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Thursday 25th July is St James's Day, the patronal festival of our church and our village. In many villages not far away to our south, the village Feast Day is marked by processions and parties as well as worship, but here in Deeping St James we simply have the worship, a Sung Eucharist at 7.30pm, to which all are very welcome. We seem to have lost the will to celebrate. The village has many special events in the spring and summer, all well worthwhile, but all held for their own sakes on arbitrarily selected dates rather than chosen to mark something worth remembering. How long is it since the Carnival was held on the weekend before Ash Wednesday, a last fling before Lent, for example? The disengagement of the community diary from Christian calendar makes it so much more difficult to celebrate Christian festivals effectively, and St James, who gives the village its identity, just passes by most people. This year there is even a Parish Council meeting on St James's Day, and one councillor at least will be in church instead!
So who is St James, and why is he worth remembering in the name of our village? He was one of Jesus' closest disciples who, along with his brother John and their colleague Simon Peter, was present at all of the highly significant points in Jesus' ministry, such as the Transfiguration, for example. A willing follower who immediately acted on our Lord's invitation to leave everything and follow him, James was eventually put to death for his faith. He sets us an example of firm faith and close discipleship and ecourages us when times are difficult.
May I encourage everyone to come along on his feast day, 25th July, at 7.30pm to thank God for James's example and fellowship and to celebrate the life of our church and community? For those who prefer, there will also be a simple Eucharist at 9.30am as usual on a Thursday.
Photographs are now available in our new on-line album at www.dsj.org.uk/album
Don't forget
Our Grand Jubilee Musical Evening
on the Vicarage Lawn
Saturday 13th July
Tickets available from Bill Flegg
The Church Hall is available for hire for suitable events and meetings For bookings please contact Bill Flegg on 347197
The three Sundays a collection plate was put out for money to be given to help our fellow Christians living in the Holy Land amounted to £112.35. Thank you all for your generous support.
Bet and Bernard
Dear Friends,
Last month at long last we were able to send to Lincoln our first payment towards this year's Parish Share having paid for the church insurance premium during March. However, the payment that we made (£8000) was some £3324 short of the amount due for this period, and at this stage it looks as though there will be a shortfall for 2002 as a whole.
In order to reduce this shortfall as much as possible I would urge anyone who is not already doing so to make regular committed giving under the Gift Aid system. By using Gift Aid it is possible for us to claim an amount equal to almost one third of our annual planned giving.
I would also be grateful if you would hold the situation in your prayers for the coming months.
Yours in Christ,
Simon Marshall.
Hon. Treasurer.
Volunteers are always welcome to help in the running of the church, so we would be very pleased to hear from you.
Replies may still be placed in the box at the back of church. (as soon as possible please)
If you haven't received a form they are still available in church.
Please find below an e-mail from the recently retired superintendent of Belgaum Leprosy Hospital. You will note that he sends his regards to you all. You will also note that a new superintendent, Dr Varghese, has been appointed, and the wonderful news that a house is being built for Vishwas Mane (university student) and his family. Thank you for your prayers - God has surely answered them.
It would be good if Dr Joseph could stay in Belgaum and continue to work with leprosy sufferers while representing donor churches in USA. Please pray that this can happen. Thank you so much for all your wonderful support: it has meant so much to the staff and patients. Please keep it up.
Wishing you all God's blessings.
David Bryan
Dear Mr David
Sorry for not replying you while in TLM Belgaum. The reason being a very busy schedule and handing over charge to new superintendent, Dr Varghese. Please convey my regards to all the churches who co-operated wonderfully during my tenure in TLM Belgaum under your able leadership and I'm sure they will continue to support.
Presently I'm staying in Belgaum for 2 months and then shift to my home town. We have helped Vishwas and family and now they are in the process of construction of new house.
Leprosy affected people of Belgaum are asking me not to leave Belgaum and continue to help them outside TLM for which I'm thinking as I have contact with some donor agencies in America.
Please pray for me and my family.
With best wishes
Dr. V. K. Joseph
Patron Her Majesty The Queen President Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Chairman of the Council DK Newbigging QBE Chairman of the Executive Committee FM Everani CBE Secretary General The Rev Canon Bill Christianson
SOME seafarers are living isolated and lonely lives just like prisoners - but they have not committed a crime, says The Mission to Seafarers Dubai port chaplain Stephen Miller.
The former West Midlands vicar believes that the hardship endured by seafarers from the developing world means they, too, are like inmates. Stephen highlights their plight to show why they need our prayers, and the spiritual and practical support provided by the Mission.
We can all remember seafarers on Sea Sunday when the Church prays for seafarers, their families and those who minister to them. This year Sea Sunday is July 14.
Stephen met one seafarer whose lifestyle prompted the prisoner comparison. "This seafarer is serving a year-long contract and might get home after ten months. His ship is in port just 18 hours to load and unload cargo. As deck officer he must be on duty during this period, so there is never any opportunity for shore leave
Contact with home is made by a visit from the seafarers' missions who supply a phone card and possibly the use of a cell phone. He receives mail when it catches up with the ship.
"His life is not untypical of seafarers from developing countries, where labour is cheaper and where living conditions are much poorer. Often they are expected to sign on for long contractual periods, with a wage that many in the west would not accept. They often go for long periods without shore leave and without talking to their families and friends.
"Their isolation and loneliness can be similar to that experienced by a prisoner, and yet they have committed no crime. They go to sea to provide food and a better standard of living for their families, which is not possible with work at home."
The Mission to Seafarers and its kindred societies, the Apostleship of the Sea (Roman Catholic) and the British & International Sailors' Society (interdenominational), jointly organise Sea Sunday to acknowledge and recognise the contribution of seafarers.
The Mission to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen) is a missionary society of the Anglican Church. It cares for the practical and spiritual welfare of seafarers of all races and creeds in 300 ports throughout the world. Working through a network of chaplains and staff, on average each year it makes 91,000 ship visits, welcomes 849,000 seafarers to its centres, visits 1,300 seafarers in hospital and helps in more than 1,000 justice and welfare cases.
May and June started well with general ringing and the new learners are all progressing very well.
We have rung for several weddings over the past months.
On June 4th a quarter peal of Bob Doubles were rung to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. This took some 55 minutes to complete and the participants were:-
Treble Susan Muspratt Second Jim Haw Third Brenda Vaus Fourth Hilary Gentle Fifth Richard Muspratt Tenor Mike Gentle
I'm lost for words this month as I'm not too keen on gooseberries but I know
that I am in the minority
Dave
Serves 4-6
Set oven at 425°F/220 °C/Gas Mark 7.
Line a greased 8 inch flan tin with pastry and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375°F/190 °C/Gas Mark 5.
Pack gooseberries in pastry case as closely as possible standing them end up. Beat egg yolks lightly with sugar and cream and pour over gooseberries. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
We welcome to the Lord's family:
We congratulate:
This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.
Copyright © 2002 Deeping St James PCC