December 2023
Welcome to the Advent and Christmas 2023 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.
Click Subscribe to be added to our mailing list and you'll be notified when our next edition is available. The next issue to be published will be the February 2024 edition.
All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace
December is already upon us, and soon we will hear the song of the angels, with their glad tidings of great joy. You can see angels for real at St John’s, if you look towards the east you will see two angels with trumpets either side of the high altar, those angels feature at the top of our Christmas poster this year. They represent the angels mentioned in the story of the life of Jesus, who herald his birth to the shepherds in the fields at Bethlehem[1], in the tomb after the resurrection, either side of the place where Jesus’ body lay[2]. They also echo the angels sitting either side of the mercy-seat of the ark of the covenant in Exodus, centuries before Jesus’ birth.[3] These angels are a beautiful and hopeful symbol, pointing us to the space where we find new creation, new life, and new possibilities.
In The Gander this month, you will find stories of the ordinary angels of St John’s, the people who make our community a space for good news. You’ll read about our coffee morning offering warmth, kindness and friendship, about the Robes Project, as we prepare once again to welcome guests at risk of homelessness, and about our recent concert, bringing voices together, young and old, in beautiful harmony. We feature the hugely enjoyable Scottish Ceilidh held in November.
We welcome the new possibilities offered by the Church of England’s recent decision to trial services of blessing for same-sex relationships. The Revd Anne Clarke tells us about her new role as Area Dean of Dulwich, and we can enjoy the photographs of the lunch club’s recent outing. Crime-busting investigative journalist, Hannah Weybridge has another mystery to solve in Anne Coates’ latest novel, Murder in the Lady Chapel.
The Racial Justice Group shares with us short reflections calling us all to greater awareness and commitment to dismantling the structures of racism. Rosemary Shaw’s review of I Shall Not Hate, about a Gazan doctor whose three daughters were killed by soldiers, is a profound call to live beyond hatred and, even in the midst of great suffering, to choose peace.
With a taste of the music coming up in the Christmas season, and a charming feature of the pets of St John’s, this edition is another lovely testament to the new life and joy we find in the good news of Christ’s birth. In a world so desperately in need of good news, may we all be drawn by the angels to the peace and goodwill -
you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid.
Gill
Advent and Christmas: During Advent, our 10am Sunday Mass will start with the Advent Prose - do join us at 10am if you can! Other dates to note include:
- Carols by the Green - Saturday 9 December, 11am-1pm
- Christmas Messy Church - Sunday 10 December, 3.45pm-5pm
- Carol Service - Sunday 17 December, 6pm
- Christingle Services - Sunday 24 December, 3pm & 4.30pm
- Midnight Mass - Sunday 24 December, 11.30pm
- Christmas Day Festival Mass - Monday 25 December, 10am
Coffee Morning: Coffee morning is keeping busy this Autumn. As well as meeting each week for coffee, cake and chat, we've enjoyed a beautiful performance by members of Opal Flutes and had more music with The Singing Geese, our popular singing group led by Steve Barbe. The Strong and Steady Exercise Group now has a second class running to meet demand, and is rapidly filling up. Do email goosegreencoffeemorning@gmail.com if you are interested in this group, or if you would like to receive the weekly coffee morning emails which include all the details of what is happening. All are welcome to drop in to Goose Green Coffee Morning any Wednesday, we are open from 11 until 12:30.
Robes Project:
St John’s will be hosting the Robes project again on Saturday nights from 6 January until 23 March 2024. You can sign up to volunteer here. There will be information sessions for volunteers on Sunday 3 December after church and Saturday 16 December at 9-10am. If you would like to find out more about volunteering at St John's, contact Julie. For more information about the Robes project, please see the Robes website.
Concert: St John's hosted a choral concert on Saturdy 21 November with singers from St John's choir, the Elm Singers and Beckenham Youth Voices (pictured left). The youngest singer was 12 and the oldest was in their 80s - a beautiful demonstration of how music can bring together people of all ages! The concert included Fauré's Requiem. It raised over £300 towards the Goose Green Centre refurbishment.
