On the weekend of 20-22nd October St Mark’s held an Arts Festival, organised by the energetic and talented Bob and Lesley Shatwell. It consisted of an exhibition, concert, workshops, ceilidh and festival service… a mesmerising, colourful exuberant weekend celebrating art and the people of this parish. Here are some photos:
Category Archives: St Mark’s Church
Remembrance Services
On November 12th the following services of Remembrance will take place:
In Hale the 9:30 Service at St John’s followed by 10:45 at the War Memorial then a 11:15 Service all-age at St Mark’s.
In Badshot Lea the 10:00 Shortened Service at St George’s followed by 10:50 at the War Memorial.
In Weybourne a service at 4pm at the War Memorial followed by refreshments in the Village Hall.
Services for the Bereaved
At these three simple services we will be lighting candles to remember those who have died.
- St John’s at 6:30pm on Sat 28th Oct,
- St Mark’s at 11:00am on Sun 29th Oct and
- St George’s at 4:00pm on Sun 29th Oct
Please stay for coffee and cake after the services.
If you would like a loved one remembered at one of these services please bring their name on a piece of paper to the service. For more information contact Lesley on 01252 820537 or revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org
Re-drawing the map:an arts project
In 1957, a local Hale lady, Evelyn Caesar, produced a pictorial map of the parish of Hale as it was then. She included a wealth of historical material and her legacy is a very attractive document.
Since Miss Caesar’s time, there have been many changes in the Parish: some buildings have disappeared, others have been built. Perhaps the biggest change of all is the alteration to the Parish Boundary itself: we now live in the Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale and consequently, we need to re-draw our parish map. This is particularly relevant this year as it is exactly 60 years since the original map was produced!
Our aim is not to produce a particularly accurate map, but to put pictures of buildings, parks and other features that mean something to us (we could even draw our own homes!). We also need plenty of people, dogs and cars to put on the streets. Photos of lots of local buildings and parks will be provided, but if you have any pictures that you would like to draw on our map, please bring them along.
You are needed to help with this project: GOOD LUCK!
Alison Ridgeon
Arts at St Mark’s
NEWS RELEASE
5th October 2017
Arts at St Mark’s as church holds inaugural arts festival
St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale, is holding its inaugural arts festival over the weekend of October 20-22.
The festival, which will include a concert, a ceilidh, art exhibition, arts, craft and music workshop, and a sung service on Sunday morning, has been organised by a group of artists and musicians in the church who were inspired by the wealth of creativity in the parish.
The festival is open to all at no charge and among the workshops on offer on Saturday will be stone-cutting, working with clay, music and an opportunity to redraw the map of Hale in an art workshop.
There will be a concert on Friday evening at 7pm featuring organ music, a ‘Cajun Boogaloo’, Wildflowers choral group, and the rock-a-billy country band Fingersmith and the Rocking Thumbs, and on Saturday at 7pm there will be a ceilidh and a celebration of work from the daytime workshops.
The Sunday service at 11am will be almost entirely sung (including the sermon) and will take place in a church decorated with artwork from Saturday.
Licensed Lay Minister and musician Lesley Shatwell, one of the organisers, will be leading the Sunday service. She said: “I love all kinds of music, but since I have been licensed as a lay minister, I have been wanting to share the variety of religious songs, gospel music and folk hymns; and maybe to see if I could put them together into a completely musical service.
“Creativity was bubbling up throughout our parish and I am not sure who first thought, ‘We could have a festival to celebrate all of this’, but the idea took hold. People offered time and expertise, musicians looked through their repertoire to select the right pieces and suddenly, it is all taking shape very quickly. Admission to the concert is free but donations may be made in aid of parish funds and the century-old organ, known as ‘Emily’, which is in need of refurbishment.
For further details call 07592 571243 or visit http://www.badshotleaandhale.org
Music for the Service of the Word – 22nd October 11am
This service will be largely sung. Many of the hymns and songs will be familiar, but just in case, these are links to most of them. We may not sing them in exactly the same way, but these links should give you a good idea of how they go.
