I was particularly interested because the season of Epiphany, almost at an end, is about recognizing God in the world and recognizing His call to us. One of the readings for Sunday evensong that week was God’s call to the child Samuel – do you remember? Samuel was woken by a voice calling his name and thought his mentor, Eli, was calling – this happened three times before Eli told Samuel that if it happened again he should say ‘Speak Lord, for your servant hears.’ Eli recognized that the voice came from God (either that or he just got fed up with Samuel waking him up!) It occurred to me that if God tried to call us by name now His voice would be drowned out by the ringing of mobiles or the chirruping of Skype or a text message as someone else tried to get in touch.

I preached about this on that Sunday evening – a portion of the sermon I reproduce below

‘In the church of St Lawrence Jewry there was recognition of how things are now – and a recognition that all creation comes from God and has the potential to be used wisely and well. Just like a plough – used properly a great implement – in the wrong hands and in the wrong place it could wreak havoc and devastation!

From this evening’s lessons we learn that God calls us to do his work – but if we sit around waiting for voices in the night we may wait a long time - they may come of course for God moves in mysterious ways. With that in mind, we should not under estimate the power of God to use the most up to date means at His disposal. Our responsibility is not to be so busy clogging the air waves with our own agenda that we do not wait to listen to the message’

It may be that God calls us to do His work through the voice of someone we know well – or by a text message from a friend, for Keeping Lent example – the important thing is to be so aware of God in all we do that we don’t miss the message.

As we leave the season of Epiphany we approach Lent – a time of preparation for the great festival of Easter. What better way to keep Lent than by trying to open ourselves to God – to seek His will for our lives and to ask for grace and courage to follow His will wherever that may lead us.

Yours in Christ

Jo

The next coffee morning will be at 10:15am , Saturday 13th February at The Old Rectory, by kind invitation of Hans and Katie Knowles. There will be a bring and buy stall for which contributions of cakes would be very welcome. In spite of the weather, (or maybe because of it!) last months coffee morning was a very enjoyable event which raised £204 towards church funds. A big thank you to Rod and Carol Petty for opening their home on such a day, and to everyone who braved the ice to attend!

The flower rota for 2010 has been up in the church porch since the beginning of the year, but is still looking rather empty. Please sign up if you can. We would welcome new helpers, previous experience is not necessary. If you would like to ‘have a go’ but feel unsure, have a word with Ann Claypole White 881661, she will be pleased to help you.

Generosity is giving up what you could use yourself.

Will it be chocolate, or alcohol, or crisps – or like me, nothing?

I do give up things for Lent, the discipline is good – but I then feel so self righteous it spoils the effort! I do try to do something more, however. I try to read a Lent book and certainly to go to a Study Group. I also try to spend more time quietly ‘Waiting on God’.

Have you decided what you will do to mark Lent and prepare for the most solemn and then the most joyful time of the church’s year?

I offer some suggestions.

1. Start with the Ash Wednesday Service – 17th February at 8.00pm

2. In the Diocese we are running a course called ‘Challenge’. If you have a computer you can download a verse from the Bible every day. The idea is that you read it, try to learn it and then live by the message it gives. If you don’t have a computer, I can give you the verses to read so that you can still take part.

3. Part of the ‘Challenge’ is a Lent study course using the Bible readings for the Sundays ahead. I have read this and we are debating whether to use it as our main Study course with our friends from Turvey Abbey. It seems to me, however, that this is could be equally well done in the quiet of one’s own home. Certainly if a general Study Group is not for you, it would be an ideal way to join the Diocesan effort.

4. Join our Study Group with our friends at Turvey Abbey. These will again be on Monday afternoons and evenings at 2.30pm and 7.00pm. They will start on 22nd February and we shall meet for five sessions ending on March 22nd.

5. Read a Lent book. I have some suggestions and there are reviews of some of the most recently published books at the back of church. I also have books I could lend.

6. Try to be regular in daily prayer, sparing time just to be quiet.

Look for the information leaflets and lists at the back of the church if you want more details of any of these things or just ask!

Jo Spray

A willingness to seek God’s will for our lives

The people of Haiti and those charged with helping them

All places where people suffer hardship and deprivation

How do I grow in faith this lent

How do I look within to see what I need to be aware of and change

I will sit with God and see what we come up with

Such a great time to realize the truth about myself

But with love and awareness of God being with me

Yes, a little scary

Not knowing what I will find

Yet necessary to be totally honest with myself and God

So, welcome to lent

Welcome to the soul searching that will lead to a glorious Easter!

