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1 2 FROM THE EDITOR I’m really happy to have just joined the Explorer (6-9 yr olds) team. I hope that I help the Explorers to know Jesus, but VICAR: The Rev Stephen Bowen, I know that I will also learn a lot from The Vicarage, Felbridge, them, with their bold and simple West Sussex RH19 2QT prayers, and their fantastic sense of fun Tel: 01342 321524; and the ridiculous (read “joy” - a more Fax: 0870 9156268 theological word). [email protected] There’s lots that goes on at St John’s, Vicar’s day off: Thursday and I’m really grateful to everyone who ASSOCIATE MINISTER: has welcomed me so well into the Michael Peach various goings-on. 5 Burns Way, East Grinstead, I thought it would be good if the whole West Sussex RH19 1SA church could be updated with what the Tel: 01342 312406 different groups are doing. So if there’s [email protected] anything you’re up to and you’d like to Michael’s day off: Friday share it, please get in touch :-). Louise Russell Cover photo: Trees in the snow at sunrise by Brenda Wilkinson MARCH: Articles for the March Issue to be with Louise Russell by Sunday 14th February. Publication 28th February. Please e-mail your articles to [email protected] or send to Louise at Fircroft, Furzefield Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2JN. 1 STEPHEN WRITES… DEAR FRIENDS, mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his Lent begins in the middle of February own life—he cannot be my – Ash Wednesday falls on the 17th. disciple.” (verse 26). Do people remember the concept of What sort of person could make such ‘giving something up for Lent’? If a claim on his followers’ complete they do, it may well be linked in their loyalty? Imagine such words on the minds with some sort of dieting – lips of any other teacher or leader! giving up sweets or alcohol, for the sake of their health. It is extraordinary that Jesus, who taught people to love one another, Nothing wrong with that, but it was should ever have used the word not the original idea! The original ‘hate’. Perhaps it was in order to drive concept was to get ready to celebrate home the point that the loyalty, the great events at the very heart of the commitment and devotion he was Christian faith – the death and calling for must come streets ahead of resurrection of Christ. This was often our loyalty, commitment and devotion linked with the idea of journeying to anyone else in the world. If ever with Christ through the forty days of there is a conflict of interests, he must his temptation in the wilderness. come first in the lives of his It was a preparation for the great feast followers. Even above their concern of Easter. for their own lives! Giving things up may seem a negative What he calls for is radical form of spirituality – but giving up discipleship – going to the very roots sweets or alcohol or TV pales into of our lives. All over the world and all insignificance beside the call of Jesus through Christian history, true who said, “Any of you who does not Christians have served Christ in that give up everything he has cannot be spirit. Nothing else is worthy of a my disciple.” (Luke ch. 14 verse 33). Saviour who gave up his life for us. At a time when large crowds were Yours sincerely, travelling with him (Luke ch.14 verse 25), instead of revelling in such popularity, he issued one of his sternest warnings: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and 2 IN THE GARDEN plenty of room for the squash) as they It is more difficult produced an abundant harvest for little than usual to write trouble and the beans were so this column whilst colourful! It’s also a time when the garden is still deciduous shrubs can be moved, if thickly covered in necessary, so long as one digs out a 10 inches of snow, as I am finding it large rootball. This is the month, too, hard to even imagine working in the to cut buddleias back to about 2 feet garden or what joys of early spring from the ground. may be hidden under the snow. Up to a point, there is a certain delight in being Snowdrops, sometimes called ‘St unable to do anything outside and just Agnes Flowers’ have been flowering in enjoy a guilt-free rest! some gardens since January, although ours are a late flowering variety. They I imagine that during the prolonged are said to be a symbol of purity and cold spell we may well have lost some their appearance coincides with plants: the cerinthe certainly and the Candlemas, on 2nd February, the Californian poppies, which would ceremony of the purification of Mary normally survive milder winters, and after the birth of Jesus. Snowdrops probably tender cuttings or anything readily multiply into mature clumps that prefers warmer climes. Last winter and if dividing this should be done we lost several things, including two immediately after flowering as they large oleanders. Luckily, when we should always be planted ‘in the were in Cyprus this year for Christmas, green’. Why not pass on a clump to a we were able to collect oleander seed friend? pods and hope to start off some new plants. February should be the month in the garden when everything starts to come February is a good time to start alive again. The birds sing and the preparing the soil for planting, camellias are encouragingly covered in especially for vegetables, by removing fat buds. Bulbs of all kinds are weeds then digging in plenty of pushing their way through the soil and compost. We have ordered our onion by the end of the month there should sets and seed potatoes. This year we be carpets of cyclamen, crocuses and will try varieties Accord, Maris Piper snowdrops. Isn’t the natural world and Yukon Gold. Real winners last wonderful? year were the borlotti beans and butternut squash (but you do need Maureen Reynolds 3 REGULAR EVENTS Through the week at St. John’s Sundays 8am Holy Communion (2nd & 4th Sundays in the month) 10am Morning Service Family Service (1st Sunday in the month) 5pm Raise The Roof (3rd Sunday in the month) 6.30pm Evening Service Tuesdays 12.45 pm Food for Thought, Zion Church 2 pm WI first Tuesday of the month in the Village Hall Wednesdays 2 pm Watercolour on Wednesdays Thursdays 10.30 am WIGS at the Old Pheasantry, Woodcock Hill (home of June Clark) 6-7.30pm JAFFA club in the Church hall on the first Thursday of each month Saturdays 8 am Prayer Breakfast on first Saturday morning in the Church Hall (Jesus a friend for all) A fun action-packed evening for children in school years 3-6 Meetings on the first Thursday of the month 4th February, the Church Hall Lots to do – Bible teaching, games and craft For details of how to apply to join contact Diane Francis 4 FAMILY LIFE Bivvy bags, icicles and honeycomb There were times when one of us got When we upset with the other—especially when awoke one January morning to find it involved cold ice trickling down the the garden, the driveway and the car neck! And there were times, when, covered in eight inches of snow, we having just spent ten minutes putting did not, for the first time in several on waterproofs, hats, gloves, coats and years hurtle outside to build a wellies, we would go out only to come snowman and sledge down the hill in in again minutes later and take the the backgarden - we knew that school whole lot off, because someone had would be closed and that we’d have been pushed in the snow or had a the rest of the day to play in the snow! snowball thrown in their face and had So, while Chris donned his thermals got too cold to stay outside. and wellies, ready to walk to work, we sat and planned how we were going to Hopefully, it will not be those spend our day, not realising that that instances that will stick in our day would turn into five days. At times memories, but these: the fantastic time like these I am very glad that I am a we had zooming down a hill on a bivvy ‘stay-at-home-mum’, I’m not sure bag, which worked just as well as a what we would have done if I’d had to sledge once we’d slid down the hill a juggle work, walking the dog and couple of times; or watching Pippin looking after children. And even if we chase the snowballs we threw; did have family members who lived smashing the ice in the pony’s trough nearby, I’m not sure that we would with Grandpa’s axe; making have been able to reach them, being honeycomb that stuck our teeth quite isolated, living on a farm. together; discovering the icicles that had grown on the old Christmas tree; So, it was just me, the boys and the or walking all the way up a slushy dog for several days, with Chris Dunnings road into town and sitting on joining us in the evenings—not having the floor of Queens’ Walk eating hot an excuse for not being able to get to chips. work! Lindsey Saunders Now Pippin needs walking whatever the weather, so the boys had no choice but to put on their waterproofs, thick socks, wellies, hats and gloves to brave the cold.