holy trinity church parish magazine January 2017 30p Jesus said: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20) Timely words at the start of a New Year. !1 Inside This Month 4/5 From the Vicarage - Vicar Neil 6/7 Prayer Focus - Gospel for Asia - Joan Copper 8 New Year, New Life - parishpump 9 THE WAY I SEE IT - Everything New? - parishpump Epiphany - parishpump 10 The man who created Greenwich Mean Time 11 Desert Island Discs - Britains longest-running radio show 12 Celebrate 75 years of Desert Island Discs in Holy Trinity 13 My Desert Island Choices - David Winters 14/15 Don’t Cling to the Firewood- DR. Ralph F. Wilson 16/17 Perseverance - A Bucket of Surprises, J. John and Mark Stibbe, Monarch Books. 18 Why we have Trump and Brexit - parishpump 19/20 All in the month of January - parishpump 21/23 People, Remembrance and News 24 Events for your Diary !2 New Year (Psalm 139) A new year! We look back to the old, to the leaving, gladly or sadly. We look ahead to the unknown, to days which might bring love, or loss. In our own strength, with our own wisdom this is a scary place. But our God is already there - ahead and behind. He created us. He knows all our days. So we need not be afraid. In Him we are secure for this new year and forever. He will be with us if we trust, lift up our eyes and walk on. And, with His help, we can. By Daphne Kitching New Year Prayer 2017 Lord of the Years, At the start of this New Year we ask for your presence, protection and guidance for every minute of every day of every month ahead. Thank you that we do not go into this New Year alone. Thank you for loving us so much that you gave us Jesus to lead us to you. May we commit ourselves afresh to serve you, to love you and to share your love with those who don’t yet know you. May we make a difference for your Kingdom in 2017. In Jesus name. Amen By Daphne Kitching !3 From the Vicarage Desert Island Disks 1. How would I cope with being a solitary cast-away on a desert island? I think I'd cope with the practical stuff like hunting, eating and making a shelter but I'd really struggle being alone. I'd have to train a bird to speak to me! 2. My eight songs. Somewhere over the rainbow (Judy Garland) This is the first song I can remember. My grandmother, Margaret Allan (later Robbie) came from a very poor Edinburgh family. She was gifted with a beautiful soprano voice and, as a teenager, she paid for a couple of singing lessons but couldn't afford to go on so her music teacher decided to train her for free. Margaret sang on the radio and in concert halls until she retired, aged 28, to bring up her family. She would sing “Somewhere over the rainbow” to her grandchildren at bedtime. Money, money, money (ABBA) ABBA was the first pop group I liked. This song made me want to work and make money. I started a paper-round aged 11, saved up and bought my first radio cassette player. I thought making money, money, money was one of the purposes of life. Baggy Trousers (Madness) In my teenage years I was too cool for ABBA, though I secretly loved them. Baggy Trousers was a big hit with another line about the purpose of live, ““O what fun we had, it didn't really turn out bad.” If I could have fun and make money I thought I was doing okay. Anytime Anyplace Anywhere (Carter USM) My musical tastes during my university days in Glasgow were dominated by bands on independent music labels which appeared in the music newspaper, NME. Carter USM had a song about a life which has spiralled out of control, which is where I felt my life had gone. !4 And can it be? (Charles Wesley) In October 1993 I was drawn to faith in Jesus as Saviour. He put my feet on solid ground and forgave my foolish sins. The church I belonged to was an old fashioned Church of Scotland where many students and young people joined the town congregation to hear Rev William Still preach, at the age of 84! “And can it be, that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood” lifted my soul, even though the first few times I sang the ladies part! The swimming song (Eddie reader, cover) After marrying Amanda in 1995, we found we shared a similar taste in music and this little song is about learning to swim, or to overcome the things in life which threaten to drown us. What's the matter here? (10,000 Maniacs) This is an angry though beautifully gentle song about the injustice of unchallenged child abuse. It's a reminder to me that all it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing. The Reckoning (Andrew Peterson) Andrew Peterson is an American Christian folk singer who has written this beautiful psalmic lament, combining sorrow for the state of the world with confidence in the character and purposes of God which bring hope in our foolish questioning of God's plans. 3. What luxury would you choose? I'd take my trusted Swiss Army knife, so I could whittle sticks and open any bottles or packages which wash up on the shore. Is that a luxury? 4. Which book would you have, given the bible and complete works of Shakespeare? I'd take something which I could read for a long time in case I didn't get rescued. Jonathan Edwards was probably America's cleverest person, who sadly died when volunteering to trial a smallpox vaccination. He's complete works still sit on my shelf. They would keep me engaged with God and thinking deeply for many years. God bless Neil !5 Prayer Focus GOSPEL FOR ASIA The Mission Statement reads: “Our mission in life is to become devout followers of Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission among the unreached in Asia by making disciples and establishing local fellowships in partnership with the body of Christ.” Gospel for Asia sends 100% of sponsorship donations directly to the mission field in Asia, without deducting anything for administrative costs. The majority of staff in the UK are unpaid volunteers. Some of their core values are; * Having a servant lifestyle * Serving Sacrificially * Being a people sold out to win the lost at any cost Gospel for Asia, supports many missionaries who minister much like the christians in the early church did. They evangelise, care for the sick and needy and help to establish local fellowships. Their ministry includes many forms of of outreach: Please pray for: The Bridge of Hope Centres, that seek to help very poor children, including street children to have education, nourishment and medical care and the love of Christ shown to them. Womens Ministry - Building up Asian women in Christ through Literacy, fellowship and discipleship. There are many widows who are helped either to start businesses or to be helped to survive, as some families regard widowhood as a curse and so they refuse to help their own family members. Jesus Wells - transforming villages both physically and spiritually, by providing pure water. Compassion Services - ministering to the practical needs of people in Jesus’ name, and this includes caring for shunned leprosy patients and their families. !6 Film Ministry - shows an Asian made film about Jesus to those who have never heard about Him. Radio Broadcasts about Christ, broadcast in more than 100 of Asia’s most common languages. Literacy Ministry - Printing and distribution of Bibles and Gospel Tracts in many Asian languages. Please pray for all the missionaries. For protection and strength to endure. A willingness to pay the price of suffering - even death - in order to reach the lost. A heart full of faith to believe God for the impossible, and full of love for the people they minister to. Pray the demonic powers holding the regions captive, will be broken in Jesus’ name. Pray God will raise up more missionaries from among the new believers. Pray God, confirms the reaching of His word clearly so people will know He is the true and only God, as they witness answered prayers, transformed lives and the sick healed. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. gfauk.org K.P. Yohannan Download this free resource from gfauk.org Founder and President of Gospel for Asia !7 The Rev Paul Hardingham on letting go of the past. New Year, New Life The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who is depicted with two faces. We may look back to the old year with sadness or regret, but how can we make a fresh start at the beginning of 2016? The apostle Paul writes ‘But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:13,14). Firstly, if you want a new start, you need to forget the things which are behind. Paul pictures himself as an athlete running for Christ, yet not looking back.