THE MAGAZINE OF THE HORWICH & RIVINGTON TEAM …
Transcript of THE MAGAZINE OF THE HORWICH & RIVINGTON TEAM …
April 2013 Issue Deadline - March 17th
Publication Date - April 7th
In this edition
Page two Directory
Page three
Clergybit
Annual General Meetings
Christian Aid
Page four More memories of an amazing trip
Burns Night
Electoral Roll Revision
Page five
Book Review
Are you lonely?
Hot Cross Buns & Hot Chocolate
What is your Faith Story?
Page six In the News
Greetings from Huntly
Page seven From the Registers
Charity Fun Day
Page eight Lent, Holy Week & Easter
Brain activity
March 2013 THE MAGAZINE OF THE HORWICH & RIVINGTON TEAM CHURCHES Price 50p
Members of the Open Door
celebrated their 20th anniversary
in January 2013 with a cheese
and wine evening in the upper
school, Church Street.
Open Door was created in 1993
and was an amalgamation of two
ladies groups, Mothers Union
and Thursday Club. Both groups
met on alternate Thursday
evenings at 8 pm, both had
visiting speakers, but both
groups also had a declining
membership. The answer to the
problem was to join the two
which resulted in Open Door - as
its name suggests - open to
everyone, young, old, male or
female. The group still meets on
Thursdays at 8.00pm in the
Parish Hall or Upper School, we
still have very interesting visiting
speakers and social evenings all
for just £2 per meeting.
Why not pick up a programme in
Church or at a meeting. We need
new members and you would be
made very welcome. For more
information please ring Jean on
01942 831719.
Forthcoming meetings
February 21st
‘The forbidden Kingdom of Nepal’
March 7th
‘Urban Outreach’
March 21st
‘My life in Saudi Arabia’
April 4th
Social Evening
Holy Trinity Church, Horwich
20 YEARS of
OPEN DOOR
The Editorial Team
would like to wish
all our readers a
Happy & Blessed
Easter
SPRING IS
ON ITS WAY!
CLERGYBIT
by Alan Wolstencroft
3
Holy Week and Easter
presents one of the most
dramatic and powerful
expressions of sacrificial
love and redemptive
power. Terms that are
perhaps readily understandable, to
some extent, by those who have
been brought up, or come to some
basic understanding of the
Christian faith. But what of those
for whom this language and mind
set are somewhat alien?
A visit to the cinema or theatre to
see the now much acclaimed Les
Misérables might help unravel
some of the profound qualities of
love, hate, forgiveness, redemption
and grace, that we in the Christian
Churches will witness once again
from Palm Sunday to Easter Day.
The film has much to teach us
and enlighten us about Christian
virtues. The principal character
Jean Valjean a convict on parole is
pardoned by a Bishop from whom
he has stolen silver. This
unwarranted act of compassion
utterly transforms him from a
criminal filled with hate to a
sacrificial hero.
Valjean is contrasted
with the narrow,
judgemental, religious
outlook of Javert the
police inspector who
relentlessly pursues
Valjean and is devoid of grace
and forgiveness. He believes in a
vengeful Old Testament God who
will bring down plague and
pestilence on all those who
disobey the law.
The full range of human
qualities are shown in the
characters, from the disbelieving
humour of the swindling
innkeeper and his wife to the loss
of faith through life's brutalities
that destroys the heroine’s whole
idea of loving, something she
expresses in one of the hit songs
of the show ‘I Dreamed a Dream’.
The spiritual and theological
content of the film, it's music, it's
drama, it's prayers (Bring him
home & The Lord's Prayer), it's
insights into human nature and
behaviour, have resonances with
the drama of Passiontide. I
believe this gives us the
opportunity of helping to unpack
and explain something of the
generous grace of God, something
of the sacrificial nature of the death
of Jesus on a Cross of shame,
something of his forgiving
compassion as in agony he pleads
for the forgiveness of fallen
humanity, something of the cost of
loving, something of the hope that
comes through acceptance of this
redemptive love, something of
resurrection and new life that is to
be lived in the here and now.
The film gave me and I suspect
most people a lot to think about,
Holy Week and Easter presents us
with more than something to think
about; it presents life changing
events not only to think about but to
respond to.
Share in the events of
Passiontide, Holy Week and Easter
in Church this year, not just as
spectators or bystanders, but as
those caught up in the unfolding
drama of Gods greatest act of
grace and love.
