EDITORIAL

ALL ARE CALLED 

A few weeks ago, the Old Testament reading at the Eucharist and Matins included this story; 

There was a young man, minding his own business, plodding along, guiding a plough and a team of oxen. And concentrating-hard on keeping the furrow straight, when, all of a sudden, a cloak landed over his head! We can well imagine the struggle to disentangle himself and stop the oxen stampeding. And yet, in the middle of it all, Elisha heard and understood the call to follow Elijah, to become, in effect, an apprentice prophet. After a sacrifice and a farewell feast, that is what he did. We can read about his further adventures in the Second Book of Kings. 

There are quite a few stories of call and response throughout the Bible - some dramatic and obvious, others quieter, or even ambiguous, and the outcome is never plain sailing - just like life, really. 

Each of us has been called by God, and each of us has made some response, however tentative, or we would not have set foot in church and picked up this copy of PRINT.

For a long time 'vocation' was considered to be something that only a few had - usually other people - to be a priest, or perhaps a nurse or a teacher. 'Vocation' even came to be seen, in some circles, as a euphemism for 'over-worked and under-paid'. But, in recent years, the focus has shifted more towards the vocation or call to everyone to be, and to do, what God plans. 

For some, this might be to some form of recognised and authorised ministry within the church, ordained or lay, with a local focus, or more widely spread. For everyone, the call is to live as a Christian in everyday life. 

But how do we make those little decisions, or balance sometimes conflicting demands and commitments in a way that reflects who we are in the sight of God? 

There are times when big decisions raise their heads. Up and down the country, like every year, young people (and a few not-so-young) are receiving exam results and making decisions about the next step in education, training or employment. Other people are deciding whether to get married, or to stay married, or whether to have their children baptised. 

Those of us not in such situations may well be heaving sighs of relief, (l enjoy August so much more now that exam results, whether mine or others, don't impinge!), but we still have a role to play, however indirect. It is up to all of us to support and encourage those whom we know to be making big decisions, and it is up- to all of us to live our lives in such a way that encourages a shift of focus from 'me' to 'us' - a wider vision of how best each person can serve the wider community. 

We are all called! How we respond to that call is up to us. God calls - He doesn’t coerce - (although He docs keep on calling until we get the message!).

What we are called to be and to do varies, but there is a place and a role for each of us. Part of what we are called to be is a member of this people, this community, this body of Christ. Being matters - being in Church on Sunday matters. Not everyone gets a cloak thrown over their head, but we are all called

Perhaps taking time to listen might be a good thing to do this summer?

Rev Dr. Brenda Gibson.
Curate.

FAIR'S FAIR

Have you noticed that Jesus talks more about money than He does about prayer? He seems to be telling us that there is a strong connection between what we believe and how we live our lives, including how we make our money, how to save it, and how we spend it.

Have you noticed too that during the General Election campaign, and since, there's been an increasing debate about fairness and how to achieve it - how we can protect the needy and make sure that the well off pay their fair share. But, perhaps, we are left wondering what each one of us can do, in a practical way, to live out our faith. One relatively easy way is to buy Fair-Trade goods whenever we can. To seek them out in supermarkets, and to ask for them if they are not on the shelves.

Fair-Trade in the UK has made huge progress over the past thirty years, from a small handful of items to over 4,000 products today. But there's still a long, long way to go if all our shopping and all our business is to be ethical, offering a fair return to both customers and producers.

That is where Fair Ground, the recently refurbished Fair Trade shop in Wimborne’s Cornmarket, (next to the White Hart), comes in. you'll find all you expect and more: accessories, baby wear, clothing, crafts, food, gifts, jewellery, soaps and hand cream, wrapping paper and cards. You'll find knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, and there are now facilities for debit and credit card transactions for those larger purchases.

Churches have done a huge amount lo establish Fair Trade in this country, so let's keep up the pressure until all business takes place fairly.

Meanwhile, LET'S SUPPORT FAIR TRADE WHENEVER WE CAN!

Robert Pearce,
"Fair Ground" promotions volunteer.

THE MINSTER CHAINED LIBRARY

It is said that the first library to be chained belonged to an Abbot in Eastern Europe who wished to protect his books from the thievish activities of evil spirits.

Books were disappearing from his collection in the Abbey, and as this could not be blamed on his saintly monks, it had to be the work of demons. After chaining, no further books were lost, as the sacred chains protected the holy works.

At a later date, manuscripts and books became more numerous, and these chained works could be accessed by scholars or those in holy orders. These were often taken and chained in the monk's cell or in the cloister.

From time to time, the writings of some were considered unacceptable by the church, and such works were withdrawn from use and either burnt, mutilated, or stored for further study.

With the growth of Universities, it became essential that the scholars had access to the learned works. However, many could not afford to purchase books, and could only rely on the University library. These libraries were chained to ensure that the books never left the shelves. The rule of the library was that no book could be held for more than one hour, and students and others knew that they only had to wait this time to consult the work. These were the first Reference Libraries.

