For your diary Since our last newsletter we have seen several changes take place.
In Brooklyn, New York Chush is a school that caters to children with learning disabilities. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be main streamed into conventional schools.
At a Chush fund raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out "Where is the perfection in my son Shay? Everything god does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is god's perfection?" The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilted by the piercing query. " I believe" the father answered "that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is in the way people react to this child"
He then told the following story about his son Shay;
One afternoon shay and his father walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. He asked "do you think they will let me play?"
Shays father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys wouldn't want him on their team. But shays father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging. So he approached one of the boys on the field and asked if he could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his tam mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said "We are losing by six runs and the game is in its eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning".
Shay's father was ecstatic as Shay smiled broadly. Shay was told to put on a glove and go out to play short centre field. In the bottom of the eight inning, shay's team scored again and now with two outs and bases loaded with the potential winning run on a base Shay was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Suprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly let alone hit with it. However, as shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps forward to lob the ball in softly so shay would at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and shay swung clumsily and missed. One of his team mates came up to him, and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward shay. Shay and his team mate swung at the ball together and they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft ground and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it in a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling "Shay run to first. Run to first" Never in his life has Shay run so fast. He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled, By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shay who was still running. But the right fielder understood what his pitchers intentions were, so he threw the ball high far over the third baseman's head. Everyone yelled "Run to second, run to second!" Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to stop him, turned in the direction of the third base and shouted "Run to third. As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming "Shay run home" Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a grand slam and won the game for his team.
"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face "those eighteen boys reached their level of God's perfection".
For your diary Saturday 8 Dec BMS Link Group supper will be at Dunnington Baptist Church 6:30 for 7:00pm Hot 2 course supper £5 adults; £2.50 children; £10 family. We look forward to seeing Mike, Daveen, Paul & Julia and will miss Debbie.
Sunday 9 Dec
Saturday 19 Jan 2002 New Year Party
There will be a late Christmas/early new year party at the chapel 6.30 - 9 pm approx.. Games, entertainment and lots of food! I will put up the usual list for numbers and food nearer the time. Everyone welcome, volunteers for entertainment needed. See you there Ruth
Monday 21 Jan Deacons meeting
Monday Feb 11 8:00pm Chapel AGM. For everyone involved in any way in the chapel
Friday Feb 15 7:30pm Meeting Point Supper in village hall with a visit from Mark Selwood from the Betel group at Alvechurch. Neil suggested this and since getting to know a bit more about Betel, it is most impressive. Betel is a christian organisation which helps addicts kick their habit, provide work and become part of a church. It started in Spain and now has houses in 8 countries. A book 'We dance because We Cannot Fly' describes the development and is doing the rounds - ask if you'd like to read it next. It will be a good opportunity to invite friends who are not closely involved in either of the village churches. Tickets are £5 and will be available from Mel and Carolyn at the post office.
Spring Harvest Tuesday 2 April to Sunday 7 April 2002
(The week following Easter Sunday). Day visitor tickets cost £14 per day or £52 per week for adults and £29 per week for children (ages 2 - 14). We are booked into the Lyn Valley Guest House and there is one standard room (not en-suite) left for the full week and another for Friday and Saturday nights as well. The cost of the standard room is £20 per person per night bed and breakfast. There are already a group of us booked in and it should be really good fun as well as being a thought provoking and a spiritual uplift.
Liz
I look forward to my walk down to the chapel every Sunday, to sit amongst my dear and caring friends, to sing my hymns and say my prayers. Then, at the end of the service I'm served with my own specially made cup of coffee. Many thanks
God Bless you all
In the last newsletter we asked if we could send Bob James off with a bumper collection of shoe boxes, having been inspired by his talk at the village supper during the summer, well with thanks to your generosity along with other villagers and friends at St James 90! boxes were despatched to the warehouse in Evesham. Thanks to Jean, Carolyn, David and others who gave up an evening to come and help sort and prepare boxes.
PrayersThat a new youth worker can be found for Salford Priors.
For all that we achieved as a church fellowship this year.
For all the young people the youth workers are coming into contact with for the first time.
For direction in the year ahead.
Last Saturday we enjoyed a special prayer breakfast with a visit and talk with Steve Tash, minister from Salford Priors. He has his finger very much on the pulse on the problems encountered today by people living on the edge, with severe drug problems and opened our eyes to some of the issues he has to address with youngsters, and the not so young in his community. For those who came I think there was a universal consensus that we would like him to come back soon and possibly lead a service.
Someone? sent this, a lovely hymn called "The Gardeners Hymn" . . .
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the lord God made them all
But what we never mention, though gardeners know its true, is when he made the goodies, he made the badies too
All things spray and swattable, disasters great and small, all things paraquatable, the Lord god made them all
The greenfly on the roses, the maggots in the peas, manure that fills our noses, he also gave us these.
The fungus on the goose-gogs, the club root on the greens, the slugs that eat the lettuce and chew the aubergines!
