HotPott February 2025 by Pott Shrigley Parish Magazine

Lynn's letter

Dear friends,

In the last few weeks we have been visited by snow and freezing temperatures. When days are short and nights are long the darkness can seem deep, especially when the Christmas lights get packed away. However, there is an ancient tradition, known as Candlemas, which has been celebrated on 2nd February for centuries, and which brings with it a glimmer of light in the heart of winter.

Candlemas has its roots deep in history and spirituality and celebrates the end of the Christmas season; for this reason, some keep their Christmas decorations up until then. Candlemas commemorates the presentation of baby Jesus in the Temple, and we can read of this account in Luke 2:22-40.

Many customs have become associated with Candlemas over the years including, of course, the lighting of candles.

In churches and homes alike, candles are lit to remind us of God’s protection, warmth, and blessings throughout the coming year. In Scotland, there is a custom called ‘creeping of the candles’. A member of the household, often the youngest, carries a candle while walking around the darkened house. This symbolises the return of light and the banishment of shadows.

Candlemas is also known for its folklore surrounding the weather. The old saying goes:

‘If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight; If Candlemas Day be wind and rain, Winter has gone and will not come again.’

People believed that the weather on Candlemas could predict the duration of winter. Certainly, in the Cheshire Peaks we may be forgiven for taking this with a pinch of salt as we all know that winter rarely ends on 2nd February!

In France, the association of crepes with Candlemas has both historical and practical origins. Legend has it that in the fifth century Pope Gelasius I distributed crepes to pilgrims who visited Rome on Candlemas Day. continued →

These crepes symbolised the round and golden sun, signifying the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

However it is celebrated, Candlemas holds a profound symbolic meaning that represents Jesus, the Light of the World, and His triumph over darkness. As we celebrate this festival, we are reminded that even in the darkest of times, there is a spark of the Holy Spirit within us that can light up our path.

In the depths of winter, Candlemas serves as a reminder that spring is on the horizon, the days are getting longer, and the earth begins to stir beneath the frosty surface. It’s a time to reflect on our own lives, to shed the darkness of our doubts and fears, and to welcome the light of new possibilities.

Many individuals and families still observe Candlemas in their own unique ways. Some attend church services, while others have candlelit dinners or simply light a few candles at home. Regardless of how it is celebrated, the essence of Candlemas remains the same – a celebration of Jesus, the Light of the World, bringing hope and the promise of brighter days ahead.

At Candlemas we are transported to a place where tradition and spirituality intertwine. It’s a time when we pause to reflect on the circle of the seasons, to embrace the light within, and to look forward to the arrival of spring. So, on 2nd February, as we light our candles and share in this timeless tradition, let us be reminded that the warmth of Candlemas continues to illuminate our lives, year after year.

With these thoughts in mind, I want to let you know of three special occasions in February that will act as lights in winter. The first will be on Sunday 2nd February at 10.45 when all will be welcome at a special Candlemas service with candles and prayers for the coming year. The second will be our Service of Remembering on Sunday 9th February at 16.30 when any who have been bereaved can come and light a candle of remembrance for their loved ones and hear their names being mentioned in our prayers. This was very

Presentation of Jesus at the temple; the olde christmas shoppe

well received last year, so please do come and bring others with you. Then at 10.45 on Sunday 16th February Bishop Sam will be with us at our service of Confirmation and Adult Baptism; please come and support all those who have been preparing to make this public declaration of faith.

In these ways we hope and pray that you will see the light that the darkness of the world cannot extinguish: Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World.

With love, Lynn

March 1st 2018 – still winter a month after Candlemas

Save the date…

..of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), which will be held on Sunday 23rd March following the 10.45 service. We, the St Christopher’s Church family, want to continue to move forward in showing God’s love to each other, but also to bring His love and hope to others in our neighbourhoods.

The APCM provides an opportunity to meet as a congregation to review the life and mission of St Christopher’s, and to contribute to its future plans. Please do come, whether you have worshipped at St Christopher’s for days or decades!

Thank you…

… to Stuart Anderson of Pott Hall for this month’s front cover photograph. Stuart braved the recent snowy weather to watch his grandson whizz down the hill behind Pott Hall on a snow board.

Thanks too to all those kind people who braved the slippery pavements and difficult roads to help others with shopping, path clearing, visits for health appointments etc.

