ST MARGARET'S PARISH MAGAZINE - June 2020 - Isaiah 55:12 - St.Margarets Church Whitnash

ST MARGARET’S
PARISH MAGAZINE
      June
      2020

                   50p
    Isaiah 55:12

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                           The Rector’s Page

Dear Friends,

          “Hunting down every last puff of air”

            We quite rightly hear a lot of news on a regularly basis about
what is happening in these days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to
be informed for the sake of safely and so that our prayers can be
informed. Please pray for those directly affected. The NHS and all kinds of
carers, not forgetting those working in the postal service, council services
and energy companies and many other walks of life ensuring that our lives
can go on in as many ways as are possible and safe. Remember especially
the sick and the bereaved. Those in ICU and on ventilators in hospital. So
in need of essential supplies of oxygen to survive: “Hunting down every
last puff of air.” You may have heard that phrase in reference to the then
28 year Ellen MacArthur as she struggled along in the Atlantic during the
last phase of her record-breaking circumnavigation of the globe. Lack of
sufficient breeze threatened her success after having completed 25,948
miles in good time, and it looked as if she might not manage the final
1,233 miles before the deadline of 7.04 am. On the day that she had to
complete on. Happily, she found the necessary “puffs of air” and she
literally breezed home in record-breaking time! It is impossible not to
admire the courage, stamina, perseverance and determination of this young
woman on her 75-foot trimaran in the face of all the natural elements that
raged around her. But for all that grit and determination, if one thing had
been lacking,- wind,- she would never have got started, let alone finished!
Sailors are totally wind dependant. Yes, some can find it and make use of
it better than others, but no wind = no progress. Becalmed is what they are
without the breeze. Ellen had a great boat, a supportive team, and lots of
technology on her side, but she still needed the wind!

In a similar way, the Church, Christians, are becalmed without the wind.
The wind of God’s Spirit. At this time, we celebrate the festival of Pente-
cost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. The result was that
they were empowered, enabled and strengthened to fulfil the mission that
they had been given by Jesus. He had been with them full-time for three

4 years. Jesus had taught them much and now He had returned to heaven.
  What were they to do next? “Wait in the City until power (The Holy Spirit)
  comes upon you, then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea        ,
  Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1.). Jesus knew that
  enthusiasm; determination and human strength alone were not sufficient
  for them to fulfil the mission and commission He had given them. This was
  not going to be possible by human endeavour only, but by the power of the
  wind of the Spirit, blowing through them. Sure enough, in fulfilment of
  Jesus’ promise, the Spirit came at Pentecost, and in Acts 2 Luke recounts
  how the coming of the Spirit was accompanied by the sound and sensation
  of a violent wind. The disciples were, figuratively speaking, blown out of
  the house they were sheltering in, and onto the streets of the City,
  proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection, and of the
  forgiveness of sins.
  In our own time, we cannot expect God’s mission to be fulfilled in any oth-
  er way than by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our task, at a time when the
  Church in the U.K. generally seems sometimes becalmed, sometimes
  drifting aimlessly, and sometimes struck by storms, (though not of the
  Spirit’s making!), is to “hunt down every last puff of air”. Where is God at
  work? Let’s join Him there, at work, at play, at rest, wherever and
  whenever!

  God bless you with the fair breeze of His Spirit. Please also remember that
  the Spirit came upon the disciples when they were gathered together. This
  is usually how He comes: When Christians are gathered together in prayer
  and worship. “Don’t give up meeting together” said the writer of the letter
  to the Hebrews. Drifting away from church and fellowship has always been
  a problem,- 2,000 years ago as it is now! In these days of the coronavirus
  we are having to meet differently, but we can still meet in other ways.
  Maybe you would like to join a home group, meeting by “zoom” if you
  have the computer technology to do that. But whatever, lock-down does
  not mean shut down and as the Queen said: “We’ll meet again…!” It is
  together, and enabled by the Spirit, that we can be blessed with the breath
  of His love and be bringers of the love and Good News of Jesus to others.

            Yours in the love of God,   Richard Suffern. (Rector.)

Clap for Carers the NHS and other key workers                  5

People across the UK have been taking part in the "Clap for Carers"
tribute, saluting NHS staff and other key workers dealing with the
coronavirus pandemic.
Delivery drivers, supermarket staff, care workers and bin collectors
were among those honoured by the nation.
Households banged pots and pans, while others played the bagpipes to
show their support.
The event is now expected to happen every Thursday at 20:00 BST.

Households gathered on balconies, doorsteps and gardens to pay
tribute to the efforts of key workers during the crisis.
Emergency workers and NHS workers also joined in the applause.

The initiative was devised by Annemarie Plas, from Brixton,south-west
London, who was inspired by same event happening in her home coun-
try of the Netherlands, and in many other countries. Ms Plas posted de-
tails of the event on her social media channels, and enthusiasm for
taking part quickly spread across the UK.

 A string of buildings including the Shard in central London and Wind-
sor Castle, in Berkshire, were lit up blue to mark the moment.

Before being taken ill with the virus The Prime Minister Boris Johnson ,
joined in, standing alone in his doorway to applaud.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge clapped outside their home with
George, Charlotte and birthday boy Louis as the UK showed its support
for frontline health workers.

Meanwhile bagpipers across Scotland performed tunes to pay tribute to
key workers.

Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

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      A Scientist Reflects on God’s Heart for the Suffering

This series is written by Dr Ruth M. Bancewicz, who is Church
Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in
Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive relationship between Science and
Christian faith.

It’s difficult as a scientist to hear information that is fascinating, but which
also involves so much suffering for other people. I worked for a time in a
leukaemia research lab. We had to let other people’s pain drive our
research without it crippling our ability to concentrate on our work. But,
writing this under lockdown, I have found myself – as a biologically-
educated bystander – avoiding looking into the science of COVID-19
because the reminders of its impact on people’s lives are everywhere that I
look.

