Priory News, May 2005

From the Curate

Dear Friends,

Halfway through this month we celebrate Pentecost, our yearly commemoration of the dramatic and visible revelation of the Holy Spirit's presence among Jesus' followers the Church. Not that the Holy Spirit had been absent 'from it before'. St. John tells us that Jesus breathed the spirit on the disciples on the evening of his rising. St. Luke too says (Acts 1 : 2) that he instructed the disciples through the Spirit before his ascension; however they were told to wait together for the Holy spirit's coming 'in power' before moving out to witness.

Waiting is not something today's world finds easy. Communications are instant and speed and decisiveness prized by those who 'want it and want it now'. Waiting on God on the other hand is a sign of strength and maturity in the believer ~ a willingness to obey his commands and to prepare for action so that what we do will be more effective when we do it.

By waiting on God, the Holy Spirit's presence in the Church was demonstrated to great effect among the thousands from all nations who had come up to Jerusalem for the festival commemorating the giving of the law at Sinai. Three thousand of those, Luke says, became believers that day taking the new law of love to their homelands.

Christian Aid Week, a movement uniting all denominations of the Church in the fight against poverty, begins this year on the day of Pentecost. Let us pray that God will richly bless its collectors, organisers and administrators everywhere that the Holy Spirit's presence in the Church may be made visible in the street of our country and that through their efforts love be shown to people all over God's world.

Readings for May

1st May, 6th Sunday of Easter (Rogation):

• Morning: Acts 17: 22-31; 1 Peter 3: 13-end; John 14: 15-21

5th May, Ascension Day:

• Evening: Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 15-end; Luke 24: 44-end

8th May, 7th Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 1: 6-14; 1 Peter 4: 12-14; 5: 6-11 (08:00 service); John 17: 1-11
• Evening: Ephesians 1: 15-end; Mark 16: 14-20

15th May, The Day of Pentecost (Whit Sunday):

• Morning: Acts 2: 1-21; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13; John 20:19-23
• Evening: Joel 2: 21-end; Acts 2: 14-21

22nd May, Trinity Sunday:

• Morning: Isaiah 40: 12-17, 27-end; 2 Corinthians 13:11-end; Matthew 28: 16-end

29th May, 1st Sunday after Trinity:

• Morning: Deuteronomy 11: 18-21, 26-28; Romans 1: 16-17; 3:22b-28; Matthew 7: 21-end

Good News! The Lord is Jesus!

The expression, "Jesus is Lord" is a common one. It is the basic creed of the Christian Church and easily fits on car stickers, badges, etc. and is quick and simple to utter. By uttering it we give honour to Jesus as Lord and declare to any who hear us that we are his followers. On Ascension Day we celebrate the amazing truth that this man, the carpenter from Nazareth who was crucified after an unfair trial, has not only been raised from the dead but has also been exalted to the highest authority in the universe: he is Lord.

That is, naturally, good news for him! But it is also stupendously good news for all of us, and Ascension Day is a feast well worth keeping, for in it we celebrate that the whole universe is ruled, and judged, by a man who understands ordinary human beings and, in his earthly life, demonstrated his care and compassion, his mercy and his willingness to die for love of us. God, whom many people acknowledge to exist, is not some remote, despotic ruler but is loving and merciful and has lived as one of us. Good news indeed.

This year Ascension Day happens to be election day, too. We shall choose a County Councillor and a Member of Parliament, and through these choices we shall influence the selection of a national government and a ruling group for our county. Being human, neither will measure up to the perfection of Christ, of course, but if they are prepared to serve in humility and with care for their people and the world in which we live then they will follow in his way to some degree. But whoever governs our nation and our county, above them all reigns supreme, as he always has, the God who made us and all that is around us and yet was content to die for love of us. So, after you've voted (or before!), come and worship him, the Lord of all, at our sung Eucharist, 7.30 pm, Thursday 5th May.

Church Flowers

Many thanks to everyone who helped decorate the church at Easter. This was very much appreciated.

We all like to see flowers in church but on a weekly basis this is becoming more and more difficult as there are now so very few people on the rota. Can you help by offering to put flowers in church for a particular week during the year?

Maybe you could use this as part of a celebration of your anniversary, a birthday or any memorable day of your year. It would also give you a vehicle to share your memories or happiness with many others.

You don't need to be a flower arranger - two vases of flowers on the altar are very acceptable.

Please see Joan Dyke or Ann Bennett if you feel you can do this. We really need your help.

Thank you.

News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers

With Easter still fresh in our minds we helped the children to reflect on and remember the significance of the resurrection of Jesus, a fantastic event which changed history. Tom and Ben bravely performed their rope trick in Church to prove the point that what looks impossible isn't always! We need to have faith that something such as the resurrection, which seems impossible but which God promises in the Bible as part of his plan, will indeed happen. We went on to look at a couple of occasions when Jesus met with his friends such as the walk to Emmaus and a meal with the disciples before we learnt about the Ascension. Our latest craft material is 'funky foam' and Explorers used it to make attractive fridge magnets in the shape of a fish - an early secret sign of Christianity. Climbers and Scramblers iced crown biscuits as part of their work on Ascension when Jesus returned to be King of Heaven.

COOKING WITH MARGARET

Saucy Chicken & Spring Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken breasts, skin on
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 200g Baby potatoes, thinly sliced,
• 18 fl chicken stock
• 200g pack of mixed spring veg
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• Handful tarragon leaves, roughly chopped.

Method

Fry the chicken in the oil in a wide pan for 5 mins on each side. Throw in the potatoes and stir to coat. Pour over the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked through.

Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. Boil the stock down until it just coats the bottom of the pan. Scatter the vegetables into the pan, cover again and cook for about 3 minutes.

Stir in the crème fraîche to make a creamy sauce, season with pepper and salt, then if you want add the tarragon. Serve straight from the pan.

Registers for March

Baptism

We welcome to the Lord’s family:

• 13th: Harry David Litman, 21 Foxgloves
• and Lauren Sarah Southwell, 14 Bluebells

Funerals

we commend to God's keeping:

• 4th: Ethel Mary Herd (90)

• The ashes of Geoffrey Fitjohn were interred in the parish cemetery on 8th March.
• The funeral of Doris Edith Lamb (89) was held at Peterborough Crematorium on 22nd March.
• A Thanksgiving for the life of Elizabeth Goodliffe was held in church on 28th January following her funeral at Peterborough Crematorium on the same day. We apologize for having omitted this from the the March issue of Priory News