Good-News Desk! The Magazine of Tylers Green Methodist Church. Minister: Rev. Mike Hill. New Series No. 100

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1 Good-News Desk! The Magazine of Tylers Green Methodist Church Minister: Rev. Mike Hill New Series No. 100 June 2016 Dear Friends, I write this to you on Trinity Sunday, a er which the church calendar enters Ordinary Time again: Ordinary in the sense of not being one of the great Chris an fes vals. In past centuries people could be content with ordinary me. Nowadays everything has to be hyped up, and nothing is allowed to be ordinary! Of course today s headline becomes tomorrow s history, and most of it is history that will not be remembered! Ordinary Time this year focuses on Luke s gospel, so from next Sunday un l November, the main gospel reading will be from Luke. Luke emphasises Jesus s good news for the poor, for women, and for foreigners: a complete contrast with the norms of society then, and s ll per nent today. As we vote this month to leave the EU, or not, our a tude towards foreigners is a key factor: we may disguise it as security, or financial, or benefits or educa on or health, but our rela onship towards those who are different to us colours our thinking. The religious leaders in Jerusalem in Jesus s me kept themselves to themselves, and expected their people to do likewise. Those outside the city were regarded as somewhat suspect, those in Galilee of the gen les were contaminated, the Samaritan cousins had got it

2 all wrong; and when and if the Messiah came, he would obviously have no truck with foreigners, the poor, the unclean (lepers and the like), or women. No wonder they rejected Jesus! There is a lovely holiday resort in Italy called Isola d Elba, well not so much in Italy as offshore: It s the Island of Elba, where Napoleon was exiled for 300 days, the Robben Island of its day. Isola is where we get our word isola on. I think there is something in the mentality of island-dwellers such as us, which tends towards isola onism. We prefer to keep aloof from mainland Europe, not just by the English Channel, but by culture, language, currency: independence! Of course we know that millions of Brits live abroad, and millions of others live here, and every big city is mul cultural, and that clock is never going to be turned back, but we can s ll hanker a er a me when life seemed a lot simpler! A er the resurrec on, Jesus le them with instruc ons to take the good news from Jerusalem into those suspect areas of the country and then to the ends of the earth. Thankfully they did so, and we heard, and we found our faith in Christ. The challenge for us, (as it was for them), is with those who are different to us, whether they are Europeans, or Syrian refugees, or economic migrants, people of other faiths, or atheists, or with tradi- ons and ac vi es that we don t understand or approve of. Love your neighbour could have been understood as meaning your fellow- Israelite, but Jesus s a tude was to love even the unlovable, to pray for those who persecuted Him, and make clear the commandment for God s people then and today. Mike Hill 100 Not out... You may have no ced from the front page that this is issue 100 of the new series of Good News Desk. I must have produced almost as many before that, when the edi ons were not numbered. Before that I was typing stencils and producing an A4 magazine on an old Gestetner duplicator which lived in the vestry. We purchased pictorial front pages from the Bible Lands Society as it was then. Anyone remember that? 2

3 Diary and No ce board June 2016 CHURCH COUNCIL Wednesday, 1st June at 7.30 p.m. BIBLE FELLOWSHIP will meet on Monday 6th June at 3.00 pm in the Church. Further dates for June and/or July will be arranged at this mee ng. All are welcome to come along and share in Bible Study and fellowship. PRAYER MEETINGS Tuesdays, 7th and 24th June at the Church at 4pm. CHRISTIAN AID WEEK Many thanks to all who contributed towards the Chris an Aid annual appeal. We raised 165 from 10 envelopes, and Chris an Aid will be able to claim an extra in Gi Aid. Added to this, the Church will donate an extra 50. Well done! RUBY WEDDING Our love and congratula ons go to Chris and Denis Oxby, who will celebrate their Ruby Wedding on Sunday 29th May. They will be trea ng their family to a week's holiday in Lanzarote. What a way to celebrate! SILVER WEDDING Our congratula ons go to Alison (nee Crayford) and Paul Tuddenham, who celebrated their Silver Wedding during mid-may. Alison and Paul grew up worshipping at Tylers Green, and were ac ve members of the Youth Fellowship. How me flies! Please remember Singa and her family in your prayers as it is that me in her appointment when she and the Circuit Leadership Team must pray and ponder whether God is calling her to stay or to move on to another Circuit. 3