One of the ways I have been managing my own feelings during the
pandemic is by digging deeper into what God has revealed to us about His
character, letting that fuel my faith, my prayers, and my actions. For more
academic types like myself, study – particularly of the Bible – can be one
of the primary ways we connect with God and hear from Him. It’s not
wrong to be comforted by books, so long as the contents turn our eyes
upwards and outwards.

First of all, God hears: “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted’ (Psalm
34:18a). In Jesus God took on human form, and He showed us His heart
for the world. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept (John 11). God is
“the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians
1:3).

Human sin has affected the whole of creation, and I believe this is largely
the direct impact of our mismanagement of creation and mistreatment of
each other. COVID-19 may well be another animal’s friendly virus,
pushed by human activity into causing havoc in bodies where it doesn’t
belong.

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But God’s world remains good. It is still fruitful, praising Him, as Psalm
19 describes. Even pictures of a deadly virus can seem beautiful –
especially to a biologist! These good things are hints of the promised
“new heavens and new earth” mentioned in the New Testament. One day
“creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8:
21), and for everyone who follows God, “He will wipe every tear from
their eyes” (Revelation 21: 4).Behind the debates about suffering is some-
times the assumption that God doesn’t care. My experience is that God
does care deeply, and He invites His Church to care for those around them
– especially the most vulnerable. He is with us, He hears us and grieves
with us, He helps us and promises a better future.

              *************************************
                        A saint for the Internet

How are you getting on with technology? The coronavirus pandemic has
driven hundreds of millions of us to use it more than ever, as we sit at
home in frustrated isolation. If you are used to digital meetings and Zoom,
it is not a problem, but for millions of grandparents wanting to see their
families, or non-techie people wanting to see their friends, it has been quite
a learning curve. So, is there a patron saint of computers and electronics
and all the difficult stuff? The patron saint of the internet should be Saint
Isidore of Seville, a Bishop and scholar in the Seventh Century who wrote
a book called Etymologies or The Origins, in which he tried to record
everything that was known.

 But how about Zebedee. No, not the character from The Magic
Roundabout but the father of James and John. After all, consider this:
“James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John…were in a boat with
Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. (Matt. 4:21)
Ok, it is not the internet, but Zebedee knew about mending a net which
would have had both good and bad stuff all over it.

Certainly, whenever I get in an IT muddle during this lockdown, I would
welcome any patron saint that was willing to help me!

8               A Fictional View from the back pew

                      The Annual Church Meeting

How great is it to be part of the local church? I mean really, a ready made
family with all kinds of people in all walks of life. It’s no wonder Gods
word encourages believers to meet together in one place.

Ah the church, how sweet it to spend time in your presence, together as
one. Of course there are times when you would rather be somewhere else.
Times when you feel like just throwing your hands in the air and giving up..
“why do I bother?” suddenly crosses your mind. Nothing creates that knee
jerk reaction than the infamous “church members meeting” (said in a big
booming voice with thunder and lightning accompanying it).

It’s a chance for the common member to tell the leadership of the church
what they really think You see on a Sunday, as the masses pile in for the
service – they are just one of the number. At the mercy of those leading the
worship, preaching or having some form of responsibility in the church
which elevates them above the rest.

But here, oh here, on the night of the church members meeting it’s a free
for all. It’s a chance for the member who turns up once a month to air their
view on the dynamics of this and that. It’s the night the member loves, it’s
the meeting the leadership fear.

To ensure a successful church members meeting I have outlined the key
areas that must be covered.

Start late

As you well know, back in the New Testament when the early church was
being established there was an unwritten rule. Whatever time was being set
for a church event you turn up 20 minutes late. Fantastically, this golden
rule has been preserved over the years. So now, no matter what your church
organises, a picnic, a youth event it will start 20 to 30 minutes late. This
includes the church members meeting and its why you normally sing a

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couple of songs at the beginning, the meeting leader is padding. How many
times are we repeating ‘my Jesus, my saviour’?

The Q&A

This can make or break a meeting. The leadership have outlined
everything, they have layed out their carefully constructed plans for all to
see, all points have been covered and now its time to let the members have
their say. Are they of the same mind as the leaders of the church? Will they
discuss the possible church expansion ,better outreach .a new Curate need-
ed? Forget that, there's the destination of the church outing to squabble over
and that proposed banner in the foyer it deserves some response. Suddenly
its almost time to close the meeting so the new curate and proposed out-
reach is carried over to the next meeting

The Committee

A good solid church is built on a committee. God fearing, yes. Bible
teaching, naturally. But a church lives and breathes by its committees, the
more the better. You’ll notice that the actual verse goes “Where two or
more are gathered, so shall a committee be formed with an official
sounding title.” That proposed banner? It’ll need a committee. Discussing
how long they are, what colours you can have and what material it comes
in. You cannot finish the meeting without having formed a committee of
some sort.

Finish late

A church members meeting is only as good as the hours you put in.
Advising members to bring a sleeping bag and toothbrush is a good
indication of the success of the get together. The golden rule is that it must
last longer than the midweek bible study, anything longer then that and
your storing up brownie points with the big G. You must take into account
the lateness of the start, this must also be added on for extra measure.

There is lots more to throw in the mix, but I feel these are the main points
to cover. You’ll have to excuse me I’m late for a church function.

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                          Courage & Prudence,

The Batflu has driven us all batty, with talk of many things most of us never
expected we’d have to think about.!!

But amid all the talk of safety and suffering, lives vs. livelihoods, deaths
from the pathogen and deaths from isolation, there's been one term
strangely absent, except when it comes to our heroic healthcare workers:
courage.