Robes Project:
St John’s will be hosting the Robes project again on Saturday nights from 6 January until 23 March 2024. You can sign up to volunteer here. There will be information sessions for volunteers on Sunday 3 December after church and Saturday 16 December at 9-10am. If you would like to find out more about volunteering at St John's, contact Julie. For more information about the Robes project, please see the Robes website.Concert: St John's hosted a choral concert on Saturdy 21 November with singers from St John's choir, the Elm Singers and Beckenham Youth Voices (pictured left). The youngest singer was 12 and the oldest was in their 80s - a beautiful demonstration of how music can bring together people of all ages! The concert included Fauré's Requiem. It raised over £300 towards the Goose Green Centre refurbishment.
Prayers and blessings for same-sex relationships
General Synod, the Church of England’s legislative assembly, met on 13-15 November 2023. Amongst other matters, and after painstaking discussion, Synod approved the introduction of trial services of prayer and blessing for same-sex relationships, called 'Prayers of Love and Faith'. Liturgies for same-sex relationships have never before had formal approval, though we know that some churches have been offering such services for some time.
While this tiny step is to be celebrated, as the Vicar of an inclusive church, I pray that the church will progress towards the full inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex people in its life and ministry, and permit same sex marriage.
At the same time, the church is also committed to unity, and holds that friendship between people of opposing views is a testimony to the grace of God. However, unity comes at a price, and we must be mindful of those who continue to experience harm. I believe this is also a safeguarding issue, and not only about theological differences.
You may, like me, find comfort in the words of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, who led much of the process leading to this decision, in her closing speech:
[Some will] see me no longer in communion with them.
I want to assure them that I still believe that we are in communion with one another.
And whilst I may no longer be invited to eat at their table,
they will always be welcome at mine.
And if that means that I need to sit outside
with the powerless, the marginalised, the lost,
then that's where I will sit.
And I am certain that I will also encounter Christ there.
You can read more in the Church's press release on Prayers of Love and Faith.
Gill
Profile: Revd Anne Clarke, Area Dean
What is your background?
I grew up in a vicarage, St Swithin’s, Hither Green, where my father Maurice was vicar from 1954 to 1964. I read English at St Anne’s College, Oxford. My work was as an English teacher in local secondary schools. I also served on the Special Educational Needs Tribunal and as a lay magistrate until retirement.
I trained as an Ordained Local Minister and am now described as a Self-Supporting Minister (I don’t get paid for the role as a priest, as is the case for about half of us). I was ordained as a deacon in 2004 and a priest in 2005. I have been an assistant priest at St John’s for 19 years.
What is an area dean?
The area dean has responsibility for the deanery of Dulwich. Our deanery (area number 10 on the map below) consists of seven parishes: St John’s, St Clement’s with St Peter’s, St Barnabas, St Paul’s with St Saviour’s which make up the parish of Herne Hill, St Stephen’s, South Dulwich, St Faith’s, North Dulwich and the Copleston Centre.
Overall, there are 25 deaneries in the diocese of Southwark (see the map). In Southwark (our area) there are four area deans: for Southwark and Newington, Bermondsey, Camberwell and Dulwich. Each of our area deans is responsible to the archdeacon of Southwark, the Venerable Jonathan Sedgwick.
The area dean is appointed by the Bishop and is usually licensed for five years.
What does an area dean do?
- Pray for the deanery.
- Support the clergy pastorally and practically.
- Meet regularly with the other area deans and the archdeacon.
- Along with Joy Taylor, the lay chair, organise and run the Deanery Synod. This meets about three times a year. The Deanery Synod consists of the clergy and elected lay representatives from all the parishes. The Deanery Synod is the junior partner to the Southwark Diocesan Synod and the General Synod. Representatives from these are present at our Deanery Synod.
- To convene the Deanery Chapter, consisting of all the priests in the deanery. It meets several times a year. This is well facilitated by Bernhard Schunemann, the vicar of St Stephen’s South Dulwich. This is very easy for me because Bernhard arranges the dates, the venues and the guest speakers.
- To link with the diocesan officers. There is a particular responsibility during vacancies. At the moment there are two gaps: no vicar at St Barnabas and a curate at St Clement’s with St. Peter’s.
- Parish inspections.
- Conduct ministerial development reviews of clergy.
- Support work in schools.
Why did you decide to take on this role?Being area dean has provided a new focus to my ministry. This has been particularly welcome after the death of my beloved husband Peter in February this year.
I am trusted by my clergy colleagues and welcome their support.
I am able to take on this responsibility, leaving the incumbents free for their parishes. There are quite a few area deans who have not been incumbents.