The Power of Forgiveness, Grace and Love
Although there is still a month or
so to go before the start of
Christian Aid week on 12th May
plans are already in hand to try
and make this another bumper
year of giving across Horwich.
Church reps have put in their
request for resources, Lent leaflets
to make Lent Count (Count Your
Blessings) are being distributed by
churches, letters have gone out to
schools asking them
to participate in some
way and plans are
afoot for soup events.
And this is on top of
planning for coffee
IT’S ON IT’S WAY
- BITE BACK AT HUNGER mornings/evenings, a quiz, and
door to door, bucket and Bikers
at the Barn collections plus those
at stores in Middlebrook. So do
please be prepared to respond
positively to requests to take part
in any of these events. Last year
Horwich raised over £6,000.
Maybe this year with your help
we can do even better!
Mariama Said takes part in
a CA community project to
feed her own and other
poor families in Ethiopia.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
St. Catherine’s 14th April
St. Elizabeth’s 21st April
Holy Trinity 21st April
Rivington 28th April This is YOUR opportunity to
see all aspects of the life of
your church, to stand for
election yourself, to vote for,
support and encourage those who do stand, to see what has
been achieved over the past
year and to be part of future
planning.
4
I have attempted to avoid
repeating the account of our
pilgrimage so ably given by
Vivien Rink in last month’s edition
of Below the Pike but I hope she
will forgive me if I trespass a little.
Because, as for her, this event will
linger in my memory and I was
privileged and blessed to have
shared such an amazing and awe-
inspiring experience. The special
memories she has of our visit have
been implanted in your mind’s eye,
and for me some also vividly stand
out. To be able to put into practice
a new understanding of the Bible
which had been formed from afar;
seeing places which had previously
been visions in my mind, hearing
the praying of Jews at the Wailing
Wall while being able to touch it;
listening to the sound of the waves
of the sea of Galilee being washed
up on the shore outside our
bedroom; smelling the baking
bread, which was piled high on the
stalls in the Bazaars along with
fruit and vegetables, sweets, and
the various coffee aromas;
sharing the bread and wine at
The Shepherds Field overlooking
Bethlehem; the Ecce-Homo
convent in Jerusalem; Mensa
Christi, where Jesus appeared to
his disciples after His
resurrection close to the shore of
the Lake. Touching sites thought
to be the locations of the birth
and crucifixion of our Lord defied
explanation and surpassed any
other feeling imaginable.
Three months later and it all
seems like a dream, but WHAT a
dream. Then 2 weeks ago we re-
lived that dream when many of
the 43 pilgrims, most who had left
Manchester as strangers but now
seemed more like a family,
together had much pleasure in
watching a DVD of our Holy Land
Pilgrimage accompanied by a
diary written by our pilgrims
containing each day’s events and
highlights, both excellently
produced by Rev Graham Smith
(who together with Rev David
Griffiths led our pilgrimage).
Personally looking back on this
extraordinary event in my life, I feel
my faith has been raised to a new
level, as I have been able to walk in
the same country, sail on the same
sea, see the same mountains as
our Lord did, bringing the
Scriptures into reality. Should the
opportunity arise for you to make a
similar pilgrimage, take it with open
arms and enjoy the experience of a
lifetime - even if you’ve reached 80
years of age as I have!
Allan Holden
WE WALKED WHERE JESUS WALKED
More Memories of a wonderful Holy Land Pilgrimage
The Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught, healed and appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.
ELECTORAL ROLL
REVISION Every six years the electoral
roll in every church is scrapped
and started again.
EVERYONE needs to re-apply
or you will not be on the new
roll. If you consider yourself a
member of one of our churches
and eligible you need to
complete a form and return to
the specified box in your
church. Your membership
entitles you to attend, stand
for election and vote at the
Annual General Meeting
BURNS NIGHT CELEBRATIONS Addressing the Haggis, bagpipes and whisky...
...at Holy Trinity
and at St Elizabeth’s...
CELEBRATIONS & CONGRATULATIONS Anything to celebrate? Let the editor know and see it printed here!
Email [email protected] or ring 01204 694611 before the deadline on the front page.
5
Bishop Wright is a world-
renowned biblical scholar and
theologian, who had resigned as
Bishop of Durham to become
Professor of Theology at St.