The absence is strange because the virtue of courage is precisely what is
supposed to kick in, for everyone, at a moment like this when we're all on
the frontlines. Since we've lost touch with the virtue tradition and even
with the simple wisdom that used to guide everyday life, we don't much
give something like courage — the need to "man (or woman) up" — a
thought anymore.

Instead, we've been busy trying to create a world where everyone is "safe"
and no one has to face anything "offensive." And where institutions — or
someone else, in any case — will someday arrange things so that no one
will ever have to be personally courageous again.
This is the purest delusion and — sad to say — even widespread fear of
death seems not to have brought many people back to reality. There's an
old Latin saying: mors certa, hora incerta ("Death is certain, the hour un-
certain"). We know that it will all someday, perhaps even today, come to
an end. Most people spend their lives trying to ignore or deny the fact.
Still, every day brings uncertainties and dangers — that demand courage.

Courage doesn't mean that we don't feel fear of a real threat or that we sim-
ply ignore it. That would be stupidity. Courage means seeing the threat,
feeling appropriate fear, and still doing the right thing Doing the right thing
isn't self-evident. It takes another virtue — prudence — also notably
absent from our virus conversations and daily lives.

Prudence — real prudence — is not timidity but a direct facing of reality,
and making as good judgments as we can about what to do, without being
deflected by fear or pleasure.

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John Lennon sang of Dear Prudence, a timid lady, who should "come out
to play." Real prudence makes room for play, but more importantly comes
out to take charge of the crucial decisions, especially the ones for which
there are no scientific or strictly logical answers, which means a lot of
human life.

As you may have noticed during the debates — more like fistfights —
about what to do now that the virus is receding somewhat, we rarely hear
about the weighing of evidence that constitutes prudence. Answers simply
clash.

You may say that we can't go out of our homes for the next 12-18 months
until there's a vaccine to protect us. That's one prudential judgment, but
not a very realistic one (and therefore not very prudent) since the peoples
of the world — however patient they've been up to this point — simply
won't wait that long to try to live more normal lives.

You can say, to the contrary, that the data we have now shows that the risks
to any of us are really quite low — something we didn't know a month or
two ago. Back then, leaders had to make decisions about how to protect
people without being able to wait for more scientific data — which still
remains quite uncertain. That's where prudence comes in; it doesn't give us
false certainties. Indeed, it takes into account that such decisions have to
be made amid multiple contingencies, which can change and can force us
to change a chosen course. Prudence also makes us aware that much of the
time we're weighing tradeoffs. And often have to act in partial ignorance.
And, therefore, that we should be a bit indulgent towards others who,
equally uncertain, may make different choices than we do

Instead, of prudence, however, as usual, what we're getting is partisanship.
Either the whole country ought to remain locked down. Or opened up.
The prudent path of allowing experiments and seeing how they work out
— and reacting where they do or don't work — has very few practitioners.

But prudence in thought and courage in action are what we're called to,
even when we're not facing viruses. Which means always forming

12                       Fathers Day June 21st

             The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father

Two to three centuries ago, fathers’ roles were primarily to serve as
breadwinners and the conveyers of moral values and religious education to
their children. However, with the advent of industrialization and
urbanization and as factories emerged as major sources of employment,
fathers became distanced from the household and their families. Growing
rates of abandonment and illegitimacy led to the development of welfare
programs to assist widowed or unmarried women in supporting their
children.

In more recent decades, the changing economic role of women has greatly
impacted the role of fathers. Between 1948 and 2001, the percentage of
working age women employed or looking for work nearly doubled–from
less than 33 percent to more than 60 percent. Their increase in financial
power made paternal financial support less necessary for some families. In
tandem with the growing autonomy of women, related trends such as
declining fertility, increasing rates of divorce and remarriage, and
childbirth outside of marriage have resulted in a transition from traditional
to multiple undefined roles for many fathers. Today’s fathers have started
to take on roles vastly different from fathers of previous generations.

Other research on the role of fathers suggests that the influence of father
love on children's development is as great as the influence of a mother's
love. Fatherly love helps children develop a sense of their place in the
world, which helps their social, emotional and cognitive development and
functioning. Moreover, children who receive more love from their fathers
are less likely to struggle with behavioural or substance abuse problems.

In summary, the modern day father can contribute to his children’s health
and well-being by maintaining a healthy relationship with the other parent
even in cases of divorce; providing emotional and financial support,
appropriate monitoring and discipline; and most importantly by remaining
a permanent and loving presence in their lives.
Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is
old, he will not depart from it.

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                            Does God Exist?

Many arguments have been presented both for and against the existence
of God. However, the vast majority of people believe in some form of
God. The following are some of the more common arguments for God's
existence.

Argument from Cause: This argument considers God the "First
Cause." In other words, everything that exists must come from something
else and that something else is what we call God. Philosophically, this
argument is presented as:

- Everything that had a beginning had a cause.

- The universe had a beginning.

- Therefore, the universe had a cause.

The first aspect, that everything that had a beginning had a cause, is based
on the principle of causality. Nothing cannot produce something. The
second part, that the universe had a beginning, is supported by many lines
of modern scientific evidence. These include the second law of
thermodynamics (that the universe is running out of usable energy toward
disorder), the expansion of the universe, the radiation echo of the initial
explosion of the universe (often called the Big Bang), among others. The
conclusion is that the universe had a cause.

Argument from Design: This argument proposes the following: Every
design has a designer; the universe reveals complex design; therefore, the
universe has a Designer. This design includes both natural and
supernatural causes. Both the macro level (design found in the universe
based on astronomy) and the micro level (design found at the cellular lev-
el) support the argument of highly designed and complicated forms of life
that find no adequate explanation apart from an outside, powerful force
capable of intelligent design. This Intelligent Designer opens the door for
the existence of God.

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Argument for Morality: This argument follows a more internal logic
that suggests that:

- Every law has a lawgiver.

