Paul Hardingham continues his new series.
What’s the Big Idea? An Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament:
1 and 2 Samuel.
1 and 2 Samuel was originally a single work, which focuses on Samuel, Saul and David, around 1,000 BC, mid-way between Abraham and Jesus. It was Samuel who established the monarchy in Israel after the period of the judges. He was commanded by God to give the people a king, although their request is seen as a rejection of God’s rule over Israel (8:7).
The people simply wanted to be like other nations, however their king was still subject to God’s law and the word of the prophet. Although Samuel anointed Saul, he soon showed an unwillingness to submit to these requirements, leading to his rejection as king (15:23). God chose David as Saul’s successor, and 1 Samuel depicts David’s years of waiting until the right time arrived to claim the throne.
2 Samuel depicts David’s rule, in which the nation prospers and its enemies are defeated. The promise of the perfect king is fulfilled in Jesus Himself, as David’s descendant. The second half of the book depicts the darker side of David’s reign, describing his weaknesses and failures, including his adultery with Bathsheba and the rebellion of his son Absalom.
Nevertheless, David remained a man after God’s own heart: ‘The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’ (1 Samuel 16:7). The characters in this book are not always great examples of faith, however, ‘They do not show us how we should live but how in fact we do live, authenticating the reality of our daily experience as the stuff that God uses to work his purposes of salvation in us and in the world.’ (Eugene Peterson).
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Prospect of winter energy bills causing anxiety for millions, says Archbishop of York
Millions are looking ahead to this winter with ‘fear and anxiety’ about the cost of heating their homes, the Archbishop of York has said as he backed the recent launch of a campaign to provide a network of warm spaces for people who struggle to pay their energy bills.
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell is encouraging churches to consider getting involved in the Warm Welcome campaign, a network of venues from community centres to churches providing warm spaces over the winter for people struggling to heat their homes
.
Archbishop Stephen said: “Sadly, what began as a cost-of-living crisis has simply become the new normal for many.
“Millions of people will look ahead to this winter with fear and anxiety, wondering how they are going to cope with high living costs. That is why I am proud to endorse the Warm Welcome campaign this winter.
“But a warm welcome isn’t only about the temperature. It is about kindness and community, giving people the chance to be seen and known, to belong and to be part of something. It is about celebrating the God-given value and dignity of every single person, finding hope and community together. But of course, none of that will happen if people are cold.”
The Warm Welcome campaign is led by a coalition of over 50 charitable organisations who joined together in response to the cost of living crisis to provide emergency support to communities struggling to pay for rising food costs and to heat their homes.
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The mysterious ways of mistletoe
Mistletoe has long been used as part of our Christmas decorations. It is not your usual kind of plant.
Instead, it is hemiparasitic, meaning that although its leaves enable it to feed itself through photosynthesis, its roots invade the host tree or shrub to extract water and other nutrients
.
Mistletoe loves living in apple, lime, hawthorn, poplar or oak trees. You may spot it high up, as a large globe, on the bare trees in winter. There is one spectacular example in Windsor Great Park, clearly visible from the path on the opposite side of the Thames
.
Mistletoe’s berries are almost translucent, fleshy and sticky. They form in the forks of mistletoe’s many branches. While they are toxic to humans, they are attractive to birds, who wipe the remaining seeds off their beaks onto the nearest branch, which of course helps the plant to spread.
For some reason, Romans thought mistletoe represented Peace, Love and Understanding. Perhaps that is how it got into our Christmas celebrations? The earliest documentary evidence for kissing under mistletoe dates from the 16th century, but we don’t know who got kissed first.
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Doctor Livingstone, I presume?
It was 150 years ago, on 10th November 1871, that Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley located the missing missionary Dr David Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika, in present-day Tanzania. He may or may not have greeted him with the words: “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”
Stanley’s real name was John Rowlands. He was born in Denbigh to an unmarried 18-year-old who abandoned him. He ended up in a workhouse until he was 15, then went to America, where he changed his name and became an American citizen. When he found Livingstone, he was working for the New York Herald.
Known for his strength of will, Stanley also had an African name – Bula Matari – Breaker of Rocks. Much of his life was spent in Central Africa, and his reputation was mixed: he was said by some to be violent toward Africans, but by others to have treated them well. His feats as an explorer were impressive: he played a big part in locating the true source of both the Nile and the Congo, and he helped open up the Congo on behalf of King Leopold of Belgium.
Though not overtly religious, he felt he was engaged in a “sacred task”. He was re-naturalised a British subject in 1892, following his marriage.
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All in the month of March
It was:
300 years ago, on 8th March 1723 that Sir Christopher Wren, English architect, died. Best known for designing St Paul’s Cathedral.
125 years ago, on 16th March 1898 that Aubrey Beardsley, British illustrator, died. His black ink drawings, influenced by Japanese woodcuts, contributed to the development of Art Nouveau.
100 years ago, on 4th March 1923 that Patrick Moore, the amateur astronomer, TV presenter, writer and musician was born. Best known for presenting the TV astronomy show The Sky at Night for over 50 years. (Died 2012)
80 years ago, on 13th March 1943 that the final liquidation of Krakow Ghetto in Poland took place. 8,000 Jews were transported to Plaszow labour camp, 2000 more were simply killed in the streets, and the rest were sent to Auschwitz.
70 years ago, on 19th March 1953 that the Academy Awards ceremony (the Oscars) were televised for the first time.
Also 70 years ago, on 26th March 1953 that Dr Jonas Salk announced that he had completed the first small-scale test of a polio vaccine. Larger tests began in February 1954, and mass vaccinations began in April 1955.
65 years ago, on 2nd March 1958 that the first land crossing of Antarctica was completed by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Vivian Fuchs. The team of 12 men travelled 2,158 miles from Shackleton Base to Scott Base (via the South Pole) in 99 days, using six vehicles.
60 years ago, on 22nd March 1963 that the British Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, made a statement in the House of Commons in which he denied there was any impropriety in his relationship with Christine Keeler, a model who was also in a sexual relationship with a drug dealer and a Soviet naval attaché. (In June he admitted he had lied, and resigned.)
50 years ago, on 8th March 1973 that the citizens of Northern Ireland voted in a referendum to remain within the United Kingdom. That same day the IRA carried out its first bombing in Britain since WWII, planting car bombs in London. One person died, 200 were injured.
40 years ago, on 6th March 1983 that Donald Maclean, British-born Soviet spy died. He was a member of the Cambridge Spy Ring.
Also 40 years ago, on 26th March 1983, that Anthony Blunt, British art historian and Soviet spy, died.
