Methodist Church News 2006
Regular Services:
Sunday worship is at 10.30 a.m.
Sunday school at 10 00 a.m. For details please contact Mrs. Beryl House, tel. 813516
Ladies' Meeting on Wednesdays at 2.30 p.m.
"Oasis" a midweek informal meeting for meditation, discussion and fellowship (creche available if needed) on the second Wednesday of the month at 10.30 a.m.
All are welcome at any of these activities.
The schoolroom is widely used by the community, and if anybody wishes to book it for an event such as a children's party, contact Jane Millward tel. 813015.
Winter 2006 News
Church Events
Uniformed organisations will be welcomed at the Parade Carol Service on December 10th.
On December 17th. we will join the Parish Church for a united Carol Service.
Rolleston Choral Society will once again perform a Carol Concert on Wednesday 20th. December at 7.30. p.m. tickets will be available in advance from church and society members and will include refreshments, to start the festive season with village friends.
A further re-union of participants in last July's Holiday Club (Rocket, rockety, rock!) will take place early in the year. Watch for publicity
Holiday Club 2007
Following on from the enjoyable week we had this year we are already making plans for next year. The proposed dates are Monday July30th - Friday 3rd August. Please put the date in your diary. We are moving from Seaside Rock to Pyramid Rock for next years activities. Be ready to book early. Numbers will be limited again. If you feel you would like to help please speak to either Ian or myself.
Unfortunately the course Parent Talk is not taking place due to lack of interest. I still feel it has much to offer in helping in the awesome task of being a parent. It is not designed to make anyone feel a failure in their parenting role rather to encourage and also provide opportunities to share together what has worked for you and might benefit others. If you would like to see a sample of the material used please get in touch.
Musings from the Methodist Manse
How true what they say about time going faster as you get older. It came home to me some months ago, having been in the area some time I can now fill in peoples passport declarations, I started to do this for a neighbour only to find I could not complete the form as my own passport was now out of date.
Was it really ten years ago we went on a trip from the Church, where I was employed as a lay worker to Israel, - well the passport said it was. It was a good trip seeing the sights, experiencing some of the culture, even if my idyllic imagination of what a sheepfold looked like was shattered by seeing sheep enclosed by sheets of tin, and a shepherd driving the sheep from the comfort of a battered Transit van instead of leading them, crook in hand.
But why, O why, do people feel the need to put Churches on every place of interest. Still they could not do that on the Sea of Galilee one of my favourite places, Also to a large extent Nazareth was unspoilt. The sanitation of the place left a lot to be desired, and other than plastic awnings over the shops I thought it had not changed a lot since Jesus’ time. However this is not the case as, from reading a book written by some one who visited in 1936, it had changed considerably.
The author wrote of his experiences in the local market, of being jostled, having to get quickly out of the way of a camel and being squashed against a wall by a donkey carrying a huge load for its size down the narrow alley ways. He writes of people with foul breath putting their face into his as they tried to push their wares onto him. The market had its share of beggars, many with discharging foul smelling ulcers which stained your clothing as they brushed past.
It was to such a place as this that God came. Here God lived out a human life. If I thought it was bad in 1996 what was it like in Jesus’ time? It was here that Jesus cared for and healed the sick, amongst these folk were his family. It is here he learned His trade.
Right in the heart of humanity God dwelt. Think about it, this is the true heart of the Christmas message. God became one of us. I know times have changed but it is still a wonderful thing. Our lives may not be lived in slum like conditions, we may appear on the outside squeaky clean. But if we are honest we know we are not and the very same Christ comes to us with an offer of forgiveness, wanting to give us a life of purpose, power and peace. Actually He offers himself. Check it out, it will be the best Christmas present ever.
Happy Christmas to you and yours,
Mick Dilley
Autumn 2006 News
Church Events
On Saturday 16th September there will be a Soup and Puddings Lunch in the schoolroom. Watch for publicity and details of tickets.
Harvest Festival
On Sunday 17th September we will celebrate Harvest Festival, in a service led by Mrs Denise Hancock. Brownies and Guides hope to join us on parade. Since this will be all-age worship, families including children will be specially welcome, even if they do not usually attend. Harvest produce will be used to decorate the church, and the following day this will be distributed to some of the elderly people in the village, or people who are ill.
