HotPo - May 2015
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HotPo - May 2015
This Month
John's Jottings Over the past few weeks I have suffered the intermi ent loss of power steering in my car. It’s amazing how heavy and difficult it is when loss occurs! Before power steering was introduced, car and bus steering wheels were much larger in order to get the leverage needed to turn. Power steering enables large ar culated lorries to be steered effortlessly. The 24th of May is Pentecost Sunday, celebra ng the coming of the Holy Sprit - God’s power steering for the Church! Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit a er He eventually ascended (John 14v15-17 & John 16v5-15). The Holy Spirit is, of course, a person & part of the Trinity - one of His a ributes is power. On that first Pentecost Sunday, that power was very evident, not just to the followers of Jesus, but to the many pilgrims visi ng Jerusalem for a religious fes val (Acts 2). A violent wind came suddenly and tongues of fire se led on the heads of disciples. There was such a commo on that it a racted a large crowd to the scene. They heard the disciples speaking in foreign languages, the languages of the foreign pilgrims. Some joked and said they must be drunk. Then
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John’s Jo ngs
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Our Values
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Community Cinema
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Guild’s Gallivan ngs
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Parish Council Update
10 The Duke’s Special Agent 11 Recipe of the Month
Revd John Buckley
Peter addressed them and gave an amazing, powerful speech. A speech he could never have done before and could only do so because he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. The rest is history; the disciples were transformed from being mid, fearful men and women to powerful witnesses of the resurrec on, tes fying about Jesus.
12 From the Register 12 For the Record 14 Missionaries Ma er 17 Prayer for Beginners 18 A Divine Foot 21 From the Rectory 23 Coffee Break 24 My Easter @ Po 25 Brain Basher 26 The Suffering Church 29 Chores and Chains 30 Services this Month 30 Sidespeople Rota
What was seemingly too much, became possible due to the 31 Regular Church Ac vi es enabling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. Many of them believed Peter’s message and were bap sed. About
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HotPo - May 2015
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3,000 people were added to the group that day and were spiritually hungry to learn from the Apostles. What an amazing day that was; a clear demonstra on of the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling, convic ng and transforming lives, loved and precious to God. Being a Chris an has never been easy, including the 21st century. Chris an culture is some mes contrary to current life styles and a tudes; going against the flow. Using just our own strength, things can o en seem to be hard work and some mes, even impossible. The Holy Spirit was sent to help Chris ans to be overcomers. The Holy Spirit not only enables us to demonstrate our faith with good deeds, pa ence, kindness and forgiveness (Gala ons 5v16-26) but to do things we never thought possible. I some mes think of an eye-consultant who
came to our church for a bap sm. As a teenager, growing up in Manchester, he was, in the world’s eyes, ‘a loser.’ A drop out at school and dabbling with drugs. However, God had other plans. Out with a friend at midnight, a mighty wind encircled them as the Holy Spirit turned up. He clearly knew God was speaking to him. He got onto an educa on track and became what was seemingly impossible. Impossibili es limit people but not God. The Holy Spirit enables people, who step out in faith, to achieve far more than they could imagine. May that be true for us all. Love,
Our Values (Hopefully!) · You are welcome, whatever your beliefs,
even if you find organised religion irrelevant. · You are welcome, whatever your lifestyle. · You are welcome, wherever you may be on your faith journey; believer or agnos c, conven onal Chris an, or ques oning scep c. · We look forward to receiving the ideas and experiences you can bring. · We welcome the infinite variety of human beings and hope that our shared witness to Chris an faith will not leave anyone feeling unwanted or unloved. · We think that the way we treat each other is even more important than the dogmas we Page 4
hold. · We think it is vital to take seriously the
intellectual and emo onal problems many people have with the Chris an faith. · We think Chris ans must be concerned with global issues of injus ce and suffering. · We recognise that our ignorance far outstrips our understanding and that there is great value just in asking ques ons as well as in finding answers. · We recognise that our faith involves discipleship and a consciousness of all that is bad and promo on of all that is good. · Our hope is that anybody visi ng our church will feel welcome.
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Forest Chapel Fundraising service for Buxton Mountain Rescue St Stephen’s church (the ‘Forest Chapel’) will host this event on Sunday 7th June, star ng at 3pm. The hour-long service will be dedicated to cyclists and walkers, who can some mes find themselves in trouble in the Peak District and surrounding border areas.
Simply changing the name of the church from “St Christopher’s” resulted in a big increase in number of men a ending services!
The service will feature songs, prayers, poetry, hymns and readings, to celebrate the Forest Chapel’s beau ful surrounding countryside which inspires people to visit and explore the Macclesfield Forest area and beyond.
Weekly Newsletter If you wish to have an item put in the newsle er, please call Jenny on 07715 408704 or email jennywood2010@live.co.uk
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Guild’s Gallivantings Peter Frecknall opened our April mee ng with a Bible reading. Our guest speaker then provided the music, from his iPad, for the hymn "Thine be the Glory." Georgina Wray led us in a prayer before introducing our speaker, Ray Perry.
