Thanks to Robert Moody who represented the parish at the recent farewell mass in Straffan for Fr Jacob Shanet who was returning to Nigeria to continue his ministry - Robert was invited to participate in the liturgy and on behalf of the parish he presented a white stole to Fr Jacob at the reception following the mass - We wish Fr Jacob every blessing in his future ministry
Prayers and Best wishes to Dee Huddleston of Straffan who next Sunday
shares in leading a Christian Aid Delegation to Zimbabwe where with supporters
of Christian Aid they will visit with various churches and organisations working
on the ground. Dee and her party are leaving Dublin Airport next Sunday
lunchtime and travelling to Paris via Aer Lingus (Pray that the strike will not
cause issues) and then onwards to Nairobi on an overnight flight with Kenya
Airways and again onwards to Harare with Kenya Airways – They have a very busy
itinerary including among others the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, projects
including, Visiting Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT) -
Strengthening Household Resilience and Incomes in Mwenezi through Promotion of
Sesame (SHRIMPS), a housing project run by the Methodist Development and relief
agency which provides houses for people affected by Cyclone Idai. CAZ &
MEDRA and supports the most disadvantaged persons e.g the elderly, child headed
house hold, people with disability. It is quite a lengthy visit with the party
returning on the morning of Tuesday 16th
July into Dublin airport. Please pray for Dee and all who will travel with her
and all those they encounter during their visit.
I wrote in the current CSNL News of the need to find
new ways to make our WELCOME as a Church more explicit and obvious. The discussion continued following an
excellent presentation by Lucy Jones at last week’s Select Vestry Meeting for
Celbridge & Straffan.
One very important concrete step was taken at the
meeting in that the Select Vestry signed up as an ‘Open and Welcoming
Congregation’ to LGBT+ people and their families. (see details at end of post
***)
It was further suggested that we set up a group to plan
strategies and events in our parish that focus on welcoming new people into our
church community.
One suggestion in particular was that we should try
and have tea and coffee after our services most Sundays and that we provide
services that meet the needs of the community in which we find ourselves – children’s
church services and perhaps in future a service for those facing exams or
indeed a vigil for peace in our world.
These are just a couple of ideas and if you have any
others or would like to participate in this initiative please contact me at Stephen.neill@gmail.com or
087-2328172 or any of the churchwardens or lay ministers in the parish. This
initiative includes all three churches in the parish.
I look forward to hearing from you
Stephen
***
Registering
as an Open and Welcoming Congregation
It is
suggested that congregations and clergy who wish to register with Changing
Attitude Ireland as Open and Welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered (LGBT+) people and their families should formally agree to do so
at a select vestry meeting.
Parishes
that register as Open and Welcoming agree to the following:
We promote
trust and understanding amongst heterosexual and LGBT+ parishioners.
We seek to
include LGBT+ people and their families at every level of parish life,
welcoming not only their presence but all they have to offer.
We do not
make the assumption that everyone is heterosexual, whether in conversation,
preaching, or in the prayers of the church.
We are
upfront in our welcome for LGBT+ people and same-sex couples.
We
recognise committed same-sex unions at social events, in church services and
other aspects of Church life.
We welcome
clergy regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Parishes
that register with CAI as Open and Welcoming Congregations will be listed as
such on the website.
Issue
84 CSNL NEWS June/July/August, 2024.
Parish
Of Celbridge & Straffan with Newcastle-Lyons
Church
of Ireland United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough
By the
parishioners - for the parishioners
From
Our Rector - Dear Friends ..
A few weeks ago I preached about the Universal welcome
we extend to those who wish to present their children for Baptism. This was in the light of a very negative
message that came from our General Synod when a motion which sought to
guarantee that churches would not refuse Baptism on the basis of the marital
status of the parents was defeated. This
led to a lot of confusion and hurt and I wish to state categorically that in this
parish nobody will be turned away as long as I am Rector. The same holds for the Holy Communion. Baptism and Holy Communion were instituted by
Jesus and it is not for us to get in the way.
Reflecting on this led me to wonder how many other people perhaps feel
excluded and unwelcome in our churches whether on basis of sexuality, race,
ethnicity, disability or any other issue.
I think that this is something we need to address proactively and in the
months ahead I would welcome any input/criticism so that we can more fully
reflect the welcoming love of God in our ministry and outreach. The reality is in my experience is that all
our churches are warm and welcoming but does the person outside the door know
that? Nobody should have to wonder will
they be accepted or welcome if they enter one of our churches on any given
Sunday. Lets find new ways to make that
welcome explicit and unmissable!
