Contact - March 2020

CONTACT

Magazine of Erdington Methodist Church Station Road - March 2020 GROWING GOD’S KINGDOM IN ERDINGTON, THROUGH WORSHIP, PRAYER, ACTION AND FRIENDSHIP 1

Contents Minister’s Letter Results and Consequences Polio cases Two by Two Arrogance Psalm 84 - A heart for pilgrimage Smart money Toilet Twinning Posh pooch Spring Meeting Collection of old spectacles Wet Rowing to Antarctica Mali’s Coolest Water Technician What is Psalm 23 all about?

Real Easter Eggs March 2020 Regular Meetings Tuesday Club Sunday Worship Weekly Church Activities

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Minister’s Letter Dear All, You may have noticed that sometimes I wear a rather battered and un-cool cap. I have two of these and my wife dislikes both!

Recently one disappeared for almost a week. I was sad but simply did not have time to search for it . . . then it turned up in a most unexpected place.

As you will be aware Wesley Road outside the church is a perennial problem which has absorbed many peoples' energy over the years.

We hope that now an appropriate way forward has been found.

It was during a site meeting on Wesley Road in February, that I trod on something in the gutter that squelched! I soon recognised it as my brown cap, now absolutely sodden after the storms and squashed flat, not least I suspect by a few car tyres! What could I do? That was the end of my trusted cap! But I didn’t want to let it go so I surreptitiously picked it up with my fingertips and dumped it in the back of the car.

Getting home, it was dosed with disinfectant and treated to repeated washing and rinsing! My old faithful friend who has travelled many miles, not least in hills and mountains, is now back on my head protecting me from the storms that were probably responsible for its demise in the first place.

My (restored) cap did remind me however . . .

A focus of the Christian faith is about a God who can cleanse us and restore us even when others have decided it’s not worth it.

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It teaches us that the way we value something may not be the way God values it, and that something others consider to be worthless can again become treasured.

That I need to look after things!

I am reminded of the following scriptures: Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

May we all be open to embrace being transformed by God into the people he made us to be. And may we at Erdington provide the appropriate environment for others to be transformed by God. Wishing you every blessing Malcolm

Results and Consequences Teacher: “What is the difference between results and consequences?”

Bright pupil: “Results are what you expect; consequences are what you get.”

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Polio cases Suddenly there is a worldwide increase of Polio cases. Worrying news of outbreaks are coming from the countries involved and the Centre for Notifiable Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. There have been outbreaks in the Syrian refugee camps (due mainly to a faulty vaccine) and ongoing cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It was hoped India and some of the African nations would achieve disease - free status but the recent tsunami of confirmed Polio victims is such a terrible and frightening way to begin a new decade.

In Pakistan there have been 170 cases to date along with the appalling new murders of health workers trying to administer vaccines and of security forces guarding them.

New cases are reported in the Philippines, many living in poor conditions; in Papua New Guinea: Bornio: Malaysia and Angola.

Fortunately the Gates Foundation, the WHO and the governments of countries concerned are taking immediate action, especially Pakistan.

Ann Tomes

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Two by Two They are largely considered by many people to be a nuisance, arriving at the front door unsolicited, often at lunchtime, clutching a copy of the Watchtower, not stating who they are until challenged by the direct question ‘Are you Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ I cannot resist teasing them. I ask them to wait whilst I get my Hebrew Bible so that they can show me where they get the name Jehovah from. I know that it isn’t there and I know that it’s unlikely that they will be able to read the Hebrew! However, apart from my perverse desire to test them, there is something admirable about their courage in trying to get people to answer serious questions on the doorstep. Their technique has a biblical basis and is a challenge to us even if they have spoiled going house to house for the rest of us. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two when they went out in mission in his name and in that sense the JWs have adopted a sound practice.

I believe that doing things in twos is a ploy which may well get things done where the attempt to find single individuals to do a job may stall for a very long time. Why don’t we try it? The mutual support of two people may well supply the courage and determination to get things done which would be daunting for one person alone. All it takes is a friend saying to a friend: ‘Why don’t we do that together?

