St. John the Baptist, Hey Nov 2017 Receiving and Sharing the Love of God Everyday Dear Friends, November, when the clocks have gone back is always rather a gloomy month. December should, of course, be even gloomier, but the Christmas festivities actually mean that it isn't. The Christian church does not help the November mood by holding three commemorations of the dead in the first two weeks of the month. These are All Saints Day (on the 1st), All Souls Day (on the 2nd) and Remembrance Sunday (on the 11th). All Saints Day (November 1), which is the day to recall the many great Christians of the past, both known and unknown. Just as a country owes a debt to those prepared to fight for it, so does a church owe remembrance to the men and women who have given their lives either literally or in the sense of a life's choice for Christ. All Saints Day is not intended at all as a sad occasion. A priest wears white or gold then, the colours of celebration. All Souls Day (which is now paired with All Saints Day,) is the day when we remember all those we have loved who have died and are now in Heaven. It originally was celebrated in the Easter season, around Pentecost Sunday, but is now celebrated on November 2. On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we celebrate the fact that God still loves those who have died. Christians believe that every person has an immortal part, a soul, and that this soul may rest in Christ. All Souls, then, is a day when we can remember those we have loved, secure in the knowledge that God also remembers them. On the nearest Sunday, at St John s there will be the opportunity to speak these
people s names once again, to pray for them, and if desired to light a candle in their memory. Please sign up on the lists in church to ensure that the person you want recalled is named. Remembrance Day on the Sunday morning nearest to the 11th November (Armistice Day) each year (Sunday 12 th 2017), services of Remembrance are held at war memorials, cenotaphs and churches throughout the United Kingdom. The national ceremony is held in London at the Cenotaph on Whitehall. It is a privilege for me to partly preside and preach at Chester Cathedral on Remembrance Sunday because of my role within the Army as the Cheshire Garrison Chaplain. The first Remembrance Day was conducted in 1919 throughout Britain and the Commonwealth. Originally called Armistice Day, it commemorated the end of hostilities of the previous year. After the end of the Second World War in 1945 Armistice Day became Remembrance Day to include all those who had fallen in the two World Wars and other conflicts. It is an opportunity for the whole country to become as one to gather to pay respect to the British and Commonwealth servicemen and women who gave their lives defending others. Church bells are usually rung "half-muffled", creating a sombre effect. At 11.00am a two minute silence is observed before the laying of wreaths of red poppies on the memorials. This silence is ended by the sounding of the Last Post. The poppy has a long association with Remembrance Day. But how did the distinctive red flower become such a potent symbol of our remembrance of the sacrifices made in past wars? Once the conflict of 1914-18 was over the poppy was one of the only plants to grow on the otherwise barren battlefields. The significance of the poppy as a lasting memorial symbol to the fallen was realised by the Canadian surgeon John McCrae in his poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy came to represent the immeasurable sacrifice made by his
comrades and quickly became a lasting memorial to those who died in World War One and later conflicts. It was adopted by The Royal British Legion as the symbol for their Poppy Appeal, in aid of those serving in the British Armed Forces, after its formation in 1921. So on Remembrance Sunday, whilst we are thinking of those who served and died during the two World Wars could we remember those who gave their lives in the modern wars in Korea, Suez Canal Zone, Kenya, Cyprus, Vietnam, Aden, Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Afghanistan and those who have given their lives but go unmentioned, who try and protect us from terrorism. Poem Silent Heroes Where are they now, the ones we so loved. They are resting above all the pain they endured. May be somebody s son, or father, or brother Or it could be a daughter, wife or a mother. Some colleagues are spared, with terrible wounds Life can t be the same, they will still hear the sounds Of the horrors of warfare etched deep in each mind And all we can hope that someday peace they will find. We must remember our heroes, their lives barely started And their families in sorrow, forever now parted, From all worldly pain, the end of life s story Lives given for others, Forever resting In Glory. -Lelia Musselwhite