A busy, exciting time

Advent is a busy time for most churches, and St Christopher’s is no exception. Many of our number gathered items for the Reverse Advent Calendar organised by the Silklife Foodbank; a quick glance at their Facebook page shows what a truly community effort this is: schools, churches, local businesses and others all participate. We are grateful to Jean and Reg Ferguson for being our local organisers, encouragers and transporters; the goods contributed by St Christopher’s folk filled Jean and Reg’s camper van up to the gunnels, so thanks to all who donated. Our Christingle service on 8th December saw a departure from the norm, with our ordinand Melissa suggesting we build our Christingles in the 10.45am service rather than having them readymade. Melissa and her group of willing helpers filled bags with Christingle components, and with Rev. Lynn leading us everyone made their own Christingles: the orange representing the world, the red band Jesus’ saving blood, the four sticks pointing to the four corners of the earth – signifying that God is everywhere – and the sweets on the sticks representing all the good gifts God showers upon us. Then perhaps the most important part, the lit candle reminding us of Jesus, the Light of the World. At Christingle we remember children who need particular help, and we were able to donate over £110 to The Children’s Society. We were delighted to welcome Pott Shrigley Church School for their nativity play, which was fabulous. And Little Doves enjoyed their Christmas party too.

Kath Matheson

Little Doves' Christmas party

Reg with a packed van

Christingle service

The theme for our Carols by Candlelight services this year was wonder. Rev. Lynn spoke of Christ choosing to come into the mess of this world, demonstrating that He knows what it is to walk in our shoes. She suggested we spend some time lingering with the wonder of the Christmas story, knowing that we may feel uncertain about it, but giving ourselves the time and space to allow God to show Himself to us. The first step of faith may feel like a risk, but when we are willing to trust, we will find that Jesus opened His arms wide on the cross and is already holding us. Around 600 people heard Lynn speak and they produced some excellent singing too; Elsa stole many hearts with her Away in a Manger solo. More singing was heard at The Cotton Tree and at Shrigley Hall when some of the St Christopher’s family visited, and it was lovely to welcome many visitors

to our services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Advent and Christmas at St Christopher’s so special, but the biggest thank you goes to Jesus, who left heaven to be with us on earth.

Don't forget...

… to fill out and return a completed church electoral roll form if you wish to be on the completely new roll being compiled in early March 2025. Being on the roll signifies your formal membership of St Christopher’s and allows you to have a vote at the annual church meeting (see page 5).

Kath Matheson

Please note that even if you are on the current roll, you will need to complete a new application form. Of course, you do need to be eligible for the roll by being aged 16 or over, baptised, a member of the Church of England (or a church in communion with the Church of England) and either a regular worshipper at St Christopher’s for at least 6 months or

you would have been so if you were not prevented by frailty or illness. Residents of the parish who are also members of the Church of England or of a church in communion with the Church of England are also eligible. Forms are available from the racks at the back of church, and there is a box to put completed forms in on the table at the back of church, though as this will not be emptied every day, confidentiality of the forms in this box cannot be guaranteed. If you prefer, put forms through the letter box at Church View Cottage (green door opposite gate from church yard to Shrigley Road).

Deadline for the receipt of forms is 22nd February 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Caroline Booth on 07962020892

Shrigley Hall carols

Remembering Evette Harper

St Christopher’s Church family was saddened to hear that Evette Harper died, aged 82, on 21st November 2024 after a very long illness.

Kath Matheson

When Evette moved to Bakestonedale Road with husband Peter, son Ross and daughter Laurie in the mid-1970s the family quickly became involved in village life. Peter became president of Pott Shrigley Cricket Club, the first playing member to do so, and Evette helped with cricket teas. Both Ross and Laurie attended Pott Shrigley School; Evette was an active member of the PTA and Laurie was Pott Rose Queen in 1986.

Evette was a lady of faith and attended St Christopher’s from when the family moved to Pott until ill health prevented her, despite moving to Cheadle several years

before that. She served as a sidesman and organised the cleaning rota for many years.

left to right - Jamie Hart, Dominic Lisle, Geoff Dawson, Ian Brooke, Peter Harper, Michael Lisle, Evette Harper, Paul Wrigley, ?, Andy Smith, Barry Carney, Andrew Hart, Derrick Brooke

Always elegant, always friendly, Evette provided a great welcome to everyone as they entered church.

Evette excelled at English and drama at the grammar school in her hometown of Seaham in County Durham; she also represented the county at athletics and hockey and was head girl too. She became a teacher of English and drama, including, to their horror, teaching drama to her sister Beverley at Seaham Grammar and to son Ross at Poynton High, though the latter was somewhat mollified when the older boys at Poynton told him they thought his mum was ‘cool’! In her student years Evette acted in film and television productions made at Pinewood Studios; later she joined the Cheadle Hulme Amateur Dramatic Society (CHADS). Evette met Peter when he joined the staff at Seaham Grammar as a visiting athletics coach; they were engaged within two weeks of meeting and married for 48 years, despite Peter bringing two fell runners with him to their honeymoon in

the Lake District! Evette and Peter were very sociable people and had many close friends from all phases of their lives; parties at Bakestonedale were legendary and often included well-known sportsmen, including one occasion when Alex Higgins played a frame of snooker with Ross. Evette had a seemingly relaxed attitude to parenting in some ways: Laurie was often left in the magazine aisle of supermarkets whilst her mum and brother did the shopping, only being retrieved when a tannoy announcement indicated Laurie had finished all the magazines she wanted to read! Evette supported Peter, Ross and Laurie to achieve what they wished to do and delighted in them and, subsequently, her grandchildren Hugo and Josie. And Bubs the dog!

