Priory News, April 2006

From the Vicar

Readings for April

2nd April, 5th Sunday of Lent:

• Morning: Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Hebrews 5: 5-10; John 12: 20-33

9th April , Palm Sunday:

• Morning: Isaiah 50: 4-9a; Phillipians 2: 5-11; Mark Passion
• 18:00: Isaiah 5: 1-7; Mark 12: 1-12

13th April, Maundy Thursday:

• 19:30: Exodus 12: 1-4, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-17, 31b-35

14th April, Good Friday:

• 10:30: Isaiah 52: 13 - 53 end; Hebrews 10: 16-25; John Passion

16th April, Easter Day:

• 09:00: Acts 10: 34-43; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11; Mark 16: 1-8
• Evening: Ezekiel 37: 1-14; Luke 24: 13-35

23rd April, 2nd Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 4: 32-35; 1 John 1: 1 - 2: 2; John 20: 19-end

30th April, 3rd Sunday of Easter:

• Morning: Acts 3:12-19; 1 John 3: 1-7; Luke 24: 36b-48

House Groups

• Lent Study: Fridays at 10am at the Vicarage
  (Other Lent Groups are studying the same course in the other churches)

• Priory Prayer Group: 6th and 20th April at 19 Ascendale

• House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way, Everyone welcome

Easter Worship

• 9.00 am The Easter Liturgy, with First Light, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Holy Communion.
• 8.50 am Children's groups from 8.50am. (There is no service at 8am or 10am on Easter Day.)
• 6.00 pm Festal Evensong, with congregational hymns.

PRIORY CHURCH COFFEE GROUP

At a recent meeting of the Group the Treasurer reported that the funds stood at £851.41. It was agreed to allocate £850 as follows:

• Church Hall Refurbishment £350
• Age Concern, Deepings £100
• Sprire Lighting £100
• Lincolnshire and Nottingham Air Ambulance £100
• Deepings Men's Group £100
• Rosie Sandall (Chernobyl) Children's Appeal £100

The following dates were announced for the Group's meetings in 2006:

• May 18th Coffee Morning
• July 13th Afternoon Tea
• September 14th Coffee Morning
• November 30th Coffee Morning

Church Flowers

Ann Bennett and Joan Dyke are, after Easter, relinquishing their rôles as Flower-Organisers-in-Chief. Our heartfelt thanks to Ann and Joan for their many years of devoted service in creating such beauty to enhance our worship in church. Thanks also, to all those who have helped them so willingly for so long.

If you love flowers too, please consider taking over this vital work, perhaps jointly with a friend. Please contact Joan or Bet with offers of help. Many thanks.

Glebe Singers present

'All in an April Evening'

Deeping St James Priory Church
Saturday, 1st April, 7.30pm

Glebe Singers' first concert of 2006 will take place at the Priory Church, Deeping St James, on Saturday, 1st April. Entitled 'All in an April Evening', the concert will feature music specially chosen to celebrate the return of spring, and the approaching Easter season.

The programme will include a performance of Mozart's Regina Coeli, in which the soloist will be Anna Woolhouse. There will also be pieces from composers as diverse as John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Philip Wilby and Aaron Copland. As always in Glebe Singers' concerts, a variety of music will provide an evening's entertainment to suit all tastes.

Tickets for the concert (£5 for adults, £1 for children) are available from Mr Cobbler, Rainbow Precinct, from choir members or at the door. For more information about the concert or the choir, please telephone 01778 348074 or 01778 344977.

Unknown Territory to Home Ground

When I became a churchwarden five years ago, I was indeed stepping into unknown territory. It was not an undertaking I had planned; not even going into the meeting that elected me! My predecessor, Liz Spratley, was, as you might expect, a hard act to follow. However, with her unstinting support, and that of Mark, Sonia, Bernard, Richard, Roger and, above all, my husband, Dave, I made it to home ground!

