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DEAR FRIENDS Derek asks , “Is there a line beyond which there is no forgiveness?

Dear Friends,

I’ve just finished reading Denise Fergus’s excellent and moving book “I let him go” the book tell the story of the mother of James Bulger, the two-year-old toddler abducted, brutally tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys on Merseyside on the 12th February 1993.

Twenty-five years on, remarried and with three grown up boys, Denise says that she can never forgive the men who committed this horrendous crime and whilst she doesn’t want a return of the death sentence and doesn’t want vigilante action to take the lives of the lads now thirty five years old, she wants to know that nobody will ever have to experience what she did, yet forgiveness is out of the question for her, even after twenty five years.

Maybe sometimes in Church we glibly say things, which given our experiences may be easier said than done, it might be just a bit too easy to sit in holy judgement of this grieving mother and tell her that the Bible clearly states, that we should forgive, indeed, Jesus tells that we should forgive repeatedly.

Whilst I preach a message of forgiveness and will pray for forgiveness for my own transgressions, I wonder whether there is a line beyond which there is no forgiveness?

In my heart, I want to say no, perhaps the problem with the two boys found unquestionably guilty of James Bulger’s abduction, torture and murder, is that at no point have they shown any remorse and I wonder if there’s a difference between us forgiving and God forgiving?

We might all have different views on this.

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My belief is that it makes the words of Jesus on the cross all the even more amazing, while experiencing pain beyond belief, the agonising physical pain and the pain of rejection, torment and total injustice, when the world has done its worst, when it has stripped Jesus of everything, begs forgiveness for those who have committed this crime of torture and murder, also desertion, humiliation and rejection even in this moment the message of forgiveness is still paramount in his mind.

Can I suggest that as we reflect on the importance of the cross during this season of Easter, we might ask where forgiveness sits in our lives, we maybe need to ask if there are people and situations that need or deserve our forgiveness, even in the most horrendous situation imaginable Jesus sought forgiveness for his assailants, if he could forgive in those circumstances, what about us and is there anything we’ve done that is unforgiveable?

Derek

DEAR FRIENDS Derek continues with his Easter message.

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE

David Welborn hands over to a new editor.

Twelve months ago, David Welbourn answered a call to help our Newsletter publication that was crumbling fast because of lack of content. In a year we have all helped to turn the fortunes of the magazine about. We owe David a great debt for stepping in and helping rescue the publication.

David, thank you so much.

The Handover

The handover has happened and commencing with this edition I am at the helm as editor. David has set the bar very high with the production but has provided me with first class notes, which makes editorial life easier.

However, what does not change is the help I will always need from our readers. So please; keep the articles coming; keep raising issues to highlight the good and bad news, local or national, as well as to inform and entertain. Together, we can continue to keep our Connections Magazine as a publication we can all be proud of.

I am so confident that I will enjoy doing this job I shopped yesterday and purchased the tee-shirt shown opposite.

Mike Parker

If you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep. Talk to the shepherd.

Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church.

Fight truth decay. Study the Bible daily.

No God – No peace. Know God – Know peace.

In the dark? Follow the Son.

A new notice is now in the church car park. Trespassers will be baptised.

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PARTNERSHIP Marjorie & Stuart‘s journey to becoming church stewards.

Just before the AGM 2017, Betty Lindsay asked me if Stuart and I would be willing

to do a split steward’s job. We didn’t need to think too long to say yes.

It works so well, as I do the prayer and welcome and Stuart does the unlocking of

doors, gates and putting the red bin out as well as

helping with the totting up of the collection money

etc.

We were brought up in the Church of England and

were both confirmed. In Stuart’s younger days he sang

in the church choir in Hertfordshire and learned to play

the organ. Sadly, he hasn’t touched playing the organ

since but it must have been a lovely experience. I did

Sunday School and was a girl guide.

Because of not being Methodists through and through as most of the

congregation at Museum Street are and having been together since teenagers, we

don’t know the intricacies of Methodism but that isn’t important, feeling part of

the Church at Museum Street is. We have learned a lot in the short time of

stewarding and are willing to be shown anything that people feel we should know.

John Wesley considered Stewardship as an

integral component of Christian discipleship.

Careful reading of Wesley will demonstrate that

he had much more to say about the necessity of

stewardship in the Christian life than “a heart

warming experience.” Stewardship was a consistent theme of his

preaching and personal practice throughout his life, which spanned

nearly the entire eighteenth century. For Wesley, no one was exempt

from the commandment to love God and neighbour. and giving was

considered an expression of that love.