Eileen Stratford Ray, who is chairman of the Rudyard Lake Trust, then took us through the history of the forma on of the reservoir, which is two and a half miles long and, at the me of its construc on, 1797, was the second largest in Britain. With the aid of many old photographs of the lake, some very old and one taken from the air from a hot air balloon, we saw the building of the dam, which eventually had to be modified as it caused flooding in the surrounding farms. The south end of the lake had mainly commercial usage but the north end remained rural and peaceful for fi y years.
Honey, she holds twelve people and a crew of two and came in 2005. Dr Beeching closed the railway at the same me as he closed many others but there is now a miniature railway to a ract visitors. Many thanks to Ray for his talk and slide show. He told us so many amusing and interes ng things about the lake. Please come again, Ray. Next mee ng : Weds, 13th May. DAY TRIP TO SKIPTON. Our coach leaves church at 9:30am. To book, ring 573362.
What is the Guild? The Church Guild is open to all. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month in church, at 2:30pm unless otherwise stated. The mee ngs usually end with tea and cake at around 4:30pm. We have two coach trips each year (May and September) and enjoy a Christmas lunch together. The remaining months we have speakers and slide shows. The mee ngs are very informal with lots of fun and cha er. So come along and join us, you will be very welcome.
In 1849, the railway came to the area and the sta on at Rudyard brought many visitors to the lake, some staying at the Railway Hotel. Among these visitors were Alice McDonald and John Kipling who later married and, when their son was born, they named him Rudyard June 10th Kipling!
Programme for 2015
Another famous visitor, who came to an Aqua c Fete held on the lake in 1877, was Captain Webb, who two years earlier was the first man to swim the Channel. In 1856, the owner of Cliff Park Hall, a lady by the name of Fanny Bostock, banned all boats from the lake but in 1904 this order was rescinded. The Rudyard Lake Trust now has a pleasure boat sailing on the lake. Named HotPo - May 2015
July 8th Aug 12
Strawberry Tea. th
Sept 9th th
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Raymond Acton. Wilmslow moves south.
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Brian Greene. Disney & THE MUSIC. Coach Trip. David Frith. The Goyt Valley (slides.) John & Rachel Hooley. Britannia Revisited. Christmas Lunch at the college.
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07954 572339
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“Your Vote, Your Council” At the me of wri ng, our April mee ng has themselves forward to fill seven councillor places so, being ‘uncontested,’ there is no not yet taken place, scheduled later than need to vote for the normal due to Easter and Parish Council Update candidates - unlike the holidays. borough and na onal events! by Mike North However, there is s ll some With effect from 8th May progress to report on a your Parish Councillors will be: couple of items: · Meredith Ann BARLOW-WALSH, Woodbine Co age, Shrigley Road, SK10 5RT Planning Matters · David John BASFORD, 1 Po Mill Co ages, Bakestonedale Road, SK10 5RU Cheshire East Ref: 15/0421M · Peter Michael BOULTON, 2 Mitchelfold 1 Mitchelfold, Shrigley Road, SK10 5SG Shrigley Road, SK10 5SG Erec on of a log cabin for use as summer · John Francis Bradshaw GOODMAN, 2 Po house / play room. Hall, SK10 5RT Cheshire East have granted permission in · Alison Jean PRESTON, Halith Co age, respect of this applica on. Brookbank, Shrigley Road South, SK12 1TF · Michael John WRAY, South Lodge, Shrigley Road, SK10 5SA Annual Village
Assembly The Parish Council is very pleased to announce a mee ng for all those involved with village life, the so called “Annual Village Assembly.” The Assembly will be held in the village hall at 7:30pm on Monday, 11th May. It is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements in the village in the last year, learn about plans for the future and discuss any concerns or ideas you have with others in the village.
“This month’s council mee ng will be the same as last month’s council mee ng but with some addi onal issues!”
The next two mee ngs of the Parish Council will be in the Village Hall at 8pm on Po Shrigley Monday, 11th May and As previously men oned in this column, the Monday, 1st June, 2015. current Councillors’ terms of office expire on Parish no ce boards have contact details for your 7th May at which me a new Council needs to local Councillors and Parish Clerk. be formed. In the event six volunteers put Our website : www. nyurl.com/po shrigley **** PROOFER’S EDITION**** HotPo - May 2015 Page 9
Once More Unto The Breach
The Duke’s Special Agent My name is Caitlin Plant, I am 15 and a end the girls division at the King’s School, Macclesfield. I have currently been cleaning St Christopher’s church. You may have no ced it has been very clean these past few weeks! I am the granddaughter of Shirley and Tony Plant. I live in Bollington with my parents and my brother, Oliver, who you may remember cleaned the church two years ago. The reason I am going to clean the church for three months is because it is part of the tasks I need to complete to gain a Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award.
summer and am looking forward to spending me and gaining an achievement with my friends. I enjoy cleaning the church with my Gran and it was also fun when my younger cousin, Bobby Deane aged 8, came to help clean and kept me company. It is great to see the church a rac ng the a en on of a younger genera on and I know Bobby enjoyed his me at St Christopher’s.
