Who do I contact? Priest Rev Matt 01228 Parish Office in Charge Martinson 599562 01228 Holy Trinity, 538983 St Barnabas, or & St Luke’s [email protected] Local Lay Maria [email protected] Minister Holmes Church Jannette Yvonne Wardens King Swainson (Holy Trinity) (Safeguarding) [email protected] [email protected] PCC Gemma [email protected] Secretary MacManus Safeguarding 07989 01228 Mary 806096 529227 Lead Law (answerphone) Church Mal & Peter 01228 Safeguarding Wardens Brown 380541 (St Luke’s) (St Luke’s) (answerphone) [email protected] Lynsey Brown Church Angela & John 01228 Richard Wardens Hewitt 536574 Stewart (St Barnabas) Maria Haley Worship Mrs Ruby Holmes Martinson Leaders Morlin Geoff Geoff Brown Link Bland alison Magazine Alison @tp4c.co.uk & Elec- Sayer toralRoll 2
What’s going on?! Sundays; “Face to face” All services will be at St Barnabas at 11am. Also live on Facebook , youtube or phone. Please wear a mask and bring a pen so that you can leave your details All churches also have the NHS Test & Trace app Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Facebook/Zoom Prayer meetings at 9am Check on the TP4C group facebook page for the zoom code or phone number Wednesdays: at 10am Facebook Holy Communion will restart next month You can also check www.tp4c.co.uk or contact Matt or Maria either by email or by phone to find out what’s going on or if you have any questions or need prayer or assistance of any kind. If you would like to donate, for example, your usual collection from the last few months, please put it in an envelope, marked with what it is and who it’s from and hand it to Yvonne Swainson, if possible, so that there is only one person actually handling the money. Or you could ask for the church bank details so that you can donate directly. 01228 599562 for Matt or 01228 538983 for the Office ***Matt’s day off is FRIDAY*** Vestry Hour: Mondays 6-7pm to arrange Baptisms, Weddings or for General requests. 1st /3rd Monday of the month at St Luke’s (7th/21st June) 2nd/4th Monday of the month at St Barnabas (14th/28th June) (NOT 5th Mondays or Bank Holidays) Information can also be checked on www.achurchnearyou.com or in- [email protected] Also on Facebook: If you “do” facebook, we have the following pages: Tp4c Church Page foodbank@tp4c Tp4c men’s meet up ST Luke’s Little Fishes T@4C (formerly Tea@HT) ...and we now have our own Youtube channel: _https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzl4XRy53TzFt0EUS_ibW-Q 3
The Power of Holy Communion By Jannette King Holy Communion is an act of worship that we often engage in at Church. It has its roots in the Greek ‘eucharisto’ which means ‘giving of thanks.’ But what are we thanking God for? It is also referred to as the Last Supper and shows the greatest love that Jesus showed to us. In Luke 22: 19-20 we are told that on the night that He was betrayed Jesus ate His last supper with the disciples and knowing what was ahead He introduced the Holy Communion. His instruction was that through taking of the Holy Communion we are to remember Him, how His body was broken and His blood was shed for our sins and as it states in 1 Corinthians 11: 26 ‘For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’ During the Last Supper Jesus also told the disciples “I give you a new command- ment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another” (John 13: 34) and He carried out two acts that show us how to love one another – he washed the disciples’ feet and He carried out what we now call the Holy Communion. Jesus broke the bread and said “This is my body that is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” He also took the cup saying “Drink this all of you. This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Twice Jesus uses the words “In remembrance of me” so that we would never forget the fact that God loved us all unreservedly – a love that never ends. Jesus continued by saying “No one has a greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends” and the very next day this is exactly what Jesus did. He showed that love by giving his life on the cross. But do we remember this when we take Communion? Do we remember God’s love for us? Do we offer thanks? Have we become complacent and have stopped recognising what it means for us to participate in the Communion? To me that is why Jesus said that we take the bread and the wine in remembrance of Him. In the Eucharistic Prayer we reaffirm that love for us, in that He offered himself on the cross and we proclaim His mighty resurrection and glorious ascension and we look for the coming of His Kingdom.” This again reminds us of God’s love for us and when we receive Holy Communion we bring nothing but ourselves and with open hands and hearts we receive God’s love. Today when we take Holy Communion we can be assured that we are born again in Christ and we are healed and made whole. We can remember that even if we forget God, He will never forget us and that is what we give thanks for. Thursday 3rd June is the Day of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion, traditionally known as Corpus Christi 4