4 One Can Trust Message dated 12 May 2016 We're running short of some key items that we put in our food parcels so please consider these when shopping for the food bank! Thank you. Tinned meat - (pies, ham, corned beef) Tinned potatoes Tinned vegetables - (including peas and sweetcorn) Tinned tomatoes Tinned spaghe FAIRTRADE & TRAIDCRAFT The speaker at our May coffee morning was Pam Thompson, wife of Superintendent Nick. We had the most interes ng, fascina ng and humorous talk about Fairtrade and Traidcra in Peru. Pam shared with us her experiences of the trip she and Nick made to Peru in They travelled the country for two weeks on a guided tour with others who had an interest in the produce and cra of the country. We learned about the individuals involved in the process and produc- on of coffee and tea as well as those who weave, knit and create the many beau ful cra items. We also found out much about Peru, its history and beau ful mountain scenery. Pam s experiences were illustrated with photos taken throughout their travels. These included one of Pam and Nick wearing tradi onal Peruvian clothing including hats. Pam brought along a large display of cra items which we were able to admire and purchase if wished. It was such a shame that on this occasion a endance was so low. Those who were there felt this was one of our most interes ng coffee mornings. We have therefore asked Pam to bring her cra stall to another coffee morning we will let everyone know when this will happen. We will also invite Pam to another coffee morning when she can tell us more about her many years suppor ng Fairtrade and Traidcra. 4 Dried Rice/Pasta (500g+) Jam/spreads Tinned fruit Jelly/Angel delight UHT/Longlife milk Shampoo, shower gels Loo rolls!

5 Holy Wells Buxton in Derbyshire by Ted Harrison Derbyshire is the English county celebrated around the world for its wells. The annual tradi on followed in many villages of decora ng the village wells, or well dressing, a racts sight-seers from miles away. Tissington is at the heart of Well Dressing country, and Ascension Day is when the largest crowds gather to see the wells blessed. A er a service in the church, a procession wends its way around the village and at each well a hymn is sung and a prayer of blessing given. By ancient, centuries old tradi on, five wells are decorated. Boards are set up around each one which is then covered in clay. The clay is then impressed with thousands of colourful flower petals to create pictures and tableaux. O en the stories illustrated are from the Bible. It is thought the prac ce may date back to the 14th century and may have started as an act of thanksgiving when the community escaped the devasta on of the Black Death. Over the years, and before piped water became available, it also became an act of thanksgiving for the village s supply of clean, clear water. Today Tissington is one of over 100 villages to follow the tradi on. The season extends all through the summer and while some communi es decorate a single well others dress several in amazing and elaborate designs. Many have a Biblical theme, but o en topical references to royal occasions or spor ng events provide inspira on. Generally the Derbyshire wells are not considered holy, or named a er saints with miraculous cures a ributed to them. Most were just the original village water tap. However, the Derbyshire town of Buxton not only enjoys a well dressing fes val but also has a celebrated holy well where people regularly line up to collect its special waters. Buxton mineral water is bo led and available in supermarkets, but in the town itself, at St Anne s well, it is free. Through medieval mes there was a chapel on the spot and pilgrims came seeking cures and to leave offerings. Henry VIII put an end to the prac ce, but later the town became a spa and patients heard of the therapeutic reputation of the waters and came to bathe and drink, much as the ancient Romans had done in pre-christian times. Today the free Buxton water emerges from a pipe set in a modern plinth containing a statuette of St Anne, the mother of Mary and Jesus s grandmother. 5

6 Editor: June brings Wimbledon, and here Richard Bewes muses on tennis and discerning God s will for our lives. Wimbledon. tennis and Ebenezer Many of us can look back to some visible sign that galvanized us for the next great adventure of our life. Take the former Wimbledon champion, John McEnroe, for example. McEnroe was si ng by the Pacific Ocean with fellow-player Tony Graham. He was down-hearted, and confided to Graham that a recent defeat was perhaps a sign that he should re re. No, mate, insisted Graham, Maybe there ll be another sign to start you playing again! At that moment, a Pacific wave rolled all the way up the beach, and deposited at McEnroe s feet a tennis ball. That, for him, became the sign and his re rement was over! Certain emblems can also stand for moments to remember. A small terraco a urn, The Ashes, marks the England-Australia ba le for cricke ng supremacy. Certain preserved steps down to the sea at Plymouth Harbour remind us of 1620, when The Mayflower took The Pilgrim Fathers to America. Are these examples of an Ebenezer Moment? Forget the frosty Scrooge of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. The original Ebenezer episode occurred through the Bible prophet Samuel, following victory over the Philis nes. Se ng up a great stone, Samuel gave it the Hebrew name of Ebenezer the Stone of Help, and declared, Hitherto has the Lord helped us (1 Samuel 7:12). Visi ng California s San Bernardino mountains, my wife Pam and I recently stopped by a massive engraved commemora ve stone that marks the spot years ago when the young Billy Graham dropped to his knees, placed his Bible on a log and prayerfully accepted God s inspired Word as the authority for all his future preaching. The rest was history. Do you have such a milestone in your life? Indeed does God have His own Ebenezer? Evidently so! In His mind, it stands forever as a Cross 6

7 of wood where His Son died for the sins of the world. Men and woman in gra tude for their forgiveness will sing: In the Cross of Christ I glory, Towering o er the wrecks of me! And on a rather different scale - you and me too are Living Ebenezers for God in the here and now. this very day! Why not? The Lord HAS helped us. I am never alone God s always with me, though I sometimes forget When the pressures of life get me down, When everything s the darkest, that s when I forget. The dear Lord is somewhere around. God s always with me through the bad times and good, Sharing each joy and each pain. And I try to remember, as everyone should, He will help me again and again. God is always with me, I am never alone Though sometimes it seems to be true. So, I stumble along, with my hand in his own For there is nothing that God cannot do. Some day he will answer the questions I ve asked And I ll know why some things had to be, Right now it s enough to take him in Faith And to know he is always with me. I am never alone. Editor s note: I am grateful to local resident Maureen Andrews who passes on to me her copy of the magazine of the West Norfolk Circuit, from whence cometh the above! 7