Despite being severely affected by dementia, Evette’s love of music and dance, her positivity and her smile lasted to the end. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

St Christopher’s Pastoral Ministry

For pastoral support, a listening ear, a home visit, Holy Communion at home, prayer support or if you have a baptism enquiry

please contact the pastoral ministry care team via Anne Murphy.

pastoralteam@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

telephone: 07891 953919

A teenager who had just received her provisional licence offered to drive her parents to church. After a hair-raising ride, they finally reached their destination. The mother got out of the car and said in a quiet but fervent voice: “Thank you!”

“Anytime,” her daughter replied.

As the woman slammed the car door she said, “I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to God.”

Resplendent winter visitors

Readers with long memories may recall that the Matheson garden has been previously blessed with visits from beautiful birds with voracious appetites; waxwings and fieldfares appeared a few years ago, this year it was the turn of the redwing who swooped in with their friends the fieldfares during the recent snowy weather. More polite than waxwings, at least we still have some berries on our tree in case the birds need more sustenance from our garden in future.

Kath Matheson

The redwing, or Turdus iliacus to give it its proper name, is the UK’s smallest true thrush, being a little bigger than a song thrush. On average, redwings are around 21cm in length, have a wingspan of up to 35cm and weigh 63g. Named after their distinctive rusty-red underwings and flanks, they are dark brown above, have creamy-white chests covered in dark brown streaks and a bright creamy stripe above their eyes.

Redwings are winter visitors to the UK, often migrating at night from Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scandinavia. They usually lodge in the UK from October to March, living in conifer and birch forests and, in more southern parts, mixed woodland. Redwings are highly nomadic, moving around the countryside in search of berries, fruit (they love apples!) and small worms. When food is scarce, for example when snow covers the ground, they will make a quick foray into gardens or orchards, particularly if there are hawthorn or rowan berries to be found. Redwings were the first bird species proven to detect fruit using ultraviolet (UV)

vision; the waxy coatings of berries reflect UV light, making them more appealing to birds

Redwings rarely return to the same place two winters running. Although shy of humans, they are sociable birds and are often seen in the company of fieldfares, as they were in our garden; the two species are distinguishable as the fieldfare lacks the redwing’s eye stripe and has a yelloworange chest rather than a creamy-white one.

Redwings rarely breed in the UK. With less than 20 pairs usually remaining here throughout the year, breeding appears to be restricted to northern Scotland, especially Inverness-shire, Ross-shire, Sutherland and Shetland. Redwings build

cup-shaped nests out of grass, moss, twigs and lichen, usually low to the ground in dense vegetation. Four to six eggs are laid, and after 10–14 days the chicks hatch. It takes around two weeks for the young to fledge; however, they will still depend on their parents for a further two weeks. Due to the quick fledging time, a second brood is often raised.

It is believed that climate change could ultimately cause the loss of this already small breeding population of redwings. Listed as Near Threatened on the global International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021), they are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Thanks to Duncan’s preferred activity of

staring out of the window to see what’s happening in the garden, it was a real privilege to see these beautiful birds making the most of the berries. God’s creation is wonderful indeed.

With thanks to the Woodland Trust, the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and the British Trust for Ornithology for the above information.

Rise up and walk…

On Advent Sunday, St Christopher’s was honoured to welcome Rev. Hassan John, a pastor who has worked for many years in and around Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria.

Kath Matheson

Hassan was the Roads to Hope coordinator for the charity Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), which St Christopher’s has supported by providing funds for an education bus in Plateau State (see HotPott March 2022 & Summer 2023). He feels an especial link to St Christopher’s Pott Shrigley as he was previously the vicar of St Christopher’s in Jos – there aren’t too many of us around!

Rev. Hassan read us the passage describing Peter and John using the name of Jesus Christ to heal a disabled man who had

asked them for alms (Acts 3:1-10); the disciples had no material resources to give, but their faith in God brought healing, just as the faith of the persecuted Christians of Nigeria enables them to ‘rise up and walk’ (Acts 3:6) by maintaining their hope in Christ.

Rev. Hassan described Jos as sitting on the fault line between Muslim north Nigeria and the Christian south. He provided some horrifying statistics: it’s estimated that since 1999 and the introduction of Shari’a law, 200,000 Christians have been killed in Northern Nigeria and the charity OpenDoors reported that of the 4,998 Christians killed for their faith in 2023, 90% of them died in Nigeria. In addition, 3,000 Nigerian churches have been destroyed or burned since 2010, church leaders are specifically targeted and thousands of women have been kidnapped and raped. Terrorists, and even some of the government forces meant to protect women and children in displacement camps, will only supply food if the women

Rev. Hassan John at St Christopher's

Child with loss of an eye

agree to have sex with them. Women who refuse to convert to Islam are not released from kidnap until they do. Ransom money is often used to buy arms – automatic weapons and night vision goggles are routine equipment for terrorists – and around 500 Christian villages have been forcibly occupied by armed militia. Overseas aid given to tackle the terrorist problem is often syphoned off, and many of the World Food Programme resources are stolen before reaching the intended recipients. Although disputes over land in the face of climate-change induced desertification are often cited as the reason for such violence, Rev. John explained that discriminatory Islamist government policies, Christians being unfairly blamed for desecrating Islamic texts and the emergence of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamist Fulami Militia are key factors.

