Priory News, June 2008

Deeping St James Parish Church Magazine

Photographs of some parish events are available in our Photograph Album elsewhere on the site

To:

• Scripture readings for Sunday
• Archive of past editions of Priory News
• Cooking with Margaret

June at last! Warm weather (hopefully), sitting in the garden (mostly on the mower), cricket commentary (or lawn mower engines) as the sound-track to daily life, and, most of all, the Rose & Sweet Pea Show and Garden Fete!! In the printed edition of Priory News you will find the brochure giving the class lists for the horticultural show and the arena programme for the fete, also available online by following the "pink link" on the left. The date is 28th June and the gates open at 1pm so that you can have your lunch here at Tim's Diner, with your drink at the Vicar's Arms - tea and cakes available after the crowning of this year's Rose Queen. All the usual attractions.

The show is, in its origins at least, a fund-raising event, but it has become over the years a central part of village life to which many, many people look forward. It is a real tradition for our parish which draws people together and so helps to build community, and it is also, in a small way, a celebration of God's creativity and the creative spirit he has given us. Whether in working with him in growing food or arranging flowers, or in craftwork or dance or gymnastics, or even in simply being with each other in the joy of human company, we are participating in the life of God himself, whether we perceive it or not.

I look forward to seeing many there and hope you will all be blessed by your participation.

Mark

To see your reading in advance without having to mark your bible pages, you can select and 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.

1st June, 2nd Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Deuteronomy 11: 18-21, 26-28; Romans 1: 16, 17; 3: 22b-28; Matthew 7: 21-end
• 18:00: Ruth 2: 1-20a; Luke 8: 4-15

8th June, 3rd Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Hosea 5: 15 - 6: 6 (08:00 only); Romans 4: 13-end; Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26
• 18:00: 1 Samuel 18: 1-16; Luke 8: 41-end

15th June, 4th Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Exodus 19: 2-8a; Romans 5: 1-8; Matthew 9: 35 - 10: 8

22nd June, 5th Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Jeremiah 20: 7-13; Romans 6: 1b-11; Matthew 10: 24-39

29th June, St Peter and St Paul, Apostles:

• Morning: Acts 12: 1-11; 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17, 18; Matthew 16: 13-19

6th July, 7th Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Zechariah 9: 9-12; Romans 7: 15-25a; Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-end
• 18:00: 2 Samuel 2: 1-11; 3: 1; Luke 18: 31 - 19: 10

Home Groups

• The Bible Study Group: Fridays at 10 am at 91 Manor Way
• House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way - Everyone welcome

Notices

Christian Aid

The Social Committee are pleased to hand over £133-00 to Christian Aid being the sum raised from donations towards the lunch on Sunday 11th May.

Our thanks to all who contributed.

News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers

Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers are busily preparing for two local events. They are building on their recent 'Creator God' module by contributing to the Churches Together Childrens Work display at The Deepings Show. Do come to the Exhibition Marquee and see how we have interpreted 'Autumn' and 'Winter' within the theme of 'The Seasons'. Later in the month we shall be constructing various exhibits for the Rose and Sweet Pea Show at The Priory Church on the 28th June. If you have any interesting boxes, wrappings, decorations etc which we could use please leave them in the box at the back of Church or bring them to the Vicarage. We find soft margarine containers - in particular the 1kg size - very useful, so if you can help us by saving those too, we would be very grateful. Thank you.

Many thanks to all those who supported our 'buy a brick' stall on the 11th May. The grand total of £76.68 was raised to help build a house for the Kamaiya people of Bardia, Nepal.

Explorers (7 - 11), Climbers (5 - 7) and Scramblers (under 5) meet every Sunday morning (except during the Summer holiday period) at 9.50am in the Church Hall. They join older worshippers in Church for their blessing, final hymn and refreshments. New members are always welcome. Please contact Andrea (Climbers and Scramblers) on 344926 or Alison (Explorers) on 345890 for more details.