Yours Stephen
Church
Services
Sunday Newcastle
9 a.m* Straffan 10.15 a.m. Celbridge 11.30 a.m.
1st Holy
Communion Service of Word Holy Communion
2nd Service
of Word Holy Communion Service of Word
3rd Holy
Communion Morning Prayer Holy Communion
4th Morning
Prayer
Holy Communion Morning Prayer
5th 30th
June. United Service. 11 a.m.
Straffan
*Services will continue in Newcastle at 10 a.m., on
the 1st Sunday as a permanent change in the Sunday timetable.
On Going Events
Craft
& Chat: The Group continues each Tuesday afternoon
at 2.30 p.m., in the Slip Hall and is open to all for crafting, chatting and
refreshments. The group will take a
break for July and August and return in September. All welcome!
Wednesday Night Prayers: From 8p.m., to 9
p.m. At the moment they are held in the
home of Tony & Elizabeth Waldron in Newcastle. If anybody would like details they can
contact Rev. Stephen or Dee Huddleston. Everyone is very welcome to come along or to
let them know if there is something they would like them to pray about.
Saturday Night Services. The next service in Christ Church,
Celbridge will be on 13th July at 7 p.m. The service is generally quite informal and we
would be delighted to see some new faces - also if you play a musical
instrument feel free to bring it along.
The service is normally followed by refreshments and time for a chat
after the service.
Parish
Outing - Wednesday, 29th May To Russborough
Thanks to Esther Lougheed & Rebecca Taylor for
organising the above. Just under 20
enjoyed a guided tour of the house and later enjoyed afternoon tea and a good
opportunity to socialise and thankfully the weather was dry!
Confirmation
On Pentecost Sunday, May, 19th in Christ Church Cathedral, Marlena
Quigley & Poppy Murphy were confirmed by Archbishop Michael Jackson. Our Rector said it was a great
pleasure to prepare them both for Confirmation and he wishes them both every
blessing in their journey in life and faith.
We continue to remember them in prayer.
Straffan Sunday
Services On Line
Remember if you can’t get to church on
Sunday, the service is live-streamed.
https://www.churchmedia.tv/straffon-church-of-ireland and www.facebook.com/CSNLParish.
Concerts In Christ
Church, Celbridge
The concert on 17th May by the Washburn
University Choir (Kansas) accompanied by
St. Mary’s
Parish Choir, Maynooth under Sarah Darlington was a free event organised
by Celbridge/Maynooth based Celtic Horizon Tours. The choirs blended beautifully and we wee
treated to a great evening of Sacred and Secular music. It was a great pleasure to welcome Frank
McNamara back to Christ Church on 24th May and as previously his
playing was absolutely beautiful and especially enjoyable were the pieces he
played alongside world renowned violinist Deirdre Reddy. Forthcoming concerts:-
Sat, 22nd June John Spillane.
Sun. 14th July St. Mary’s Brass & Reed
Band, Maynooth.
Fri. 20th September Culture Night with Comhaltas Ceoltoiri from
Leixlip. Free event.
Sat. 5th October . Sean Keane.
Sat. 19th October Leonard Cohen Tribute - John MacKenna.
Sat. 23rd November Artist - to be confirmed.
Sat. 21st December Christmas Concert - Artist to be confirmed.
All tickets are now up on Eventbrite and also
available from Breda - 087-9630719.
Launch
Of Handbook
A new handbook has been launched “From
Every Nation? A Handbook for a congregation’s journey from
welcome to belonging”. The handbook
is available to download for free at www.irishchurces.org/belonging. This aims to equip churches with an
understanding of diversity and inclusion and to support actions at the local
church level to improve inclusion and work towards racial justice through
faith.
Sympathy
Stanley Shaw died peacefully
on 8th June at Naas Hospital.
Deepest sympathy to his wife Jenny, their sons Jonathan &
Alan, his sister Kathleen and the extended family. In accordance with Stanley‘s wishes
the funeral was private. Stanley
was much loved in the parish and community and over a period of years had
played a huge part in the life of Straffan Church. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
CSN-L
Parish Summer Fair Round-Up By Lucy Jones
Saturday 11th May promised glorious
sunshine and the Fair Team were up bright and early putting the finishing
touches to the Slip Hall. Decked out in
balloons, bunting and art the first Parish Summer Fair in a long time was launched. Back by popular demand was the Bottle Stall
with Robert Moody running it like a natural showman. The Craft Stall was a riot of colour and
boasted an enviable crocheted fashion collection for dolls, stunning tea-cosies
and baby wear. We even had some
woodcraft and hair ornaments. All made
by our talented parishioners. A big
thank you to Linda Daly who co-ordinated the stall and contributed her
own handiworks. Viven Bond & Tony
Waldron ably managed the Book Stall, organising it into a wonderfully
browser-friendly display. The
Curiosities needed two tables this year such was the generosity of our Parish
and did a roaring trade. Huge thanks to Claire
Doble for being a trooper and running the stand all day.
