Dear Friends,
As I begin my first Minister’s Letter, may I thank you all for your welcome, and especially for all your efforts to make the Induction day so splendid. Susan and I were pleased that friends had come from very many places, not least Wellingborough, to share with us in that act of worship and welcome. Thank you for looking after them so well. It was a moving day, which banished the memory of the Moving Days of a couple of weeks before!!
The choir was very busy before Christmas. In addition to contributing to the church services we visited two residential homes, Abbeyfield in East Street and Acacia lodge in Trinity Street. We have been to Abbyfield for a number of years now and as usual we sang items which we had specially prepared, interspersed with carols so that their residents could join in. It was our first visit to Acacia lodge where several of our members now live and we sang a selection of carols, some of which were requested by the residents. It was new outreach for us and one we hope to repeat.
The maker of all human beings (God) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed “ Sub- sequential Internal Non- Morality,” more commonly known as S.I.N.
Some of the symptoms include:;
Loss of direction
Amnesia of origin
Lack of peace and joy
Sarisbury Green URC
checked and packed 8,320 of the 41,541 shoeboxes that were handled by the Eastleigh warehouse. Destinations this year were;
Swaziland: 8,583
Ukraine, 10,748
Bosnia,: 12,455
Serbia : 4,395
Romania.: 1,892
A further 3,478 boxes will be shipped out shortly.
Well, the good people of Petersfield survived my preaching three times in one day and the Bright Party was fine, we even managed to set off a sky lantern without setting light to the trees! As for that road (Moggs Mead) it has remained a bit of a problem, but as most people seem to live there, I have had to master it. I have found that if you keep turning clockwise you eventually come to the main road and then only have the ’one way’ system to negotiate!
The Smile Train is an International charity focused on solving the problem of cleft lip and palette in developing countries where millions of children with this predicament aren’t allowed to attend school, or hold a job and face lives filled with shame, isolation, pain and heartache. In fact every baby born in Uganda with a cleft is given the name ‘Ajok’ meaning ‘cursed by God’. No one knows how many newborns like this, are killed or abandoned at birth.
The Great South Run is a 10 mile gallop around Portsmouth and is now the most popular run in Europe. Apart from the flat course, which is obviously always popular, the tremendous support given by the people of Portsmouth is much appreciated by the runners.
When someone asks you to do something you have never done before, what is your first response? Do you think ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that’ or do you think ‘I’ don’t know how well I can do it, but I’ll give it a go?’ None of us can do everything, but we’ll never know what we can do and even may be good at, until and unless, we try. I had a stormy relationship with my father, but I’m grateful to him for teaching me two sayings; ’Never say ‘I can’t’ if you could say ‘I’ll try’ and ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’’.
Light for our Darkness
‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” The message of Christmas addresses our worst fears, and provides them with an answer.
Children are, on the whole, afraid of the dark. and even when we grow up, there is still a sense that darkness stands for danger; that night is when bad things can happen. We light ever bigger and brighter lanterns, polluting the night sky with our street lights, so that we can no longer see the stars, but our fears remain.
For I will restore you to health and heal your wounds’ says the Lord.
This quote from Jer.30.7 reminds us that God is ready and willing to make us well. Come and seek his healing on Sunday Nov 7th at 6.30pm
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Are you well travelled? In your journeys have you brought items relating to Christmas from the far off parts you have visited? If the answer is ‘yes’, would you be willing to lend them to the Junior Church for their service on Dec 19th? If so please contact Carol Rogers or any member of Junior Church staff.
