CHURCH SERVICES
FOR APRIL
CHURCH SERVICES FOR APRIL
MAUNDY THURSDAY 1st April
7.00pm St Andrew’s Holy Communion & Vigil
GOOD FRIDAY 2nd APRIL
2.00pm St Mary’s The last hour at the cross
EASTER DAY 4TH APRIL HE IS RISEN!
9.00am St Mary’s Holy Communion
10.30am St Andrew’s Holy Communion
6.00pm Songs of Praise at St Mary’s Riccall
SUNDAY 11th APRIL Second Sunday of Easter
9.00am St Andrew’s Holy Communion
10.30 am St Mary’s Holy Communion
SUNDAY 18th APRIL Third Sunday of Easter
9.00am St Andrew’s Morning Prayer
10.30am St Mary’s Family service
SUNDAY 25th APRIL Fourth Sunday of Easter
10.30am St Mary’s Holy Communion
11.15am St Mary’s APCM immediately after the service
SUNDAY 2nd MAY
9.00am St Mary’s Holy Communion
10.30am St Andrew’s Holy Communion
EASTER AGAIN…
And I am delighted! Easter is the most important of all our festivals. We celebrate re-birth, new beginnings and a new history of the world. Those first disciples have left us a tradition that we cannot ignore and message of hope for troubled world that things can be better and that there is a God who is in charge.
But let’s go back to the human story of that first Easter and some of the characters in it. First of course, Jesus. When he said to his disciples that he was going to go the Jerusalem they could not have known what was in store. Indeed they were lulled into a false sense of security – Jesus entered Jerusalem greeted like a king but the crowds. Yet within the week what did thy witness? Jesus was arrested, tortured, crucified dead and buried. Then the extraordinary events of that first Sunday morning – which lasted all day.
Then there were the women. Women who did not abandon Jesus, they followed him to the place of crucifixion and then to the burial. It was them who first discovered the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. How did they cope with this? Mary Magdalene played an absolute key role in this story. It was to Mary, beloved of Jesus, that he appeared in the Garden of Gethsemane. She not only had to cope with that but then had o face the situation that in law her witness was not valid.
Judas got it wrong completely. I believe that Judas did not understand. He thought that Jesus was gong to get rid of the Romans. He brought about a potential fight – only to find that Jesus did not fight but went virtually silently to his death. How do you cope with that?
But then came Sunday morning. The disciples were frightened once they realised the body of Jesus had gone. Was it stolen? Had the authorities moved it? Could the unthinkable have happened - Jesus had risen from the dead?
As Christians we know that Jesus rose – we see his effect on people’s lives to change and bring transformation. Easter brings rebirth, new beginnings and a new history of the world. We can trust in a personal God who is with us whatever the pressures and difficulties. How? Through the Holy Spirit and that is the message of Pentecost.
A Happy Easter to you all – join us to celebrate the feast!
Francis
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
25th April should be clearly marked in your diary. We are holding the APCM at St Mary’s immediately after the morning service. The meeting will start at 11.15 and should be finished by 12 noon. If you care for your church you must be there.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT ST MARY’S
Friday 28th May—A concert by Gospel Choir
Saturday 3rd July—Concert by the Snaith Choral Society.
Saturday 24th July—Charity Concert by Alan Cuckston for the Macmillan Nurses.
Details of both of these events will be given nearer the time, but put them in your diary now.
HEMINGBROUGH BOWLS CLUB
The season opens on Saturday 17th April and new members are invited to join in at the special price of only £15.00 for the season. This will include entry to all Club competitions For more details contact Marian the Club Captain on 01757 638641.
Door of heaven
An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into heaven?"
The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says 'For Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!'"
Under his wings
An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of the Lord’s love for us…
After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage.
One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise.
She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast.
Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.
Psalm 91:4 "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."
Praise the Lord for his goodness and protection for all those who put their trust in him.
CHURCH MAGAZINE ERRORS
In 1631, a British printer named Robert Barker published an edition of the Bible that contained a salacious misprint. In the Book of Exodus, the Seventh Commandment appeared without the word "not." Consequently, the divine directive read, "Thou shalt commit adultery."
Ambleside Baptist Church offered us:
'The meeting will be gin with prayer.'
