CHAPLAIN’S LETTER
It will soon be the beginning of Lent - Ash Wednesday is on 17th February. Now is the time to plan what you will do to mark this precious season in the Church’s year. May I encourage you to take part in this year’s Lent course?
We are hoping to offer a Lent Course meeting in home groups again this year. There is a new “York Course” available, using a recorded discussion as a starting point for each session. Here is some information about it from the “York Courses” website:
When I survey ... Christ's cross and ours
NEW for LENT 2010
The death of Christ is a dominant and dramatic theme in the New Testament. So it’s not surprising that, over the centuries, the Cross has become the symbol of the Christian faith. But Christians do not honour a dead hero; we worship a Living Lord.
According to the Bible, the death of Jesus is not the end of a track – it’s the gateway into life. His crucifixion gives rise to many key themes and you’ll explore some of these in this course including: the place of silence in our noisy world; despair and hope; a suffering world; the challenge of living as disciples when Christianity is no longer mainstream ...
Session 1 – Darkness at Noon
Session 2 - Into Great Silence
Session 3 - The Child on the Cross
Session 4 - Outside a City Wall
Session 5 - Touching the Rock
We hope to have several Lent Groups, meeting at various places and times in the week, for 5 sessions starting in the week of 22 February. With such an important subject for study please try to join one of them.
Fr John
ROAD OF MY DESIRE
O thou who dost direct my feet
To right or left where pathways part
Wilt thou not, faithful Paraclete
Direct the journeying of my heart?
Into the love of God, I pray,
Deeper and deeper let me press,
Exploring all along the way
Its secret strength and tenderness.
From a poem by Frank Houghton 1894 – 1972
TIPS FOR SAVING HEATING ENERGY AND TO REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILLS
This winter, save money and stay warm. Keep your energy bill and your pollution output low this winter by taking a whole-house approach to heating.
1) Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
2) Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
3) Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
4) Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
5) Turn off kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing to retain heated air.
6) Install a programmable thermostat that can adjust the temperature according to your schedule.
7) Insulate your hot water heater and hot water pipes to prevent heat loss.
8) Insulate heating ducts in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces and keep them in good repair to prevent heat loss of up to 60 per cent at the registers.
9) Heating can account for almost half of the average family's winter energy bill. Make sure your furnace or heat pump receives professional maintenance each year.
10) Explore ways to save energy and improve the environment by taking simple steps around your home.
11) During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
12) Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable when at home. Lowering the heating by 1 degree C, saves up to 7 per cent of your heating bill.
13) By resetting your programmable thermostat from 22 C to 18 C for eight hours a day (for instance, while no one is home or while everyone is tucked in bed) you can cut your heating bill by up to 10 per cent.
14) Weatherize your home—caulk and weather strip any doors and windows that leak air.
15) Properly maintain and clean heating equipment.
16) Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your area.
Kim
for Green Awareness
INSANITY
Doctor: “Has there been any insanity in your family?”
Woman: “I’m afraid so. My husband sometimes thinks he's the boss.”
WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTATMENT: MATTHEW
This is the first of a new series which will give an overview of the books of the New Testament. This month we begin with Matthew, the first of the gospels, which opens the New Testament.
Traditionally this gospel was ascribed to Matthew the apostle, however today it is generally believed that the author used oral tradition, written fragments, eye-witness accounts, as well as common material in the other synoptic gospels (Mark and Luke). This has led many to believe that Matthew was written in the AD 70’s.
Matthew, originally writing for Jews, sets out to prove that Jesus is the true Messiah. He makes sure that as we read his account of the birth, life death and resurrection of Jesus, we see the connections with everything that has gone before. ‘Fulfilled’ is one of Matthew’s characteristic verbs, as he makes the connections with the Old Testament Scriptures. In fact he quotes the Old Testament more than any other New Testament author. This is reflected in the opening genealogy in which he traces Jesus as a descendant of Abraham; in his use of the terms kingdom of heaven and Father in heaven, reflecting a Jewish reluctance to use the name of God; and in the way he emphasises Jesus’ role as Son of David.
