Methodist Church www.saltairemethodistchurch.org.uk

MAGAZINE March & April

Dear Friends,

We are back safe and sound, all in one piece, including Brian! While in Zimbabwe the chosen theme of all my talks, all conducted in the local language, was "For such a time as this", all centred on Queen Esther, the Old testament heroine. Surprisingly, the rest of the group adopted the theme, not verbally, but in action. We lived that theme, we prayed the theme, we breathed the theme, yet we never talked about it, not once. God must have spoken to us individually. For those not familiar with the story of Esther, below is the background.

Esther, a young Jewish girl (Esther 4) was selected by King Xerxes to be his wife after a nationwide search for a new queen, following the deposing of the previous wife. At the time, the Jews were in captivity. Esther married the king without revealing that she was Jewish, at the advice of her uncle Mordecai.

An official in the king's office, a man called Haman, took a dislike to Mordecai because he would not salute him. As a result, Haman plotted to have all the Jews killed. Esther is told of the plot and risks her life to speak with the king, without being summoned, in order to ask that the Jews be spared. Her courage paid off. The Jews were spared. Esther considered the price she would have to pay yet still took it upon herself declaring; "If I perish, I perish"

Our situation might not exactly have been like that, but consider the cost of a trip to Zimbabwe, the time, the risks involved, healthwise and otherwise, yet friends took it upon themselves to undertake the journey. We were where God wanted us to be, doing what God meant us to do. We were where we were" for such a time as this".

It was no coincidence, not by chance, not by design, but by God's grace, according to God's plans.

God is faithful and compassionate and He works through humans to fulfil his plans on earth - we work in partnership with him. God has plan for each of us and opportunities will arise for us to fulfil elements of this. We need faith and courage to put God's will first. Simon was painting the manse, with a horde of helpers in tow. Margaret was mothering not only the many children she got attached to, but members of our group as well. Ruth went beyond being a GP, praying with and for the sick, treating in excess of 200 in 3 days. Brian was running around with a camera in hand, teaching children and adults how to take photographs, giving computer lessons, and I was just being Freddy, observing the work of God in this poor neighbourhood. „For such a time as this‟.

We took with us gifts, donated by many Christians from around the circuit, Bibles, candles, clothes. I felt like Father Christmas handing out parcels to smiling children with Ruth and Margaret helping by putting them together, Brian taking photographs, Simon joking and entertaining the kids. Wonderful experiences!

I will not have done the trip justice if I did not mention Mabel, who, while we were having fun in Gweru, spent days on end trying to clear our consignment which for some reason was being withheld by customs. We thank her too for getting us out of a spot of trouble that we had unwittingly got ourselves in. Neither will I have done justice if I did not thank all the generous supporters of ZEM, and that means all of you from Saltaire, Calverley, Bolton and the Circuit at large. We are all where we are for God's purpose. „For such a time as this‟.

The hosts too were just unbelievable; friendly, entertaining, prayerful and simply being marvellous hosts. God's plans will not be thwarted, as Mordecai observes, if we refuse to do God's will, God will always find someone else to do it. That applies not only to the work of ZEM, but to all the spheres of God's plan.

Shalom, Freddy

FACES OF JESUS

THE REVOLUTIONARY

This arresting picture of Jesus as a revolutionary, imitating the style of the famous poster of 1960s fighter Che Guevara, was produced as an advertising poster encouraging people to go to church during Easter 1999. It was produced by the Christian Advertising Network – an independent group of UK Christian communicators.

One of the group said,”Jesus was not crucified for being meek and mild. He challenged authority. He was given a crown of thorns in a cruel parody of his claims about proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Our poster has the most arresting picture our advertisers could find to convey all this.”

Jesus turned the cultural, religious, and political world upside down. You bet he was a revolutionary! The dictionary definition of revolutionary is "constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change." I can't think of any more major or fundamental change than what Jesus began.

Jesus subverted everything. He touched lepers. He talked to women during the daytime. He told the first they were really last, and the last they were really first. He ate with social outcasts, and thus declared them equal. He inaugurated the reign of God's kingdom. He disrupted business activities at the temple (which nearly all scholars agree is what got him killed). When he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey he mocked the entrance of Caesars and military generals. When he said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," he wasn't maintaining the status quo but subverting it. He argued that the image of Caesar gives Caesar the right to coins, and implicitly argued that the image of God in all gives God the right to everyone's entire being. Caesar can have the money. God wants the body, mind, soul and heart. Jesus was killed as a political criminal! How much more revolutionary can you get? BIBLEFRESH AND PRAYER

We‟ve recently enjoyed the season of Pantos and feeble cracker-jokes (in a recent survey, six out of seven dwarves said they weren‟t Happy). More seriously, in a recent Bible Society survey six out of seven church attenders weren‟t happy with their knowledge of the Bible (and even among church leaders, it was only about half). It‟s no joke that we don‟t really know the foundation document of our faith.

