LOCAL BOY
COMES BACK
The Rabbi Jesus was given a
decidedly coo! reception when he revisited last week
his boyhood home of
ANGRY SCENES
There were angry scenes, too, when
he was asked to speak in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. No reporters were
present on this occasion, but if there is any truth in the almost incredible rumours that he actually claimed Messiahship,
this anger can be readily understood . ~
With
a voice of singing.
~
. . or speaking. . ~
or writing. . . or painting.
. ~ or drawing. .
. or making a collage . . . or writing a
hymn. . . or even a mini-saga!
There are many ways of declaring the greatness
of the Lord, and letting people know that our God is a living God, who brings
light and life to our lives.
The entries have already been registered for
this year’s District Festival, which has its preliminary rounds at the
end of this month, and the finals in March. This event gives an opportunity for
us to try out our skills and talents, and by trying them out, to improve them.
We are all given gifts to use, and whether we
read the lesson in church, make the tea, bake cakes or “do clever things with
computers”; we grow and develop through practice and perseverance.
God calls us to use the gifts he has given us to
His glory, and not simply for our own enjoyment — though
that is often a good spin-off for us. But more seriously, he calls us to use
our gifts and talents to do His work, which is to reach out in love and service
to our neighbours, and help His Kingdom become a
reality in the world we live in.
We
must, in the modern idiom, “use them or lose them”, and that means persevering,
not only in using our skills, but in prayer and in listening to God’s calling
for us as individuals and as a community.
Have
you a new talent you could develop’? an existing gift you could offer? A current activity you
could improve or make more God-centred?
Please
don’t wait for next year’s Festival to take the opportunity to give something
back to God. . . . but
if what you do does fall into one of the categories, why not take the
opportunity next year to show to the world that God does indeed lead us into
new areas of growth and service to the Gospel.
Every
blessing, Harry
HELPING OUR ENVIRONMENT
What is going to
happen to our planet in the future? How as individuals can we contribute to its
well being? These questions are commonly being asked, not only by the elderly
but by many youngsters uncertain of what sort of environment they are going to
have during their mid life. Christian people have used the story of the
creation form Genesis as a disclaimer for not having any responsibilities for
the environment and have buried the stewardship aspect of working with and for
God in maintaining His creation. Some Christians wish to be more involved but
are not certain about what they can do.
The following
article, sent by Christian Ecology Links, illustrates how little has to be done
to make a difference. Troy Rhodes wrote a document for his Church in
Phantom Loads
What if I were to
tell you that there were a dozen or more thieves living in your house, quietly
stealing 10 - 5% of all the electricity that you are being billed
for? If you are like most British people, you actually invited them into your
house. Our perpetual quest for convenience has blinded us to their true nature, A perfect example is your television.
As
. a culture we tend to
be impatient. We are incensed if we have to wait ten seconds for the picture to
come on after we turn on the TV. with the remote. To
cater to our desire for instant convenience, our television is actually turned
on all the time though it looks like it’s off. It is constantly preheating the
picture tube and powering the receiver for the remote, just waiting for our
beck and call. This is called a Phantom load, a device that appears to be
turned off, when in fact it is still using electricity. In car terms, this is
like leaving your car running all the time so you don’t have to bother starting
it in the morning.
If the TV were the
only culprit, we might ignore it without terrible consequences. Unfortunately
there are many other examples; for example the digital clock on your stove. In
fact any device that plugs into a wall socket and has a clock is using
electricity all the time. Yes, your microwave is probably a phantom load, and your VCR and probably your audio equipment too. Anything
with a remote control is also a phantom load.
Transformers
are another common phantom load, those little plastic cubes that plug into the
wall to run your ink jet printer, your answering machine, your calculator and a
hundred other small appliances that run on low voltage. The transformer reduces
the voltage from 240 volts to something your machine can handle. typically 2 —
I 4 volts. Even if the actual device is turned off, the on/off switch is
“downstream” from the transformer, So your transformer
wastes electricity.
In some cases transformers are genuinely
necessary. Your answering machine is supposed to be on all the time. But in
many other cases, they just sit there quietly sipping away electricity and
giving nothing in return. This looks like a bleak situation because you can’t
turn them off, there’s no switch for the transformer. That’s why some clever
soul invented switched multi — sockets
or power bars, an outlet strip with a real off switch. it’s
not a big job to organise your leads in the
entertainment centre or under the desk so that everything switches completely
off with the power bar. Or, just switch it off at the wall.
