There is a legend about a rooster who thought his crowing caused the sun to rise. He even felt that if one day by chance he should fail to crow, the sun would not rise at all. Of course things were not as the rooster imagined, for it was the sun-rays at dawn that woke the rooster. He was only the herald of the dawn, it is so with God and us; it is always God who moves us to love Him, we do not move God to love us. God is love, and God loves us. It is only for us to accept His love by believing wholeheartedly in His Son, Jesus Christ. If we do not, we are refusing God’s love-gift. We are unwilling to let God love us. S.A.
As we approach the end of the church’s year, we come across the day when the Church remembers Luke, - the beloved physician and Paul’s companion on his missionary journeys.
The year that will begin on Advent Sunday is the year which concentrates on Luke Gospel in Sunday Readings Luke’s Gospel, as you might expect, is concerned with healing and wholeness, and with “the light of God dawning”, and shining for all without distinction as our feet are led “into the way of peace”.
Luke is the writer who sets out above all the healing and reconciling power of God, seen not only in the life of Jesus but also in the growth and expansion of the early church, guided by the Spirit to bring God’s Good News to the world.
Luke wants that ministry, essentially a healing ministry, to be founded on the firmest of bases, so what he provided for his friends Theophilous is a “non-slip “ account of the life of Christ and the Early Church, one that can ensure a firm footing and a safe path for those who follow in the Way.
For us, as for them, the church today needs a firm footing in prayer as it seeks to speak God’s healing Love for the world.
May he guide us, firm-footed, along the way he has set before us.
Every Blessing
Harry.
Web site should now be fully operational.
www.thanetfestivalofhope.org for all the latest news.
It is hoped that ‘On the move’ will be operating in different locations through out Thanet during the Festival week.
‘On the move’ has taken place in most major cities and is simply the churches inviting the community to a barbecue held in a central location. Martin Graham heads ‘On the Move’ and will be in Thanet on 3rd November to explain how this works and talk with churches. He will be at Thanet Campus in Broadstairs at 7.30pm.
So far to date, nobody has let me know of any plans that they are making for the weeks festival. Are you keeping it a secret? Or have you not yet even thought about it? There are only 24 weeks to go (or five more grapevines) so please send in your ideas and please let keep praying for the success of the festival, but please don’t leave this up to somebody else to do. Your church needs you
The Maasl are a minority people in Kenya, the last tribe to be reached with the gospel. They numbered about 300,000 and are famous for their semi-nomadic cattle and warrior existence. They view Engai (God) as the supreme God who dwells in heaven and on earth.
The programme – evangelism, to press on further into the interior, to use our team to work alongside local evangelists in reaching new villages and church planting, giving help and encouragement to local evangelists training them on the job. Door to door and village crusade meetings and children’s / school work.
Teaching in Bible School and taking students out to work with the team will also be part of the programme. I did not expect to be chosen to be one of the twelve that make up the team. I feel very humbled, but also a joybin being chosen. I know that I have been called by God to do His work and that I am taking yet another step forward in my walk with him.
But I wonder what I have let myself in for, when I read the information sheet and saw the list of vaccinations I need, the equipment and that the Maasai use every part of the cattle including dung in house construction, and the urine in medicines and to wash out drinking containers! (Makes you think about sharing the communal cup).
The team will be based at Narok were Pastor David Kereto lives and works running a Bible School and overseeing 16 churches in the surrounding villages, affiliated to African Inland Church.
As on all missions I have to pay all myown expenses’ Including- air fares, visas and vaccinations, travel insurance and equipment.
The churches we are visiting are poor financially, so unlike missions I have been in this country. We have to take a contingency fund to cover costs such as transport etc. which will be something like £100 - £150 per person. Any money left over from this will be used to provide a gift to the local churches.
It is good to be able to bless the local churches we visit materially. If anyone wishes to give a gift (money or goods) it would be welcome.
My own church at Garlinge is going to sponsor me and on the 6th December will be having a social evening to raise funds, for which I am very graceful.
Please pray for all the team as they prepare for the mission and for God to watch over them as they go out to do his work. That his love they may sow the seed and reap the harvest.
Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field”.
Matthew 9:37-38.
God bless Eddie.