Four centuries ago people in this country were dying for the right to read the Bible in English: 2011 is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, the long- revered „Authorised Version‟. The last 50 years has seen the publication of a vast array of Bible translations in English, with reading aids and study notes for all points of the human compass. These have helped many but, it seems, we need mutual encouragement to hear the Word afresh. Hence BibleFresh in 2011 – a collaborative effort to help Christians engage with the Bible, which means letting it speak to us about how to live in God‟s kingdom, which is what we say we want in the Lord‟s prayer.

What‟s being done in ? A BibleFresh festival is being planned for June 11th, with workshops, open air events, and an evening celebration with Adrian Plass. But it mustn‟t stop there. Reading the Bible for God‟s rule in our lives means ongoing discovery, touching all parts: home and work; hobby and interest; sacred and secular. One thread of many being spun together at the Festival is art, with artists asked how their art can help people engage afresh with the Bible, on that day and thereafter. We‟ll see what they come up with. But the same question faces us all: how can the insights we‟ve gained in our special interest/activity help others see into Bible? The answers may not be immediately obvious, but here is a way everyone can help: pray that the Lord will open his Word afresh to speak about living happily in his kingdom – and not just for one day out of seven. Roy Lorrain-Smith BIBLE QUIZ (Answers to Ann by 30th March. The first correct set of answers opened after that date will win the prize!)

1. Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?

2. How many people were on Noah's Ark?

3. Put in chronological order: Daniel, Noah, Paul, Moses and David.

4. Name the Ten Commandments.

5. Who was the brother of Jacob?

6. Was Luke: a fisherman, an apostle, a doctor

7. Which tribe did Moses belong to?

8. In what language was the New Testament written?

9. Who were the three patriarchs?

10. Name the twelve tribes of Israel.

11. Who was the oldest person in the Bible?

12. Name the Five Books of Moses.

13. To which tribe of Israel did Jesus belong?

14. True or false: Moses led Israel into the Promised Land.

15. Whose wife was Jezebel?

16. What is the Pentateuch?

17. Which Gospel records Jesus turning water into wine?

18. What was the first language that Scripture was translated into?

19. What are the three divisions of the Old Testament?

20. Put in chronological order: Jeremiah, Elijah, Samuel, Peter, Isaiah. BIBLE CAKE A challenge for all cooks!

To celebrate the anniversary of the 1611 translation of the Bible authorised by King James I, can you translate and bake this recipe? What sort of cake does it make? We‟d love to see a photograph!

Ingredients: 3/4 cup Genesis 18:8 1 1/2 cup Jeremiah 6:20 5 Isaiah 10:14 (separated) 3 cups sifted Leviticus 24:5 3 teaspoons 2 Kings 2:20 3 teaspoons Amos 4:5 1 teaspoon Exodus 3:23 1/4 teaspoon each 2 Chronicles 9:9 1/2 cup Judges 4:19 3/4 chopped Genesis 43:11 3/4 cup finely cut Jeremiah 24:5 3/4 cup 2 Samuel 16:1 Whole Genesis 43:11 Directions: Cream Genesis 18 with Jeremiah 6. Beat in yolks of Isaiah 10, one at a time. Sift together Leviticus 24; 2 Kings 2; Amos 4; Exodus 30; and 2 Chronicles 9. Blend into creamed mixture alternately with Judges 4. Beat whites of Isaiah 10 till stiff; fold in. Fold in chopped Genesis 43; Jeremiah 24; and 2 Samuel 16. Turn into 10-inch tin that has been greased and dusted with Leviticus 24. Bake at 325 degrees F until it is golden brown or Gabriel blows his trumpet, whichever happens first. Bake for an hour and ten minutes. Remove from oven. After fifteen minutes, remove it from the pan. Cool completely. Drizzle over it some Burnt Jeremiah Syrup.

BURNT JEREMIAH SYRUP Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Jeremiah 6:20; 1/2 cup Genesis 24:45; 1/4 cup Genesis 18:8 Directions: Melt Jeremiah 6 in a heavy skillet over low heat. Keep cooking it till it is a deep gold, then add Genesis 24. Cook till smooth and remove from the heat. Add Genesis 18 and stir till it melts, then cool.

SHROVE TUESDAY

Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, people confess their sins and receive forgiveness.

The tradition of going to confession before Lent begins is very old. Over 1000 years ago a monk wrote in the Anglo-Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes: In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him.

During Lent there are many foods that some Christians - historically and today - would not eat: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the day before Ash Wednesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off. Pancakes use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour so the day became known as Pancake Day.