In rural areas, the clergy had little opportunity to visit the Universities or Cathedrals, and so it became a common practice for the local gentry to purchase books and present these to the Church for use of the incumbent. Unfortunately, some gentry considered these small libraries to be part of their estate and, consequently, took whichever book they fancied.

In the 17th century, it was written: The thievish disposition of some that enter libraries to learn no good there, hath made it necessary to secure the innocent books, even the Sacred volumes themselves, with chains - which were better deserved by those persons who have too much learning to be hanged, and too little to be honest.

This led to the Parochial Libraries Act of 1708 that protected all libraries in religious establishments, providing such a library was registered within the Act.

The Minster Library was never registered as a Parochial Library, and so no check was made on the Library as the clergy was changed.

In the last three hundred years, over 30 books have disappeared from the Library, with the exception of a few books in Hebrew and Latin. They were in English and were, in the main, from the Gillingham Bequest. They included one of the first books on statistics, the work of Graunt on the Plague, and an early book on geography by Moll. The History of the Netherlands, signed by Sir Walter Raleigh, has also left the shelves, together with the English translation of the works of Sanctorius on Medicine.

Finally, one of the missing books is entitled The Way to get Wealth, dated 1625, and no doubt it suggested stealing books as one method.

Frank Tandy
Custos - Keeper of the Books

WIMBORNE MINSTER MOTHERS' UNION

The subject at our July meeting was entitled 'Relationship, not Rules", and Iris Parker, the Dorset Archdeaconry Chairman, came to talk to us.

She is involved with marriage preparation in Blandford, and encourages people to have a balance in their relationship * their relationship with God, with their family, with the outside world, and with their interests. She stressed the importance of spending quality time with one's partner.

We also discussed how, in this holiday period, our imaginations are purified by the beauty we see in the countryside, in the mountains, and by the sea.

There was a short service, with readings and meditations, on John 4, and from "Unexpected Journeys', by Eddie Askew.

The meeting ended with a discussion on marriage today, where many couples feel that both husband and wife need to be out at work.

Our next meeting will be at 2.15pm on 19th August, in Church House, when Sandra Wood will speak about her work as a District Nurse

Irene Burnett-Thomas

I CHOSE TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY

I could have saved a life that day,
But chose to look the other way.
It wasn't that I didn't care,
I had the time, and I was there.

But I didn't want to seem a fool,
Or argue on a safety rule.
I knew he'd done the job before,
If I called it wrong, he might get sore.
The chances didn't seem that bad,
I've done the same I knew he had.

So I shook my head and walked on by,
He knew the risks as well as I.
He took the chance, I closed an eye,
And with that act, I let him die.

I could have saved a life that day,
But chose to look away.
Now every time I see his wife,
I know I should have saved his life.

That guilt is something I must bear,
But isn't something you need share.
If you see a risk that others take,
That puts their life or health at stake,
The question asked, or thing you say,
Could help them live another day.

If you see a risk and walk away,
I hope you never have to say,
I could have saved a life that day,
But chose to look the other way.

Don Merrlll

HIDDEN HISTORY

Preparations for the forthcoming Flower Festival in the Minster have been ongoing since January, and our house now has nine life-sized Angels, made from papier mache, sitting patiently; waiting to be placed centre stage in the Minster for the September Flower Festival.

I began to wonder how many Angels were already portrayed in the Minster, in one form or another, so I made a special visit to explore.

I discovered many in the windows, and some carved in stone. The Angels seem to be joined by many Cherubs on the memorial stones.

My tour began at the West Tower, where I discovered four Angels above the twelve apostles in the large West Window, and wondered if they represent the four Gospel writers or, maybe, the four Seasons.

The Astronomical Clock has two 'grand' Angels on the top, with their trumpets poised ready for playing.

The Hanham Memorial, in the shop, has beautifully carved Angels, one either side of the Memorial, and one of the windows in the shop shows two young looking Angels with smaller wings.

The Thomas Fox Memorial has two very chubby Cherubs.

I could find no more Angels until I came to the North Transept, where eight are depicted in the various windows, and I also found five in two of the windows in St George's Chapel.

There were no Angels showing in the windows of Trinity Chapel., but the marble memorial stone above the Vestry door offers two chubby Cherubs.

The Druit window in the South Transept has the most - fifteen in all. Some are hard to see, whilst others are to be seen playing musical instruments, including a hand organ - a harp - a trumpet, and a mandolin.

Mary Russell, in the South Aisle, is protected by just one Cherub, but the Children's Corner offers two Angels in the Lazarus window.

The Archangel can be found on the Pulpit, proclaiming the 'Good News', whilst below can be seen a carved panel showing Christ teaching the people -- 'The Sermon on the Mount', and on either side of this panel are carved figures of the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

The carvings on the Pulpit clearly explain that it is the place, in the Minster, from which the Scriptures and Sermons are to be delivered.

