Page 45 - Phonebox Magazine June 2006

Churches Together in Newport Pagnell
Letter from the Ecumenical Moderator
Encouraging women of faith
Just a few months ago I was invited to address a regional ecumenical gathering of church leaders, to share something of our experience in Milton Keynes. I had an extremely interesting day. The participants represented a huge variety of traditions, and came with a wealth of experience, a whole range of important and perceptive questions and an encouraging level of commitment to ecumenical working. We spent the time, both in the sessions and also over meal-times, in a buzz of conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Different as they all were, however, there was one thing apart from faith in Christ that these participants had in common: they were all men! Much to their embarrassment which they frequently expressed, I was the only woman in the entire hall.
While an increasing number of women are finding their place in significant and powerful roles in the church, it is nonetheless the case that very often they find themselves, as women, still in a small minority. I notice that ‘official’ ecumenical dialogues between different denominations are conducted by theologians few of whom are women, that few women contribute to learned books on ecumenism, that few women are present on
ecumenical panels of liturgists. And sometimes, as I listen to my brothers talking, I dare in a secret subversive moment to imagine it all the other way round. If most of the participants in this dialogue were female, I wonder to myself, how might the dialogue be different? What would we be saying to one another and what issues would be uppermost in our minds? Or if women were to write about their faith and their worship on the basis of their own particular experience, what would they write and how would they write it? Or if women were to write the liturgical texts we all use, how might the style, content and language be different? And as I ask the questions, I become aware of the so far untapped wealth of particular experience and insights which women might bring to our ecumenical journey together, regional, national and international.
But it is not just in the dialogue between Christian traditions that women’s experience needs to be explored and valued. Dialogue between women of different faiths reveals not only a shared experience of being ‘written out’, but also a shared awareness of the special qualities women’s dialogue brings. Rachel Montagu, a Jewish theologian, expresses eloquently and passionately the need for women to be
heard, not only within her own Jewish faith community, but also in the realm of interfaith dialogue. “We cannot take for granted that we have an equal voice,” she writes, “because for so long tradition declared our voices out of bounds and then began to listen to us, provided we sang the same tune as men, even if at a higher pitch. We need to find our own voices and then to learn how to use them and then decide what we will use them for.” (Women’s Voices, p.31)
On 26th of this month an exciting new programme of Monday evening lectures at Acorn House begins entitled ‘Different Paths: Women’s Journeys of Faith’. Drawing together leading female theologians, including Rachel Montagu, from different faith traditions, this series of talks aims to encourage interfaith dialogue, and invites us all to view it from women’s perspectives. Details of the programme are included in this mailing. I do encourage you, sisters and brothers all, to come! Not only is this series unusual and extremely interesting, but your support will become part of the process whereby women of faith are encouraged and enabled to find their own voice, widen the dimensions of interfaith conversation, and thereby enrich all our communities.
Mary Cotes
Birthday Bells for the Queen
TEAS IN THE CONSERVATORY ON SUNDAYS AND BANK HOLIDAYS
From Sunday 30th April until Monday 28th August Cream Teas will be served in the Conservatory of the United Reformed Church Northampton Road Yardley Hastings
From 2.30pm until 5.00pm
To mark the Queen's 80th birthday on April 21st nine North Bucks bellringers rang four quarter peals at local churches. They began at Newport Pagnell at 9am ringing 1264 changes of Plain Bob Major in 47 minutes. Later in the morning at Emberton they rang 1260 changes of Grandsire Doubles in 36 minutes. Then it was off to Clifton Reynes for lunch at the local pub and 1320 changes of Cambridge Surprise Minor in 41 minutes at the village church. The last of the four quarters was at Stoke Goldington where 1260 changes of Stedman Doubles took 40 minutes.
The nine ringers were Alan Marchbank, Nicola A. King, Catherine Stacy, Rachel Stacy, Scott Ayres, Charles J. Knight, Simon Head, B. Douglas Hird and Barry Eglesfield.
In the evening, as well as the Guild branch meeting at Milton Keynes, local bands rang at Clifton Reynes and Lavendon. d
Welcome to our Sunday Services
Newport Church Notice
A brief reminder to all that there is a German Lutheren Service every second month on a Saturday at 3pm at the City Church of Christ the Cornerstone. Further details from Mrs Charlotte Clarke, 12 Silver Street, Newport Pagnell, MK16 0EP. Telephone 01908 614634.
ANGLICAN
Parish Church, High Street Rev John Lewis 611145 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Sung Eucharist creche and Sunday School 6pm Evensong and Sermon St Luke’s, Wolverton Road 11am Family Communion
BAPTIST
Lovat Hall, Silver Street
Rev Paul Rosier 616286 10.30am Family Worship with creche, Sunday School
CATHOLIC
St Bede’s, High Street
Rev James Evans 671342
6.30pm Mass (Saturday), 9am Mass
METHODIST
High Street
Rev Mindy Bell 670332 10.30am Service
and Junior Church
UNITED REFORMED
High Street
Rev Cheryl Huff-Slusser 613464 10.30am Family Worship
All Saints, Lathbury: 9.45am Informal Family Communion 1st Sunday in the month
Phonebox Magazine 45