Stainbeck Church - Leeds

(United Reformed)

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MAGAZINE

February 2010

 Please worship with us:

Sunday Morning at 10.45am

Thursday Evening at 7.30pm

 www.stainbeckchurch.org.uk

0113 225 3766                                                                                                                

hughesa@ntlworld.com                                                          

Dear Friends,

As I write this I am sitting looking out onto a blue sea, with golden sands stretching into the distance with the sun shining.  And it is a Bank Holiday.  All far removed from the ice and snow which we left behind at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Here, on the Canary Islands, we are celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany which marks the twelfth day of Christmas.  Traditionally at this time we remember the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus – recognising in his birth a significant event for all people.  Tomorrow the nativity scenes with their travelling wise men and their camels will be packed away for another year.

As we move further into the season we meet Simeon and Anna, we discover Jesus questioning the Temple rabbis, we witness his baptism by John in the Jordan and encounter many signs and healings – culminating in the transfiguration experience as we move into Lent.

Stories familiar and comfortable and we enjoy hearing them again.  And as I pondered in those early January days, a question came to my mind.   

·       Just how relevant are these stories for us today? 

·       How do they speak to us? 

·       Do they speak to us?

Returning to Leeds there were more questions as the earthquake struck Haiti and the scale of the devastation became apparent.  The age-old questions arose again, ‘Where is God in all this pain?’  Remembering our own loss five years ago, memories of the Asian Tsunami were inevitably in our minds. 

The epiphany readings seemed far away.  And yet ...... this year as we focus on deepening and sustaining our faith, our own personal relationship with God, I suggest they may help us. 

Just as those early Christians needed to address their questions about Jesus – so do we.  Our faith is about relationships and the God that we know in Jesus Christ.  It is only in Jesus Christ that we can begin to understand the suffering God who lived and suffered and died as one of us.  God there with the suffering people of Haiti.  God with us at all times.  But a God whose risen life points the way to new life, new hope and new beginnings.  

As we contemplate Haiti and the brokenness of our world, what other kind of God makes any sense?  How much we need to know that God.

This Lent, may we spend time with him,                                                                                 Angela          

‘The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Nehemiah 8:10)

Lent:  During Lent Thursdays Prayers, beginning on Thursday 17^th February with a service for the beginning of Lent, we will be looking at Prayer.  Using the URC’s Vision4Life material we will ‘Praying our days’ together.  Why not join us for these six sessions?  Something different.  A space to think and reflect as we move towards Easter. 

For the past two months all the elders have been reading the gospel of Luke – day by day.  Our main purpose has been to discover what helps us to think and pray.  Reading the Scriptures slowly and thoughtfully is a good place to start.

My prayer is that, as we do this, we will each find a particular time and place, and that it will become a habit – part of our day.  If we are to ‘grow in faith’, here is a good way to begin. 

The booklet ‘Read, think and pray’ will be ready for the beginning of Lent and the invitation to use it open to all. 

Lent lunches begin again in St Matthew’s on Ash Wednesday, February 17^th, and continue every Wednesday until March 31^st in the Meeting Room from 12 noon until 1.15 pm.  All are very welcome.  Proceeds to Breadline Africa and St George’s Crypt.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Angela

FAMILY AND FRIENDS 

There are many friends to remember in our prayers this month among them Margaret Wade who fell just before Christmas and broke her leg and foot; after a spell in Seacroft Hospital she is now at home. Susan Horsey remains in hospital.  Richard Hamlin continues to be unwell after suffering a dose of swine flu. Bob Watt continues his treatment. We have learned that Mike Roberts is to have his knee replaced again.

Janet would like to thank everyone for their love, care and support offered in so many ways.  Too many she says to list!  Just thank you!  Her smile now says it all!

Brenda and Ken Craven have both had falls – Brenda on the ice and Ken in the house. Georgina Bainbridge hurt her back after falling in the snow. Michael Moss tumbled out of his flat door before Christmas and is recovering slowly.  Many of our older friends have had lingering coughs and colds and have been unable to get out and about. We remember all these in love and prayers and all those who care for them.

We assure Dorothy Jackson of our love as she mourns the death of Margaret, her sister-in-law, and we remember with affection George Bennett, a long time member of the Lunch Club, who died at the beginning of the year.

