Deeping St James Parish Church Magazine
Photographs of some parish events are available in our Photograph Album elsewhere on the site
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From the Vicar
During August our District Council will be consulting us about the location for a travellers' site, and a few of the identified possibilities are not far away, near Market Deeping. It is not for me to comment on the actual issues involved, other than to say that for Christians all political matters have to be weighed and pondered in the light of Christ's teaching and example, but the matter has brought to light some issues about the way we hold and engage in public debate and decision-making.
Let us look at what is having to be done. The district is required to provide more spaces than at present for the accomodation of travelling people - there are simply not enough pitches for the number of people living the nomadic life, which is why there are so many illegal camps, of course: the caravans exist and have to be parked somewhere. The present exercise is to identify where these pitches might be located and then to purchase the land and provide the necessary facilities. People are being invited to participate in the decision-making process by means of a form of public consultation. Some may have views on the effectiveness or otherwise of the way this is being done, but I am not trying to comment upon this.
Given that the travellers' site will go somewhere in the district, our Councillors will need to hear comments from us on where they might best place the site. Comments like, "We don't want it here," while possibly expressing a true sentiment from some, will not really help them make up their minds, because they are going to hear that comment from every town they consult! In order to have a really effective consultation, comments which suggest the suitability of one location over another are what the Council needs to hear, or some locations over some others. If all they get is a general hubbub of dissent then the consultation will have achieved very little. A simple remark that, for example, the proximity of Grantham and Stamford to the A1 gives them an advantage from the travellers' viewpoint over Bourne or the Deepings, will be much more helpful to our Councillors than several pages about house prices and crime which will sound exactly the same in all four towns! They do not need telling that a travellers' site will be unpopular: they already know this.
Councillors have to make some difficult decisions and do not get many thanks for some of them: please pray often for our councillors at parish, district and county level, and especially at this time for Ken, Ray and Bryan our District Councillors and their colleagues as they struggle with this important and difficult matter.
Readings for August
To see your reading in advance without having to mark your bible pages, you can copy your reference and paste it into oremus Bible Browser (or type in your reference) and print out the reading. The translation used in church is the New Revised Standard Version, which is the default version on oremus.
5th August, 9th Sunday after Trinity:
- Morning: Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 12-14; 2: 18-23; Colossians 3: 1-11; Luke 12: 13-21
12th August, 10th Sunday after Trinity:
- Morning: Genesis 15: 1-6 (08:00 only); Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16; Luke 12: 32-40
- 18:00: 2 Corinthians 1: 1-22; Mark 7: 24-30
19th August, 11th Sunday after Trinity:
- Morning: Jeremiah 23: 23-29; Hebrews 11: 29 - 12: 2; Luke 12: 49-56
26th August, 12th Sunday after Trinity:
- Morning: Isaiah 58: 9b-end; Hewbrews 12: 18-end; Luke 13: 10-17
Home Groups
- The Bible Study Group does not meet during August and will resume on Friday 7th September.
- House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way - Everyone welcome
Priory Prayer Group
Owing to circumstances, the Priory Prayer Group has, for the time being,
ceased its regular fortnightly meetings.
We must pray to our Lord that a way will be found for it to again provide
the parish with a power house of prayer.
Bernard Babb
Notices
The Alpha Course:
An invitation to supper!
A new session of the famous Alpha course is due to begin in Deeping St James on 21st September. If you would like to find out more about it, or if you would like to bring someone else who might like to find out more about it, then do come along to the Vicarage on Thursday 6th September at 7.30pm for a light supper and a video presentation about the course. It is all completely free of charge and without any obligation at all to go on and attend the course, and all are welcome but in order to enable us to provide the supper (and to move to a bigger venue if necessary!), please let us know you are coming. Just telephone or email with your name and some means of contacting you, and let us know of any special dietary requirements, and we'll look forward to seeing you.
If you are interested in the course but cannot attend the supper, please let the Vicar or Martin Fisher know so that we can give you more details separately.
Postage Stamps
Our charity stamp collecting has been kindly taken over by Paul Boswell. There will continue to be a box at the back of church but if you prefer or need to send them yourself, the address is:
Stamps for Evangelism 11 St John's Drive DERBY DE21 6SD
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Notes for the diary:
- Harvest Lunch & Auction 7th October.
- Memorial Service 4th November
- Remembrance Service 11th November
News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers
Our July module, 'Peter meets Jesus', enabled the children to explore Peter's experience of God's goodness and mercy as he took the decision to follow Jesus. We used our special pearly paints to decorate fish shapes - a reminder of Peter's previous occupation as he moved on from catching fish to becoming a 'fisher of men'. We led up to Peter's realisation that Jesus was more than an ordinary man by making biscuits (sheep, star, hands, heart, fish etc) which represented various incidents from the Gospels and working out for ourselves that Jesus must be God's son in order for them to have happened in the way that they did.
