Priory News, March 2005

Deepings St James Parish Church Magazine

Photographs of some parish events are available in our Photograph Album elsewhere on the site

To:
Scripture readings for Sunday
Archive of past editions of Priory News
Cooking with Margaret

Sonia Marshall

Holy Week And Easter

The eight days from Palm Sunday to Easter Day mark the most important week in the Christian Calendar. Little is known of how this time was observed in the first two centuries when the threat of persecution was ever present; it is thought that Holy Saturday (Easter eve) was a day of solemn fasting followed by a vigil through the night and the celebration of the Easter Eucharist at dawn.

Two factors influenced the pattern of worship as we now know it. The first was the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the West, with the consequent freedom and exchange that brought. The second was the desire to make pilgrimage, to see the setting of Christ's last days on earth in Jerusalem where the events of the passion were commemorated at the relevant sites around the city.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, recalling Jesus' entry into Jerusalem heralded by the crowd waving branches of Palm. In Jerusalem, the procession went from the Mount of Olives into the city; at Deeping St James we gather at the vicarage for the blessing of the Palm Crosses and the crucifer leads us into church for the Eucharist which includes the first of the readings of the passion (this year from St Matthew's gospel).

At the Eucharists of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week we follow the events of the last week of Jesus' life as narrated by St John. The next day, Maundy Thursday, we recall the events of the Last Supper during which Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of his disciples, giving them his new commandment (mandatum or 'Maundy') to love one another, and to share bread and wine in his memory. The stripping of the altar, the dimming of the lights, the removal of the reserved sacrament to the side chapel where a vigil is kept until midnight, all evoke the dramatic events of Christ's withdrawal to the garden of Gethsemane, where, after his agony of prayer, he was arrested.

The bareness of the church as we enter on Good Friday recalls the bleak scene at the foot of the cross. The passion according to St John is read, the saving work of Christ on the cross proclaimed, and the service ends with communion from the reserved sacrament.

Celebrations of Easter beginning with the kindling of new fire, the lighting of the Paschal (Easter) candle and the reading of the Exultet, the Easter song of praise; this may take place after dark on the Saturday (Christ had already risen when the empty tomb was discovered at dawn the next day) or at the beginning of the Eucharist on Easter Day. Where practical, it will take place at sunrise where the dawn and the birdsong add an extra joyful dimension. The colour and scent of the flowers after their absence during Lent, the singing of the Gloria and the Easter Alleluias are almost overwhelming; they all remind us of the new life we all receive through the resurrection, Christ's victory over sin and death.

We urge you to come and take in the whole of this holy time…only through experiencing it for ourselves can we tell others of the miracle of joy and new life at the end of sorrow and pain.

Spring Into Action!

With Easter so early this year, our spring cleaning time is fast approaching. It will be on Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th March.

Please sign on the list in church if you can spare an hour or two to help – all offers gratefully received!

My thanks to Liz Spratley, who is organising this year's cleaning. Please give her your support and help lighten the load.

Many thanks,
Bet Washbrooke

Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

A Big Thank you ...

…to everyone who donated clothes and shoes for the Blue Peter Appeal raising money, which is reuniting families in war-torn Angola. We collected 7 bags in total. This raised enough money to buy a tracing bike, to help reunite children with their families, and four reintegration kits, which contains clothes, an exercise book and pencils, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste and food such as pasta, rice, salt, cooking oil, flour, beans and sugar. This helps the reunited family cope with an extra person to look after. The Welcome Home Appeal so far has received over 75,000 bags.

You can still donate to the appeal by taking unwanted clothes to Red Cross Shops, but please specify that they are for the Blue Peter Appeal. Thank you once again.

News from Explorers, Climbers and Scramblers

Our Prayer Module began by looking at The Lord's Prayer which is a perfect pattern for us to copy. We found the word 'PRAY' helped us to balance our prayers - P for Praise, R for Request, A for apology and Y for Yourself. The parable of the nagging widow and the unjust judge was quite puzzling but reminded us that persistence in prayer is a good thing. We must remember, too, that God answers prayer, but not always as we want him to or in a way we are expecting. It is important to be honest with God and not try to impress him by pretending.

