Home | Services | Calendar | Magazine | Media | History | Diocese | Links | Clubs

"News & Activity" Online.

(Note: For Services and other information see dedicated pages elsewhere on website)

JULY 2003

Dear Friends

A few weeks ago we were privileged as a family to enjoy a few days holiday on a canal-boat. We covered several miles of the Grand Union Canal, partly in Northamptonshire, partly in Buckinghamshire. The week was packed with a number of memorable episode: going through the one-and-three quarter mile Blisworth Tunnel (fortunately under expert guidance); developing family teamwork in passing through a number of locks; experiencing an earlier end to the holiday than scheduled when the shaft connecting the gear-box and propeller sheared off and left us drifting in mid-canal without any power (not our fault, honestly).

The few days provided many potential sermon-illustrations (or items for magazine letters). Let me mention just one.

One of the most impressive things about the canal-holiday was the opportunity to slow down. A canal-boat chugs along at about three miles an hour – or even less when passing moored barges or approaching blind corners, which so often coincide with narrow bridges. It doesn’t matter if you are overtaken by cyclists riding on the towpath and even by the occasional walker. You begin to notice things around you: a church spire on the horizon, which remains in view for a long time; cows or horses in the fields; an occasional heron standing almost motionless at the side of the canal. Having to cross a busy main road on foot at the end of the few days and seeing cars rushing past at sixty miles an hour comes as quite a culture shock.

Our daily lives can become very fast moving, as we rush from one activity to another. It is not necessarily wrong that this is the case. We have responsibilities and duties to fulfil, and I am certainly not advocating that we become lazy. In the life of the church there are always jobs needing to be done, and willing volunteers are a great blessing. One mark of a church that is seeking under God to grow is that it will be busily occupied in a prayerful and purposeful way.

But at the same time it is important that we have space in our daily lives to slow down for a Quiet Time. Day by day we need to set aside time to read a bit of the Bible and hear God speaking to us through His Word. It doesn’t have to be a long time, but it does need to be unhurried. Many of us use Bible reading notes – one of the best available today is “Explore”, published by The Good Book Company – do ask if you would like to order a regular copy through St James’. Having heard God’s Word to us, it is only natural that we should then speak to God – in prayer, thanking Him for His goodness, praying in what we have learned from the Bible and asking Him to meet the needs of others and ourselves.
Mary, in Lk 10:38-42, stands as a model of the right kind of “slowing down” – she “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” Martha was not at fault because she was a busy person. Where she went astray was in having a wrong set of priorities, which led her to become “distracted with much serving” and to miss out on the precious opportunity to take time, while it was available to her, to focus on Jesus.

Let’s be busy for the Lord, “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor.15:58) – but let’s also make sure we have a daily space for “slowing down” for the Bible and prayer.

With warm Christian greetings,
Yours,
Robert Bashford

FROM THE CHURCH REGISTERS
We extend our prayers and sympathy to the relatives and friends of those committed to God’s care:

Funerals: 12th June Mary Smyth, aged 93 years
20th June Arthur Ackland, aged 69 years

Baptisms: 18th May Chelsea Gibbons
15th June Tyler Jake Barrett
Curtis Ryan Barrett
Callum Lewis Barrett

Wedding: 31st May Julie Puckett and Ben Horton

JUNE SERMON TAPES
All tapes of the sermons preached on Sunday mornings and evenings in June are available on request from Elizabeth and Nigel Hadley (Tel: 831067) as usual. Tapes £1 each.

SERMONS IN JULY

6th July AM “Famine to feast (John 6:1-15)
PM “Ark-eological discoveries” (1 Samuel 5:1:7:1)
13th July AM “Anxiety to assurance” (John 6:16-21)
PM “New mercies” (1 Sam. 7:2-17)
20th July AM “Have you got your passport” (Family Service)
PM “What happens at the end?” (1 Cor.15:50-58)
27th July AM To be announced
PM To be announced

Notes of the Minutes of the meeting of the 2003/04 PCC of St James Church, Westgate and Garlinge held on 13th May 2003 at the Church Centre
(Information available in printed version of the magazine only - web ed.)