Andrew’s University.
The book, whose title is given
above, is a major work on the
whole story of the Bible. Perhaps
the best way to introduce it is to
refer to the Creeds we recite every
Sunday. Have we noticed that in
outlining the cardinal matters of our
Christian faith they jump from
Bethlehem to Calvary, that is,
having pointed to the birth of Jesus
by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin
Mary, they go straight to the
Crucifixion?
When we realise that the Creeds
were drawn up to counteract
heretical ideas on the faith that is
understandable. So, as Tom
Wright points out, there is no
reference to the primary concern of
the four Gospels. And that
concern is The Kingdom of God.
It is what Jesus was constantly
proclaiming, and by his works of
mercy, healing, caring and showing
what the Kingdom is like.
When God created humanity he
required men and women together
to be his agents in his Kingship
over Creation. To be “in the
image of God” (Genesis 1:26-28) is
to be his kings and his priests.
But humanity failed through sin.
God then chose a new people
through Abraham and his
descendants to take over the kingly
role. But they too failed. So he
promised a Messiah (an anointed
King) would come and achieve his
purpose where others had failed.
And that is what Jesus did, Christ
means Messiah. And the
Kingdom God planned was
established through the Cross and
Resurrection.
At the Cross
the Messiah
not only
provided
salvation for
sinners, but
defeated all the powers of evil.
Those powers were operating
through human empires built on
force and conquest. The
Messiah defeated them by self-
sacrificing love. And that
Kingdom has been growing ever
since, and will do so until it is
consummated in the Return of
the Messiah.
All this Tom Wright expounds in
full and inspiring measure in his
book.
HOW GOD BECAME KING by (Bishop) Tom Wright
A book review by Colin Craston
Horwich Resource Centre is a
thriving Centre for the whole
community right in the heart of
Horwich.
It is a base for many local
voluntary, community and
supporting groups including
Horwich Heritage Exhibition
Centre, which is free of charge, to
all its local and worldwide visitors.
The range of activities on offer is
immense, with something to suit
everyone young, young at heart
and all the in-betweeners.
Maybe it’s worth stopping by, as
new members are always made
very welcome and you never know
but there could be that something
extra you are looking for? Our
many groups are diverse and
varied and we are an extremely
busy Centre.
We also welcome new groups, so
maybe you may have something to
offer us and the local community.
Call in and have a chat with Janet
(Manager) ring 01204 668157 or
email:[email protected] Beaumont Road, Horwich BL6 7BG
ARE YOU LONELY? BORED?
AT A LOOSE END?
Groups include: Children & Young People’s interests - arts & crafts, Cadets, Mums & Toddlers, Performing Arts and more. Adults can enjoy arts & crafts too, martial arts, luncheon clubs, embroidery, line dancing, writing & upholstery to name but a few. There is a Widows club, a Stroke club & a New Heart club. Check the web site for days & times.
www.allcommunity.co.uk/horwichresource/
FREE! Hot Chocolate &
Hot Cross Buns St Elizabeth's Vicarage
March 18th 7:30pm
WHAT’S THE CATCH?
(there always is one
isn’t there?!)
You need to be willing to
think about helping with a
Holiday Club!
FAITH STORIES
What's yours? We are starting a series to
coincide with the theme of
our Lent services.
Please think about this - it's
very encouraging for others
to hear about how God has
been at work in our lives.
Starting next month, we
have our first story! But be
prepared - you may be
asked next!
6
My wife and I returned to this
area after an absence of 15 years.
We had moved to Lancashire
because the location was more
convenient to enable me to join the
cruise ships on which I have been
lecturing for several years – the
journey from Chorley to
Southampton is 242 miles as
opposed to 648 miles from
Aberdeenshire! In addition I was
beginning to consider that maybe I
should slow down a bit because a
work schedule of between 8 - 15
lectures per trip can be quite
arduous in one’s late 70’s!!
It was not without some sadness
that we left Rivington and we shall
certainly miss the wonderful
friendship and church participation
which we experienced there.
Replacing that is not going to be
easy since the little church here
has lost the bulk of its congregation
and is struggling to survive, but we
are determined to do what we can
to help.