- There is an absolute moral law.

- Therefore, there must be an absolute Lawgiver.

Some question whether there is an absolute moral law. Yet as C.S. Lewis
notes in Mere Christianity, "The moment you say that one set of moral
ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by
a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly
than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something
different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some
Real Morality, admitting that there is such a thing as a real Right, inde-
pendent of what people think, and that some people's ideas get nearer to
that real Right than others. Or put it this way. If your moral ideas can be
truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something-some Re-
al Morality-for them to be true about."

While postmodern philosophy attempts to deconstruct this argument by
suggesting all absolutes of right and wrong regarding morality are rela-
tive, the existence of absolutes in the universe is undeniable. For exam-
ple, two plus two cannot equal four and two plus two equal five at the
same time under the same conditions. Likewise, many areas of morality
suggest a universal sense of injustice regarding the wrongs of the world.
Individuals may differ regarding exactly what is labeled justice and in-
justice, but every person has an innate sense of there being right and
wrong. This morality has an origin and it is argued this original Lawgiver
is God.

Ultimately, the Bible teaches that the fool says in his heart there is no
God (Psalm 14:1). Those who are honest will admit there is "something"
behind the design of the universe and human life even if people disagree
on what the something is. While there are arguments for the existence of

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God, faith also plays a role. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is
impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must be-
lieve that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." God desires
that we seek Him, and rewards those who do. He has provided many
ways to understand Him, including the created world and His Word
(Psalm 19). Ultimately, those who come to faith in Him must do so
through His Son Jesus Christ in order to receive eternal life (John 3:16;
Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-9).

          Next Month Can the existence of God be proven?

               ***********************************

         The following are actual call centre conversations….

Customer: “I’ve been ringing you on 0700 2300 for two days.
Why didn’t you answer?”
Travel agent: “Where did you get that number from, sir?”
Customer: “It’s there on the door to your Travel Centre.”
Operator: “Sir, they are our opening hours.”

Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while travelling in France ):
“If I register my car in France, do I have to change the steering wheel to
the other side of the car?”

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: “Woven? Are you sure?”
Caller: “Yes, of course. That’s what it says on the label; Woven in Scot-
land.”

            ***************************************

                 Who was the fastest runner in the race?

                  Adam. He was first in the human race.

16                      When Christians Die
     We remember the family and friends of all those who have died
 throughout out the country due to the Covid 19. Remembering especially
                         from our church family

                   May 8th Roy Evans. Age 81.
                 May 11th David Carswell. Age 67. .
                May 14th Maureen Shepherd. Age 74.

   The Bible Tells Us What Happens When a Christian Dies

When a Christian dies the person's soul is transported into heaven to be
with Christ. The Apostle Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8:
Speaking again to Christians in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul said, "...we
want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you
will not grieve like people who have no hope" (NLT).

When a Christian dies he is greeted by God. Just before the stoning death
of Stephen in Acts 7, he gazed into heaven and saw Jesus Christ with God
the Father, waiting for him: "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son
of Man standing in the place of honour at God's right hand!" (Acts 7:55-
56, NLT)

The God who takes great delight in us, rejoicing over us with singing, will
certainly cheer us across the finish line as we complete our race here on
earth. His angels, too, and perhaps even other believers we've known will
be there to join in the celebration.

On earth friends and family will be grieving the loss of our presence,
while in heaven there will be a great joy!

When the sun sets for us on earth, the sun will rise for us in heaven.

Perhaps one of the most exciting promises for believers to look forward to
in heaven is described in Revelation 21:3-4: Have a look !!!

From The Archive
                                                    17
  From St Margaret’s Parish Magazine
              June 1945

                Holy Baptism
                     May 6th
Paul John, son of George William and Grace Edkins

               Holy Matrimony
                   April 28th
   Alfred Hurst and Margaret Jefferson Forrest
                    May 12th
  Stanley Alexander Smith and Mary Wardman

          From The Archive
  From St Margaret’s Parish Magazine
              June 1969

              Christian Baptism
       “ Received into the congregation”

                    May 3rd
    Adrian Phillips 17 Home Farm Crescent
   Martin Simon Bemrose 31 Chandlers Road

             Christian Marriage
     “Those whom god hath joined together”

                    May 9th
 Robert Arthur Taylor and Susan Anne Robinson
                   May 16th
   Carl Richard Groves and Julie Ann Wilkins

18                     The Rectory

                   St James the Least

 My dear Nephew Darren

 Your decision to hold a Summer weekend Arts Festival in church,
 bringing culture to your inner-city streets, was most commendable. Pity,
 how it all turned out.

 The Friday evening started well with the concert of Scott Joplin piano
 music. Obviously knowing that the pieces were originally played in
 seedy bars on pianos wildly out of tune with several notes missing, your
 committee must have gone to endless trouble to find precisely the right
 instrument. Your stage-hands, were, however, less careful and hadn’t
 noticed that the platform had a noticeable list to port. After each piece,
 the pianist had to relocate the piano stool closer to his nomadic piano,
 with the last piece being performed with both entirely out of sight be-
 hind the      pulpit.

 It created much innocent entertainment for the audience, but the fault
 really should have been remedied before the Saturday evening choir
 concert. Discarded kneelers and rotting hymn books do not form a stable
 base for a stage supporting an 80-strong choir. So when it came to the
 enthusiastic rendering of hits from ‘Oklahoma’, with copious hand
 movements, it came as something of a relief that the stage took this as
 the moment to signal defeat, tipping the tenors behind the altar. The
 audience’s thunderous applause, assuming this was a carefully
 choreographed part of the performance, was quite touching. I am sure all
 the compensation claims will soon be sorted out.