THANK YOU – On behalf of Cornerstone Church of Birchington, I would like to thank all those who answered my plea in last month’s magazine for Bikes to send to Bosnia, and to say that a grand total of 14 bikes were donated. Thank you all for your kindness.
Phil Johnson

2ND GARLINGE SCOUT GROUP
This letter is to inform you about the current situations in the sections of the 2nd Garlinge Scout Group.

Beavers – At present Sue Cook is the Beaver Leader with 2 adult helpers and 2 young leaders (Explorer Scouts). The colony is thriving, but ideally needs a permanent Assistant Beaver Scout Leader. More help will definitely be needed in September when one of the helpers will be leaving the Beaver Section.

Cubs – We would like to make you all aware that as from now Alan Johnson has joined the group to run the cub pack as Cub Leader. Alan has many years’ experience with cubs and has just returned to scouting after having had a break for 2 years.

At present he has the help of one adult helper who is just starting this term, and Matthew Cook as a young leader. Matthew has been with the cubs since December 2001 ensuring some continuity in the pack.

Alan would benefit from having an Assistant Cub Scout Leader to help him run the pack as he will unfortunately lose Matthew when he goes to university next year.

Scouts - At present the troop has a good team of leaders. Unfortunately they will ALL have to leave the group at the end of July due to other commitments and responsibilities. This obviously means that the group urgently needs people to take over the running of the Scout troop. Without the prospect of anyone coming forward the troop will have to close.

It would be a terrible shame if any sections of the 2nd Garlinge Scout Group had to close because of a lack of people coming forward to help.

If you feel you would like to become more involved with helping with Beavers, Cubs or Scouts please contact either: Sue Cook (834221) or Alan Johnson (291785).
José Gibbs
Group Chairperson

HOLIDAY CLUB

The Holiday Club will run from Tuesday 26th August to Friday 29th August.

Hours are from 9.30am to 11.30am followed on the Friday by lunch. Any offers of help or for more information, please contact Emily Spanner on 833289.

A SUMMER CONCERT – SATURDAY 19TH JULY AT 7.30PM

Fred Franks and Friends will present A Summer Concert of popular and classical music and song, with music by Lehar, Vivaldi, Puccini, Dvorak and Schuman.

We welcome back Valerie Mitchell, a very talented soprano who has performed for us in previous concerts, and has given much pleasure in so doing. Our Vicar, Robert, has been “persuaded” to give us an item on clarinet.

There will be popular songs, some oratorio and arias from popular operas and a duet or two. David Ruddock will accompany throughout the performance.

Your support would be much appreciated, and for £2.50 (including refreshments) an enjoyable evening could be YOURS.

Proceeds are in support of Tearfund.
Fred Franks

SUMMER FETE

The Summer Fete is once more nearly upon us. It takes place on Saturday 12th July from 1.30pm and returns by popular demand, to the grounds of St James and the Church Centre.

We have lost some of our stalwarts from previous years and so volunteers are more urgently required than ever before. Please let me know if you are able to help.

The theme is “St James in Bloom”, so flowery hats, buttonholes etc would add to the day. If enough people join in the spirit of the occasion a competition for the best turn out would be held. As ever we rely on kind donations to help fill the tables and so contributions of full bottles for the Bottle Stall ( to Anne Clark please) and handicrafts, books, cakes, toiletries, toys, bric-a-brac, garden produce, groceries, jewellery or other items would be very much appreciated.

We will need help in moving tables, trestles and goods from the Old School Hall to the Church Centre on Friday 11th July and for setting up on the morning of the 12th. If you can provide transport and/or muscle again please let me know.

For the event itself, please do your best to come and support St James bringing as many friends, relations and neighbours with you as you like. What an opportunity to introduce new people to St James.

Wally Merry (833128)

DOCTRINE OF GOD – DR JOHN PEET

The God of Genesis account is sovereign. Genesis 1 has over 30 references to an active, controlling God. Evolution dethrones God, making Him unnecessary and impotent.

God is omnipotent. He creates and sustains the universe by the word of His power. That creative power is available for our protection (cf. Psalm 33:6-9, then 10-11). The Bible says that the origin of life is miraculous! That’s the God we believe in! Why is “six days creation” a problem? Texts referring to a thousand years being as a day to God (and a day as a thousand years) emphasise His power; He is not time constrained!

He is trustworthy. God was the only witness to the creation; can we trust His testimony? Did He really say that He created in six days (Exodus 20:11)?