Caitlin Plant The award scheme started by the Duke in 1956, helps youngsters, such as myself, develop self-confidence and self-reliance. We can gain a sense of achievement and a sense of responsibility; discover new skills, hobbies and talents. Also it is fun to try out new experiences and be involved in teamwork, decision-making and enhancing self-esteem. The award has three levels: Bronze (aged 14+) Silver (aged 15+) Gold (aged 16+) To gain a Bronze award I must complete four sec ons: · Volunteering (helping people in the community) · Skill (developing a hobby, skill or interest) · Physical (prac sing a sport or type of fitness) · An Expedi on (training for, planning and comple ng a journey by: foot, horseback, boat or bike) I am excited to complete my expedi on in Page 10
The best thing about cleaning the church is ge ng to see it in all its glory, at its most beau ful before a wedding or christening. Also I gain sense of achievement when I have finished and see all my hard work and know that it will be appreciated.
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FROM THE CHURCH CLEANING TEAM Caitlin is doing a fantas c job with the church cleaning and s ll has several more weeks to go before comple ng this par cular task, allowing us all to take a holiday from our church cleaning du es. Well done Caitlin and thank you so much from us all. With our love and wishing you every success in gaining your Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award.
Recipe Of The Month Sheena Anderson This cake was a favourite with the family and one which my mother used to make for us all during the war.
Madeira Cake I recently made one to take for refreshments at our last Church Guild mee ng following which, a few members asked if I would have the recipe put in HotPo - so here we are, hope you enjoy it.
3 eggs 8 oz self raising flour Juice of one lemon Method • • • • •
Cream bu er and sugar Gradually add lightly whisked eggs Add lemon juice Fold in the flour Place mixture in a deep 6 “ or 7” cake n and bake in a moderate oven (fan 170°) for one hour
Ingredients 5 oz bu er or margarine 5 oz caster sugar HotPo - May 2015
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For tasty alterna ve use 4 oz marmalade or apricot jam. Add this to the creamed mixture before folding in the flour. Page 11
From The Register Bap sms We welcome into our family: March 22nd Lucy Nobel
Dennis spent a long me in church looking for his forbears ....
For The Record At the end of every Bap sm, Marriage or Burial, Vicar John (or whoever takes the Service) enters the details in the appropriate register. In so doing they are following a prac ce laid down nearly 600 years ago.
pressure to keep these records. It was not un l 1558 that Queen Elizabeth revived the procedure. Un l that me most registers had been kept on loose paper sheets and over me had been lost, water damaged or made into nests by mice and rats! In 1597 they were Before the Dissolu on of the Monasteries by ordered to be copied into parchments books. Henry 8th, the monks had kept unsystema c notes of the birth, marriages and deaths of the Some diligent clergy copied all the previous records but just started at that point. There noble and wealthy families as an aid for was no set rule how the records were to be inheritance purposes. In 1538 Thomas Cromwell, (he of Wolf Hall fame), Henry 8th's kept. Some were detailed; some brief; some in Vicar General, ordered that all people's events English; some in La n. In some cases Bap sms started at the front with Burials at the back with marriages in between.
Mike Akerman
should be recorded. Do not naively assume that this was to ease succession but to establish popula on sta s cs for poll tax purposes. As the clergy were probably the only local persons who could write and the Church had been established by the King, they were the ideal people to keep the records. The fall of Cromwell in 1540 removed some Page 12
It was not un l 1754 that standardised printed registers appear and in 1813 those we are accustomed to today come into being. Po Shrigley's registers date back to 1630 for Bap sms and 1685 for Marriages and Burials. The earliest ones are almost certainly copies of the originals. Opposite are the earliest Bap sms recorded in our Registers.
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Missionaries Ma er Our church directly supports two overseas missionary families. Here is our regular update on their work.
Fazakerley family - Malawi Megumi and Helen Fazakerley are hoping to return to Malawi at the end of September - by which me Mary will hopefully be se led in University and Joshua and Elizabeth will be sufficiently established in their studies to be le to get on with things without mum and dad on hand. Air ckets have to be booked, work permits obtained, medical bills of good health sorted, inocula ons and immuniza ons carried out and agreements with SIM1 UK, SIM Malawi and EBCoM2 reestablished. Meanwhile Megumi and Helen are involved in the ac vi es of their local Bap st church, have been doing a course for discovering their spiritual gi s, and help with the childrens’ programme and Sunday services. They have just started a course about the Bible at the local Anglican church which I a ended and found so interes ng when it was given at a church in Sandbach last year. Helen’s counselling course concludes with exams on May 6th, while Mary will be star ng her A level prac cals early in May. She has just done her driving test theory exam, and no doubt a prac cal is in the offing. Megumi is
having problems with computer security which he needs to get sorted before they return to Malawi, and his book wri ng seems to be somewhat on the back burner for the me being. News from Malawi is scarce, but we need to pray for things at EBCoM where I guess the staff are under pressure because several are away on home assignment and the local teachers are studying themselves to try and improve their qualifica ons. The situa on regarding people who lost everything in the floods earlier in the year is ongoing, and churches and mission people are trying to help the displaced in the camps as and when they are able. The refugees will have to return when the weather dries up and
Dr John Ryley
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rebuild their homes and lives - hopefully on higher ground. You may be interested to see the new traffic lights recently installed at a busy junc on in
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Blantyre; the red and green lights are both on at the same me!