From the reign of Edward III to that of Mary Tudor, monarchs used to bless a plateful of gold and silver rings every Good Friday at The Royal Chapel, within St. James’s Palace. By rubbing the rings between their fingers, the royal touch was believed to cure cramp and epilepsy. The custom was abolished during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Hot Cross Buns Ceremony - knowledgeoflondon.com/pubs.html

The widow’s son was due back in London on Good Friday. His mother had made some hot cross buns to welcome him home to their cottage in Bow. He never did make it and was never seen again. Every Easter she made a special bun hoping for her sons return. He never came back and by 1848 the widow had died and the cottage became a pub, taking the name "The Widow’s Son" to remember a mother grief. Every Good Friday a sailor adds a new bun to the collection which now hang from the pub ceiling. Sailors from around Britain come to pay respects to the widow and her son and hold a religious service followed by singing and drinking.

God’s Will for our lives Cindy Woods

We as Christians sometimes find it difficult to determine God’s will for our lives. We have to make sure our heart is to do his will and seek Him by taking time to listen for that small voice of the Holy Spirit. God chooses to reveal His plans for us in many ways. You may find your purpose is caring for a sick relative, joining a bible study group, helping out with disabled children etc. If we are wise we will grasp these responsibilities that God has given us no matter how mundane or disagreeable they may seem, in doing so we follow God’s will for our lives. He want us to have a close relationship with Him, spending time praying and trusting that He will stop us if we are going in the wrong direction.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths"

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Remember my affliction and my wandering…

And my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

And therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love

We are not consumed.

For his compassion never fails.

They are new every morning

Great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV

Anthony was born in Bedford or to be more exact at home on the Bromham Road. His father worked in the family business (a wholesale distribution centre for Newspapers) that his Grandfather had started. While his father was away in the war his mother ran the business. She had come from the Dudeney family who had a chain of grocery stores, one of which was in Bedford High Street. His father, now in his 90’s, lives in Australia. Anthony has two sisters, one lives in Australia with her family and the other lives in Putney with her family. Anthony went to the local schools finishing up at Bedford School. After school he did his Trade Training in Nottingham and then went on to do his National Service, On his return he did a six month refresher course before joining the family business, this ceased trading about fifteen years ago.

Sheila was born and brought up in Stony Stratford, her father was an electrical engineer and her mother stayed at home to look after her and her brother (now an engineer). Her mother was a great Needlewoman and sewed and embroidered many things (including wedding dresses) for friends and family. Sheila says her hands were never idle she always had something on the go. Sheila went to school locally and then attended the convent in Northampton (sadly no longer there as it was such a beautiful building with many acres of lovely grounds) until leaving school. She then went to work for a bank before becoming a PA to a small company which dealt in computerisation of the motor Industry. She married a farmer and set up home in Lathbury before moving to Huntingdon. They have four children, the eldest is an interior designer who lives in Ashwell, the second daughter is a mother and runs a catering business in North Yorkshire, the third daughter is a mother with two children and lives in London and her son lives and works in Geneva trading in oil seeds and bio fuels.

Anthony married his first wife Diana and set up home in Biddenham until sadly Diana died in 2001. They had two children, his daughter is married to a lawyer and lives in Streatham and his son is married and is a communications Architect and lives in Berkhampstead. Sheila and Diana had been friends for many years and worked together on several Charity organisations but it was not until a chance meeting at a bridge group that Anthony and Sheila got to know each other again. The rest is history, they married in June 2006, with a blessing at St Pauls in Bedford and a reception at Chantry House completing the purchase ten days before the wedding! They moved in in the November of that year and have since done a lot of work on the property to make it something special for them both. Sheila was living in Buckden, Cambridgeshire and Anthony was still living in Biddenham when they sold their respective houses and bought Chantry House, they both say they love living in Turvey. Amazingly a few months ago Sheila found she had family connections with Turvey through the Impey family who have been recorded as donating to the poor in the village in the 17th century.

Anthony has been involved with St Pauls for many years and was Church Warden for five years and is a Deputy church warden, he tells me he is only doing one more year. Where have we heard this before! He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and that is one of the reasons the couple decided to stay in the County. Anthony was in Round Table and is a current Rotarian and chairman of two charitable trusts. He also was involved with the Harpur Trust being a governor for fifteen years He was chairman of the Governors at Dame Alice Harpur School and Bedford Modern School during this period. Anthony loves gardening and playing golf and says he was a keen rower in his younger days.

Shelia says she is happy playing housewife and loves cooking and gardening, and they both play social bridge with friends, not to mention the extended family of six children and twelve grandchildren which keep them both busy! I am told Anthony loves nothing more than planning holidays! They are returning to Zimbabwe to see how a mission school they are supporting through Rotary is progressing, there are 700 children in the school! I am told the children are all immaculately turned out for school and keen to learn despite the hardships they face.

The charity does not end there, they are hosting an event this coming June to raise money for FAST to help with church repairs. Watch this space as I am told it will be a wonderfully entertaining event for all.

Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. The last words from the cross. The bible quotes seven last sentences that Jesus spoke from the cross.

Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34

Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

Woman, here is your son...here is your mother. John 19:26

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? (my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Mark 15:34

I am thirsty. John 19:28

It is finished. John 19:30

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23:46