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PREACHERS CORNER

David Welbourn gives us an insight how he chooses his hymns.

I’m sure that the majority of you will realise that I

always try to choose hymns that complement the

message of my sermon so that the whole of the act

of worship is as unified as possible. I frequently

choose contemporary hymns which reflect either a

modern idiom, or a way of approaching a subject

which would have been alien to the hymn-writers of

old. Having said that, I generally only choose hymns with a traditional Meth-

odist structure or form – a means by which we can sing our theology and be

challenged deeply. I think it was Rev Dr Gordon Rupp who described some of

those repetitive choruses relying on a total vocabulary of 6 words as “ditties”,

with which he had no truck. Well said sir!

The resource I use has now grown to 33000 hymns – nearly 45000 if you can

find any value in being enticed by a first line, with the rest of the hymn

missing. Despite such a rich resource, there are times when nothing will quite

fit the bill, and I occasionally turn to writing my own hymn. An exercise which

after about an hour contains only crossed-out doggerel (a description usually

reserved for polite moments). At other times, albeit rarely, the juices of

creativity flow remarkably freely.

Sometimes, I will find a hymn which almost fits the bill, and I feel no compunc-

tion in building on the good and relevant bits, but adapting the remaining lines

to align more nearly with my message – I always annotate such works as “after

xxx” with the original copyright.

One such hymn was created by David Bilbrough, and although the words

mostly fit my theme, the chorus descended into ditty land, and I could find no

tune for its accompaniment.

I decided that this formed an excellent basis on which to build a hymn

touching on the awful circumstances of the numerous child abuse scandals in

Rotherham and many other cities.

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PREACHERS CORNER

Now the challenge to include the issues of the day!

Then in February, I felt compelled to turn my sermon onto the stupidity of American gun laws and all the needless deaths recurring time after time. With other links into the darker sides of Society and the growing reaction to Weinstein and all its horrors, accompanied by the hopeful shoots of a renewed call for genuine equality, I turned afresh to my version of the hymn, but was moved to update it with a new verse. Some preachers will be horrified if I admitted that this was probably about 7pm on the Friday night. An astonishing 5 minutes later and in full flow, verse 3 emerged. I hope you will agree that it says something in the context of worship that is both important and challenging about one of Society’s darker sides.

It is sung to Stamford (378 in STF):

For ev’ry child that stands abused

for all the lonely and confused

For those made mute, for those who weep

for those who suffer in distress

For all who bear the marks of hate

We pray your love will make amends.

For all with stolen innocence

for those in need, we intercede,

Console the powerless and the weak

the ones denied a right to speak

bring them your comfort and release

We pray your love will make amends.

For those for whom life makes no sense

for those who turn to darkest acts

who take up arms to wreak revenge

their victims caught in bullet’s path

mown down without a moment’s thought

We pray your love will make amends.

© David Welbourn (from an idea by David Bil-brough)

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WHO WROTE THAT?

John Goodhand’s hymn-writer this month is an amazing lady.

I realised recently that I had entirely neglected the la-

dies in my researches thus far;

I hope this goes some way to redress the balance.

At the conclusion of the morning service on our

Church Anniversary and Mothering Sunday, we sang

that rousing hymn ‘To God be the glory…’.

It was written by Frances Jane van Alstyne,

1820-1915.

She has two entries in Singing the Faith, the other be-

ing another old favourite, ‘Blessed assurance…’.

She liked her choruses.

The same two hymns appeared in Hymns & Psalms, but the Methodist Hymn Book had six others.

These were:

‘Jesus, keep me near the cross…’ (199);

‘Behold me standing at the door…’ (221);

‘Pass me not, O gentle saviour…’ (335);

‘Rescue the perishing, care for the dying…’ (338);

‘O my Savour, hear me…(453);

‘I am thine, O Lord; I have heard thy voice…’ (746).

Fanny Crosby was born in New York. She was blind from infancy but became a

pupil and teacher at New York City’s Institute for the blind. There she met

Alexander van Alstyne who was also blind; they married in 1858 and had a

daughter, Frances, who died soon after birth. This sad event prompted her to

write the hymn ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus’, which, in 1885, was sung at the

funeral of President Ulysses S. Grant.

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FANNY CROSBY Continuing with the lady hymnwriter.