What aspects of the role are you most looking forward to?
Being out and about in the deanery, visiting and participating in other churches.
The activities in interfaith week were very enjoyable. I get invited to events as area dean. Watch this space!
I enjoy meetings. I meet other area deans, our archdeacon and go to bigger meetings with a wider attendance from the diocese. I get to know something of what is going on.
Are there any particular priorities you have in the short to medium term?
Joy and I are here to assist the Bishop of Southwark in his aim of breathing new life into deaneries across the diocese.
There was a gap in the face-to-face meetings of the Deanery Synod due to Covid. The relaunch was on Thursday 22 November 2023 at St John’s.
Will your role at St John’s be changing?
I am on the clergy rota for services and am a member of the clergy team at St John’s. However, you’ll be seeing less of me.
How can people at St John’s support you in this role?
Please pray for me as I keep you in my prayers.
(Pictured right: the Bishop's Seal)
Lunch club outing
The Lunch Club outing to Woodcote Green Garden Centre took place on 28 September. Forty of us, including a number of members of St John's congregation, travelled to the Garden Centre by an old Routemaster bus. At the garden centre we enjoyed a splendid cream tea. We had plenty of time to look round the centre and a number of members bought plants and early Christmas gifts. A great day was has by all. The trip was generously supported by Southwark Charities without whose support the trip could not have taken place.
Win a copy of Anne Coates's new book!
By Anne Coates
St John’s has become a very special place for me and my family from our first visits after Olivia started school to now when I sing in the choir every week. And it was the choir, which inspired my latest Hannah Weybridge investigation: Murder in the Lady Chapel. Although, I hasten to add, any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental – the characters are my imaginary friends and develop as I write.
I love this process especially when my characters totally surprise me as they do in each book. Two of the characters, the vicar and the musical director, are named after two people who made the winning bid to have a character named after them in 2021 and 2022 Children in Read auction raising money for the BBC’s Children in Need: thanks to Peter Savage and Craig Fletcher for their generosity.
My books are set in the 1990s so a walk down memory lane for some and a history lesson for others!
Before I start writing, each of my novels begins, for me, with an image – the last three in a place I love: Songs of Innocence in Peckham Rye Park, Perdition’s Child in Dulwich Library and Stage Call at the Old Vic theatre.
So here we are at St John’s where the vicar finds a chorister dying in the Lady Chapel. It’s a suspicious death and no one seems to know much about the victim. The vicar implores Hannah Weybridge to find out what she can.
Little did the journalist know that this investigation would involve joining the choir in preparation for the Christmas services or that her daughter, Elizabeth, would be so enchanted by the church.
Hannah soon discovers that the deceased, Daniel Lyons, seems to be a man without a history and that’s suspicious in itself. Apparently an insurance fraud investigator, he leaves no records and even his landlady knows little about him. But, as Hannah discovers, someone does know him – and he was definitely not who he seemed to be…
And while she investigates, someone is trying to intimidate Hannah in a series of seemingly unconnected ways. The past as well as the present haunts her. Will she be able to solve the mystery before Christmas is ruined?
As it’s a Christmas book and we’re approaching the festive season, I am running a competition to win a signed copy of Murder in the Lady Chapel. Just answer this question: Which is my favourite London theatre?
Email your answers to info@annecoatesauthor.com and write St John’s competition in the subject line and include the name you wish to have the book dedicated to and your contact details.
By entering the competition you agree to your email address being added to my newsletter subscription but you can unsubscribe at any time! The winner will be the sender of the first correct email opened at random after 12pm on 6 January and will be able to collect their book from St John’s.
All my Hannah Weybridge books are available at or can be ordered via Chener Books and other bookshops plus you can buy online at Blackwell’s and Amazon.
By Anne Coates
St John’s has become a very special place for me and my family from our first visits after Olivia started school to now when I sing in the choir every week. And it was the choir, which inspired my latest Hannah Weybridge investigation: Murder in the Lady Chapel. Although, I hasten to add, any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental – the characters are my imaginary friends and develop as I write.I love this process especially when my characters totally surprise me as they do in each book. Two of the characters, the vicar and the musical director, are named after two people who made the winning bid to have a character named after them in 2021 and 2022 Children in Read auction raising money for the BBC’s Children in Need: thanks to Peter Savage and Craig Fletcher for their generosity.
