The magazine

Every month the church produces a magazine that is called 'THE BROADSHEET'. It contains information about the activities taking place in the church and village, a message from the Minister, news, prayers, and items of interest, both local and from around the world. It also has rotas to remind members when they are on duty and a list of the people taking services. Below is a selection of items of general interest.

The Broadsheet has ceased publication for the moment as the editor has retired. Hopefully it will be published again in due course.

FEBRUARY 2010
Dear Friends,
    I am writing this to you immediately after the demise of the snow which has kept so many of you indoors and marooned for well over a week. Those I could reach on foot I have kept in touch with and you have all been so surprisingly cheerful over this past 10 days. Going outside this morning with the snow gone I can see signs of spring coming up out of the ground. What a wonderful sight that is after such a cold winter, we know that soon the strength of the sunshine will increase and slowly those tips of green will grow and burst into flower. Our spring flowers are amazingly tough.
    The other amazing sight of this last 10 days has been the birds in the garden which I have kept feeding through the cold snap. I have had two cock pheasants and their mates as well as all the blue tits and great tits and robins and everything else. It has been a source of pleasure to me to see them waiting in the bushes day after day for me to come and fill up the feeder and the tray so they can have their breakfast. Gods’ tiny creatures we have a responsibility for.
    This morning I fetched the paper and the headlines are all about the earthquake in Haiti, the picture of that little 2 year old boy when he was reunited with his mother after 3 days under the rubble will stay with me for a long time. The joy in his eyes was wonderful, he had seen a miracle.The suffering in that country is so great, what we have suffered by comparison over the past few weeks is as nothing. We have still had enough food and water and warm comfortable homes even if it has been cold.
    In a country like Haiti people struggle long and hard to make a living, life is not easy. Aid is getting through but it has taken long enough and people are angry – so well they may be, we are each responsible for our neighbour whether they be next door or far away. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. That means that every Christian has a responsibility to reach out to another who is in need.

November 2009
Dear Friends,
                                ‘Love the Lord your God with all
                                  your heart, with all your soul,
                                  with all your strength, and with
                                  your mind; and love your neighbour
                                  as yourself.’
                                                            Luke 10.27

By now you all know that I have broken a bone in my leg and most of you know the circumstances of how this came about, I was walking on Cleeve Hill on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon at the end of August when the accident happened and I ended up on the ground. I struggled somewhat to come to terms with my predicament but I eventually got up on my other leg and realised that I could just hobble very slowly but in considerable pain. Two young ladies were coming up the hill which I was trying to get down, they stopped and asked me if I was alright and for once I said ‘no – I was struggling’, they immediately said they would accompany me down the hill, which they did and when we reached the road after very slow progress they fetched their car and offered to bring me back to Broadway. The rest of the story is history.

We all know the story of the Good Samaritan but has it ever happened to you? During this last 8 weeks there have been many instances in my life of the Good Samaritan. People who have done that bit extra so that I can have food and comforts during my enforced rest, Bonnie has been walked and fed as well. The little accidents in life teach us a lot about people, their kindness and their goodness. The stories of Jesus come alive when it actually happens to you. Something this enforced rest has taught me is this - that it is as good to receive as well as to give because in receiving you are putting yourself into the hands of other people, your strength is on the back burner for once, you have to let go and trust that all will be well and I can assure you that when you walk in the strength of the Lord Jesus then you walk well – so will I eventually!!
Kathryn
Minister

Most of you will know that for my main holiday this year I went on a cruise to countries in the Northern Hemisphere one of these countries was Iceland. It was while we were there that we visited the small port of Islaforde on the north-west coast. It was a very small town and having walked around I visited the church; the Icelandic people are mainly Lutheran and the church was quite modern in build and design, inside it was very plain except for one thing. At the front on the wall was a huge flock of birds made in terracotta and attached to the wall, the shape was also the shape of a bird, they are a place where birds flock to in great numbers during the summer months. Each member of the church had made a bird and there were over 700 of them. It was a most beautiful way of decorating an otherwise plain space and I am sure reminds the people every Sunday that the glory of God shines out in all creation, which includes animals and birds. The day before I had been whale watching and we had been very lucky to see at least 6 Minki whales playing around in the bay.