The last Sunday School Session of the academic year began in church with our annual Prizegiving. We then went to the church Hall and kept to our tradition of designing, making, and eating Knicker-bocker glories which get more ambitious every year! The rest of the session was spent playing with our new collection of outdoor toys and games, kindly donated by the Priory Church Coffee Group. The parachute has proved to be particularly versatile, and swing-ball, mini-croquet, hop-scotch and sticky mitts very popular. We were particularly pleased that some members of the group could come and join us at the end so that the children could thank them in person.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are involved in the planning and running of our Sunday morning sessions, including those members of the congregation who pray for us and who are so generous with their support when we appeal for sticky bits, mini-eggs, shiny paper, pretty buttons and food for the party! Have a lovely summer.
Explorers (7 - 11), Climbers (5 - 7) and Scramblers (under 5) are on holiday now but will meet again on Sunday 11th September at 9.50am in the Church Hall. New members are always welcome. Please contact Andrea (Climbers and Scramblers) on 344926 or Alison (Explorers) on 345890 for more details.
News From The Tower
The raffle for the fuchsias and other items proved to be a great success at this years Rose and Sweet Pea show. Thanks again to Peter Collins who grew and supplied the excellent Fuchsias. The "Belfry Golf Circles" also drew a fair number, considering the weather.
Trips up the bell tower were also very popular. One of the participants has joined us to learn how to ring the bells. If anybody else would like to come on a Friday evening at 7.30 and find out what goes on, then they will be made most welcome.
Our annual barbeque was held on the 14th July and it was attended by some 20 ringers and their guests who had a very enjoyable time. The weather was exceptionally mild and dry compared with the month of June. Other social events are already in the pipeline.
BISHOP'S LETTER
By the Bishop of Grimsby, the Rt Revd David Rossdale
The rain storms which visited our region at the end of June left in their wake not only physical damage, but also much grief and heartache. The Look North weatherman, Paul Hudson, commented that this is "climate change weather" - not just unusually bad weather, but signs of fundamental change going on across our planet.
We glimpsed the reality of climate change and we are going to have to learn how to respond to new patterns of weather. I am still surprised to meet people who want to deny the science and evidence about global warming. People who readily accept the science which lies behind their mobile phones, their televisions, their healthcare and many other facets of our modern life which depend on the technology developed from the work of scientists. Yet in the key and crucial area relating to the effects of global warming they want to reject what is now the overwhelming conclusion of the scientists.
The torrential rain and consequent floods reminded us of our impotence when the full force of nature is released. The trouble is that we have become so addicted to a particular way of life that we find it difficult to imagine how we are going to cope with different patterns of weather and more extremes of the natural forces. Part of our addiction to modern life is a misplaced confidence that science and technology will solve our problems. Such confidence is folly for ultimately it will be the human spirit which will determine how we engage with the challenge of global warming and climate change.
It has been that spirit which has enabled the human race to struggle through the evolutionary processes to become what we are. Science and technology can do little to enrich the human spirit; it will only be by recovering those spiritual qualities which thirst for peace, which lead to generosity and which enable communities to be strong that we will rise to the challenges which lie ahead. Such spiritual qualities were well described by the prophet Micah who many hundreds of years ago suggested to a community which had lost its way to "do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God". As we face a challenging future, those who walk with the risen Christ will serve the world best by living out the prophet's wisdom.
+David Grimsby
COOKING WITH MARGARET
Butterflied Chicken with Pesto Cream.
- 2 Skinless Chicken breasts (sliced in half horizontally, not all the way through, then opened out like a book and gently rolled to flatten)
- Olive Oil,
- 2 tbsp pesto,
- 3 tbsp half fat crème fraîche,
- Watercress to serve,
- Cherry tomatoes to serve.
Heat a griddle (char-grill) pan. Brush the chicken with a little olive oil and season well. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until grill marked and cooked through. Mix the pesto and crème fraîche. Serve the chicken with the salad and the pesto cream.
Registers for June
BAPTISMS: We welcome to the Lord's family:
- 10th Molly Eve Brown 8 Meadow Road, Market Deeping
- 10th Harrison Frank Joseph Murphy 54 Rycroft Avenue
- 10th Hoah Thomas Ernest Smitheringale 37 The Brambles
FUNERALS: We commend to God's keeping:
- 5th at Peterborough Crematorium: Peter Barry Carr (60)
- 6th Lily Elizabeth Blessett (99)
- 28th at Peterborough Crematorium: Susan Forbes Barker (54)
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