 Your one great mistake was to take on responsibility for organising the
 refreshments afterwards. Church entertainments committees have centu-
 ries of collective experience in judging the numbers of ham sandwiches
 and bottles of milk required. I am forever proud that our own ladies –

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through years of experience – can now get five cups of tea from every tea
bag and can butter bread so thinly that one pack can last several months.

What you now do with 29 surplus loaves of bread is a problem you have
brought upon yourself. You could possibly use them for supporting the
stage next year.

Your loving uncle, Eustace

                      **************************
                    The June Cryptogram Puzzle

 A Famous Bible Verse The sentence below is encrypted using a secret code.
Your job is to break the code by substituting letters for the symbols. Here
are a few clues: C = a E = e S = i B = o U = u

1 RJSYQWEZ BIEL LBUW VCWEZKT SZ KJE YBWQ NBW KJST ST

WSAJK 2 JBZBUW KJL NCKJEW CZQ DBKJEW HJSRJ ST KJE

NSWTK RBDDCZQDEZK HSKJ VWBDSTE 3 KJCK SK DCL IE HEYY

HSKJ KJEE CZQ KJBU DCLETK YSOE YBZA BZ KJE ECWKJ 4 CZQ

LE NCKJEWT VWBOBFE ZBK LBUW RJSYQWEZ KB HWCKJ IUK

IWSZA KJED UV SZ KJE ZUWKUWE CZQ CQDBZSKSBZ BN KJE

YBWQ

                                Solution Page 32

                        Why didn’t Noah ever go fishing?

                             He only had two worms.

20                          June Crossword

Across
1‘Therefore let us — passing judgment on one another’ (Romans 14:13)
(4)
3 ‘I — — these persons here present’ (Marriage service) (4,4)
9 According to a prearranged timetable (Numbers 28:3) (7)
10         Group of eight (5)
11         The cell into which the Philippian jailer put Paul and Silas (Acts
16:24) (5)
12         — Taylor, pioneer missionary to China (6)

Across                                                                 21

14        Otherwise known as the Eucharist, Breaking of Bread, the
Lord’s Table (4,9)
17        ‘So that after I have preached to others, I — will not be dis-
          qualified for the prize’ (1 Corinthians 9:27) (6)
19        Attend to (3,2)
22        Approximately (Acts 4:4) (5)
23        Tea rite (anag.) (7)
24        Rule of sovereign (8)
25        Test (anag.) (4)
Down
1          The name of the street where Judas lived in Damascus and
           where Saul of Tarsus stayed (Acts 9:11) (8)
2          ‘The playing of the merry — , sweet singing in the choir’ (5)
4          ‘We have been saying that — — was credited to him as right-
eous’ (Romans 4:9) (8,5)
5          Dr Martyn — Jones, famous for his ministry at Westminster
Chapel (5)
6          Port at which Paul landed on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13) (7)
7          Observe (Ruth 3:4) (4)
8          Minister of religion (6)
13         ‘I am — of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility’ (Mat-
thew 27:24) (8)
15         ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he — — his life for his
friends’ (John 15:13) (3,4)
16         Archbishop who calculated that the world began in 4004BC
(6)
18         ‘No one can — the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit’ (John 3:5) (5)
20         Establish by law (5)
21         Product of Gilead noted for its healing properties (Jeremiah
46:11) (4)

                         Solution page 32

June Easy Sudoku
22

     June Medium Sudoku

         Solution page 33

Find your way home
                                                                        23

                             Be with you

The vicar at a local church experienced some technical problems with
the sound system one Sunday. Instead of starting the service as usual
with ‘The Lord be with you’, he said: ‘There’s something wrong with
this microphone.’

Not hearing this, the congregation responded: ‘And also with you.’

24                       June Wordsearch
                              Solution page 32

Last month the Church celebrated the Ascension of Jesus, the sending of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the fact that our God is a Trinity: Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. After the Resurrection, Jesus was seen on the road to
Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee, in houses, etc. He encouraged his disci-
ples, and said that He was sending them to all corners of the earth, as his
witnesses. 40 days after Easter, Jesus ascended into heaven; his work on
earth was done. The disciples returned to Jerusalem, and on the fateful
morning of Pentecost, there was suddenly the sound as of a mighty rush-
ing wind. Tongues of flame flickered on their heads, and they began to
praise God in many tongues – to the astonishment of those who heard
them. That morning the Holy Spirit came to indwell all those who believed
in Jesus: the Church was born. And so we have a triune God: Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
Ascension,Blessed,Taken,Jerusalem,Wait,Prayer,Power,One,Room
Disciples,Tongues,Flame,Joy,Praise,Confusion,Languages,Earth,Peter
Holy,Spirit,Trinity,Father,Son,triune

25
                               Who Was ?

    The series Women of the bible is coming to an end see page 34
              We are starting a new series WHO WAS ?

                                   Adam

Adam: the first human being. His name means ‘that man’ or ‘human be-
ing’, but is also close to the word for soil or dirt – ‘adamah‘.

The creation of Humans

On the sixth day in the story of Creation, God created the first human
being, – Adam.
This creature was made in God’s image: but what does that mean?

That this creature( mankind) was by nature impelled to create, to look at
what he saw and change it, even if sometimes the changes did not work
out well.

Mankind/people had creativity and imagination locked into their souls.

God made Adam/mankind master over the earth and all that was on it.
Then he created Woman, telling her and Adam to be fruitful and multiply.

God’s command

God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, ex-
cept one. This was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil – if Adam ate
from that, he would die.
All was well in Paradise, and the man and the woman were happy.

Until the serpent came to tempt them. ‘Eat the fruit’ said the serpent.
‘Why not?’
Genesis 2:4-25

26
 Adam and Eve disobey God

 Eve was intrigued by this question – a temptation in disguise. The fruit
 would make her wise, she hoped. So she took one piece from the Tree of
 Knowledge, ate it and offered some to Adam. He ate it too.
 Suddenly everything changed. They became aware of their nakedness for
 the first time. They felt shame – a new sensation for them.

