Lent Talks

For the last few years, during Lent, we have attempted to focus our thoughts through a series of talks around a theme. Each year there is a theme. In 2006, the theme was "Reflections on Faith", and in 2007 it was "Pilgrimage". In 2008, the theme was "Perseverance". This year, the theme is "Africa"

The format of each talk is that it starts with a very brief service at 1100 - a couple of hymns and a prayer - and then our invited speaker talks for upto 30 minutes. The final 15 minutes or so is taken up with a question and answer section. Our speakers come from varied backgrounds and ages, and we allow them the latitude to interpret the theme in whatever way they think fit. This is not an exclusively Anglican event, either. We have welcomed speakers who are Roman Catholics, Muslems, and people of no defined faith, but all have left us with important, challenging thoughts.

For the second year running, we will be holding one of the talks at Mapperton, on March 15th.

Our speakers for 2009 will be:

March 1st - Ms Gillian Plowman - playwright and author of the play, "Yours abundantly, from Zimbabwe" , based on her 8 year correspondence with a number of orphaned children in Zimbabwe. The play was put on last year at the Oval House Theatre in London. Gillian's talk was absolutely fascinating and very moving. She spoke of the extraordinary entrepreneurialism of the Zimbabwean orphans with whom she corresponded. This approach to life was the product of the need to survive in a very harsh environment. One of her correspondents had written that 2008 was the worst year ever for him. The political situation was awful; the brutality of the regime reached new heights; on top of AIDS, which has wiped out a generation, there is cholera. It is clear that there is a huge need for help for Zimbabweans - exactly as the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have demanded in the last few days.

March 8th - Dr Richard Connaughton - military historian - will be talking on the subject of "At sixes and sevens - the 1994 Rwanda intervention". Richard was drawn into the study of the Rwanda Conflict by invitation of the Danish Government.   The Danes funded an all-embracing examination of the 1994 Rwanda crisis with the aim of preventing the repetition of genocidal conflict through effective international intervention.   His contribution was to examine and record the military lessons arising from the Rwandan conflict.

March 15th - John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich,  has worked for years for Christian Aid and Save The Children Fund, as well as being an authoritative voice in the House of Lords. He recently made a visit to Kenya and will be talking about conflict resolution in that country, after the riots that followed the 2007/08 elections, as well as in other African countries.

March 22nd - The Reverend Tim Biles, author and retired priest and frequent visitor to Sudan. He is the Diocese of Salisbury's representative in this part of Dorset and speaks with great authority on the Diocese's work in Sudan. He is also editor of the magazine for the Anglican province of the Sudan.

March 29th - there will be no Lent Talk this week because there is a Team Service at Salway Ash.

April 5th - Mr David Jones - former director of Oxfam with continuing charitable interests in Ghana. Fittingly, our 2009 Lent Talks conclude with his insights into one of the most successful African countries, which has changed governments peacefully through elections twice in recent years.

For information on the Lent Talks from 2008 and earlier years, please click on this link.