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Christmas 2006 |
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From The Manse
Dear Friends,
What does Christmas mean to you? Family and friends visiting? Eating seasonal food such as mince pies, Christmas cake or pudding? Tucking into turkey with all the trimmings?
Giving and receiving presents?
For Christmas, it goes without saying, celebrates God himself coming to earth in the form of a helpless baby, identifying himself with humanity, - becoming one of us. All those other things have been added over the following centuries, and help us celebrate the season.
I especially love the poetry and the carols of Christmas. This year at the carol service at 6.pm., we will be singing more of your favourite carols, chosen by you last Christmas. I hope you will be able to come and join with our Ladies Choir on that occasion.
To return to my original question, ‘What does Christmas mean to you?’ – Several years ago, children attending schools in Trowbridge were asked this same question, and the results were published in a book entitled “WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME” it was part of the Mayor’s Christmas Project, the then mayor of Trowbridge being Councillor Grace Hill, wife of Tom Hill, one of our local preachers. The Hills have been friends of David and myself for many years. Grace is now having a second operation on 14th December to remove her thyroid gland which is cancerous. Please remember Grace, Tom and their family in your prayers.
We may think that children today are very materialistic or unaware of the true meaning of Christmas, the following poem, from the aforementioned “WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME” may surprise you!
With all good wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Heather
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Articles
FROM JENNIFER
I would like to take up just a little piece of the Advent Newsletter to thank everyone for all the letters, cards, flowers, fruit, cakes, and gifts that have been sent to Gordon and me during the last few months.
I had no idea when I became ill back in May, that I would still be ‘off work’ at Christmas!
Please let me explain what has been happening to me.
I have a strange condition called Sarcoidosis, and no-one, not even my doctors have seen a case like mine.
I always knew I was special!
Seriously, though, the condition is one of the auto immune diseases, and is rare in this country, although it is common among black people in the USA, and also in Scandinavia. Lesions, or scar tissue, forms on various organs of the body, and I have been unfortunate enough to have them on my skin and in my lungs. The very strong drugs I have had to take are to kill the cells which form the lesions. This has worked on the lesions in my lungs – my last scan showed that they were nearly clear, so that has been a great result. I am waiting for the same result on my skin and my head.
Fatigue, nausea, and a few other debilitating symptoms are also part of the Sarcoid package. It is a condition that comes and goes, and I will have to learn to live with it for life. I feel I am gradually overcoming it, and hope that soon, in the New Year, I will be back at work.
I must thank Heather, Paula, Ruth, and all the Elders for their kind ministrations to Gordon and me; you have all made a difficult few months so much easier to bear.
I have also been aware of so much love and so many good wishes coming from you all, and the cards and messages have helped a great deal.
So, thank you all. I hope that you all enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas, and that in 2007 we will all be renewed in health and Spirit.
God bless and thank you again.
Nadolig llawen a Blywddyn Newydd dda I chi,
Jennifer.
A PILGRIMAGE TO ASSISI
Assisi is a wonderful medieval city, with very narrow streets and those characteristic orange tiled roofs, and churches everywhere.
It sits atop a hill, as do so many other towns in that part of Italy.
The modern suburbs of Assisi are well away from the old part, at the bottom of the hill.
It was late May when I was there, and for the most of the time the sun beat down from a cloudless sky and you could appreciate the shade afforded by the narrow streets. There is an excellent one-way system for the traffic, but with the crowds of tourists and the very steep gradients, the drivers need to be good at hill starts and have very good brakes!
Approaching from the west, the Basilica of St. Francis rises like a fortress up the side of the hill and dominates that part. As our guide said, with St. Francis being such a humble man, he would not like this enormous building in his honour; it is in fact, two churches built one atop the other.
During the earthquake there, the upper church was damaged; it has been repaired, but some of the painted ceiling was lost.