My books are set in the 1990s so a walk down memory lane for some and a history lesson for others!
Before I start writing, each of my novels begins, for me, with an image – the last three in a place I love: Songs of Innocence in Peckham Rye Park, Perdition’s Child in Dulwich Library and Stage Call at the Old Vic theatre.
So here we are at St John’s where the vicar finds a chorister dying in the Lady Chapel. It’s a suspicious death and no one seems to know much about the victim. The vicar implores Hannah Weybridge to find out what she can.
Little did the journalist know that this investigation would involve joining the choir in preparation for the Christmas services or that her daughter, Elizabeth, would be so enchanted by the church.
Hannah soon discovers that the deceased, Daniel Lyons, seems to be a man without a history and that’s suspicious in itself. Apparently an insurance fraud investigator, he leaves no records and even his landlady knows little about him. But, as Hannah discovers, someone does know him – and he was definitely not who he seemed to be…
And while she investigates, someone is trying to intimidate Hannah in a series of seemingly unconnected ways. The past as well as the present haunts her. Will she be able to solve the mystery before Christmas is ruined?
As it’s a Christmas book and we’re approaching the festive season, I am running a competition to win a signed copy of Murder in the Lady Chapel. Just answer this question: Which is my favourite London theatre?
Email your answers to info@annecoatesauthor.com and write St John’s competition in the subject line and include the name you wish to have the book dedicated to and your contact details.
By entering the competition you agree to your email address being added to my newsletter subscription but you can unsubscribe at any time! The winner will be the sender of the first correct email opened at random after 12pm on 6 January and will be able to collect their book from St John’s.
All my Hannah Weybridge books are available at or can be ordered via Chener Books and other bookshops plus you can buy online at Blackwell’s and Amazon.
Music for Advent and Christmas
By John Webber
3 December – First Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.1 The Advent Prose
Processional: 5 Hark! a herald voice is calling
Psalm: 80 Show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia at Taize chant 37 “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Offertory: 10 Long ago, prophets knew
Communion: plainsong proper no. 657
Anthem – “Prepare thyself, Zion” (first section; from “The Christmas Oratorio”), by J S Bach
2 O heavenly Word of God on high
Recessional: 9 Lo! he comes with clouds descending
Angelus
Setting: Dean and Fry (Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus, Acclamations, Agnus Dei) until 24 December
Voluntary: Choral Prelude in F major – Hubert Parry
10 December – Second Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.2 The Advent Prose
Processional: 12 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Psalm: 85 Show us your mercy O Lord, and grant us your salvation
Gospel Acclamation: plainsong Alleluia – “Mercy and truth have met together: and righteousness will look down from heaven.”
Offertory: 495 God is working his purpose out
Communion: Anthem – “The truth from above” – Herefordshire carol, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams
390 Jesus, where’er thy people meet
Recessional: 388 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Angelus
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (BWV 645) – J S Bach
17 December – Third Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.3 The Advent Prose
Processional: 6 Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
Canticle: Magnificat – plainsong, with fauxbourdons by Thomas Morley
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia from Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” – “The Lord has done great things for us: and therefore we rejoiced.”
Offertory: 7 Hills of the north, rejoice
Communion: plainsong proper
Anthem – “O Maria Mater gratiae,” by G B Crivelli
3 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
Angelus
Recessional: 466 Thou, whose Almighty Word
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “Herr Christ der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn” (BWV 601) - J.S.Bach
17 December – Service of Readings and Carols at 6.00p.m.
Congregational carols:
21 A great and mighty wonder
34 Once in royal David’s city (first item; v.1 solo, v.2 choir)
22 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
30 O come, all ye faithful
26 Hark! the herald-angels sing
33 Of the Father’s heart begotten
42 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Choir carols:
A tender shoot – Otto Goldschmidt
Song of Mary – Richard Shephard
The angels and the shepherds – Bohemian trad. carol
Earl of Salisbury’s Carol – William Byrd
“There is no rose,” - Graham Ellis
Voluntary: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729); Fantasia in G (BWV 572) – J S Bach
By John Webber
3 December – First Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.1 The Advent Prose
Processional: 5 Hark! a herald voice is calling
Psalm: 80 Show the light of your countenance and we shall be saved
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia at Taize chant 37 “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Offertory: 10 Long ago, prophets knew
Communion: plainsong proper no. 657
Anthem – “Prepare thyself, Zion” (first section; from “The Christmas Oratorio”), by J S Bach
2 O heavenly Word of God on high
Recessional: 9 Lo! he comes with clouds descending
Angelus
Setting: Dean and Fry (Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus, Acclamations, Agnus Dei) until 24 December
Voluntary: Choral Prelude in F major – Hubert Parry
10 December – Second Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.2 The Advent Prose
Processional: 12 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Psalm: 85 Show us your mercy O Lord, and grant us your salvation
Gospel Acclamation: plainsong Alleluia – “Mercy and truth have met together: and righteousness will look down from heaven.”
