The Rector's
Newsletter
The new season of church and school started with its normal suddenness. This
year, for the first time that I can remember, the school re-opened in August,
on 31st, when junior infants, senior infants, first and second classes
re-occupied the refurbished (well almost!) classrooms in the school. What an
achievement that was! The classrooms were finally handed over by the builders
only the night before. Teachers and parents worked flat out to get their rooms
cleaned and set up and welcoming for the children. It was a great achievement,
but worth it. Thank you all for such an effort.
Church too started with an adventure, a joint open-air service in Newgrange,
Barnaslingen Lane, by kind invitation. Parishioners from Kilternan,
Rathmichael and Tullow parishes joined forces, which was followed by a picnic
and lots of fun in these lovely grounds. Thank you to all who came along; and
to the weather which held up well for the event; to Mr Johnson and to Tullow
Parish for inviting us to join with them.
Now that school and church have "re-opened" we look forward to sharing in the
activities of parish organisations and in regular Sunday worship - as the
psalmist says "O, taste and see that the Lord is good" .Ps.34:8.
Perhaps as we reflect on the summer months and the rest and relaxation we
experience through them, we may also be aware of the many blessings we have
received at God's hand.
Harvest thanksgiving services will be held in Kilternan on:
Friday 6th October at 8.00pm
the Community Harvest Service at which Archdeacon Gordon Linney
will be the special preacher. Gordon's strong grasp of
Church/society/community is always reflected in his thoughtful and challenging
addresses. He is the G.L. one reads in the Saturday edition of The Irish
Times, "Thinking aloud". At this service, we look forward to the company of
our brothers and sisters in Christ from the wider community.
On Sunday 8th October at 10.30am
the Parish Family Harvest Service will have as its special
speaker, Mrs. Linda Chambers of USPG. Refreshments will be served in the hall
following both these services.
Leaders and helpers of parish organisations will have been invited to attend a
training session on Safeguarding Trust in the school portacabins on Tuesday
26th September 2006 at 7.30pm. As we, as a parish, continue to take account of
our responsibilities, working with children it is important that this
opportunity for training is not missed. We are grateful to Olive Good for
coming to Kilternan to facilitate this evening, which is also open to
representatives of other parishes.
Finally, we hope the presentation given in church following the 10.30am service
on Sunday 17th September will have inspired parishioners and given us all a
sense of our mission as part of God's people in the Kilternan area. We now
await the council's draft development plan for Kilternan village so that we can
lodge for planning permission for our new halls complex. In the meantime,
three acres of parish land have been put on the market. We hope for a
successful outcome early in October.
Please continue to pray for the parish, its people, and a vision of our role as
Christ's disciples in which we seek to be ready to be his church to all-comers
in the challenge and opportunity of all that lies ahead for the Kilternan area.
God bless and keep you all
David
18th June 2006
It was an ordinary Sunday like any other. Well not quite, something didn't
quite fit!
What is on that brings our friends from Cork for the weekend? It's nice to see
my mother, sister, niece and grand niece in church. There seems to be a few
extra faces coming to the service today. That'll gladden God's heart! But
people from Kilkenny, Arklow, Wicklow - and an uncle and aunt from Devon?
There's nothing new about people coming in to church at the last minute - but
one or two who have already been to the 8.30am service, and friends from
Sandyford parish, and other parishioners whom we don't often see? No,
something doesn't quite fit!
So the 10.30am service commenced on Sunday 18th June. A little outside my
control, a little bit disquieting, something up - but what?!
It wasn't until the end of the service that the significance of a church full
to overflowing, of visitors in our midst, of ëpower point' on the third Sunday
of the month, of little whisperings and strange requests earlier in the
preceding week finally dawned on me!
The choir, that august and faithful body, would sing an anthem to end the
service. A closing blessing type of thing. Only as the anthem unfolded did
the penny drop! No wonder Ann did not tell me in advance. A new psalm, the
151st (printed below, and I'm still wondering what retribution would be
appropriate and sufficient for its author - John the Baptist comes to mind!).
Thankfully the sources approached about former and college life were just a
little out of touch as the thespians, Sandra, Gary and Paul, with the aid of
Steven's power point images, recounted some of the Moynan's church pilgrimage
from Confirmation in 1926, through college while we lived in Kilkenny and on to
ordained ministry in Seagoe, Taney, Arklow and here in Kilternan. Never a dull
moment it seems - success and failure, joy and sorrow all part of the
pilgrimage and the privilege of being part of and amongst people drawn together
by Christ and in his love.
