Kempston East
Methodist
Church
e-Newsletter
Issue 47
February 7
th
2021
1Minister: Rev Michael Giles
Michaelgiles2017@gmail.com
01234 930882
www.kempstoneastmethodist.org
© Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org. Reproduced with permission.
Jesus Heals People in Capernaum
Letter from
Jane
Mayhew
Perfection
‘Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock, His work is perfect and all his ways are just’
What is perfection? The Oxford dictionary meaning is ‘the state of having all the
required elements or qualities’. Someone or something that is perfect is ‘free from any flaw’.
Recently we decided to get Keith’s business accounts and paperwork down from the loft and sort through it all, shredding bank details, customers’ names and addresses etc, and recycling the rest. Now Keith has been retired for 5 years we only need to keep 2 years worth of these accounts. So we started on the piles of papers dating from 2001. I sorted the receipts, bank statements, invoices and Keith went through the folders which held all the details of each job he had done. Being Keith he had kept every scrap of paper so we knew it was going to take some time. Some of it was very mundane but we actually quite enjoyed the memories that evolved from looking through each
customer file. It was also very heart warming to find a lot of thank you notes and cards for ‘excellent work’ and ‘a job well done’.
Anyone who knows Keith well will know that he can be a perfectionist. He was an electronics engineer before starting up his own business when he did electrical,
plumbing, building work and general handyman jobs. His brother (a builder) often used to tell him not to keep trying to work with the precision of an engineer as sometimes it just wasn’t possible.
I’m sure we all try to do things perfectly at times –the perfect cake, meal, manicured lawn, flower arrangement etc. I recently treated myself to a recording of Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ with violinist Nigel Kennedy. One of the reviews on the internet site said it was Nigel Kennedy at his best and I must admit that to me it sounds perfect. But that’s my view and may not be someone else’s. Does that mean therefore that perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder?
Letter from
Jane
Mayhew
I think that for the human race this seems a more likely definition. None of us can be totally perfect. Even our Lord when he came to Earth to live with us, was not perfect as a man. He lost his temper, disobeyed his parents and showed his assumed humanity when he was troubled and stressed. Jesus did not even like being called ‘good’. ‘No-one is good except God alone’ (Mark 10 v18).
Did Jesus ask us to be perfect? To the amazement of other people around him he helped and forgave many who lived selfish lives and had many sins. But that forgiveness led them to follow and believe in him. He helped and healed the sick, blind, lame and those considered to be the dregs of society. By doing so he encouraged them to lead better lives and follow Him.
So too with us, Jesus wants us to live good lives. To follow God’s commandments, be honest, compassionate, help and love each other and above all have faith and show that faith to all around us. So perhaps we should be like the builder rather than the engineer and do as good a job as we possibly can, but not constantly strive for perfection. Instead we should concentrate on trying our best, committing our lives to Jesus and living in faith and by His example.
May the mind of Christ my Saviour Live in me from day to day By his love and power controlling
all I do or say
May I run the race before me Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus As I onward go. May our Lord be with you this coming week.
Bedford News
This Bedford News is extracted from emailings from Bedford Borough Council and their partners
Your Covid-19 Vaccine Questions
Answered
Public Health England have created a series of short videos answering frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. These range from what to do if you miss your vaccination
appointment, how the vaccine was developed so quickly, and addressing concerns about the vaccines containing pork products.
You can find the full set of videos on the Public Health England YouTube channel,where you can also find links for individua
l
videos that can be easily shared.Stay Active At Home
Stay active and exercise at home during these difficult times, on theSport at Home website.
Sessions include tai chi, mindful yoga and 'keyboard warriors' which are short 15 minute sessions, perfect to fit in your lunch break. Sessions are available free of charge or for a small donation if you feel able.
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Bedford News
In the week up to January 31stthere were 670 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Bedford Borough, down from 840 in the previous week. This equates to 386.6 new cases per 100,000 population compared with 484.7 new cases per 100,000 population in the previous seven days. The number of deaths from Covid-19 in the Borough ialso decreased from 46 in the week to January 15thto 33 in the week to January 22nd. There were 133 new cases in the five Kempston Wards (down from 185 the previous week) and 25 in Wootton (down from 30 the previous week).
Weekly COVID-19 Cases in Bedford Borough
The Select and Collect service is still running from Bedford Central Library and Kempston
Library entrances. Let us know what sort of books you’d like and staff will choose them
for you, then we'll let you know when to pick them up. You can also request specific titles on Arena or the Bedford Borough Libraries app.