25 years ago, on 16th March 1998 that Rwanda began mass trials for the country’s 1994 genocide. There were 125,000 suspects for 500,000 murders.
20 years ago, on 1st March 2003 that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the al-Qaeda terrorist who masterminded the 9/11 attacks on the USA, was captured in Pakistan.
Also 20 years ago, on 12th March 2003 that the World Health Organisation issued a global alert about a severe form of pneumonia (now known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – SARS) that was affecting people in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
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Isherwood Hall. (The original hall)
Tables and chairs are available.
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January 2025 Magazine
The Editors wish a Happy and Peaceful New Year to all our readers.
Apologies to all our avid readers for the delay in the January Magazine which was unavoidable due to illness in the editorial team.
Blame the Flu Bug!!
Pauline & Bob - co-editors..
Updated 7th January 2025
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No doubt some of you will have wondered who these people are who write articles that we use. Starting this month we will have a small feature on them. Now of course if we received more articles from within the parish we wouldn’t need to use as many as we do!!! (that's a hint!!!)
Introducing the Parish Pump Team
Parish Pump is an independent, registered limited company. It began in May 1999. The theological stance is: orthodox, historical, Bible-based Christianity. What CS Lewis called ‘mere Christianity’.
The Editor and co-Founder, Anne Coomes, has worked in Christian radio, newspapers and publishing. She has done diocesan communications for Peterborough Diocese and Chester Diocese. She used to be an Operation Christmas Child annual reporter, and as such helped deliver shoe-boxes to needy children (and wrote up their stories) in Romania, Bosnia, Mozambique, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo and Montenegro. She has written several biographies on African church leaders, and is licensed as Reader for St Oswald’s, Bollington, near Macclesfield.
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A message from the 'Parish Pump Team'
The great American songwriter, Oscar Hammerstein II once claimed that he just could not write a song without hope in it. He was an optimist, always looking for the positive in every situation.
Well, the Bible is the most optimistic book you could imagine. Despite the pain of history, it has a happy ending – looking forward to an eternal future that is free from evil and pain.
We are about to enter 2025 with the world scene more uncertain than ever. And the national scene, here in the UK, is also full of problems. Many people are feeling low, wondering which way to turn for comfort and security in their lives.
There is an old saying: Bibles that are falling apart are usually owned by people who are not.
You won’t be able to get the Bible into the hands of all the people of your community, but a church magazine helps put it into their hands. The articles tell them of the Christian hope in Jesus Christ, and which encourage them to lift up their hearts and minds to God.
May we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a good start to 2025.
Anne Coomes and the Parish Pump Team
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Dear Friends,
I recently read an article that has something important for us, and that in a remarkable way. An important example comes to us from an unexpected quarter and in a surprising way.
A Chinese historian has found three hand-written letters in a French monastery. These, which were in Mandarin, date from the 1860s. The writers were three young ladies from North-East China, and the recipient was a Roman Catholic priest, formerly a missionary amongst them but now back home in France. The historian not only located the village where the three lived but also discovered further letters. Another French priest wrote home from this same village, where he ministered for some twenty-seven years till 1948.
Nineteenth-century China was close to illiteracy: less than two percent of the population could read, and fewer still among women. Yet these young ladies could write, if a little falteringly. Why? The answer is connected with the fact that everyone in their village converted to Catholicism. This opened a door for these women. Somewhat against the traditions of their place and time, they received an education and indeed were able to choose whether to marry or to remain single. Decades later, the second French priest recorded the lives of the villagers, who gave thanks to God when they had a son, or prayed for forgiveness when they did something wrong. All these activities sound normal enough for England, yet in 19th and 20th century China, they were very exceptional.
Thus, the Christian faith changed people for the better. Religious belief is often basic to a beneficial culture. The Western culture of democracy, equality and charity is based on the Christian faith. In the same way, Chinese culture is a result of several thousand years of development in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Different religions place people in different ways towards the world and to each other. Certainly, in that isolated village, the Christian faith taught the villagers that God was with them in their daily lives. From that divine source they drew strength, kindness and love, and at that a love which extended to girls as well as boys.
This village is a lesson for us. It reminds us that without the Christian faith Western civilization would be different, and much the poorer. That reminds us, too, that there is a task before us here in what is in many respects a post-Christian society. We must ensure that the Christian flame burns brightly. Consider what this distant village shows to be possible. China has suffered from wars, revolutions and political struggle, but despite all this the villagers are still Christians. The people there still keep the faith. Nothing is able to separate them from God. The divine light shines brightly amidst darkness. Plainly, we who live under circumstances much less adverse than the villagers', can ensure that the light illuminates the darkness
Norma
Statement on the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Following the publication of the independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth, the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned on 12thNovember. He said:
“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
“When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
“It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.
“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
“In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
“I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
“I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
“For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.”
The Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell said: “As Lead Bishop for Safeguarding for the Church of England, I have been acutely aware of the impact of the Makin report and the retraumatizing effects of its publication on victims and survivors of John Smyth’s awful abuse.
“With sadness, I fully respect and understand Archbishop Justin’s decision today to resign. Although Archbishop Justin has helped the Church of England to achieve much in relation to safeguarding during his tenure, because of the failings identified in the Makin Report, it is now necessary for others to take up the baton.
“I have worked closely with Archbishop Justin since I took on this role and have greatly valued his personal commitment to good safeguarding and his desire to see the whole Church make this a priority.”
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Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025 – 18th to 25th January
It is now 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea. Not many people know that.
Anyway – so what?
Because the Council of Nicaea, in 325, was the very first ecumenical council that the Christian Church ever held. A serious heresy had crept into the Eastern Church: Arianism, which taught that Jesus Christ was not divine, but only human.
To resolve the crisis, the Emperor Constantine called a council and summoned both the Western Church and the Eastern Church. Constantine knew that the Church had to get together and pull in the same direction. They did, and out of that Council came the Nicene Creed.
Get together and pull in the same direction. That is a good description of what Christ’s Church on earth should be doing. That is the hope of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
For 2025, the theme of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity focuses on belief, in commemoration of the Council of Nicaea, held so long ago.
The Scripture passage chosen for the worship service is Martha’s confession of faith in Jesus, as narrated in John 11:17-27. Jesus had said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’
Jesus is the Messiah. He is divine. Mary believed in Him, and so did the Council of Nicaea in 325. And so do hundreds of millions of Christians today.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to 25th January – the ‘octave’ of St Peter and St Paul. This year’s resources can be found at: 
https://ctbi.org.uk/resources-for-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2025/
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Assisted dying – a slippery slope?
The Archbishop of Canterbury believes that legalising assisted dying could become a “slippery slope”.