John Taylor

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Arrogance At our house group, at the moment, we are studying the ten commandments. During one of our tangential discussions someone asked what would God think about ….. ? The response was to the effect that we should not be so arrogant as to assume that we can possibly know what God would think about ….. ?

This made me stop and think about the assumptions that we all carry around with us. We assume many things and build our lives around these assumptions because we don’t think them through.

One of the fundamental errors that we made when we converted our loft was in the position of the ‘Velux’ windows. I didn’t stop to consider the fact that my wife is nearer to five foot than I am and the position of the windows means that she is only able to see the sky rather than the front garden.

The previous week, there had been the meeting in our church to discuss ‘God in Love Unites Us’: the Connexional report about marriage and sexuality. During this time, we had the two opposing cases presented to us with much thoughtfulness and wisdom. But it was difficult to escape from the thought that both of the protagonists, who were both men, made many assumptions, based upon their understanding of the science and religion, as they meandered around the messages that they were trying to give us.

We need to be very careful that we do not allow current cultural Mores to influence our opinions inappropriately.

We are all justifiably incensed by the Taliban’s attitude to educating girls and the shooting of Malala Yousafzai. But it was only in 1846 that the Bronte sisters had to publish their works under a male 8

pseudonym because it was felt that writing was not an occupation appropriate for a young lady. Similarly, the first female doctor in the UK, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, only qualified because the charter of the Royal Society of Apothecaries did not allow them to exclude her from taking the necessary examinations in 1865.

Whilst I was driving somewhere I listened to one of those fifteen minute slots on Radio 4 where a presenter opines about something vaguely controversial. This one was entitled ‘How to Argue with a Racist’. The presenter was Adam Rutherford a geneticist whom I have heard before, telling it like it is. This episode included the comment that we need to be careful not to make assumptions based on fallacies: that because of their perceived successes being Jewish is associated with violin playing and black Americans are associated with Jazz. But this makes the arrogant assumption that we understand sufficient about the genetics of violin playing or syncopation to be able to draw any conclusions at all. Dr Rutherford’s comment was that such differences are more likely to be entirely cultural because the familial influences start from such a young age.

There is at least one Parable of Jesus which deal with arrogance: when the Pharisee and the tax collector go into the temple to pray.

The Pharisee reminded God that he was better than other people and the tax collector just asked for forgiveness. And what was the most important thing which Jesus taught? That we should love God and our neighbour as ourselves.

What is ok for me should be ok for anyone else, female author, female doctor, Jewish jazz musician or black African violin player.

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In reality the list is endless because such preconceptions are everywhere in our lives and maybe for me they should start with the height of the window ledge.

Peter Farley

Psalm 84 - A heart for pilgrimage This psalm is appropriate to think about during Lent, as it was used by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem. It speaks of the journey to find the presence of God in our lives.

Where is our heart with God? A Heart for God’s Presence: ‘How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.’ (v1,2).

For the psalmist, the Temple is the focus of God’s presence and the place where he longs to be. How much do we long to know God’s presence ourselves? Lent is a time to seek Him through the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, fasting, silence and solitude.

A Heart set on Pilgrimage: ‘Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.’ (5,6).

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Lent reminds us that the Christian life is a journey of faith, which is not always easy. We pass through the valley of Baka, which is the dry desert place in our experience. Here God can seem remote and silent. However, it also the season when we are refreshed by the Holy Spirit filling our lives.

A Heart that’s Undivided: ‘Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.’ (10).

We will find a home in God’s presence only with an undivided heart, as we maintain our focus on God and trust him for all we need.

‘Most of Scripture speaks to us; the Psalms speak FOR us.’

(St Athanasius). from the Parish Pump Website

Smart money “Dad,” said the son, “what is a financial genius?”

“A financial genius,” said his harassed father, “is a man who can earn money faster than his family can spend it.”

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Toilet Twinning The Editors contribution to the February Contact mentioned the importance of toilets in the facilitation of access to clean water.