When you collect the books, please - queue two metres apart outside the library, wear a face covering, only send one person from your household, unless this isn't practical, have the reference number and surname of the person who ordered the books, don't open your book parcel until you have left the collection area.
Some responses to my little article about an old
map of Kempston
Thanks very much to those who sent material to me or to Geoff about old Kempston following my short piece a couple of weeks ago. I ended that with three questions
and, as a result of what people have told me, I know the answer to two of them … and
quite a lot more about the third.
What were the buildings on Hillgrounds beyond the end of Foster Road?
I said originally that I assumed the buildings were to do with a military camp. Rosemary R has lots of memories of being brought up in
Spring Road. Rosemary’s father was an ex-army man, serving in the Beds and Herts Regiment in the first World War then the Royal Fusiliers during the inter-war period. Although her memories are more of Kempston Barracks, having been taken there by her father to see passing out parades and to attend other
cere-monies, especially on Remembrance Day, Rosemary remembers the road leading down to the river (towards where the swimming pool, bowls club and football ground now are) and Grange Camp. Marian F also remembers marching alongside soldiers
parading along Bedford Road from the Barracks down to Grange Camp.
Rosemary thought the Camp was a Royal Army Service Corps establishment … and she
is right. Indeed, Grange Camp was at the centre of a minor scandal in June 1956 when
‘questions were asked in the House’ about work given to three National Service men
during their 15 days' reserve training there. Apparently, all they had been given to do
was “to make five cardboard costermonger barrows for an officers' mess cocktail party” and “50 others were given no training but were employed as waiters, batmen, cleaners and gardeners.” (In case you’re interested, the Minister’s response was they
had all volunteered for these roles!)
Did anyone remember going to the race course somewhere near where the Interchange shopping centre is now?
This turns out to have been a bit of a stupid question. No-one could possibly
remember because all racing came to an end at Cow Meadow in 1873. But that’s why
the road that goes round the retail park is called Race Meadows Way. (While writing this, Peter P has phoned me to say that he and Joyce have been scratching their heads:
7 neither they [nor Alan C who lives just across the road from them and is of similar
vintage] remember the race course. I’ve reassured Peter that he wouldn’t!) Incidentally, although long gone, Bedford’s
course has a place in racing history. In 1810, the first steeplechase ever run over a purpose-built course took place there. Previously, the obstacles in steeplechases were natural hedges and ditches and fences, but the purpose-built course at Bedford had eight 4ft 6ins fences, each of which had to be jumped three times over the three-mile length of the race.
Obviously a bit disconcerting because, although 11 horses were entered, only two started: presumably a bit of a disappointment for the 40,000 crowd that turned up to see it!
What is or was Honeyhill (just across the river)?
Pauline E was born in Queens Park and spent her childhood there, frequently spending time with her grandparents who lived in Honey Hill Road and playing over Honey Hills with her brothers.
Pauline hasn’t been able to find out why it’s called Honey Hills, and neither have I.
A Nottingham University research project on the etymology of English place names identifies a couple of relatively near places that are also called Honey Hill. One – in Northamptonshire –is thought to be really 'great hone hill,' withhonemeaning stone or rock in Old English. They quote a reference to 'cemented masses of gravel as hard almost as flint standing out above the surface.' There’s also a Honey Hill near Ely where there’s a suggestion the name is to do with the funeral service, conducted by her priestHuna, of St Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely (AD 636-679). The website gently suggests this is probably nonsense, quoting the Venerable Bede in support!
Pauline tells me that flint tools have been discovered at Honey Hills, evidence of primitive settlements, and the land has been cultivated and grazed by tenant farmers
since the11th century. I’m going with the Old English ‘stony hill’ suggestion based on Pauline’s flint.
So my three questions have, to some extent, been answered. But the material sent to
me contains lots of interesting information … and many indications of happy, carefree
childhoods in and around Kempston. More of these Kempston Memories in next
week’s newsletter.
Richard
From Bedfordshire Archives
Editor’s note: I also found an old poster on the
internet for Honey Hill Lido, by the river in Queens Park, with ‘boating, swimming, dainty teas, music and donkey rides’.
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Going Out…..or Staying In?
Once again this week, I’m going to stick to ‘staying in’ as that is the current mantra with regard to
keeping safe.