And yet, amidst all this horror, Rev. Hassan was able to say that Christians hold onto faith: ‘If the Lord doesn’t help, who will?’

And he explained that Nigerian Christians see God’s faithfulness, mercy, love and compassion working in their lives; God does intervene and the prayers and actions of his faithful people all over the world are vital. Education – classes held under trees in villages, delivered by volunteer teachers and using equipment given by HART –distracts children and young people from their problems as well as increasing their life chances. Blankets and sleeping mats

Destroyed church

Mass grave in central Nigeria

Education under trees

restore a father’s dignity as he is now able to provide them to his family. Food supplies stop women being subjected to sexual harassment. Such provision shows God’s love and care and strengthens faith, bringing joy in the face of extremely difficult life circumstances; hope in God produces resilience and perseverance. Rev. Hassan explained that persecution is to be expected before Christ returns, (John 15:10) but He is with us in all situations (Matthew 25:35-40). An amazing statement of faith.

‘He went walking and leaping and praising God’ is the start of the chorus of the song we sing based on Acts 3:1-10. It was

humbling to hear how the Christians in Nigeria maintain their joy and their faith in the face of such adversity. Please pray that the Lord continues to bring peace, joy and comfort to those who are persecuted, for the church in Nigeria to thrive and for protection for both pastors and worshippers as they live out their faith. As Rev. Hassan said: ‘You being on your knees in prayer in Pott Shrigley enables us in Nigeria to stand.’

With thanks to Rev. Hassan John for the use of his slides and talk.

* * *

A Sunday school teacher was telling her youngsters about Daniel and the Lion’s Den. To illustrate the lesson, she drew a picture of Daniel standing, brave and confident, with a group of lions around him. Suddenly, one little girl started to cry. The teacher said, “Don’t cry. Daniel is going to survive.”

Snuffling back the tears the girl replied: “That’s not what I’m crying about. That little lion, over in the corner, isn’t going to get anything to eat.” * * *

Men with sleeping mats and blankets

Hope

Shekels, Mites and Denarii

During lambing season and periodically throughout the year, we give Sheila a wellearned rest from leading our homegroup and take it in turns to lead using topics that interest us. I enjoyed presenting the topic ‘Biblical Money’ and showing the group coins that are mentioned in the Bible. Here is a resumé of my presentation:

In antiquity people traded goods; a sheep farmer might exchange wool for food or fuel for example. However, as carrying bulky goods around was cumbersome, it was more convenient to use an easily portable thing to trade instead – precious metal. This is why we have pounds today; a piece of silver that weighed a pound became a unit of currency – a pound. The problem was that when you exchanged your goods for metal, how did you know that the lump of metal you received was of the same weight and purity as everybody else’s lump?

Simon Potts

In 1700BC Genesis 23:14-16 tells of an exchange between Abraham and Ephron over a field to be used to bury the dead. The price was ‘400 shekels of silver according to the weight current amongst merchants’. So, the Jews at that time were trading using silver of an agreed weight and, just like our pound, that shekel was simply a unit to measure an agreed amount of silver. One shekel was thought to weigh between 0.2 and 0.4oz or 6 to 12g. It would be over 1,000 years before shekels become coins.

Around 1520BC Job gives us a description of the industry that had already developed in precious metals. Job 28:1-2 says: ‘There is a mine for silver and a place where gold

is refined. Iron is taken from the earth and copper is smelted from ore.’ Around 400BC Malachi writes that God will ‘purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver’. (Malachi 3:3)

The system of weighing metals is open to dishonesty with impure or underweight metal being traded. This had clearly become a problem as in Leviticus 19:36 God warns to ‘Use honest scales and honest weights’. One solution was to have ‘master’ shekels that others could be compared to; some of these were kept in the synagogue to make sure offerings were of the correct weight. In Exodus a census is being conducted: as each person crossed the room to be counted, he paid half a shekel; Exodus 30:13 states this was to be ‘according to the sanctuary shekel’.

So, the Israelites had a system of trading metal, and the weight of the metal was consistent. The problem was the purity: how could this be proven? The answer was found around 600BC in Lydia, an area populated by the descendants of Shem’s son Lud (Genesis 10), in modern day Turkey. Lydia had very rare deposits of a natural alloy of silver and gold called

Abraham buys a field from Ephron; Gilliam van der Gouwen

electrum, and they made flans (pieces of metal used to make coins) out of this alloy. Lydia’s ruler at that time, Alyettes, had a royal lion symbol stamped onto these pre-weighed flans and these became the earliest known coins. The backs of the coins show the damage caused by the anvil that held them in place whilst the front was stamped.