What can we say about the Cake Stall? The skills displayed spoke for themselves in
the swift sale of every cake and bun in the place. Ladies, thank you so much for your contributions. This Stall has become a bit of a legend! Thank you to Esther Lougheed & Hazel
Mercer for their sterling work in dealing with the delighted
customers. The Plant Stall was located
outside due to the lovely weather and was literally 40 shades of green. We have so many talented and generous
gardeners in the Parish who took the time to pot up plants for sale, thank
you. Thank you also to Elizabeth
Burbridge & Rebecca Taylor for looking after this stall, your expertise
was invaluable. We had a new venture this year thanks to the ingenuity of James
& Trish Pasley. Hook-a-Duck fast
became one of the most popular activities at the Fair. It is sure to be a firm favourite for years
to come. The Dog Show proved to be small
but beautiful! Our contestants were
enthusiastic and really appreciated the lovely garden to parade around. Thank you very much to all the prize sponsors
and to Tara Campbell for acting as our judge. As always the Children’s Art Competition
provided a beautiful backdrop for the Fair.
We are most grateful to the staff and pupils of Primrose Hill National
School for sharing their talents with us.
We must mention our stalwart team of Tea Ladies, Dee Huddleston &
Judith Gleeson. They delivered
service with a smile all day and kept everyone well refreshed. As we all know a decent supply of tea and
coffee is the backbone of any operation.
Ladies, we literally couldn’t have done it without you!
A massive thank you to all our parishioners for
donating and turning up on the day to support this parish fundraiser. We’d also like to thank Rev. Stephen for
his support and good humour throughout the planning and execution of the
Fair. Our Finance Team of Gordon
Bass, Rev. Stephen & Tony Waldron were invaluable and as every year we
are very grateful for the work they put in.
Thank you all once again, the Fair is a three-church project and really
flourishes because we all work so well together as a team. The day was
wonderful, and full of connection and laughter that the money raised felt
almost like a side show. We made just
over €2,000. Now that we have a target to beat we’ll see you all
again for the Parish Winter Fair 2024!
And from the parishioner a massive thank you to Lucy & June
Galligan for organising it.
Thanks
..to Dee Huddleston for taking the service in
Straffan on 2nd June while our Rector was in
Newcastle-Lyons. Dee spoke on the
work of Christian Aid on 5th May, in advance of Christian Aid
week. The service on RTE1 on Sunday 12th
May was led by Rosamond Bennett, CEO of Christian Aid, and Dee
took part in the service. This year
the focus was on Burundi and featured Aline Nibogora, 35, who had the
first of her 6 children at 14, whose husband was violent and beat her regularly
and was forced to leave her children.
She found out about a 3 day workshop where Christian Aid funded trainers
taught people about village savings and loans associations. With this sense of hope and energy, she began
trading avocados and peanuts and with profits bought a bicycle to transport
greater quantities. She has since been
reunited with 3 of her sons and lives on a plot of land and plans to expand her
business and building a home for her family in the hope that one day she can
have all her children with her. Aline
has said that the support of Christian Aid has made the whole community feel
comforted and empowered.
Thanks to all who maintain the church grounds now that
the mowing season is in full swing and for the Car Boot Market.
Newcastle
300
This year St. Finian’s Church, Newcastle-Lyons
celebrates 300 years since it was reconstructed in its present format and about
800 years since the first stone was laid on the site. In recent weeks parishioners have been
working hard to show the church grounds at their best and in the process have
uncovered some interesting details on the vaults and graves long covered by
ivy. As part of the celebrations a “Fair Day” is planned for
Saturday, 31st August and a Celebration service on the afternoon of
Sunday, 1st September at which the preacher will be an old friend of
the parish, Canon Leonard Ruddock.
Straffan Market & Carboot Sale
The 14th Season of the Straffan Market
& Carboot Sale event started on 4th May, with 3 further events
since. Thanks to all who have helped on
the days, baked and bought! The
remaining dates are:
29th June 13th
July 27th July 10th August
24th August 7th
September 21st September 5th October
The gates open from 8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. If you are interested in booking a stall,
WhatsApp your name and what you sell to Mobile 089-2797200. Calls can not be answered. Pre-BOOKING is required. Fee is €15, paid at the gate. Car + Small trailer is €20. Please use the exact amount. This year we are opening a dedicated CRAFT
only section. This will provide for home
grown and home made produce, Hobby Crafts, Antiques, Books & Music (CD’s, Vinyl’s). No mix with Bric-a-Brac can be used. When applying for a CRAFT Stall, please
WhatsApp your full name + type of CRAFT.
