Odds and Ends
Who
said that?
Churton
Collins
The
greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.
Hubert
Humphrey
Climate change:
Facts and Figures
At the current rate of carbon emissions, global average
temperatures will rise 2°C by 2050 according to research by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Unless urgent action is taken now the world faces these terrifying
consequences:
250 million people will be forced to leave their homes between
now and 2050. Acute water shortages for 1-3 billion people; 30 million
more people going hungry as agricultural yields go into recession across the
globe.
Sea levels edging towards increases of up to 95cm by the end of the
century, submerging 18% of Bangladesh. Not that we have to wait until then for
the bad stuff, though; a 1°C rise, expected by 2020, would see an extra 240
million people experiencing water ‘stress’ – where supply can no longer be
stretched to meet demand. The predicted 1.3°C rise by 2025 would see tens of
millions more going hungry due to falling agricultural yields in the developing
world and rising global food prices.
Making poverty permanent
However bad the consequences of climate change are for those living
in relatively wealthy countries, they will be far, far more devastating for
vulnerable people in poor countries.
‘Climate change is also clearly a development issue since
its adverse effects will disproportionately affect poorer countries.’ European
Commission, 2003
‘Forget about making poverty history. Climate change will
make poverty permanent.’ Nazmul Chowdhury, Practical Action, a Christian Aid partner
It’s getting hot in here
Since 1850, a period in which today’s richest countries have
industrialised rapidly, levels of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere have risen 28%; methane levels are 112% higher. The world’s surface
temperatures are rising more rapidly than at any point in the last 10,000
years. The 1990s were the hottest decade since records began – and the
temperature rises are speeding up.
Death and disease
Global warming is bad for your health as these figures attest; an
estimated 150,000 people die annually from diseases that the changing climate
has encouraged to grow; warmer, wetter weather will see malaria, which
currently kills up to 3 million people a year, spread to new territories –
there is evidence that it has already encroached into previously cool highland
areas of Rwanda and Tanzania.
Christian Aid research, based on scientific predictions, reveals
that 182 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone could die of disease
directly attributable to climate change by the end of the century.
Rising sea-levels
Sea levels are set to rise dramatically: melting glaciers and polar
ice combined with the thermal expansion of the oceans means we can expect
sea-level rises of 15-95cm this century. A rise of 1m would displace 10 million
people in Vietnam and 8-10 million in Egypt. The UK’s Department for
International Development predicts that the number of Africans at risk of
coastal flooding will rise from 1 million in 1990 to 70 million by 2080. In
Bangladesh, flood damage has become more extreme in the last 20 years. By 2100,
predicted ocean rises threaten to submerge 18% of the country, creating 35
million environmental refugees.
Water shortages
Reduced rainfall will lead to water shortages: the Sahel region of
Africa has experienced drought-like conditions stretching back to the 1960s;
there are no prospects of a revival in its rainfall levels. In east
Africa, 11 million people were put at risk of hunger by years of
unprecedented drought. Millions in Asia and South America depend on melting
snow and glaciers for water. Thanks to rising temperatures, they are vanishing
– since 1995 more than 90% of glaciers have been in retreat. Once they are
gone, they cannot be replaced. It is expected that Africa’s last remaining
tropical glacier, on Kenya’s Mt Kilimanjaro, will have vanished by 2015.
Extreme weather
Climate change will increase the incidence of extreme weather
patterns 90% of the victims of weather-related natural disasters during
the 1990s lived in poor countries.
Over the past 35 years, storms of the
force of Hurricane Katrina have almost doubled. Meteorologists say rises in the
temperature of the sea surface are the most likely cause.
Bangladesh could experience 15% more
rainfall by 2030, putting 20-40% more of its land at risk of flooding.
This
article was taken from the Christian Aid website
<www.christianaid.org.uk>
The Good Cause supported by us this month is ‘Open Door’. This is an
organisation based in Colchester supporting
persons living on the streets, and support for those who then move into accommodation.
A drop- in centre
is available for them to go to for help
and advice, and practical help such as clothing and blankets/ sleeping
bags which are donated,
can be given out to those in need.
The Mothers Union Branch of our church already offer practical help by donating
items such as new toothbrushes, soap,
flannels, deodorant (roll on only) and toothpaste, which we collect monthly and then pass on to ’ Open Door’. At
Christmas time we collect extra gifts , such as new socks , packets of
biscuits, food items and wrap individual parcels to fill a gift bag, so that
those who have no one to share Christmas with or receive any gifts from,
receives a bag of gifts with a message of thought and love from us.
We have been told
that those who are given the gift bags cannot believe that people
would do this for them.
If any one in the
church would like to share in this for Christmas and donate an item , please
speak to
Elaine Brown.
The 27th Sunday after Trinity actually
occurs this year because, in the Anglican and Lutheran Church 2008 calendar,
Easter was so early! It is Sunday 23rd November.
The 27th after
Trinity fell twice in the time when J S Bach was cantor at St
Thomas's Leipzig (1731 and 1742). For that Sunday he wrote what we now
list as Cantata 140 'Wachet Auf', in English 'Wake Up'! The hymn or choral is
very well known (sleepers awake) and is about the parable of the wise and
foolish virgins. Even by Bach's standards the Cantata is truly wonderful and
accordingly a choir has been assembled from a number of choral
societies along with the requisite small orchestra and soloists to
perform this masterpiece as part of the service of Evensong in All Saints’.