Astonishingly, given her disability, she wrote over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs (frequently using pseudonyms), and was known as ‘the Queen of gospel song writers’. Moody and Sankey acknowledged their debt to her. However, she also wrote about 1,000 secular poems and had four books of poetry published, as well as two autobiographies. Additionally she wrote popular secular songs as well as political and patriotic songs, and at least five cantatas on biblical and patriotic themes. She was also a noted public speaker. She was committed to Christian rescue missions, and ‘Rescue the perishing’ was the result of her own mission experiences in New York’s Lower East Side. ‘Pass me not, O gentle saviour’ was said to be a favourite of Queen Victoria’s. What a truly remarkable lady. John Goodhand

Blessed Assurance Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour, all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour, all the day long. Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. Perfect submission, all is at rest I in my Saviour am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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AWESOME The word “awesome” is used frequently…...in numerous situations

Synonyms for awesome: breath-taking, amazing, stunning, astounding, astonishing, stupendous, stag-gering, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable; More magnificent, wonderful, spectacular, remarkable, phenomenal, prodigious, miraculous, sublime; formidable, imposing, impressive; mind-blowing, out of this world, How often do we have a sense of awe? We might feel it at the birth of a child. Or when observing how a beautiful plant can develop from a tiny seed. Or when staring at the night sky and grappling with the scale of the universe. We might never have it, because we are too busy, too narrowly focused on our own, me and place, to wonder at it all. To ask how it all came about. why are we here? why are we here for such a very brief period of time? And what happens when we die? Profound, awesome questions to which scientists can attempt only partial answers. And so, we all have faith. For some, their faith is that there is no God: the universe, me, everything ‘just happened’. ‘When we die, that’s it.’ For Christians, our faith is in a God

who created everything, who created

each of us as unique beings and who

wants to be in close relationship with

us; in a God who would not dispense

with us after our three score years and ten.

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AWESOME A word used in numerous situations

We have faith in God who simply asks that we believe in Jesus Christ—who showed us the way, the truth and the life, a life that is abundant and forever when we die, if we believe in him. Easter is so important to Christians because it shows that death need not be fatal. We can never be good enough to earn eternal life. It is given freely if we believe in Christ who took our punishment for us as a demonstration of God’s love for us and who showed that death is merely a transfer on from one exist-ence to another.

Faith: belief that is not based on proof... Can Christians prove all this, in some objective way? Difficult—we weren’t around 2,000 years ago; but Christ’s disciples were. They witnessed Jesus’ resurrection and were so convinced that they were transformed from ordinary, frightened people to extraordinary messengers of Christ’s teaching and were prepared to die for their convictions.

Easter is not about bunny rabbits and chocolate. It is about eternal life that is freely offered to all who truly believe.

Awesome

12

COLLECTIONS Colin Westren uncovers his spreadsheet for all to see.

Hey Dad - How come the waitress gets 10%

and God only gets 5%?

WEEKLY COLLECTIONS January February

Date Collection Budget Date Collection Budget

7th January £256.00 4th February £180.00

14th January £154.50 11th February £195.00

21st January £60.00 18th February £182.00

28th January £356.00 25th February £219.00

Direct £1,040.00 Direct £1,100.00

Tax Refund £500.00 Tax Refund £500.00

Total for Month £2,366.50 £2,395.00 £2,376.00 £2,395.00

Additional Collections Benevolent Fund £17.40

The total for the 6 months to 28.2.18, falls short of budgeted giving

by approximately £600

GIFT DAY The total raised to date (last Thursday at 2.00 pm) for

the Gift Day was £1,202.50. Thank you to all who responded.

13

GETOGETHER Mike Howell reports on the meeting in March

Getogether on 13 March welcomed back for a second time former Ipswich Borough Planning Officer John Field who, since his retirement has been researching the life & work of Carl Giles, the famous cartoonist, and presented an enthralling talk on “Carl Giles & his adopted town Ipswich”.

Giles was born in London in 1916 and lived his early life there before moving to Ipswich in 1930 to work as an animator at a studio in Museum Street. He later joined Express News-papers and became their war correspondent during the latter part of the 2nd World War and it was during this time that he developed his skill in producing war orientated cartoons which were often sent home by the soldiers and used nationally as morale boosters to the British public. Upon the ending of the war, he had nothing to base his cartoons on it was then that the “Giles” family was created with “Grandma” being the leader of rather unruly cartoon family.