The gospel may have also been originally addressed to teachers, remembering that at that time many people couldn’t read. The whole gospel is woven around five blocks of teaching (chapters 5-7; 10; 13; 18; 24-25). This fivefold division may reflect a deliberate allusion to the structure of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament).
Matthew provides a comprehensive context by which we see all God’s creation and salvation completed in Jesus, and all parts of our lives (work, family, friends and future) completed in him. At the end of his gospel he records Jesus’ commission to his disciples to share this good news, promising to be with them:
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (28: 18-20)
THE ASHES OF ASH WEDNESDAY
Many churches offer a service on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent where ashes are used to mark each person’s forehead with the sign of the cross – known as the Imposition of Ashes.
It’s a strange feeling; first the grittiness when they are first placed, then a tingling sensation, then a time of self-consciousness of knowing they are there like a dirty smudge. Lastly comes the ‘Decision’. Should I wipe them away before leaving the church or later?
But what is the point of it all?
There are many references in the Bible to people using ashes as signs of either penitence or preparation for an important event (Jeremiah 6:26). In church records, ashes are used for penitents by the sixth century, but it is not until the beginning of the eleventh century that the faithful took part in a ceremony on the Wednesday before Lent that included the imposition of ashes. It is only later that this came to be called Ash Wednesday.
At first clerics and men had ashes sprinkled on their heads while women had the sign of the cross made with ashes on their foreheads.
In the twelfth century the rule developed that the ashes were to be created by burning palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday – and in most churches this is still how they are made today.
Over the centuries the emphasis of meaning for the imposed ashes has changed, from a preparation for baptism, a renewal of baptismal vows, to an understanding of a community’s preparation for the event of the Paschal mystery of rebirth at Easter.
This month: as the priest says the traditional words over you, “Remember that you are but dust, and to dust you will return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. Amen.” what will you be focusing upon?
CTC CHILDRENS TRINITY CLUB CORNER
Hi there! Here we are in February and, if all is well, we might see some crocuses peeping out – and hopefully not from under the snow! However under the hard ground the cycle of new life is busy - a wonder – and renewal below and above ground is on the way.
With our CTC too, changes have taken place. Jacqui and Onno Bakker, with Marnix, Thom and Saskia left on 30th December to live in Australia, and Oliver who was already at school there will join them. They had such a hectic time before departing that there wasn’t the opportunity for a proper Holy Trinity ‘farewell’. They will be much missed, and especially by CTC who are now a leader short! Renewal is continuous!
Exciting new beginnings – for the older children of CTC who are now being guided in their own group by Pam. They got off to a good start with the full group of 8; Raquel, Joost, Ruben, Mathilde, Priscilla and Richella, Selwyn and Cieran. It was obvious that all looked very ‘opgewekt’ when they came into church and Pam commented that one of the challenges is the time-factor – lack of it! They will be covering the same ground as we do in church – so their first session was about John The Baptist – who he was and what he was like (Luke 3. 15-17, 21-22).
Danielle, Ingrid, Jan and Edwin will be beginning with the new material – appropriately at the beginning of this new year, so let us remember to pray for them – that they may be guided and strengthened in their important work with the younger children of CTC, and for Pam with the older ones.
Nicky for CTC
A POEM BY JOHN BELL – THE IONA COMMUNITY
No wind at the window, no knock on the door
No light from the lamp stand, no foot on the floor
No dream born of tiredness, no ghost raised by fear
Just an angel and a woman and a voice in her ear
Oh Mary, oh Mary don’t hide from my face
Be glad that you’re favoured and filled with God’s grace
The time for redeeming the world has begun
And you are requested to mother God’s son
This child must be born that the Kingdom might come
Salvation for many, destruction for some
Both end and beginning, both message and sign
Both victor and victim, both yours and divine
No payment was promised, no promises made
No wedding was dated, no blue print displayed
Yet Mary, consenting to what none could guess
Replied with conviction, “tell God I say yes.”
Copyright © WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, G2 3DH, Scotland.
wgrg@iona.org.uk; www.wgrg.co.uk. Reproduced by permission.
