News

Traditionally the poetry of the 'Song of Songs' has been interpreted as expressions of the relationship between Israel and God or the soul and God. But why not discover it again as erotic poems similar to the Arcadian poetry of the Greco-Roman world? Ensemble Altobasso (Ralf Grobe – Bass, Elisabeth Schwanda – Recorder, Katrin Krauß – Recorder, Barbara Hofmann – Viol and Isolde Kittel-Zerer – Harpsichord) will be doing just that on Saturday, 8th February 2014 at 7pm in the church, performing music by Monteverdi, Buxtehude, Bach and others, including the premiere of a composition by Hans-Dieter Renken. Admission costs €18 (concessions €15).

Issue 57 of Becket News is out now. Click on the link to catch up with the latest news, reports and previews.

Becket News needs roving reporters
Your Becket News editor does a fantastic job of putting together each edition, finding photos and laying out the text. However, an editor's job is to edit, not write all the original material! There are many exciting things going on at STB of interest to BN readers, many of whom are not resident in Hamburg or can’t come to church as much as they would like. But readers can only find out what is going on if someone writes about it. This is an appeal to anyone who is responsible for an activity or feels they have something interesting to say to provide short articles for BN. A good tip is to do this immediately the event has taken place and not wait until the copy deadline – it really does help to reduce the workload of the editor and make the job more fun if he doesn’t have to keep chasing people at the last minute.

And while we're on the subject, your webmaster also would like to issue a plea to remember to send announcements of events for her to include on the website. The ideal is a short text with essential details and, if required, further information provided either as a PDF or link. Many people coming to STB for the first time say they are encouraged to do so by the ‘up-to-date’ website: the website is often the very first contact someone has with our church community, and it includes the latest edition of BN. But like the editor of BN, the webmaster’s role is to disseminate information, not to be the producer of it all.

The Church Wanderers' first walk of 2014 combined with a New Year's lunch at the Gasthof 'zum Falkenstein' will be on Saturday, 11 January.

Meeting point is Othmarschen station – exit Statthalter Platz – to catch the 286 bus to Blankenese departing at 10.52. If coming from town, you need to catch the S1 arr. Othmarschen at 10.47 (dep. Hbf 10.29, Stadthausbrücke 10.33 and Altona 10.41) and get off at the back of the train.

The exact route for the walk before lunch will be decided on the day. Those wanting to walk off their lunch afterwards can head through the woods to Blankenese, Sülldorf or Rissen. Others can catch the 286 back to Blankenese. Please note that there will be a replacement bus service between Blankenese and Othmarschen due to engineering works on the S1.

Please e-mail Cicely by Thursday, 9 January if you plan to come: cicely-hollingsworth (at) t-online.de.

A reminder that today (2 January) is the deadline for contributions to the next edition of Becket News. Please send to becketnews (at) aol.com.

Christians speak out and act on poverty and social justice because they have received the love of God and want to share it with others, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his first annual New Year Message.

Archbishop Justin gave the final Thought for the Day of 2013 on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on New Year's Eve. Real hope compels us to act, he says. See more on the Archbishop of Canterbury's website.

For many in the Anglican tradition, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Churches all over England and beyond will be having their own carol services this week, and of course the service from the chapel of King's College Cambridge on Christmas Eve will be broadcast around the world. But how far back does the tradition go?

It was Edward White Benson, the first Bishop of Truro and later Archbishop of Canterbury, who created the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. It was first held at 10 pm on Christmas Eve 1880 in the wooden shed which served as his temporary cathedral in Truro. You can read more about the history of the service on the Guardian Music Blog and on the website of King's College Cambridge.

St Thomas Becket's own Service of Nine Lessons and Carols is on Saturday 21 December 2013 at 5 pm

Take a look at our Christmas Flyer for the Chaplain's Christmas message, Advent and Christmas services, details of the Bishop's Advent Appeal and Bishop David's Christmas message.

Eight senior women clergy have attended their first meeting of the Church of England's House of Bishops as participant observers. The House decided in February that until such time as there are six female members of the House, following the admission of women to the episcopate, a number of senior women clergy should be given the right to attend and speak at meetings of the House. The eight were elected in the autumn. Read the full story on the Church of England website.

Meanwhile the Revd Pat Storey has been consecrated as Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the first woman bishop in the Church of Ireland – more.

The next edition of Becket News will be published early in the new year.

The editor would be pleased to receive contributions for the next edition by Thursday, January 2 2014 at the latest. Please send to becketnews (at) aol.com.