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Epsom United Reformed ChurchNewsletter for November 2007 |
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Alan Wood I make no apologies for devoting nearly four pages to Peter Dickinson’s masterly summary of the events of ‘Vision Day’. There were a good number of people there, the vast majority staying all day. Tom Roberts was impressive with his summarising of our situation, and a good chairman when it came to open discussion. With his very large note pad (A1 size!) we expect that he retained a good idea of the thoughts and feelings of the members for his later consideration. It is hoped that Tom will be able to report back to the church on his findings at the AGM on 5th December. Brownie Poems I am pleased to be able to include some of the entertaining poems that the Brownies wrote to accompany their Harvest Boxes. I was particularly taken by Embeth’s contribution; having got herself into a blind alley, by needing to find a rhyme for ‘orange’, she escapes in an original and masterful manner. Well done, Embeth. Remembrance Day For the past few years I have been playing ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’ at 11:00 on 11th November for the civic commemoration by the Clock Tower. This year the calendar has moved round and Remembrance Day is on a Sunday. However, the Borough Council and the local British Legion have decided to concentrate on special services in three parish churches, St Mary's, St Martin's and Christ Church, in place of the ceremony at the Clock Tower. Maroons will be used to mark the Silence, but I will be available for bugling as normal. There is also no 15:00 service at the Ashley Road War Memorial. January Issue The next NewsLetter will be a joint December/January edition, so will all contributors please bear that in mind. If any newsworthy or important items emerge in December, there will be another ‘NewsLetter Extra’. How sorry we were to hear Lily Moody had a fall in the town and is in Leatherhead Hospital. We wish her well and would be delighted if any friends could look in for a short visit. Lynne Lewis, in the New Cottage Hospital, seems to be more comfortable after a time of considerable pain and discomfort. May she continue to progress. Lynne will be so pleased to see any friends who are able to visit her. Our thoughts are very much with Phemie as she is suffering a recurrence of osteoporosis that unfortunately restricted her while on holiday recently. May the pain and discomfort soon be less severe. Together with all those named above, we send our love and prayers to Mary, Marjorie, Sonia and Dorothy and Frank. Colin has very recently moved into his new home. We hope he will settle happily. He had a birthday a few days ago, so after Evening Service last Sunday, we marked the occasion with a birthday cake and a cup of tea.
Thank you to all who helped to provide and prepare for Colin's flat. Several friends have given a lot of time and effort and we thank you all most sincerely. Change of Address: Have you finished reading Mark and Matthew? Even if you haven't read them, it’s not too late to join the Epsom and Ewell URCs in reading Luke! What is so special about Luke? Luke's Gospel is favoured by many for some very good reasons. John Proctor (Westminster College) says of Luke: “This is the gospel of census, stable and shepherds, with Jesus born amid poverty and great ordinariness.” Need I say more? Furthermore, as Proctor notes, “There is a down-to-earth quality...about the stories Jesus tells.” Luke has picked up on the keen eye Jesus had for the realities with which people live. The parables found in Luke exude a warmth and understanding about people and their troubles and joys. We know from the first few verses that the gospel was written ‘that you may know the truth’ and that it was written in good educated Greek. It is thought to have been written about AD 60, and, as with many other New Testament books, there are questions over authorship. Once the first 4 verses end, we are plunged directly into life in the days of Herod and some of the