Offertory: 495 God is working his purpose out
Communion: Anthem – “The truth from above” – Herefordshire carol, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams
390 Jesus, where’er thy people meet
Recessional: 388 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Angelus
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (BWV 645) – J S Bach
17 December – Third Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.3 The Advent Prose
Processional: 6 Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
Canticle: Magnificat – plainsong, with fauxbourdons by Thomas Morley
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia from Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” – “The Lord has done great things for us: and therefore we rejoiced.”
Offertory: 7 Hills of the north, rejoice
Communion: plainsong proper
Anthem – “O Maria Mater gratiae,” by G B Crivelli
3 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
Angelus
Recessional: 466 Thou, whose Almighty Word
Voluntary: Chorale prelude – “Herr Christ der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn” (BWV 601) - J.S.Bach
17 December – Service of Readings and Carols at 6.00p.m.
Congregational carols:
21 A great and mighty wonder
34 Once in royal David’s city (first item; v.1 solo, v.2 choir)
22 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
30 O come, all ye faithful
26 Hark! the herald-angels sing
33 Of the Father’s heart begotten
42 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Choir carols:
A tender shoot – Otto Goldschmidt
Song of Mary – Richard Shephard
The angels and the shepherds – Bohemian trad. carol
Earl of Salisbury’s Carol – William Byrd
“There is no rose,” - Graham Ellis
Voluntary: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729); Fantasia in G (BWV 572) – J S Bach
24 December – Fourth Sunday of Advent
Introit: 501 v.4 The Advent Prose
Processional: 9 Lo! he comes with clouds descending
Psalm: 89 Your love O Lord for ever will I sing
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia – “My song shall be the loving-kindness of the Lord: I will proclaim your faithfulness throughout all generations.”
Offertory: 11 O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Communion: Anthem – “There is no rose,” - anon (c.1420), edited by John Stevens
3 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
Recessional: 10 Long ago, prophets knew
Angelus
Voluntary: Marche-Sortie – Théodore Dubois
24 December – 3.00pm and 4.00pm Christingle Services
24 December Midnight Mass at 11.30pm
Introit: Matin Responsory – adapted from G P da Palestrina
Processional: 32 O little town of Bethlehem
Gradual: 22 Away in a manger
Offertory: 26 Hark! the herald-angels sing
Communion: Carol – “I saw a maiden” – Basque noël, arr. Edgar Pettman
29 It came upon the midnight clear; 28 In the bleak midwinter
Recessional: 30 (omit vv.3,4) O come, all ye faithful
Setting: Gloria from Lourdes Mass by Jean Paul Lecot and Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei from Nashdom Mass, by Anthony Greening
Voluntary: Prelude in F minor (BWV 534) – J S Bach
25 December – Christmas Day
Introit: “Ding dong! merrily on high” – 16th century French tune, harmonised by Charles Wood
Processional: 30 O come, all ye faithful
Gradual: 39 Unto us a boy is born!
Offertory: 34 Once in royal David’s city
Communion: Choir – “Coventry Carol” – English trad.
Recessional: 42 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Setting: Gloria from Lourdes Mass by Jean Paul Lecot and Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus
Dei from Nashdom Mass, by Anthony Greening
Voluntary: Fantasia No.11 in A minor – Orlando Gibbons
31 December – Sunday after Christmas
Processional: 42 While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Psalm: 148 Praise O praise the name of the Lord
Gospel Acclamation: plainsong Alleluia – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.”