Baptism
Congratulations to Zoe Olivia Thompson,
daughter of Aoife & Alan Thompson
who was baptised in Christ Church, Celbridge on Sunday, 2nd
June. Her Godparents are Jillian
& Bryan Adams. We wish Zoe
Olivia every blessing on her journey in life and faith.
Primrose
Hill National School
Another year over and we wish all the staff and pupils
and their families a refreshing and relaxing summer. The closing service will take place on
Friday, 21st June at 11.30 a.m., in Christ Church, Celbridge. Our thoughts are also with those who have
completed state and other examinations as they await the results.
Calendar Of Events
June
Sun 16 Father’s Day.
Fri 21 End of Year Service. 11.30 a.m. Christ Church.
Sat 22 Concert.
Christ Church, Celbridge. 8 p.m.
Sat 29 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Sun 30 United
Service. Straffan Church. 11 a.m.
July
Sat 13 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Service. Christ Church, Celbridge. 7 p.m.
Sun 14 Concert.
Christ Church, Celbridge. 8 p.m.
Sat 27 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
August
Sat 10 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Sat 24 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Sat 31 Fair Day. St. Finian’s Church, Newcastle-Lyons.
September
Sun 1 800 Celebration Service. St. Finian’ Church.
Mon 2 Closing date for next issue of CSNL
NEWS.
Sat 7 Car
Boot Market. Straffan. 8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Sun 8 CSNL NEWS distributed in 3 churches.
Fri 20 Concert.
Christ Church, Celbridge. 8 p.m.
Sat 21 Car Boot Market. Straffan.
8.45 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
WhatsApp
Groups
WhatsApp group continues to be very active. There are also groups specifically for
Newcastle and another for Straffan notices – together they provide a very
effective means of contact in the parish.
Notices
Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal. Shoebox Checking Volunteers Needed
this November. Contact info@teamhope.ie or
01-2940222. The United Dioceses of
Dublin & Glendalough have a vacancy for a full time Accounts &
Administrative Assistant - contact Ian Walshe - dgsecretary@dublinchurchofireland.org.
Chuckle
Time
Sunday School teacher:
“Do you
say your prayers every night, Sammy?”
Sammy: “Oh
no! Some nights I don’t want anything.”
Who’s Who
In The Parish
www.cs-nl.org celbridgestraffannewcastlelyns@gmail.com
Rector: Rev.
Stephen Neill 01-6288231 087-2328172
www.paddyanglican.com stephen.neill@gmail.com
Keep up to date on www.cs-nl.org
&
https://www.facebook.com/CSNLParish & www.Dublin.anglican.org
Anxiety weighs down a heart,
but a kind word cheers it up. Proverbs.
12:25.
Sermon for Trinity Sunday 2024
Trinity Sunday – It’s a funny sort of feast – It doesn’t celebrate any
particular event in our faith story – It’s a celebration of a theological
doctrine and immediately that makes a lot of people want to switch off!
It is however a very important doctrine – the heart of our faith - which is implied throughout the biblical
narrative and is intrinsic to our understanding of God and our relationship
with God and indeed the whole of Creation.
I was looking for a fresh angle on the Trinity for my sermon today and I
did a bit of reading of some commentaries on the theme and came across this
from a contemporary theologian, Gerald Darring – The theology he articulates is
completely orthodox but the way in which he presents it provoked a sort of
lightbulb moment for me. This quotation is quite lengthy but I think quite
helpful:
‘There is absolute individuality within the
Trinity, for we believe that the Father is neither the Son nor the Spirit, nor
is the Son the Father or the Spirit, nor is the Spirit the Father or the Son.
Each person is distinct from the other two; none loses his personhood within
the Trinity.
There is absolute equality within the Trinity.
No person has something that the others lack, for each is God and each is all
being. None is more God; all are absolutely equal.
There is absolute unity within the Trinity. God
is one; the three persons are one. Father, Son and Spirit are three distinct
persons, but they are persons in one God.
Ours is a Trinitarian religion. The Trinity
is the source of our faith as well as the goal of our lives. We long to
live for all eternity the life of the Trinity. Meanwhile, the Trinity is for us
the model towards which we strive as a community: free individuals with
total equality in complete unity.’