Giles had married in 1942 and not wanting to live in London after the war, set up home in Witnesham and ultimately in Tuddenham. He continued to work for Express Newspapers and set up a studio overlooking what is now known as Giles Circus in Ipswich. In order to get his cartoons for publication in the Daily Express he had an arrangement with a taxi to collect the cartoon from his stu-dio and take it to Ipswich Station whereby it was handed to the guard of a London bound train who, in turn, gave it to another waiting taxi for onward transmission to Fleet Street.

His cartoons were always topical and are thought, in some cases, to express his views on the current national talking point, be it political, royal, church etc. As a background to a vast number of his cartoons he would use sites around Ipswich, e.g. Town Hall, County Hall, local churches and pubs including the Tuddenham Fountain & Witnesham Barley Mow.

The Royal Family are great fans of Giles and it understood that they own around 35 of his cartoons. He was also a very charitable man, producing cartoons for numerous charities including the RNLI of which he has been a lifelong supporter.

14

GETOGETHER Mike continues with his report

He received the OBE in 1959, was voted the country’s favourite cartoonist of the 20th. Century and after his retirement a statue of “Grandma” was commissioned and unveiled in 1993 by the actor Warren Mitchell in the centre of an open space outside his former studio which has now become known as Giles Circus.

Carl Giles died in 1995 but will never be forgotten by the people of Ipswich.

MAH

Remember old folk are worth a fortune, with Silver in their hair, Gold in their teeth, Stones in their kidneys and Gas in their Stomachs. As for me, I’m a frivolous old girl. I’m seeing five gentlemen each day. As soon as I wake up Will Power helps me out of bed, then I visit Loo, next it’s time for Mr Quaker who gives me my oats. They leave and Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day.

He doesn’t stay long in one place so takes me from joint to joint.

After such a busy day I’m ready for bed with John Walker.

What a life!, and oh yes – I’m flirting with Al Zymers too.

The vicar called the other day and said “at your age, you should be thinking

of the “Here After”.

I told him “I do vicar, no matter where I am, in the lounge, kitchen or upstairs I ask myself

“now what am I here after”.

VALUE OF OLD AGE Diana Sawyer has a light hearted look at some men in her life.

15

GETOGETHER Alan and Jackie unveils the next meeting date and guest speaker.

GET TOGETHER

Tuesday 10 April 2018 at 7.30pm.

ORFORD NESS

John Norman, Chairman of the Ipswich Society has revealed an enthusiasm,

other than Ipswich, in preparing a new presentation about Orford Ness.

This unique and fascinating place is a designated National Nature Reserve.

It also has a number of other national and international designations, including

being a Ramsar Site (the name given to wetland sites with special international

significance).

To hear more about these designations, please bring a friend (or two) to GET

TOGETHER on Tuesday 10 April.

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PRISON TALK Andy Taylor listened to the things prisoners had to say.

One of the joys that I had when volunteering

in the local prison, was running the Friday

night bible study group. Anyone was

welcome, and we certainly had a variety of

“characters”! I have always found that

prisoners can see things and express their

thoughts in a really profound and meaningful

way.

Here are just a few examples of what I mean.

At one session we were talking about the sig-

nificance of Easter, Barry, in a real Cockney accent expounded “That Jesus

geezer, he was brown bread on the old stirling wasn’t he?!” When I asked for

a translation of the rhyming slang, Barry replied “Brown bread = dead,

stirling= Stirling Moss= cross. “Jesus was dead on the cross. Simple isn’t it!”

Then he added something which was quite profound “That Jesus, he died for

others, which is more than what that Buddha and Mohammad were

prepared to do“

John came along to our Friday night group out of curiosity. As we were

finishing in prayer, John got the giggles, which set a couple of the other

inmates off. He apologised profusely afterwards. “I found it really funny when

you were all talking away to thin air” I briefly explained what we were doing

when we pray. He left, still apologising. “Can I come again next Friday?” “Of

course “, I said. “I promise I will not giggle!” He came along for the next 7

weeks, and he was due to be released the following day, Saturday. Before the

meeting he came up to me “As it is my last night, can I please lead the prayer

time. I want to pray for you all, and I would like you to pray for me”

It was a very blessed time.

That is God at work in a prisoner’s life.

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PRISON TALK The prisoners continue to talk to Andy

Drugs were found in Alan’s lorry. He professed his innocence, but he was

arrested and charged. He was offered a more lenient sentence if only he

would plead guilty. He replied that he was telling the truth, and if that meant

spending more time in prison, then so be it.