literary quality of the first 4 verses is lost. Like Matthew, Luke connects Jesus to the events of the Old Testament, but he does it in a different way. Matthew makes a point of connecting them, but for Luke, Jesus is the continuation and fulfilment of the Old Testament. A positive attitude towards biblical law is found throughout the teachings of Jesus in Luke. What else is there to look for in Luke? Luke presents Jesus as carrying out his work ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’s power’. Luke's gospel mentions the Spirit more often than any other gospel. Salvation is another word to look for: salvation of body, mind and soul; salvation is both tangible and spiritual. Much more directly than any other book in the Bible, Luke's gospel addresses issues of poverty and property; wealth can be either an obstacle, or an opportunity. Women, along with other marginal people, appear frequently and in many different roles, in Luke. Luke mentions prayer many more times than the other gospels. The words for ‘joy’ and ‘rejoicing’ occur more often in Luke than any other New Testament book. There can be no doubt that the Christianity Luke knew was a joyful affair. ‘Luke portrays a Jesus on the move, on a journey, going to people and being with them, on the way to Jerusalem, a continuation of the Exodus, a journey on which we are invited.’ In Luke, Jesus is a servant, the outcome of Isaiah's prophecies of the Suffering Servant. The term ‘Son of man’ is used 26 times. He uses a large number of medical terms, as you'd expect from a doctor. Pat Harvest – by Embeth Apples are red – I eat mine in bed;Bananas are yellow – My Granddad’s song is mellow; Dragon fruit is pink – The colour I try and link; Cucumber is green – Just like a runner bean; Carrots are orange – But I just want PIZZA! Secretary’s Letter I really enjoyed the Joint Service with Ewell at our Church at the beginning of October. It was lovely to have the Church almost full, and the singing accompanied by organ and trumpet sounded and felt good. Perhaps we should have more of these joint services? What do you think? Pat would love to hear from you.I shall not write much about our Vision Day as Peter has submitted a very good report of the day’s events. I should just like to thank all of those who came; it was a very positive day and I came home feeling both excited and a little frightened about our future. Excited with all the options and opportunities open to us, and all the ideas you put forward, and a little frightened of what the future might hold for us. We all need to have faith to move forward: doing nothing is not an option. You will have read from the last Newsletter that the A.G.M. date has been changed to 5th DECEMBER. We are hoping that Tom Roberts will attend the meeting to present his report and further findings from the Vision Day. The Longhurst Room is in use on that evening so it is proposed to use the Church. We will conduct the A.G.M. business at the beginning of the meeting and Tom will speak later. I will confirm this later this month, but don’t worry, the Church will be warm, I will make sure the heating is turned on early! I have just come back from the Autumn Activity Day duly exhausted, but what a good day it was. Over forty children arrived and we had visits from four dogs, two from Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and two from Pat a Dog.
I am not sure who enjoyed the visits most, the children or the dogs. The dogs seemed to really enjoy the attention and not one of the children were nervous of the dogs. We thought about St. Francis and being kind to animals. We made birds and hung them in trees (very ingeniously made by Rosemary) in the church and placed furry animals in the garden at the foot of the trees.
Some children were turned into animals with face paint and others made animal puppets. After a picnic lunch and some games and more crafts we all went into the Church with all the things we had made, and when Mums and Dads arrived at 3 p.m. we were ready to sing our own version of “All things bright and beautiful” written by Gwyneth.