Nature is so wonderful, I often think that when we are at one with nature it is then that we most easily find God. While I walked around the little town of Islaforde a local gentleman stopped me and wanted to know where I came from, he obviously knew I wasn’t local. He told me in his broken English, that this had once been a thriving bustling town but it was now very quiet, all the young people had gone away to the capital city to find work, the only thing here now was a little fishing. We are not the only country which struggles with unemployment, our brothers and sister all over the world are struggling to survive in difficult times. Let us offer our prayers to a God who provides but who also takes away, let us pray that each may have enough and this will happen if we all agree to share the resources of the world with each other.

Dear Friends,
Just before writing this message to you at the start of a new season in our church life I was reading an article in the newspaper, it was about the town of Wootton Basset in Wiltshire and its role as being the place where our fallen soldiers are received back into their country before going back to their families. The local milkman takes the time and trouble to pick up the flowers which have been thrown and to take them to the local war memorial, the people bother to come out of their homes and businesses to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives. The local British Legion take the time to find out when the next flight is due with our dead soldiers on board.

None of these actions is pleasant but they are a sure and certain reminder to us all that it is when we walk the extra mile that we are exhibiting to the world a care for those who have lost their lives. If a Christian country cannot do the small things then how can we ever expect to be respected in the big things. The point of the article was that the scenes in Wootton Basset were becoming a bit too much of a showcase and the local people had decided to just draw in things a little, to moderate the exhibition of grief, it was likened to the scenes when Diana, Princess of Wales died. Is that the right thing to do? Is it not right that we should show our grief to the world not just in a military way but in a more human way, the only thing distinguishing these soldiers of ours is the fact that their coffin is covered by the Union Jack. Is it not right that when we send our young men and women to fight on our behalf that we should recognise what they have done for us and for the fight against human oppression in the world. If this is a true Christian country then we have to keep on fighting human oppression until it is eradicated, why, because Jesus did, he fought for freedom, truth, justice and peace. To this end he gave his life in suffering and in death but it was the resurrection to new life that we are called to celebrate. There will never be new life if we do not have death, our soldiers fight for new life, yes there is grief but there is also hope for a better future.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008

Dear Friends, Most of you will know that I have just returned from the Corrymela Centre in Northern Ireland where the ministers of the West Midlands Synod travelled for their Summer School, the theme was Reconciliation in Faith and Life. Corrymela is beside the sea, on top of a cliff, about a mile from the little town of Ballycastle and overlooking Rathlin Island on the north Antrim Coast. It is a very beautiful spot and we were lucky to have a number of speakers during the 5 days, as well as the volunteers, Lilian and Paul, and the trips to The Giant’s Causeway and Londonderry. Our speakers helped us to build up a picture in our mind of what living in Northern Irland has been like for the people, the causes of the conflict in the history and the happenings of the past and why this past has caused so much conflict and war which may not be as public as it once was but which still rears its head on occasion. We also learned of the processes of reconciliation which have been worked through and how a community builds trust within itself and the part that the Corrymela Centre has played in this reconciliation process. We also heard about small steps which are being taken to integrate people instead of segregate them. You won’t be surprised to know that these small steps are being taken with the children when they first go to school. We had a days visit to Londonderry or Derry as it is known locally, we were taken on a walk round the walls by a man who had been born and lived his whole life there and knew more about the troubles than most. It was obvious that he had been greatly affected by what had happened to him both physically, spiritually and emotionally. I can hardly believe it even now that we stood on the walls of Derry and he pointed out to us areas of the city which were catholic and which were protestant. With the help of the volunteers we learnt how one learns through teamwork to make something work out, it may have been lighthearted but it was good experimental learning. Each morning and evening we had worship in The Croi, a small stone built chapel, within the grounds where they were preparing for an Open Weekend. Some volunteers had travelled from Canada and they were preparing a Linen Memorial to all those who had died during the ‘troubles’. There were 4000 names printed on linen handkerchiefs and these were mounted on tapes which were suspended from the ceiling. Seeing so many names up there, ordinary people like you and me, really brought it home how many had been involved and had lost their lives. We had bible studies with a German Pastor who had come on a placement and was soon to return to his congregation. As we read, thought, prayed and studied the passages of scripture we found we were looking at areas of conflict within the bible between people and how God works in resolution. What did I come away with that will remain with me, it is this: Moving from a troubled and painful past to a new and different future is a difficult journey. Just drawing a line under the past, forgetting and moving on, for many is irritatingly simplistic. Yet there are always future possibilities, the future is not closed. We looked at Genesis 18 v 1-15. Abraham and Sarah were childless and in a clan-based eastern culture that meant no future but they encountered three strangers. In the heat of the midday sun the three arrived. Eastern culture was and still is strong on hospitality, Abraham and Sarah although people without a future extended generous hospitality. Abraham even bowed down as a token of respect and reverence to the stranger. Whoever they were, hospitality was essential and urgent. Through their hospitality Abraham and Sarah encountered God, through their sharing of food they encountered the divine other, God in human form. It is that act and encounter that opens up the future rather than closing it down. (read this story again for yourselves) Corrymela opened up itself to us, we were the strangers, their hospitality to us in everything means that for them the future is not closed, they are open to possibilities, we meet God in the other and we find hope for the future. Keep that with you as we go into the summer break, have a rest and regain your strength but remain open to the possibilities of the future, they are around the corner.

