Stanmore Baptist Church - Jesus is alive!

Thoughts

Thoughts

The Fragrance of Christ

Help me to spread your fragrance
everywhere I go -
let me preach you without preaching,
not by words but by my example -
by the catching force,
the sympathetic infuence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love
my heart bears to you.

John Henry Newman
1801 - 1890

Verse for the Month

The Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us.

Romans 8:26

A Call to Pray - Mary Fleeson from 'Life Journey'

When all seems black,
help me to remember the peace of Your promise,

When all seems dark,
help me to remember the purity of Your light,

When all seems hopeless,
help me to remember the comfort of Your words,

When all seems discord,
help me to remember the harmony of Your creation

Good News - Olga Remembers

YES OR NO

Is Japanese an easy language to learn? Well, yes and no. The word for ‘yes’ is simple, ‘hai’ pronounced Hi! But consult a dictionary and you will find the second meaning is ‘no’. That sounds complicated, but the explanation is not too difficult. Ask the negative question “Are you not going?” (Aren’t you going?) The answer “Yes” (I am not going) or “No” (I am going). With a little thought we can understand this. But, the next stage is more confusing. ‘Hai’ may simply mean I have heard what you say, e.g. ‘Please will you do the washing up’. ‘Hai’ (yes) means I know you want me to wash up. It does not mean I will do it.

In Matthew 21 v 26-31 Jesus tells the parable of two sons, both told by the father to “go and work in the vineyard today.” The first son refuses, but later changes his mind and goes. The second son says, “I will sir” but does not go. Jesus asks which did what his father wanted. In response to the command or request of the Lord Jesus, do we say, ‘Yes, I’ll do it’ or ‘Hai (yes) I understand what you want’. Perhaps we say ‘Yes’ but mean ‘Hai’.

Thinking over these problems afterwards I realised there was a further significant Japanese phrase - ‘ato de’ literally meaning ‘later on’ or ‘afterwards.’ Children are not fooled by this. Mary is calling for her friend June.
Mary, “Are you coming out to play?”
June, “Ato de” (later).
Mary is disappointed - she knows it means June is not coming out to play.
Again, how do we respond to Jesus, “Come and follow me?”
“Ato de?”

Olga Abrahams

LOVE IS

God's love is Christ -
     a warm and safe cocoon? Indeed,
          if that is what I truly need:
               But rather, say, the bracing wind
                    blowing in my face,
                         The sparkle on the sea,
                               The struggle of the chrysalis against tremendous odds,
                                    The eagle's mighty wings;
                                         Immensity of spinning worlds,
                                              Power upholding life itself.
                                                   God's changeless love is Christ
                                                        for me
                                                                                                                           by Jean Donovan

Child Refugee by Dylan Burns - When Aged 10

A poem about how it must feel to be a child refugee from a country at war

I saw people running around the street,
    I’m ever so lonely with nothing to eat.
      My Dad is dead and my mum is very ill,
         I’ll try my best, I will, I will.

I heard the shouts and all the screams,
My life is a misery, that’s what it seems.
It’s the world war, it’s time to kill,
I’ll try my best, I will, I will.

I smelt the blood it’s beginning to rise,
Coming to England is a big surprise.
I have no talent, I have no skill,
I’ll try my best, I will, I will.

I felt horrible, all disgusted inside,
My friend has just committed suicide.
I’ll never be able to pay the bill,
I’ll try my best, I will, I will.

I taste the air, it’s full of death,
My mum’s just taken her final breath.
My life is tough, I need to chill,
I’ll try my best, I will, I will.

Dylan Burns (written aged 10)

Auntie Sheila's Log

Pebbles with dirty feet!

Remember the song from 'Fame?'

“I’m gonna live forever… … ...”

Well, in today’s news was an article about thigh measurements, and if yours is more than 23.6 inches in circumference, you are predicted to live longer than most. I did not discover the reason why. However, it was pleasing to read, as excess weight has always been a problem for me, so I measured mine, just to see how long I may have left. I do not know whether to be pleased or not – mine measures 21.25 inches at the largest point. It is hard to believe there are really healthy people out there with larger thighs than mine - hey ho. (I presume they are talking about one thigh measurement, and not both together, otherwise I am in for the long haul). It is good to know that Jesus does not take body size into account, but loves us as we are.

I just needed to share that as it was fresh in my mind, like August. We went to New Wine and it rained. This is not unique for Shepton Mallet, but this year the mud levels were exceedingly high, and some folk needed to be re-housed from their tents. There is just so much variety of stuff going on, and children’s sessions for all ages. We were returning from one of our grown up seminars one day, and passed the tent where the 3 and 4 year olds (the Pebbles group) were in full voice. We heard a leader say “hands up Pebbles with dirty feet” and there followed much laughter and screaming with delight. I could have joined in – on the way my left wellie had acquired a stone, so I took it off to shake the thing out, whilst balancing on the other foot – or not balancing. My left sock was now soaked in mud, as was the wellie when I put it back on.

Our Jen was there, serving the needs of “Our Place” – where they cater for children with special needs. She had several small groups on the go, and one day required more resources. We went off to the supermarket in town to get the stuff, and she also bought a pack of new socks (did I say it was wet and muddy?). She then left the stuff with one group, whilst going off to see if another lot were doing OK. On her return, she discovered the children in the first group all holding hand puppets – which was a surprise as she had not planned this activity. It was then she recognised her new socks, which by now had acquired eyes and noses. Oh well, the muddy old ones would have to last out the week after all. Later that evening when our group were all together, she shared this sock experience. Our Pastor suggested that it was probably fortunate that she had only required socks.

Auntie Sheila
(thankfully, back to Why?Kidz and Playgroup next week)