Newsletter

From Albert

I’m going up to the Spirit in the Sky
That’s where I’m gonna go when I die;
When I die and they lay me to rest,
I’m gonna go to the place that’s the best.

I’ve never been a sinner, never sinned;
I’ve got a friend in Jesus
And I know that when I die,
He’s gonna recommend me
to the Spirit in the Sky.

It’s a catchy song, the words are very positive, and most of the lyrics fit in with Christian belief  (except, of course for the never sinned bit; it’s because we are sinners that we need a
recommendation from Jesus!).
No-one would call it a work of art, but as Noel Coward said, it is extraordinary how potent cheap music can be.

It got me thinking about other pop songs that proclaim the Christian faith.
Kris Kristofferson wrote:

Why me, Lord, what I ever done
To deserve even one of the treasures I’ve known?
Why me, Lord, what did I ever do
That was worth of love of you
And the kindness you’ve shown?


Sixties rocker Larry Norman looked at the
Bible’s view of rapture:
Life was filled with guns and war,
And everything was trampled on the floor;
I wish we’d all been ready.
Two men walking up a hill,
One disappears and one’s left standing still;
I wish we’d all been ready
There’s no time to change your mind,
The Son has come, and you’ve been left behind.
There’s a country song that goes like this:
One day at a time, sweet Jesus,
That’s all I’m asking of you.
Help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

They are all fairly simple ideas, but it’s god to know that sometimes even the world of popular music can find some inspiration in Christian thought.

To finish with, you might like to wrestle with something a little more complex. What do you make of this verse from a Leonard Cohen song ?:

Jesus was a sailor
when he walked across the water
And he spent a long time watching
from his lonely wooden tower
And just when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him,
He said all men must be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them,
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open,
Forsaken, almost human,
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.


Thought for the month...from Pam

Calling all ladies!

Our women’s breakfasts begin again on
Saturday March 27th at 9 a.m.
Please confirm with me if you want a lift.

At our first meeting we will be discussing the future, so if you have any thoughts about what you would enjoy, please tell us.
There will be a chance to catch up with what’s been happening to everyone since we last met.....any funny Christmas stories?

If you haven’t been before, let me offer you
a personal invitation to join us in good food and good company.

The dates for the rest of the year are:
April 24th
June 5th
June 26th,
July 31st
September 25th
October 30th
December 11th

Put them in your diary now!


Holy  Week......
......begins this year at the end of March, and we will be following the usual practice of marking each day with worship and prayer.
As ever, there will be MORNING PRAYER every day at 9 a.m., and some might feel that this is a good way of starting the day in Holy Week.

From Monday-Wednesday, the last three days in March, there will be a short  (no preaching) Holy Communion service at 7 p.m.
On MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 1st at 7 p.m., we will get together for a simple supper and Eucharist to mark the Last Supper and the
institution of Holy Communion.  
Then, at 9 p.m. There will be an hour of
Meditation and prayer.
On GOOD FRIDAY many of us will attend the Walk of Witness in the Town Centre, then gather at St. Stephen’s for the
Good Friday service at 2 p.m.



Snippets.
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married?
A. Ruthless
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.
Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.