McClean family - Thailand With the spring break at school under way (although spring in Bangkok with soaring day me temperatures and s cky nights bears no resemblance to spring here), Johnny and Ann McClean have found me in their busy schedules to write. Please pray for Tu, a student fromThammasat University who was invited to their Easter outreach by a Chris an student there. She comes from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Although not a Chris an yet, she is hungry to study God’s Word, is mee ng with Ruth Duffin for 1-2-1 Bible study each week, and joins in the weekly group studies at the university. She is full of ques ons and seriously searching. Conversion of students like Tu is strategic, since as a Chris an she would be able to return home to Vietnam where missionary ac vity is impossible and share the gospel with her contacts there. Mook is a Chris an student at Bangkok University who was disappointed to find there was no Chris an group in that university for her to join. She is mee ng with Ruth and Johnny with plans afoot to start a Chris an group there. Ann has now completed her second term as a teacher. Recently there have been a number of opportuni es for deeper conversa ons with staff and students. Pray for wisdom when speaking with staff, parents and students. Some parents have expressed their apprecia on for the way she is ins lling ‘values’ and ‘integrity’ in her tutor group. Pray there will be more opportuni es to share where these values come from. The McCleans hosted a missionary family from an un-named country for a few weeks for Liz to give birth to their second child, an experience which turned out to be more trauma c than expected. Baby Timothy arrived by C-sec on, and spent his HotPo - May 2015
first two weeks figh ng for his life in ICU. He recovered in the end, and Neil and Liz were finally able to return to their own ministry in a very rural and spiritually-challenging situa on. Do pray for them. The McCleans are currently on holiday for a week before term starts again on April 20th; apparently it is New Year in Thailand! 1
SIM - Serving in Mission EBCoM - Evangelical Bible College of Malawi 3 For a variety of reasons we are no longer suppor ng Dean and Paula Finnie financially, but I feel we should con nue to pray for them. Quite what is going on with ‘The Gathering Community Church’ in their new premises over a petrol sta on I don’t know; there has been no prayer le er for some me and no news on their blog other than Joel’s 12th birthday a month ago. 2
For the latest news on our missionaries: bangkokmosaic.wordpress.com www.fazakerley.org.uk
HotPo - The monthly magazine for the whole of Po Shrigley.
Thinking of getting married at St Christopher’s?
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Please contact Audrey Meecham who will be pleased to advise.
audrey.meecham@alexlive.com
01625 575921 Page 15
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Prayer For Beginners - Part 4 We are pleased to publish the last in our series of four ar cles explaining how to get the best from prayer.
‘Helps’ to Prayer I wrote last me of a more reflec ve approach to prayer, and men oned giving yourself me to rest into s llness. Not everyone finds that easy! This me I’ve got a few sugges ons of things that might help.
or your family or work circumstances. If there are others in the house, agree with them when you can have a few minutes undisturbed. Don’t try to set aside too long a me. You’ll find it harder to keep to, and probably a struggle to use well if you do manage – to begin with, at least.
A Focus
Looking at something, or perhaps listening to music, can be helpful especially as we se le in to prayer. I men oned a candle, and other A Place things to look at. Many people find that ligh ng a candle helps to If you can find the right place mark out a ‘special’ me, and that will help. I do have the that looking at its flame while privilege of praying regularly thinking of Christ, the light of in church, where the the world, helps us to be s ll and at peace. An atmosphere of shared prayer does make things icon is a par cular kind of spiritual pain ng, easier! You may need to find a more personal represen ng Jesus, God or one of the saints place. Many people find that (for the deliberate me of prayer you set aside) it helps and symbolising their presence with us. A cross to have a regular place to pray in. It should be reminds us of God’s love for us in Jesus; something natural is another good possibility somewhere as quiet as possible, and with a to help us to think and pray. chair on which you can sit comfortably but without danger of falling asleep! You can also A Friend buy prayer stools which some people find helpful. If your ‘prayer place’ can have somewhere to rest your Bible, and space for a You may or may not find it helpful to pray with candle and perhaps a cross, an icon, flower or someone else. You don’t need to talk – you can something else to look at, that would be great. pray side by side in silence if that’s more helpful. But it may well help to have a friend to whom you can at least talk about prayer and A Time about how God is at work in your life. Why not make it an early part of your prayer to ask God Disciplined prayer does need me set apart, to bring you together with the right person to and most people find it helpful (when it’s possible) to have a regular me of day in which support one another in this?