Yes, it’s a little more hassle to turn the
power bar on before the TV or stereo. Some of you program your VCR to catch
your favourite show when you’re away so it has to
stay on. But there is still lots of roorn for improvement. When you’re out shopping for that
next coffee maker or microwave, look for one that doesn’t have a clock. If you
need a clock, buy a clock, preferably one that runs on alkaline batteries and
does not plug in.
Is this really worth all the effort? Can
phantom loads really use that much electricity? Let’s look at the numbers. A
well designed study done by the American magazine Home Power produced the
following findings. ~Consider that the average American household supports I .45 kilowatt
hours of phantom loads per day. American’s phantom loads waste enough
electricity to completely power the countries of
On the environmental front, here’s how that
translates.
It takes a pound of coal to produce one
kilowatt hour of electricity. (That’s the same amount of energy turned into
heat by a very small electric fire, or ten small (!OOw)
electric light bulbs or ten
people) Each pound of coal burnt produces about for to five pounds of carbon
dioxide.
Thus:
43,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of wasted energy = 43,000,000,000
pounds of wasted coal and 200,000,000,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (the primary
greenhouse gas), yes those are billions. And what do we gain from this? When we
get home, we can flop down on the coach and with a flick of the remote be mesmerised for the rest of the evening by the TV. We can
have 12 clocks in our house, most of which we never use, and many of which
never even get set for the correct time. Does your VCR still read
It will do us all good to get off the couch once or twice to turn various appliances on or off. Within a year of two, you’ll even pay for the cost o the power bars. If You are like the average American family, your phantom loads are costing you about £25 a year, and the British are not far behind.
There are simple ways to check exactly which appliances in your house have phantom loads. But the surest way to eliminate the electricity thieves is to put everything that has a remote control, a transformer or a digital clock on a power bar and shut it completely of when not in use.
Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of the exercise is not to save
money, but to be obedient and take care of the gifts that God has given us. Fossil fuels are
an irreplaceable resource. We live in one of the richest nations in the world
at a time in history when there is more personal wealth and luxury than at any
other time. We should respond to these blessings with daily gratitude,
stewardship and common sense frugality.
Apply the Faith
Prepared by Douglas
and Moira
Please join us in our latest Protest
And for once it is not Nestles, but
once again it is down to the greed of yet another large company - Coca Cola who have opened a bottling
plant in
As yet the only word from the Coca
Cola company was to call the locals Marxists ,and no
word of apology, and no word on how they intend to correct or compensate for
this calamity they have caused.
So please add Coca Cola to your list
of products to avoid.
N’lany thanks Brian
Garlinge
Please pray for
those of our church who are unwell.
For our elderly
friends who are finding it increasingly
difficult to get to church.
For
all suffering from winter ills and colds.
Ethel
Smith back in hospital.
Ron
Thomas eating better, but still worrying.
Linda
Bell and family after the passing of her sister.
Let us at the start
of the new year pray for world peace and
all in need in so many
parts of the world.
That God’s Love and
Peace will feel his troubled world.
Christmas
The wrapping paper
has been thrown in the bin, the decorations are down and that unwanted presents
have been changed, and now the struggle to pay the bills. Sadly that’s
Christmas to many. So many have forgot that Christmas is the time we celebrate
the birth of Jesus, a family time. To me it was an extra special time of celebration
of Jesus birthday with my family.
A time to be with
them, a very special time before going to another part of the world with a team
of Christians to tell of God’s gifts of. His Son Jesus of his love and of his
forgiveness for all who invite him into their life. ‘To
spread the Gospel in
But if we walk in
the light, we have fellowship with one and other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies
us from all sin.
I had a wonderful
Christmas with my family and I thank them for the support they have given me
with my preparations for the mission. And I like to thank all who have
sponsored me and donated towards gifts for the children. And thank you all for
your prayers.
God Bless Eddie.
•LENT
Lent House Groups
Ecumenical
House Groups in the Westgate & Garlinge area will again be meeting during
the period of Lent. Thanks to Wendy Miller who will be hosting one at her home
again, along with others at various times throughout the week. So there should
be a time and location to suit everyone.