 In their confusion they hid from the presence of God. But God called to
 them: “Where are you?” They knew they were caught. Instantly, they
 began to blame each other. Adam blamed Eve for offering him the fruit.
 Eve blamed the serpent for tempting her.
 But the deed had been done, and they now faced the consequences, which
 were terrible – God sent them from the Garden, and an angel with a flam-
 ing sword barred the entrance so Adam could never return. Genesis 3:1-

 Life in the real world

 Life would never be the same. Adam was sentenced to a life of toil. There
 would never again be food without work. Adam must labour hard and
 long to get food, fighting infertile ground full of thorns and thistles. The
 sweat of his brow would be the price he paid for bread.Eve would share
 his fate, and suffer the pangs of childbirth, as would all future women.

 The pain did not end there. Adam had sons, Cain and Abel, but when they
 grew they fought together, as nations would fight each other. In one vio-
 lent struggle Cain killed his brother. The first murder.

 Then God took pity on Adam’s misery and gave him another son, Seth,
 who was just like his father in every way…Genesis 3:15-24 , 4:1-25

              ***************************************

                 Why didn’t they play cards on the Ark?

              Because Noah was always standing on the deck

27
                      Trinity Sunday 7th June

                         What is the Trinity?

The key to the Trinity discussion is understanding and admitting that it is
a mystery. Once we rightly arrive at the conclusion that the Trinity is ulti-
mately incomprehensible to the finite human mind, we can then find a
biblically balanced position. All of the errors and heresies regarding the
Trinity are due to individuals trying to explain the unexplainable and
fathom the unfathomable. A finite human being trying to understand an
infinite God is like an amoeba trying to understand quantum physics.

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized in four points:
(1) The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2),
(2) Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1,14, 8:58; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9),
(3) The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16),
(4) There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians
3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).
The mystery of the Trinity is that God is somehow three Persons (Father,
Son, and Spirit), and yet there is only one God. Those two concepts seem
mutually exclusive to our finite human minds. But, remember, we are
speaking of an infinite God.

Common errors regarding the Trinity are: tri-theism (the belief in three
gods), modalism (the three "Persons" of God are actually modes in which
He has chosen to reveal Himself), monarchianism (God existed in Jesus
and exists in the Holy Spirit, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not, in fact,
God), and patripassianism (God the Father became the Son and became
the Spirit). Each of these attempted explanations is in error because they
contradict God's Word. The truth about the Trinity is that the Father is
fully God, Jesus is fully God, the Holy Spirit is fully God, and there is
only one God.

Again, it all goes back to the fact that the Trinity is a mystery. The sooner
we admit that, the sooner we can focus on our relationship with our
Triune God. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is

28
 God—but there is only one God. That is the biblical truth. While it is
 fascinating to study, the doctrine of the Trinity should not consume our
 attention or become more important than our actual relationship with our
 Creator, Savior, and Comforter.

                 **************************************

                            Bible Quiz: The Trinity

     A)Which is an accurate statement of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity?

     1)There are three true Gods: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
     2) The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are different aspects or per-
     sons of the one true God.
     3)The Son and the Holy Spirit are the servants of God the Father.
     4)The Son is the servant of God the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the
     servant of the Son.

     B) Who said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
     name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"?

     1)Jesus only 2 )Paul only 3 )Peter only 4)Jesus, Paul and Peter

     C) To whom was Jesus speaking when He said, "I tell you the truth, no
     one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spir-
     it. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You
     should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again'"? (NIV)

     1) Mary Magdalene 2 )Peter 3)Pontius Pilate 4)Nicodemus

     D) True or False? The Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost are the same.

     1)True 2) False

29
                     It's Not Your Fight any More
                     The David and Goliath Story

A youth advances slowly across the narrow flat valley towards his
opponent. On the other side stands a giant of a man bellowing insults, but
David doesn't seem afraid.
The giant comes with state-of-the-art military equipment -- scale body-
armour, helmet, and greaves to protect his legs. He carries a spear and a
sword, with a javelin slung across his back. Goliath towers over the
soldier who bears his shield.
The teenager, on the other hand, is clad in the simple garb of a shepherd.
He carries a staff for close quarter fighting, but that is all -- that and a
crude sling he has wove
The boy pauses and kneels at the stony stream bed as the giant keeps up a
steady barrage of foul boasts. The lad patiently examines the river rocks
made smooth by the tumbling of winter rains. He is seeking stones just a
bit larger than a golf ball that will fit into his simple sling. He seems in no
hurry. When he has selected five, he slips them into his pouch and stands
up.
The massive warrior seems insulted that his opponent is just a lad. "Come
here, boy," he yells. "When I'm done with you, the vultures and the
coyotes can eat what's left!" Goliath has worked himself into a rage.

But the boy is not intimidated.

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin," he shouts, "but
I come against you in the name of Yahweh Almighty, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Yahweh doesn't need a sword or
spear to save. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you and the
entire Philistine army into our hands!"

The giant Philistine is trusting in his size, his weaponry, and his long bat-
tle experience. But David is relying on the Lord. And in that faith he
begins to run towards the slow-moving giant.

30
When he has come within range, he stops, places a stone into his sling,
and begins to swing it round and round, faster and raster. The whirring,
buzzing sound increases until the boy, trained by years of practice in the
sheep-fields, lets it fly. The hefty stone speeds at nearly 100 miles an
hour and strikes Goliath square in the forehead. Its force topples the giant
who is dead before his massive body crashes to the ground.

It's easy to misunderstand this famous story. The young boy against the
warrior-giant. David's puny sling vs. Goliath's state-of-the-art weaponry.
The weak against the strong. But that's not the point. The sling is a lethal
military weapon in skilled hands – and David has practiced long hours in
the sheep-fields to perfect his technique against the predators that
threaten his flock.