Rev Nick Watson
to pray. Find your own best me – it may depend on your own rhythms (whether you’re most awake in the mornings or the evenings) HotPo - May 2015
Finally, I hope that something in this ar cle helps you to develop your own prayer and your friendship with God.
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Vicar John’s Extract Of The Month...
A Divine Foot
Since Charles Darwin first published his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selec on in 1359, there have been challenges to his theory by Chris ans and non-Chris ans alike. Modern cri cs are producing increasingly devasta ng cri ques of evolu onary theory, demonstra ng points such as the following:
organs) could not have occurred in ny muta ons accumula ng over thousands of genera ons, because the individual parts of the organ are useless (and give no “advantage”) unless the en re organ is func oning. (The hundreds of parts needed for an eye or a bird’s wing to work have to all be there, or the other parts are useless and confer no adap ve advantage.) But the mathema cal probability of hundreds of such random muta ons happening together in one genera on is effec vely zero.
(a) A er more than one hundred years of experimental breeding of various kinds of animals and plants, the amount of varia on that can be produced (even with inten onal, not random, breeding) is extremely limited, due to the limited range of gene c varia on in each type of living (c) The subsequent 130 years of intensive thing. Dogs that are selec vely bred for archaeological ac vity since Darwin’s me genera ons are s ll dogs; fruit flies are s ll has s ll failed to produce even one fruit flies, and so forth. convincing example of a needed “intermediate (or transi onal) type,” a (b) The vast and complex muta ons required fossil that would show some characteris cs to produce complex organs such as an eye of one animal and a few characteris cs of or a bird’s wing (or hundreds of other
Flowers in church Anyone who would like to contribute flowers (or money towards flowers) in order to celebrate an anniversary or remember a special occasion, please contact Gillian Mosley, Parish Assistant on 01625 829819 Page 18
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the next developmental type, which would be necessary to fill in the gaps in the fossil record between dis nct kinds of animals.
philosophical ideas that he has adopted for other reasons?
Phillip Johnson quotes Richard Lewon n, an (d) Advances in molecular biology increasingly eminent Harvard biologist, who states clearly reveal the incredible complexity of even the that he will always choose a naturalis c simplest of organisms, and no sa sfactory explana on in such a situa on: explana on for the origin of those We take the side of science in spite of the differences has been given. patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its (e) Probably the greatest difficulty of all for extravagant promises of health and life, in evolu onary theory is explaining how any spite of the tolerance of the scien fic life could have begun in the first place. The community for unsubstan ated, just-so spontaneous genera on of even the stories, because we have a prior simplest living organism capable of commitment, a commitment to independent life (the prokaryote bacterial materialism. It is not that the methods and cell) from inorganic materials on the earth ins tu ons of science somehow compel us could not happen by random mixing of to accept a material explana on of the chemicals; it requires intelligent design and phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, cra smanship so complex that no advanced that we are forced by our “a priori” scien fic laboratory in the world has been adherence to material causes to create an able to do it. apparatus of inves ga on and a set of concepts that produce material It is important to no ce that the preceding five explana ons, no ma er how arguments are not based on “the Bible versus counterintui ve, no ma er how mys fying science” (which the secular scien fic to the unini ated. Moreover, that community regularly dismisses as mere materialism is absolute, for we cannot supers on or irra onalism), but are based on allow a Divine Foot in the door. “science versus science“ - that is, the arguments are simply examining the evidence Numerous challenges to the theory of evolu on con nue to be published. Yet it is found in the natural world and asking where tragic that the common opinion, the evidence leads. If the perpetuated in many science evidence leads one direc on textbooks today, that evolu on (for example, if it gives strong is an established “fact,” has evidence of intelligent design) con nued to persuade many and a scien st’s philosophical people that they should not consider the total commitment to a materialis c, naturalis c truthfulness of the Bible to be an intellectually explana on of the origin of life leads another direc on, then what will the scien st do? Will acceptable viewpoint for responsible, thinking individuals to hold today. One only hopes it he con nue to insist that life must have a naturalis c explana on, not because scien fic will not be too long before the scien fic community publicly acknowledges the facts prove it, but because he has a prior implausibility of evolu onary theory, and commitment to explaining everything in a textbooks wri en for high school and college naturalis c way? Then we must ask, is his students openly acknowledge that evolu on commitment to naturalism as a methodology simply is not a sa sfactory explana on for the founded on some evidence he has seen in inves ga ng the world, or is it based on some origin of life on the earth. HotPo - May 2015
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We are pleased to remind you of our popular
2nd Friday of every month, 6pm ‘til 9.30pm
Serving Locally Brewed Real Ale & Speciality Lagers Easy parking, comfortable surroundings and good company.