When you think about it for more than a moment the connection is obvious: ensuring that the stuff which we drink is adequately segregated from the waste we create.

Whilst they were here Alex and Paul were constant advocates of Toilet Twinning - https://www.toilettwinning.org Toilet Twinning is a partnership between two international charities, Christian Outreach for Relief and Development (Cord) and Tearfund.

An individual toilet or latrine can be provided for a location where there are inadequate facilities for £60.00. Maybe as part of our year of action we should Twin our church toilets?

Toilets which have been twinned receive a certificate containing a photo of the twinned toilet, its location and GPS coordinates. I note that several of the toilets around the Circuit churches have such Certificates on display.

Peter Farley

Posh pooch Visitor to Crufts: “Has this dog got a good pedigree?”

Indignant Breeder: “Has he? If this dog could talk, he wouldn’t speak to either of us.”

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Spring Meeting Birmingham District Methodist Women in Britain Spring Meeting at Erdington Methodist Church Thursday 26th March 10.30 am Speaker: Liisa Wiseman (Adavu Project Manager) ‘Modern Slavery and Domestic Servitude’ All welcome: bring a packed lunch: tea & coffee provided.

Collection of old spectacles If you have any unwanted spectacles then please bring them to Brian Round at Stockland Green Methodist Church. They are needed by a charity in Ghana where they will bring help to those who have sight problems.

Many thanks Brian Round

Wet Physics Professor: “What happens when the human body is immersed in warm water?”

Student: “The telephone rings.”

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Rowing to Antarctica One of those stories of incredible human achievements, which defy comprehension, was reported in the paper the other day. Six men in rowing boat rowed from Cape Horn to the Antarctic. They covered 622 miles in 12 days between the 9th - 25th December 2019.

They rowed in two teams of three, 90 minutes ‘on’ and 90 minutes ‘off’ in a perpetual rotation. Apparently one of the crew commented ‘this is one of those achievement that whilst you are doing it you want it to stop, but once you have finished you think it was wonderful and would say it was fun!’

Apparently, there was only room in the boat’s cabin for three people. When the weather was so inclement that they all had to be under cover they had to lie one on top of the another.

An achievement for each of us to remember when we are told that our dreams are impossible.

Peter Farley 17

Mali’s Coolest Water Technician

It's not unlike a scene from a Western. The figure of Souleymane Diallo shimmers through the heat haze as he rides across Samabogo's arid landscape, ready for action. He’s a man with one job to do: keep his town’s water flowing.

Souleymane is a carpenter by trade. In his regular business, he makes donkey carts and bed frames to support his family, in Mali’s Bla district.

But since WaterAid worked with the community he calls home to install a life-changing water tower, he has undertaken a second job as one of Samabogo’s water mechanics.

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Souleymane explains what the job entails: 'Imagine that there is a small problem, that a tap stand is broken down and you have to have someone travel from far away from here to fix it, it is time consuming and it is costly. That is why it is important that someone in the community can be able to fix it.'

Technology like these water towers helps us to bring about a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water. But it’s the people willing to go the extra mile that makes change stick.

How WaterAiders change lives in Mali Since 2012, landlocked Mali has been immersed in a political and security crisis, which has had devastating effects on the economy and the lives of ordinary people.

In Bla, the region Souleymane calls home, nearly half of the population don’t have clean water close to home. To make matters more complicated, Mali’s environment is fragile. As for many other communities across the world, a changing climate disrupts water security.

From WaterAid supporters in the UK to hardworking local partners, we are banding together to find inventive ways to make sure nobody in Bla has their access denied to their right to water.

from the WaterAid website

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What is Psalm 23 all about?