By the fifth century BC coins were being struck in Jerusalem. One of the smallest coins was the lepton, a tiny bronze coin mentioned in the story of the widow’s mite, which is recorded both in Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4. ‘… a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this woman has put more into the treasury than all of the others. They gave of their wealth, but she gave everything she had to live on.”’ (Luke 21:2-4)

In Mark 12:42, the King James Bible says that the widow ‘threw in two mites, which make a farthing’; until the 13th century farthings were pieces of pennies cut into quarters to make change, but the coins thrown into the Temple treasury were actually leptons. The reason for this is that when Tyndale printed his first Bible in 1525, on the continent the smallest denomination was the Flemish Mijt. King James kept the Anglicised word ‘mite’ and added ‘which is worth two farthings’ in his 1611 version of the Bible. Bronze leptons were struck in huge numbers between 103BC and 76BC by Alexander Janneus, the then King of Judea, so many that they were used well into New Testament times and were almost certainly the coins referred to by Mark and Luke.

The invasion of Judea by the Romans led to a series of Jewish revolts, and during the rebellion of 66BC the Jews issued shekels showing Jewish symbolism to show Rome their independence. Once the revolt

Tiberius denarius

Lydian lion coin

Lepton or widow's mite

Imported Tyrean shekel

Jewish revolt shekel

was crushed the Romans banned this coinage and made the default currency the denarius. As Jewish law demanded that payments to the Temple be made in shekels, the Jews imported shekels from up the coast in Tyre, which is in modern day Lebanon.

Tiberius was Roman Emperor (Caesar) from 14AD to 37AD, so he ruled throughout most of Jesus’ adulthood and it would have been Tiberius’ image on the coin mentioned in Mark 12:15-17: ‘“Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.’

As most of the coins in their pockets were Roman, to satisfy Jewish law visitors to the Temple needed to exchange their denarii

for Tyrean shekels; the money changers spied an opportunity to make a profit, and in Matthew 21 we hear what Jesus thought about this: ‘Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12-13)

Finally, when Judas took his 30 pieces of silver from the chief priests in exchange for betraying Jesus, he would have received 30 Tyrean shekels. ‘Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot –went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.’ (Matthew 26:14-16)

Mind the bull… and the mud

Eight humans and one dog gathered at the lychgate for our first prayer walk of the year, all suitably attired in anticipation of very wet weather: the New Year had come gushing in with persistent rain only four days before and the trend seemed to be continuing without hesitation! However, we were blessed to stay largely dry for the duration of the walk.

Sally Winstanley

Our first prayer included welcoming three ladies from St John’s Adlington: Jane, Helen and Helen’s daughter, Lizzy (with Poppy the dog) who had never experienced a prayer walk before. They joined Anne, Kath, Ros, Yvonne and Sally. We set off through the churchyard onto Shrigley Road, stopping at the turning into Shrigley

Hall to gave thanks to God for the annual Christmas Eve carol singing there in the crowded foyer only 11 days previously, and to pray for the success of that business and indeed all businesses in Pott Shrigley.

We carried on along Shrigley Road, then up Long Lane to stop at the bench, strategically placed to take in the magnificent views across Cheshire and Greater Manchester, prompting prayer for God’s creation and the communities within our vision. We also prayed for those in our church families struggling with ill health and other life issues.

‘Bull in Field’ was the signage attached to the gate into the field where our planned route took us. After careful scouring, we squelched across the empty field for our next prayers, which included the farming community and the health of livestock. It was then we noticed that the bull was actually in the next field… we retraced our steps to Long Lane and carried on along the footpath to Cocksheadhey Road, gathering for prayers at its junction with Nab Lane. At this point, two of our group decided to make their way back to church,

left to right - Kath, Jane, Helen, Yvonne, Sally, Ros, Lizzy, Poppy

whilst the rest of us climbed the slippery path up to the Nab to take in more of the beauty of God’s creation.

Prayer walking in and around Pott Shrigley, in the company of Jesus and other church family, is an uplifting and heartwarming

experience – please come and join us whenever you can. Prayer walks happen on the first Saturday of each month and last for a couple of hours – you’ll love it! or more details about the next prayer walk, contact Yvonne on 07842 428496.

Love in Action

‘Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.’

1 John 3:18

The writer Gary Chapman describes how love can be expressed in five different ‘languages’: words of encouragement, sharing of quality time, the giving of gifts, acts of service and touch.

Canon Paul Hardingham

Do you have a preferred language of love?

As we think about St Valentine during this month, let’s consider how God’s love language is expressed in the word agape. This is exclusively found in the New Testament and is uniquely defined by Jesus: ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.’ (1 John 3:16). Jesus’ giving of His life on the cross provides the model for how we can demonstrate God’s love in our relationships with others.