Writing in the Daily Mail before the recent vote in Parliament, the Archbishop said: “I think this approach is both dangerous and sets us in a direction which is even more dangerous, and in every other place where it’s been done, has led to a slippery slope.
“The right to end your life could all too easily – all too accidentally – turn into a duty to do so.
“I worry that even the best intentions can lead to unintended consequences, and that the desire to help our neighbour could, unintentionally, open the door to yet more pain and suffering for those we are trying to help.”
Justin Welby has previously been vocal about the right to life being safeguarded for those with disabilities, saying his wife felt pressure to abort their daughter Ellie upon finding out she would have a disability. His daughter, who was born with dyspraxia, is now 32.
Bishop Sarah responds to Commons debate on assisted suicide
Following the recent vote in the House of Commons to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill a second reading, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, the Church of England’s lead bishop for health and social care, said:
“I have been deeply moved watching proceedings unfold in the House of Commons today. My prayers are with all those who have been affected, who have shared and heard their stories, and facilitated this debate.
“The Church of England believes that the compassionate response at the end of life lies in the provision of high-quality palliative care services to all who need them.
“Today’s vote still leaves the question of how this could be implemented in an overstretched and under-funded NHS, social care and legal system.
“Safeguarding the most vulnerable must be at the heart of the coming Parliamentary process, today’s vote is not the end of the debate.”
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January Diary Page
BIBLE STUDY (via ZOOM) EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 7PM DURING TERM TIME.
PRAYER MEETING FIRST MONDAY IN THE MONTH 7pm IN CHURCH
Sunday 5th
EPIPHANY
9am Holy Communion
10am Parish Communion
6.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 7th
10am Holy Communion
Wednesday 8th
10am – 11.30am Church Coffee Morning
7pm PCC meeting
Saturday 11th
Church / Churchyard tidy 9.30 – 12.00
Sunday 12th
BAPTISM OF CHRIST
9am Holy Communion
10am Parish Communion
6.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 14th
10am Holy Communion
Sunday 19th
2ND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
9am Holy Communion
10am Parish Communion
6.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 21st
10am Holy Communion
Sunday 26th
3rd SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
9am Holy Communion
10am Parish Communion
6.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday 28th
10am Holy Communion
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The VOX Choir North East Christmas Concert
On the first Sunday of in December 2024 in church, the VOX Choir came along to St Mary’s to perform a Christmas concert for us.
And what a concert we were treated to, twenty or so singers, conductor and accompanist.
We were given the full range of Christmas songs and carols, many given their own twist. From Once in Royal David’s City via a magnificent version of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, and they even managed a solo ‘cello piece by the conductor, Jeremy Harbottle.
The audience was invited to join in on a number of carols, but I have to admit The Twelve Days of Christmas, with actions, got me in a complete tangle as it got faster, fortunately I was in good company.
What a great way to start the run up to Christmas. I do hope we have a return from the VOX choir in the future, and many more of you come along to listen, and, like me, try to join in!
Barry Lomas.
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31st John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Teaching Order
John Bosco is the saint for anybody concerned for deprived young people.
Bosco never trained as a youth worker, as he was born into a peasant family near Castelnuovo in Piedmont, northern Italy, in 1815. He never belonged to a youth group – he was out in the fields shepherding his family’s sheep. But he longed to work with young people, and so in 1835 he was accepted at the seminary in Chieri, where he was ordained a priest in 1841.
Bosco had had a vision, in which he saw a young child, and heard the words: “Not with blows, but with charity and gentleness must you draw these friends to the path of virtue.” He knew then that God had given him a specific vocation: his life’s work was to be serving deprived youngsters.
And so Bosco headed for the dreary slums of Turin, where he began his ministry in the poor Valdocco quarter of the city. He was haunted by the wretched lives of the many youngsters there, and reached out to them, showing a kindness which they had never encountered before. Soon, as well as his church services, Bosco launched evening classes and training workshops in various trades for the boys in his neighbourhood. For those boys who were homeless, he opened a boarding house, installing his own mother as housekeeper.
Bosco had uncovered a great social need, because his ’Oratory’ grew from 20 boys in early 1842 to 400 boys, only four years later, in 1846. By 1859 the ‘Pious Society of St Francis de Sales,’ commonly known as the Salesians, had been born. The municipal authorities, at first suspicious, soon greatly valued the work that Bosco and his Salesians were doing.
By the time he died in Turin in 1888, the Salesians had 250 houses throughout the world, housing and educating 130,000 poor children. 6,000 of the boys went on to become priests.
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January Crossword
CLUES
Across
1 Paul said the wrath of God ‘is being revealed from heaven’ against this (Romans 1) (11)
9 Go smite (anag.) (7)
10 ‘But — I have risen,’(Matthew 26) (5)
11 ‘Take and —;’ (Matthew 26) (3)
13 Type (2 Thessalonians 2) (4)
16 ‘Woe to those who — iniquity’ (Micah 2) (4)
17 ‘How shall we — if we ignore such a great salvation?’ (Hebrews 2) (6)
18 Opposite of evens (4)
20 Previously cited (Latin) (4)
21 ‘There is surely — — of God in this place,’ (Genesis 20) (2,4)
22 The Thessalonians were warned to keep away from every brother who was this (2 Thessalonians 3) (4)
23 Beat (anag.) (4)
25 To trouble or afflict (Job 16) (3)
28 Part of a roof (1 Kings 7) (5)
29 Attain (Job 5) (7)
30 Insect noted for its gymnastic ability (Psalm 78) (11)
Down
2 Smell (John 11) (5)
3 Lion’s home (Jeremiah 25) (4)
4 ‘Jesus Christ is the — yesterday and today and for ever’ (Hebrews 13) (4)
5 Tidy (4)
6 Made their home (Genesis 47) (7)
7 Their task was to carry the curtains of the tabernacle (Numbers 4) (11)
8 Timothy’s was called Lois (2 Timothy 1) (11)
12 The Lover likened the fragrance of the Beloved’s breath to these (Song of Songs 7) (6)
14 Times Educational Supplement (1,1,1)
15 Eight-tentacled sea creatures (6)
19 ‘And lead us not into temptation, but — us from the evil one’(Matthew 6) (7)
20 D.L. Moody’s legendary song leader, — D. Sankey (3)
24 Rarely used musical note (5)
25 ‘Your will be done on earth — it — in heaven’ (Matthew 6) (2,2)
26 and 27 ‘The Lord Almighty will — them with a — ,’ (Isaiah 10 (4,4)
27 See 26 Down
Answers to December Crossword
ACROSS: 1, Lame. 3, Obtained. 8, Omit. 9, Merchant. 11, Burdensome. 14, Crafty. 15, Please. 17, Blacksmith. 20, Splendid. 21, Tier. 22, Singeing. 23, Hand.