As you probably know, I will be stepping down this month. Looking back, I am amazed at the innumerable blessings I have received during my time in office; here are just a few:

* the many uplifting chance meetings, such as with the elderly gentleman and his family from Australia, who came to locate his grandfather's grave;

* the loving fellowship in our church, which I feel has grown immensely;

* the prayerful support of everyone when my husband and my Mum were in hospital.

It has indeed been a privilege to serve as churchwarden and to get to know so many people more closely. Please still let me know if I can help in any way – I'm stepping down, not vanishing!

With my love and thanks to everyone,

Bet

News From The Tower

The ringers annual dinner was held this year at The Rose Inn, Frognall on the 27 January when some 20 ringers and their guests enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

Our A.G.M. was held on the 3 February when decisions were made on other forthcoming events such as our annual barbeque and evenings out. Our foreseeable expenses such as replacement ropes and any other equipment that may be required in the next financial year was also discussed.

Having had our hand bells refurbished we are concentrating some of our practice effort into the handling and correct ringing of hand bells. We also have one 6 year old regular member who, because of his size, is not capable of handling the church bells. By keeping his interest in hand bells we hope to retain his enthusiasm until such time as he is big enough for the "Big Bells".

"Easter Message"

As some of you know, I spent Holy Week and Easter last year as an inpatient in Pilgrim Hospital, Boston. This meant that I could not attend the important services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. My mum came early to the hospital on Easter Sunday so she could attend the hospital chapel with me. Although I could not take part in all of the services, I witnessed a remarkable thing.

There was an elderly lady in the bed diagonally across from mine in a 4- bedded bay. On Good Friday a visitor came to see this lady and brought her a bunch of daffodils which she arranged in a vase and placed on her locker. They were all in tight bud, like pencils. The ward was very warm and I expected the daffodils to open quickly. However, throughout Good Friday and Saturday they remained tightly closed. I began to think they were unfortunately 'blind' flowers. I went to sleep Saturday night and, unusually for me, I slept well. When I awoke on Easter Morning the daffodils were ALL out in full flower and were totally white. They were beautiful.

So you see, to me, I saw the flowers as the Easter Message with the springing to life on Easter Day when the flowers had bloomed, reminding me of the resurrection after the day in the tomb. This simple yet beautiful event made my Easter that bit more special.

News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers

We have been looking at various aspects of The Bible with an emphasis on how it provides messages from a loving God about how to live our lives today. By way of an introduction Explorers made Scripture Cakes which proved very popular. The recipe below makes half a dozen individual cakes. (Please use the Authorised Version, "King James", of the Bible)

1. Switch the oven on at 170° C
2. Place 50g Judges 5: 25(second part) in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon
3. Add 50g Jeremiah 6: 20 and one Jeremiah 17: 11 and beat well
4. Stir in 50g 1 Kings 4: 22(first part) and 1tbsp Judges 4: 19(second part)
5. If you want to, add 1 tbsp 1 Samuel 30: 12(second food) and 1 tsp Numbers 17: 8

• A pinch of Leviticus 2: 13 completes the mixture. Spoon it into 6 small cake
• cases and bake for about 15 mins

Many thanks to all those who have kindly helped us with various resources for Good Friday activities on the 14th April this year. If you can help us, just leave the item(s) in the box at the back of Church or bring to the Vicarage, please.

• sequins, pretty buttons, lace, thin braid, ribbon
• greenery (small and not poisonous) for arrangements
• packets of mini eggs
• Cadbury's Creme eggs (or equivalent)
• old towels

Many thanks.

We do hope that as many of the congregation of the Good Friday Service as possible can join us in the Hall afterwards for 'Seasonal Refreshments' and a short performance of The Passion.

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.

SCRIPTURE CAKE (Version 2)

This is more of a traditional fruitcake than the recipe followed by our Explorers.

    No one knows where or when this cake was invented. It may have come from Europe or it may have been created on the Eastern Shore of early North America. It was sweet to eat, and a chance to modestly exhibit knowledge of the Bible. It was fun in the form of an early trivia game, and a great dish to take to a church supper.