Pancake races are thought to have begun in 1445. A woman had lost track of the time on Shrove Tuesday, and was busy cooking pancakes in her kitchen. Suddenly she heard the church bell ringing to call the faithful to church for confession. The woman raced out of her house and ran all the way to church; still holding her frying pan and wearing her apron.

It was Shrove Tuesday and Mrs Thomas was making pancakes for her sons, Aaron 6, and Kelvin 8. As usual, the brothers began to argue over who should get the first pancake. Their mother saw a wonderful opportunity for a moral lesson. 'If Jesus were sitting at the table, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake".' Quick as a flash Kelvin turned to Aaron and said, 'Aaron, today you can be Jesus!' (Thanks to Gill Roper for this joke). CHRISTIAN AID

This well-known charity has the interests of the third world very much at heart, being concerned as much with economic development and political justice as with providing relief at times of extremity and catastrophe. Its principal money-raising operation is the house-to-house collection held in May each year, and for which all the main-stream churches in a town cooperate in endeavouring to cover every district, whether that within which each church is sited, or not. There is national advertising for this event, including prime-time television advertising, and it is seen as a part of the churches‟ commitment within the community to give people who would not otherwise involve themselves with the Christian Church the opportunity to respond.

Many people are understandably reluctant to take on this task of collecting, fearing rejection, objection and argument, and worse: pet animals defending their owners‟ territory. In practice this experience is rare; more usually we are met with courtesy and welcome. Many people are actively on the lookout for their collector who, frequently, has become a familiar figure over the years.

Here in Shipley our Saltaire Methodist Church has the responsibility for covering the part of Saltaire village to the west of Albert Road and including Hirst Wood. The churches of Shipley in general, like us, have difficulty in ensuring coverage of their area. The situation would be exacerbated if a church were to withdraw or close, and is already put at risk where churches form partnerships.

During Christian Aid Week last year our church distributed around 750 envelopes and raised a total of £550 with 15 collectors. Most of the latter will be content to offer to collect again this year, but some should be „allowed‟ to retire on age grounds. The local representative‟s duties include organising the collectors, handling the collection envelopes and some publicity material, counting and banking the cash, and liaising with the Organiser for Shipley, Barbara Judd. The Church Council has already spent time considering whether we might endeavour to raise a comparable sum by alternative means, but it remains my view that the better way is to continue with our part in the house collection even if, in terms of hours spent by volunteers, this method of raising funds is hardly cost-effective.

Clifford Gray

FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL POET AND HYMN WRITER

Born at Astley in Worcestershire on December 14 1836, Frances Ridley Havergal was the youngest child of William Henry Havergal, a Church of minister. Her father was a noted poet and church musician who wrote about 100 hymns. Her mother had less influence on her life as she died after a long illness when Frances was only 11.

By the age of 3, she could read; at the age of 4, she began reading and memorizing the Bible; at 7 she began writing verse. Educated at home and in private schools in Worcester and Dusseldorf (1852-53), Frances could speak several modern languages in addition to Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. At the age of 14, she was converted and a year later was confirmed in Worcester Cathedral. She said, "I committed my soul to the Saviour ... earth and heaven seemed brighter from that moment; I did trust the Lord Jesus."

She lived a disciplined prayer life and it is said that she never wrote a line without first praying over it. "I believe my King suggests a thought, and whispers me a musical line or two, and then I look up and thank Him delightedly and go on with it. That is how my hymns come."

After 1873 until her death in 1879, she literally carried out her now famous couplet, "Take my voice, and let me sing, Always, only, for my King." and sang nothing but sacred music about the love of God and His way of salvation. Her hymn of consecration, "Take My Life and Let It Be" (H&P 705) was written in 1874. It includes the lines "Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold" which she applied to her own life. She wrote to a friend, "The Lord has shown me another little step, and, of course, I have taken it with extreme delight. 'Take my silver and my gold' now means shipping off all my ornaments to the church Missionary House, including a jewel cabinet that is really fit for a countess, where all will be accepted and disposed of for me ... Nearly fifty articles are being packed up. I don't think I ever packed a box with such pleasure."

Frail in health all her life, one day Frances caught a severe cold which caused inflammation of the lungs. When told that her life was in danger, she exclaimed, "If I am really going, it is too good to be true!"

Frances Ridley Havergal died at Caswall Bay, Swansea, Wales, June 3, 1879, at the age of forty-two. She had never married. On her tombstone at Astley, is engraved her favourite text, 1 John 1:7-- "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

You can find four of her hymns in Hymns & Psalms. H&P 535: Master, speak! Thy servant heareth, Waiting for thy gracious word Longing for thy voice that cheereth; Master let it now be heard. I am listening, Lord, for thee; What hast thou to say to me?