Alan, fortunately had the full support of his wife for his decision. “But you

could save yourself a great deal of trouble” said his barrister. Alan, who was a

Christian, replied, “Jesus could have saved himself a great deal of trouble on

Good Friday, but he did what was right!”

Apparently the barrister was lost for words!

Tim was a member of a Bible study group. After his last Friday before release,

he said, “Thank you for all that you have done for me” , and he gave me a

large pebble, which he had painted. On it he had written “I Love God”.

He then added these words” I will not stay in touch, and do not want us to

meet again” He explained, “I am going home to my wife and daughter and I

am going to start a new life. I want to forget my time in prison and move on.

Meeting up with you will bring it all back to me, I hope that you understand”

and gave me a big hug. Sometime afterwards, I received a letter from his wife.

She thanked me for how the Friday night group had changed his life. They

were regularly attending a local church, and she had become a Christian. Their

daughter was very happy in the

Sunday school.

I respected Tim’s wishes and did not

respond, much as I would have liked to

have done.

We can gain a great deal from listening

to prisoners, who say it “as it is”.

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VACANCY Several upcoming events—more details on church notice board.

The Methodist Church

Ipswich Circuit

are seeking a part-time (10 hours per week)

CIRCUIT SECRETARY

Based at the Circuit Office, Black Horse Lane, Ipswich.

Salary £8.45 per hour plus additional points depending on

responsibilities, qualifications and experience.

This post will assist the Superintendent and Circuit Officers with

administration work as required and also to act as the Circuit Meeting Secretary, therefore, some evening work will be required

usually twice a year.

Further Information and Application form from:

Circuit Office, 17 Black Horse Lane, Ipswich IP1 2EF

Tel: 01473 254781

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EVENTS An upcoming event—more details on church notice board.

EAST ANGLIA DISTRICT

METHODIST WOMEN in BRITAIN/NETWORK

SPRING DAY -----------

AT MUSEUM ST METHODIST CHURCH,

IPSWICH

ON THURSDAY 26TH APRIL 2018

SPEAKER REV CATHERINE DIXON

FROM KINGS LYNN

SUBJECT - GODS GLORY IN US

COFFEE FROM 10-15 to START 11-00

COFFEE + TEA AVAILABLE- BRING PACKED LUNCH OR GO IN-TO TOWN!

ENQUIRIES to Betty Lindsay or Catherine Westren

ALL ARE WELCOME

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CROSSWORD Ray Sawyer sets us a real challenge this month!

John’s Gospel Crossword

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CROSSWORD Good luck!

Across

4 Sister who warned Jesus of bad odour.- John 11:39 (6)

5 Town where first miracle happened - 2:1 (4)

7 The Judge's seat stood on this pavement -19:13 (8)

8 Where John was baptising. - 3:23 (8)

11 Area where you find Jacob's well.-4:4 (7)

13 This prophet called for straight way-1:23 (6)

15 Jesus spoke of his body as this - 2:21 (6)

16 These people questioned Jesus - 1 :24 & 25 (9)

18 The city where Jesus spent the Passover -2:23 (9)

19 Father -in-law of Caiaphas 18:13 (5)

20 He came to Jesus at night-time -3:1 (9)

Down

1 This pool's name means "sent" -9:7 (6)

2 Word meaning teacher. - 1:38 (5)

3 A high priest - 11:49 (8)

4 Bread from Heaven. - 6:31 (S)

5 Walking over the lake to -6:17 (9)

6 This shelter under fig-tree was promised great things -1:49&50 -{9)

9 Jesus' friend of his was asleep - 11:11(7)

10 Town near Jacob's well - 4:5(6)

12 John had burned like this - 5:35(4)

15 Man called Didymus 20:24(6)

17 Aenon is near this s place - 3:23(5)

22

ZAMBESI MISSION Colin Westren updates us on the amount collected by Ella.

Ella recently reported in the week-ly notices that we had sent £1,491.72, being the amount collected during the time the appeal was running. I have now heard that this has been used to roof 4 churches, which is amazing news!

There will be a further payment made arising from some late donations and an amount to be refunded from The Inland Revenue in respect of a claim for Gift Aid.

Shown opposite is an acknowl-edgement I received from the Mission and thought that I should share

23

WW2 PIGEON HONOURED

Ray talks about hero homing pigeon called Mary awarded Blue Plaque.

