Knowle United Reformed Church Station Rd.

Transcription

1 Knowle United Reformed Church Station Rd.

2 Minister Secretary Jenny Scott, Elder Hanbury Rd., Dorridge, Solihull. B93 8DW Tel: e-: Hall Secretary Edna Grimmett, Tel: Junior Church Pat McKee Tel: Rest Day: Friday Mobile: Treasurer Mike Robertson Elder Lodge Rd., Knowle B93 0HF Tel: Property Secretary David Stewart Elder Links Drive, Solihull B91 2DJ Tel: Magazine Team Mary Kirwan Elder 2011 Graham Tall, Elder Newton Rd., Church Notices Knowle, Solihull. B93 8HN Mike Robertson Elder 2011 Tel: Tel: s: Additional Serving Elders: Mandy Cunoosamy 2010 Diana Dicker 2010 Terry Dicker 2012 Alison Hockly 2009 Isobel Robertson 2011 Stephenie Tall 2009 Kath Vale 2009 Non-serving Elders: Margaret Allan Kenneth Always Jones Sue Bateman Clive Griffiths Edna Grimmett John Heatley Glenys Lamb Alan Lang Lucilla Lang Pat McKee Ian Miller Eileen Pitkeathly Judy Preece Jan Richardson Brian Richardson Mauvine Squire Ron Squire Note: This magazine is free to all members and friends of Knowle URC. We rely on donations to help cover the costs. 2

3 Expectation And Hope These are two words with similar yet distinctive meanings both of which apply to this season of the year. First, EXPECTATION. In our childhood and youth we have special expectations as Christmas approaches....the presents we expect to get, the parties and pantomime visits we look forward to. In later years we still have expectations but they are different. Annual letters from distant friends perhaps, family gatherings or maybe just the thought of a few days rest and change of routine. The Bible stories and the hymns we sing in this season are of expectancy. If we read the words carefully,however, we can discern a note of HOPE as well.. If the gospel stories had ended with the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt it would have remained just another of the world s romantic myths. The gospels however go on to portray one who was God s great gift to mankind, as teacher, friend and saviour.truly GOD WITH US. We have hope because he still is, through his spirit at work even in this dark and confusing age. It is this spirit of hope that is shown in the down to earth nature of the faith that sprang from Jesus Christ. We see it particularly at work during the Christmas season as his followers open shelters for the homeless, make shoe boxes for poor children and many acts of charity in both giving and in service. May that spirit be in us as we display not just expectation but Christian hope. With blessings and Christmas greetings Kenneth Alway - Jones Digbeth In The Field URC Sat Dec 8 th AD Concert Band Christmas Concert Mon Dec 17 th Carols around the Wards at Heartlands 3

4 Church Family It was with great sadness that we heard of Bernell Burrough s untimely sudden death recently. Our Sympathy, Prayers & Thoughts go to his Family. We also send our sympathy to Sue & John Heatley on the recent death of their son-in-law David Vincent, and of course we remember his wife Sally and son Ben. Happy December birthdays to Rosina Forsyth 1 st, Derek Hughes 1 st, John Heatley 7 th, David Hall 12 th, Diana Dicker 14 th, Christine Kane 18 th, Sue Bateman 19 th, Mary Vale 22 nd. Birthstone Turquoise. Flower Narcissus. Happy January Birthday s to Isobel Robertson 4 th, Rev Helen Carr 4 th, Stephenie Tall 14 th, Alison Hockly 14 th, Hamish Wormald 21 st, Sue Heatley 28 th, Pam Howells 29 th, Joy Hall 30 th and Graham Tall 31 st. Birthstone Garnet. Flower Carnation or Snowdrop. Happy Wedding Anniversary to Pam & Maurice Archer for Jan 28 th. Christmas Stamp Saving! Superdrug is offering 35p off a book of 12 First class stamps up until Christmas Eve. There is a limit of 72 per day in order to be fair to other customers. December Commitment for Life Prayer Generous God, we look back over the years and give thanks: for those who have given faithfully year after year for those who have campaigned fearlessly for justice for those who have administered resources honestly and ensured they have gone to those in greatest need. We look back over the years and give thanks: for women who have lifted themselves and their families out of poverty, for children given the chance of education, for young people who have found new meaning in life, for farmers who have learnt new skills, for traders whose businesses have been strengthened. Generous God: We look forward into the future. We do not know what lies ahead; we are afraid of the damage that may be done by climate change or the effects of war or politics or finance. But we trust you. We know that this is your world for which you gave your Son and you enfold it in your everlasting arms. Helen Lidgett: Convenor of Commitment for Life Reference group