Billy Dixon has moved to live with Steve and his family in Holmfirth. We wish them all happiness in this new rearrangement of their lives.

Congratulations to Ann Coates and Sylvia Webster who have both reached another ‘0’ birthday!

A big thank you to Andrew and Kate Boylan for purchasing new Bibles for the Church – they are already being used.

Our friend Jean Barker is once again asking for any odd balls of wool that you no longer require.  It can be brought to Church or why not bring it along to the café and stay and enjoy a ‘toastie’ for lunch?

Helen and Mike would like to put on record just how much they have appreciated the support they have received from friends at Stainbeck during Mike’s roller coaster health problems.  The cards, the visits, the books, the flowers, the concern expressed have been quite invaluable!  Mike is presently in pretty good health, thank God, but he has been told he will need his knee replacement redone this year.  Watch this space!  With warmest thanks from Helen and Mike.

Elder for February Doreen Elliff

DIARY FOR FEBRUARY

The charity for the month of February is the

DEC HAITI Earthquake Appeal.

HERE AND THERE

Looking back…………………..

Santa’s Coffee Morning was a great success. Can you remember that far back?? We had a good crowd of friends and neighbours who came, happy wide-eyed children who peeped in the magical grotto to whisper with Father Christmas.  Many thanks to Helen and all her ‘staff’ who worked hard to raise the magnificent sum of £400 in support of Children in Distress.  We also raised £130 for Fairtrade.  Added to this, Helen’s neighbour kindly donated £500 to double our total.  A good morning!

Once again a Christmas card board was available in the Upper Room, the idea being that, instead of sending lots and lots of Christmas cards within the church family, we just pin one to everyone on the board and give the money saved in card costs and postage to Christian Aid which is our Christmas charity. Twenty-seven members of our church family participated in this scheme, together with local agencies, friends from the community and from afar.  We hope you had an opportunity to look at the cards and if you didn’t use the board this year maybe you will consider it for next year?  As an added bonus we raised £148.06 for Christian Aid.

Also in December, Angela, Avril, Brian and Ann were privileged to be at the Civic Hall for a Civic Reception to celebrate Inter-Faith links within the city. We were received by the Lord Mayor and Councillor Richard Brett. We met and mingled with an interesting group of guests from a wide range of faith groups across the city.  Avril and Brian then went on to a splendid concert at the College of Music.  The evening began on what seemed to be a sad note as two young teenagers recited their poems which were on the subject of poor relationships between children and adults.  The poetry was wonderful but the subject matter gave much food for thought.  The group Berakah, with musicians from Jewish, Christian and Muslim backgrounds, playing their own compositions, was moving and powerful.  Avril and Brian bought a CD and if anyone would like to listen to it they are happy for you to borrow it.

It was good to welcome three visits by children from Mill Field and Carr Manor Primary schools in the last week of the school term. They came to hear how we celebrate Christmas at Stainbeck, to hear the stories of Christmas and to ask us questions too.  They were fascinated by Angela’s nativity collection.  Meanwhile the news of our ‘Church Storyteller Lady’ has spread and she is in high demand!

Once again our own children were busy, first in the stable at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm where they shared the nativity story amongst the sheep and the donkeys, and then in our own Family Nativity Service. We thank them very much for all their hard work, and the Sunday Club grown ups too for encouraging and supporting them.

Did you come to the Christingle Service held in church this year? It was great fun, sadly not as many people came as last year but maybe that was because by this time the Great Snow had begun!! This certainly had an adverse effect on representation from Stainbeck for Carol singing around the streets so three hearty cheers for Angela and for John Mawson who sang on our behalf. Happily the snow did not keep folk away from our Christmas Services and once again we thank Angela for her careful preparation of this great annual celebration. Thanks are due to Donald too for he ‘sat in’ at the organ for all our services.

