Deeping St James Parish Church Magazine
Photographs of some parish events are available in our Photograph Album elsewhere on the site
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Barely two days after December 25th Christmas is a distant memory for a world rushing to return unwanted gifts and seek out sales bargains yet for Christians, the wonder is still unfolding.
I for one have always been intrigued by the mysterious men from the east who came to visit Jesus bringing gifts which were costly, not only to those who gave but to him who received. So many colourful details have been added over the centuries and the nature of the star they saw is much debated but the central truth remains unchanged. We may spend much time and effort seeking, but to learn more of God's ways we need to come to Jesus. When we find him, where we find him, may be a surprise, but when we have found him, the natural response of faith and devotion in the presence of the divine can only be worship. When we have offered our worship and our humble gifts we ourselves are changed, like the magi, we go off in a different direction.
The visit of the magi Epiphany is but the start of a season focussing on Jesus becoming known more widely in the world. On 25 th January, the Church remembers the conversion of St Paul chosen by the Lord in a blaze of light to be an apostle to the Gentiles. The season ends with Candlemas (Feb. 2nd.), the recognition in the temple of Jesus as a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the proclamation of his kingdom from its humble beginnings at Bethlehem to the earth's farthest bounds.Readings for January
To see your reading in advance without having to mark your bible pages, you can select and copy your reference and paste it into oremus Bible Browser (or type in your reference) and print out the reading. The translation used in church is the New Revised Standard Version, which is the default version on oremus.
6th January, Epiphany:
- Morning: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12
13th January, Baptism of Christ:
- Morning: Isaiah 42: 1-9; Acts 10: 34-43; Matthew 3: 13-end
- 18:00: Joshua 3: 1-8, 14-end; Luke 3: 15-22
20th January, 3rd Sunday of Epiphany:
- Morning: Isaiah 49: 1-7; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9; John 1: 29-42
27th January, 4th Sunday of Epiphany:
- Morning: Isaiah 9: 1-4; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-18; Matthew 4: 12-23
3rd February, Presentation of Christ in the Temple:
- Morning: Malachi 3: 1-5; Hebrews 2: 14-end; Luke 2: 22-40
- 18:00: Haggai 2: 1-9; John 2: 18-22
Home Groups
- The Bible Study Group meets on Fridays at 10:00 at the Vicarage
- House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way - Everyone welcome
Notices
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
18th - 25th January
Deepings Churches Together united worship
"Pray Without Ceasing"
At the Roman Catholic Church of
Our Lady of Lincoln and St Guthlac,
Hereward Way, Deeping St James
Sunday 20th January 2008 at 18:00
Preacher: the Rev David Haseldine, Deepings Methodist Church
The intention of the Eucharist on Thursday 24th January at 09:30 will be the unity of the Church.
MISSION MATTERS
Brrrrrr!!!!!
A word of thanks on behalf of the Mission Committee for the good response to the Appeal for Clothing for the Homeless. It was greatly appreciated by all. Please keep up the good work, especially during the cold winter months.
The needs remain the same, for example: warm blankets, sleeping bags, duvets. Warm clothing especially for men including shoes etc. Also please remember the box at the back of church for tinned food, you will find there waiting to receive your gifts.
A special thank you to the Ladies Fellowship for the wonderful effort with Christmas gifts which were greatly appreciated, Please keep up the good work.
Contact 01778 348110 if you need things collected.
Thank you.
Comfort
Hope is the bird that lingers
After the rest have flown.
Hope is the seed that emerges
When all the others have grown.
And hope was the last to leave the box
When Pandora was crying alone.
Betty Mates 2007
Next to Godliness?
Part 2: What about worship?
There is always a tension in worship between freshness and excellence. This is not to say that excellent things cannot be fresh, or that fresh things cannot be excellent, but that something as serious as worship is going to have to include some elements which take time to develop, just as it needs "fresh local words" to complete it and make it relevant. If the God we worship is the God who at the beginning of all things brought order out of chaos (gathering the seas together, for example, according the Genesis) and is characterised at "The Logos", the "Word" who became human in Jesus, then we should not be surprised that in his instructions about worship, St Paul asserts in 1 Corinthians 14: 40 that all things should be done decently and in order.
We vary widely in our spiritual needs and different ways of worship suit different people at different times and in different contexts, and a parish church tries its best to meet the needs of parishioners with the resources available. At the heart of worship, of course, is the concept of sacrifice, and whatever forms of worship we adopt the most important thing is to be there, to sacrifice our time (and our money!) as a symbol of ourselves. In addition, Jesus commands us to "do this", to share bread and wine in remembrance of him and so, whatever else we might do in addition, there must always be a place on the Lord's Day for the celebration of the Holy Communion.
Whatever we do, though, and how informal, it needs to be decent, as worthy as we can humanly make it, for the worship of the God who brought order out of chaos. We shall make mistakes, we shall vary in our abilities, but, as in all aspects of our Christian lives, the best we can do must always be our aim - this is part of our sacrificial offering to the One who sacrificed himself for us.
