The Methodist Church in Poynton APRIL 2017 Delivered by ………….…………………………………………………….. your pastoral visitor, who can be contacted on…………………….. 2 Our Church Family encourages everyone… To come to worship God who loves us To follow Jesus Christ our Saviour To grow in fellowship, joy and love, and To go out, share the Good News and serve in the world. MUMBLINGS FROM THE MANSE April 2017 THE MYSTERY OF EASTER For this month I thought I’d let you do all the work. Simply answer the questions below. Then take the first letter of each answer and slot them into the spaces below (in the order of the questions) to make an anagram. Then simply solve the anagram to reveal the message of Easter which is quite angelic. (The solution on page 5 is just to confirm that you’ve got the right answer.) 1. This word means to be ‘set apart’ 2. The destination of two travellers on Easter Sunday evening 3. Part of the group that tried Jesus (70 in total) 4. Puppet king who died a horrible death 5. The other Joseph came from here 6. This would not have been found in the bread Jesus broke 7. The tomb was not totally empty 8. Where God’s will is already done 9. Jesus instituted this in the synoptic accounts 10. ‘Ride on, Ride on’ according to Zechariah 9:9 11. In his account Jesus drinks from several cups 12. Some people think this person was referring to Jesus when he described the suffering servant but the writing just makes me tense 13. One of the disciples we assume was with Jesus. Can you figure it out? 14. He could be bought if the price is right 15. Location of the final meal 16. The rulers at the time all this took place 3 17. Another way of saying God is with us, and remember, it’s I before E 18. This was conflicting when the witnesses at Jesus’ trial spoke 19. Mary and the other women took these to the tomb Your anagram is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Your angelic Easter message is Rev John GREEN CLOSE ANNIVERSARY SERVICE SUNDAY 14th MAY 2017 2:30pm Preachers: Rev Stephen and Deacon Jenny Heath A warm welcome is extended to everyone Tea available after the Service 4 Our Church Family encourages everyone to Come to worship God who loves us… SUNDAY SERVICES AT POYNTON IN APRIL Date 10.30am UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED Themes: Discipleship; Easter; Breaking Bread 2nd April 9.00am Med Rev Amanda Boon HC 9th Catharine Hughes 9th at 6.00pm Circuit Choir Service ‘Crucifixion’ 16th 9.00am Rev John Rev John Wiseman Wiseman HC 23rd Richard Baker 30th Mandy Hawkyard 7th May 9.00am Med Rev Ray Brown HC SUNDAY SERVICES AT GREEN CLOSE IN APRIL Date 2.30 pm Themes: Discipleship; Easter; Breaking Bread 2nd April Rev John Wiseman 9th Rev Amanda Boon HC 9th at 6.00pm Circuit Choir Service ‘Crucifixion’ at PMC 16th Rev John Wiseman 23rd Adrian Law 30th Alan Rashleigh 7th May Stewart Blackledge HC Holy Communion Stepping Hill 10.00am. 9th April Rev Amanda Boon Woodlands 11.00am. 9th April Alan Rashleigh 5 PRAYER There are many opportunities for prayer in our church and you will be very welcome to join any of the following groups: - Daytime Group: - We meet in the church prayer corner every Tuesday at 9.45am. Midday prayers are said every weekday in the church prayer corner at 12.00 noon. There is a prayer list on the cupboard door near the front entrance. Jean Drinkwater would be happy to add your name to our rota. MEDITATION There will be a time of silent meditation on the first Sunday in each month at 9.00am. After 30 minutes of reflection, we share our thoughts if we feel able. We invite you to come along to a different experience of God’s presence. All are welcome. Next time it is on 2nd April and again on 7th May. WEEKDAY WORSHIP The first Tuesday in April is 4th. There will be a service at noon on that day followed by a simple lunch. All are very welcome to this 30min service that caters for shoppers, passers- by and everyone who is available and wishes to take this extra opportunity to worship. 