Thanks are due to all who helped to make the day such a success. This is the third Autumn Activity Day we have run as a joint venture with our friends from Ewell and we work together as a team really well. There is always a lovely atmosphere of fun and enjoyment. Now we look forward to the Advent Workshop at Ewell on 15th December; if you would like to help in any way please let me know, you will be very welcome. Harvest Pictures from 30th September
OUR JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TO A “VISION” Peter Dickinson Let’s get ready! In a spirit of pragmatic optimism Epsom URC has taken its first steps to find a way forward into the future. On 20th October 2007 in Unity Hall our minister, Pat Hall, and Tom Roberts led some thirty church members in a wide-ranging look at future possibilities for Epsom URC. With members sitting at three large tables, the atmosphere was relaxed. Tom is an architect who specialises in helping churches redefine their spiritual vision and clarify the practical steps needed to achieve that “Vision”. His most recent projects have involved URC and Methodist churches in Deal and Tunbridge Wells. The Journey Begins Just after 10 a.m. Pat began our “Journey” by leading Worship. The very first step on our “Journey” was to pass round questionnaires asking for opinions and ideas. [If you have either not seen or not completed the questionnaire, copies can be obtained from Sheila Smith.] Let’s Get Ready! Before this meeting, Tom had contacted Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and other local churches to gain an insight into their future plans. According to the Council, the local population is expected to become more ethnically diverse. Affordable housing will remain a problem for younger generations trying to move into the area for work; this will lead to continual bias toward services needed for a more elderly population. The Council is looking to the “Faith Community” (made up of all local churches) for practical support. Given that a church has a clear and realistic “Vision” for its local community, councils are usually prepared to provide support in many different ways. Being strategically located between the town centre and residential areas, Epsom URC has the potential to become a major facilitator for local services. Tom’s question to us at Epsom URC is: “Where do you want to be in twenty years’ time?” A good time for a coffee break and a bit of thought. Where can we go? The next session started by watching a DVD “Beyond the Wood and Stone”. This DVD looks at how churches around the UK have agreed, then developed, their own “Visions”. Different aspects of church visions are examined, including:
[You can borrow a copy of the DVD from Pat] The ensuing discussion generated a flow of opinions and ideas. It was recognised by all, firstly, that Epsom URC cannot “go it alone” and, secondly, that our friends at Ewell URC need continually to be kept up-to-date with our thinking. It was agreed that the Church Street frontage is not friendly and welcoming. This is a major disincentive for the community (general public) to interact with Epsom URC. Inside our buildings (including the Worship area) there is a lot of “wasted space”. Important concerns were raised about the inability of the present elderly church membership to provide the management skills and energy needed to realise a “Vision”. Tom Roberts reminded members that there is grant funding to cover the costs of professional management and the church volunteers would not be expected to “carry” the project. Thinking makes the body hungry…after 2½ hours of concentrated thought we all enjoyed a shared lunch of members’ contributions. It’s Up to Us!
For the next 1½ hours after lunch, each table group explored a range of ideas and options. Afterwards each table group presented their outcomes. Although taking different approaches the general themes were consistent across the tables. As there are too many ideas to list here in detail I hope that readers will forgive me if I just focus on the more common areas. Tom Roberts has a full list of each table’s suggestions and will be delivering a feedback report on these. The suggestions mentioned below are a melting pot of ideas, not all of which will prove applicable and further thoughts will emerge. Spiritual There is an overriding need for the Church Street entrance to have a “welcoming face”; Create a smaller Worship area of peace and quiet, possibly changing to a “church in the round”; Create a “daytime service centre” providing specialist skills to meet older people’s physical and social needs. It should be possible to attract and encourage people and organisations which provide services to the older generations (for example- chiropody, health clinic, counselling), all supported by a coffee shop with a social area; Look to meeting the educational and social needs of younger generations (and the not so young!) when required, through the support of youth-, arts- and music-based groups; Be positive to the church’s use by other denominations, faiths and secular organisations; Always take positive steps to communicate, interact and liaise with other Epsom churches (including Ewell URC) on a continual basis. Physical architecture Push the church buildings forward to the pavement edge and present a glass frontage; General agreement that the continued existence of Unity Hall should be assumed; Move the organ and create a music and arts centre for trainees; Install a mezzanine floor in the Worship