1st hymn: I went down to the river to pray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbgfQ48hWuY
Penitence: Be still for the presence of the Lord
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZugvUQ4m90U
Gloria: Peruvian Usual St Marks way
Collect: 10000 reasons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM
Reading: Turn, turn, turn (based on Ecclesiastes 3 1-8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4
Sermon: Now is the cool of the day (Lesley solo, acapella)
Creed: Seward (I D Sankey, 1892) Can’t find a link, but it’s very simple
Intercession: It’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x90HfUJl6eY
Kumbayah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3MiD_U4CHQ
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord for this new day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njsdfxK9FcQ
Lord’s prayer: Caribbean version from “Come and Praise”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgP0jI5hghU
Peace: Hevenu shalom Aleichem (Jewish chant)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB4RMIWroMY
Blessing: Amazing Grace Usual St Marks way
Dismissal: You shall go out with joy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unWnWSgoSt0
Arts at St Marks…
…how it all came about
There’s something creative happening in Upper Hale. Our friends Dave and Helena took one look at St Mark’s and declared that it would be just the place for art workshops and an exhibition.
Musicians had been playing for Sunday worship for a while and there have been concerts held in the past to raise fund for Emily (the organ), to socialise and generally to make music for the pleasure it brings.
I love all kinds of music, but since I have been licensed as a lay minister, I have been wanting to share the variety of religious songs, gospel music and folk hymns; and may be to see if I could put them together into a completely musical service.
Creativity was bubbling up throughout our parish and I am not sure who first thought, “We could have a festival to celebrate all of this”, but the idea took hold. People offered time and expertise, musicians looked through their repertoire to select the right pieces and suddenly, it is all taking shape very quickly.
Perhaps in years to come, when Arts at St Mark’s has grown to the size of Glastonbury or Edinburgh, people will wonder how it all started, but it really was just the spark of creativity which lit up simultaneously in a group of friends and the desire to make it happen for our neighbourhood.
Lesley Shatwell
Reflecting on Art
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend Alan and I always attend a Christian Arts and Music Festival called ‘Greenbelt’. The festival attracts people from all over the country to meet in a field in Northamptonshire, I think there were about 18000 of us this year. The festival inspires me and challenges me, it reinvigorates me and is the place where I most experience the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Come with us next year!!
This year I attended a workshop led by St Martin-in-the-fields which was all about reflecting on art. The piece that we looked at was ‘Christ before the High Priest’ by Gerrit van Honthorst. In the centre is a lighted candle and to the left is a seated Caiaphas pointing his finger accusingly at Jesus, who is standing to the right of the picture, calm and composed. The text that the painting is based upon is found in Matthew 26:57-75.
As we reflected on the painting we were asked a series of questions and I found myself drawn to the image of Jesus, who was bearing so many false accusations and also bearing the anger of the people in the room. I know that I expect God to be able to bear my anger and put up with my false accusations. Particularly when I am tired and hurt I end up accusing God of not being there for me or not caring enough.
We were asked who we identify with in the picture and I found myself identifying with Jesus, as my experience is that people are often angry with me and I too have to bear false accusations. Is I looked at the calmness of Jesus in this situation I wondered whether this is a ministry that we sometimes have to offer to others…. The ability to bear the anger and false accusations of others whilst remaining calm and caring.
I found the experience profound and thought this workshop might be something that we can do in the parish. We might be able to reflect together on art and find that it moves us forward in our spiritual journeys. So I am hoping that I will be able to get a group together to do this in Advent. Perhaps it is something you are interested in? If so contact me – revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org or 01252 820537.
Lesley Crawley
Harvest Festival
On 1st October, Come along to Harvest Festival and sing your favourite Harvest Hymns:
- 9:30am at St John’s, Hale,
- 10:00am at St George’s, Badshot Lea,
- 11:00am at St Mark’s, Upper Hale,
- 11:30am Family Praise at St George’s,
- 11:30am Informal Service at St John’s (New Service!)
Apple Day
Come and celebrate the fruits of our community orchard from 10:00 until 11:00am on 1st October at St Mark’s. We have a juicer so if you would like to turn your apples into juice then bring apples that are in good condition, washed and picked from the tree along with clean two litre plastic milk cartons including the lid to put the juice in. We will be having some entertainment including apple tasting and apple-y music (and possibly dance). If that isn’t enough apply-ness there will be pancakes with apple filling to eat! Afterwards, you are welcome to stay for the 11am service if you wish.
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 