PRAYING WITH OBJECTS
Have you ever watched young babies contentedly studying their surroundings? Their eyes are attracted by colour, shape and movement. As babies grow into toddlers and young children, this fascination with their environment continues. Look at the way children’s eyes light up with excitement as they discover the veins in a fallen leaf, the sparkling trail of a snail across a pavement, or the colours of a piece of silver paper catching the light. All too quickly this fascination fades as the pressures of life and the need to achieve take over.
This fascination with our world is a gift from God. It is always there for us to take hold of again, if we can only pause amongst the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. When was the last time you looked with wonder, either at a natural object, such as a seashell or a tree, or a manufactured object such as a book or a pen. We take so much for granted, but looking with wonder and gratitude can help to bring calm and a sense of inner peace into the busyness of our world.
The next time you watch a DVD or listen to a CD, take a few moments to look at the disc. Look at the colours reflecting off the surface. Look in wonder as you ask yourself where this glorious rainbow of colours comes from. Think about other times and places where you have seen these rainbow colours. Spend a few moments thanking God for the beauty of the rainbow and feel God’s calming presence.
When you pick up a pen, why not spend a few moments thinking about the
people who designed the pen, the people who were involved in making it. As you
hold the pen allow yourself to marvel at the number of people involved. Thank God for the way in which people work together to help others.
Pausing with an object and allowing your thoughts to turn to God in gratitude can bring a moment of calm and prayerfulness in an otherwise busy day.
STATISTIC OF THE MONTH: MORE CHURCHES IN LONDON!
Between 1998 and 2005 the number of churches in England dropped slightly, from 37,700 to 37,500, less than 1% of the total. This was at a time when church attendance dropped 15%, which simply means that the average congregation became smaller.
However, the number of churches would have declined much more had closures not been compensated by openings of new churches, especially in London, where the number went from 3,800 to 4,100, a huge increase. This was due almost entirely to the huge increase in Pentecostal churches which include most if not all of the Black Majority independent churches in the capital.
But churches of other ethnicities also grew in London – the Chinese, the Korean, the Japanese, the Croatian, the Tamil, the Estonian, the French, the Hungarian, the Danish, the Icelandic, and many, many more. Immigrants coming to the UK invariably come to London. If you had to struggle with English from Monday to Saturday you would prefer to go to a church on the Sunday where everyone spoke your native tongue!*
London wasn’t the only part of the country where there were more churches opening than closing. The other great metropolitan area, the West Midlands, also saw three more churches open than close – which out of a total of 3,800 churches in 2005 isn’t much change. The reason, however, that its numbers didn’t drop as they did everywhere else in the country was the same as in London, a huge increase in the number of churches, especially Pentecostal, where non-white people go to church.
The increase in the black Pentecostal churches is therefore especially important. Currently 17% of English churchgoers come from non-white backgrounds – 10% black and 7% others. If their rate of growth continues then by 2015 the total non-white attenders could be 26% of the total – 16% black and 10% others.
*A situation which is probably quite familiar to many of the congregation in Holy Trinity!
WITH FEBRUARY 14TH IN MIND...
The highest love of all finds its fulfillment not in what it keeps, but in what it gives. Fr Andrew SDC
REFLECTING ON COPENHAGEN
Back in mid-December the world was waiting for the results of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. In Utrecht, campaigners for reducing carbon emissions put on a big event in the Jaarbeurs (impressive green lights and drums), and a candle-lit vigil (a small gathering on a frosty night at the Neude). Members of the Holy Trinity Green Awareness Group joined in this wider programme, and we also expressed our concern about climate change on Sunday, 13th December by a very moving short service which ended with 350 chimes of our bell. It was a message of warning: we have already passed what many scientists believe is the safe limit of 350 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere.
One member of the bell-ringing team said later: ‘What went through me as we were actually ringing the bell was that it really is a shame that it has to come to this, that we have to ring church bells to warn mankind of the disastrous things we are doing to our planet. Not only the world leaders but each and every one of us should change the way we are living. Change the world but start with yourself. Ringing the church bells was also frightening because usually they are used to warn people of danger. That’s what I felt – danger!’
After much discussion and high expectations, the outcomes at Copenhagen were very disappointing. The agreement brokered by US President Barack Obama with China and others did set up the first significant programme of climate aid to poorer nations, and urged deeper cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming, but it did not require them. Critics are now calling this window dressing, and many say that the conference was a failure.