area with meeting rooms below and open space above; Partial demolition of existing buildings and rebuilding to include residential flats and a large community meeting room. Things we have loved We were asked to identify something that we would wish to keep with us – regardless of the outcome from our “Journey of Discovery”. Feelings were (in no particular order) The War Memorial, The Cross, The Foundation Stones, The Natural Light into our Worship Area, The Organ, The Stained Glass Windows (Longhurst Room), The Font, The Pews. The Way Ahead! Tom Roberts has taken our feelings, opinions, ideas and, over the next month, will be putting together an outline of our “Vision” including its practical implications. As part of this process Tom will be talking further with the Council, the URC and other local churches to reach a view on what is, and what is not, practicable for us. He will also be approaching third party organisations (charities, etc.) asking them to indicate the spiritual and architectural ideas that they may be willing to support. The Journey Ends (for today!) At the conclusion of the day Pat thanked Tom Roberts for his positive and sensitive approach to helping Epsom URC start its Journey. Thanks were also given to the room set-up, catering and audio-visual teams. Pat then led members in a closing hymn and prayers. So, after five hours of fruitful, relaxed discussions interspersed with laughter, the first steps have been taken. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - You will have read above about the Vision Day that took place in Unity Hall on 20th October. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the day, and for all the contributions toward a vision that is just starting to emerge. There is still much to do so I encourage you to continue to think and to pray about it. Pat
Thanks for The Memory... As you're probably aware, November 1st is ‘All Saints’ Day’. It's when we recall those, who by their life and death, demonstrate faith in some special way. So I want to tell you about two characters who died in 2004. The first is Sir Peter Ustinov. Born of White Russian parents, he was an actor, a film writer, a producer and a broadcaster. On the day he died the TV news spoke, not only of his death, but also of his droll anecdotes he had uttered throughout his working life. Marked by a serious approach to human problems, Sir Peter Ustinov often presented them with a sense of humour. This free but highly disciplined man seemed to have thrown laughter, insight and happiness across everybody he graced. Ustinov once said, ‘Laughter is the most civilized music in the world’, and on another occasion, ‘I do not believe that friends are necessarily the people you like best, but they are merely the people who got there first.’ We cannot but give thanks for the humour and character of Sir Peter Ustinov. The other is Sydney Carter, who was one of the most significant folk musicians of the 20th century. However, it’s as a hymn writer that he’s best remembered. Three hymns of his, ‘Lord of the Dance’, ‘One more step along the World I go’ and ‘When I needed a Neighbour’ will undoubtedly be sung in years to come. The last hymn was written in response to a Christian Aid competition. It captures the conviction that leads many to work for social justice. I well remember, when I was working in Johannesburg, that Sydney Carter came to stay with us, and spent many an evening banging his drum and my daughters attempting to sing some of his songs! Carter's own faith was, like his music, unconventional but inspiring. It was in the Quaker tradition that he was able to recognise ‘the Jesus who is calling us to liberty’. Would Jesus have sung like Sydney Carter? Perhaps not. And it was GK Chesterton who wondered if that was when Jesus laughed. We shall never know! But laughter and song, like Ustinov's and Carter's, still shine in the dark and the darkness will never overcome them. Like the saints of old, we rejoice as well! COMMITMENT FOR LIFE – ANNUAL COLLECTION This will take place on the morning of Sunday 4th November. This is our Church Anniversary Day and the day on which we also bring in our 5p pieces. So, unless you subscribe monthly, please collect an official envelope from the table by the Vestry door the week before and have it ready on the following Sunday. If you have to miss 4th November it does not matter – you can hand it in at any time as long as it is in the Commitment for Life envelope.Harvest - by Marie Harvest is a time of year we get in
the crops and plants; Park and Ride to Kingston The annual Park and Ride service to Kingston commences on 3rd November and will continue until 12th January, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Buses leave as usual from Chessington World of Adventures. The fare is £1.50 and accompanied children (or grandchildren!) travel free. Parking at Chessington is free. Full information is available from Kingston’s website at: http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/transport_and_streets/parking/parkandride.htm And did you know that all the regular Park and Ride buses have names?
A Message from Rebecca To all friends at Epsom URC My course has kept me very busy so far, and I am starting as joint organ scholar at King’s College, London, next week as well, so that will fill up more of my time! I have had a very enjoyable past two years playing the organ at Epsom URC and I will greatly miss seeing everyone on Sunday mornings. Many thanks once again, Rebecca.