Your Family Tree
Researching your family tree is an interesting hobby – and one that is well suited to the winter
months when you can’t get out. When we first
began researching our family tree you had to head out to reference libraries to get most of the infor-mation. Now, though, you can get a long way with
information that’s accessible on-line. The Ancestry website has a wide range of data-bases. To access these you would normally have to subscribe to Ancestry but, at this time of lockdown you can get access to the Library Edition through the Bedford Libraries
‘Virtual Library’.
So, if you’ve yet to start on your family tree why not begin exploring your family history with free access to Ancestry Library Edition from the comfort of your home.
You will
find-• Searchable English census records 1841 - 1911
• Census records for other areas of the UK and parts of the world • Birth, marriage and death records
• Records of immigration into the US and of emigration from the UK • Military records
• Directories and membership lists.
Visit the Virtual Library to learn more about Ancestry Library Edition.
Activities for Kids
Visit the Virtual Libraryfor learning support, plus fun crafts and activities to help break up the home-schooling.
Britannica Libraryprovides access to articles, journal
entries, images, and videos all checked by Britannica’s
editorial team and all copyright free. Information is presented at Junior or Student level. Use fun and useful tools such as learning games, biographies, country
comparisons, and ‘how to’ guides on book reviews and presentations.
When they're ready for a break, visit the Virtual Library for fun crafts and activities that can all be done using materials from around the home.
9
News from GAAF (Gideon’s Anti
-AIDS Foundation)
You may recall that GAAF was our Church Charity a couple of years ago, following the visit to Kempston East by some members of GAAF in Uganda. Rosemary and Stuart
have received greetings from Gideon together with some pictures of GAAF’s Christmas lunch. I will put some of these into this week’s and next week’s newsletter.
Dear Gaaf sponsors and supporters
Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord JESUS CHRIST On behalf of Gaaf family in Uganda, I would like to take this opportunity to make a big thank you for the love and care you always show us.
We are all good though some difficulties about Covid-19 affected numbers and deaths increase each day in Uganda. I also have been seriously sick; I tested positive with
Covid-19 and since November have been struggling to overcome it, but we thank God who has kept me alive and kept all people around me safe.
At the moment at Gaaf we have got 23 children Due to Covid-19, everyday we get people who are coming to get lunch with us at Gaaf. Some have no food at their houses and others are so poor because they lost their jobs due to Covid-19. We thank God who has provided us with food to feed his people.
One of our elder girls in Gaaf (Jesca) has got a chance to study as a doctor for five and a half years to become a medical doctor for surgery and medicine. Though the course is too expensive, God will provide for her. Another Gaaf elder girl (Joan) started a course on tailoring and fashion designing. It's also expensive but God is the provider.
10
EVER WONDER …
Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
Why can’t women put on mascara with their mouths closed? Why don’t you ever see the headline ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?
Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice’?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavouring, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why isn’t there mouse-flavoured cat food?
Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilise the needle for lethal injections?
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make
the whole plane out of that stuff?
Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
Thanks to Pauline E for these insights into human (il)logicality
GAAF News continued
Joseph and Barbra this year are sitting their exams to join university next year (2022). Mark and Shamim are sitting their primary leaving examinations next year to join secondary school. Harriet and Christine and Teo are all grown up. Bossa got a broken arm and Emma a leg but are now ok. Nico and Lydia are doing great. Sandra is still a shy girl. Aunt Olivia has been unwell too but she is getting better.
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February Light
Creative Prayer
One of the most important things you can do is to make a prayer initiative a part of your February Light activities. When we give our mission and our work to God, wonderful things happen.
Prayer Walking
Meeting a friend, or perhaps, at this time of lockdown, going alone as part of your daily exercise, this is one of the easiest ways to pray for the people who live around you. You might choose a different route each week or just take the same path. One week you could just ask God to guide you and see where you go.
• Pray for the homes you walk past.
• Pray for God’s blessing, hope and light.
• You could do a night time prayer walk.
• Remember to listen and ask God to speak to you. Want to learn more? Click here.
Set up a 24/7 prayer event or room
All the info you need –including how to do it in a pandemic! Click here
A Prayer Cairn
Create a prayer cairn.
A small pile of stones, maybe you could put it in your church grounds or by your church door. Invite church members to say prayers and add a stone (from their garden or picked up somewhere) to the cairn.