Love is self-giving: are we ready to put the other person first, as Jesus did when He died for us in our place. Are we generous with our time, words, money and service, whatever the cost?

Love takes the initiative: are we ready to show love to those who don’t deserve it, or who we find hard to love? Do we have eyes of compassion to see their needs and a heart to love and serve them?

Love is intentional: are we ready to get close to those in need around us, irrespective of the time we have or how we feel?

The story is told of Jesus asking a little child: ‘How much do you love me?’ The child replied: ‘Lots and lots and lots!’ Then the child asked Jesus how much He loved them. Jesus stretched out His arms wide and said: ‘I love you this much’ as they nailed Him to a cross.

With thanks to Parish Pump for the use of this article.

Across

8 Interrogated (Acts 12:19) (5-8)

9 ‘Burn it in a wood fire on the — heap’ (Leviticus 4:12) (3)

10 Tobit, Judith, Baruch and the books of Esdras and the Maccabees are part of it (9)

11 Science fiction (abbrev.) (3-2)

13 Clay pit (anag.) (7)

16 Went to (John 4:46) (7)

19 ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to — your bodies as living sacrifices’ (Romans 12:1) (5)

22 David’s plea to God concerning those referred to in 14 Down: ‘On — — let them escape’ (Psalm 56:7) (2,7)

Coffee Break

your offerings’ (Leviticus 2:13) (3,3)

12 Confederation of British Industry (1,1,1)

24 Royal Automobile Club (1,1,1)

25 How the book of Ezekiel refers to God more than 200 times (Ezekiel 2:4) (9,4)

Down

1 Seas (Proverbs 8:24) (6)

2 One of the sons of Eli the priest, killed in battle by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:11) (6)

3 Specialist in the study of the Muslim religion (8)

4 ‘Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but — him as if he were your father’ (1 Timothy 5:1) (6)

5 One of Esau’s grandsons (Genesis 36:11) (4)

6 Taking a chance (colloq.) (2,4)

7 God’s instructions to the Israelites concerning grain offerings: ‘ — salt to —

14 ‘All day long they twist my words; they are always — to harm me’ (Psalm 56:5) (8)

15 The crowd’s reaction to Jesus bringing back to life a widow’s son in Nain (Luke 7:16) (3)

16 Disappear (Psalm 104:35) (6)

17 How Jeremiah was likely to die if he wasn’t rescued from the cistern where he was imprisoned (Jeremiah 38:9) (6)

18 What the prophets do to a wall, with whitewash (Ezekiel 13:10, RSV) (4,2)

20 Made by a plough (Job 39:10) (6)

21 Noah was relieved when the flood waters continued to — (Genesis 8:5) (6)

23 Jesus gave the Twelve the power and authority to do this to diseases (Luke 9:1) (4)

Anna and Simeon

Anna (Luke 2:36-38)

All those years in the temple, In waiting widowhood. All those years Worshipping, wondering, What had it all been about?

Seven years of marriage

Then this lifetime alone, And yet There was this sense of purpose, Of Spirit-significance Impending, Then there He was, The child. And Simeon sang Of salvation and sorrow, Of rising and falling, Of light and loss, Of revelation and piercing.

I gazed at the child, Glimpsed the glory of God And gave thanks For the years.

by Daphne Kitching

A Prayer for Candlemas, 2nd February

Dear Lord,

Here we are in February – month of cold days, winter days, but days that promise hope and signs of Spring. Snowdrops and lengthening light; echoes of the hope and light that Jesus brought to Simeon and Anna all those years ago in the Temple.

Thank you, Lord, that you always bring light, you always bring hope and peace and joy when we put our trust in Jesus, our Saviour. Jesus, Lord of all our days and seasons. In His name we thank you, as we look to His Light.

Amen.

It almost didn’t happen

As we approached the Tearfund Big Quiz night of 2024, it was far from certain that St Christopher’s would be joining in…

Kath Matheson

...but thanks to David Garton and Pam Cooke rescuing us at the last minute, around 30 of us congregated in the village hall to nibble the nibbles, drink the liquid refreshment available from the village hall bar and pit our wits against the Tearfund question setters. Amazingly, Taylor Swift was a correct answer to one of the entertainment round questions, much to the delight of the Ding Dong team, who unfortunately got most of the other answers wrong.

The inaccurately named Simple Minds won, closely followed by Who’s Doing The

Rotas, Three Generations, Ding Dongs and Ed’s New Eagles.

£500, plus Gift Aid, was raised by St Christopher’s, thank you to those who came and to those who didn’t join in the fun but donated anyway.

Overall Tearfund raised nearly £80,000, including Gift Aid, for their work in 750 of the world’s poorest countries. Tearfund transforms communities by working through their local churches, providing expertise and monetary aid to help people set up sustainable businesses, use effective farming methods and install essential services such as water points and toilets.