I attended two Christmas parties at Church in December.  Though very different I enjoyed both very much.  The Lunch Club had Christmas dinner with crackers and presents for everyone.  After the meal there was entertainment, Christmas songs and poems with monologues as well.  We finished with a good sing-song of well-loved popular carols.  I think everyone could have sung for the whole afternoon had it been possible.  A good time was had by all.  The After Eights Christmas party was a small intimate affair.  Food was provided by everyone who attended and very good it was too.  The candlelit tables looked very festive and set the right atmosphere.  The music, provided by Adam, was just right and certainly got us up on the dance floor to boogie!  An excellent evening enjoyed by everyone there.                                                    Sandra Smith 

As you will know from reading the Dec/Jan edition of Outlook, MENA is now working under the umbrella of the WRVS. There will be no lunches January, February and March.  Hopefully we will be back to normal for April when everyone has had a CRB check and those of us who need to, have been on a food handling course. 

Date of WRVS/MENA Training now fixed for Wednesday 3^rd March from 10.00am – 2.00pm.  No doubt more detail will follow.

Our own Monday and Wednesday lunches also have had to be cancelled, due to the weather.  Hopefully, by the time this newsletter is in print we will be back to normal.  The Lunch Club volunteers have all missed seeing and talking to our members, some of whom have been ill or are waiting for test results but all have been confined to their homes, since before Christmas in some cases.  As you read earlier, George Bennett, one of our stalwart members, passed away at New Year. He always had a smile and welcome for everyone, we are going to miss him.

Looking ahead…………………..

News from the Beehive January 2010  We hope the New Year has started well for you all and will bring peace and contentment.  We set out below information for the New Year.  We are keeping the same opening hours as before for a little while longer as we are still short of volunteers.

Wednesday                                          1.00 pm to 4.00 pm

Thursday, Friday, Saturday              10.00 am to 1.00 pm

Fairtrade Fortnight      - Monday 22^nd February to Sunday 7^th March

Let us know as soon as you can if you plan to have an event and would like a Sale or Return stall, or a display of goods.  (0113 2622975)

The theme this year is THE BIG SWAP.  i.e. swap your tea for Fairtrade tea, your coffee, your sugar, your honey, your olive oil, your chocolate, your pasta, your tee-shirt, your fruit etc for the fairly traded equivalent.  Information, posters, balloons, leaflets etc from:

www.thebigswap.org.

INVITATION to ‘THE’ event of Fairtrade Fortnight:

The Beehive Café and Fairtrade Fair,

on Saturday 27^th February,

at Chapel Allerton Methodist Centre,

10.30 am till 2.30 pm

Come and have a coffee and cake or a light lunch, browse the fairly traded goods for sale from a variety of sources, join in tastings or a quiz. Children’s activities as well.  Register your fair trade swap.

FAITH NEtWORKS

Please remember the work of this group in your prayers as the process for the appointment of a co-ordinator proceeds.  

An early notice: Women’s World day of Prayer is this year marked on Friday 5^th March with a service written by the women of Cameroon. Local services are to be held at Chapel Allerton Methodist Church; St Edmund’s, Roundhay; Moortown Methodist; Gipton Methodist, and Blenheim Baptist. A poster and fliers detailing service times are available in the Upper Room

Another early notice – the URC Yorkshire Synod Women’s Assembly is to be held at the Scarborough Spa Complex on Wednesday 5^th May from 11.30 am – 4.00 pm.  See notice in Upper Room or speak to Avril.

BABES IN THE WOOD (or BEE(A)TLES IN THE WOOD)

Because of the loss of two weeks (out of six) due to the ‘big freeze’, we have decided to postpone the Pantomime until April. This may have the added advantage that Margaret and Bob will be able to play for us as the invaluable ‘Band’. As you may know, Margaret has broken bones in her leg and foot, and Bob has been seriously ill, but both hope to have recovered enough to join the rehearsals after February.

Because the Movie Makers, who meet on Fridays, have their Open Evening, to which the Lord Mayor is invited, on Friday 9^th April, the Pantomime will not be performed on that night. Instead, the pantomime will take place on:

Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 7^th, 8^th, 10^th April at 7.30 pm.

We are also planning a performance with the earlier start of 6.00 pm on Sunday, 11^th April. This will allow younger children to join the audience, and has the advantage that our traditional after-show party will start at around 8.30 pm rather than 10 pm.

 Tickets (£5 adults, £2 children) will be available in March. Please note that there will be fewer seats than in the past since the capacity of the Hall has been reduced. 