5 The Big Sing 1662 Last Sunday 21 st October Gordon and I travelled to Rother Street URC in Stratford-upon-Avon to celebrate this event at Graham Spicer s Church. Graham was a former minister at Knowle URC. The event was held to commemorate the forming of the Non-Conformists and was held at 6-30 pm. The service told the story of some of the early Non-conformist hymns and started with Who would True Valour See dated 1684 by John Bunyan. The service continued through the ages up to almost the present day with the hymn Put Peace into Each other s Hands by Fred Kaan The Reverend Kaan was a former Moderator of the West Midlands Synod. The choir for the evening was made up from members of Rother Street URC and other local organizations and numbered about 30 singers. They sang two items one of which was Lord Who Has Made Us for Thine Own by Gustav Holt. The organist s solo was Lieber Jesu, Wir Sind Heir by J.S. Bach. After the service we were invited into the hall for refreshments. Altogether it was an enjoyable evening and good to see Graham Spicer again. He sent his greetings to everyone at Knowle and said he was looking forward to leading worship in the not too distant future. Jenny Scott Fun Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 What is an ig? What did Cinderella say when the photographers lost her photographs? Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters? Why does Santa have three gardens? Why are chocolate buttons rude? Which candle burns longer a red one or a green one? What does Santa call his fishing rod? How would you fire Santa? 5

6 Shoeboxes Many thanks to all who bought Shoeboxes, including Christ Church URC, Patterson Court residents, plus others, knitters, and helpers on the filling morning, to Sandra for her chocolate biscuits. The boxes are now safely on their way. Mary K. See article below and centre pages Shoeboxes, what happens next? It s a gift box not an aid box is what I was told when I turned up for my first session as a volunteer checking some of the thousands of shoe boxes donated for the Operation Christmas Child Appeal. Every one of the boxes has to be opened, checked and packed for shipping, mainly to the Ukraine this year. Last year 14,804 boxes were sent to Bosnia from the Solihull warehouse. The emphasis is on respecting the time and care taken by individuals to select items and pack their box, so boxes are left alone as much as possible. As the supervisor explained to me, imagine the child is sat in front of you and the person who filled the box is looking over your shoulder while you check the box. Any inappropriate items or items disallowed under customs rules are removed and replaced with an item from the stock. It s amazing to look in the boxes. Some are stuffed full of gifts, others have less and need a top up from the stock knitted, crafted or collected by volunteers over the year. What is obvious though is that every box is filled with the smiles of a child in mind. I certainly have ideas for next year! Volunteers can drop in at any time over the three weeks, for as long they can spare, which makes it easy to fit in around busy lives. Some come from churches in the area, some from local groups or companies, or just individuals wanting to help. Everyone is very welcoming and grateful for your time and efforts. After a couple of hours, and many, many boxes, I called it a day. I will be back though as it was a very rewarding and humbling experience. Mhairi Lamb St Basil s As in previous years, it is suggested that you send ONE Christmas card to all your friends in church and in return donate what you would have spent on individual cards into the collecting pot; all monies will be sent to St Basil s. Thank you 6 Pat McKee

7 Collecting the Boxes Boys! Why the 2 pictures below? An empty space, more articles please. Two faces Right: one boy preparing for the remembrance day walk Left: two boys illustrating the adage boys will be boys Note the Postman Pats on the roof beam! Incidentally, they weren t the only guilty parties, So too was the angel on the right and all the other lads! 7

8 The article by Mhairi on page X gives a fantastic introduction to the final checking process. But, here, you can see the final stages of Mary s awe inspiring collecting and Chris s time consuming wrapping work. It is then, that the URC team arrive to pack the 62 Christmas Boxes shown here in the final picture, bottom right.. Picture overleaf the collection! Only two words are relevant: WELL DONE 8 9

9 Black Boy Walk and Meal Somehow, Jenny s husband managed to hide behind both camera view finders. It may have been cold, but the sun was shining and the food satisfying. P.S. some of us avoided the walk and met at the pub! 10

10 Waddesdon Manor Church Outing Dec 8 th Arrangements as follows. The coach will leave Church at 10 am and arrive at Waddesdon Manor at approx am. Our booking to see the Christmas Decorations is at The coach will pick up to return home at hrs. The cost is each plus entry fee. There will be free time to look around and hopefully a food festival and gift fair in the nearby garden centre with buses travelling backwards and forwards to the house. There is usually a great demand for the Restaurant so it may be a good idea to take sandwiches. If you would still like to go and have not yet booked then please see Alison a.s.a.p. Thank you Alison for organising this trip. The Bear Pit in association with the URC Mon Dec 3 rd Sat Dec 8 th Alan Ayckbourne s Season s Greetings, A Fruitcake Theatre Company Production in support of the Bear Pit Theatre at Rother Street URC A Tree Festival has been organised for Friday 21 st & Sat 22 nd Dec pm featuring Heart of England Woodturners, Exhibition and Craft Sale as well as Trees to celebrate Christmas and the church throughout the year. On Friday evening 7.30 pm is the Christmas Fruitcake Concert (may contain nuts) Tickets Both events are at the Sanctuary, URC Rother Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon Advent This begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day which is the Sunday nearest November 30 th. The Advent wreath is a popular symbol in church and many homes. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God himself. His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The greenery of the wreath speaks of the hope we have in God, the hope of eternal life. Candles symbolise the light of God coming into the world through the birth of his Son. There are four outer candles (usually red, varies in some churches). The first one lit is traditionally the candle of hope, the remaining 3 candles represent different aspects of the Advent story. The centre candle which is white is called the Christ candle and lit on Christmas Day, giving light to the world. 11