The Lord is my Shepherd – THAT’S RELATIONSHIP! I shall not want – THAT’S SUPPLY! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures – THAT’S REST! He leadeth me beside still waters – THAT’S REFRESHMENT! He restoreth my soul – THAT’S HEALING! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness – THAT’S GUIDANCE! For his name sake – THAT’S PURPOSE! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death – THAT’S TESTING! I will fear no evil – THAT’S PROTECTION! For thou art with me – THAT’S FAITHFULNESS! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me – THAT’S DISCIPLINE! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies – THAT’S HOPE! Thou anointest my head with oil – THAT’S CONSECRATION! My cup runneth over – THAT’S ABUNDANCE! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life – THAT’S BLESSING! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord – THAT’S SECURITY! Forever – THAT’S ETERNITY!

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Real Easter Eggs

The Real Easter Egg campaign has been running since 2010 and involves thousands of churches, schools and groups. It crosses all denominations and offers individuals a simple way to share the Easter Story while supporting Fairtrade and charitable projects.

The idea began in 2008 when I was given a chocolate Easter Egg. On the side of the box it read: ‘Easter is the festival of chocolate and loveliness’. I began to wonder – was it right for the manufacturer of an Easter egg to change the meaning of a religious festival in this way? Imagine the outcry if this had been done to Christmas.

I searched for an Easter egg which mentioned the Christian story of Easter. It became clear that out of the 80 million eggs on sale there was not a single manufacturer who was willing to mention the religious aspects of the festival. So, I started The Meaningful Chocolate Company to manufacture the UKs first ‘Real Easter Egg’.

For it to be a ‘Real Easter Egg’, it had to reflect the Easter themes of hope and new life and do three things – have a copy of the Easter story in the box, be made from Fairtrade chocolate and support charitable causes.

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The Real Easter Egg was launched in 2010. It was a struggle, as the supermarkets turned down the idea. It was left to churches and schools to place orders and fund the making of The Real Easter Egg. Ten years on, more than a million eggs have been sold, with over 750,000 eggs sent through the post directly to customers. The rest have been sold through retailers and supermarkets.

Nearly ÂŁ275,000 has been donated to charitable projects with Fairtrade Premium fees paid to farmers allowing them to buy everything from school-books and solar panels to providing fresh water.

For Easter 2020, there are five types of Real Easter Eggs available, all with new content. Each egg has an edition of the Easter story included. There is a new 24-page version in the Original and Dark eggs with activities, biblical text and a prize competition worth ÂŁ200. There is a poster activity version of the Easter story in the Sharing Box and Fun Pack and a simple guide version in the Special Edition. Both the Original and Dark 2020 eggs are plasticfree and all our chocolate is Palm Oil free.

This year churches are encouraged to read more or order at www.realeasteregg.co.uk

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March 2020 Regular Meetings

Each Saturday 10.00 am to 12.00 noon

Tuesday Club Every 2nd Tuesday in the month at 2.00 pm

Sunday Worship Other Christmas Worship & Events are detailed earlier in this publication. All worship starts at 10.30 am unless stated otherwise below.

1st

Rev David Hulme

8th

Clive Thursfield

15th

Local Arrangement

22nd

HOLY COMMUNION - Rev Malcolm Oliver

29th

Local Arrangement

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Weekly Church Activities Sunday

10.30 am

MORNING WORSHIP and Young Church

Tuesday

2.00 pm

Tuesday Afternoon Meeting

Wednesday

9.30 - 11.30 am

Stay and Play

12.30 pm

Luncheon Club - (1st and 3rd)

Friday

5.00 - 6.15 pm 6.15 - 7.45 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 7.45 - 9.15 pm 5.30 - 6.30 pm 5.00 - 6.30 pm

Beavers : Lynn Turner Cubs : Matt Sambrook Scouts : Paul Harris Explorers : Lucy Porter Rainbows : Debbie Barnett Brownies : Lesley Carter

Saturday

10.00 - 12.00 noon Coffee Morning : Norma Senior 10.30 - 11.30 am

Church open for prayer : Margaret Curzon

Please hand any items for the April CONTACT to any of the Editorial Team (Peter Farley, Christine Rossiter, Ann Tomes & Nick Riley) by 15th March 2020 at the latest please, or alternatively email me: nickriley@blueyonder.co.uk with the word ‘CONTACT’ in the title.

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