The drought that kills the fuschias, the frost that nips the buds, the rain that drowns the seedlings, the blight that hits the spuds.
The midges and mosquitos, the nettles and the weeds, the pigeons in the green stuff, the sparrows on the seeds!
The fly that gets the carrots, the wasp that eats the plums, how black the gardeners outlook, though green may be his thumb!
But still we gardeners labour, midst vegetables and flowers, And pray what hits our neighbours will somehow bypass ours!
Mince Pies with a difference
Try adding some grated orange or lemon rind to the pastry mix before you bind it together
Try adding a blob of marzipan to the case before topping with mincemeat
Chicken and broccoli bake
4 chicken breasts lightly fried in olive oil
1 lb broccoli - cooked for 2 mins
Sauce 10 oz condensed mushroom soup
5 dessert spoons mayonnaise
Couple of squirts of lemon juice ¼ pint milk
¼ pint evaporated milk 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
Mix all the above together and pour over chicken and broccoli
Top with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Cover and cook on 350c for approximately one hour, uncover for last 10 mins to crisp. Delicious! This is Kathryn's recipe and has been tried tested and requested on many occasions at chapel.
Well done to Peggy who identified the two mystery men as Hugh and James and won the box of celebrations.
Another prize awaits whoever can identify these two culprits, prize given out Sunday 23 December
How many birds are mentioned in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
'Out of the strong Came forth Sweetness'
These words appear on a tin of Lyles golden syrup under pictures of a lion surrounded by a swarm of bees. The original words are in the Bible (Judges 14.14) and are part of a riddle (question) that Samson put to the philistines at his wedding feast.
On his way to Timnath, a young lion roared against Samson, and being very strong he killed it with his bare hands. Later he found a swarm of bees had produced honey in the dried carcass of a lion, so he took some and ate some of it. The lion and honey were subjects of the riddle "Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness". The philistines enticed Samson's wife to find the answer, which was" What is sweeter than honey and what is stronger than a lion?"
Honey is prepared by bees from nectar which they collect from flowers and the blossoms of trees. It is used together with pollen as food for their young. The flavour of the honey is determined by the plant variety from which the nectar was gathered. These varieties fall into three different categories:
Honey is sold as clear or set - different forms of the same substance. The higher the fructose content, the longer it will remain liquid. The Israelites had no sugar, so honey was used as a sweetener. It was considered a delicacy and was included in a gift sent to Egypt from Jacob. It was a source of food, John the Baptist who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, lived in the wilderness on locusts and wild honey.
Honeycombs consist of a structure of hexagonal cells used by the bees for rearing grubs and storing honey. Made from beeswax, a yellow brown substance collected by the bees. When the eleven disciples were gathered in Jerusalem Jesus came to them and said "Have ye here any meat?" And they gave him "a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb" (Luke 24.42)
We no longer rely upon wild bees for our honey. Beekeepers supply wooden hives with removable frames to which combs are attached enabling the honey to be readily extracted by hand, or by machine. Honey is associated with sweetness, but John Newton wrote of a more precious sweetness;
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believers ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
Fred
Harvington Baptist church has known many changes in its status since it was built and opened in the 1880's. At one time it was been known as the mission hall, becoming the Baptist Church on joining the association. For many years it was attached to Atch Lench and Dunnington and they formed a group having a minister living at Dunnington. Some of you may remember Mr Bundary, Rev Durman, and Rev Norman who left to take up school teaching.
Mrs Cowley looked after the Sunday school for many years and still lives in sheltered accommodation at the age of 101 at the time of writing. She told the children to "learn it off by heart" no holding bits of paper! It was always well attended. We relied on lay readers to take most of the services. Collections varied so much that the officers were called upon when repairs were required, so it was a sad day when we were told that we needed a new floor and roof. Amongst others Peter Clements worked hard to achieve this. We also had a new heating system and kitchen installed. Today it is a pleasure to walk into chapel on any Sunday, (no high ceiling or hard wooden pews!) And find that it is well attended and that the younger generation are well catered for, much the credit going to the people who have come to live and work in the village. It would be invidious to mention the names of some and not all, but much credit must go to Dr and Mrs Nunn as a major driving force for the change and development that have taken place over recent years in the chapel and wider community, our village would be a poorer place without them.
As I have collected in information and put it together for the newsletter, I am reminded of what one church member said at a recent church meeting, 'It is a privilege to belong to this church' It is a fellowship that always allows the grace to experiment, is never afraid to try something new, and encourages us to grow together as we have all been asked to do, by leading worship for example, or playing in the music group or leading a fellowship group, Thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way to this newsletter. I apologise if I have had to omit or shorten some articles due to lack of space, but keep them coming in, the box will appear at the back again in the new year, until next time, Have a very Happy and peaceful Christmas
Next edition is March 2002
Thought to take with you....
FAITH SHOULD BE OUR STEERING WHEEL, NOT OUR SPARE TYRE.........
December 2001