An urgent message from Embrace the Middle East Dear Friends, I want to share this with you as we are getting heart-breaking updates from our partners who are trying to continue their medical support to the people of Gaza. Buildings near Al-Shifa Hospital (Gaza’s main hospital) have been bombed and doctors who worked in the hospital were killed with their families in the blast. One of our Caritas Jerusalem medical consultants described how people were “pulling the bodies from the rubble.” Even as I write this we have just received this message from one of our partners in Gaza who was going to update us: “The situations here in Gaza is terrifying, sorry to tell you that we are very worried and stressed which is not allowed us to talk right now, and we are not able to reach internet connection… as all the infrastructure destroyed.” With families being bombed out of their homes and entire apartment blocks flattened in airstrikes the death toll continues to rise – over 60 children have already been killed. We are asking for your help. There is an immediate need for medical supplies, shelter, and fuel to keep generators (including hospital generators) going (their only reliable source of electricity). The 1000 or so pregnant women expected to give birth this week will now have little or no access to hospitals or even medical staff to help them at home. Will you stand with us and our Christian brothers and sisters as we look to support the people of Gaza? Even when the current devastation ends, the children of Gaza have experienced the intense trauma of living through this bombardment, the loss of friends and family, the fear of what will happen next. That is why we work through our partners like the Near East Council of Churches to provide ongoing support and counselling alongside the day-to-day life-saving provisions. We cannot stand by – please help us offer some hope. Embrace will ensure your gift of support gets to those Christian organisations helping on the ground. If you have already made a donation, thank you very much indeed for your kindness and compassion. Thank you for your help on behalf of our partners in Gaza Yours sincerely, Matt Adcock Head of Communications To donate, please go to www.embraceme.org 5
God on Mute Book review meeting : Sunday 27th June at 3pm at St Barnabas There will also be an online option if needed Come along to discuss how this book affected you. We might even be able to have a cuppa together! Men’s Breakfast restarts on the first Saturday of the month, starting again on Saturday 3rd July. Meet at the Royal Scot on Lan- grigg Road at 10am for a good breakfast and a good craic. On Saturday 2nd October, Dr Andrew Brittlebank (Consultant Psychiatrist & Associate Medical Director, Cumbria & Northumberland) will be leading a Men’s Health Breakfast. 8th June William of York, a victim of injustice Have you ever been the victim of someone else’s malice and ambition? Then William of York (d 1154) is the saint for you. William Fitzherbert was born into a noble family, with royal connections. He was also smart – appointed treasurer of York at a young age, and also as a chaplain to King Stephen. But none of it went to his head - he was loved for his kind, amiable and easy-going personality. Then in 1140 Thurston, the archbishop of York, died. The canons of York knew whom they wanted, and with royal support William was made Thurston’s successor. Yet all was not well: a disappointed minority hated him and had the support of powerful men. William was accused of simony, and of being unchaste. The row brought in the Pope and several bishops, and William was cleared. Yet still – all was not well. That Pope died, and the new Pope was a Cistercian, who preferred the enemies of William. And so he was deposed. Yet William seems to have taken all this malice and power-grabbing in his stride. He simply retired to Winchester to live as a devout monk until 1153. Then that year several of his key enemies died, and he was restored as archbishop to York. At last all looked good for him – and he made a triumphant return to York in 1154. But then – disaster struck again: a few days later William was dead - poison was strongly suspected. He was buried in his cathedral, miracles were reported at his tomb. He was regarded as both the victim of grave injustice and as a saint. In 1421 the famous St William window was made; depicting his life and miracles and death in 62 scenes. 6
Saints Alive In May/June: Rev Andrew Warburton will be leading a 9-week course based on Saints Alive! This course is for everyone! Wherever you are at your walk with Jesus, an Enquirer, a Refresher for church members, Young People, Church Contacts, Friends, Wider Community and other Faith Groups. The Aims of the course To nurture churches to help people come to faith and become active Christians withing the church and the world. Helps people explore what it means to live a Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit It offers participants an opportunity to respond to Christ and experience God’s power at work in their own lives. We encourage you to pray about it, to accept this invitation and to take the opportunity to explore faith in a safe non- critical environment. If you have any questions or queries, please email: [email protected] Gardening really is good for you According to a recent study conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and two universities, people who garden every day have well-being scores 6.6 per cent higher, and stress levels 4.2 per cent lower than those who do not garden at all. Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, RHS well-being fellow and lead author says, “The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden, the greater the health benefits. “In fact, gardening every day has the same impact on your well-being as undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running. “Gardening is like effortless exercise: it doesn’t feel as strenuous as going to the gym, but we can expend similar amounts of energy.” 7
Ordination Nina Orchard, who lives in St Luke’s Vicarage with her family will be ordained Priest at St James’ Church at 6.30pm on Monday 28th June. If you would like to attend the service, you are invited to contact Toby, the Parish Administrator for a (free) ticket ([email protected]). Places are still limited due to social distancing measures. We are also invited to pray for Nina and her ministry at St James and within the Two Rivers Mission Community. Parish Prayer Loop: Maria Holmes : Speak to her! ([email protected]) Alison Sayer: [email protected] Rev Matt & Haley Martinson: [email protected] or 599562 Geoff Brown from St Luke’s Margaret Brown from St Luke’s All requests are confidential and can be for anyone about anything. 8
Lectionary Readings for June Year B Sunday 30th May Isaiah 6: 1-8 John 3: 1-17 Trinity Sunday Psalm 29 Romans 8: 12-17 Thursday 3rd June Genesis 14: 18-20 John 6: 51-58 Corpus Christi Psalm 116: 10-end 1Corinthians 11: 23-26 Sunday 6th June Continuous: Gospel: 1st Sunday after Trinity 1Samuel 8: 4-11[12-15]16-20 Mark 3: 20-35 (Continuous readings are [11: 14-15] a semi-continuous reading Psalm 138 of sections of the Old Related: Testament: Genesis 3: 8-15 Related readings are Psalm 130 related to the Gospel 2Corinthians 4: 13-5: 1 The same option should be chosen each week Sunday 13th June Continuous: Mark 4: 26-34 2nd Sunday after Trinity 1Samuel 15: 34-16: 13 Sunday 20th June Psalm 20 3rd Sunday after Trinity Related: Ezekiel 17: 22-24 Sunday 27th June Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15 4th Sunday after Trinity 2Corinthians 5: 6-10, 14-17 Sunday 4th July 5th Sunday after Trinity C: 1Samuel 17: [1a,4-11,19-23] Mark 4: 35-41 32-49 Psalm 9: 9-20 R: Job 38: 1-11 Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32 2Corinthians 6: 1-13 C: 2Samuel1: 1, 17-27 Mark 5: 21-43 Psalm 130 R: Lamentations 3: 23-33 Psalm 30 2Corinthians 8: 7-15 C: 2Samuel 5: 1-5, 9-10 Mark 6: 1-13 Psalm 48 R: Ezekiel 2: 1-5 Psalm 123 2Corinthians 12: 2-10 9
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Across: 1 Military tactic used by Joshua to attack and destroy the city of Ai (Joshua 8:2) (6) 4 Place of learning (6) 8 ‘When Moses’ hands grew — , they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it’ (Exodus 17:12) (5) 9 Unpleasant auguries of the end of the age, as forecast by Jesus (Matthew 24:7) (7) 10 Stronghold to which girls in King Xerxes’ harem (including Esther) were taken (Esther 2:8) (7) 11 Where Saul went to consult a medium before fighting the Philistines (1 Samuel 28:7) (5) 12 Propitiation (Hebrews 2:17) (9) 17 Turn away (Jeremiah 11:15) (5) 19 So clear (anag.) (7) 21 ‘I have just got — , so I can’t come’: one excuse to be absent from the great banquet (Luke 14:20) (7) 22 Long weapon with a pointed head used by horsemen (Job 39:23) (5) 23 Musical beat (6) 24 What the Israelites were told to use to daub blood on their door-frames at the first Passover (Exodus 12:22) (6) Down 1 Fasten (Exodus 28:37) (6) 2 Art bite (anag.) (7) 3 ‘The people of the city were divided; some — with the Jews, others with the apostles’ (Acts 14:4) (5) 5 Contend (Jeremiah 12:5) (7) 6 Possessed (Job 1:3) (5) 7 Sheen (Lamentations 4:1) (6) 9 ‘You love evil rather than good, — rather than speaking the truth’ (Psalm 52:3) (9) 13 Large flightless bird (Job 39:13) (7) 14 They were worth several hundred pounds each (Matthew 25:15) (7) 15 ‘A — went out to sow his seed’ (Matthew 13:3) (6) 16 How Jesus described Jairus’s daughter when he went into the room where she lay (Mark 5:39) (6) 18 The part of the day when the women went to the tomb on the first Easter morning (John 20:1) (5) 20 Narrow passageway between buildings (Luke 14:21) (5) Answers on page 17 The Bible version used in our crosswords is the NIV. Crosswords reproduced by kind permission of BRF and John Capon, originally published in Three Down, Nine Across, by John Capon (£6.99 BRF). Acknowledgements go to www.parishpump.co.uk for many of the articles, prayers, puzzles & cartoons in this magazine. 11