Offertory: 28 In the bleak midwinter
Communion: Anthem – “A New Year Carol,” by Benjamin Britten
Post Comm: 26 Hark! the herald-angels sing
Setting: Congress Mass (Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei), by Alan Rees
Voluntary: War March of the Priests (from “Athalia”) – Felix Mendelssohn
Racial Justice Group
During Black History Month, we heard from members of the discussion group who have been reading and reflecting on We Need To Talk About Race by Ben Lindsay.
The full talks can be downloaded and read on our website here. Here are some extracts:
Dorothy Oxley: I don’t know, because perhaps the most important thing the conversations we had in the course taught me was that I need to learn and listen. I don’t want to play the ‘white saviour’, spotting some course of action that I think would make St John’s more racially integrated, and doing my best to drive it forward. I might get it totally wrong, because I only have experience of being ‘white English’. So I’ll stick with Ben Lindsay’s advice: ‘White people need to become better listeners to their black brothers and sisters, that is, listening without always offering solutions or making assumptions.” We need more conversations!
Caline McIntosh: I think it is great that we are having a conversation about racism. It can be a challenge to talk about race sometimes, as it forces us to look at our own cultural bias. There are many misconceptions and generalisations that need to be deconstructed when talking about race. I think, so long as we have the heart to listen, have a level of empathy and grace, remember the power of prayer, have mutual respect and patience, then diversity and inclusion can thrive. Whether we are black or white, or however we choose to identify, we are all amazing in God’s eyes.
Eloise King: We need to acknowledge that we are like the many colours of Joseph’s technicolour coat. God’s blood runs through all of us whether we want to believe it or not. Racism is ugly and painful and should be challenged at all levels, hopefully by examining ourselves and learning how we can be kind to one another, regardless of skin colour, gender, social status etc.
Sian Conlon: My experience of being in the group proved to me that generosity that involves listening, self-examination and empathy is not draining or diminishing-it generates positivity, warmth, energy and trust. And generosity that involves appreciation of others means that we can all join in the celebration-that is what inclusivity truly means. So whether we are listening to each other in our group, or admiring the portraits around the church, it benefits us all.
Karlene Watson: We must look inside ourselves myself included and confront our own biases and work towards having open conversations about race with a posture of humility, openness, and respect. By listening to diverse voices and perspectives, we can broaden our understanding and begin to bridge the gaps in our society. Overall, this book is a reminder that change starts with us, in our daily interactions and choices.
Louise Pollard: The book offers points for our consideration at the end of each chapter. I am pledging to myself that I will play my part to further understand and support the dismantling of overt and covert racist structures in our society. I also want to further understand the church role in the transatlantic slave trade. I hope too that as a church we can engage proactively with the church of England anti-racist strategies both at a national and local level.
During Black History Month, we heard from members of the discussion group who have been reading and reflecting on We Need To Talk About Race by Ben Lindsay.The full talks can be downloaded and read on our website here. Here are some extracts:
Dorothy Oxley: I don’t know, because perhaps the most important thing the conversations we had in the course taught me was that I need to learn and listen. I don’t want to play the ‘white saviour’, spotting some course of action that I think would make St John’s more racially integrated, and doing my best to drive it forward. I might get it totally wrong, because I only have experience of being ‘white English’. So I’ll stick with Ben Lindsay’s advice: ‘White people need to become better listeners to their black brothers and sisters, that is, listening without always offering solutions or making assumptions.” We need more conversations!
Caline McIntosh: I think it is great that we are having a conversation about racism. It can be a challenge to talk about race sometimes, as it forces us to look at our own cultural bias. There are many misconceptions and generalisations that need to be deconstructed when talking about race. I think, so long as we have the heart to listen, have a level of empathy and grace, remember the power of prayer, have mutual respect and patience, then diversity and inclusion can thrive. Whether we are black or white, or however we choose to identify, we are all amazing in God’s eyes.
Eloise King: We need to acknowledge that we are like the many colours of Joseph’s technicolour coat. God’s blood runs through all of us whether we want to believe it or not. Racism is ugly and painful and should be challenged at all levels, hopefully by examining ourselves and learning how we can be kind to one another, regardless of skin colour, gender, social status etc.
Sian Conlon: My experience of being in the group proved to me that generosity that involves listening, self-examination and empathy is not draining or diminishing-it generates positivity, warmth, energy and trust. And generosity that involves appreciation of others means that we can all join in the celebration-that is what inclusivity truly means. So whether we are listening to each other in our group, or admiring the portraits around the church, it benefits us all.