ADVANCE NOTICE—The Return of ‘Rebecca and Friends’ Rebecca and friends will be holding a concert for charity in the Church on Saturday, 8th December. The time and programme are yet to be arranged, but keep the date free: if it is anything like last year’s it is not to be missed! The Annual Appeal and Invitation from the Methodists Christmas Alone 2007. This is YOUR opportunity to help in a practical way to make a person who would otherwise be alone, join in a very special celebration on Christmas Day. As in previous years we are planning to invite about 55 people, who would otherwise be on their own, for lunch on Christmas Day this year at Bradbury Lodge, Swail House, Ashley Road (Epsom Methodist Church is being redeveloped). Our guests, who come from all over the town, really appreciate the opportunity to share this special day with others, and those who have helped in previous years have found it a very rewarding experience.
We really want this very worthwhile venture to
continue but we need YOUR help – please give some consideration to
how YOU can help - we can certainly guarantee that you will feel that
it has been both fun and very satisfying. Last year over 50 people
from varying churches were involved in one way or another ensuring
that no one feels it too arduous a commitment. Also if However if you can't help please pray for the venture and for the people who will be our guests this year or if you are going to be alone on Christmas Day and would like an invitation please let us know. Chris and Beryl Dempsey (01372 742378) Ewell’s Quiz Night On the evening of 6th October, the Ewell Church hosted a Quiz Evening. Malcolm had produced some fascinating questions and intriguing categories for the six teams taking part. Rosemary and I happened to be in the winning group. Commitment for
Life THE ADIVASIS. Part 1. The Adivasi Progamme in NW Bangladesh was set up by the Commission for Christian Development Programme (CCDP), Christian Aid’s Partner. It was set up following the realisation that no other non-governmental organisation was working with these extremely marginalised people, living in the Ganges delta in Bangladesh and India in the forest lands known as the Sundarabuns. They are an ancient people, with their own culture, language and festivals. They do not regard land as personal property (see later) and do not agree with paying government land tax. Land is communal property. So they are not constitutionally recognised and receive no support from the Government for their very impermanent way of life. There are some Hindu and Christian minorities. Many retain traditional practices, worshipping spirits which they believe inhabit the natural world around them. They have ancient respect for the natural world. But this dependence is one of many reasons for impoverishment. They have traditionally lived and worked in a semi-forested area inundated by the monsoon rains, assisted by tidal surges. When the floods subside, land does not always reappear where it was before, hence they treat land as communal to the village. Crops are grown on the new strips of land after the rains. But wealthy Bangladeshis have bought up much of the Adivasi land area for firewood. Much of the Adivasi land has been mortgaged to their influential neighbours to obtain money, especially for food in bad seasons etc. Then without land they can grow no crops at all. In recent years natural changes in the region have made things worse. There is definitely less rainfall in this region than formerly and floods are more frequent in winter. Some former rivers have now run dry. With less rainfall, ground water levels are falling, with danger of arsenic getting into wells, as it had done elsewhere. Winters are definitely colder, to a level when the Adivasis begin to suffer, especially when the Siberian winds blow in from the North West. Rising sea levels are showing significantly, particularly in SW Bangladesh where 26,000 sq. Km of land would be lost by a rise in sea level of only one metre. The salt water is moving inland up the Ganges from the Bay of Bengal. Many farmers here have turned to salt production as the only way of making a living. Commercial prawn farms are destroying an already fragile environment, by adding dangerous chemicals into the water. Other outsiders are always pushing in to their unsecured land area. So, without any government recognition, the plight of the Adivasi people is becoming increasingly desperate. Part 2 of this article, in December, will tell us what Commitment for Life through the CCDP are doing to help. Surrey Churches Bike Ride Phemie and I decided to do a sponsored walk to each of the churches in Epsom that took