11 Twelve Days of Christmas The song dates from a time of religious persecution and written as a kind of catechism that could be sung in public without the fear of arrest a memory aid to Christians in fact. 1 The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus 2 Two turtle doves are the Old & New Testaments 3 Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love 4 Four calling birds are the four Gospels 5 The five gold rings recall Hebrew Torah (Law) the first five books of the Old Testament 6 The six geese a- laying stand for the six days of creation 7 The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit 8 The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes 9 Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments 11 Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles 12 Twelve drummers drumming represent the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed So that silly song we sing at Christmas has more meaning than we thought. Xmas: This spelling of the season s name has been in existence for over 600 years, and is not disrespectful to Jesus as some people think because they think it takes the Christian meaning out of the feast. The X in this case stands for the Greek letter chi that is the initial letter of the Greek word Christos which means Christ! 12

12 A Journey through the Bible with Tiglath. 50. The Second Book of Samuel Chapter 4 to the end of Chapter 6. Chapter 4 is a rather violent one. It's main theme is the method by which one of Saul's sons was killed and David's reaction when the murderers came to him and told him what they had done. In spite of everything that had happened, David always seemed to have some regard for Saul. Chapter 5 relates the coming of the twelve tribes to David's camp. They told him that they were his people - 'Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh'. They then anointed David as King over Israel. He was thirty years of age when this was done and he then reigned for 40 years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven and a half years and when he captured Zion (Jerusalem) he reigned there for 33 years. David now becomes very prosperous and popular. 'Hiram the King of Tyre sent messages to David and cedar trees and carpenters, and masons and they built David a house' (verse 11). The writer of this chapter points out in verse 12 that David was very much favoured by the Lord. As time goes on he increases his number of wives and lady-friends and 11 sons are born to him. Chapter 6 is very interesting. It tells how the Ark of God was brought to Jerusalem from Kirjath-jearim. This was carried on a new cart. The journey was not without incident because, when they paused with the ark at Nachon's threshing floor, a person called Uzzah put his hand on the ark to steady it as the oxen were shaking it. Verse 7 tells us that this angered God and he smote Uzzah and killed him. This made David afraid to move the ark into the city so he took it on one side into the house of Obededom the Gittite. There it was looked after by the family for three months. This Pleased God and He blessed the household. After this David plucked up his courage and the ark was taken into the city. There was much rejoicing as this was done and much shouting and playing of the trumpet. David was so carried away by all this rejoicing that he danced and leapt in the street in front of the crowds. 13

13 One of those watching this spectacle was Michal, daughter of Saul, and verse 16 tells us that she, 'despised him in her heart'. After all the rejoicing and the people had eaten flesh and drunk wine all returned to their own homes. Verse 20 relates what happened when David returned home where Michal came out to meet him. She was most sarcastic about his dancing in the street and showing himself off before the maid servants. David pointed out that God had chosen him instead of her father to rule Israel. He said although he was base in the sight of Michal the maid servants would honour him. The upshot of all this was that Michal never bore a child. In the next part of our journey we learn what happens when David desires to build a house for God. We are moving! St. Andrews Church, Pike Drive, Chelmsley Wood opened in 1972, with Trevor Hextall, the rector plus three curates. Founder members included Joe Roberts, Winnie Williams, George Edmead and many others. This 350 seater building is an Anglican/Methodist ecumenical church. Due to Solihull Council s regeneration plans, the church will move to a new building in Dunster Road next year (2013) after 41 years. Being high up in a block of flats, almost next to the site, I can watch with interest the new church and combined Bishop Wilson School being built, the steel girder framework is already erected. Bishop Leonard Wilson was the Bishop of Singapore when the Japanese invaded and he was captured and tortured by Japanese soldiers. After the war, he became Bishop of Birmingham and I had the pleasure of meeting him at Bishops Croft, Harborne where he lived. Churches are not there just for Christenings, Marriages, and Funerals, but for us to meet in Fellowship, commune with God and make many good Christian friends. What better? Les Bridgewater. Answers: 14 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 An Eskimo s home without a loo! Someday my prints will come! They both drop their needles! So he can hoe, hoe, hoe! Because they are Smarties in the nude! Neither candles burn shorter! The North Pole! Give him the sack!