12
Sweets Wordsearch
After a complicated Chocolate Wordsearch last week, hopefully this one will be a bit easier (less words to find) as you try to find a range of well-known sweets.
13
LENT COURSE 2021
Kempston East
The course is being run as a united event with Kempston West, Stewartby United, Willington and Wootton New Life Methodist Churches
This year we shall be using the daily devotional material from ‘ All We Can’ for LENT
2021. It begins on Ash Wednesday 17thFebruary and goes up to Easter. Each page of the booklet has a date on it beginning on the 17th.
Ways of Viewing the Material
1) Booklets: cost £3.00 each including P&P (A5 size, 62 pages in colour, order soon)
https://www.allwecan.org.uk/product/lent-resources/
1) Downloading at Home: The Weekly readings can be downloaded FREE from the web-site above. They can be printed off or viewed on the web-site.
2) Newsletters: The Weekly Lent daily readings will be sent out as an attachment with the email newsletter.
Blessings
Rev Michael Giles
Launch Service on Ash Wednesday
There will be a joint service to launch the Lent Course on Ash Wednesday (February 17th) at 7.45pm, led by Rev Michael Giles. This will be held on Zoom and the Zoom
login codes will be sent as part of Richard’s covering email to the newsletter on
February 14th.
Weekly Study Groups
These will also be held on Zoom. Please feel free to join either the Wednesday morning or Wednesday evening groups. There will be folk from all the churches in each group. Both groups will start on Wednesday 24thFebruary. The Wednesday morning group will meet from 10.30am (join from 10.15am) and will run till 11.45am. The Wednesday evening group will meet from 7.45pm (join from 7.30pm) and will run till 9.00pm. The morning groups will be led by Rev Michael Giles and the evening groups by David Goodson from Wootton New Life Church.
As with the Ash Wednesday launch service, the Zoom login details will be sent with
Our
Church
Family
Your
Prayers
Please remember in your prayers:
•
Natalie M and her daughter Jackie slowly
improving from Covid-19
•
Laura T now recovering at home
•
Alan C and family on the death of Alan’s
sister, Marjorie Barton, aged 98
Wesley Guild to re-start
As you will have realised from Roger’s piece here a
couple of weeks ago, Guild is going to re-start, but in a
‘virtual’ form by Zoom. It’s not going to be exactly the
same as meeting together in person but, in terms of
keeping in touch with each other, it’s the best thing that
we can do at present.
It will begin on Monday February 15that 2.30pm. This is
both a different day and different start time from what Guild is used to, but is in line with the proposals that were made a few months ago for Guild. Guild will then meet twice a month on the first and third Monday afternoons of each month at 2.30pm, initially by Zoom but, hopefully, as things get better and restrictions ease, in person. The first meeting on February 15thwill be a devotional meeting led by Geoff Talbot and, to keep the momentum going, while a longer programme is planned, Geoff will
also give a talk on ‘The Mediterranean Diet’ on Monday March 1st.
Roger will soon be sending an email to his usual Guild emailing list with the ways in which you will be able to access the Guild meetings by Zoom. Although, for the full
visual experience, it’s best to use a computer, tablet or smartphone, you can also join
the meeting by landline phone – but you will only be able to hear, not see, what’s
Worship
Once again we will meet this week by Zoom and, this Sunday, our service will be led by Rev David Williams and will, again, be held through the medium of Zoom. David is an Anglican vicar from Princes Risborough and is a close friend of Rosemary and Stuart. He has led a number of services, both indoors and outdoors, at Kempston East and we look forward to welcoming him on Sunday.
We hope that as many of you as feel able to will join us on Zoom. If you haven’t done it
before, it really is quite easy and you can even join in to listen by dialling in from your home phone – you don’t even need a computer, tablet or smartphone! Just follow the login instructions in Richard’s covering email.
As before, Dom will put a recording of the service on the church website. This does take a bit of time to do, so please allow for that and, perhaps, wait until Sunday evening to connect in to that. I will again produce an audio version on CD for those of you who are
unable to get to the service in any other way. If you haven’t already been getting one of
these and would like one, please do contact me (Geoff Talbot) and I will arrange one. Songs of Praise will be on BBC1 at 1.15pm when Mark De-Lisser hosts the final of the Gospel Singer of the Year competition. Which one of the three talented performers will the celebrity judges choose?