At the other end of the city, is the Basilica of St. Clare, and there are many more churches between, all with beautiful paintings. Each was different and had its memorable bits, but, for me, the most memorable church was not in Assisi, but in another medieval hilltop city, Orvieto. The façade of the cathedral there is amazing! The four pillars at the base are covered with carved reliefs. The first has stories from the Old Testament, the second, the Messianic prophecies, the third, stories from the New Testament, and the fourth one depicts the Last Judgement!
Above all these were some wonderful sculptures, and the rest of the façade is covered with beautiful gilded mosaics! This, all before you saw inside, where there are so many stained glass windows, paintings and statues to admire. One I must mention is a Pieta of four life-sized statues carved from one piece of marble! The sculptor was Ippolito Scalza, and it took him nine years to complete 1570 – 79.
So much to see and take in, that I am hoping to go again.
(Jenny McEvoy)
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
From 1558 to 1892, Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly, and this traditional English carol was adapted as a catechism for young Catholics. It had two levels of meaning, originally as a love song, and later with hidden religious meanings.
These parallel the verses of the Anglican catechism song
‘A New Dial’ about the numbers of a sun-dial, and in modern times, the religious connotations of the song ‘Deck of Cards’
A Partridge in a Pear Tree is Jesus Christ
Two Turtle Doves, the Old and New Testament
Three French Hens, stand for Faith, Hope, and Love.
Four Calling Birds, are the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five Golden Rings, recall the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament
Six Geese A-laying, are the six days of creation
Seven Swans A-swimming, represent the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy
Eight Maids A-milking, are the eight Beatitudes
Nine Ladies Dancing, the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Ten Lords A-leaping, are the Ten Commandments
Eleven Pipers Piping, stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve Drummers Drumming, symbolise the twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s Creed.
(Mary Treadwell saw this in the magazine of Radford Road Church, Leamington Spa)
COFFEE MORNINGS 2006
JANUARY 14th - OUTREACH BULGARIA - JOHN ALPIN - £165
FEBRUARY 11th - BECKFORD CENTRE - JOHN & SUE HEWITT - £276.50
MARCH 11th - LINK - OWEN & COBY - £185
APRIL 8th - ROBIN HOOD MINISTRY - MARION BARTON - £154.
MAY 13th - CHRISTIAN AID - DODGES - £186
JUNE 10th - WYLYE VALLEY DISABLED CHILDREN’S RIDING CAMP - KAREN KIDSON - £193
JULY 8th - NCH - DODGES - £225
AUGUST 12th - 1% APPEAL URUGUAY - THE ELDERS - £204
SEPTEMBER 9th - BATH HOSPITAL CANCER -
UNIT SUPPORT - JOAN JONES - £176
OCTOBER 7th - WESSEX HEARTBEAT - JENNY SANDERSON - £178
NOVEMBER 11th - SAMARITANS PURSE - EVENING FELLOWSHIP - £198.92
DECEMBER 9th - LEPROSY MISSION - HEATHER MORGAN
THE THREE WISE WOMEN
What would have happened if there had been Three Wise Women rather than men?
They would have asked directions. Arrived on time.
Helped deliver the baby. Cleaned the stable. Made a casserole. Brought practical gifts. There would be peace on earth.
Share this with the wise woman in your life.
(With thanks to the Mother’s Union of the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney
sent in by Jenny MCEvoy)
A MISSION STATEMENT FOR OUR CHURCH
At the recent Area Meeting some time was taken up by the concern that every church should have ‘A Mission Statement’
Presentations were given by Rev. John Rees, of The United Church, and Rev. Martyn Skinner of Wesley Road Methodist Church Trowbridge. These two churches already have set out their Mission Statements, as have some other churches of our United Area.
Pat Smith, from Winsley Methodist Church (who was recently preaching at Warminster) set out some points that should be considered by any church intending to set out its Mission Statement.
She suggested that the following questions should be thought about.