Among our musical offerings at a church like ours are items which the choir sings after some considerable period of study and rehearsal, musical offerings which can only be effectively made in this way by people trained to do it. Similarly, the ringing of the bells not only calls people to worship but is in itself the ringers' own offering, taking not only the time on the Sunday but a good deal of time and effort in preparation, too. Again, the flower-arranging is not a skill we all possess, and it not only contributes to the essence of wonder and awe in all who attend but again it is in itself an act of worship, done to the glory of God. None of these more "professional" items of worship detracts from what we all have to offer in being there, in joining in what we can, in taking turns in various ministries and in preparing the building by cleaning and tidying, etc.
Whatever part we play, and whatever service we attend, whatever style suits our personality, all should be done decently and in order if it is to reflect our belief and trust in the God revealed in scripture, in Genesis and by St John.
Mark WarrickNews from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers
December was a very busy month for our children, helpers, assistants and leaders. We entered two Christmas Trees in the Church Festival - our 'usual' wooden tree and another made from willow and tissue paper. Climbers and Scramblers enjoyed making their Papier Mache baubles, a project which stretched over several weeks. After their construction the shapes were dried, painted, glittered, and decorated. Explorers made 'dangly Santas' to enhance the more delicate willow tree.
The Christmas Party on the 16th December was great fun. Mark and Martin (from Spectrum Disco) once again provided a variety of lively, seasonal entertainment which was enjoyed by all - from our youngest (James) to our oldest (Alison!) - with Pass the Parcel, Hokey Cokey and the Conga being particular favourites! The food was an amazing spread, and we would like to thank the many members of the Priory Church congregation who provided such lovely contributions. There was great excitement when Santa visited at the end of the party with a gift for each guest, and time to chat. Some of us couldn't help noticing his splendid new outfit- clearly bespoke, and top quality material to boot (sorry, A!).
Later the same day the children joined many others at the very popular Christingle Service, in aid of the Children's Society, where they exchanged their collection for a lighted Christingle, processed round the Church, and sang 'Away in a Manger' in front of the Altar, illuminated only by the light provided by their candle. Quite magical.
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.
"We should keep in mind the poor" (St. Paul)
What does the word poverty mean to you?
Well, it probably means that only half my readers have made it to this second sentence. Just seeing the word can cause us to turn the page to find something more comfortable and relevant to read.
The fact of the matter is that poverty is not a comfortable topic in our apparently affluent society where guilt, anger and apathy characterise responses to the news that the number of those living below the poverty line continues to rise. And that is true whether we are thinking globally or locally. Poverty is an issue which is as relevant to rural Lincolnshire as it is anywhere else, and we simply cannot close our eyes or stop our ears to the plight of the very poor.
At Christmas, we lavishly celebrate the birthday of a baby born in a stable and we probably do so with little sense of irony. Furthermore, the baby grew into a prophet who befriended the have-nots, and berated the have-lots who passed by on the other side. So this year's Poverty and Homelessness Action Week takes on a special poignancy. It runs from Sunday 26th January Sunday 3rd February, and it offers local Churches a major opportunity to challenge the persistence of poverty and exclusion within our communities.
Above all, it is about giving a voice to the voiceless who seldom get a hearing with so many causes competing for our attention. Indeed, poverty "hearings" are now held regularly around the country in order to give those most affected by poverty the chance to speak for themselves. There will be a hearing in Boston on 29th January.
To find out more, get in touch with the Revd. Bob Mackrill on 01780 754490 , who is our contact for the Action Week in this Diocese. You can also log on to for up to date information and ideas.
We should not only heed St. Paul's injunction "to keep in mind the poor" (Galatians 2 verse 10). Action to combat poverty is also a key Christian requirement.
+ John Lincoln
COOKING WITH MARGARET
Spicy Beef & Orange Casserole
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger,
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour,
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon,
- 450g Lean Stewing Steak,cubed
- ½ tsp Ground Cloves,
- 25g Butter,
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg,
- 1 Onion peeled & sliced,
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice,
- 450 ml Orange juice,
- 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 2 Oranges Grated rind and segmented fruit,
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. In a large bowl mix all the spices plus seasoning with the flour. Add the beef and coat lightly all over with seasoned flour.
Melt the butter in a large, lidded flameproof casserole and add the beef, reserving the excess flour. Cook until browned all over. Remove the meat and set aside.
Add the onion and celery to the casserole and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and orange rind and cook for a further minute.
Gradually stir in the orange juice and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute. Add the beef, cover, place in oven and cook for 1½ hours. Stir in the orange segments and walnuts and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables.
You could use lamb or pork if preferred, if freezing leave out the orange segments and walnuts and add when reheating.
Registers for November 2007
Funerals: We commend to God's keeping
- 9th Jon Thorpe (71)
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