The point is that the Giant trusts in his prowess, while David's boldness
comes from his absolute faith in the Lord his God -- that God will help
him. And so David overcomes his natural fear to face the giant because
he knows that his God is bigger than the giant.

We are all facing this corona pandemic .Have your fears immobilized
you? Do you imagine that it's you alone against your giants?

Learn from David! He understood the key element: "The battle is the
Lord's."

Your battles are not your own if you belong to Jesus. He will help you no
matter how lopsided the odds seem to be. For this is not you against the
giant. Your giant is puny compared to Almighty God. With God, it's not
an even battle! And if God is for us, who can be against us?

Two key truths will make the difference for you, if you can grasp them,
believe them, and act in them.

First, the Lord is with you!

And second, it's not your fight any longer. The battle is the Lord's!

31
                            How Long Lord

– the lament of Psalm 13

As we struggle with the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, we
might echo the words of Psalm 13: ‘Howlong, Lord? Will you forget me
forever?’ It is one of a number of lament psalms, where the psalmist cries
out in pain, because he feels abandoned by God. In our current
circumstances, these psalms enable us talk to God about our fears and
frustrations, while renewing our confidence in Him. What does Psalm 13
say?

Bring your complaint to God: The psalmist brings his pain and
questions to God: ‘How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day
after day have sorrow in my heart?’ (2). He is open with God about his
complaints, despite the anger he feels.

Ask boldly for His help: He goes on to ask for God’s help: ‘Look on me
and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him…’ (3–4). While avoiding
despair (‘there’s no hope’) or denial (‘everything’s fine’), the psalmist is
confident in God’s power to deliver.

Choose to trust Him: ‘But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart
rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been
good to me.’ (5–6). The lament is a journey to the point of renewing our
trust in God in the brokenness of our life.

The psalms of lament (eg. Psalms 10, 22 and 77) give us a prayer
language for dark times. They enable us to be honest with God about
what is happening to us and remind us that God has not abandoned us.
He is a God who is both sovereign and good.

‘Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from Him.’

32                  June Wordsearch Solution

                         The June Cryptogram Puzzle
                                Ephesians 6

   1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.2 Honour thy
   father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;3 That
   it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.4 And,
   ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the
                    Bible Quiz: The Trinity Solution

                          A3    B1    C4     D True

                        Answers. June Crossword
ACROSS: 1, Stop. 3, Call upon. 9, Regular. 10, Octet. 11, Inner. 12, Hudson.
14, Holy Communion. 17, Myself. 19, See to. 22, About. 23, Iterate. 24,
Monarchy. 25, Stet.
DOWN: 1, Straight. 2, Organ. 4, Abraham’s faith. 5, Lloyd. 6, Puteoli. 7,
Note. 8, Cleric. 13, Innocent. 15, Lay down. 16, Ussher. 18, Enter. 20, Enact.
21, Balm.

Easy Sudoku Solution
                         33

Medium Sudoku Solution

34                         Women of the Bible

This series has to come to an end we have over the past 3 years looked at
many of the women of the bible some better known than others . We end
the series with perhaps one of the most recognised woman of the bible

                           Eve – First Woman

     Eve means ‘life-bearer’. Eve is the Great Mother, Everywoman.

 Genesis 2:4b:25 and 3:1-24 In this section of the story, God creates Adam
but sees that there is something lacking.

‘So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept;
he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.’

So God created Eve, and completed the creation of the universe.

Eve is formed from the rib of Adam. They are of the same flesh and the
same bone. From the moment of creation neither man nor woman can be
complete without the other. Working together, they form the basic unit of
society, the family. The story recognizes that men’s and women’s lives
interlock so completely in economic and social matters, that neither can
survive without the other.
Eve and Adam are given a perfect world, but they are also given the power
of choosing, making decisions.

‘Eve, it seems, was even more creative (and therefore God-like?) than her
mate Adam. When a reptile in the Garden of Eden spoke to her, suggesting
she try something new, she was intrigued.’

One of the creatures in the Garden speaks to Eve, suggesting that God has
duped her. If she eats the fruit that has been forbidden to her she will gain
new understanding and wisdom — so profound that it will rival God’s.

Read Genesis 3:1-24

It is a dangerous choice, reminding us that the quest for knowledge 35
should always be balanced by wisdom. Eve will soon realize her mistake.

Because she has no experience of deceit, Eve believes the snake and
makes her choice, deciding to seek knowledge of good and evil rather than
be obedient. As humans, we continually test boundaries and try new ideas.
In the Genesis story woman as ‘life-giver’ is the one who initiates this
process. Adam eats the fruit without thinking or arguing. Like Eve, he
misuses his ability to make decisions, never pausing to consider the
consequences. Again, the quest for knowledge should go hand in hand
with careful judgment.

What is the story of Eve about?

Creation of the universe. This mythic story about Eve describes the crea-
tion of humanity and the universe. In a way it is similar to modern Sci-
ence, which searches for answers to the question of how the earth and
everything on it came to exist. In fact, science is now saying what the Bi-
ble has said for thousands of years: that at the beginning of time there was
a day without a yesterday…

The nature of God.
It asks questions like ‘What is ‘God’? What do we mean when we use the
term? OR What does it mean to be human? What are the best and worst
things about us? How are we made ‘in God’s image’?

  We will start a new Series next month “Who Was?” We will look at
         various characters from both new and old Testament

                 ********************************

                               Polite church

   “The congregation was wonderful,” said the minister after the Zoom
 service. “They were so polite that they even covered their mouths when
                             they yawned.”

36
        A message from Chief Education Officer for the
      Church of England The Revd Nigel Genders, writes:

With almost two months having passed since most pupils attended their
school building, it is clear that the risks surrounding Coronavirus cannot
and will not be quickly resolved. It is of paramount importance that
children’s education and all that schools offer can continue as fully and as
soon possible, while always balanced with the health risks that this may
entail.