That last paragraph really hit home for me:
It hit home because I suddenly realised it addresses head on an issue
which has caused huge hurt and damage within our own Church of Ireland and
beyond in recent weeks. I’m referring to the defeated motion brought to General
Synod which sought to encourage clergy not to refuse baptism to children based
on the marital status of their parents. The motion was passed by the laity but
narrowly defeated by the clergy, some of whom, for whatever reason seemed to
want to be the gatekeepers to the sacrament of Baptism.
Lets look again at the last line of Gerald Darring’s commentary on the
Trinity.
‘The Trinity is the source of our faith as well as the goal of our
lives. …….the Trinity is for us the model towards which we strive as a
community: free individuals with total equality in complete unity.’
How does that square with what happened at General Synod? It doesn’t I
would suggest! The latter says we are a church with walls and barriers to keep
out certain people – a church not of equality but one which likes to put people
into categories of exclusion – a church which does not seek Unity but division
– withdrawing itself onto an island of purity and rigorous and unforgiving
rules which take away all freedom. It is a vision of Hell!
The Trinity on the other hand is a vision of Divine relationship which
draws us in and welcomes us – What happened at Synod was the antithesis of this
and flies in the face of who and what we are called to be.
I am not one for quoting huge tracts of Scripture out of context but I
do make an exception for the words of Jesus which have a way of cutting across
and through our prejudices and our hangups (and I think that is what was at
play at Synod – some people far too wrapped up in their own theological systems
and hangups that they could not see the fundamental principle at stake.)
These words of Jesus from Matthew 18: 1-5 are I think particularly
relevant and instructive:
At
that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?’ 2 He called a child, whom he
put among them, 3 and said, ‘Truly I tell you,
unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever
welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
I
would defy anybody to interpret those words of Jesus in a way that could
possibly justify turning away a child presented for baptism by its parent or
parents regardless of their marital arrangements, their sex or sexuality or any
other defining characteristic of their personhood.
If
we are truly to reflect the vision of the Trinity in our church and in our
lives then rather than creating a theological obstacle course for those who are
seeking we should be the kind of community that reflects and extends the divine
embrace and welcome to all who show up. We need to get over ourselves and
realise its not about us but about a God who seeks to draw all people to
himself and it is not for us to get in the way.
Infact
the very next verse following those words of Jesus I just quoted from Matthew
18 says this – again the words of Jesus:
‘'If
any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in
me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your
neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.’
Strong
stuff – I think the message essentially is – Get out of the way and let God be
God!
God
doesn’t need gatekeepers – The Church doesn’t need gatekeepers – I don’t know
if you have noticed but people aren’t exactly knocking down the door to get in
to our churches these days…….perhaps because we are perceived to be exclusive
and inward looking – I know that’s not true in this parish or this church
but can we continue to assume that those outside the doors don’t think
differently. The public commentary following the General Synod made it quite
clear that a lot of people had their opinions and prejudices confirmed. There
is a lot of cynicism out there and its hard to say it isn’t justified! We
cannot deny that the majority of clergy want to be gatekeepers and some laity
as well – We have a problem and if we don’t address it our church will not be
here in another generation.
I
think this is a wake up call for us – Somehow we have to leave people in no
doubt as to who we are and what we stand for because no matter what and who we
think we are perception is reality. People have to know they are Welcome – No
strings attached!
Some
years ago at a vestry meeting we discussed joining the Changing Attitude list of Open and
Welcoming Churches in Ireland to LGBT+ people - Many of the parishes in this
diocese (including some of our neighbours) are signed up to it but without
consensus we didn’t pursue it further – I no longer believe it is a option –
Yes I know that people of diverse sexuality are welcome in our churches but do
those who might be outside the door and wondering will they be welcome know? Why
can’t we make it easier for them? Why force them to guess or to make themselves
more vulnerable by taking a risk? Why not be unambiguous and get out of the way
of a God who doesn’t want or need gatekeepers. Sometimes by our inaction we
make great gatekeepers!
That
is just one example – Others spring to mind. Obviously the current issue of
open Baptism is something that we need to make explicit.
We
have an annual pet service in our parish and there is one four legged regular attender
all year around but do we need to say more publicly that we are pet friendly
all year around…. Its not just pets but support dogs – I wonder is there
somebody who would like to be a part of this community of faith but is not sure
if their pet or companion dog is welcome…..
I
could probably go on but that’s probably enough to consider for one day. I
never thought a consideration of the Trinity would lead me down this road but I
do really feel there is an urgency for us as a church if we wish to thrive and
continue to live the vision of the Trinity as a welcoming and open community of
faith to be much more explicit about what we stand for and indeed what we do
not wish to see said and done in our name.
Amen.