An especial thank you to David for being an excellent maestro, to Pam and Yvonne for helping to set everything up and to Sheila who womanned the bar. Thanks too to everyone who supported this excellent cause. Roll on the 2025 Tearfund Big Quiz!

Church Cleaning Rota

7th Feb

Victoria & Sharon

14th Feb Ivan & Mary

21st Feb

28th Feb

7th March

David & Joy

Shirley & Christine

Sally & Yvonne

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Thursday, 13th Feb www.pottshrigleychurch.org.uk

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From the Registers

Funerals

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of:

19th December Evette Harper, aged 82 years

3rd January Keith Cunliffe, aged 93 years

16th January Eric Wilfred Lomas, aged 94 years

Interment of Ashes

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of: 19th January Anthony John Philips, aged 76 years

POTT SHRIGLEY PTFA PRESENTS

Join us for an evening of family fun with plenty of mouth-watering prizes to be won!

FRIDAY 28TH MARCH 2025

DOORS OPEN 5:30PM EYES DOWN 6PM

£2 PER GAME OR £10 PER BOOK (6 GAMES INCLUDED)

REFRESHMENTS

AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ON THE NIGHT

REGISTERED CHARITY: 1178758

A woman wasn’t feeling well and went to A&E. The nurse asked her: “Have you experienced a sudden loss of taste?”

“No,” admitted the woman sadly. “I’ve always dressed this way.”

Missionary Matters

Although Thailand is mainly a Buddhist country they seem to celebrate Christmas, though the 2024 celebrations ended on December 22nd and Christmas Day itself was part of the normal working week!

John Ryley

On December 15th 59 children from the local area joined Johnny and Ann McClean for two hours of songs, games, story and crafts. Give thanks for each child who heard, memorised and took gospel truth home with them, and give thanks too for the Christians who work so hard to bring the good news of Jesus to the nonChristians of Bangkok.

On December 21st New City Fellowship Church (NCF), which the McCleans attend, had an outreach for young and old. Lots of people saw the Sunday School children re-enact the nativity story; they were surprised to find it involved angels and an angry king! Many of the adults seemed to listen very intently to the gospel presentation, and two of the children joined the Sunday School the following day when the church had its Christmas service (and hog roast!).

Pray that the NCF outreach events will bring many of the surrounding community into the church and to faith in Christ. The McClean children, Matthew, Bethan and Joshua, were all in Bangkok for Christmas. As soon as they returned to the UK a young lady, Grace, arrived in Thailand for a three-week mission trip. Grace was followed by five friends from Langham Asia for leadership planning meetings. Despite the McClean’s already extremely busy missionary and home life, Ann is now back teaching in the American school, and Johnny and Ann have relaunched their men’s and women’s fortnightly small group Bible studies.

Hog roast

Nativity

Megumi and Helen Fazakerley continue to contend with the vagaries of life in Malawi, not least the erratic fuel supply. If petrol arrives at the local pumps it’s wise to dash out and get it; having to queue for only two hours for the 24 litres people are allowed to buy is considered a quick trip! Helen is reviewing the SIM teams’ medical records, making sure they are up to date and that their insurance has not expired, but otherwise it seems to have been a quiet time at work, which has given Helen the opportunity to deepen fellowship with friends, both young and older. SIM missionaries are scattered in different places, but with Blantyre being an older and larger city, there is a higher concentration of SIM people there than elsewhere in Malawi. However, their paths don't cross naturally as each person focuses

Queuing for petrol in Blantyre

on a different ministry. So, for many years those in Blantyre have met fortnightly for a couple of hours to share and pray together. Helen also attends an International Ladies Bible Study Group; they need to choose a new study series after completing one on prayer last year. Helen and Megumi’s church home group has restarted after a short Christmas and New Year break – despite experiencing a power-cut on the first night back 14 of them were glad to meet to study and pray together. The pastor of their church has announced that the church’s theme for 2025 is ‘Go, Make Disciples’. He challenged everyone to try to make one disciple of Jesus this year. The Fazakerley’s daughter Elizabeth is a trained nurse and lives in Australia where she is married to Joshua, a missionary offspring with whom she grew up in Malawi. Elizabeth has just completed a two-year Ministry Training Strategy course at her church and received a certificate at her graduation ceremony. She and Josh are praying for the next phase in their life and are open to God leading them anywhere in the world. Pray with them, and for all our missionary partners, that they would know God’s will for their next steps.

Elizabeth graduating from ministry training

Blantyre SIM missionaries

INTERIOR SERVICES

Full & part home renovations

Project management

Joinery

Plastering

Heating/plumbing & electrical

Kitchens & bathrooms

Painting & decorating

Wallpaper hanging

Venetian plastering

Tiling

Hand painted kitchens

EXCEPTIONAL FROM START TO FINISH

“Incredibly pleased with the renovation work by Spring Decorating. The work involved the replastering of several rooms, replacing internal doors, bannisters, spindles, radiators and then redecorating. All finished to a very high standard, which I am delighted with. The team was professional, efficient and friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to have them back in the future.”