    As women moved westward across America, the recipe went with them as a small, treasured bit from "back home." It usually travelled along as part of a prized collection of recipes.

    The historical cake can still be made today. To play the game as our grandmothers might have played it, read the Biblical list of ingredients and write down your knowledge (or best guess) of the scriptural ingredients. Then, to be on the safe side, look in a King James version of the Bible to verify your answers. You are now ready to make the cake and do your share in continuing an historical friendly tradition.

• 1½ cups Judges 5:25
• 3 cups Jeremiah 6:20
• 6 Jeremiah 17:11
• 3½ cups Exodus 29:2
• 2 teaspoons Amos 4:5
• 2 Chronicles 9:9 to taste
• A pinch of Mark 9:50
• 1 cup Genesis 24:17
• 1 tablespoon 1 Samuel 14:25
• 2 cups 1 Samuel 30:12
• 2 cups chopped dried Song of Solomon 2:13
• 2 cups slivered or chopped Numbers 17:8

• Follow Solomon's advice for making good boys, Proverbs 23:14
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix well. Turn into two well greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake about 60 minutes, making sure not to overbake. Let cool for 30 minutes in pans before turning out onto rack.

THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SENSES

Smell

SMELL is one of the most primitive senses that human beings possess. Sometimes the smell of bread baking in a house being passed on a walk can evoke memories of long years ago when something similar caused pleasure in childhood. Animals have a much stronger sense of smell than human beings and can identify danger or pleasure quite easily. In the Old Testament story of Isaac blessing his sons—Jacob and Esau—Rebecca plans to steal the chief blessing for her younger son Jacob by dressing him in 'country garments' to deceive his father who was blind. '... when Isaac smelt the smell of his clothes he blessed him and said, "the smell of my son is like the smell of the open country . . ."' Even so God was not mocked. Jacob had to learn how to become Israel, God's new name for him; so he became the father of the nation (Genesis 27.27).

Another dramatic smell occurs in the New Testament when Lazarus died and his sisters requested Jesus to come. Martha says to Jesus on arrival at the tomb: 'Sir, by now there will be a stench: he has been there four days' (John 11.39). Nevertheless Jesus enters and a miracle occurs. A third quotation is found in St Paul's letters to the Philippian church when he acknowledges a gift from Epaphroditus which he describes as a 'fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God' (Phil. 4.18). All the human senses are gateways into experience—some pleasant and some unpleasant. They are avenues into aspects of reality. Our sensitivities—smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch—are, in themselves, neither good nor bad, they are simply means whereby we enter into life more fully.

So powerful are the emotions evoked by smell that when it comes to the acceptance or rejection of the use of incense in worship as a symbol of prayer rising up to God, we meet strong opposition or acceptance, according to our early training and experience. In spite of incense being a part of the Hebrew scriptures and meeting with it in Christian churches in the Middle East, a natural opposition persists at home because of hidden fears. Such fears can only be eradicated and exorcised by the grace and power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

COOKING WITH MARGARET

Roasted Squash & Red Onion Pasta

• 1 Butternut squash, about 700g
• 2 Red onions
• 2 Garlic cloves, sliced,
• 175g Penne or Rigatoni
• 3 tbsp Crème Fraîche.

Heat oven to 200°C /fan, 180°/gas 6. Peel and deseed the squash, then cut it into mouthful-sized chunks and tip into a roasting tin. Cut the onions, into wedges and put them in the tin.

Add the garlic to the tin with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss everything together. Roast for 30-35 minutes until browned.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain pasta, reserving about 4 tbsp of the cooking water. Remove tin from oven and add the cooking water and the crème fraîche, stirring everything together. Tip in the pasta, toss well and serve.

Registers for February 2006

HOLY BAPTISM: We welcome to the Lord's Family:

• 12th: Thomas Robert Booth, Stowgate Farm
• and Ellie Susan Booth, Stowgate Farm

FUNERALS: We commend to God's keeping:

• 27th at Peterborough Crematorium: Beryl Mary Murray (86)