Kathryn

Minister

It has been your wish to undertake the Ministry of Healing in Broadway URC and to this end we hold services on the second Wednesday of the month at 12 noon. They last about 3/4 hour and you do not have to take communion if you do not want to.

There is an old Jewish saying:
---------God could not be everywhere,
---------and therefore He made mothers.

Mother Church, Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods - our human mothers - all of them have been part of the celebration of 'Mothering Sunday' - as the fourth Sunday in Lent is affectionately known.

In Roman times, great festivals were held every Spring to honour Cybele, Mother of all the Gods. Other pagan festivals in honour of Mother Earth were also celebrated. With the arrival of Christianity, the festival became one honouring Mother Church.

During the Middle Ages, young people apprenticed to craftsmen or working as 'live-in' servants were allowed only one holiday a year on which to visit their families - which is how 'Mothering Sunday' got its name. This special day became a day of family rejoicing, and the Lenten fast was broken. In some places the day was called Simnel Day, because of the sweet cakes called simnel cakes traditionally eaten on that day.

Mothering Sunday this year is March 18th. Revd Alan Frost will be leading the service and the Pilots, under the direction of Christine Waller will be making posies for the ladies of the church.

In the business of everyday life it is easy to neglect to find time to PRAY as individuals, and as a church. Some of the most dynamic periods of the Church have been during times of intense prayer—see Acts; and preceding and during revivals.

In public worship in the church and designated periods for prayer (e.g. prayer meetings)

Pray for those who have the rule and authority over you—world leaders that they may be given the wisdom to negotiate peace in the many conflicts which exist in the world.

Pray for the church universal and local, church leaders that the CHURCH may have courage to be true to their convictions and beliefs ; that it may recognise the need to reach out to minister to those in need.

Pray for the sick in our church James 5.15 . Also remember those who have special need of support—e.g. carers, pastoral visitors, our minister and elders.

This page is open to anyone who would like to request prayers for specific groups of people, or share their thoughts on prayer.

On Sunday 24th September some of us had the privilege of meeting the Revd Bill Hewis—not doubt many will remember his enthusiasm for the work of the Leprosy Mission—work which for many years our Church has supported.
Our support has primarily been through many individual fundraising events, saving 20p coins in a phial, recycling used postage stamps and the celebration together of Easter Breakfast.
Bill reminded us that there are also other ways to help. The first is aimed at those of us who use a computer and the second, mobile phone users.
Apart from the knowledge that recycling ink cartridges and mobile phones is of environmental benefit, the money raised by TLM can help provide those who need it with corrective surgery, counselling, self help programmes and vocational training. Some of these items are worth several pounds each!
We now have a supply of mailing envelopes (if you would like to mail items yourself) OR items can be left in the TLM box in Church.
Finally, would anyone commit themselves to holding a donations box—somewhere to pop your loose change into -ITS AMAZING HOW THOSE PENNIES ADD UP!

It is proposed that these boxes would be brought annually to the Easter Day Sunday Service, when the boxes will be opened and the donations blessed have a supply of boxes ready and waiting for homes!