We spent a lot of time rehearsing the action song 'When the Rain came down' which we enjoyed singing at the first Family Worship service during which Alice was baptised.

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.

Good Friday - March 25th 2005

We are expecting about 60 children to come to the Children's Service and then enjoy the Activities in the Church Hall (booking essential!) which our Children's Leaders are providing. If you can help us by donating any of the following we would be most grateful. Just leave in the box at the back of Church or bring to the Vicarage, please.

• sequins, pretty buttons, lace, thin braid - ribbon to trim bonnets
• greenery (small) for arrangements - packets of mini eggs
• old towels

Many thanks.
Alison Warrick

THE DEEPINGS MEN'S GROUP

by Jim Haw

There seems to be some confusion as to when this Group came into being and having been a founder member/committee member I have decided to put the record straight.

Being a member of Deeping St. James Priory Church council in 1958 I remembered that the then Vicar, Rev. Urien Evans had expressed his idea that a men's association be considered, such as a branch of the Church of England Men's Society (C.E.M.S.).

Later at a P.C.C. meeting on the 16th June 1958, Rev. Evans indicated his reservations with regards to a branch of C.E.M.S. because that organisation was for confirmed Church of England men only and he felt that an association for men should be considered to be open to all men in the parish. The meeting agreed that the Vicar call a meeting later in the year to discuss this matter.

From the minutes of a P.C.C. Meeting on 17th November 1958, I quote: "Men's Meeting: A group has been formed in association with the Church."

From the minutes of a P.C.C. Meeting on 9th December 1958, I quote: "The Vicar reported a very good attendance at the first meeting of the men's association and said a large number of people were interested in its activities."

If my memory is correct, this meeting took place at the Deepings Secondary School, Park Road.

The early meetings attracted men from all the Deepings, thus the title "Deepings Men's Group" was adopted.

I am obliged to the Vicar, Rev. Mark Warrick, for allowing me access to the P.C.C. Minute Books from which the above information has been taken.

CHRISTIAN AID BIBLES

There are still some copies available of the Christian Aid edition of the anglicised New Revised Standard Bible which we use almost exclusively in church now. Please see Sonia if you would like to buy one of these for personal study, for preparing a lesson to read in church or for following the lesson in context either in church or when you get home.

For those with good internet connections the Oremus Bible Browser, which has a direct link from the front page of the Priory Church's website dsj.org.uk, uses both this version of the Bible and the traditional Authorised Version for those who prefer it. Those who read in church can print out their reading in advance if they wish in order to prepare - the Oremus Bible Browser even copes with the passages with selected verses!

Friends First

Looking for someone special to share your life with?

Whatever our age or status in life, most of us want close meaningful relationships with other people. We may already have many friends in our lives, but we miss that special person with whom to connect in a really deep, meaningful, loving and special way. Beyond the daily routines of our lives we know that a unique friend, or someone to intimately share life with would make all the difference.

If you could walk into a room of 100 like-minded 'single' Christian people, there'd probably be a high chance of meeting someone with whom you'd hit it off. But how do you find that 'room'? Friends First (which was established in 1999) is a modern way of walking into that room and meeting other 'single' Christians. Hundreds of people (of all ages from 21 to 88), who have joined the organisation to date, have found they've made friendships that have really changed their lives - whether that's because it's ended in marriage or because a new friend has greatly enriched their lives.

If you'd like to meet someone special, then joining Friends First this year could be the first step to enabling that to happen. Friends First offers a professional, confidential, personal and very friendly service. For further details ring 0121 427 1286 or write to P0 Box 8377, Birmingham, B17 9TE. There are also details on the internet at www.friends1st.co.uk

This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.

Registers for January

Funerals

we commend to God's keeping:

• 10th: Patricia Isabella Waterhouse (57)

Also at Peterborough Crematorium:

• 14th: Henry Sturgeon