MAASAI WALK KENYA SOCIAL EVENING
Saturday 6th December 6pm till 9pm
GARLING CHURCH HALL
Buffet Games Raffle and Presentation
Tickets Adult £3.50 Children £1
In support of Eddies Maasai Mission
An evening of Food Fun and Fellowship
For Tickets Call Thanet 225118
A POEM FOR REMEMBRANCES SUNDAY
How bravely they stand
Love in their hearts, rifles in their hands
How mighty they defend us
They do what they must, no fuss
How courageous they fight a war, for them in its start they play no part
A family photo in a locker close to their heart
The senseless killing and violence they wish could stop
Screaming lost children, who’s parents they know are forever gone
The air hangs too quietly, like a song bird stopped in song
A day, a week, a year all for them too long
The torment for family and friends left so far behind
A reason for their pain and anguish they can not find
How bravely they stand,
How sadly and quietly they fall.
Ann Marie Davis
We are hoping to start up a musical group for young people and are in need of musical instruments – Drums, Guitar or anything else people could let us have. Please check your attics and ask your older children if they have finished with them – we would be very graceful.
Cherry Buchanan.
“Prayer is the answer to every problem in life – nothing is impossible with God. Into the experience of all, there comes times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement, day when sorrow is the portion and it is hard to believe that God is still our loving benefactor. It is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt. Whatever we need – if we trust God he will supply it – in his time. So let us stop re-iterating our difficulties and trust him for healing, power and love. “I read this, in a book written by Ellen G White just when I needed it and it greatly helped me. I hope perhaps it will do so for others.
The Task Group is currently meeting once a month and is considering several ideas to raise the profile of our church in Garlinge. These include approaching Garlinge School to see if we can get them more involved with the church. Producing a leaflet that can be put through every door in Garlinge. This leaflet will detail all that is going on in the church. Replacing the notice-board outside the church. Having the name of the church part on the large blank wall so that it can be seen from the road.
Anyone who has any ideas or comments on raising the church profile is welcome to join the Task Group or to pass on their ideas to any member of it.
Fair-trading continues to operate at a steady level. Goods are available at each church Saturday coffee morning. Anyone requiring anything at any other time should let Bob Buchanan know. There are several spare copies of the latest catalogue – all are welcome to take a copy, browse through and pass their orders to Bob. Remember, everything you buy bearing the Fair-Trade logo helps the people who produce the goods.
A lady was gazing at a War Memorial outside a church when
the vicar came up.
“What this?” she asked.
“A memorial to all those who died in the services,2 the
vicar replied.
“Oh, did they die on the Morning Service or the Evening
Service?” asked the lady.
A young cleric bounded up the pulpit steps full of
confidence. His sermon however, was a disaster, and he came down the steps
bowed and humble. An old man said to him “If tha’d gone up as tha came down,
tha’d have come down as tha went up.” Ph
From ‘Survival Rules for Choristers’
Never close your eyes when singing, in case the choir
move off in procession leaving you behind.
(from ‘The Cassock Pocket Book’ by Gordon
Reynolds , Royal School of Church Music:
Two signs in the rear window of a car seen in Leeds
and underneath it:
‘THIS CAR IS PROTECTED BY
KROOKLOK’
re-written from note in Financial Times and also in ‘The Beacon’, Barrow-in-Furness.
When in charge, ponder
When in trouble, delegate,
When in doubt, mumble.
Ph
Dear Lord,
When we feel off-colour, depressed, irritable and unnerved, everything seems to push at us, words that are said, things that are done, things that happen, everything.
Help us to turn to You, our beloved Lord, for it is You who will calm our self-pity, and calm our aching nerves. You will give us inner peace and joy.
Nothing then will hurt too much or be to bad to bear.
Lord, in praying for peace, we pray that the peace that we know the world does not give. Your peace, that inner peace which comes with a serenity of heart and mind, through love and selflessness.
All winter the tortoiseshell had slept in the cupboard dark. Two folded halves, like a child’s hands in prayer. Now with the new year melting and the daffodils buttering the fields. And a great scythe of sunlight glancing across the valley she awoke.
The blue embroidered edges of the wings. She fluttered against the glass like petals. I put out a trembling finger and she climbed aboard. No heavier than a dead leaf in Autumn.
The Sun swam through our world again., And I scraped open the window, held out the tortoiseshell till she lifted into April.
The start of her journey, the one summer of her flight.