DOWN: 1, Look back. 2, Main road. 4, Breast. 5, Accomplish. 6, Near. 7, Date. 10, Pestilence. 12, Basilica. 13, Tethered. 16, Action. 18, Asa’s. 19, Clan.
Winner
Crosswords reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon (£6.99 BRF)
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January Anagrams
HERBS AND SPICES
Rearrange these letters to form the names of 14 different herbs and spices to be found in the kitchen. Here are some tips: one of the answers is a spice mix; two may be used as herbs or spices; and one of them appears in three out of four of the Gospels! Answers may consist of one or two words.
1. STAN PRIME 2. CMON NINA 3. MARVY MOUSERS 4. MAMA CORD 5. MELON LAMB 6. RUM TRICE 7. GURKEN FEE
8. STUED DREAMS 9. SEABY VALE 10. CARRIED ON 11. WORDY CRUPER 12. ROVERY TWAINS 13. A SORRY ME 14. PLAY FALTERS
Compiled by Peter Warren
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December Anagram Answers
TELLING THE TIME: Answers
1. ALARM CLOCK 2. LONG CASE CLOCK 3. WRISTWATCH 4. TIMEPIECE 5. HOURGLASS 6. POCKET WATCH
7. WATER CLOCK 8. SUNDIAL 9. STOPWATCH 10. CHRONOMETER 11. DIGITAL WATCH 12. TWENTY FOUR HOUR CLOCK
Winner Wyn Hirst
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January Soduko Puzzle
December Sodoku Solution
Winners Jack Thompson
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The Revd Dr Jo White continues her series on the meanings on Church Buildings.
Reflecting Faith: Taking down the Christmas tree decorations.
Last month we considered the decorations we put on our Christmas trees, both at home and in our churches.
Many churches keep their decorations – or at least their nativity scene – in place until Candlemas at the beginning of February, but most of us take our domestic ones down around Epiphany, on 6th January, when we recall the arrival of the Three Kings.
But how do we manage them for the rest of the year, after we have taken them down?
Our Christmas ‘baubles’ come in all colours, in matt and shiny, in all shapes and sizes. They can remind us of people, who also come in all shapes and sizes, colours and tones. Baubles are very fragile, like we are sometimes.
This year as you take down your decorations, have a good look at them and think about the care that you take to store them safely, so that they will not break.
How much more care do you take in looking after the people who make up your life? Your family, friends, neighbours, church, colleagues, local shop keepers, and so on?
It’s quick and easy to pick up the decorations and just drop them in a box, but without some gentle care, will they be okay for next year?
It’s too easy to pass folk by, and get on with what we are doing for ourselves, our own plans and goals; but aren’t people worth more than that?
Who do we know that would greatly benefit if we gave them just a bit more time, a bit more consideration?
This month: Have a look at your decorations and see if any of them need a bit of refreshing, some TLC, (tender loving care), just as we all do.
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Canon Paul Hardingham continues his series on the books of the Bible, which will run until the end of 2025.
What’s the Big Idea? – An Introduction to the
books of the New Testament: Acts.
The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, a physician-friend and fellow-traveller of Paul. It complements his gospel, both being written for Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), in around AD 63, during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment.
While Luke’s gospel records what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts tells us about what Jesus continued to do and teach through the disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit (1:1-3).
Luke’s aim is:
To present a history. Christianity has a firm historical foundation. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ are recorded in the Gospels; Acts provides an account of the spread of the Church, as the result of the work of the risen Lord and the Holy Spirit through the apostles.
To give a defense. We read speeches to both Jews (eg 4:8–12) and Gentiles (eg 25:8–11), showing us how the Early Church challenged pagan and Jewish thought, the Roman government and Hellenistic culture.
To provide a guide. We see basic gospel principles being applied to specific situations in the context of problems and persecution. These same principles are applicable for us today.
To depict the triumph of Christianity in the face of bitter persecution. The success of the Church carrying the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome and planting local churches demonstrates that it operates under the rule of the exalted Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (1:8). Just as the Holy Spirit empowered the first Christians in their witness, so He will do the same for us today!
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It can be hard to pray sometimes, and most of us need all the help we can get! This new series, which will run all year, is by the Revd Dr Herbert McGonigle, formerly of the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester
Praying with the prayers of the Bible
In this series we will be looking at 12 prayers found in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Some are prayers for personal circumstances, while others relate to family or church or nation. In studying all 12 prayers the emphasis will be on what we can learn about prayer and how we can be encouraged to pray more regularly, more fervently and more expectantly.
Praying about the Unknown Future: “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2-3.
This is the Bible’s first prayer. That doesn’t mean that no one before Abraham had prayed, but this is the first time we have a record of someone praying to God.
We learn as early as Genesis 4 that “men began to call on the name of the Lord” (v.26) but it does not explicitly say that they prayed. We can hardly believe that godly men like Enoch and Noah never prayed. Enoch ‘walked with God’ and in his long pilgrimage of three hundred years of fellowship with God (Gen. 5:22) he must have prayed many times.
Even before Abraham’s first prayer is mentioned we are told that God appeared to him, that he built an altar for sacrifice and worship and that he called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 12;7; 13:18). But now he faces a real crisis in his life.
When God first appeared to him, he had been promised that from his family a great nation would emerge (Gen. 12:1-3). Now many years later he still has no children and custom dictates that his chief servant, Eliezer, will inherit everything. Has God forgotten him? Were all those promises of being a father just make believe or self-delusion?
So he cried to God, “What will you give me?” It was a desperate prayer from a desperate heart. What was God doing? Why had He not kept His promises? Had He forgotten? Was He not able to do what He had promised? We have all been where Abraham was when he prayed that prayer. We want to believe but why is nothing happening?
Then God answered! “Your own son shall be your heir” (v.4). This wonderful answer was sealed with a dramatic illustration. God directed Abraham to look up into the night sky. “Number the stars if you can,” God said. “So shall your descendants be.” Abraham would one day have as many offspring as the stars in the sky! Impossible? Incredible? Far-fetched?
But it happened! The next chapter records the birth of his son Ishmael, and two chapters later we read of the birth of Isaac, the son of promise. And history, both biblical and secular, confirms that the illustration from the stars was no exaggeration!
So, the Bible’s first prayer helps us in several ways. First, when our hearts ache because of fear or doubt or uncertainty, take it to God in prayer. Second, God’s delays are not denials. Third, with Abraham who ‘believed the Lord’ (v.6), let us trust quietly in our sovereign and gracious God.