PLC

REFLECTIONS

7^th December 2pm New understandings of familiar words, thanks to Angela and Robert. Repentance may be seen as a change of mind. Repent! Change your mind! And judgement and love as two sides of the same coin. As judgement discerns the best side of us so we are loved. And as we are loved so we are judged as to how well we live up to that love.

8^th December 9.45am Mild day. Garden bench. Waiting for the carpet for 15A. It’s Alan Bennett week on BBC4, which means another chance to see his marvellous Talking Heads monologues. In the first two, we saw women with dreams unfulfilled, largely due to their husbands. The second featured the incomparable Maggie Smith as the Vicar’s (non believing) wife, who briefly finds life, and a reason to stop illicitly drinking the communion wine, in the arms of a young Asian grocer, on a bed of lentils, or, at least, on a bed near the lentils. This devastating indictment of ‘church life’ would, ironically, be a good starter for a discussion group. 

The Vicar, (he could equally well be a minister) gives everything up to God including sex (‘desiccated’ is how his wife describes their conjugation, and, indeed, the congregation, judging by the sound of his flower arranger’s fan club). He shamelessly uses his wife’s alcoholism and her cure (instigated by her lover, who, sadly, moves from the ‘back of the Infirmary’ to Preston), as an example of his own endurance and faith. The story is one of people supposedly giving their lives up to God, but actually giving up life. They have a narrow view of God and hence of life. If God is seen not as ‘up there’, but as the very essence of what life is, then there is more chance that we will enjoy ‘life in all its abundance’.

17^th December 5.30pm Discussion with Jasmine about a debate at school. In her class, at the Church school, 50% ‘don’t believe in God’. When it comes to God as opposed to Science, to Genesis as against Darwin, they don’t take the side of God and the Bible. Jasmine accepts both stories with equanimity.

21^st December 11.42pm At Christmas, we remember the baby, and talk of God entering human life. And yet my belief is that Jesus revealed the God who enters the world again when any baby is born. God is at the centre of all life.

In company with the Elders, I’m following Luke’s version of the life of Jesus, and of the Spirit, as we read each day from the booklets Angela has prepared. According to the commentary I’m also reading, the gift of the Spirit to Jesus is for ‘the benefit of all those who are economically, physically, and socially unfortunate’. Jesus’ ministry ‘can be described as the liberation of all those who are oppressed by the powers of evil’.  Two verses, Luke 11:20, and Acts 10:38, show us how Luke thinks of Jesus and his power to conquer evil, but, for me, raise this question. Was the time of Jesus a time when God was ‘freeing creation from those powers which are strangling it’, or was Jesus revealing the power of God eternally present to humanity through the Spirit?

25^th December 12.49am  Bread and wine. The imperfection of life, its failures, tragedies, hurts, and the spirit of God, creative, hopeful, uplifting, peaceful. Frustration, anger and pain seem necessary to life. Love restores. The poor are those who recognise their need for God.

6^th January 4pm Big freeze. School closed. Working all morning on the Church accounts.  Keziah came in to tell me about a giant icicle. She was about to take me to see it, but then saw I was busy writing, and turned to go. A poignant moment, in which I decided I must do the pantomime and less office work….

18^th January 10pm After a disastrous rehearsal yesterday, I sat in the silent Church, after everyone had left and thought about it. Today, my prayers have been answered, not by some re-ordering of everyone’s lives and memories so that no-one is on holiday at Easter, but by something more subtle. God didn’t step in and change everything the way those advertising hoardings shift and reveal a new picture. Firstly, I woke with the idea. Secondly, everyone responded with the attitude which made it possible. Of course, in an ideal world, the Dame wouldn’t be on holiday the following week, and the Lord Mayor wouldn’t be visiting the Movie Makers on April 9^th. But in that world we wouldn’t have contemplated a Sunday ‘matinee’, and who knows how that will work out?

Sometimes, talk of the Holy Spirit conquering evil seems to have little to do with our small, mundane, lives in which how to handle the kids, when they’re driving you round the bend, is the most urgent problem. But for the smallest problem as for the greatest there is help. Prayer will change your mind. Which is to say, find a quiet place, if you can, and think about it. (Luke 11:9).                                                                                                                                                                          PLC

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