St Alban - the first British martyr Persecution of Christians worldwide is rising fast, so it is worth remembering St Alban, the first British martyr. Alban was a Roman citizen living in England when the Roman emperor, Diocletian, began a fierce persecution. Soon Alban found a desperate priest on his doorstep, hunted by local soldiers. Alban gave the priest shelter, and within days was converted. When the soldiers arrived, Alban took the priest’s place, refused to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was condemned to death. Alban went to his execution on 22nd June 250AD with such serenity that one of the executioners was converted. He died on the site of the Hertfordshire town that now bears his name Alban converted serenity Answers on martyr soldiers died page 17 persecution sacrifice site Roman gods town emperor condemned name Diocletian death doorstep priest execution 12
Drop off, drop in from 9am -10am at St Luke’s on Tuesday mornings. Drop the older ones off at school then drop in for tea, coffee, toast and a chat and soft play before Little Fishes at 10am. AND at St Barnabas Church, Raffles Tuesday 1.30-2.30pm 13
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We have Cubs and Scouts at St Barnabas for boys and girls from 8 years+ Meeting in Term-time only St Barnabas Cubs and Scouts on Mondays Cubs at Holy Trinity Contact: Peter Martin 07718 237722 Holy Trinity Cubs and Scouts GSL: Mark Hampton 07538 571546 contact Mike for Cubs or Mark for Scouts Beaver Colony Contact Ben or Joanne Girls may join the Rainbows or the Brownies who meet at St Barnabas Church on Wednesdays Meeting in Term-time only Rainbows 5pm to 6pm Brownies 6-7.30pm Contact: Suzie Giles for Rainbows on 544118 or for Brownies Ellis Page (mobile) 07729 046 765 or (Home) 01228 544 877. TEA@HT is now MessyTea@4C will start again soon on the first Saturday of the month from 4-5.30pm at St Luke’s for Food, Fun, Family & Worship 15
Walk the Way Mission which Maria will be taking part in in July 2021. Luke 10 1-23 Jesus sends out the 72 - This a great story where the early disciples were sent out to share the good news, to heal, to pray. They were sent out with just what they stood in with no purse, food, etc. I am very excited to be taking part in another Mission with Through Faith Mission as we come out of Lockdown! Just as the 72 we will be walking out in Faith with no plans for food or accommodation. I will be taking part in week 3 of Walk The Way the first week in July and would greatly appreciate your support in prayer. Walk the Way is a major mission that TFM is planning for 2021. We plan to walk right across the UK from St David's in the West to Lowestoft in the East, starting at both ends and meeting in the middle. We will broadly follow the route of the 'Via Beata' footpath. The route will be split into 22 sections and teams of up to ten members will cover a section a week, a total of 11 weeks (11 from each end). Here comes the difference!! In recent years most of our missions have been carefully planned. In collaboration with local churches we have arranged accommodation and meals for team members and churches have prepared events and outreach opportunities. Walk The Way will be different. We recognise that many small rural churches are in crises, with crumbling buildings, few members and little money. We will be stepping out in faith that each day God will provide the accommodation that we need but not necessarily what we want! Tim Hall, TFM's CEO writes: “This is going to be tough, stretching and completely out of your comfort zone. Leave technology behind. Expect to finish the walk a transformed person. Is God calling you to join us?” Please keep praying for Maria and all those who take part in Through Faith Missions. Fulbert of Chartres (c.970–1028), the son of a peasant family in northern France, rose to become Bishop of Chartres, renowned for his brilliant sermons. A powerful man, but his prayers reveal his keen appreciation of just how fleeting worldly success can be…. God’s Care How brief is our span of life compared with the time since You created the universe. How tiny we are compared with the enormity of Your universe. …yet during every minute and ever second of our lives You are present, within and around us. You give your whole and undivided attention to each and every one of us. Our concerns are Your concerns. And You are infinitely patient with our stupidity. I thank you with all my heart…. 16
ANSWERS Crossword Answers: ACROSS: 1, Ambush. 4, School. 8, Tired. 9, Famines. 10, Citadel. 11, Endor. 12, Atonement. 17, Avert. 19, Oracles. 21, Married. 22, Lance. 23, Rhythm. 24, Hyssop. DOWN: 1, Attach. 2, Biretta. 3, Sided. 5, Compete. 6, Owned. 7, Lustre. 9, Falsehood. 13, Ostrich. 14, Talents. 15, Farmer. 16, Asleep. 18, Early. 20, Alley. 17
Here’s a page to cheer you up! Please remember that: Vacuum cleaners will just gather dust. History is a thing of the past. Step ladders can give as much support as natural ladders. The future is not what it used to be. and Exit signs are on the way out. I used to think that good grammar was important but now I know that good wine is importanter. I have been accused of plagiarism but that’s their word, not mine. And finally…………….. Pleasecananyonetellmewhatthelongbaratthebottomofmykeyboardisfor? Peter Neighbourhood Watch In one small rural village the local vet also led the local Neighbourhood Watch group. Late one night the phone rang, and his wife answered. An agitated voice inquired, \"Is your husband there?\" \"He is, but tell me, do you need him as the vet or the Neighbourhood Watch?\" the wife asked. \"Both!\" was the reply. \"We can't get our dog's mouth open, and there's a burglar in it!\" Thankful A minister said to a precocious six-year-old boy, \"So your mother says a prayer over you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?\" The little boy replied, \"Thank God he's in bed!\" 18