Our new home is situated 350
feet above sea level and the view
from our lounge looks out on to
Gartly Moor which, like most of
the surrounding countryside has
been cloaked in snow of varying
depths. We clearly had a visit
from several deer last night and
from the footprints on our front
lawn they were both young and
old. The view is vastly different
from that of our Adlington home
which was considerably restricted
although the garden did attract
some 50 odd species of birds,
small mammals and butterflies.
Our first morning here we were
awakened by the noise of pink
foot geese looking for suitable
foraging ground in the
surrounding stubble. Armed with
my binoculars I scanned the
landscape and the sky above, at
hundreds of geese squabbling for
position on the adjoining field.
Skeins numbering in excess of
200 birds each, noisily circled the
area and I estimated numbers to
be well over 2000 geese. As I
observed this wonderful scene I
was reminded of a question I was
once asked whilst leading a
birdwatch on a cruise to Iceland -
“How do you know those geese
which are flying so high, are pink
foot geese and not greylags?” My
reply clearly impressed the small
assembled group especially when I
said they too could use the same
criterion if ever asked the same
question, because it is impossible
to differentiate between the two
when they are flying at over 2000
feet. The secret, I explained, is to
determine whether the pitch of their
sound (they never stop calling
when flying in formation) was a
tenor or bass sound? Yes, the
honking of the pink foot goose is of
a higher pitch whilst the greylag is
much lower, more of a bass.
Ideally one has to hear them both
but soon one will easily recognise
the difference and the kudos is
yours all by courtesy of an old
friend who was a retired church
organist! Cliff Jones
GREETINGS FROM HUNTLY IN ABERDEENSHIRE
With all the stories making
headline news recently, such as
the Pope’s resignation, the horse
meat scandal, the near miss of the
asteroid big enough to flatten
Manchester, it might be easy to
miss that a very significant
development, said Bishop Tom
Butler recently, which slips in
below the radar of the headlines,
that of the explosion of food banks
around the country. Together they
make a serious story and it’s
happening in Horwich.
Every day for a variety of
reasons, such as redundancy,
illness, debts, benefit delays,
homelessness, domestic abuse,
redundancy, family breakdown,
increasing numbers of people up
and down the country are faced
with having no money to feed
hungry mouths. At Middlebrook in
December the Wanderers star
Stuart Holden launched ‘Holden’s
Gifts of Hope’ by taking time out
to donate food and clothing to
Bolton’s most vulnerable through
Urban Outreach’s Store House
food bank.
A clear strand in the
gospel story is Jesus’s concern
for the hungry. For example
when faced with a hungry crowd
of five thousand on the edge of
the wilderness, he produced the
resources to feed them. It was a
miracle. It is a miracle in our
community that so many, to help
those in need, are taking extra
food from their shopping to
church to put in their Grub Tub.
In January, Dave Bagley
spoke at a meeting of Churches
Together in Horwich and Rivington
about the Storehouse food bank.
He said: “The situation we face at
the moment is that people are
being affected by poverty on a
much broader scale than we ever
imagined and this is an opportunity
for us to give people something
very basic, like food, without saying
‘it is charity’.”
That was picked up by the
churches which now all have Grub
Tubs and are donating food to the
Store House project which
distributes food through vouchers
issued by Housing, Job Centres,
Social Services, Citizen’s Advice
Bureau, churches, Children’s
Centres, Health Visitors and
various charities like Winter Watch
and BRASS helping asylum
seekers. Horwich Rotary is giving
£1000 to Urban Outreach to help
with the running costs of
Storehouse. So far 2348 parcels
have been given out in Bolton and
that number is expected to rise
substantially as the benefit cuts in
April start to bite.
