The Seder meal that celebrates the Jewish Festival of Passover is full of symbolism. One particular custom is to leave a place set at the table for the prophet Elijah. Jewish teaching has it that Elijah will return in person to herald the imminent arrival of the Messiah, so it is important that when he does return he is made welcome. This tradition is echoed in some of the German states at Christmas time – and maybe in other places too. Legend has it that the Christ child walks the earth on Christmas Eve looking for somewhere to lay his head. The main meal of Christmas takes place on Christmas Eve and an extra place is always laid at the table - any stranger who comes to the house is made welcome and invited to the family meal, for who knows, to turn away a stranger may be to turn away Our Lord.

I was reminded of this custom at our Harvest Supper. A face I did not recognize looked in through the door of the Village Hall, then the face went. About five minutes later the face reappeared, this time accompanied by a body, and talked to Sandra Nightingale who was in charge of catering. An extra place was found and we were delighted to have the company of a fellow Christian who was visiting from Oxfordshire. His wife was on a course at Turvey Abbey, and he said he preferred to share our Harvest with us sooner than sit alone all evening in the pub. It was a joy to see how he was welcomed to share good food and fellowship with us.

Welcoming the stranger is an essential part of the Christian tradition – and in our church I think we do it well. Indeed, I think Turvey is an exceptional place for making new comers feel at home. Our Sidesmen and Women are brilliant – they welcome everyone with a smile and an appropriate remark, just as it should be.

I am concerned, however, that after the warm welcome at the door, members of the congregation, whether newcomers or not, should find peace and quiet in the main body of the church so that those who wish to say private prayers or have a period of contemplation prior to the start of the service may do so undisturbed and undistracted.

Similarly, the Postlude, the piece of music played at the end of the service is really part of the service and it is therefore appropriate to observe the quiet until that has finished. Welcome and fellowship are a hugely important part of Christian ministry, but perhaps it would be a courtesy to our fellow worshippers to save chatter, family news and business discussions until after the end of the service.

Yours in Christ

Jo Spray

All who suffer as a result of war

Those who serve in our armed forces and their families

The work of the Royal British Legion

Remembrance Day this year actually falls on 11th November, the day when the Armistice that brought an end to the fighting in what we now call the First World War was signed. We shall hold our Service of Remembrance as usual on that day. We begin at the cross outside the church where the names of those lost from this village are recorded. After the wreath laying, we shall go into church for the Service of Remembrance. We shall keep the silence in church at 11.00am, together with those at other services and war memorials all over the world. The service begins at the cross at 10.40am, but should it be a bad day, or should you feel unable to stand outdoors, do go into church and wait for us there, or join us to go into church at about 10.50am.

On the evening of Remembrance Day, at 6.00pm we shall have a service of Holy Communion according to the book of Common Prayer at which the names of all those on our parish Chantry List will be read. This recalls all whom we have known and loved; regular worshippers at our church in the past, those whose funerals have taken place in Turvey in recent months and years and family members of our present congregation who have died. The list is available at the back of church. If you would like someone remembered who is not on the list, please add his or her name at the bottom. During the service there will be opportunity to light candles in memory of all whom we have remembered. If you would like to know more about this, please telephone me at 01234 881312

Jo Spray

7 days without God makes one weak.

A woman was asked by a co-worker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The co-worker replied "It is like being a pumpkin". God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate and greed. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it’s your turn to pass it to other pumpkins. I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

The next coffee morning will be hosted by Rod and Carol Petty at Grove Farm House 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, 10th November. Please come, support and enjoy our last coffee morning for this year. Many thanks to Hans and Katy Knowles and their girls for hosting such a lovely coffee morning at the Old Rectory. We all enjoyed it and raised an incredible £300 for church funds.

Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in the USA in the autumn of 1621. The pilgrims who had landed on the east coast in November, 1620 endured a dangerous Atlantic crossing and were too late to plant crops to sustain them through the winter. Many died as a result of the hard winter and lack of food. In the spring the survivors planted seeds which were harvested that autumn. The Governor of Plymouth Colony called for a day of thanksgiving and prayer. Turkey was eaten as the wild birds were plentiful and easy to capture, this is still the traditional offering. Canadian thanksgiving is a blend of the American tradition and that of the English Harvest Festival. Many countries and cultures have thanksgiving feasts or ceremonies, some of which extend back through countless generations.

Our Harvest Supper raised £583 and the Harvest Auction raised £372 plus an anonymous donation of £120 to pay for 6 months education for the little boy in Kenya, Jack, who is being sponsored by Turvey Lower School.

Polly was born in Great Yarmouth to parents who had a Hotel called the Imperial. She has two brothers and two sisters and one brother now runs the Hotel as her parents have recently retired. Dad was the Chef and as Polly says is still a good cook, lucky Mum.

Polly’s parents still live in Great Yarmouth and attend church there, they also like to come to All Saints when they are visiting Turvey. Polly went to the local schools until the age of sixteen. At 16 Polly went to St. Edwards in Oxford to study ‘A’ levels. After leaving school she went to University at Royal Holloway, which is part of London University. She studied music and psychology and then went on to the University of East Anglia to do a PGCE (post Graduate Certificate in Education) specializing in music. Apart from about 18 months she has been teaching ever since. Polly now teaches music at Harrold Priory Middle School and enjoys her job.

Polly met her husband John on a girls night out in London! He was on a night out too! When they had known each other for six months Polly took a year off work and travelled with John who was producing a game show for television called "In The Dark". Polly and John had a marriage blessing in Turvey Church on March 11th 2000 when John Camp was here. They are blessed with two children, Alice now nine and Oliver who is four. They have both attended Little Lights and Oliver still goes when he can. Alice is at Harrold school and is really enjoying year 5. Oliver will start Turvey Lower school in January.

Surprise, surprise when I asked Polly what her hobbies were, music of course, she plays the bassoon and the piano. And when she is not playing music she is at the farm. The family have what they call a hobby farm in Stevington. They have sheep, chickens and geese and when the foot and mouth restrictions are lifted the are getting two Kune Kune pigs (originally bred in New Zealand). They started off with four sheep and it escalated from there. Polly has got part of the field as an allotment which she is in charge of and grows lots of vegetables and fruit.

Polly tells me that although she was not brought up to attend church she made the decision to come to church as an adult and was confirmed at All Saints two Christmases ago and is a regular attendee along with the children and while John does not come so often because of work commitments he is also a Christian and supports Polly and the children with their church activities. Alice is now a member of the choir, she must take after her mother in the music stakes.

Polly used to run the Little Lights with Sarah Beecham and is organizing the Nativity for the third year running. The Nativity will be during the Crib service on Christmas Eve and this year there will be simple Bible Readings with music and a tableaux. Well done Polly for getting the children interested, and I hope we see many more Nativity Plays in the future.

Some weeks ago my wife and myself arranged to meet our family for lunch at the small South-Bedfordshire village of Milton Bryan, situated just off the A4012 Woburn to Hockliffe Road. After lunch we decided on a walk in the village, strolling along a small country lane we came to a picturesque village duck pond where there was a seat with a plaque, on the plaque was the following inscription: "This plaque is to commemorate the Millennium 2000 and the site of the former Methodist chapel. The Chapel on the Pond 1861—1981, placed on stilts on the edge of the village pond. This was a timber chapel with a slated roof, which at a squash could seat up to 50 people, the interior was very simple and austere. During its life the chapel was maintained meticulously with loving care by the villagers who ensured that the pews were kept polished and the wooden floor scrubbed white. Very often, the sound of ducks under the chapel accompanied many worthy sermons and hymn singing. Many happy memories of this chapel and the spirit of departed generations are held by families in the village".

"And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters".