Dear All. Please find below the new link for Sunday worship for those who want to join via zoom. You do not have to join via zoom you can watch live on Facebook and You Tube. If you want to know more then let me know and I will happily help you out. Matt Martinson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Sunday Morning Worship Time: May 23, 2021 10:30 AM London Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88388448984? pwd=NHNKRHlXZzZhWjJYN1AydUpqazVudz09 Meeting ID: 883 8844 8984 Passcode: 066372 One tap mobile +442080806591,,88388448984#,,,,*066372# United Kingdom +442080806592,,88388448984#,,,,*066372# United Kingdom Dial by your location +44 208 080 6591 United Kingdom +44 208 080 6592 United Kingdom +44 330 088 5830 United Kingdom +44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom +44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom +44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom +44 203 901 7895 United Kingdom Meeting ID: 883 8844 8984 Passcode: 066372 Don’t forget that you can get a DVD of services posted to you if you are not able to watch live on Zoom, facebook or on the tp4c Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzl4XRy53TzFt0EUS_ibW-Q If anyone would like to help with the tech at online services. Please contact Matt .If you can send emails, you have the experience necessary to work the computer! You can also come to St Barnabas Church at 11am on Sunday mornings for a face-to-face service. Unfortunately we still can’t respond, sing or chat.....YET! We are looking forward to the date when we can! 19
Jesus continues to pray for us The disciples only asked Jesus to teach them one thing: how to pray. Since behaviour is easier caught than taught, it would do us well to observe the prayer practice of Jesus. The most encouraging news found in the Bible about prayer, at least in my opinion, is that Jesus has made it his continuing purpose to pray for us: “He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25 NIV). Let’s look at this word by word. “He.” Jesus stands in the gap making petitions to God on my behalf. He is our repre- sentative. He is our mediator in salvation and our mediator in heaven. “Always.” Permanence and authority are in the role that Jesus plays. Jesus never stops praying for us. He is always at our disposal before the throne of heaven pleading our case and sharing our cause with the Father. “Lives.” Jesus is alive to fulfil his role. His resurrection proves that Jesus is alive, but what is he doing with all that time at his disposal? He is praying for you and me. Christ’s life in heaven is his prayer for us. “To intercede.” The word means “to meet, to approach, to appeal, to make petition.” Intercession involved our Lord’s representation of his people at the throne of God. Through Christ, believers are able to draw near to God in prayer. Sometimes I do not know what to pray or even how to pray, but Jesus does. He goes before the Father with my concerns. Jesus always knows how to pray as he should. (“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 NIV) 20
“For them.” Jesus is praying for us, his disciples, his followers, his friends. Jesus lives for that relationshipwith God and keeps you and me in mind as he communes with the Father. When we pray, we join a prayer meeting that Jesus is already leading on our behalf. I sometimes slip in my prayer practice, but Jesus is always alert and always ready to pray for me and for you. I get busy with the many other things going on in life that I forget to make times to spend it solely and faithfully with God. I enjoy the regularity of the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday prayer meetings (when I am not at work) and find they set me up right for the day- they give my day a sense of peace and purpose. How amazing is it the Jesus prays for us- for me, for you, for our communities! As we incorporate practices of prayer modelled by Jesus into our behaviour, then we will see the power of prayer as manifested in Jesus’ life a living reality in our lives. Please continue to pray for each other, for our communities and give thanks to God for the blessing of each other. Gemma (Based on a 10-day Bible study- ‘Praying like Jesus’- by Pastor Rick Ezell) Prayer for Encouragement in June Father, At this time of year, we remember Barnabas, a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, who encouraged people to stay true to you - and others to trust you for the first time. Lord, we have gone through difficult days. The pandemic has taught us that we are not in control. We don’t know what each new day might bring. As we move into June and the hope of more normality after the restrictions of Lockdown, we too need encouragement. Help us to have courage to step forward with confidence and common sense. Most of all help us to stay true to you and to trust you, knowing that you are the security we need, knowing that you will never leave us or forsake us. Help us to be en-couraged! In Jesus name, Amen. By Daphne Kitching 21