IN THE NEWS Storehouse Grub Tubs in our churches
BAPTISMS & THANKSGIVINGS We welcome to the family of the Church:
WEDDINGS We wish joy and happiness to: 9th Feb Thomas Jones & Amy Doherty
9th Feb Matthew Hartley & Carrie Price
FUNERALS We offer love and sympathy to the relatives and friends of: 18th Jan Ronald Evans, Blackrod House Care Home, Blackrod
24th Jan Alma Beck, Whitton Mews, Horwich
24th Jan Jenny Beatty, Flockton Court, Horwich
28th Jan Joseph Knee, Flockton Court, Horwich 30th Jan Derek Radford, Castlecroft Ave, Blackrod
1st Feb Pauline Newell, Cotswold Drive, Horwich
6th Feb Roy Jackson, Bankfield Street, Bolton
6th Feb Jacqueline Anne Morris, Broadway Horwich 7th Feb Audrey Makin, Lower Hill Drive, Heath Charnock
7th Feb Harold Taylor, Fernstone Close, Horwich
15th Feb Joyce Dandy, Medway Close, Horwich
15th Feb Doris Nicholls, Alexandra Road, Lostock 18th Feb Patricia Liptrott, George Street, Horwich
18th Feb Steven Urmston, Everbrom Road, Bolton
21st Feb Eva Bramwell, Leicester Avenue, Horwich
26th Feb Audrey Seel, St. Catherine’s Care Home, Horwich
From the Registers
10th Feb Harry David Campfield
17th Feb Corey Mason
17th Feb Katie Lucy Sale
27th Jan Sebastian Yardley
27th Jan Isabella Rose King
10th Feb Layla Butler
All proceeds on the day are
going towards the UNICEF
Shoebiz Appeal, which
protects the rights of children
and raises money for
educational projects worldwide.
Amy Coward (the organiser) is the Team Leader at
Clarks Shoes, Middlebrook and supports our Shoebox
Appeal by providing numerous empty boxes for us!
Do please support her event.
Spring forward
into Summer!
Move your
clocks forward
1 hour at 02.00
on Sunday 31st
March.
Don’t be
late for
Church!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CONTACT YOUR MP?
JULIE HILLING
MP for BOLTON WEST
If you require help or advice,
you can contact Julie
via her constituency office on
01942 813468 or
Website: juliehilling.org.uk
With thanks to Easiprint, Crown Lane, Horwich for printing this magazine.
A painter and decorator was
contracted to paint the exterior of his
local Parish Church. In order to
maximise his profit he drastically
watered down the paint!
When his task was completed, he
stood back to admire his ‘handy work’
and smiled as he thought of the profit
he had made.
Later in the day, a storm blew up
and the rain fell in torrents causing a
total disaster as the thinned down
paint ran down the masonry walls.
Worried about being ‘found – out’’ he
drove back to church and saw that his
worst fears had materialised.
In desperation he fell down on his
knees, crying out, ‘O Lord, what have
I done? What can I do?’
A great voice from the Heavens was
heard to say, ‘ “Re-paint! Re-paint!”
and “Thin” no more’!
(With apologies to anyone
reading this who makes an
honest living in this business!
- ed.)
ALL WELC
OME
LENT CONTINUES…’This is Our Story: Journeys of Faith
STILL TO COME... CHURCHES TOGETHER MEETINGS: all at 7.30 pm followed by refreshments
Wednesday 6th March ‘Fed by the Bread of Heaven’
St. Catherine’s Church with Rev. Jennifer McKenzie
Thursday 14th March ‘Singing in the Wilderness’
Independent Methodist Church with Rev. Michael Behrend
Friday 22nd March ‘Saved from Death
St. Mary’s RC Church with Mr. Eric Kent
LENT STUDY GROUPS:
at 6.30 pm in Holy Trinity on
Sundays 3rd, 10th, 17th (with ‘The Cross of Christ’ - see below) & 24th March
at 10 am for a 10.30 am start in Holy Trinity on
Tuesdays 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th March
PASSION SUNDAY 17th March 6.30 pm
in Holy Trinity
THE CROSS OF CHRIST A devotion for congregation and choir.
Under the leadership of Joan Dixon, the choir of
Holy Trinity, together with others joining them,
have been busily rehearsing for this moving
service of congregational hymns, readings and
anthems. This traditional devotional evening
service is an excellent way of preparing for Palm
Sunday and Holy Week and then for the
celebration of Easter when we recall the triumph
of Christ over sin and death.
Make it a date, you won’t be disappointed!
HOLY WEEK & EASTER Monday 25th - Wednesday 27th March
Partnership Holy Week Meditations
19.30 - Communion in St. Katharine’s, Blackrod
Maundy Thursday: 19.30 - Holy Trinity
Team Communion
19.30 - St. Elizabeth’s Passover Meal
Good Friday: Family Communion 10am - St Elizabeth’s
Meditation
11.15 - St. Elizabeth’s
Reflections 10.00 - Rivington
10.30 - St. Catherine’s
14.00 - Holy Trinity
EASTER SUNDAY
SERVICES IN ALL OUR CHURCHES
Alleluia! He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!