There is another chance in 2010: the next international discussions will take place this year in Mexico City, and will seek to accomplish what the Copenhagen conference failed to do. Let's pray that the leaders will learn from the mistakes made in 2009.
Our Advent bible study course on Creation theology gave us a sombre but hopeful perspective on the present situation : ‘Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse (see Genesis 3, 17). But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay’. (Romans 8, 20 – 21, New Living Translation).
The Green Awareness Group
SPECIAL NEEDS
After booking my 80-year-old grandmother on a flight from London to Amsterdam, I called the airline to go over her special needs. The representative listened patiently as I requested a wheelchair and an attendant for my mother because of her arthritis and impaired vision to the point of near blindness. My apprehension lightened a bit when the woman again and again assured me that she understood and that everything would be taken care of. I thanked her profusely. "Oh, you're welcome," she replied. I was about to hang up when she cheerfully added, "And will your grandmother need a rental car?"
MIRACLE 11 – CHRISTMAS ON IONA
Having been on Iona during Easter week, I had expected the Christmas celebrations to be similar: the facilities packed with guests and together reliving from day to day Christ’s last days on earth, the crucifixion and resurrection.
In part this was indeed the case: there was a rhythm of reliving the prophecies (we had been reading Isaiah daily during the morning service during the quiet weeks before Christmas), the angel’s announcements to Joseph and Mary, the birth of Christ, the three wise men bringing gifts and the fleeing to Egypt after the angel had warned Joseph about Herod.
The atmosphere, on the other hand, was very different. There were not so many guests and quite a few of them were relatives of the staff members (like in my case: Rob came).
This gave the community a strong family-gathering feel.
We started off the celebrations by making a round of the island singing carols. Covered in innumerable layers (it was very cold and windy on Iona) and torch in hand, we went from chapel to church singing a carol in each one: there is Bishop’s House (which is Anglican), the Roman Catholic House of Prayer, the local island church (which is Church of Scotland) and of course the Abbey church with Oran’s and Michael chapel next to it. And in between we sang outside: on the road, on the jetty and in the ruins of the nunnery. It was a very clear night and all the stars (there a so many visible there!) were out and shining brightly.
On Christmas Eve we were asked to put out our stocking on a refectory table and at 11 pm there was a wonderful service in the Abbey; all seated around a long table, with beautiful music, singing and communion. We (the staff members) had been busy all week in the craft room making a nativity scene and now Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus had been placed in front of the alter, surrounded by some sheep (not real ones).
On Christmas morning our stockings had been filled with Iona souvenirs (compliments of the Iona Community), there was Christmas Day matins and afterwards we gathered in the common room, by the coal fire, to give each others presents (we had each drawn a name from a hat a few days earlier and bought or made a present for that person).
Then, at 3.30 pm, there was an elaborate Christmas dinner, with a whole table full of sweets. Finally there was a quiet space service in the evening; again with beautiful singing…
Madeleine
PRAYER CHAIN
If you have any requests for the prayer chain, or if you feel called to take part in this ministry, please contact Anne Miechielsen
LENT – A GOOD TIME TO PRAY
Lent is traditionally a time when Christians take stock of themselves spiritually. They set aside extra time for prayer. So there you are, tentatively wanting to pray and maybe, struggling a bit. Well, here are some helpful things to remember as you settle down to it:
People have been praying since Adam had a grandson named Enosh. At least the Bible tells us in Genesis 4:26 that it was during his days when “men began to call on the name of the Lord”. They have been doing it ever since.
God has answered people since Genesis, too. But if you want to read some beautiful prayers - and answers to them - browse through the Psalms. Again and again the psalmist writes: “the Lord heard my cry”.
So - what do you need to bring to prayer? Just the tiniest amount of faith that God is even there... Jesus assures us that even faith as small as a tiny mustard seed will be effective.
What gives you the right to come before Almighty God? Jesus does. The Bible is clear that “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ”. (1 Tim 2:5)
The Bible makes clear that God does not stand on ceremony - he wants our personal, spontaneous prayers. Jesus was very matter of fact about it: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
The Bible assures us that prayer will bring us good things: “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”. (Hebrews 4:16)
Above all, prayer must be made with a pure heart. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18) That simply means that if you know you are doing something wrong, and intend to keep right on doing it, don’t waste your time praying.