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LLF Working Groups continue: Update on membership and residential meeting
The C of E has said that, following the decision at last year’s July General Synod to develop proposals to introduce standalone services including Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) alongside pastoral reassurance, there will be continued input from four working groups into this process.
The group membership includes bishops and members of General Synod, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of the members were part of the working groups that began their work in March 2024, while others have joined since the July Synod.
There are four working groups in total, each with a different remit, looking at specific questions connected to:
- Prayers of Love and Faith – Guidance for registration and use including arrangements for use of the PLF in Standalone Services.
- Pastoral Reassurance – Code of Practice for Delegated Episcopal Ministry.
- Bishops’ Statement – Drafting group for an overarching rationale for a settlement around current and future practice for implementing the objectives of LLF.
- Ministry and Vocations Guidance – Development of guidance as part of the work to replace Issues in Human Sexuality (in parallel with decisions on a timetable to address questions around clergy in same sex marriage).
The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, the Lead Bishop for the LLF process, said: “This work is costly to many, both in terms of the time and energy it takes, but also because of the personal impact it can have. I hope and pray their work will continue to be fruitful, helping us build relationships, and further advance the work on PLF.”
Meanwhile, a new video (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H892JfxKc9I) on the process, together with a leaflet providing information and updates, have been published
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Canon Paul Hardingham considers 2025
At the start of the New Year
2025 is a year of Jubilee in the Roman Catholic Church, a year which takes place every 25 years. It’s a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. This acts as a challenge for all of us:
How can we spend more time talking and listening to God through reading the Bible and prayer?
How can we grow our love for our family and friends?
How can we make more impact at work, by demonstrating an attractive faith to colleagues?
When Joshua led God’s people to the banks of the Jordan, ready to cross over into the Promised Land, he said: ‘you have never been this way before’ (Joshua 3:4). At the beginning of a New Year, when we don’t know what the future holds, how can we grow in our relationship with God?
Keep our focus on God: The people were told to follow the Ark, symbolising God’s presence, as they crossed the river. Let’s keep our focus on God and His Word throughout this year and keep in step with where He is leading us.
Consecrate ourselves: Joshua said, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’ (3:5). God has exciting opportunities ahead for us in this coming year! Let us dedicate our lives afresh to Him, as we let go of known sin and keep our eyes open on seeing God at work in all of our lives.
Will 2025 be a good year for us? ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years. ’Abraham Lincoln.
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David Pickup considers reading in church
Reading the Bible in church
‘He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord.’ 2 Kings 23:2
A friend was unexpectedly asked to read at a service as someone was unwell. He was caught just as he came in the church! Most of us like to look over a reading first and find the meaning of the passage. Some Bible readings are challenging, with difficult names of places and people. If it makes you feel better, no-one else knows how to pronounce these either, because there is no one around from Bible times!
It is not nice to be given a reading at the last minute, but then not good for the minister to suddenly get let down. To tell you the truth I have never liked reading, as it makes me dreadfully nervous. I prefer to preach or lead than read.
People worry about reading in church. Some of them would happily talk to a class of children or a boardroom, but there is something about church which is different. Perhaps we expect too much of ourselves. The best reading I ever heard in church was by a non-church goer. He did not know the reading, so he put a different emphasis on the passage. If you are reluctant, why not slip into church and give it a trial on a Saturday, when no-one is around?
Reading in church is a genuine ministry and is vital. It is important to give it our best try, as a way of learning about our faith. The Bible is meant to be heard as well as read.
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By Lester Amann
Time to think
We all have moments in life when our circumstances change dramatically, and we wonder how things are going to work out.
Perhaps it was like this for Mary. One moment she was planning her marriage to Joseph, when an angel announced she was to give birth to God’s Son. A few months later she had to leave home, while pregnant, and travel to Bethlehem. Following the birth, in a grim environment, some shepherds visited her. They had seen the angels sing, and had heeded their news that the Messiah had been born.
The Gospel record says that Mary pondered (or remembered or treasured) on all this. (Luke 2:19) Quite an understatement! Mary knew her life would never be the same again. But despite the difficulties, she knew God was with her. God had called her to a task.
As we enter a New Year, how have we seen God at work in our lives so far? Like Mary, we too might need to remind ourselves of God’s special touch, to reflect on what has happened already. Mary was aware that she was ‘favoured’ by God, so whatever was to happen in the future, she knew God was with her, and in control.
God loves us too. We too are special in His sight. Let us step out in faith and obedience to God’s call on our lives this year, and let us be reassured that God is with us in every situation.
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Deaths by accident are on the rise
Are too many of us becoming clumsy or careless? Whatever the reason, accident-related deaths have soared by 42 per cent in the last decade.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) warns that we are “substantially more likely” to suffer a serious accident than we were 20 years ago. Data from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland shows that more than 20,000 people are killed each year.
Accidental deaths are the top cause of preventable death for people under 40, and more than half of all fatal accidents take place in our own homes.
More than half of accidental deaths are the results of falling. A quarter are from accidental poisoning, and 7 per cent are due to a road-traffic or transport-related accident.
Accidents cost the UK almost £12 billion every year – £6 billion in NHS care and £5.9 billion in lost working days. The statistics are awesome:
- More than 740,000 people were admitted to hospital after an accident in 2022/23.
- More than 4.4 million bed days were used to treat patients with accident-related injuries in England alone last year, costing the NHS an estimated £4.6 billion.
- Accidents led to about seven million A&E visits in the UK last year, costing a further £613 million
- All in all, accidents cost the NHS about £6 billion each year.
Becky Hickman, the chief executive of RoSPA, says: “The UK is facing an accident crisis.
Increasing numbers of accidents are choking the UK economy and engulfing the NHS.
“We must take action now to stop further preventable deaths and serious injuries – accidents are avoidable and do not need to happen.”
RoSPA has called on the Government to implement a National Accident Prevention Strategy
to “save lives, boost the economy and free up capacity in the NHS”.
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Call 999 if you see just one symptom of a stroke
The NHS has launched the first major update to its ‘Act FAST’ campaign in 15 years.
It is concerned that too many people are waiting on average 90 minutes to ring for help when a stroke happens. That is far too long, doctors say, and the delay can mean the difference between life and death.
Health officials strongly urge the public to call 999 if they see just one symptom of a stroke, such as struggling to smile (Face), raising an arm (Arm), or slurring their words (Speech).
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Hot water bottle injuries soar
You might think that there is nothing more comforting than a hot water bottle. You would be wrong.