1. Why is our church here?
2. What do we see as God’s mission for our church?
3. What are our main opportunities?
4. How is our church growing spiritually?
5. Needs for pastoral care in our neighbourhood.
The Ideal Mission Statement for a church should –
1. Be Portable, i.e. Concise, and not too verbose.
2. Have Direction
3. Be relevant to the location.
4. Be achievable
5. Be Significant.
6. Have Personal Involvement.
The next Area Meeting takes place at Warminster on March 8th, when these points will be further discussed, and it is hoped every church will be on its way to implementing its own Mission Statement. As it is expected that from 2008, our Area will only be able to support three full-time ministers financially, the self-reliance of each individual church in the Area becomes increasingly crucial.
We cannot afford to disregard these facts.
Church Family News
Wally Edwards – 1930 – 2006
Wally was born 18th August 1930 at Dulwich, London. A sickly child not expected to live long. He first showed his stubborn streak by proving them wrong, as he grew up with his elder brother John. The brothers had many friends, playing together in the street where they lived, meeting in next door’s garden shed to play brag and pontoon for cigarette cards.
At the beginning of the war, Wally’s father transferred to Hastings with the War Office, and the family followed. With the threat of invasion, Wally John and their mother were evacuated to Bath. There were several other moves, and during this time, their mother sadly died. Wally’s father later re-married and Wally enjoyed a good relationship with his stepmother.
As he grew up, he was very interested in natural history; Saturdays were spent at London Zoo and the Natural History Museum. He followed the local football team, Dulwich Hamlet, and became a lifelong lover of traditional jazz, with a large collection of records and CDs covering a wide range of music.
Following National Service, he was working for British Drug Houses at Dulwich, where he met Margaret, inviting her to a game of table tennis, when he proceeded to show who was master, with his deadly backspin, at which she was never able to beat him. However, romance flourished, they married in 1956, celebrating their Golden Wedding in March this year. During their early years together, they began walking in the Surrey hills, later, following a move to Crawley in 1958, exploring the Sussex countryside. They made life-long friends at the local Field Club, enjoying bird watching. This interest in birds and bees produced two children, Sue and Mike; Wally proved to be a hands-on dad from the start. Family holidays were spent in the country. In 1984, Wally took early retirement, and he and Margaret moved to Rhayader in 1988, Wally never settled there, wishing to be nearer Sue, now married to John who with their first grandson Matthew were living in Warminster. Thus in 1991, they arrived here, Wally enjoyed being a granddad, and he took pleasure in walking, gardening, crosswords, cribbage, and cookery. He came with Margaret to George Street, helping where needed, and enjoying the fellowship he found here. Latterly his health declined, and he could no longer walk or garden as before. It was at the end of a happy holiday with friends while packing the car to come home that he suffered the fatal cardiac arrest. Wally was a very private, unpretentious man, kind and friendly to all, he will be remembered with love and affection, and his family and friends will sadly miss him.
THANK YOU
Margaret Edwards would like to thank everyone who gave so generously in donations to Wally’s memory. A total of £600 is being sent to The day Lewis Ward at Dorchester Hospital where he was treated with love and compassion
CHURCH FAMILY NEWS
On the move:
Eileen Rainbow will be moving to Gloucester in the near future in order to be nearer her son Roger’s family. She will be very much missed by us all.
Marie Reeve moved to Salisbury in November – we trust she has settled in well at Windsor Road.
Karen Woollard will also be travelling in the New Year to Rwanda, for her two year calling with Voluntary Service Overseas.
Congratulations:
To Karen Woollard who has completed her Master of Arts degree course.
Thanks:
To Betty Fielding for her many years of service to The Women’s Fellowship, from which she is now retiring.
Birthday Greetings:
Gladys Turner will be 96 on 6th December, -
who’d have thought it!
Lillian Jones (Heather’s mum) will be 92 on 10th December, and has now moved to Albany House, Tisbury.
Vicki Syrett and Charles Taylor also have birthdays in December.