Look
out for further publicity, which will be available soon. Data Projector
Data Projector
Evolution :-
Theory in Crisis
If we look up the
word ‘theory’ in the dictionary we will find it’s
meaning - a system of ideas, a supposition, a notion, a
hypothesis. In other words ; man made ideas.
Evolution is still
a theory because it cannot be proved scientifically. In fact, science proves
that it is impossible for evolution to occur.
Evolution is
grounded in Atheism. Scholars first embraced it because it was the only alternative
to Biblical creation, and is probably the greatest deception that has ever
existed.
Human pride and
vanity seeks to remove God from his position. “I will not retain God in my
thinking, or have Him rule over me”. (Romans 1 :23).
But No one can hold back God’s hand or say to
Him: What have you done “ (Daniel 4:3 5) It is
not that an Atheist can’t believe in God, it is that he will not. it’s
not an
intellectual
problem, it’s a heart problem. Romans I :20-22 clearly
explains this. A fool says in his heart, there is
no God (Psalms 14:1.
Evolution is
unproved and unprovable. Microbiologists realise that the genetic
gaps between species are just to big for evolution.
Similarly, for one species to ‘evolve” into another, it must achieve it with one transformation
or it will not survive. It is like a man trying to jump over the
Today evolution is
a mindset that rules out any supernatural intervention. For decades society has
been bombarded with these theories by the Academia and Anti-Christian media and
television and entertainment industry. The minds of people have been
conditioned and controlled to accept these ideas.
Big Ben is a result
of intelligent design. We don’t see the creator of the clock, but we know he
exists. The sheer complexity of life and all creation and it’s precise
functioning is God’s disclosure of Himself in man and in man’s environment, so that
man is without excuse (Romans
Can an explosion in
a printing shop result in an unabridged dictionary? impossible.
Neither can the complexity of life evolve from inorganic matter by itself
without an external intelligence, no matter how long the time element may be.
Evolutionists are making monkeys out of themselves. If
evolution is true then my microwave will turn into a washing machine in about
ten years time.
Ray Baines
The
London South East District
SEXUAL
ABUSE, The Churches
And a new
dawn for survivors
St Luke’s
City Way,
1O.OOam to 1.OOpm
(Coffee from
An
opportunity to consider the report of Churches Together In
Speaker: Revd. David Gamble
Moderator
of the Report Writing Group
(For
further details contact
Flowers fade but memories live on
In
Memoriam Fund for Life
At times of loss, we all look to
friends and family for support. Traditionally, we express our feelings of
sorrow by giving flowers at a funeral; but flowers fade.
To ensure that memories live on, why
not ask friends and family to contribute to a Fund for Life.
Help future generations to make a
genuine difference to the future of our world and be remembered for your
compassion and belief.
By setting up a Fund for Life for
yourself or for someone who has
died, you can ensure
. Clean, safe water as a basic right
for all
. Training to help people become self-sufficient
. Food, not just for tomorrow, but for years to
come
. Emergency support should the unexpected happen
. Education to give hope for the future
. Good quality healthcare for even the poorest
communities
A home to live in
Supporter Janet West says,
“Christian Aid’s work not only tackles the root causes of poverty, but helps
people to help themselves. This is why I have supported them for over 25 years”.
She adds, “Rather than spend money
on flowers, I would prefer to be remembered for the causes I have supported,
not only at my funeral but on special occasions such as my birthday. By giving
through Christian Aid’s In Memoriam Fund for Life, my friends and family
will have the opportunity to remember me through the causes I hold so dear.”
Christian Aid’s work has already
made a world of difference, but there are still many more people to reach. If
we all work together, we can make this world a home worthy of everyone.
This is our vision of the future,
which you can share in too.
By setting up a Fund for Life, you
will be part of one big global family; past, present and future.
For details of how to set up a Fund
for Life call Gill Cannon on 020 7253 2173 or write to her at Legacy
Manager, Christian Aid, Freepost, London SE1 7 YY (no stamp required)
The
cost of your Grapevine
To avoid the cost of your Grapevine
from going up, even in line with paper and printing costs, the editors have
agreed to take on your adverts. If there is anything you wish to offer for sale
then please send your ad to either of the editors with £5.00. cheques may be made payable
directly to me Brian Bignell as we do not have a
Grapevine bank account.
Please note that any adverts for
your church, be they fetes, bazaars, or bits for sale or any other church
notice, these are still free to advertise. Just send them in as usual.