For with hot water bottles, the potential for burns and scalding seems unlimited. As the cost-of-living crisis has driven more people to use them for warmth, so have the number of accidental burns and scalds soared, especially among pensioners. There are an estimated 10 million hot water bottles in use in the UK, and they are a frequent cause of burns.
During the winter of 2022-23, more than 420 people in the UK ended up in hospital with burns, according to research by doctors at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Southmead Hospital, in Bristol. This was up from 295 in the winter of 2021-22 – an overall increase of 40 per cent.
The hospital data found nine in 10 cases required surgery, and almost one in five needed skin grafts.
Researchers have said there is a need for “targeted public awareness campaigns to ensure a safe and proper use of these devices.”
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Buckingham Palace opens its front gates to tourists
Next time you are in London, you can pop into Buckingham Palace. And for the first time, starting this month (January) tourists visiting the iconic building will be welcomed to walk in through the front gates and then proceed across the famous forecourt.
It is part of the King’s vision to give people greater access to Buckingham Palace. You can also now book a 90-minute guided tour, from January to May, to have a more in-depth look at the history of the rooms in the East Wing.
For more information go to:
https://www.buckinghampalace.co.uk/buckingham-palace-tours.php
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How the New Year and Resolutions began
1st January was not always the start of a New Year. The Babylonians began their New Year on 23rd March. For them, it was a logical choice, as with the arrival of Spring, crops were being planted, and a new cycle of life was beginning.
For centuries the Romans agreed with them, but they chose 1st March for New Year. It was the Romans who brought in the idea of making resolutions at New Year, mostly along the lines of acting more noble, and doing good to others.
Then in 46BC Julius Caesar changed the Roman Empire’s calendar. His new Julian calendar realigned the year to the sun, and also began on 1st January. Caesar wanted to honour Janus, the two-faced god who looks backwards into the old year and forward into the new. January 1st didn’t have any astronomical or agricultural significance, it was just a random date selected by Caesar.
How to make the most of your New Year resolutions
What are your New Year resolutions for 2025? Sadly, one in four of us will give ours up by Epiphany, on 6thJanuary.
Why so soon? According to behavioural scientists at University College London, we make our goals both too big and too vague. So, instead of resolving to ‘lose a lot of weight’, decide to ‘lose three pounds in the next month’. With ‘success’ not far off, you will be motivated to keep going.
Another way to keep your New Year’s Resolution is to involve a friend to aim for the same thing. As one scientist puts it: “the involvement of a partner has a sustained effect.”
As for the time involved in reaching your New Year’s Resolution, new habits are hard to build. Behavioural scientists say that on average, it takes 66 days to form and imbed a new healthy habit into your life. So be patient, keep going, and look for some success in mid-March.
Remember what one scientist says: “Your vision is your destination, and small, manageable goals are the motor that will get you there.”
Pray with your shoes
With the rush of Christmas almost over, we tumble into the New Year, sleep for a couple of days, take down the decorations and plod back to work, school or our normal routines. There’s a pleasure about getting back to normality, but there’s also the challenge of looking forward to what the year will bring.
Not all of us welcome this new year. For some of us, we know it will bring separations and loss: children growing up and growing away, moving away, family and friends moving on.
For some of us, it will bring extra work, new responsibilities, study for exams, looking after others. For others of us, we will have to start again; to learn to be on our own, perhaps through moving away or the loss of those we have lived with for many years and decades.
Just for this month, when you put on your shoes each morning, ask God to be with you in the day ahead. Ask Him to walk ahead of you, to be by your side and close behind you, to surround you with His presence. For it is His day that we are walking into and not ours. Let His will be done, and not ours.
And then, as you take your shoes off, see what you can thank God for from that day together. To help to remind you, why not leave a single shoe by the main door – that might get visitors asking too!
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Left out in the cold
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services each week, stopped going.
After a few weeks, the minister decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The minister found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his minister’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The minister made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the minister took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.
As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead and dark.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The two men sat on in reflective silence.
A little while later, just before the minister was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the minister reached the door to leave, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
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Bobbies on the beat are vanishing
When did you last see a Bobbie on your beat?
More than half of us have never seen any police foot patrol in our area. That’s according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics Crime Survey for England and Wales.
So, it is no wonder that “shop theft is at a record high, street theft is up 40 per cent in a year. Town centres are too often blighted with persistent antisocial behaviour, leaving residents feeling unsafe. Criminals – often organised gangs – are just getting away with it.”
So says the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper. “The impact good neighbourhood policing has on local community confidence and business confidence should never be underestimated.”
She has recently pledged that neighbourhood policing would be centre of the Government’s crime plans.
Sadly, lawlessness is an age-old problem. Even the Psalmist observes: “Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.” (Ps 55:11)
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How Councils avoid pothole compensation claims
Are there potholes on the roads near your home?
If you don’t report them to the Council, then it can use ‘not knowing’ as an excuse for not having to pay compensation to drivers whose vehicles are damaged.
And increasingly, Councils are doing just that. Recent RAC research has found that local authorities used the excuse to reject seven out of every 10 compensation claims in 2023.
This has prompted the RAC to urge drivers to report every pothole that they see, “either via the RAC’s website or using the free Stan app which collects data on the state of UK roads,” said Simon Williams, the motoring organisation’s head of policy.
What is a pothole? A hole that must be at least 40mm deep, about the height of two 20p coins. They most commonly cause punctured tyres, damaged suspension and damaged tracking, according to Confused.com.
Potholes existed in biblical times, where they were also seen as a nuisance. Even St Luke’s vision of a blessed future included roads where: “Every valley shall be filled in… the crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. (Lk 3:5)
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Tim Lenton
Remember the ‘Millennium Bug’?
It was 25 years ago, on 1st January 2000, that the calendar switched over to the year 2000, with no major computer problems from the Y2K “Millennium Bug”.
The Y2K bug was a computer flaw involving software and hardware that might have caused problems when dealing with dates beyond 31st December, 1999. This was because, for storage reasons, there had been a practice of using two figures for dates – for instance 78 instead of 1978. It was therefore feared that 00 for 2000 might be interpreted as 1900, with chaos resulting in the power industry, transportation or anywhere that computers were critical.
When this potential problem was recognised – surprisingly late, in the mid-1990s – a great deal of money was poured into preventing it from happening, particularly by countries like the USA and Australia, as well as the UK.
Other countries, such as Russia, South Korea and Italy, spent almost nothing on the problem. Ironically, they suffered no more in the end than those who invested many millions, because it turned out that there were very few difficulties.