Then it was Ann's turn. That quiet, shy young church warden, speaking easily
at the front of the church on behalf of parishioners, presented David with a
gift cheque, suggesting he upgrade his appearance by the purchase of a new
cassock, and perhaps a cassock alb, if that wasn't a step too far for him and
for some of the more conservative in the parish!
18th June 2006
As I had been blissfully unaware that the 20th year of my ordination had
arrived all this was quite a shock to my system and I was grateful that I could
mutter an invitation to all present to come to the hall for refreshments. And
what lovely fayre, including a beautiful cake, had been provided by the Social
Committee - tables laden with eats and bedecked with flowers, and coffee, tea
and wine for the stomach's sake!
I write these few lines while on holidays to express my sincere gratitude to
the people of Kilternan parish for your love and generosity of spirit as
together we share in the church's mission and ministry in this rapidly changing
parish and community. Isabel and I, and our family, have been fortunate and
privileged to be part of the life of the parish for the past 12 years, the
longest time I have ever lived anywhere.
In that time understandably I will have failed to live up to the expectations
of some, however, two words penned for the June Klips article by the Social
Committee, "our rector", are at the same time both humbling and affirming.
Please God we will all continue to be filled with courage and generosity of
Spirit to know God for ourselves and to make him known to others by who we are
and whose we are; to continue together being Christ's church in this area; to
give hope and comfort to those in need; to build up his kingdom of love in our
midst and in the wider world.
Sunday 18th June 2006. Wasn't it a good job all the readings had been arranged
well in advance of the service, and the sermon was only five minutes long!
I close with a special word of thanks to Isabel, Ed, Emma and Ivan for all
their long suffering love and support - even if it was Isabel, and it likely
was, who sowed the seed for the celebration of 18th June 2006. But a sincere
ëthank you' to you all for helping make the day so special.
David
Psalm 151
Lo, as I sat down in the pew, shortly before half past ten: The Rector came
among us, and surprised me with a sheet of paper. I was reading from the
oldest, old testament: with many, many verses and with a great number of
difficult, obscure and very long words.
Ah, thought we, tis great to be here in
Kilternan: where life is full of surprises and it's never safe to drift off
quietly to sleep David Moynan is our Rector: and when he starts the service he
announces the opening hymn.
There can sometimes be a pause:Öas Ann and the
choir revise the order of play from their original understanding.
Before the
opening hymn: will come the announcements when we are instructed about the
programme for the week.
And it is then that we realise who is really in
command: as the additions and amendments are provided by Isabel from the front
row of the choir.
David's sermons are very good, and generally are very short
and snappy: or sometimes very exceptionally they can go on and on. And on and
on and on and on: and on and on Ö.and on and on and on.
David has now been a
clergyman for twenty years: tho' for him it might seem like a lifetime.
This is
a great day for him and for the family: and also for us, his congregation and
his friends.
Congratulations to David and to Isabel and to their sons, and
their daughter-in-law.and to the Holy goats.
Next issue
The next issue of Kilternan Klips is scheduled for Sunday 19th November.
Anyone with an article is asked to submit it to any member of the committee
before November 5th, so as to allow for processing and printing.
Diary Dates
Friday 6th October Community Harvest Service 8.00pm
Sunday 8th October Parish Harvest Thanksgiving 10.30am
To be confirmed Choir visit to Northern Ireland
Sunday 12th November Parish lunch Date and time to be confirmed
Sunday 3rd December 1st Sunday of Advent
A New Youth Choir for Kilternan
Calling all young singers! If you are aged between 12 and 18 years, would you
like to be part of the founding of a new youth choir for Kilternan? Rehearsals
will include some voice training, learning how to read music and songs from a
cross-section of styles. Rehearsals will be held from 7.00- 8.00pm on Tuesdays,
beginning on Tuesday 3rd October.
Please contact me at 01 295 5612 or 087 226 0970 Ann Keary
MU Notices
Welcome back everybody and hope you all had a great summer
recharging your batteries ready for another MU season. You will all be
receiving the 2006/2007 programme in the post along with other MU matters.