Worshippers left looking tired and devotional.
From Peterborough we heard that there was to be
'A service of prayer and medication.'
At the meeting that followed, it is reported that all the worship leaders were laid low with flu.
A Church in Australia reported that
"The Lord was known in the baking of the bread."
We can only presume that his use of self-raising flour was meant to be a sign.
A nameless Church to cast new light on a Graham Kendrick Hymn
' For this purpose, Christ was revealed,
' To destroy all the woks of the evil one....'
Clearly a case of Repent - or be stir fried.'
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION.
Subscriptions of £2.50 for the year are due next month (May) and will be collected by your magazine distributor. Thank you for your support which we hope will continue.
MONDAY GROUP
At the February meeting the ladies enjoyed a game of beetle followed by refreshments.
At our March meeting we are to have Jilly tell us of some of her adventures.
On April 26th we are to have a talk by Rev Francis Loftus.
We are also making arrangements for a visit to the theatre and a summer outing,
EASTER SONGS OF PRAISE
Join us on Easter Day at 6.00pm for our Annual Songs of Praise to celebrate Easter. This year the service will be held at Riccall Church.
Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)
In the breaking of the bread
Our eyes were opened,
We knew him then.
The Lord was with us
In Emmaus,
There was no doubt.
He was alive and with us,
The scriptures made sense.
What a difference
But thinking back
To that journey –
To the grief that overwhelmed us,
The discussions, disagreements
And debilitating disappointment –
A different opening of the eyes,
We never were alone.
Before the word and bread,
Because of the word and bread
He was there,
He is here,
Always,
Walking with us. Daphne Kitching
AN EASTER PRAYER
The author of this prayer was Karl Barth was the prominent Protestant theologian of his day. Much of his life was devoted to resisting the Nazis.
O Lord God, our Father, you are the light that can never be put out; and now you give us a light that shall drive away all darkness. You are love without coldness, and you have given us such warmth in our hearts that we can love all when we meet. You are the love that defies death, and you have opened for us the way that leads to eternal life.
None of us is a great Christian; we are all humble and ordinary. But your grace is enough for us. Arouse in us that small degree of joy and thankfulness of which we are capable, to the timid faith which we can muster to the wholeness of life which you have prepared for all of us through the death and resurrection of your Son. Do not allow any of us to remain apathetic or indifferent to the wondrous glory of Easter, but let the light of our risen Lord reach every corner of our dull hearts. Amen
EASTER BISCUITS
If you followed the suggestion in last month’s magazine and baked a Simnel Cake for Easter we have a group of volunteers waiting to test it for you free of charge. If you really want an expert opinion bring it along to Open House at St Mary’s on a Wednesday morning.
Our panel of testers guarantee a fair and impartial service!
If you did not bake the Simnel Cake here is a recipe for Easter Biscuits. They are quick to make and bake and our Open House expert testers are partial to biscuits with their coffee. Their conversation is witty and covers all topics so come and join us—even without your biscuits!
Ingredients
110g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
110g/4oz butter, softened at room temperature
1 free-range egg, separated
225g/8oz plain flour, sieved
good pinch mixed spice
55g/2oz currants
30g/1oz candied peel
3 tbsp milk
Method
1. Preheat the oven 160C/325F/Gas 3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined.
3. Fold the flour into the mixture, then stir in the mixed spice, currants and candied peel. Stir in enough milk to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and cut out the biscuits with a fluted cutter. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with the reserved egg white, sprinkle with sugar and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
6. Remove the biscuits from the tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack.
FLOWER FESTIVAL
18th – 20th JUNE 2010
Join us for a celebration of Nursery Rhymes in flower.
Flower Displays. Raffle, Stalls, Tower Trips, Tombola
Refreshments
And………A Magician!
LOOK OUT FOR POSTERS
From the Church Register
Baptism
Sunday 21st February:
Isobel Charlotte Chapman of Hemingbrough
Sunday 14th March:
Hollie-Ann Scott of Cliffe
Funeral
Monday 1st March, followed by cremation at Pontefract
Joan Cook of Cliffe
Thursday 18th March, followed by burial at Hemingbrough
Sylvia Margaret Edwards of Hemingbrough