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Scripture readings for Sunday
As the number of new cases dwindles the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak becomes much less newsworthy, allowing space for the General Election in our newspapers and other mass media. But the effects of the disease precautions go on affecting our lives, and here in Deeping St James the cancellation of the Deepings Show this year means that our Rose & Sweet Pea Show becomes the forum for the display of crafts as well as horticultural exhibits and competition entries. Whether we have a greater number of entries or of visitors as a result remains to be seen, but I would encourage keen gardeners and craftspeople to look through the class lists included with this issue of Priory News and consider entering the various competitions.
By the time this magazine appears in print the County Council and General Elections will be almost upon us, and I would remind readers of the Bible's urgent advice to God's people to seek the welfare of the state in which they find themselves living. We ought to use our votes, won through the hard work, risk-taking and sacrifice of our forbears, and in using them to think and pray about the way we cast them. Look at the candidates and what they say, and at the parties they represent and consider what you feel may be best for the nation and for the world, and especially for the disadvantaged for whom our Lord has such care. For the Christian, voting should be a serious and prayerful part of our continuing joyful duty to extend God's kingdom on earth - an extension of our daily prayer: "your Kingdom come on earth as in heaven".
Ringing on Friday evenings for beginners and experienced people is continuing with some progress.The beginners are still enjoying the art of change ringing and have had an outing to West Deeping this month. On Wednesday 23rd May the Deeping St James Brownies visited us for a conducted tour of the belfry. The Rose and Sweet Pea Show will soon be with us. Don't miss this chance of a trip up the tower to see how the bells work.There will be limited numbers for this experience as a matter of safety. Watch this space for further reports from ''The Tower Gang.''
Anyone who does a lot of driving around the country will know that it's worth making sure that you have an up to date road atlas, even when you think you know a particular journey well. New motorways appear, new bypasses are constructed and even existing roads change their usefulness – some even become dead ends! And that assumes that you know where you're going in any case!
It is likely to be even more difficult to keep up to date with both the route and the ultimate destination of our Parish spiritual journey. Within our congregation there will inevitably be some different views about where we should be heading, and even more on the direction we should be taking to get there. And what is more, we cannot simply buy a map to give us the right answers!
We look, of course, to Mark to be our main guide on this journey, but we need to help him by developing our communal thoughts on where we should be taking the Parish, and what we should be doing to get there. This is the purpose of our first Parish Conference, at which we will also be joined by the Bishop of Grantham who will speak to us to stimulate our thinking.
What, then, do we hope to achieve?
We aim to get to know each other better, enjoy some good food and have some fun! There will also be activities arranged for the children.
The Conference will start at 11.30 am after the Parish Eucharist and will finish with a Songs of Praise at 4.30pm.
Please reply to your invitation urgently as time is now short. If you haven't had an invitation, please let Mark know – you will still be made welcome!
We welcome to the Lord's Family
We commend to God's keeping:
We congratulate:
ON MAY 4th 2001 A LADY WHO HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE DIED. HER DEDICATION IN TEACHING DOMESTIC SCIENCE AT BOURNE AND LATER AT DEEPING SECONDARY MODERN HELPED MANY OF US IN THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES.
FROM THE AGE OF ELEVEN WE WOULD SPEND ONE DAY A WEEK AT BOURNE. I WELL REMEMBER THE FIRST ITEM I COOKED UNDER HER SUPERVISION, BEING SEPTEMBER, IT WAS BLACKBERRY AND APPLE PIE, AND FROM THAT DAY ON I NEVER WISHED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT COOK.
THEN CAME THE COUNTRY DANCING, TAKING PART IN PLAYS, WITH MISS HARPER MAKING THE COSTUMES etc. EVEN AFTER I HAD LEFT SCHOOL MISS HARPER TOOK ME TO LOOK AT A COLLEGE AT HARROW, WHICH I LATER ATTENDED FURTHERING MY EDUCATION IN DOMESTIC SCIENCE. I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR HER HELP SO FREELY GIVEN.
LATER ON MANY OF US HAVE ENJOYED GATHERING IN HER GARDEN FOR STRAWBERRY TEAS. I WAS PRIVILEGED TO CELEBRATE MY 50th BIRTHDAY AT A WI TEA IN HER GARDEN AND I RECALL HOW DELIGHTED SHE WAS TO SEE SO MANY AT HER 80th BIRTHDAY PARTY.
THANK YOU EDNA FOR ALL YOUR KINDNESS.
MARGARET FLEGG
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Copyright © 2001 Deeping St James PCC
Created by WebEdit, 2 June 2001