H&P 553 Lord, speak to me, that I may speak In living echoes of thy tone; As thou hast sought, so let me seek Thy erring children lost and lone.

H&P 705 Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

H&P 722 Who is on the Lord‟s side? Who will serve the king? Who will be his helpers Other lives to bring? Who will leave the world‟s side? Who will face the foe? Who is on the Lord‟s side? Who for him will go?

By thy call of mercy, By thy grace divine, We are on the Lord‟s side; Saviour, we are thine.

Two of these hymns, numbers 535 and 705, have been included in the new hymn book, Singing the Faith, which is due to be published in September.

THE ONE FLAW IN WOMEN (Thanks to Kate for this article)

By the time God had made woman, he was into his sixth day……

Working overtime, an angel appeared and said, “Why are you spending so much time on this one?”

God answered, “Have you seen my spec sheet on her?”

She has to be completely washable but not plastic, have a lap that can hold four children, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart – AND she will do everything with only two hands.

The angel moved closer and touched the woman, “But you have made her so soft, God.”

“She is soft,” God agreed, “but I have also made her tough.”

“Will she be able to think?” asked the angel.

God replied, “Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate.”

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman‟s cheek, “Oops! It looks like you have a leak in this model.”

“That‟s not a leak,” God corrected. “That‟s a tear.”

“What‟s the tear for?” the angel asked.

God said, “The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride.”

The angel was impressed. “God you are a genius! Woman is truly amazing!”

AND SHE IS. Women have strengths that amaze MEN. They smile when they want to scream; they sing when they want to cry; they cry when they are happy, and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in and stand up to injustice. They go without, so their family can have. They love unconditionally.

The heart of a woman keeps the world turning. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER: If there is one flaw in women. It is that they forget their worth!!

THE ORIGIN OF THE INTERNET Thanks to Lynne Keating for this

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.

And she said unto Abraham, her husband: "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said: "How, dear?"

And Dot replied: "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)." Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.

To prevent neighbouring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew, as called Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).

But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete himself inside Abraham's drum and began to siphon off some of Abraham's business. But he was discovered, arrested and prosecuted - for insider trading.

And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.

And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.

And Dot did say: "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others."

And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known. He said: "We need a name that reflects what we are."

And Dot replied: "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."

"YAHOO," said Abraham. And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.

Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside. It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE). And that is how it all began.

PLEASE PRAY FOR …….

Week beginning 6th March & 24th April Rev‟d Sarah Jemison, Rev‟d Joy Rulton, Clifford Gray‟s Pastoral Group, Maureen Gray‟s Pastoral Group, Road Methodist Church, Little Lane LEP, St Margaret‟s Church , St Walburga‟s RC Church and the Sikh community in Bradford.

Week beginning 13th March Rev‟d John Allison, Rev‟d Lynne Britten, Christine MacKay‟s Pastoral Group, Carolyn Shore‟s Pastoral Group, Kate Hainsworth‟s Pastoral Group, Northcliffe LEP, Saltaire Methodist Church, St Peter‟s CE, Shipley Christians Together, and the Jewish Community in Bradford.

Week beginning 20th March Rev‟d Stella Hayton, Rev‟d Andrew Taylor, Mrs Linda Atkin, Gill Roper‟s Pastoral Group, June Whitaker‟s Pastoral Group, Sandy Lane Methodist Church, St Andrew‟s Methodist Church, Wrose Methodist Church, Shipley Salvation Army Corps, and people of no faith in Bradford.

Week beginning 27th March Rev‟d David Bonney, Mrs Sharon Fell, Marian Mawson‟s Pastoral Group, Pam Cadman‟s Pastoral Group, Methodist Church, Thornton Methodist Church, Methodist Church, St Paul‟s CE, Aire Valley Team Ministry.

Week beginning 3rd April Rev‟d Peter Whitaker, Rev‟d Alistair Newton, Bob and Sheila French‟s Pastoral Group, Allerton Methodist Church, Methodist Church, Christchurch Windhill LEP, Saltaire United Reformed Church, and the Christian community in Bradford.

Week beginning 10th April Rev‟d Freddy Takavarasha, Rev‟d Nick Blundell, Brian Hainsworth‟s Pastoral Group, Lesley Hainsworth‟s Pastoral Group, Bolton Methodist Church, Calverley Methodist Church, Shipley Baptist Church, Crag Road Methodist Church, and the Islamic community of Bradford.

Week beginning 17th April Rev‟d Ian Griffiths, Rev‟d Keith Hunt, Charles Baker‟s Pastoral Group, Maragret Emmett‟s Pastoral Group, Eccleshill Methodist Church, Harecroft Methodist Church, the Christian Life Church & Westcliffe Chapel and the Hindu community of Bradford.

Happy Easter