Frugal Lunch

Tue, Dec 12th 2017 at 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm

Frugal Lunch. Speaker Michael Parrott
1st Steward:-Lorna Hickey


Michael Parrott gave the Christmas message at our Frugal Lunch and as he was also the report writer for today, he has forwarded his notes which is particularly poignant, during the week when we remembered the Grenville Towers Fire six months ago.

From Bethlehem to Grenfell Towers and 2 Christmas Carols

 1- O little town of Bethlehem and 2 - Born in the night

O little town of Bethlehem

Written by Philipps Brooks in 1868 for his Sunday school when he was Episcopal rector in Philadelphia. Following a visit to Bethlehem in 1865. Tune written by Lewis Reeder the organist (not the tune we know which is Forrest Green)

It was never intended to become a classic carol sung by Bing Crosby, Elvis, Jim Reeves, Barbara Streisand. Johnny Cash and Nield Diamond

Should we sing it ?

1.      Was it really a still a place of stillness and quiet  2,000 years ago? Very unlikely

2.      Is it a place of stillness and quite today ? Most definitely not ,  a place of colossal tension , checkpoint, wall commuting………

 

What Phillips Brooks is doing is using picture language to try to convey what he believed God was doing at the first Christmas. It is about bringing light to dark streets, hope amidst the fears, and points the way for peace in the world.

We need imagination, picture language, stories, poetry and art to try to convey these eternal truths.


Born in the Night

Is a less well known but an important carol

Written by Geofrey Ainger in 1960s

Minister at Notting Hill in London a deprived area in those days

Church culturally relevant

Youth Club Carol service has to be authentic, so the young people write it from their experience poverty, broken homes , unwanted pregnancies for girls, absent fathers, homeless violence etc. He wrote this carol for that occasion.

The carol is about loneliness being away from a supportive community, homelessness

It is about God being in the midst of that situation, walking the streets again, and so there is hope

Grenfell tower disaster in June 2017 the local church at Notting Hill where Geoffrey Ainger was the minister, is now used as a base, refuge, meeting place  for people of the local community and tv programmes were broadcast from there

So whether you accept the Christian faith or not both these carols chime in with the basic tenets of the Rotary movement , which is about wanting to make a difference in peoples lives here and internationally. It is about bringing hope and help, light and love. The final toast we make is Rotary and peace the world over. Is echoed in these carols, which is why I will enjoy singing them and listening to them as we walk the streets again.

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