The Sunday morning service on Radio 4 at 8.10am will be Marking Chinese New Year and what may be the largest UK immigration from outside Europe since Windrush, from Hong Kong.
Choral Evensong continues on Radio 3 on Sunday afternoon at 3.30pm when it comes from Truro Cathedral, with music by Byrd, Parsons, Guerrero and Karg-Elert. On
Wednesday afternoon at 3.30pm, Choral Evensong on Radio 3 at 3.30pm comes from the Chapel of Clare College, Cambridge, with music by Undine Smith Moore, Herbert Howells and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Forthcoming Services from Kempston East
Sunday February 14th Rev Michael Giles Sunday February 21st Jenny Endersby Sunday February 28th Chris Fox
Until restrictions are eased and we can meet again in person, these services will be held on Zoom.
16
worship at
home
Sunday
February 7
th
2021
This short act of worship has been prepared for you so you can spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you.
Call to Worship
The Lord heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds.
The Lord determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power. (Psalm 147 vv3-5)
Hymn: Come to us creative spirit (Singing the Faith 726)
Sing/ Read /pray /proclaim the words or listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRUjmvAmCyU
Come to us, creative Spirit, in our Father's house, every natural talent foster, hidden skills arouse,
that within your earthly temple wise and simple
may rejoice.
Poet, painter, music-maker, all your treasures bring; artist, actor, graceful dancer, make your offering;
join your hands in celebration! Let creation
shout and sing!
Word from God eternal springing, fill our minds, we pray,
and in all artistic vision give integrity.
May the flame, within us burning, kindle yearning
day by day.
In all places and for ever glory be expressed
to the Son, with God the Father, and the Spirit blest.
In our worship and our living, keep us striving
towards the best.
Let us pray together
Creator God, we marvel at all that you have made, from vast galaxies to tiny flowers,
from mountains and forests to the delicacy of a spider’s web. We marvel too that in
your generosity you have given us the gift of creativity; we weave new materials out of old bottles and tyres, we find new ways to tell your age-old story of redemption and we learn new ways to heal and prevent disease.
Father forgive us that we have been arrogant and misused this gift of creativity, we have exploited the earth and each other, and cared only for ourselves. Teach us how to care for one another and the world as you care for us, that your will may be done and your kingdom come.
Assurance of forgiveness:
Here is good news: Jesus came into the world to save sinners to accept us as we are,
set us free from evil’s power and enable us to live new lives in him. Amen.
Today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 1 vv 29-39
Time to Reflect
In Luke’s gospel Jesus sets out his priorities in what we sometimes call his manifesto
(Luke 4 vv 14-21), but Mark chooses to let us know what Jesus’ priorities are by giving
us a whirlwind tour of what Jesus was doingat the beginning of his ministry. Jesus teaches in the synagogue where he heals a man with an unclean spirit. Straight
afterwards, he goes to the house of Simon, one of the disciples he’s called just recently. There he finds Simon’s mother-in-law in the grip of a fever and heals her. Then, as the news spreads through the town, people come to him in droves, and he
heals them, freeing them from whatever is holding them captive, whether it’s physical
illness or what were then seen as demons. The kingdom is proclaimed in actions,
whether that’s in the freeing of a particular individual from illness or the healing of
crowds of people. Mark sees the individual healings as important both for the person concerned and as signs of the kingdom.
After the evening healing people in Capernaum, Jesus gets up early and goes off to a quiet place to spend time with God his Father. When Simon and the others come to
find him, expecting him to return to the town, Jesus is sure that it’s time to move on;
his mission is not just to Capernaum, but to the other local towns, the whole region, and even wider than that.
Over Christmas there was a programme about Princess Diana; we saw just a few minutes of it by chance, but those few minutes showed Diana reaching out to shake hands with people with AIDS, breaking down the prejudice which entrapped and isolated them. Like those handshakes Diana gave, the freedom Jesus came to bring
from all that holds us captive is not some abstract idea; it’s real and tangible. At a time
when our inability to touch each other is especially painful, Jesus still reaches out to
18
The good news of the kingdom is for all; but it’s also for each of us individually and
personally. However unloveable or unforgiveable we may feel we are, we matter and God in Jesus reaches out to us.
Take a time to sit quietly
A time of prayer
Loving God, we pray for the community and country of which we are a part. For those who are exhausted with caring for others and long for a break. For those who have had enough of restrictions, of not being able to meet with friends and family, and feel they cannot stand it any longer, and for those who are angry and frightened, who feel their only hope is just to try and hang on until things get better.