Contacts at St John Associate Priest Capt the Revd Paul Robinson 628 9019 paul@nomoreproblems.co.uk Wardens Eddie Baines 633 2864 Brian Saxon 633 1389 Administrator Barbara Ballantyne 626 3630 stjohnhey@gmail.com Pastoral Visiting Jason Robinson 317 0862 Editor David Green 652 1278 david@demgreen.co.uk If you wish to read Crux the Diocese of Manchester newsletter, you will find a link to it on the newsletter page of our web site: st-john-hey.org Oliver Ethan Saxon starred as Oliver in a recent production by East Oldham Methodist Church
Day by Day Scheme 11 Nov Remembering the day the guns fell silent 12 Nov Chris birthday 14 Nov In memory of Edith Milward's birthday 14 Nov In loving memory of Roy Winterbotham 16 Nov Remembering the Birthday of the late Anne Davies 21 Nov Dad s birthday - in memory of Albert Harper Thank you to all those who are helping to ensure the future fabric of our church by supporting the Day by Day Scheme. Holy Baptism We welcomed into our worshipping community 1st October Isla Lilley Bithell, daughter of John Bithell & Crystal Mitchell Holy Matrimony Please pray for those married at Hey this year The Faithful Departed The under named who died on the date shown were laid to rest Jonathan Paul Hurd, 44 years old Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord and let light perpetual shine upon them
Week 05-Nov 12-Nov 19-Nov 26-Nov Street Prayers Street Greaves Street, John Knott Street, Silverdale Drive Heywood Avenue Top o th Meadows, Two Acre Lane Cooper St & Wainwright Close Prayers for these streets will be offered in Church on the Sundays shown Any requests for specific prayers please ring the parish office 626 3630 Let us witness to the presence of the church to all in Hey Parish 5 Nov All Saints Revelation 7.9-17 or 1 John 3.1-3 Bible Readings Matthew 5.1-12 pm All Souls 12 Nov Remembrance Wisdom 6.12-16 or 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 Matthew 25.1-13 (same as 3 before Advent) 19 Nov Second Sunday before Advent Zephaniah 1.7,12-18 or 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11 Matthew 25.14-30 Word 9.30 26 Nov Christ the King Ezekiel 34.11-16,20-24 or Ephesians 1.15-23 Matthew 25.31-36 3 Dec First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 64.1-9 or 1 Corinthians 1.3-9 Mark 13.24-37
Diary Dates Major events during World War 1 will be shown on their centenary date Wed 1 Nov 10 am Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer 11am Holy Communion at Oakdene Thu 2 Nov 7pm Come & Praise! 7.30pm PCC meeting Sun 5 Nov All Saints / All Souls 8am Holy Communion - BCP 9.30am Parish Communion 11.15am Baptism Collin 3pm Commemoration of Faithful Departed WW1 - British capture Gaza. Wed 8 Nov 10 am Holy Communion Thu 9 Nov 7pm Come & Praise! Fri 10 Nov WW1 - Battle of Passchendaele ends. After months of fighting, the Allies have advanced only 5 miles, but have taken the high ground that dominates the salient. Half a million men are casualties, of which around 140,000 have been killed. Sun 12 Nov Remembrance Sunday 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Parish Communion Wed 15 Nov 10 am Holy Communion 11am Holy Communion at Millfield Thu 16 Nov 7pm Come & Praise! with Holy Communion Sun 19 Nov The Second Sunday before Advent 8am Holy Communion 9.30am Come & Praise! Mon 20 Nov WW1 - The Battle of Cambrai begins. During the attack, Royal Flying Corps aircraft drop bombs on German anti-tank guns and strongpoints to clear a path for the Allied tanks and ground troops. It is an early example of the 'Blitzkrieg' tactics destined to be used by the Germans so effectively in World War Two. Wed 22 Nov 10 am Holy Communion Thu 23 Nov 7pm Come & Praise!
Sun 26 Nov 8am 9.30am 3pm Christ the King Holy Communion Parish Communion Advent carol service at Zion Methodist Church, Churches Together Tue 28 Nov 7.30 Deanery Synod, Venue tbc Wed 29 Nov 10 am Holy Communion Thu 30 Nov 7pm Come & Praise! Sun 3 Dec 8am 9.30am Advent Holy Communion - BCP Parish Communion Wed 6 Dec 10 am Holy Communion - BCP 11am Holy Communion at Oakdene 7.30pm PCC meeting Thu 7 Dec 7pm Come & Praise! Christ the King
NOVEMBER CROSSWORD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ACROSS 1. Common soldiers (4,3,4) 8. Piece of furniture (5) 9. Played for time (7) 10. Laundered with a chemical (3-5) 11. Not any (4) 12. Absent (3) 14. Evaluates (5) 16. Sprite (3) 19. Sack (4) 20. Evangelist (8) 22. Dogmatic (7) 24. Romantic appointments (5) 25. Without protection (11) CLUES DOWN 2. Building occupied by monks (5) 3. Hassock (7) 4. Morse code signal (3) 5. Anglesey or White (6) 6. Will always exist (7) 7. Artists workplace (6) 9. Broken (9) 13. Joined together (7) 15. Disgrace (7) 17. Large wood (6) 18. Excuse (3,3) 21. Loathes (5) 23. Immeasurable period (3) Solution to October crossword Across:1.Aristocrat,7.Octet,8.Admirer,10.Tantrums,11.Gong,13. Infuse,15.States,17.Hood,18.Apple pie,21.swindle,22.ingle,23.challenged. Down:1.Anton,2. Interest,3.Trauma,4.Camp,5.Airport,6.Footlights,9.Registered,12.Stalking,14.Foolish,16.Sphere, 20.Idol. www.st-john-hey.org st-john-hey.blogspot.co.uk www.facebook.com/stjohnshey