A nuclear energy facility in Japan experienced failure in its radiation equipment, but backup facilities ensured there was no danger. Missile launches were detected in Russia and attributed to the Y2K bug, but the launches had been planned as part of Russia’s conflict in Chechnya.
Because of the lack of disastrous outcomes, many people dismissed the Y2K bug as a hoax or an end-of-the-world cult. A small number of fundamentalist Christians had been interpreting the whole issue as apocalyptic, involving the breakdown of society, the Last Days and the subsequent Second Coming.
Similar computer problems had been predicted for other years, for similar but obviously not identical reasons. They include 1975, 1999, 2010, 2022 and – wait for it – 2038.
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Tim Lenton.
Remembering TS Eliot – author of The Wasteland
Sixty years ago, on 4th January 1965, T S Eliot, American-born British poet, playwright, literary critic and editor, died. He won the 1948 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in 1888 in St Louis, Missouri, but his family were prominent Unitarians, with roots in Boston. However, he had a Roman Catholic nanny, of whom he was very fond, and who took him to her church. This may have had some bearing on his converting to Anglicanism in 1927, the year he became a British citizen. He was baptised and confirmed secretly in Oxfordshire, saying he hated spectacular conversions.
He identified as Anglo-Catholic, saying he was “classicist in literature, royalist in politics, and anglo-catholic in religion”. Much later he said he combined “a Catholic cast of mind, a Calvinist heritage and a Puritanical temperament”.
Eliot married twice but had no children. His first wife was Vivienne Haigh-Wood, who he married in 1915 – the year that his first “professional” poem, The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock, was published. But the marriage was fraught, because his wife had mental problems and eventually went into an asylum. They separated in 1933. His second wife was his much younger secretary Esme, whom he married in 1957.
Eliot lived through two world wars but remained optimistic through his Christianity. He wrote The Waste Land in 1923 and The Four Quartets were published in 1941 after he became British and an Anglican.
He died of emphysema at his home in Kensington, was cremated and is buried at the parish church in East Coker, Somerset – East Coker being where his family may have originated: it was also the title of the second of the Four Quartets. He has a plaque in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.
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Donald Trump and God
On 20th January 2025 Donald Trump is due to be installed as the 47th American President. For such a position, having survived two assassin attempts, Trump says he has a divine mandate: “God saved me for a reason; that reason was to save our country and restore America to its greatness. … We are going to fulfil that mission.”
There are many factors in this election, as in all elections, such as age, gender, ethnicity and, particularly in the States, religion.
One company, which has been researching exit polls from US Presidential elections for over 40 years, interviewed some 22,200 people as they left the polls this time around. It found that four-fifths, 81%, of white evangelicals voted for Trump, as did half, 50%, of Catholics. (84% voted for Trump in 2020).
Why? Presumably, this is based on Trump’s description of himself as a “non-denominational Christian,” and his acceptance of prayer and his support of some religious ideas. The evangelicals would say that “they valued the protection of vulnerable people and wished all to live in love and peace.” Catholics would say they wanted to “treat people with civility.”
Some surveys appear to suggest Trump is seen as becoming more religious. One which took place in February 2024 found that 4% of Americans thought he was very religious, 25% somewhat religious and 68% not at all religious, the remaining 3% not answering the question. Eight months later, in October 2024, those percentages were, respectively, 6%, 31% and 62% with 1% not answering.
By comparison, some 21% of Jews voted for Trump and 33% of other religions. Two-fifths, 40%, of America’s population are Protestant and 64% of these (= 26% of the population) voted for Trump, as did 72% of those with No Religion.
Age and gender were also important. Of those aged 18 to 29, for example, 56% of the men voted for Trump, but only 40% of the women.
While this shows that Americans tend to feel religion is important in their voting decision, political party is also a vital component. George Barna’s research showed that 72% of the electorate would say they are Christian, and of these 56% gave Trump the vote, while Kamala Harris got 60% of the non-Christian vote.
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The Rectory
St James the Least of All
My dear Nephew Darren
Since you were the one to ask this parishioner of yours to act as PCC secretary, you have no reason to complain about the minutes of meetings she produces. You should never let anyone act as a secretary unless they cannot speak English or are hard of hearing, and preferably, both. The more significant the committee and the more contentious the issues being debated, the more you should nobly put yourself forward both to chair the meeting and take the minutes. In the majority of cases, that will spare the other members that awkward moment when you ask for a volunteer, and they all feel the sudden need to stare at their feet.
If you act as secretary, then you can be certain that accounts of what took place will only be what you had wanted to happen and that the decisions taken will be what you had already decided before discussions started. Any inconvenient observations from other committee members can be omitted entirely.
Admittedly, the more observant may notice that your accounts of the meeting may not wholly agree with their recollections, but the skill of being a secretary is not to produce the minutes of the previous meeting until the day before the next one. This will mean that the great majority will have long forgotten what actually did happen two months previously, and that many will not have had the time to read them anyway and will avoid having to admit that fact by passing them.
Only the deeply committed will want to pursue apparent discrepancies. In that case, confess to the meeting that your hand-written notes were accidentally left on a bus and so you can no longer check the accuracy of what you have written. As a way of appearing helpful, you could even give the person challenging you the bus route number and time of day you travelled. Further challenges will rally the rest of the committee to your side, and soon someone will suggest you proceed to the next item on the agenda. Since you are also the chairman, you naturally bow to their request.
Just in the way that church rotas bear no resemblance to the people who actually turn up to do the jobs, minutes of meetings need not bear too much resemblance to what actually happened, especially if what did happen is inconvenient for you.
After all, democracy is all very well – provided a benign dictator is in overall control.
Your loving uncle, Eustace
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BOOK REVIEW
Making Your Church Sustainable – a Practical Guide
By Nigel Walter, Canterbury Press, £14.99
With pressure on budgets and soaring energy costs, this small book will be worth its weight in gold to every local church.
It offers expert advice that will equip non-professionals to make informed decisions on making their church buildings more sustainable, understand sustainability technologies, help navigate changing permission processes and thus save time and money – and serve the Anglican mark of mission to care for creation.
Nigel Walter demystifies the topic of sustainability and provides a wealth of practical advice and quick-wins. He includes guidance on: developing a plan that suits your church; improving your maintenance practices; alternative ways to heat your church; where and how to get professional help; and navigating the new permission processes.
A helpful appendix lists numerous sources of further advice and guidance. Comprehensive in scope, authoritative in content, practical in outlook and written in lively, accessible language, no church should be without a copy of this essential guide.
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All in the month of January.
It was:
400 years ago, on 13th Jan 1625 that Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flemish artist, died.