Loving God, we pray for the leaders of the world, as they try and bring the pandemic under control.
Give them the wisdom and courage to respect every human life and seek freedom, justice and peace for all people.
Loving God we pray for the church, unite us by your Spirit, and enable us to witness to the hope we have in you.
Loving God, come to us now, as you have come to your people in every age. We thank you for all who have reflected the light of Christ. Help us to follow their example and bring us with them to live for ever in your kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
TheLord’sPrayer
Our Father ……
Hymn: Seek ye first the kingdom of God (Singing the Faith 254) Listen to or sing along at https://youtu.be/4C-flDs33Dg
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you;
Allelu-, alleluia:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu-, alleluia!
Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek and ye shall find;
knock, and the door shall be opened unto to you;
Allelu-, alleluia!
We shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord;
Allelu-, alleluia:
A prayer of blessing
May God, the giver of hope, fill us with all joy and peace because we trust in him, and the blessing of God Father, Son and Holy spirit be with us all. Amen
Original Materials by Jean Ware
Hymns reproduced under CCLi 1144191 and CCLi 5467
Jesus
–
the first 100 days of his ministry (Mark 1:29-39)
Political leaders and their parties make promises in their manifestos in order to garner votes. Voters and politicians make trade-offs. Voters might hold their noses and vote for a person they may not like, but who will do what they want. Politicians may make deals to stay in power in order to fulfil someof their agenda.
Jesus set out his manifesto when he spoke after having read from the Isaiah scroll in the synagogue in Nazareth. Nazareth was a town of no significance, but it was here, Luke tells
us, that Jesus ‘launched’ his ministry. Jesus quoted Isaiah and then told the synagogue
gathering that what they had heard was fulfilled in him. Jesus certainly did what he said he would do –heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons –but did he do as much of it as we might have expected or wanted?
Let’s makes some guestimates. We know that crowds followed Jesus, but probably for
only three years. If we say that, on average, Jesus met 1,000 people every week, that works out at round about 150,000 over the course of his preaching and healing ministry. It is estimated that 1 million people lived in first century Palestine. That means that Jesus
met 15% of the local population, and let’s assume that he healed every oneof those. This means that if he was healing from, say, 9am to 5pm seven days a week – he didn’t stop for the Sabbath, let’s not forget –he would have needed to heal 50 people every hour, which makes NHS targets for GP consultation seem very generous.
If Jesus did heal all those people, perhaps he healed them more than one at a time, but you can see this would definitely have been a lot of people to heal – and that’s just 15%
of all the people in Palestine. It is estimated that in the first century there were 50 million
people living under the rule of the Roman Empire. But let’s not forget that Rome didn’t
rule all the world. There were around 200 million people living at that time. Even healing at the rate of 50 people an hour, 8 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 3 years, Jesus didn’t
heal 99.9% of the people living in the world at that time. It sounds as though there was
another priority in Jesus’ coming other than universal healing of bodies and minds.
God’s purpose is healing, but it is healing in a wider context. In Christ, God reconciled the
world to himself – that is, God has healed creation.
Simon Carver
If you have any prayer requests, thanks, how you’re passing the time, feelgood items and,
indeed, any other items and news that you would like to go into this newsletter then please email these to geofftal@btinternet.com, ideally by Thursday each week. As you
can see, unlike the printed newsletter, there’s no restriction on space and we can even
slot last minute things in up till Friday evening.
If you know of someone who would like to receive this emailed newsletter could you please send their email address to richard.ward4@btinternet.com. Equally, if you would like to be removed from the distribution list, please let Richard Ward know.
Next week’s poster from Richard
More one-liners to groan at
Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon? The food is great, but
there’s no atmosphere.
I have kleptomania… but when it gets
bad, I take something for it.
Why was Santa’s little helper feeling
depressed? Because he had low elf esteem.
I ate a clock yesterday. It was so time consuming.
Did you hear about the kidnapping at
school? It’s OK, he woke up.
I said to the doctor, ‘Can you give me something for my liver?’ He handed me
a pound of onions.
Samaritan’s Purse
This year, we are able to send hand-made soft toys, knitted or other. They must have proper stuffing in them. So if anybody wants to make some they would be very welcome. Thank you,
Barbara