This should be a wonderful celebration of the 27th after Trinity and a glorious
example of Bach's supreme genius. All should attend; for many of us this day in
the Church's calendar may never happen again in our lifetime!
Tony Smith
THE FRIENDS OF ALL SAINTS
(Charity Reg. No 1066655/0)
The Church building maintenance Charity
Present a
St. Cecilia Day Prom Concert
by the
Essex Concert Band
On
Saturday 22nd November
2008
at 7.30pm
doors open 7.00pm
in All Saints Church
Tickets
£8.00
Available
from All Saints Church on Sundays
also
Maldon Tourist Information Centre, Wenlock Way,
01621 856503
or Mr W
Geller 01621 843259
Prayers, Thanksgivings and Petitions
November 2008
This months
prayer was written by John Bunyan 1628-1688 and comes from his most famous work
'The Pilgrim's Progress' which was first published in 1678. John was the son of
Thomas Bunyan a tinker or brasier. Today we would probably call him a copper
smith as he earned his living mending or making copper kettles and saucepans.
The family lived
in a cottage at Elstow near Bedford and John was taught reading and writing at
the village school. He was a sensitive boy with a vivid imagination and his
early life was spent at a time when the Puritans were of great influence in
Bedfordshire. He became more and more haunted by religious terrors, especially
fiends who had come to fly away with him for his sinful nature although these
sins seem to mainly have consisted of dancing on the village green, ringing the
bells of the parish church, playing tipcat and reading the romance of Sir.
Bevis of Southampton. Poor John was made miserable by his tastes and his
scruples.
When he was 17 he
joined the Parliamentary Army but a friend of his was killed and John soon left
the army and two years later he married but he became a prey to hallucinations
which plagued him. Eventually he joined a Baptist society in Bedford and his
healing was begun by his renewed belief in God's mercy. He began preaching to
the Baptist society but five years later the Restoration of Charles II began a
grim time of oppression for all dissenters.
John was put in
Bedford prison in 1660 and not released for twelve years during which time he
could not earn money for his family by his trade as a tinker. He refused to
stop preaching although he was told that he would be released if he did so. He
constantly read the Bible. Gradually he was treated less harshly; even the
Bishop of Bedford Dr. Barlow interceded for him and he was released in 1672.
He began Pilgrim's
Progress before his release from gaol and he wrote a number of similar works.
Pilgrim's Progress was translated into Dutch and French and also published in a
number of other countries in John's lifetime.
Primrose Razzell
Dates for the
Diary
September 28th
Harvest Thanksgiving
October 5th Pet Service
October 26th Memorial Service
November 2nd All Saints’ Patronal
Festival
November 9th Remembrance Sunday
December 4th
& 11th Victorian
Evenings
December 21st
Nine Lessons and
Carols Service
January 18th
and 25th Week of
prayer for Christian Unity
January 24th
Another evening
with Kipling and Betjeman
February 1st
Christingle
Service
Old Maldon
A collection of photographs and advertisements from
the early 20th Century. Order
your copy now – only £5.
MUSIC FOR A SUMMER'S EVENING
Copies of the DVD of this year's choir concert are
available at a cost of £7 each. Please
contact John on 01621 858090 to secure your copy.
Cook Books, Calendars and Pens
We can again
offer to you some unique All Saints artefacts for your personal use or as
gifts. So what have we got?
2009 Diaries
Don’t miss out on
those important dates. Look out for
next year’s diary which will be on sale soon.
A Guide to the Church of All Saints Maldon
On sale now,
this is the re-released 1909 history of our church written by the Rev. Leonard
Huges, B.D. A bargain at only £5.
The Noah Adventure – Don’t miss
the opportunity to grab a copy of Avril’s literary work. We have
been fortunate in beating all the top publishing houses and securing the rights
to this story! You can get copies in the church or by telephoning
Avril Askew or John Clifford. They are a bargain at only £4
each. Provided she has not already left on her national book
signing tour, Avril will even autograph a copy for you.
All Saints Cook Book - It is highly unlikely that anybody has not by now heard about our
cookbook containing over 100 recipes gleaned from members of the congregation,
collated by Helen Robinson, prepared for publication by John Clifford with a
few incidental comments from the Vicar. At just £5 we are already into a fourth
printing and are gathering more recipes for a second edition so, if you missed
out on this occasion, please let either Helen or John have your favourite
recipes .
All Saints Presentation Ball Point Pens - Impressively boxed these are the Rolls
Royce of the pen market. Black with the church inscription and as the real tool
for official forms they all use black ink. These are selling at £2.50p and will
make handsome presents.
From the
Registers
We welcome into
the Christian Family those who have been Baptised:
Gabriella and
Millie Cox
Keane O’Brian Alicia Scrivener
We congratulate
those recently married:
Nicholas Weller
and Sarah Farrington
We extend our
sympathy to the families of those who have died:
Brian Pyle Margaret Wheatley