6 PRAISE, PRAYER AND PUDDING As this coincides with Maundy Thursday this month we will be joining the usual Service for this special evening on 13th April commencing 7.30pm led by John. THURSDAY COMMUNION This is always on the third Thursday of the month at midday followed by a light lunch. See you there on 20th April. STAINER’S ‘CRUCIFIXION’ Modelled on the great passion settings of J.S. Bach, Stainer’s Crucifixion is amongst the most popular of all English choral works and vividly portrays the events of the Passion of Christ. Scored for tenor and bass soloists, organ and mixed choir, the piece combines recitatives, solos, and masterful choruses that range from the graphic mob shouts of ‘Crucify Him’ to the ethereally beautiful meditation at the work's centrepiece ‘God so loved the world’. The Circuit Choir will be at PMC on 9th April at 6.00pm to offer this work as an act of worship at our next Circuit Service. The choir will be joined by John Elliot (Tenor), and Andrew Charlton (Bass). There are five congregational hymns included in the work and the choir will be accompanied by John Ramsbottom and conducted by Stella Molton. Come and join us at PMC at the beginning of Holy Week. Stella Molton 7 Our Church Family encourages everyone to Follow Jesus Christ Our Saviour… ‘Bleak Day – Poems on The Stations Of The Cross’ by Albert Radcliffe Published by Albert Radcliffe at £2.00 This booklet would make excellent reading for what is left of Lent. I have reviewed poems by Albert Radcliffe in this feature before. He is a retired residentiary canon of Manchester Cathedral and has found the Stations of the Cross to be an excellent spiritual and ecumenical bridge between the Church of England and Rome. These meditations arose out of a visit to St Mary's Roman Catholic Church (the hidden gem) in Mulberry Street in Manchester where there is a series of tremendously moving and spiritually powerful Stations of the Cross by the artist Norman Adams. The series shows the horror and bleakness of the Cross by which God redeemed the world through Christ. I have seen this artwork and I recommend a visit to it as well as recommending these poems. **** THE MYSTERY OF EASTER Holy /Emmaus / Sanhedrin / Herod / Aramathea / Leaven / Linen / Heaven / Eucharist / Ass /Luke /Isaiah /Nathanial /Judas / Upper Room / Rome / Immanuel / Evidence / Spices That should give the anagram HE SHALL HEAL INJURIES And when you rearrange the letters, the angelic Easter message is...HALLELUJAH HE IS RISEN. Which is of course what is on our lollipop angels! 8 HYMNOLOGY ON A MONDAY MORNING – 20 ‘Onward! Christian Soldiers’ – Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924). Just off the M1 in West Yorkshire there is an unusual road sign. The sign reads "Welcome to the home of 'Onward! Christian Soldiers'." The road has dipped down into the River Calder Valley, to Horbury Bridge. You cross this to the village of Horbury, where you see the spire of the parish church. We have entered the 19th century world of 'Onward! Christian soldiers'. In 1864 the new curate, Baring-Gould, arrived. He came from the privileged world of Clare College Cambridge. We read that although thirty, he enjoyed a prank, as his boss Canon Sharp found out when his white kitten turned pink! Baring-Gould was given the task of starting a mission church in a house in a little terrace, today a Post Office. He began to hold services in an upstairs bedroom. It was a tough community between the sidings of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and a canal. A few years before there had been violent Weavers riots that had spilled over into the village. The services soon became popular and the congregation had overflowed down the stairs from the bedroom. Baring-Gould preached standing on a stool in front of the mantelpiece. It was the time when 'Whit Walks' were common and Gould was faced with the task of getting his congregation and the children to march up the steep mile-long hill to the parish church. He decided to write a marching hymn to encourage them. On the eve of Whitsun 1865 he says he 'knocked off the hymn in ten minutes'. One doubtful parishioner pointed out: "You'd best be sharp about it, for this is Saturday, and soon all printing will stop!" Gould recorded the process in a letter still preserved, and it was sung to the tune of ‘Haydn’. The well-known Arthur Sullivan tune 'St. Gertrude' was not written until 1871. St. Gertrude was chosen by the Bishop of Wakefield. 9 What was the tune ‘Haydn’? There has been some argument about this, but it is considered to be the Haydn 'Surprise’ symphony which does fit the words. References: Matt.16.18; Eph.4.4; Col 2.15; 2Tim.2.3; Jas. 2.19 Theo Eaves This article contains extracts from ‘The Nation’s Favourite Hymns’ 2004 by Andrew Barr published by Lion Publishing. Used with permission of Lion Hudson plc HOLY HABITS MONTH 8 – BREAKING BREAD The quote which will appear on the banner on Easter Sunday comes from the poem ‘Christmas’ by Sir John Betjeman.