God’s integrity and the validity of the ten commandments are at stake. If the fourth commandment is based on a lie, then why should we trust a God who says, “You shall not lie?” Clifford Longley wrote in The Times (‘Biblical truths are of their own particular kind’, Sunday 18th April 1992, p.12), “Do those who repudiate the bishop’s non-literal understanding of the Resurrection believe in creation of the world in six days? If they regard Genesis as mythical because it is contrary to science, why is that not also a good reason for rejecting the Resurrection – which sounds, to say the least, scientifically improbable?”

Did God finish His creation (Genesis 2:2)? If not, what of Calvary: was the work of redemption really finished? The same Lord made the same claim.

Has God misled all generations until now? Some argue that God had to tell it this way because early man was primitive. Notice the evolutionary assumption that early man was less intelligent than us! God is a better communicator than we and yet we could convince small children of evolution (plenty do!).

Our Lord Jesus believed these early chapters of Genesis, speaking of Adam, Cain and Noah as historical figures and using the Creation to teach about marriage and the Sabbath.

Genesis speaks of His goodness. “God saw that it was good.” “Goodness” implies beauty, fitness and design. Evolutionary processes involves disaster, death, extinction, earthquakes, asteroids etc. If they are a part of a good creation, why should they be concerned when they occur?

Evolution requires death; but death is an enemy (Genesis 3:19, John 11 and 1 Cor. 15:26). In the “new earth” of Revelation 21:4, there are no tears, pain, death, etc. So, the good creation could not have contained them.

A MEDITATION BY CARDINAL NEWMAN

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it – if I do but keep His commandments.

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me – still He knows what He is about.

Thelma Franks

WHY BIRDS LOVE ‘GOD’S ACRE’

Churchyards, many of which have lain relatively undisturbed for centuries, support a wide variety of animals and birds. Each plays host to a unique breeding of bird community.

When the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) did a census of fifteen churchyards in England from 1971-98, they found that a total of 43 species held territory in them. A further 30 species were noted as passage migrants or casual visitors coming to feed. These unscheduled nature reserves offer virtually the last remnants of ancient, herb-rich grassland in many parishes. With the decline of many common bird species in farmland and woodland, church grounds have become even more important.

Churchyards typically include a collection of habitats which, though modified by human intervention, mimic those found in more natural places. Tree-lined pathways and boundary edges, for instance, are favoured by doves, mistle thrush, goldfinch and spotted flycatcher. Chemically untreated areas of short grass are good feeding grounds for starlings, thrushes, wagtails and finches.

The BTO, an independent bird research organisation formed in 1933, is a unique partnership of 30,000 volunteer birdwatchers and 70 staff. Annual surveys monitor the status of many of our bird species across a range of habitats. Volunteers are always needed to help with bird studies and the easiest survey to take part in is the one called Garden Birdwatch. The top ten species spotted in gardens last year were Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Woodpigeon and Chaffinch. Starlings lost their place in the top ten, while the Song Thrush was seen in only 21% of gardens compared with 28% in 1995. On the other hand, goldfinches and nuthatches were increasing in number.

Written by Philip Barron – from St Mary’s Church Magazine, Old Swingford

QUOTE FROM BILLY GRAHAM

“Prayer is not persuading God to do what we want. It’s asking Him to help us do what He wants and enjoying real fellowship with Him.”

SATURDAY SHOP
The Saturday Shop in June raised the magnificent total of £210 for which we give thanks to God for his continued blessing and to Anne and her helpers for all their hard work.

DEADLINE DATE: Please note that the deadline for articles to the Editor is 14th July 2003 due to holiday commitments.

JESUS SAID: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. Mark 4:9

PANSIES

If I wander down the garden
When the dew is on the grass,
Cheeky little pansy faces
Always smile to see me pass.

They have satin-textured petals,
And their colours seem to glow,
While those naughty pansy faces
Watch me everywhere I go.

So I turn around quite sharply,
Just to catch them unaware,
And inform them more severely
That it’s rude to stare.

They’re the gamins of the garden,
Clustered by an old stone wall,
And their impish pansy faces
Make me love them best of all.

Peter Cliffe


He only seeks to bless,
But cannot do,
Until our sins we will confess.
Do you?

July 2003 Diary

Click HERE to return to "News & Activity" Index Page