Karlene Watson: We must look inside ourselves myself included and confront our own biases and work towards having open conversations about race with a posture of humility, openness, and respect. By listening to diverse voices and perspectives, we can broaden our understanding and begin to bridge the gaps in our society. Overall, this book is a reminder that change starts with us, in our daily interactions and choices.
Louise Pollard: The book offers points for our consideration at the end of each chapter. I am pledging to myself that I will play my part to further understand and support the dismantling of overt and covert racist structures in our society. I also want to further understand the church role in the transatlantic slave trade. I hope too that as a church we can engage proactively with the church of England anti-racist strategies both at a national and local level.
Me and my pet...
Members of St John's share details of their favourite furry companions!
Sarah Goudge: Here's a picture of me and Bonnie the cat. She's 17 and showing little sign of slowing down. We adopted her and her brother, Clyde, when they were 12 weeks old. Sadly Clyde died last January but it was the best thing that ever happened to Bonnie! She's much more confident and bold and has even got a new and shouty voice. She's very good company, always has something to say and we love her much more than she loves us.
Members of St John's share details of their favourite furry companions!
Sarah Goudge: Here's a picture of me and Bonnie the cat. She's 17 and showing little sign of slowing down. We adopted her and her brother, Clyde, when they were 12 weeks old. Sadly Clyde died last January but it was the best thing that ever happened to Bonnie! She's much more confident and bold and has even got a new and shouty voice. She's very good company, always has something to say and we love her much more than she loves us.
Michael Robinson and Ann Lloyd: Benjy our labradoodle moved in with us in February 2020 when he was three months old. He is a very friendly and playful dog and was a lifesaver during lockdown when walking the dog was one of the few things we were allowed to do. He is very attached to all our family members and gives everyone a rapturous welcome whenever one of his pack returns home. Benjy loves going for walks and chasing his ball or a stick. He also loves swimming, whatever the weather, in ponds, rivers and the sea (although he doesn’t like going out in the rain). He never forgets a pond or a muddy puddle and will sprint to one at any opportunity.
Mary Dawson:
They say dogs look like their owners. The title of this photo is ‘Matchy Matchy’. This photo of Winston (known as Winnie) and Mary was taken c.2015. Winnie is sadly no longer with us, having died unexpectedly in December 2022. Winnie had advanced skills in head-butting and was delightfully affectionate, particularly at mealtimes.
Jim Nurton: Katy joined us in 2018 from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, having recovered from surgery on her tummy. She's now aged about 14 and a half. She loves climbing on furniture - and people (see photo) - and also going to sleep under blankets and duvets. She's even worked out how to open the airing cupboard. She doesn't like closed doors or going to the vet.
Harriet Coates: Arlo has lived with us for two years. We had him as a puppy and he was so cute. He’s a Working Cocker Spaniel so he has a lot of energy and needs long walks. My baby sister, Lizzie, adores Arlo but he is not her fan because she’s got all the attention. I’m still his favourite!
Dorothy Oxley: I'm down to three cats in my studio flat, having lost two ginger boys to heart conditions. These are Midnight (in a mad moment), Mimi (startled by the flash) and Muffin. If you visit my flat, you'll see a notice saying: "The cats are in charge. I just live here."
Gary and Helen Hunt: We have two pets: Having decided to get another cat, we quickly discovered that it wasn't that easy to find a kitten in 2020. Finally, thanks to Martin Howell, Tybalt (Prince of Cats) joined us in October 2020 just before we went into the second Covid lock-down. He settled into our lives very quickly and became Helen's work buddy, making regular guest appearances in virtual meetings until he discovered the great outdoors. Tybalt is very much his own person and is a regular visitor to many of our neighbours, gracing us with his presence when he wants some home comforts (and cod cheeks which are a special treat). He struggled with the arrival of a boisterous puppy in June, but is now slowly coming to terms with the latest arrival.
Gary had wanted another dog for a long time, but the search for his breed of choice, an Irish Terrier, was proving fruitless. Then in late May a litter of chocolate labrador puppies popped up on the Pets of PwC site and Dexter arrived in our lives. He is an adorable, but somewhat exuberant puppy and is growing at an alarming rate (at almost 7 months old he weighs 24 kgs). Labradors are very food-driven, which makes training a bit easier (tubes of Primula cheese are a particularly effective training accessory), but also means that no food items can be left anywhere accessible. A walk with Dexter can take up a lot of time because he wants to stop and greet everyone along the way and also inspect every random object that he comes across. Our pets truly enhance our lives and bring us enormous pleasure.