Connected to Modern Society

At our recent conference for the clergy of the diocese of Lincoln, we heard much about modern communication technology and the way it is affecting our society. It is especially the case with young people but across the whole of society instant access to news and information is transforming the way we relate to one another. The Church, whose very raison d'etre is communication of eternal truth, cannot afford to be left out of this change. The printng press centuries ago changed the way the Church worked, and, many would say, changed the Church itself, and the internet and mobile technology and bringing abot further change now.

The change has been rapid. In the ten years I have been in Deeping mobile telephones have become commonplace and broadband internet has made it easier to find information direct from my desk that it used to be by visiting a major university library! Not only that, but we can be constantly in touch with each other through a variety of social networking sites on the World Wide Web. For the young, even email has become old-fashioned now - that is for "old" people at work! Bebo, MySpace and Facebook, all of them websites, these are places to be!

Just as from the beginning the Church had to be in the market place and city squares where people meet, and still today has to be in the pubs and cafes, so it absolutely needs to be on the internet, not just to use it for its own purposes but to be where the people gather and exchange information and views. There is no need to leave this to the clergy, either: we can all be there, witnesses to Christ in another place where people meet. You can find me at http://profile.to/markwarrick/ on Facebook or you can go to http://www.facebook.com, register yourself and plunge straight in! You are bound to find people you know there, of all ages, and can get to know lots of others, too. You do not have to join in all the games (or any of them) but you will soon find that you are in constant touch with those who choose to be in touch with you. I see more of some of my friends (and even family) on Facebook than I ever would if I waited to meet them.

Mark Warrick, http://profile.to/markwarrick/

BISHOP'S LETTER

Natives and Immigrants

No, not another letter about migrant workers, gangmasters or the latest antics of the BNP! Rather, this is about those who belong naturally in the world of computers and digital technology, and those who live in that world but feel like strangers in a foreign land.

This distinction was drawn by Dr. Muriel Robinson in her address to our Diocesan Clergy Conference in April. She helped us to see how a gap has opened up between a generation of younger people born and nurtured in a culture characterised by multi-mode mobile 'phones, personal computers and i-pods, and those needing to learn a new language in order to communicate effectively in this digitally dominated environment.

Time and space have contracted as a result of these new technologies, so that messages which took days to deliver are now conveyed in an instant via e-mail, and the reference library or bookshop which we used to visit are now accessible via Wikipedia and Amazon. It is not simply a matter of making a few minor adjustments to our daily routines and lifestyles. It is about learning a new language and set of cultural conventions. This is effectively to live as aliens in a foreign land – as immigrants rather than natives.

Another speaker presented us with possible scenarios as we look to the future of Information Technology. On the one hand it might consume us to the point where we are ourselves more cyber than human. On the other hand, we might regret the whole thing and rediscover the joys of one-to-one conversation, face-to-face meetings and hand-written letters. Meanwhile, there is a Gospel to proclaim and we were challenged to explore how we can communicate the good news of God in Christ to a generation whose native language we may neither speak nor understand.

On balance, we felt that we need neither to rush into a crash course in computer-speak nor simply shout louder at the natives in our own language in the hope that they will understand. In the coming of Jesus Christ time and eternity, here and everywhere, now and always coincide so that all people, at all times and in all places, can be in touch with God and be touched by God's saving grace. We are in fact not strangers to these concepts of time and space which are now associated with modern technology. This is not a foreign land but a land full of familiar landmarks because God is lord of time and space, and transcends even the greatest of our technological achievements. Perhaps this is where we touch base with a brave new world where the old, old story is still good news for natives and immigrants alike.

+ John Lincoln

News From The Tower

Three members of the ringing team took part in the "Water Aid" 4 mile walk on Saturday 10 May. (Well reputed by the vicar as 4 miles). Those not able to take part donated to the cause by sponsoring the three others. This we all felt was a worthwhile project to support.

Another outing to London also took place with a visit to see the "The Jersey Boys" had a total of 14 persons (ringers and their guests). A good day out was had by all, thanks again to Brenda for organising the event.

This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.