part in this event last year. There were six churches including ours where we decided to begin our walk at 10:30. Our first visit was to St. Martins where we came across some campanologists waiting to be let in to practise their bell ringing. We asked one of them to sign our forms and register the time before we continued. Our next target was St. Josephs and when we got there we found that there was a service in progress, and so we asked someone waiting in a car if they could fill in our forms for us. We then walked on to Christ Church where we were pleased to find some biscuits and drinks left for the people taking part in this event on a bench outside the church. After a rest and a drink we walked on to St. Barnabas where we received a very warm welcome, and we stopped for a while for a chat and a look round their premises. Our last church was the Methodist, where we went into the shop to get our form completed. We arrived back at the URC at about midday where we were pleased to see some cyclists who had come from St. Mary’s Church in Chessington. We managed to raise a total of £115, half of which will go to Epsom URC. We are very grateful to all those who sponsored us. (top)Harvest - by Jessica H arvests we have because they give us food to eat;A harvest is for people that don’t have anything to eat; R hubarb, onions, tomatoes, all that type of thing have grown all year. V arieties of people come and celebrate. E verybody in Brownies make harvest boxes S omebody gets the box and eats the food – T reats are given to everyone. Thoughts on the Joint Service I’m very fond of the trumpet so, for me, the Joint Service with the Ewell congregation earlier this month was a special treat. It will be a long time before I forget ‘Praise the Lord’, sung as a round. What a paean of praise! I wasn’t sitting close enough to the screen to be able to read the words, but I was still caught up with the music – and joyfully added my ‘la la’ to swell the praise. I do hope there will be more of this sort of thing to come. Visit to Kew Gardens On 4th October, George and Sheila, Phyl and I enjoyed our visit to Kew Gardens.
The weather was beautiful, and it was warm enough to sit out in the sun. We travelled round the gardens on the ‘Explorer’ train, admiring the autumn colours and the bronze statues by Henry Moore. The ‘Explorer’ ticket enables one to get on and off at any of the stops, to visit the Palm Houses and all the other attractions without having too far to walk! Epsom URC Lunch Club The Epsom URC Lunch Club made its debut at The Star on 26th September, 2007, at 12:30. There were I think, eight of us present to do the honours, which we did with a flourish! We enjoyed the food, and the company, naturally, was excellent. I was not able to linger long, but I understand that the rest of them stayed on for some time! All in all, it was a success, one that we will be repeating, this time at the Cock, Headley, on 1st November. Meet at 12:30 at the church for lifts. Anyone is welcome to come along, but we do need to know the numbers in advance, for catering purposes. You can sign up for this in the foyer of the church or by letting me know beforehand. To Members of the Evening Fellowship and Church Life Committee It has been necessary to change the arrangements for 5th and 12th November meetings. The Church Life Committee will now meet on Monday, 5th November at ‘Hessle Top’, 29 Hessle Grove, Ewell, at 8 p.m. The Evening Fellowship will meet in the Longhurst Room on Monday, 12th November at 8 p.m., when Sheila and George will give their illustrated talk, ‘Down Under with the Family’. Harvest – by Carla
H
appy times are Harvest times Wanted – A Stable The Crib displayed in the Bible Case at Christmas has always been enjoyed by passers-by in Church Street. I have seen small children lifted up to get a better view. The stable was made by Wilfred Corbett, who loved this church, and who started the tradition at least thirty years ago. He bought some very small figures that could not easily be seen, so Muriel Warner and Elsie and Ethel Sprinks made the ones that we still treasure. Last year the stable itself fell apart, having previously been treated for woodworm! Have we anyone who could make us a new one, or procure one that would be suitable? Advent Carol Service There will be an Advent Carol Service on 2nd December at 4 pm, at Ewell URC. Come and sing your favourite Advent carols (not Christmas carols!) and listen to some Advent readings. This will be in place of the usual 6:30 pm Sunday service and will take place in the church.Thank You . . . . . . for donating your old spectacles and spec. cases. It is planned for them to be in the shipment for Kenya, leaving by container early in November. Rotas for November Date Flowers Organist 4th Peggy Wilson Sheila Carpenter 11th Charles Senior 18th Sheila Carpenter 25th Archie Paterson Sheila Carpenter 12th Epsom Brownie Guide