Finally, what can be the results of your prayers this Lent? Well, here are seven, for starters....
1. Joy and deep happiness. (John 16:24)
2. Relief from your worry, stress and tension (Philippians 4:6,7)
3. Wisdom and more mental clarity (James 1:5,6)
4. Protection and deliverance from temptations (Matthew 26:41)
5. An ability to share the Good News of Jesus to other people (Matthew 9:38)
6. Strength to persevere when you feel under spiritual attack (Ephesians 6:18)
7. A growing thankfulness to God, who is worthy of all glory (Revelation 4:11)
A THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.
Linda Ellerbee
'LEARN FROM ME... AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS'
This year the lectionary at our worship focuses on St Luke's Gospel. Reading his gospel is like watching a master artist at work, painting vivid scenes that are unique to him: the birth and infancy stories, the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, and the walk to Emmaus. In these and in other episodes, Luke portrays God in Jesus reaching out to those on the edge of society: the leper, the outcast, the marginalised.
Only Luke explicitly mentions women as the companions of Jesus, and it is Luke who stresses the importance of prayer in his life and ministry. Jesus prays at his baptism, and at the end of that earthly ministry, on the cross, he prays for those who engineer his death. And Jesus recommends prayer to the disciples as part of their way of life, no more so that in the Lord's Prayer.
That comes in chapter 11 as Jesus teaches them a prayer asking for needs. The previous chapter ends with the encounter of Jesus with Martha and Mary, where he stresses prayer as first of all openness and listening. Luke paints that scene in words in chapter 10 with simplicity and deftness. Vermeer painted the same scene on canvas, again with simplicity and deftness. ‘Christ in the house of Martha and Mary' was one of his earliest paintings (1654-55) and a copy of it can be seen on the following site: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_search/4:324/result/0/5539
It is tempting to see that scene in Luke's Gospel as a sharp contrast between two ways of discipleship, with a judgement of one and praise of the other: Jesus opting for the contemplative way of life as opposed to an active way. But that same chapter has just related the powerful parable of loving service with the Good Samaritan. Here in this meeting, there is no condemnation of one and approval of the other: Jesus says that Martha's way is good, but Mary's is better.
Vermeer captures that understanding as he places the three characters in the unity of an imaginary circle that links them together. Martha, offering the basket of bread, looks down, while Mary looks upward with hope and longing. Jesus' face is turned to Martha, but his right hand points to Mary. The scene is simply presented - the only decoration is the elaborate tablecloth showing beneath the white cover.
One artist has captured another in teaching us that the first step in discipleship is to listen to the Lord. Jesus says to us from the pages of the Gospel and from the canvas, 'Come to me... listen to my words.' It is the first step in prayer: turning to God in openness and attention before we begin to speak. Those stages in prayer will then lead us on to loving service. This month sees the beginning of the season of Lent - a time to look at our lives and to see where our priorities lie. It is a time when we hear our Lord inviting us, as he invited Martha and Mary, to turn to him once again, to learn from him, and be refreshed in body and soul.
WINTER
As I sit and type this piece January is not even half way over and already this winter is proving to be a most instructive one. So I thought it might be interesting to review some of the things it has taught us so far. The first and most obvious point is: A White Christmas. This we now know is seasonally very beautiful when it is confined to Christmas cards, shop windows, theatres, TV shows and the like. However if it ever escapes and gets out into reality, then things are very different. All forms of transport, both public and private, go into sulk mode. Snow covered roads, frozen points and unusable runways tend to turn travel plans into nightmares. People don't make it home for the festivities, presents don't arrive on time and the papers are full of nothing but stories about how bad the contingency plans are for snowy weather.