14 Rotas Vestry and Communion Elders Dec 2 nd Isobel Robertson Jan 6 th Stephenie Tall Dec 9 th Jenny Scott Jan 13 th Mandy Cunoosamy Dec 16 th Alison Hockly Jan 20 th Mary Kirwan Dec 23 rd D.Dicker & M.Robertson Jan 27 th D. Stewart & A. Hockly Dec 30 th T.B.A Feb 3 rd Mike Robertson Door Stewards Dec 2 nd Clive & Avril Griffiths Jan 6 th M. & Isobel Robertson Dec 9 th Graham& Stephenie Tall Jan 13 th Christine Harfoot & Glens Lamb Dec 16 th Mary K. & Chris Smith Jan 20 th B. & Jan Richardson Dec 23 rd Sue B. & Judy Preece Jan 27 th Jenny S. & Pat McKee Dec 30 th T.B.A. Feb 3 rd Alison H. & Sue H. Flower Rota Dec 2 nd Pam& Bruce (Donation) Dec9th Pam& Bruce (Donation) Dec 16th Christmas Help is required on Sat Dec 15 th to help Dec 23rd Christmas decorate the Church for Christmas. 10 am Dec 30th Christmas onwards. Kath Lectionary Readings Sun Dec 2 nd Stephenie Tall Jrmah 33; Luke 21; Sun Dec 9 th Pat McKee Malchi 3; 1-4 Luke 3; 1-6 Sun Dec 16 th Brian Richardson Zeph 3; Luke 3; 7-18 Sun Dec 23 rd Clive Griffiths Micah 5; 2-5a Luke 1; Sun Dec 30 th Heather Wormald 1Sam2;18-20,26 Luke 2;41-52 Sun Jan 6 th Graham Tall Isaiah 60; 1-6 Matt 2; 1-12 Sun Jan 13 th Christine Cane Isaiah 43; 1-7 Luke 3; 15-17, Sun Jan 20 th Sue Heatley Isaiah 62; 1-5 John 2; 1-11 Sun Jan 27 th Ian Miller Nhmiah 8; 1-3, 5- Luke 4; , 8-10 Sun Feb 3 rd Eileen Pitkeathly Jrmiah 1; 4-10 Luke 4; Junior Church Helpers Dec 2 to 23 Judy/Pat Christine/Moira Dec 30 th Pat Jan 6 to 27 Fiona/Heather Glenys/Gemma 15

15 Church Diary Sun Dec 2 nd 9.30 am Mr Ian Carnell 1 st Sun in Advent Sat Dec 8 th 10 am Church Outing to Waddesdon Manor (see separate article) Sun Dec 9 th 9.30 am Rev Dr Rodger Charlton Toy Service 11.15am Prayer Fellowship Wed Dec 12 th am Midweek Service pm Elders Meeting Sun Dec 16 th 9.30 am Mr Alan Cotgreave Fri Dec 21 st Candlelit Carol Service led by Mrs Fiona Elvins Sun Dec 23 rd 9.30 am Revd Roy Lowes, Moderator Festival Service /Communion Sun Dec 30 th 9.30 am Revd Graham Spicer Sun Jan 6 th 9.30 am Mr Ian Carnell Epiphany Sun Jan 13 th 9.30 am Rev Richard Alfred Prayer Fellowship/Church Meeting Mon Jan 14 th 7.30 pm Worship Planning Meeting at Eileen s Wed Jan 16 th 11 am Midweek Service Sun Jan 20 th 9.30 am Fiona Elvins Communion Fri Jan 25 th Mini Burns Social Event Sun Jan 27 th 9.30 am Mr Ian Thomson Wed Jan 31 st 11 am Midweek Service Sun Feb 3 rd 9.30 am Mr Joe Blackburn December is Thyroid / International Safe Toys & Gifts Month Sat Dec 1 st is World Aids Day Sun Dec 2 nd Advent begins Sat Dec 8 th 7.30 pm Strolling Players Christmas Event Dec 8-16 is Hanukkah (Jewish) Dec 31 st New Year s Eve / Hogmanay Scotland January is Cervical Cancer / Glaucoma / National Volunteer Blood Donor Awareness Month Tues Jan 1 st New Year s Day Happy New Year Everyone Jan th The Revels Drama Group presents Beauty & the Beast at Knowle Village Hall Jan 25 th is Robert Burns Night Jan 27 th Holocaust Memorial Day Articles for February Magazine to be with Mary by Jan 13 th please 16