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A Letter from the Rectory St. James the Least May, 2015 My dear Nephew, I have to say that the couple who complained that you never no ced they had been missing from church for a month had a point. There is a simple way of no cing when someone is absent: everyone sits in the same pew. Every Sunday! Always! Li le Miss Margison sits in the pew a er the third pillar on the right here at St. James the Least. As she walks up the aisle, you can sense her coun ng the pillars un l she reaches the right one, which then allows her to sit in front of it. I have speculated that if I ever had that pillar removed, then the following Sunday, she would have a complete mental collapse. One Sunday a visi ng family arrived early and sat down; three people in an empty church sea ng 200. Colonel Wainwright and his wife were the first of our regulars to arrive and froze in horror. The Colonel said in a deafening whisper to his wife: “There’s someone si ng in our pew.” At least they had the grace – no ma er how reluctant – for one week, to sit somewhere else. Unlike the Pren ce family of husband, wife and three children, who arrived to discover that a visi ng family of husband, wife and four children were si ng in their pew; six people in a pew that held eight. Or, it normally holds eight. That Sunday, it held thirteen. We at least have one iconoclast in Miss Pemberton, who makes a point of si ng in a different place every week. This thoroughly unse les the rest of the congrega on, who fear she may sit in their seats during her nomadic wanderings. I some mes wonder if she has a chart at home with all the pew spaces marked on it and she strikes one off each week as she returns home a er Ma ns. Occasionally the unexpected can happen. Mrs Cholmondeley arrived one week in good me, se led herself in her accustomed place, but half-way through the Service suddenly ran out of the building. Ten minutes later, she was back and in her usual place once again. It was only when the church filled with the smell of burned bacon that we understood. That is why replacing pews with chairs in your church was a mistake. Pews can never be moved. You know where everybody is – or should be! Your loving uncle,
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Coffee Break Across 1 ‘Therefore let us — passing judgment on one another’ (Romans 14:13) (4) 3 ‘I — — these persons here present’ (Marriage service) (4,4) 9 According to a prearranged metable (Numbers 28:3) (7) 10 Group of eight (5) 11 The cell into which the Philippian jailer put Paul and Silas (Acts 16:24) (5) 12 — Taylor, pioneer missionary to China (6) 14 Otherwise known as the Eucharist, Breaking of Bread, the Lord’s Table (4,9) 17 ‘So that a er I have preached to others, I — will not be disqualified for the prize’ (1 Corinthians 9:27) (6) 19 A end to (3,2) 22 Approximately (Acts 4:4) (5) 23 Tea rite (anag.) (7) 24 Rule of sovereign (8) 25 Test (anag.) (4) Down 1 The name of the street where Judas lived in Damascus and where Saul of Tarsus stayed (Acts 9:11) (8) 2 ‘The playing of the merry — , sweet singing in the choir’ (5) 4 ‘We have been saying that — — was credited to him as righteous’ (Romans 4:9) (8,5) 5 Dr Martyn — Jones, famous for his ministry at Westminster Chapel (5) HotPo - May 2015
6 Port at which Paul landed on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13) (7) 7 Observe (Ruth 3:4) (4) 8 Minister of religion (6) 13 ‘I am — of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility’ (Ma hew 27:24) (8) 15 ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he — — his life for his friends’ (John 15:13) (3,4) 16 Archbishop who calculated that the world began in 4004BC (6) 18 ‘No one can — the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit’ (John 3:5) (5) 20 Establish by law (5) 21 Product of Gilead noted for its healing proper es (Jeremiah 46:11) (4)
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My Easter @ Pott I woke up and remembered it was Good talk and then there was a me of medita on. I Friday. thought the service was just right as it gave me A very good day for me because 1) it was the new things to think about and helped me to first day of the school holidays J and 2) it was see the death of Jesus, and Easter, in a the day of our tradi onal church service different way. followed by hot cross buns and a walk with When the service was finished we all queued my friends and cousins. for hot cross buns (thank you Jenny, Sue and We put on our walking gear and Mum and Dad Aunty Sheila.) I really liked them and even went packed our rucksacks and we back for seconds… set off to Po Shrigley Church Some of the congrega on then for the 10am service. went home (like Grandma) and The service wasn’t like our others joined us (like my (aged 8) ordinary church services cousins.) because it was a Friday! And we were wearing We put on our wet weather gear because the our hiking boots! The service was calm, quiet forecast was for lots of rain. Mum always says and well a ended. There were several there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad readings from the Gospels about Jesus’ death. clothes so I’m used to walking in any weather! Uncle Rick and Dad did some of the readings. She also tells me I’m not made of sugar so I will They were pre y sad. A er each set of not melt in the rain. Hmmm… readings, Uncle John (Rev Buckley) gave a short About 35 people set off following Uncle David and Aunty Sheila for our tradi onal church walk. We had at least three dogs with us which meant crossing s les became a muddy and interes ng challenge. We stopped for our picnic lunch about 12:30pm and enjoyed our sandwiches while it was s ll dry. As it started to rain, and rain and rain, we were on our route back to church. I think it was the we est Good Friday Tom (le ) with cousins Lewis and Ma hew a er egg hun ng! walk I’ve been on,
Tom Murphy
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but s ll fun. We all got home in good me to get changed before heading out again to the Viceroy for our Church Family Meal. Uncle John said grace in the restaurant and 65 of us (no dogs this me) had a lovely Indian meal – well, my cousins and I had scampi and chips as I’m not keen on curry. Scampi is Indian isn’t it?! What a good Good Friday! I’d had a super day and also been reminded that while it wasn’t such a good day for Jesus – it was good for us that Jesus had died for us all. Our Easter weekend was rounded off by a packed 10:45am Sunday church service during which we celebrated that Jesus rose from the dead and sang a couple of my favourite songs. All the children were given a crème egg at the communion rail. My egg didn’t last ll the end of the service, it was so yummy! Aunty Chris ne organised an Easter Egg Hunt a er the service which most of the children took part in. A er church I set off with Mum and Dad to the Llyn Peninsula (N Wales) for a lovely sunny holiday. I enjoyed playing football on the sandy beaches with friends, Mum got us lost on a long walk which made it even longer, and Dad took plenty of photos… And to make it even more special we watched dolphins playing in the sea off the coast near Bear Gryll’s Island. I just love Easter - the miracle of Easter!!