Holy Trinity History I have been researching the people who are listed on the Holy Trinity 1914-18 War Memorial. It is my plan to preserve their memory as we move on. I have been able to track down the details of 59 of them but there are a few that I need help with. They are: J Thompson J A Thompson J Watson – this name may possibly have been used as an alias A Payne William Dewhurst T Hutton If you have any information about the above- or any further information about any of the names on the 1914-1918 War Memorial -please can you contact me at [email protected] ? Thank you. What do you want from tp4c? Have you filled in the form to have your say about our churches? If you haven’t been able to pick one up from church, just send your ideas, thoughts, questions ,visions and dreams to Alan Sayer ([email protected]) or jot them on a piece of paper and hand it to him or leave it in the Parish Office Don’t just say “they” should do something about it, tell us ! We don’t have a time machine either, so it’s no good telling us what should have happened! However....we do want to hear from everybody whether you have only been to church once in your life and never want to come again or if you come to every- thing the church has to offer, young, old, in-between....you are the church and we need to know what you think the tp4c churches should be like. EDI 22 N
God in the Sciences This series is written by Dr Ruth M Bancewicz, who is Church Engagement Director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. Ruth writes on the positive relationship between Science and Christian faith. Wonders of the Living World What are the best metaphors we could use to describe biological things? You might be used to hearing phrases like “your genetic blueprint” or “survival of the fittest”, but are they helpful or even accurate? Some of these words fail to capture the wonder and joy of understanding something new about the nature of living organisms. I learned that one researcher was using the phrase ‘The Snuggle for Existence’ as a way to convey the idea, familiar to biologists, that cooperation is at the heart of the living world. For example, every cell more complex than a bacterium contains minute energy factories, each one containing their own piece of DNA – which makes them a sort of miniature cell, hidden away inside the larger host cell. These ‘mitochondria’, as biologists call them, turn raw materials from the host into chemical energy. In this way, everyone benefits: the mitochondria now have a safe a place to live, and the host receives the energy it needs. There are many more examples of organisms working together to produce something that is more than the sum of its parts, where often the individual parts could not survive on their own. ‘The Map of Life’ is a way of describing the regularities we see in biological processes. Eyes, legs and wings have emerged in the living world again and again, and why not? If the properties of light and gravity remain constant, we should expect living things to find the same solutions to seeing or getting around. When we look at these organisms’ family trees, we see they share a common ancestor that had no eyes, or no wings. These structures have devel- oped completely independently, or you could say that the paths of the living world have converged on the same solution. That’s not to say they had a conscious goal, but that the world has certain properties, and those properties have channelled biological processes in certain directions. None of these stories give us definite evidence for God. Science simply provides data, which can often be interpreted in several different ways. Perhaps the world just happens to be full of mathematical regularities, maybe there’s an overarching physical law we don’t yet understand, or perhaps there are multiple universes and ours happens to be the one in which life has arisen. But I believe that the observations scientists make about the living world are compatible with the existence of the God described by Christian faith. More at wondersofthelivingworld.org. 23
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CONTACT DETAILS Are you new to the Parish or would like some further information about the different Parish activities? Please tick the information you require on the list below, send this form to the address given and the right person will contact you soon. Send your Parish Office request to: c/o St Barnabas Church Brookside, Carlisle, CA2 7JU Phone: 01228 538983 [email protected] Name Address Postcode Telephone Email Baptism/Confirmation Bible Study Courses (Alpha, Footsteps, Called to Serve) Family Church activities Pastoral Visiting Prayer/ Healing Ministry Youth Organisations Link Magazine Parish Activities and Events Anything else? (Please note request in space provided)
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