150 years ago, on 14th Jan 1875 that Albert Schweitzer, German theologian, philosopher, physician, musicologist, writer and humanitarian, was born. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.
100 years ago, on 3rd Jan 1925 that Benito Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy.
90 years ago, on 8th Jan 1935 that Elvis Presley (‘The King’) was born. An American rock and roll singer, guitarist and actor, he died in 1977.
80 years ago, on 16th Jan 1945 that Adolf Hitler took up residence in the Fuhrerbunker, a subterranean bunker complex in the garden of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. It became the headquarters of the Nazi regime, and he remained there for the rest of his life. He committed suicide there in April 1945.
Also 80 years ago, on 27th Jan 1945 that the Soviet Red Army liberated Auschwitz Concentration Camp in southern Poland. It was the largest Nazi concentration camp and at least 1.1 million prisoners died there.
Also 75 years ago, on 23rd Jan 1950 that Israel declared Jerusalem was its capital city. Palestine also claims it as its capital.
Also 60 years ago, on 24th Jan 1965 that Winston Churchill died. He was Prime Minister 1940-45 and again in 1955, and one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century. He was named as ‘the greatest Briton of all time.’ He won the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature “for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.”
40 years ago, on 1st Jan 1985 that the first mobile phone call in the UK was made by comedian Ernie Wise. He rang Vodafone’s head office in Newbury from St Katherine’s Docks in London.
Also 30 years ago, on 3rd Jan 1995 that the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that the cumulative total reported AIDS cases had passed the one million mark, with cases in 192 countries. (Including unreported cases, the total was estimated to be about 4.5 million.)
25 years ago, on 1st Jan 2000 that the calendar switched over to the year 2000, with no major computer problems from the Y2K ‘Millennium Bug’.
15 years ago, on 4th Jan 2010 that the Burj Khalifa in Dubai opened. It is the world’s tallest structure, standing 2,722 feet (829.8 metres.)
Also 15 years ago, on 12th Jan 2010 that the Haiti earthquake took place. The capital, Port-au-Prince, was devastated and at least 100,000 people were killed and buried in mass graves.
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Smile Lines
In place of cabbage
On Sunday after the church service, a woman told the minister that when she had sent her husband to buy a cabbage for lunch, he had fallen and broken his leg. “That’s terrible!” said the minister. “What did you do?”
“I opened a can of peas,” she replied.
**
Old love
During a wedding the mother of the bride managed to keep from crying until she glanced at the grandparents. As the bride and groom took their vows, the grandmother had reached over to the grandfather’s wheelchair and was gently touching his hand. That was all it took to start the mother’s tears flowing. After the wedding, she went over to the grandmother and told her how that tender gesture triggered her outburst.
“Well, I’m sorry to ruin your moment,” the grandmother replied, “but I was just checking to see if he was still awake.”
**
Home Schooling
Back in the ‘good old days’, we didn’t appreciate how much education was given at home…
Our mothers taught us TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE: “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”
Our fathers taught us RELIGION: “You better pray that that will come out of the carpet.”
Our mothers taught us LOGIC: “If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the shops with me.”
Our fathers taught us MORE LOGIC: “Because I said so, that’s why.”
Our mothers taught us about CONTORTIONISM: “Just you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!”
Our fathers taught us about the science of OSMOSIS: “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”
Our mothers taught us about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: “Stop acting like your father!”
Our mothers taught us about ESP: “Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?”
And finally, our fathers taught us about JUSTICE: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”
**
Bible
A father was approached by his small son, who told him proudly, “I now know what the Bible means!” His father smiled and asked him to explain. “It’s easy. It stands for Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.”
**
Problem solving
There was a bishop, an archdeacon and a curate driving down a steep mountain road. The brakes failed and the car careened down the road out of control, nearly going over the cliff edge. They all got out, shaken by their narrow escape from death.
The bishop said: “To fix this problem we need to organize a committee, have meetings, and through the process of exchanging ideas, develop a solution.”
The archdeacon said, “No that would take too long. I will simply open the bonnet, isolate the problem and firmly correct it.”
The curate said, “Why don’t we push the car back up the hill and see if it happens again?”
**
The week after the month before
After a hectic December full of Christmas events at the church, the vicar went wearily into the chemist’s shop. He asked: “Have you got anything for laryngitis?”
The chemist replied: “Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?”
**
Visit
A parishioner called the vicar during a power-cut caused by a blizzard and said she urgently needed a pastoral home visit. “I’m sorry, but I can’t get out because of the heavy snow,” the vicar explained.
Unsatisfied, she barked, “But I can’t watch TV because the power is off! So what else am I supposed to do?”
**
Why universities would never give God a PhD
- He has had only one major publication, and it wasn’t even in English
- It had no references.
- It wasn’t published in a refereed journal.
- Some even doubt He wrote it by Himself.
- Okay, He created the world, but what has He done since then?
- The scientific community has had a hard time replicating any of His results.
- He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.
- He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
- Some say He had His son stand in for Him, to teach the class.
- He set only 10 requirements, but still all of His students have failed the exam.
**
Labels
I have my own system for labelling homemade freezer meals. I no longer bother with labels like ‘chicken casserole’ or ‘lasagne’ or ‘steak and ale pie’. Instead, I use ‘Whatever’, ‘Anything’, or ‘I Don’t Know.’ That way when I ask my family what they want for dinner, I always have it to hand.**
**
Sermon
The church warden asked the curate how she thought the church service had gone. The curate shrugged. “The music was excellent, and the prayers were relevant, but I wonder if my sermon ever really got off the ground.”
The church warden was sympathetic. “Never mind, it certainly taxied a long way.”
**
Collection
A minister in a rural church had been having trouble with the collections. One Sunday he announced, “Now, before we pass the collection plate, I would like to request that the person who stole the chickens from our local farm please refrain from giving any money to the Lord. The Lord doesn’t want money from a thief!”
The collection plate was passed around and for the first time in months, everybody gave.
**
Good idea
A young theologian, fresh out of university, thought it would help him better understand the world if he served as a policeman before going on for ordination. At the police interview he was asked: “What would you do to disperse a frenzied crowd?”
He promptly responded, “I would pass around an offering plate.” He got the job.
**
Waiting
After 40 years of living in various damp and cold vicarages, we retired and were finally able to move into our own home. It took several weeks to settle in, but then we were nearly done – just waiting for the arrival of the new couch and chairs.
As the delivery truck pulled into the driveway, I hastened to welcome it. “Finally!” I exclaimed, flinging open the front door. “I’ve been waiting for years for this!”
“Don’t blame me, lady,” he retorted. “I only got the order this morning.”
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