Potty about Singing? Why not join us at our next singing rehearsal on Thursday, 18th June, at 7:30pm in church. All welcome! Contact Sheila Garton : sheilagarton@b nternet.com or 07748 321 816 HotPo - May 2015
Brain Basher This month - mul -choice ..... Q1. Which is the first ques on where c) is the correct answer a) Q3 b) Q4 c) Q1 d) Q2 Q2. Which is the first ques on where a) is the correct answer a) Q4 b) Q2 c) Q3 d) Q1 Q3. Which is the first ques on where d) is the correct answer a) Q1 b) Q2 c) Q4 d) Q3 Q4. Which is the first ques on where b) is the correct answer a) Q2 b) Q4 c) Q3 d) Q1 Last month - we presented details of Po Shrigley’s own Enigma machine. If you managed to decode the message (decep vely difficult), it read: “As this is a very difficult puzzle, I thought it would help if I asked a simple ques on: what is one plus one?” And the answer, of course, is 2.
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The Suffering Church I have recently been reading about persecu on of Chris ans in the days of the Roman empire. From Nero in 64AD ‘ ll Constan ne’s Edict of Milan in 311 legalising Chris anity it is reckoned that Chris ans experienced 129 years of persecu on and 120 years of tolerance and peace. Persecu on sparked the cult of saints, facilitated the rapid growth and spread of Chris anity, prompted defenses and explana ons of Chris anity (the “apologies”), and raised fundamental ques ons about the nature of the church. It is said that more Chris ans have been martyred in the last 50 years than in those first 300 years of the church. At long last the terrible plight of Chris ans in many parts of the world is being men oned in the media - and even by leaders of the churches! This week I watched a very illumina ng programme by Jane Corbin on BBC1 on the suffering of Chris ans in the Middle East, and read in the paper today about a empts by the authori es to curb the explosive growth of the church in China. It is possible that in a few years me China will have the largest church in the world (number of Chris ans, not size of building!). Although the situa on is to some extent being recognised in public at last, no governments or people in power are yet doing anything about the situa on. ISIL and all it stands for is a far greater threat to world peace than ever Sadam Hussain or Bashar al-Assad ever were or are.
boats leave Libya hoping to get picked up by the Italian authori es; many don’t make the crossing. Did you read today how 12 Chris ans on one such boat were thrown overboard by Moslems in the boat - just because they were Chris ans? That’s Islam!