Lent
Lent
Churches together in
each of the churches in turn, starting
with Sts Austin & Gregory on
Tuesday 2nd March at
Further information will be found on
the church notices.
Fair
Trade
1st – 14th March is Fair
Trade fortnight please look out for in store
promotions and try a fair trade product in
place of your usual brand. Remember all co-op own
brand chocolates are fair trade products.
It was a great pleasure for me to be
able to take the gift of £l5O to young Emily (for those who don’t know Emily
was the young girl who lost her young brother and mother in a car crash, whilst
sustaining injuries to herself) She suffered two broken legs and injury to her
neck and head and remained in hospital for a long time.
When I went to visit I could not
believe how well she looked, she has spent time in a wheelchair which she says
she no longer needs and can not wait to try out the new bike she had for
Christmas.
She and her father would like to
thank everyone for the donation; she will be spending it at Disneyland Paris.
Ron
Recently I have been enjoying a nice
cuppa on Friday morning whilst out shopping in
Bran Muffins
Ron
Bran
Muffins
2oz wheat bran. 4oz plain flour
1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder
2oz butter, 2oz caster sugar, 1 beaten
egg
8 fl oz milk.
Soak bran in milk for 10 minutes.
Sift flour and baking powder.
Cream butter and
sugar until fluffy.
Beat in milk, bran & eggs
Lightly fold in flour.
Grease deep muffin tins and
divide mixture to give 20 muffins.
Bake at gas mark 6 for 25 minutes.
Bert Lilliot
and Ivy Blogg died within days of each other. Both had
been long standing members of St. Stephens Methodist Church, before moving to
Bert
was at one time church steward, and Ivy is especially remembered for her piano
playing at Church services and women’s fellowship.
We give thanks
for their lives and witness among us and very much remember their families at
this time.
Family News
Christmas seems a long way back, but
we would like to record our thanks to all who organised
all the various events which made the Festival so special for our church. There
was something for everyone —whatever age and especially we thank our
children and young people for the part they played. We have received letters of
thanks from Betty Draffin and Vera Wicks for the
lovely plants delivered to them on behalf of the church by the minister.
We were saddened to hear of the
passing of Judy Staltonjust before Christmas. Judy
was a very loyal member of our church and until her stroke, a year ago,
regularly attended worship. In her more active days she helped at Coffee
Morning and was a regular member of the Carousel Club. She had a great sense of
humour and we shall miss her.
We continue to pray for —Alistair who had an
from an operation We wish him well and a speedy recovery.
Daisy
Mick and Liz, - we pray Mick can avoid yet another
operation. Jack, aged 4 — suffering with Leukaemia
but thankfully responding to a new drug.
Shane and Jenny
with housing problems Lucy Nash — with chest problems.
We remember our elderly members who
are unable to come to church —Betty Draffin, Vera
Wicks, Ken Moon, Joyce Taylor
We thank God for the good news
received from Emily who has now settled in her new home.
Our love and sympathy have been
expressed to Gwynneth Lillicrap
and the family on the passing of David on January 11th The family were
members with us years ago and David was a valued Deacon and Elder.
Union
Church
The
Centrol Margate Churches’ Youth
Forurn are having
another Variety Evening at St John’s Church Hall and Community
Centre on Saturday 7th February, 6.3Opm. The last one was a great success and
this promises to be even better. See Simon or Rita for tickets (20p) or
turn up on the night. Any young people wishing to perform (sing, dance,
tell jokes, read a poem, play a tune, act etc), please let us know ASAP to
book a slot.
There
will be another Alpha
course starting soon - please take every opportunity
to mention it to people -preferably
staunch non-Christians! On offer is a series of 10 sessions of a meal,
followed
by a video and discussion. Invitations can be found at the back of the church
or from
Simon or
Pita but don’t let lack of a paper invitation hold you back.
December
Variety Evening
Many thanks
to those who took part (as acts or audience) for making this such an enjoyable
time.
Isn’t it amazing what talent is there, waiting to be released! Full Marx
(in-joke) are due to
the
MC and a bravery award to the Morris dance team choreographer. We look forward
to the
next
one with excited anticipation.
Thank you for all your prayers,
thoughts and flowers during the time we were house bound due to an infection.
We did have a great time during the
Christmas week in