Pack The Brownies had decorated and filled eight boxes of harvest gifts for the Harvest Festival and seven Brownies paraded on Sunday. It was lovely to have so many extra people in the congregation. The Brownies have been very busy working for their writer’s badge, and for one of the clauses they were asked to write a poem about harvest. You can read the best ones here in the NewsLetter. All the girls have now earned the badge. For the meeting before the half term break, we had a general games evening. Afternoon Fellowship It was good to have some of our Ewell friends with us last Thursday to hear Paula's interesting talk. Our next meeting on Thursday, 22nd November we look forward to Rev Robert Blows giving us a programme of "My Kind of Music". Any visitors will be most welcome. Time and place – 2.30pm in the Longhurst Room. (top) Evening Fellowship The November meeting of the Evening Fellowship will be on the second Monday, 12th at 8.00 p.m. We shall find the occasion so interesting as we hear of Sheila and George's visit to the family in Perth earlier this year. The play-reading last month, "Mother's Day" by J.B. Priestley, was much enjoyed and our thanks to those participating.
Women’s Church Council The November meeting of the Evening Fellowship will be on the second Monday, 12th at 8.00 p.m. We shall find the occasion so interesting as we hear of Sheila and George's visit to the family in Perth earlier this year. The play-reading last month, "Mother's Day" by J.B. Priestley, was much enjoyed and our thanks to those participating. A big ‘Thank You’ to the many friends who so generously supported our appeal for donations to our funds at the last Coffee Morning.
Our November Coffee Morning on Tuesday, 13th will be for the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners. A large scale extension programme is being undertaken at Chelsea. We always support servicemen or ex-servicemen charities in November and felt that this project would be an admirable choice for 2007. Do come along between 10:30 and 12 noon, meet with friends, and ‘Buy a Brick’. Copy for the next issue should be with the Editor by 18th November for publication on 25th November, 2007 And Finally . . . So Moses Goes to Heaven and . . . Moses died and went to heaven. God greeted him at the Pearly Gates. "Are you hungry, Moses?" asked God. "I could eat," Moses replied. So God opened a can of tuna and reached for a chunk of rye bread and they shared it. While partaking of this humble meal, Moses looked down into hell and saw the inhabitants devouring huge steaks, briskets, pheasants, pastries and wines. Curious but deeply trusting, he remained quiet. The next day God again invited Moses to join him for a meal. Again it was tuna and rye bread. And, again, Moses could see those denizens of hell enjoying salmon, champagne, lamb, truffles, and chocolates. Still he said nothing. But the following day, when another tin of tuna was opened, he could not contain himself any longer. Meekly, he said: "God, I am grateful to be here in heaven with you as a reward for the pious, obedient life I led. But here in heaven all I get to eat is tuna and a piece of rye bread, and in that 'other place' they all eat like emperors and kings! I just don't understand." God sighed. “Let's be honest," he said. "For just the two of us, does it pay to cook?" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Father," said the
minister's son, "My teacher says that 'collect' and 'congregate' mean the
same thing. Do they?" |
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,
Not every one who has helped in the past is able to do
so this year, so we are appealing for new volunteers - if you can't
help on the day there are preparations prior to the event – tables
to be laid - vegetables to be done - balloons to be blown up and a lot
of other tasks to be completed before the big celebration. We also
need help with transport picking up guests from home at about 12.00
noon and taking them home afterwards at about 3.45pm - if you can't do
both ways one journey would be great. Also we need hosts and hostesses
who sit down to eat with five guests to a table, ten if hosts are a
couple, and generally look after them from the time they arrive at
12.30 pm until they go home at 4.00 pm.
you decide to
give it a go there is certainly no obligation for another year and we
are sure you will enjoy the experience - ring us NOW - our phone
number is 01372 742378.