India A group of around 30 Hindu radicals stormed a church prayer mee ng in Maharajhanj, in India’s U ar Pradesh state, on 25 March, where around 100 believers were gathered. Falsely accusing the pastor of conver ng people to Chris anity by force, they proceeded to beat, kick and push the believers who had met to pray together. According to a local Chris an, “the a ackers gripped Anil who was playing the dholak (folk drum) and strangled him and violently pushed him off from his seat”. On the same day, another prayer mee ng was violently halted by Bajrang Dal Hindu extremists in Agra, U ar Pradesh. The Chris ans had met together to pray in the home of one of the believers when around 20 extremists and police officers barged into the mee ng. Admonishing the Chris ans for praying, they a acked them. The mob grew in number and became increasingly violent. Allegedly for protec on, police officers took ten of the believers to the police sta on and held them un l midnight. On 13 March, Hindu radicals vandalised a church building under construc on in Kaimri, Hisar, in Haryana state. Taking down the cross, they replaced it with an idol of the Hindu god Hanuman (the monkey god) and raised a Hindu na onalist flag showing Ram and other Hindu gods. According
Dr John Ryley
North Africa Lots of people from North Africa are a emp ng to get to Europe to hopefully improve their chances in life. Overcrammed Page 26
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hospital on the night of 14 April. Nauman had told police that on his way back to the tailor’s where he worked as an appren ce, “two people stopped me, while Muslims were going to their mosques and asked me whether I was from which religion. I told them that I am Chris an. They started bea ng me and when I tried running, both boys started following me through the street and Indian church at prayer then they threw to Bishop Simon John, “the miscreants accused Kerosene oil on me and burnt me.” church Pastor Subhash Chand of forceful conversions and claimed that no church should Iran exist in the area”. The subject of conversion is an extremely controversial issue in India where Iranian Chris ans in Urumiyeh were told they so-called Freedom of Religion laws are o en were not allowed to hold Easter celebra ons used to indict Chris ans of forcing or luring a er state security forces sent threatening Hindus to convert to Chris anity. le ers to state-recognised churches in the north-western city on 4 April. The le ers ordered that Chris ans were permi ed only to celebrate Easter in their own homes. According Islamic extremists in the village of Gidan Maso to the Na onal Council of Resistance of Iran in Nigeria’s northern Kano state set fire to a (NCRI), “Barring Iranian Chris ans from holding church on 1 April a er they could not find a Easter celebra ons is considered young man who had renounced Islam and unprecedented in Iran - even under the decided to return to Chris anity, whom they mullahs’ rule which has been ranked one of were looking to kill. Enraged by the Chris ans’ the world’s worst na ons for the persecu on refusal to react violently to their a ack, they of Chris ans”. Only recognised Chris an proceeded to torch the home of church Pastor minori es are allowed to meet together to Habila Garba, whose daughter died as a result. worship in church buildings in Iran. The recognised groups are the Armenian and In the city of Lahore, Pakistan, as Muslims Assyrian Chris ans who have long been were on their way to Friday prayers on 10 present in the country a er they fled the April, 14-year-old Nauman Masih was brutally genocide sanc oned against them by the a acked and burned by two Muslim radicals O oman Empire. Chris an converts from Islam a er he told them he was a Chris an. are fiercely persecuted and o en imprisoned. Sustaining burns on 55% of his body, he died in
Nigeria
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Chores and Chains Cleaning Eve e 0161 439 9979
May 1st May 8th May 15th May 22nd May 29th
Mrs Meecham, Mrs Winstanley Mr & Mrs Akerman Mr & Mrs Ferguson Mr & Mrs Currell Mrs Benne , Mrs Ward
June 5th
Mrs Harper, Mrs Plant
Flowers Gill 01625 829819
May 3rd Vacancy May 10th Vacancy May 17th Eileen Frecknall and Joyce Knox; Gill to arrange
In memory of Elsie & Margaret Gra on, Joyce Barber & Janis Knox
May 24th Wedding May 31st Wedding June 7th
Vacancy
Tea & Coffee Jenny 07715 408704
May 3rd May 10th May 17th May 24th May 31st
Jenny & Pauline Ros & Sheila Rita & Carol Margaret & Doreen Peter & Eileen
June 7th
Jenny & Pauline
Weddings Audrey 01625 575921
Fri 22nd May Fri 29th May Fri 3rd July Fri 10th July
Stephen Curren OO Michelle Tomlinson (12:30pm) Andrew Pye OO Lucy Nobel (1pm) Dave Franks OO Karen Downer (1:30pm) David Roberts OO Leanne Kivell (12:30pm)
Proof Reading
June 2015 Jacky Malyan (26th May) July 2015 Audrey Meecham (23rd June) Thanks to Mary Currell for poof reeding this issue and to Mike Akerman for prin ng it.
HotPo - May 2015
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This Month’s Services May 3rd.
Prayers
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Holy Communion
10th.
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Morning Worship
17th.
8:30am Morning Worship 10:45am Morning Worship
24th. Pentecost
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Morning Worship
31st.
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Family Service
Luke 16:19-31; Ma hew 24:29-31 Lazarus and what’s his name?
Sandy Milsom
1 Peter 1:1-9; Romans 5:1-11 Believing is seeing
Mathesons
John 14:15-17; Acts 1:1-11 The church’s mission
Ivy Mosley
Acts 2:1-13; Acts 2:14-24,36-42 Power to believe
Gartons
Acts 2:43-47 Power to share
Children
This Month’s Sidespeople May 3rd.
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Holy Communion
10th.
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Morning Worship
17th.
8:30am Morning Worship 10:45am Morning Worship
24th. Pentecost
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Morning Worship
31st.
8:30am Holy Communion 10:45am Family Service
(readers in bold)
Extra Readers
Mr. K. Ardern Mrs. E. Harper + Mr. I. Malyan + Mrs. E. Buffey Miss G. Mosley Mr. C. Po er + Mrs. C. Taylor
Dr. J. Hu on
Mrs. C. Bowes Mr. M. Akerman + Mr. D. Davie Miss G. Mosley Mr. R. Lo house + Mrs J. Doyle
Mr. K. Meecham
Mrs. C. Bowes Mr. S. Heathcote + Mr. I. Currell + Mr. I. Malyan
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HotPo - May 2015
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