At both of these events we will miss the help of one of our loyal helpers, Mrs Rene Sparkes, who died at the end of July. People who support our events will remember her delicious gateaux, we remember her cheerful presence and faithful witness.
The Holiday Club, held in July was greatly enjoyed by all who took part. It is hoped to stage a reunion in October or November. Again, look out for publicity nearer the date. And don’t forget: “Seaside rock! Rockety, rockety, rock!”
Details later of the Parenting Course to be held during the winter months. This should be of interest to all who tackle some of the problems of bringing up children, with opportunity to listen, ask questions and discuss.
Musings from the Methodist Manse
Please God if you don’t let Mum and Dad find out then I promise I will be really good from now on. One of the earliest prayers I can ever remember praying. At the age of thirteen two mates and me had been caught by the local policeman in possession of three bottles of Bison Brown Ale bought at the local pub for the sum of 1s 3d with an extra 3d deposit on the bottle.
I have really enjoyed the start of the summer holidays. As you have no doubt heard, the church in Rolleston ran a holiday club, an exhausting but very rewarding week, I am part of another with the Church in Stretton and also at Etwall with holiday clubs, plus three nights of activities with our own Methodist circuit Youth Fellowship.
One of the sessions we had was on the subject of prayer. We started the program with games then watched an episode of Mr Bean when he went to Church. It had us all in fits of laughter even though we had all seen it before. We then voted on whether we would pray in certain situations, as you can imagine the more desperate, the more ready we were to pray. Which is perhaps where most of us join in prayer.
We then discussed where they pray, attitudes to prayer, and instructions from the bible. They came up with anytime, any place, any where, praying as we are, not pretending, but just being honest with God. We talked about having the right attitude toward God and prayer.
I was able to tell of one man I had met who had made a right mess of his life through drink. His prayer to God, as he lay on his kitchen floor unable to stand but desperate for his life to be sorted was “God if you are bleep well there come and do bleep well something in my life” His testimony was that God met him in his kitchen that night and changed his life, something which neighbours and family could see.
Two of the group performed a play of a dad talking to his son, the son just asking for this and that then wanting to rush away, and dear old dad desperate to just spend time with his child. The young people had no trouble seeing that is how we can so easily treat God. A God who, if he had a fridge in heaven, would have a magnet on it with your photo attached.
How is your prayer life? Do you pray? As you have seen from the man I quoted, God answers all sorts, perhaps without the need for the beeps. God, if you are there prove yourself, may be a good start. You may well be surprised at the answer you get.
I believe all prayers are answered, sometimes with a yes, the occasional wait, or maybe even a no. My prayer was answered with a no. They even prosecuted us at the local juvenile court. We got fined a pound. Expensive Ale was the headline in the local paper; you’re telling me - I didn’t even like the stuff !
God Bless
Mick Dilley
Summer 2006 News
Musings from the Methodist Manse
How wrong could I possibly have been? The occasion, well the Church, of which I was a member, was hosting a drama group. We volunteered to host the group for a meal during the week. We knew that one of the group, Stephen, was a wheelchair user, they duly arrived and we had a pleasant time with them. But when they left we both commented how miserable Stephen had been, he never smiled or showed any expression all the time he was with us. Our conclusion? O what a miserable fellow! Or words to that effect. But we were wrong, so very wrong.
Why, some twenty years after the event am I writing about this? Well over the Easter period the circuit drama group performed one of the many sketches Stephen has written. The particular piece was set out side the empty tomb where Christ had been buried. It involved two Roman centurions who had been charged with guarding the body so that no one came to steal it and start false rumours about Jesus rising from the dead.
As the dialogue proceeds they have no logical explanation, other than the fact Christ must have risen from the dead and it is the most world shattering event ever. This presented them with a problem how to explain the disappearance of the body to their superiors, they could think of no way out. They were contemplating being fed to the lions, saying 9 out of 10 cats prefer centurions.