0161 439 9195

info@springdecorating.co.uk

www.springdecorating.co.uk

17 Earle Road, Bramhall, SK7 3HE

EXTERIOR SERVICES

Exterior painting & decorating

Rendering & K Rend

Joinery

uPVC window spraying

Scaffolding

PROMPT AND EFFICIENT

“We are delighted with the work by Spring Decorating. The response to our query was quick and a quote followed promptly. Work started a couple of weeks later on the outside of our house. The team always arrived exactly when they said they would and were totally reliable, pleasant and courteous. The work was thorough, with excellent preparation and looks very good. We will certainly use them again for more work.”

info@springdecorating.co.uk www.springdecorating.co.uk 17 Earle Road, Bramhall, SK7 3HE

Pott Shrigley

Village Hall Bar

2nd Friday of every month, 6.30 'til 10.00pm

14thFebruary 14thMarch

Recipe of the Month Harissa Chicken

This recipe was given to us by our daughter Alex, who read it in BBC Good Food magazine, so thank you to them. I’ve modified it slightly.

Duncan Mathson

Harissa chicken is quick, easy and doesn’t result in too much washing up. We think of it as an autumn and winter dish, mainly because that’s when butternut squash is in season.

The amount of harissa paste used can be varied, depending on how hot and spicy you like your food.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

2 red onions, cut into 8 wedges

Small/medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 – 3cm chunks

400g natural yoghurt

3 – 4 tablespoons Harissa paste

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Method:

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Score the chicken breasts on one side.

Mix the yoghurt and 2 - 3 tablespoons of Harissa together in a basin and marinate the chicken in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Toss the squash and onions with one tablespoon of Harissa and the vegetable oil, then roast for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, spread the marinade over the top of the vegetables in the roasting tin

and roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes.

Other Harissa chicken recipes add garlic, other root vegetables and tomatoes to the dish.

We find that using the above ingredients sufficient for a meal, but you may like to serve the dish with flat bread, naan, couscous or another side of your choice.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Services

2nd Feb.

8.30am 10.45am

9th.

Holy Communion Holy Communion‡ Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40

8.30am 10.45am 4.30pm Holy Communion Morning Worship‡** Service of Remembering

16th.

8.30am 10.45am

23rd.

8.30am 10.45am

2nd Mar.

8.30am 10.45am

Holy Communion Confirmation

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11

Melissa Wearden

Lynn Caudwell

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26

Lynn Caudwell

Bishop Sam

Holy Communion Morning Worship

Revelation 4 Luke 8:22-25

Holy Communion Morning Worship‡

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Lynne Bowden

Anne Murphy

• All services underlined in blue will be streamed live on our Facebook Page & YouTube channel.

• A recording of each live-streamed service will be available from the services page of the church website: ‡ Junior Church * Youth Church (at 6pm) **Youth Church (at 10.45am)

Rota Readers Prayers Sidesmen at 8.30 Sidesmen at 10.45 Coffee

2nd Feb

9th Feb

16th Feb

23rd Feb

2nd Mar

Mike Akerman / Anne Murphy

Mike Akerman & Paige Price

David Gem & Rebecca Roth-Biester

Tom Murphy & John Ryley

Reg Ferguson & Matt Bird

Audrey Bomford

David Garton

Anne Murphy

David Garton

Sally Winstanley

Clare Chasty

Jim Curtis

Nigel Heathcote

Annie Palace

Clare Chasty

Simon & Lydia Potts

Joy & David Whitehead

Tony & Rachel Witkowski

Ian Malyan

Gill & Victoria

Caroline & Steve

Ros & Madeline

Yvonne & Annie

Mike & Sue Akerman Malyan family

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HotPott February 2025

Lynn's letter

Save the date…

A busy, exciting time

Kath Matheson

Don't forget...

Kath Matheson

Remembering Evette Harper

Kath Matheson

St Christopher’s Pastoral Ministry

Resplendent winter visitors

Rise up and walk…

Kath Matheson

Shekels, Mites and Denarii

Simon Potts

Mind the bull… and the mud

Sally Winstanley

Love in Action

Canon Paul Hardingham

Coffee Break

Anna and Simeon

A Prayer for Candlemas, 2nd February

It almost didn’t happen

Kath Matheson

From the Registers

Funerals

Interment of Ashes

POTT SHRIGLEY PTFA PRESENTS

REFRESHMENTS

Missionary Matters

John Ryley

INTERIOR SERVICES

EXCEPTIONAL FROM START TO FINISH

EXTERIOR SERVICES

PROMPT AND EFFICIENT

Pott Shrigley

Village Hall Bar

14thFebruary 14thMarch

Recipe of the Month Harissa Chicken

Duncan Mathson

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Services

2nd Mar.

Thinking about advertising in this magazine?

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