Our congratulations go to Ann Walsh on her appointment as Dublin & Glendalough
Diocesan President. We wish her all the best in her new undertaking and send
her our love and our prayers.
Programme for 2006
Wednesday 20th September at 8pm Diocesan Festival Service in Christ Church
Cathedral, guest preacher Rev. Aisling Shine.
Wednesday 18th October at 8pm in Parish Sergeant John Moran will be our guest
speaker on ID Theft, Home and Personnal security. Everybody welcome.
Wednesday 15th November at 8pm in Parish Christmas Party with guest
demonstrator. Everybody welcome.
December (date to be confirmed) Lepardstown Hospital Concert and producing
hampers for Bray Women's Refuge and others.
Wednesday 10th January 2007 Trip to St. Brigid's Stillorgan to see Panto "Sing
a Song of Sixpence" Let's support our neighbours.
Security of Property
Many changes are taking place in the Kilternan area and many strangers frequent
the area daily. With all this going on it is advisable that people take extra
care with security of property and valuables in homes, outhouses and vehicles.
The two metal containers in the school were broken into on the week-end of 9/10
September.
Church and School Access
To facilitate the school during the building of the extension, access is via
the church grounds. A temporary car park has been established in what we used
to call the church paddock with egress from it onto the Enniskerry road.
Planning permission for this temporary car park has decreed that all vehicular
traffic for church and school must use the "IN" gate of the church. Traffic
then flows up into the newly tarmacadamed car park adjacent to the tennis
court, and on again into the temporary car park in the old church paddock,
exiting from there onto the Enniskerry road.
During the building of the school the children will use the temporary car park
adjacent to the tennis courts as a play area - Little break 10.30 - 10.40
am Lunch break 12.20 - 12.50 pm. During these times, vehicular traffic is not
allowed through the play area. Consequently, cars must either be in the
temporary car park before the play area is closed off at 10.30 and 12.20 or
remain in church car park until the play areas reopen at 10.45 and 12.50. On no
account should traffic exit from the church via the "IN" gate. Thank you for
your cooperation in this matter.
Thank You
A sincere "thank you" to all who helped to keep the parish wheel turning while
the rector was on holidays. Archdeacons Donald Keegan and Gordon Linney and
Reverend Jack Teggin celebrated the Holy Communion at 8.30 and 10.30am
services. Captain Steven Baggs and Mr. Terry Lilburn led services of Morning
Prayer. A special word of thanks to Mrs J Lynam, Hon. Treasurer, Dr Ian
Elliott, Hon. Secretary, and Mr F van der Lee who continued vital negotiations
with the RCB and other organisations in relation to parish development plans.
Racial Justice Sunday
Sunday 10th September was designated as Racial Justice Sunday. It was also the
week-end of the fifth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centre in
New York. We welcomed Mr. Philip McKinley as our guest speaker.
Philip is the representative for the Republic of Ireland of the Hard Gospel.
This is a General Synod working group looking at ways to overcome sectarianism
in the Church and in society. Philip is also director of the Diocesan
Discovery Choir, a multi-cultural initiative which is based in St. Thomas'
Church, Cathal Brugha Street. Travelling overseas, Philip has experienced a
number of different ethnic backgrounds. Here at home he has worked among the
immigrant communities of Dublin.
Speaking to us about what we perceive to be discrimination or sectarianism or,
not to be such, he suggested that we first look at the concern, then see what
it is possible to do, and in doing that let the impossible happen! And of
course we know that with God, all things are possible for those who trust in
him.(Matthew 19:26). Thank you Philip.
OPEN AIR SERVICE Sunday 3rd September 2006
Tullow Parishioners very kindly invited the parishioners of Kilternan and
Rathmichael to their annual get together, which is held in the beautiful
grounds of Newgrange, the home of Frank Johnson.
This year, the three parishes joined in an open-air service, which took the
place of the usual morning service in each church. Although the day was
showery, the storms came over the mountains and went to the north of us, and
the sun shone down on this beautiful Service in such lovely surroundings. All
three parishes partook in the readings and the service was led by our clergy
and lay readers, ably assisted by Anne Keary on Keyboard, her son Fiachra and
Steven Baggs.
The service was followed by a very successful picnic and barbeque under the
spreading tree, with tractor rides and games for the children. Our heartfelt
thanks go to Frank for lending his home and to all those who organised such a
lovely day.
Jane Glanville
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