One suggests that they create a diversion and his mate dresses up as a six foot Easter Bunny and starts to hand out chocolate eggs. This sketch, along with all of Stephen’s writings, presents Christian truths mixed with such a wry sense of humour that engages all who watch them being performed
Why were we so wrong about Stephen? It is because it turns out that his particular disability affects his face and he cannot move his facial muscles. But he is a man of immense warmth and a superb sense of humour.
Those of us who are Christians will just have celebrated again the wondrous truths of the Easter Message. That God was not prepared to let anything stand in the way of giving us a all chance to become His friends and that His rising from the dead proves Jesus was indeed God, and not just someone akin to the suicide bombers of our day.
Easter may not have had that relevance for you. You may have fallen for the diversion of a six foot Easter bunny or just time off work to relax with family and friends .The Daily Mail in 2001 on Easter Saturday had the headline. “Half of Britain’s population do not know the meaning of Easter”. When interviewed, people thought it was when Jesus was born, Easter Sunday was the day He was crucified, and many, shades in between. A survey suggests that people have not rejected Christianity, they are just ignorant of the facts of the faith.
Could I suggest that, if you have never seriously looked at Christianity, you take time to do so. To me the crunch questions are all to do with Jesus. Did He live? Did He go around doing good? Did He die ? Did He really rise from the dead? If He did then that life and death has relevance for today
Through lack of facts I was wrong about Stephen. That will not have eternal consequences whereas our decisions about Jesus will. I, or I am sure, Ian will be only to willing to talk with about the facts, recommend some books so you can be informed and make a reasonable decision. God Bless You in your seeking.
God Bless, Mick Dilley
Spring 2006 News
Holiday Club
The Methodist Church and St. Mary's Church plan to host a Holiday Club for children between the ages of five and eleven in the mornings of the week beginning 24th July 2006. Varied activities will be on offer, and both ministers will head the team of volunteers. Registration will be on a first come, first served basis, and forms will be available in the late spring. Watch for publicity later, when final arrangements have been made.
Musings from the Methodist Manse
How did you do this year on Christmas Gifts? Me?- well I had something I have wanted for a long time, some chickens. Good news for my wife and the neighbours though they went to Africa and not our back garden.
Along with other goodies I ended up with a record fourteen pairs of socks, still what do you get the man who has everything. I also received a set of CD’s entitled I love the Sixties. This as all you musical connoisseurs will know was when they had good popular music.
I’m sure you were all aware that some professor declared that January the 24th is the most depressing day of the year. He gave various reasons, credit card bills, dark days, the realisation we had failed again in our New Years Resolutions, ( the answer to that is not to make any then you can’t fail). It received a great deal of attention in the media so I’m sure it made people feel worse.
That same day however I saw lambs playing in a field, snowdrops in the garden, enjoyed the company of friends, had one of my favourite meals, laughed at a corny program on TV and all in all had an average sort of day which was far from depressing.
Listening to my CD in the car it makes a change from radio four, one of the tracks was from the Scaffold not my favourite “Lilly the Pink” but one entitled “Thank you Very Much” it is a rather trite song but perhaps has an antidote for getting depressed by counting and giving thanks for all the good things in our lives.
Perhaps we all suffer to much from the “I” disease. We need the odd reminder that life is not just all about us, it is how we relate to other people how we use the gifts and talents God has given us all. Our world bears all the hallmarks of a self centred society, we have so many labour saving devises so why are many people so desperately lonely. Our striving for the extra buck has made the work place for lots of people a very stressful place. All of us demand cheap food without any consideration for the producers be it our farmers or overseas producers. Shareholders dividends are what drive much practise in big business.
Feeling a bit down?- then try what was suggested on the TV last night go out of your way to do something nice each day for someone else. Forgetting about ourselves is one quick cure for the blues.
Christians have a perfect model in the Lord Jesus Christ who lived the most complete human life, a perfect balance of love for Himself and love for others. A model we cannot copy unless we ask Him into our lives and are prepared to surrender our self centeredness and start to live as God intended then we shall see every day as a gift from God and a day to be enjoyed.
God Bless,
Mick Dilley
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© Richard Bush
Last updated: 9 December 2006