As has been the case for many schools, Church of England schools have
remained open to the children of key workers and to vulnerable children,
with teachers working extremely hard to provide as much support as they
can for children who have come to school and those who have remained at
home during the lockdown.

However, remaining at home for a prolonged period will affect the
mental, spiritual, physical and social wellbeing of children. We are
particularly concerned about the impact on children from the most
disadvantaged families and the potential this has for a widening in the
attainment gap.

As parents and staff are concerned about both the feasibility and the
wisdom behind a phased return from the 1st June, we can be pleased that
the scientific evidence behind these proposals has been set out in order to
give confidence. The phased plan to bring back a limited number of year
groups initially will rely on ongoing monitoring to keep track of the situa-
tion.

It is right that schools themselves will decide how this phased return works
in practical terms. We will continue to work to support school leaders at a
local level as they move towards a phased reopening at the pace dictated by
local circumstances and the overarching science.

School staff are doing a wonderful job of continuing to provide educational
and pastoral support to students at a time of unprecedented challenges, and
we should continue to support and pray for them as they do so.

Romanian Raspberry and buttermilk tart                          37
   This tangy tart tastes even better after a night chilled in the fridge
           Ingredients                               Method
          For the pastry
200g/1½ cups plain (all-purpose)      1 )Preheat the oven to
   flour, plus extra for dusting      180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. In the
20g/scant ¼ cup ground almonds        bowl of a food processor combine
 110g/½ cup cold unsalted butter,     the flour, ground almonds and
               diced                  diced butter. Process until you
50g/scant ¼ cup caster (superfine)    have fine crumbs, then add the
               sugar                  sugar and mix briefly again.
            1 egg yolk
     1 tablespoon cold water             2) Next, add the egg yolk and wa-
                                         ter and pulse until you have some-
      For the buttermilk filling         thing resembling wet sand. Take
  284ml/scant 1¼ cups buttermilk the mixture and knead gently on a
           3 large egg yolks             lightly floured surface for 2 min-
60g/5 tablespoons soft brown sugar utes, until you have a dough. Then
  seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod chill it in the fridge, wrapped in
       270g/9½oz raspberries             cling film (plastic wrap), for at
least 30 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to fit a 23cm/9in
loose-based tart tin, leaving at least a spare 2.5cm/1in, in case of shrinkage.
(The dough is really delicate, so if you struggle rolling it out, try flouring a
sheet of baking paper and rolling out on that and then lifting and lowering
the rolled out pastry into the tin that way.) Prick the base with a fork to
avoid air bubbles. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with
baking beans/dried chickpeas and blind bake for15 minutes before removing
the parchment and beans and cooking for a further 10 minutes or until gold-
en. Once out of the oven, run a sharp knife along the edge, trimming the ex-
cess if it didn’t fall off on its own during the bake.
3)For the filling, very gently heat the buttermilk until warm, taking good
care that it doesn’t boil or it will curdle. Next, quickly whisk the egg yolks,
sugar and vanilla with the warm buttermilk. Place your raspberries in the tart
and slowly pour the filling over. Bake for around 30–40 minutes until the
filling is golden and cooked through.
Serve cool,

38   Childrens Page

Church Contacts                          39
Rev Richard Suffern The Rector St Margaret’s Church
Tel 01926 425070 Office 01926 337609
Email; revrwss@gmail.com

Rev Andy Shearn, 58, St. Fremund Way, Sydenham.
Tel. 01926 930552

Rev Steve Davies 167 Rugby Road Cubbington
Tel 01926 730045 E.mail davies1877@googlemail.com

Henry Jerwood Lay Reader Tel 07846 004498
Email: hjerwood@outlook.com

P.A.To Rector Barbara Stafford Tel 01926 330259
E mail ; barbarastafford953@gmail.com

Church Wardens

Adrian Barton .E mail Adrian.Barton1@ntlworld.com
Tel 07855372323

William Clemmey E mail william.clemmey@gmail.com
Tel 07922508913

Treasurer Lisa Fincken 07766222193 E mail
lafincken66@yahoo.com

 St Margaret’s Newsletter Anne Horsley
E mail; anne_horsley@btopenworld.com

Church Flowers Shirley Simms Tel 01926427165

Operations Manager Graham Howe Tel 01926 258292
E mail ; st.margc@gmail.com

St Margaret’s Centre and Finance Administrator Jagdeep Bahi
( Jay) Tel 01926 258292 E mail ; st.margc@gmail.com

Magazine Editor Tom Houghton Tel 01926 422126 Mobile
07932667340 E Mail tom470@btopenworld.com

For more information about
                                                       what’s on at St Margaret’s go to
                                                                 our web site
                                                       stmargaretschurchwhitnash.co.uk
                                                             The deadline for the
                                                          July/ August Edition of
                                                       St Margaret’s Parish Magazine
                                                           will be Friday 26th June
                                                            Contact The Editor at
                                                           01926422126 or E mail
Safeguarding St Margaret's Church takes the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults seriously. A copy of
the Parish Safeguarding statement can be found on the parish website https://stmargaretschurchwhitnash.co.uk .
If you have any concerns about safeguarding in the parish then contact the Rector or the Parish Safeguarding Of-
ficer William Clemmey - william.clemmey@gmail.com 07922508913 or our Deputy Safeguarding Officer Jean
Fisher jean.fisher46@btinternet.com All PCC members and Sunday School and youth leaders and staff are DBS
checked. As a PCC we have adopted the latest Parish Safeguarding Policy and have due regard to the House of
Bishops’guidance in relation to safeguarding. As a PCC we are currently working through the Parish Safeguard-
ing Action Plan to ensure that we are fully compliant with all current legislation.