Your prayers are asked for:
Marjorie Addison who is now in Ward 3, at Warminster Hospital. Jennifer Davies, our minister during her on-going treatment at home.
KAREN'S HOME FOR TWO YEARS - Gitarama, Rwanda
In October I received a job offer from Voluntary Service Overseas which was just what I was looking for. I have been offered a job as a Special Education Advisor. This is exactly the job I am doing in Somerset at the moment. I will be doing three main activities:
A. Working with 6 and 7 year old children with different disabilities and advising their teachers on teaching strategies to prepare the youngsters for mainstream school the following year.
B. Visiting 8 primary schools that have been prepared to take these youngsters.I will watch and advise these mainstream teachers on inclusive education approaches.
C. Develop an Inclusion Curriculum at the Teaching Training College so that newly trained teachers will use inclusion teaching skills in their classes.
I will be living in Gitarama which is the second city in Rwanda. Voluntary Service Overseas already has more man half a dozen teachers working in Rwanda. A couple of other charitable organisations are sponsoring physiotherapists and mainstream teachers too. These staff come from Britain, Holland and Canada.
Rwanda is still coming to terms with the terrible genocide in 1994. Most people lost family members or saw awful scenes of murder and mutilation. Some people perpetrated the atrocities and are living in the community again. We outside teachers will be teaching children from families who have been through experiences we cannot imagine. All teachers know they offer a key to the future, a chance to move on. Even in Britain some children come to school with terrible secrets. Through school and education I believe we can help children escape prejudice and make an inclusive society.
We haven't got it right in Britain yet but even in the schools I work in youngsters with Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy are normal members of their classes these days - something that wasn't true when I was a school girl.
I am looking forward to learning the approaches that have worked in Rwanda. VSO's motto is "Sharing Skills, Changing Lives". I know that is a two-way street. They will be picking my brains but I will be picking theirs too. I hope I will learn some interesting cooking, see some wonderful wildlife and I know God is going to take me to some warm hearted families who will offer me their friendship while I am away from home.
Please continue to pray for me and my husband and family and I will do my best to stay in touch as frequently as the electricity failures allow.
(Karen Woollard)
Coming Events
Saturday 16th December at 10.30.am. – 12 Noon
‘Churches Together in Warminster’ Carol Service
in The Three Horseshoes Mall.
Please support this united outreach to our town.
Sunday December 17th at 6.00.pm.
OUR CAROL SERVICE HERE AT GEORGE STREET
Join in your favourite carols. Special items by the Ladies Choir.
CHRISTMAS MORNING at 10.30.am.
We are invited to join A FAMILY FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS SERVICE
At The Baptist Church North Row.
Sunday 7th January 10.30.am. Worship with Holy Communion including The Annual Covenant Service and Dedication of Elders.
Poems and Prayers
CHRISTMAS
The sound of excited and expectant breathing
In an almost silent room,
And a hand reaches out for the curtains,
A piercing light slashes through the gloom.
A neat and tidy pile of clean clothes,
On a messily made up bed,
And a hand reaches down there to seize them,
But grabs a handful of presents instead.
Suddenly the house is filled with laughter;
Echoing from every place,
And a hand reaches out for the presents,
There’s a smile on everyone’s face.
Two thousand years before this,
When the life of Christ began,
God reaches down to a stable,
To start the life of a wonderful man.
But the presents that everyone receives,
Are the only things on everyone’s mind,
No one preaches the true meaning of Christmas,
No one – they’re all totally blind.
Looking down on the white blanketed landscape,
As happiness fills the air,
God’s hand reaches out to all of us,
Remember – his love’s always there.
So when next you open your presents,
On that snowy Christmas Day,
Think of how Jesus saved us,
Even now, years later,…..Today.
Words by Emma Jones. St. Augustine’s School.
Created on 2006-12-17 21:51:51 by Admin
Updated on 2006-12-18 20:38:01 by Admin
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