Revd Gemma Birt: Our cat April is a rascal. She is named after a character in one of our family's favourite sit-coms. She loves chasing insects and mice (and eating them, yuck) and I am sure she can say a miaow in a few distinct words such as "milk" and "out". Our dog Bronte's favourite thing is food of any kind, including raw broccoli stems. She loves saying hello to people and dogs on her walks and is very good at doing a little ballet twirl and swizzle in the air in order to encourage other dogs to play with her. Bronte is named after a beautiful beach in Sydney, Australia where my friend lives. 
Zara Barmby: This is my Netherland Dwarf Rabbit Chloe. I’ve had Chloe for almost nine years now yet she definitely does not seem old for a rabbit! She loves to hop around her hutch and is always hungry for her favourite treats (especially dandelions). As a pet, she is quite low maintenance, I clean her out once every week and we give her fresh food and water two times per day. In the winter months, we keep her hutch warm with a cover, and during the spring and summer she loves nothing more but to sunbathe in the garden and munch on some grass. She likes a groom from time to time, but is less keen on being picked up. Though she may be 63 in rabbit years, she is still prepared to hop around the garden and fight off any pesky foxes !
Book review: I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelsish
By Revd Rosemary Shaw
This is a remarkable story of hope in the tragic story of the Israeli-Gaza conflict which has a long history behind it.Izzeldin Abuelsish is a Gazan fertility expert who grew up in a refugee camp. How his family got there and his journey to becoming an eminent doctor is graphically told against the background of the history of Israel-Palestine. He was working amongst Jewish and Palestinian patients in a Israeli hospital in Jerusalem. This was remarkable in itself as he was the first Palestinian doctor to work there and he describes clearly the humiliation endured by himself and those Palestinians who have to go through the separation wall between Palestine and Israel never knowing if they will get to work or to medical appointments.
It was during this time that his wife died from leukaemia leaving him with eight children to care for Then in January 2009 an Israeli tank shell was fired into the bedroom of his three oldest daughters killing them and a neice
The rest of the book is his journey in refusing to give into hatred and his belief that medicine can be a bridge between the divisions that separate people and that doctors can be messengers of peace. He had a vision of creating Daughters for Life in memory of his daughters and his wife to improve the status of women and girls especially in educational provision.
His strength lies in his Muslim faith and in the message of the Koran that suffering has to be endured patiently and to refuse hate even at the same time as working to correct injustice and the need to get to know people of other faiths and races as fellow humans.
In the midst of the current tragic situation in Israel and Gaza, I recommend this amazing story which is a sign of hope and resilience. Southwark Libraries are purchasing this and it is available as a paperback. It is one of the most inspiring true stories I have read in a long time
Who's who
Vicar Revd Gill O’Neill vicar@stjohnseastdulwich.org
Curate Revd Gemma Birt curate@stjohnseastdulwich.org
Assistant Priests Revd Anne Clarke anne@oakhurstgrove.com , Revd Alistair McCulloch mccullocha95@gmail.com and Revd Rosemary Shaw rshaw1983@icloud.com
Parish Administrator office@stjohnseastdulwich.org
Churchwardens Tayo Olatunde 07908 679 407 and Julie Whitney 07786 686 385
Parish Safeguarding Officer Mary Dawson (contact via Parish Administrator)
PCC Secretary Christine Camplin
PCC Treasurer Claire Nylander
Stewardship Martin Howell
Director of Music John Webber
Editors of The Gander Christine Camplin, Jim Nurton, Tayo Olatunde and Dorothy Oxley
(Contact each of the above via Parish Administrator)
Website: www.stjohnseastdulwich.org
Twitter: @StJohnsEDulwich
St John's & St Clement's C of E Primary School, Adys Road, London SE15 4DY
www.stjohnsandstclements.org, 020 7525 9210
Disclaimer
The views expressed in The Gander are not necessarily those of the Editors, Vicar or PCC.
Magazine Deadline
Notices and items or articles for possible inclusion in the next issue of The Gander must be with the Editors by the 15th of the preceding month. Please contact the team in person or by email to the Parish Administrator with any questions.
Follow us on social media!