8 Editor: Paul Hardingham concludes his look at the Top 10 Bible Stories. This is the tenth in the series. The top 10 Bible stories: No. 10: The Parable of the Prodigal Son This month we come to the last of our 10 Must Know Story from the Bible. The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is one of Jesus most well-known stories. Yet it also beau fully presents the good news of the Gospel, through the theme of lost and found. The younger son is lost when he demands his inheritance early, deliberately making himself independent and trea ng his father as dead! This reflects our own lostness as human beings, when we cut ourselves off from the loving presence and grace of a loving heavenly Father. A er squandering his wealth, he finally comes to his senses: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. (18,19). However, even before he arrives home, his father runs to greet him and welcomes his son back home. The celebra ons for the homecoming of this son reflect the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (7). This story graphically demonstrates the amazing grace of God for each one of us. The older son s misunderstanding of the father s ac ons is a warning not to harden our hearts to the work of God s grace in ourselves and others. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. (Philip Yancey). The story is told of a father and son who had become estranged and the father searched for him to no avail. In despera on, he put an advert in a local newspaper: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up!! 8

9 Seen in Rejoice, the magazine of the West Norfolk Methodist Circuit God promised man that good and obedient wives would be found in every corner of the world. Then he made the world round and laughed and laughed and laughed. Finding Your Way Back To God By Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Authen c, 9.99 A guide to personal spiritual renewal for those who feel disconnected from God and any purpose in life. Drawing on the well-known story of the prodigal son, the author shows how most people set out with good inten ons, only to find themselves floundering in what he calls "spiritual amnesia." He dares readers to accept a 30-day spiritual challenge by praying each day, "God, if you are real, make yourself real to me." Then he walks readers through the five crucial awakenings that take them from doubt and confusion to love, purpose and meaning. Thought for the month Be ye fishers of men - you catch them and He'll clean them. 9

10 Prayer of thanks for the Queen Father, We thank you for our Queen, for her ninety years of life and s ll coun ng! Thank you for her example of commitment and service; for her perseverance through sunshine and storm. Most of all thank you for the wisdom she has to know that her security and significance come from you alone. You are her Lord and King and Saviour and you are ours. May we all, Sovereign or Subject, put our trust in you and walk more closely with you day by day, in thankfulness for Jesus Christ, who makes that rela onship possible. Amen. By Daphne Kitching And finally Life in the Circus A couple who worked at the circus wanted to adopt a child. Social workers had doubts about their suitability, but the couple produced photos of their large motor-home, which was equipped with a beau ful nursery. As for educa on, not only was there a nanny, but also a full- me tutor to teach the child all the usual subjects along with French, Mandarin and computer skills. Finally, the social workers were sa sfied, and had only one last ques on. "What age child are you hoping to adopt?" "Oh, we don t mind at all, the couple assured them. As long as he fits in the cannon." 10

11 CHURCH DIRECTORY CHURCH DIRECTORY Minister: Rev. Mike Hill* Please respect Mike s days off (Thurs, Fri & Sat). Worship Leaders: Geraldine Nelson and Chris Oxby Senior Church Steward: Peter Stevens* Church Stewards: Toyin Akinwale Mar n Hellewell Geraldine Nelson* Chris Oxby* Church Treasurer : Geraldine Nelson Church Council Secretary: Sue Horley Sue.horley1@gmail.com Room Bookings: Geraldine Nelson Pastoral & First Steps: Chris ne Stevens Property : Peter Stevens * Members of the Church Leadership Team Church Premises Please men on anything requiring maintenance or a en on to any of the Property Stewards: Peter and Chris ne Stevens, Mar n Hellewell or Rosemary Newman. Good-News Desk Items for the next Good-News Desk should reach Peter Stevens by the 15th of the month for the following month s edi on, either on paper or ed to psredkite@googl .com or Note: Some items in Good News Desk are included by subscrip on to Parish Pump the resource site for Church Newsle ers. 11

12 SERVICES DIARY SERVICES AT a.m. unless otherwise stated. Date Preacher/Service Details Welcome Stewards If you are unable to do your turn, please arrange cover! 5th The appointed preacher is unable to take the service. However, there will be a service! Geraldine Nelson Chris ne Stevens and Jenny Crayford 12th Songs of Praise led by Chris Oxby Chris Oxby Angela Davis & Chris Oxby 19th Rev Mike Hill Holy Communion Mar n Hellewell Chris ne Stevens 26th Shirley Hassell (Student Deacon) Toyin Akinwale Margaret Hallam & Rosemary Newman 3rd July Church Anniversary Service and Lunch Service led by Rev Nick Thompson (Superintendent of the High Wycombe Circuit) Geraldine Nelson Chris ne Stevens and Jenny Crayford THE LORD S PRAYER You are invited to pray The Lord s Prayer around noon each day with many other Chris ans throughout the country. 12