Now those who are paid to gaze into a crystal ball and come up with the long range weather forecasts had predicted a mild winter. But I expect that they fell into the same trap that I did. You see I expected the Copenhagen conference to generate a large enough carbon footprint, what with the world's shakers and movers all arriving by private plane or stretch limo and staying in overheated hotels, to ensure warm weather. That plus the amount of hot air they produced should have done it. Let's face it, they didn't actually manage to come up with anything else. Mind you, someone publishing the hacked Emails of the scientists and exposing some, less than fair methods of processing the data to 'prove' global warming just before the conference kicked off, didn't help. I also noticed, with some wry amusement, that this conference was still deemed to be a 'success', which makes you wonder what they would define as a 'failure'. (Oh, and in passing, I must mention the irony of the global warming protest at the conference which had to be called off because of the cold weather.)
Another 'success' was trumpeted when it was announced that the 'System had worked' in defeating the attempt to bring down a plane on Christmas Day. So let me see if I can fully understand how the 'System' works. I turn up hours before my flight leaves so that I may stand sequentially in several huge lines waiting to go through various security checks. When I eventually get to the head of the line my hand baggage is searched and anything that could remotely be considered as a weapon is confiscated. I must go through a metal detector while holding my pants up as my belt is being processed in another scanner and I'm not allowed to put my hands in my pockets. (It's worse than being in primary school where some teacher was always yelling "Anderson! Get your hands out of your pockets." What hazard an elderly man going through a metal detector with his hands in his pockets presents has never been properly explained to me. Come to think of it as far as I know neither has the sight of a primary school boy with his hands in his pockets ever threatened civilisation as we know it.)
However when I actually get on board the aircraft and we take off, the 'System' only works properly when someone climbs over two rows of seats and tries to
strangle the life out of the terrorist who is busy attempting to set fire to his underpants. Again this begs the question, what do they consider a System failure?
But, back to the weather. While we were all supposed to be worried sick about global warming most of us were more worried about the pipes freezing. So they dragged a gentleman away from his crystal ball gazing to come on the TV and 'explain' what was happening. He pointed out that 'weather' and 'climate' are not the same thing. To demonstrate this point he produced a map of the world with all the current temperatures highlighted, red for warm and blue for cold. He agreed that unusually cold weather was affecting North America, Europe and China. However he did point out that other parts of the planet were still very warm and he seemed to be well satisfied with this. I, however, noticed a sight flaw in his argument. All the cold parts were in the northern hemisphere while all the warm parts were in the south. Since it is mid winter in the north and midsummer in the south, these temperature differences are not an unusual event, in fact they happen all the time. If this is the sort of scientific 'logic' that is underpinning the global warming theory I feel that my confidence in it is slipping. To be honest my confidence in long term weather forecasting has taken several knocks recently as they failed to predict three wet summers as well as this winter. Yet they can confidently predict disaster from global warming. The latest UK government advice is we all drive five miles less a week and reduce our emissions. I wonder how many weeks it would take me to make up for the carbon footprint of the UK delegation to the Copenhagen conference?
Of course the spell of icy weather had its usual effect on the Dutch. First there was the mad dash to be first to skate on the ice, with extra prizes if you actually managed to go swimming as well. Then there was the inevitable speculation as to the viability of holding the Elfstedentocht. This starts with the first sign of frost and if the mercury continues to drop then eventually there are small groups of men to be found boring holes in the ice everywhere to measure its thickness. Most years about this point there is a sudden thaw and the whole thing is forgotten. But occasionally the ice is deemed thick enough for the event.
When this is the case TV sets are dragged into every office and set up. Then on the great day everyone sits in the office doing the minimum amount of work as their eyes are glued to the TV set. This I found to be rather strange as all the TV ever showed was a seemingly unending stream of people skating down canals and was about as interesting as watching paint dry. Of course when something like sixteen thousand people skate over the same piece of ice, it tends to melt and form a layer of surface water, which is fun when someone looses their balance and falls over, usually dragging several others down with them. But apart from this infrequent bit of comic relief, I found it was dead boring.
But that's winter for you. I wonder what sort of weather they can see in their crystal ball for spring? And, for that matter how wrong they'll be.
Jamie
Services at Holy Trinity Church, Utrecht
Previous Newsletters
Jan '10 | Feb '10 | Mar '09 | Apr '09 | May '09 | Jun '09 | Jul '09 | Aug '09 | Sep '09 | Oct '09 | Nov '09 | Dec '09