I felt that there must be a story behind this chapel on stilts and some days later I went back to the village to find out more. Fortunately I found a lady who had lived in the village for many years and who knew the history of the chapel. This is what she told me:- In the early part of the 19th century the local Methodists worshipped in each others houses. By the middle of the century they wished to erect their own church. This was at the time when many other Methodist churches were being built around the country, and they asked the local landowner for a piece of land for a site, unfortunately he was not at all sympathetic to nonconformists and refused to help. Years before the village pond had been donated to the villagers, and the Methodists, determined not to be beaten, built their wooden church mainly over the pond and it opened in 1861. The church continued to thrive for over a century. My informant told me that their hymn singing was done with such gusto that the tunes could be heard over the fields a long way away. Unfortunately by the 1970’s the attendance had started to diminish and by 1981 the Chapel on the Pond finally closed.

The Christmas Market and Bazaar will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 1st December in the morning, followed by lunch in the Manor Room. If you have any suggestions for different stalls or attractions and are able to help in any way, please contact Pat 881281 or Gill 720615

Celia Hanbury has given a donation to the church of £1,000, similar donations have been made to the Army Benevolent fund and an animal Charity. In addition to that, £1,255.13 has been sent to McMillan cancer charities for use locally, this sum was raised by the coffee morning plus additional donations. Wow! Thank you so much Celia for all your hard work to make to the Christmas Market a huge success, and a big thank you to all who helped and supported the event.

Our Patronal festival, All Saints Day, falls on a Thursday this year – but we have decided, for a number of reasons, to keep the feast on the nearest Sunday, 4th November. There will be a Parish Eucharist at 11.00am, followed by a Bring and Share Lunch in church. If you have not already done so, please sign the list at the back of church and join us to celebrate All Saints.

All Saints’ Day In Christianity, a day commemorating all the saints of the church, known and unknown. It is celebrated on November 1st in the Western churches and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Eastern churches. The first general observance of All Saints’ Day was ordered by Pope Gregory 1V in 837. In medieval England the festival was called All Hallows, and its eve is still known as Halloween.

The Dentist’s hymn Crown him with many Crowns

The Contractor’s hymn The Church’s one Foundation

The Golfer’s hymn There is a green hill far away

The Tailor’s hymn Holy, Holy, Holy

The Politician’s hymn Standing on the Promises

The Optician’s hymn Open my eyes that I may see

The Gossiper’s hymn Pass it on

The Electrician’s hymn Send the Light

The Weatherman’s hymn There shall be Showers of Blessing

If you must Speed on the Motorway, sing these hymns loudly

At 45 MPH God will take care of me

At 55MPH Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah

At 65 MPH Nearer My God to Thee

At 75 MPH Nearer Still Nearer

At 85 MPH This World is Not my Home

At 96 MPH Lord, I’m Coming Home

At 100 PMH Precious Memories

A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, when the shaking driver said "I’m sorry but you scared the daylights out of me". The frightened passenger apologised to the driver and said he didn’t realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much. The driver replied, "No, no, I’m sorry, it’s entirely my fault, today is my first day driving a cab, I’ve been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."

Once again we are pleased to welcome Cantamus to All Saints on Saturday 8th December when they will be entertaining us with a varied programme of music and readings for Advent and Christmas. The Programme will include "Messe de Minuit" by Charpentier and Poulenc’s Christmas Motets as well as more well known pieces. During the interval, mulled wine and mince pies will be served.

Those of you who have heard them in previous years know how entertaining they are, and we are grateful to Gary Mudd, their conductor and all the choir (including our own organist and choirmaster, Paul Edwards) who give so generously of their time. Those of you who haven’t experienced them should make a note in your diaries and bring all your friends. Tickets will be on sale in the village and from the Central Box Office, Bedford Corn Exchange at £7 each to include mulled wine etc. It will be a good evening and get you into the spirit of Christmas, so hurry on down!! For further information telephone 01234 881619.

We have recently lost three valuable members from our cleaning rota and desperately need some more volunteers. Janet and David Seaton and Hazel Hobbs have cleaned the pews in the main aisle on the right hand side for many years. We thank them for all their hard work and dedication. We all appreciate a clean and tidy church, but it’s a big building and we only have a small team. Please get in touch with Nancy 881492 or Gill 720615 if you can help.