As many of you know Broadway Methodists and ourselves have shared in a short series of Bible Studies on a Tuesday evening since the beginning of June and it has been suggested that some of these might be printed in the Broadsheet so that you have the opportunity to consider the matrerial. The content of these studies has been drawn largely from a URC series of studies called Into Wholeness - an exploration into the ministry of health and healing. I would suggest that you read through the material given below and look up the Bible references and finally give some thought to the questions asked in the paper. I hope you find it as profitable as all those who attended the gatherings at the Methodist church. It is hoped that we may have our own healing service in the near future, if possible on an ecumenical basis, but further discussions are necessary.

Being healthy depends on who we are and where we are. Our circumstances very often affect our state of health and our vision of what it means to be healthy people. e.g. The story of the Hebrew slaves in the book of Exodus is like that of so many oppressed peoples in the world today. They had the poorest land and inadequate food. Forced to work long hours they had to do heavy manual work. As slaves, violence from their Egyptian masters was often a regular experience. Read Exodus 5 vv.1-21

In the Gospels we read of a Jewish Woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She was anaemic, undernourished and isolated and considered unclean. Read Mark 5 vv.24b-34

· Consider what healing might mean to the Hebrew slaves and the woman with the haemorrhage?

· Now think of yourself and people you know. What does health mean for you and for them?

What is a healthy individual, or a healthy family, community or world? It is one that has a realistic vision of health. The healing ministries of Jesus and the prophets reveal the necessity of a will for health. e.g. Naaman nearly missed out on his leprosy cure because he was unwilling to wash himself in the river Jordan(Read 2 Kings 5 vv.9-14) Jesus asked the man paralysed for 38 years, Do you want to get well? (Read St. John 5 vv.1-9)

Health is not just about how the body works. It is more than just conforming to a norm for good health. It also has to do with developing our inner attitudes to health. It means being prepared to accept what is, to having a willingness to change what may be changed and seeking to discern which is which. Take John Hull the author of Touching the Rock . The book includes extracts from his diary written during the early stages of him losing his sight. He experienced pain, blindness and depression, yet today he is a person who is more healthy than many sighted people. He is open to life and other people. This comes across in his writing and to those who meet him in person.

· Can you think of anyone like John Hull who challenges the notion of perfect physical health and still works for the well-being of others?

What is a Healthy Community? A healthy community is described in the book of Isaiah as one in which:

1. Children do not die; 2. Old people live in dignity; 3. People who build houses live in them; 4. Those who plant vineyards eat the fruit.

Throughout the Scriptures, health includes participation in the community, empowerment and inclusiveness. e.g. The prophet’s vision in the Old Testament can be called the Shalom community. Shalom embraces peace, justice, harmony and wholeness for the whole creation. The word contrasts with the world in the times of the prophets, as it does with the world today.

You see, the prophets were concerned with how the people lived as communities. For them faith in God meant creating communities of justice and peace. This was how their community would differ from the people who oppressed their ancestors in Egypt. Sadly, the people of Israel went on behaving as if they were still oppressed; claiming more money, more land, more everything. In the Bible health was not just an individual issue but a community issue. It meant moving towards shalom and Jesus followed this tradition. He healed people of physical infirmity. He also restored people to participate again in the community and build relationships. His approach challenged people to acknowledge the faith dimension in life.

· Reflect on some of the words used in this paragraph: e.g. participation – taking an active part oneself; empowerment – having a choice rather than others choosing for us, being able to take charge of our lives: inclusiveness – no one is left out, marginalised or rejected.

Understanding Health: In daily life we use phrases like physical health, mental health and even spiritual health, however, Biblical visions of health would not see these as separate. Rather they are each part of a whole.

To summarise: Physical Health may mean how long a person lives; it may mean their agility; it may mean their strength; it may mean their resistance to disease or a combination of these. As we move towards thinking about healing in future studies, we need some meaning to what we mean by health because healing is a movement in the direction of health. The writers in the New Testament show that it is appropriate to work and pray for physical health (Read James 5 v.14; 3 John v.2; 2 Corinthians 12 v.8). Yet physical health is only part of the wholeness we seek.

Mental Health is all to do with mental well-being and is not confined to mental illness. The things which affect our mental well-being include:-

1. Unresolved inner conflicts from the past. 2. Our hopes and expectations for the future. 3. The inability to forgive. 4. The expectations of society. 5. External stress from relationships with the world and 6. The stress of other people’s emotional lives.

Spiritual Health can be defined as a wholesome relationship with God. It is a life lived with purpose, meaning and integrity. So perhaps spiritual health can only be seen in the lives we lead.