Christine Oliver

BOOK REVIEW

POPE JOHN PAUL II  A MAN OF DESTINY 
By Edward Stourton 

Part 2: Pope & Man of Destiny

At the Conclave which elected him in 1978, there was first a deadlock between two Italians, the Cardinals Siri and Benelli. Why then did they turn to a Polish outsider?

He was the right age, 58 years of age, in good health, and unlike John Paul I, was decisive, and a Pastor with the common touch. He was the first non-Italian Pope for 450 years, and was to be Pope until 2005.

His opening message was: "Be not afraid to welcome Christ and accept His power." He retained his acting power to the end, and kissed the ground of the countries he visited. He enjoyed his job, was often on the move, and knew how to move around as he travelled in a pope mobile.

On his routine days, he would rise up at 5.30am, and spend the time, before daily mass at 7.30am, in private prayer.

After breakfast, between 8.30am and 9.30am, often with visitors, he would write between 9.30am & 11.00am, and there would be two hours of audiences and appointments.

Before lunch and a snooze, he would walk in the Vatican gardens where he would meet his Secretary of State and the Cardinals who ran the big Vatican Cabinets (Dicasteries).

Dinner was at 7.30pm and after dealing with two big pouches of documents each day, he would go to bed at 11.30pm. Three months into his pontificate, he made his first papal trip abroad to open a conference of Latin America's Bishops at Puebla, in Mexico.

This led to his eventually successful war against Liberation Theology. He was accused of double standards, condemning, in Latin America, the kind of political activism he supported in Poland.

There is no doubt that he loved the poor and supported unionisation. What he condemned was violence and Marxism, and those who saw Christ as a revolutionary.

He published the encyclical "Redemptor Hominis', which was a policy for the church stating: "Jesus Christ is the centre of the universe and of history". He always believed that the Catholic Church contained all truth. He was an authoritarian who refused to laicise priests who wanted to marry. Priests had to remain celibate.

He played a prominent part in gradually bringing freedom to Poland. In June, 1979, contrary to the wishes of the Kremlin, he visited the Black Madonna's Shrine of Jasna Gora, in Poland, and also went to Auschwitz. The American judgement on the visit was: "The dominant mood before was the inevitability of the system. The dominant mood after the visit was its non-inevitability." He formed a close relationship with President Reagan, and also Lech Walesa who led the Polish union, 'Solidarity'.

In May, 1981, a Turkish criminal, Mehmet Al Agia, nearly murdered him, but later he visited him in prison. It was never proved who was behind this.

The Pope appointed Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVl, to be Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's theological watchdog.

Robert Runcie. Archbishop of Canterbury wrote to the Pope about women priests, but the Pope's reply slammed the door on all prospects of unity between the Roman Catholic and Church of England churches.

This was despite the Pope's extraordinarily successful visit to England in 1982, when the Archbishop and the Pope knelt together before the tomb of Thomas of Becket.

He was against capital punishment and the First Gulf War. He left to his successor two festering sores. These were relations with Islam which, he said, had no concept of redemption, and the paedophile scandal involving priests. Despite these, his death brought a huge outpouring of world grief and love

Christopher Orchard.

WIMBORNE IN BLOOM

THE JUDGING

The judging is over and, whilst the results of the Wimborne in Bloom competition have been announced, (the full list of winners is in the Tourist Information Centre), we shall have to wait until early September for the results of the Regional South and South East in Bloom Competition.

The Town was judged in the small town category on the afternoon of Thursday, 15th July, and everywhere looked-very clean.- Thank you to all who helped in the lead up to the Judging, especially with the 'litter picks' on the Saturday, Sunday and Thursday, as it certainly ensured that the Town did look its very best on Judging Day.

Our Next Events:-

THE DUCK RACE

Wimborne in Bloom's Annual Duck Race will take place on Saturday, 21st, August, (Bank Holiday weekend), starting at 4.00pm, on the River Allen, at the bottom of Mill Lane, and ending at the rear of the Rising Sun, in East Street.

Tickets at £1.00 each will be on sale outside both Somerfields and Waitrose on Saturday, 21st August, Thursday, 26th August, Friday, 27th August, and on the Race Day itself, Saturday, 28th August.,

SUPPER EVENING
At, “Serles House”, 47, Victoria Road.

A new venture for Wimborne in Bloom, is the above Supper Evening at the home of Ian Willis. Numbers will be restricted, but if you haven't yet'seen Ian’s garden, it is a must, having been described by Alan Tichmarsh as one of the best ten private gardens in Great Britain. The plantings fit in with over 60 relics rescued from oblivion by Ian, and the Anglo-Indian conservatory, plant-pot man, tree house, and cannons from the Solent are highlights of this remarkable experience.

At the time of PRINT going to Press, final arrangements for the evening were still being made, but anyone interested in attending should contact Anthony Oliver on 888703 for information regarding timings and ticket price.

Anthony Oliver, MBE,
Chairman, Wimborne in Bloom

NOTICES