 
Do you have a favourite hymn and can you tell us what you like about it? Or perhaps an anthem? My favourite hymn has to be “Tell Out My Soul” as I have sung it throughout every year I have been doing choir and it holds lovely memories. 
 
Do you have other musical interests? Outside of choir, I am involved with other musical activities, such as playing the piano and my band, and other non-musical activities, such as debating and baking.
 
Maya Corbin:
 
How long have you been in the choir? 6 years and 4 months. I started two months before my 7th birthday.
 
What do you like best about choir? I like the range of songs we get to sing, the kind atmosphere and going to Broadstairs every 2 years.
 
Have you done the RSCM Diocesan Singing Awards and what was involved? I did the dean's award. I had to sing a hymn a Psalm and an anthem, and do sight reading, theory and learn about a part of the church year. It was very enjoyable.
 
Do you have a favourite hymn, and can you tell us what you like about it? Or perhaps an anthem? My favourite anthem is ‘Thou Visitest the Earth’ because it is fun. I like ‘Now the Green Blade Riseth’ because of the tune and ‘We Plough the Fields and Scatter’ because of the tune and words.
 
Do you have other musical interests outside choir? I also play flute and piano and I am in my school's band.

Radio Review: The Archbishop Interviews (Radio 4)
Reviewed by Jim Nurton

This radio series might be better described as “conversations” rather than “interviews”. The best episodes reveal as much about the interviewer – Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury – as they do about the interviewees. The participants come from a wide range of backgrounds, which makes for some fascinating discussions.

Each programme covers issues loosely relating to religion and spirituality, but also much more. In the first episode, for example, Welby talks to the brilliant British-Turkish writer Elif Shafak about mysticism, forgiveness, depression and “the dance between faith and doubt”. The second, with the atheist psychologist Dr Susan Blackmore, covers topics including free will, grief, prayer and meditation.

Other episodes already broadcast feature former Prime Minister Tony Blair, General Sir Nick Carter,  Dame Clare Moriarty who is chief executive of Citizens Advice and author Stephen King. All of the people interviewed are interesting in their own right, but it’s the engagement with the interviewer, and the exchange of views and experiences (particularly when the participants bring very different perspectives) that make the programmes so compelling.

All the episodes are available for free on the BBC Sounds website and app:

Profile: Eloise Macpherson
In this month's profile, Eloise tells us about life as a young family in St John's and being a member of the PCC and the organising committee of the Messy Church.

When did you start coming to St John's?
We started coming 4 or so years ago. I tried a few churches in the area, and found St John’s to be the friendliest and most welcoming. Our son Ivor was very small when we first started coming and there were always lots of children at the back which made it seem a good fit for us.
 
How long have you lived in the local area, where were you before and what appeals about East Dulwich?
We’ve lived in Nunhead for 5 years. We were in Stoke Newington in North London before. It’s a super area but we struggled to get going with much of a community there, whereas it has been easy to do so here (although having small children definitely helps). I run a lot, and love all the green space here, especially the Nunhead Cemetery and Dulwich Woods.

What work do you do now or previously?
I teach Languages in a secondary school in Tower Hamlets (although I am currently on maternity leave). The students are nearly all Bangladeshi. Most speak Sylheti (a dialect of Bengali from the Sylhet region in Bangladesh) at home, and so French or Spanish is often a third language for them. Many are good at languages, the more you know, the easier they are to collect!   

Can you tell us about some of the things you're involved in at St John's?
I was approached by Julie to join the PCC. My dad is a church warden in Hampshire and he is always so keen to get young families more involved in the life of the church, so I felt I owed it to him to give it a try! The meetings are always interesting, and I’m constantly impressed to see how much many volunteers do behind the scenes to make St John’s the vibrant and happening church it is. I am also on the organising committee of Messy Church 

What happens at Messy Church, how does it work and what's the best thing about it? What are some recent things you have done at Messy Church?
I really love being involved in Messy Church. There are six of us on the organising committee.

We meet on Zoom a couple of weeks prior to the service to choose a reading and plan some activities based around it – we aim for some craft, science, something more physical and something more reflective.

The atmosphere at Messy Church is really great. We have music playing, there is a real buzz around the activities, and the children engage in the space in a completely different way. I think my favourite thing was in the November service where everyone did junk modelling to make the town on the hill from Matthew 5 (‘a city built on a hill cannot be hidden’). They brought them up to the altar and we put tea lights in them and switched off the lights – it was really special. Everyone spontaneously went quiet, it was lovely.   

Are there any other things you would like to see for young families at St John's (particularly as we come out of lockdown)?
It would be great to have Diddy Disciples, or something similar, back on Sunday mornings. It definitely feels slowly that children are coming back to the 10am service, which is nice.

You recently had a family baptism at St John's with some impressive musical talent on show! Is music important for you and if so what kind of music do you like?
The baptism was wonderful, and everything we had hoped it would be. Gemma and Alistair did it beautifully and it felt very personal to us. Gemma had put a bath toy in the font which helped Ione’s enthusiasm for the moment itself! I played the trumpet and my sister played sax. We grew up playing in church at Easter and Christmas – starting when we were really pretty young and definitely not mastering our instruments, with a number of other children. The ‘band’ still reforms twice a year, with us all in our 30s now. I’m not particularly good, but I love playing with other people and it’s so nice to have the chance to do so as an adult.

St John's Library
The Rubbish Book: A Complete Guide to Recycling - Reviewed by          Laura Williams

Should I leave the cap on or off a plastic bottle? Can pizza boxes go in recycling bins? Is it better to take paper off aluminium cans or leave it on? Should I wash items before putting them in the recycling bin?
Messages to consumers about packaging and recycling are complicated and confusing and James Piper, an award-winning expert on sustainability, has written this guide to explain and simplify the processes of recycling and to dispel some of the many myths around the disposal of waste.
For example, instead of trying to completely ban the use of plastics, the author argues that using some plastic may, in fact, be better for the environment than some alternative forms of packaging. Changing from plastic milk bottles to cardboard containers may seem more planet-friendly but in fact, the card has to be lined with a thin layer of plastic, and these are much harder to separate and recycle than plastic bottles.

Similarly, many people have switched from buying toilet rolls which are wrapped in plastic to rolls which are individually wrapped in virgin paper, often shipped from China.

As an alternative, leading supermarkets sell environmental branded toilet rolls made in the U.K. from recycled paper but wrapped in a few grams of soft plastic, which can now be recycled in some supermarkets such as Co-op stores. The environmental impact of buying individually wrapped rolls compared to a multipack wrapped in plastic is huge, and that is without factoring in transporting them from China.

The book is well organised and laid out in an easy-to-read format. The first chapter - The Rubbish Basics - provides a lot of surprisingly interesting background information and covers topics such as the law relating to waste, COP, the Paris Agreement and the UK Plastics Pact. 

The middle part of the book looks at the environmental impact of waste pollution and provides specific advice on recycling everything from batteries to wrapping paper and explains how rubbish is sorted and re-used. One useful tip I learnt was that rubbish is more likely to go for recycling at the sorting stage if it is larger than the size of a tennis ball - crumple up tin foil, leave the caps on bottles etc. as smaller items will fall through the sorting machines.

The book ends by looking towards a better future, exploring some of the technologies currently being developed to help us live more sustainably, and then outlining some very simple steps which citizens can take to make changes in their own lives and also to speak out and spread the word.
 
For anyone who has been trying to live more sustainably, this book will help you to do it even better.
 
NB - there will shortly be two copies available to borrow from St John's library