Those of you who were present at the Remem-brance Day Service last year, may remember that I referred to how pigeons were much used during the two world wars. I referred especially to the pigeon called Mary from Exeter. She was dropped behind enemy lines many times bringing back secret mes-sengers across the English Channel to its home loft in Exeter. Its time with the National Pigeon Service saw Mary awarded with the Dicken Medal in 1945 – an honour bestowed on hard-working animals during wartime. During her final trip, her neck muscles were damaged by shrapnel.

Her owner Cecil “Charlie” Brewer a pigeon breeder, made it a leather collar and took it out of service. Mary died in 1950 and is buried with other animal heroes in the Pet Cemetery in Ilford, Essex. Exeter Civic Society recently unveiled the blue plaque at the Brewer’s home in West Street Exeter, and Mary has become the first animal to be given a blue plaque to commemorate a heroic animal and its owner. Note: To be awarded a blue plaque, the proposed re-cipient must usually have died at least 20 years ago.

This is to help ensure that the decision about whether or not to shortlist a candidate is made with a sufficient degree of hindsight. Ray Sawyer

24

APOLOGY The Magazine Editor also feeds the website with recorded sermons!

I feel I must make an apology to Harry Chicken and my sermon listeners. Harry conducted the service on the 18th March but because of family commitments I was unable to attend the service. This meant that I did not record Harry’s sermon so was unable to upload it to the church website.

I was made to feel even worse when at the following weeks service I was told by more than one person that

“Harry was on top form last week, he was at his best!” and “Why was the Ser-mon not recorded?”.

Another apology is also in order because to obtain a photo of Harry for the website, I removed from the original photo, his lovely wife Betty!

I cannot do anything about the loss of the recording of the sermon but I can reproduce the photo of Harry and Betty; and splendid it certainly is.

Harry just celebrated his 90th birthday and has been preaching for 70 years. What an achievement!

To think………

He was born in 1928

He was born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, videos and the pill.

He was born before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball point pens, before dishwashers, tumble dryers, electric blankets, air condi-tioners, drip dry clothes...and before man walked on the moon.

As a boy he thought 'fast food' was what you ate in Lent, a 'Big Mac' was an oversized raincoat and a 'crumpet' he had for tea. He existed before house-husbands, computer dating, and 'sheltered accommodation' was where you waited for a bus.

25

APOLOGY Continuing the changes Harry has witnessed in his life so far.

He was before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies.

He never heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial hearts, word processors, or young men wearing earrings. For him 'time sharing' meant togetherness, a 'chip' was a piece of wood or fried potato, 'hardware' meant nuts and bolts and 'software' wasn't a word. In his day, 'Made in Japan' meant junk, the term 'making out' referred to how you did your exams, 'stud' was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and 'going all the way' meant staying on a double-decker bus to the terminus.

In his day, cigarette smoking was 'fashionable', 'grass' was mown, 'coke' was kept in the coalhouse, a 'joint' was a piece of meat you ate on Sundays and 'pot' was something you cooked in. 'Rock music' was a fond mother's lullaby, 'Eldorado' was an ice cream, a 'gay person' was the life and soul of the party, while 'aids' just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

Harry you have seen a few changes.

EDITORS RAMBLINGS

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a typo.-

Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!

How does Moses make tea? Hebrews it.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.

I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.

These caught my eye when reading a newspaper recently.

26

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

A sermon preached by Dr James Allen Francis

Dr James Allen Francis (1864–1928) served as Pastor of First Baptist Church

of Los Angeles from 1914 to 1928. He wrote a book entitled The Real Jesus

and Other Sermons, published by Judson Press in 1926. He included a ser-

mon in this book that he had preached to The National Baptist Young Peo-

ples’ Union on July 11, 1926. In that sermon, Dr Francis summarized the im-

pact of Jesus’ life with a story that has since become known by the title One

Solitary Life.

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant

woman. He grew up in still another village where He worked in a carpenter

shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or

owned a home. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big

city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was

born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He

had no credentials but himself.

While He was still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against

him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He

was turned over to his en- emies. He went through the

mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two

thieves. His executioners gambled for the only property

He had while on earth, and that was his coat. When He

was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the

pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central

figure of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far

within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all

the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all

the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man

upon this earth as powerfully as has this one solitary life.

27

DEADLINE Keep those words flowing please.

The next issue of Connections Magazine is the June-July issue. Please ensure items are e-mailed to parker.mj@btinternet.com by Thursday 22nd May.

HAVE A LAUGH Mary Hagger ends this edition with a funny.

At a convent in Ireland, the 98-year-old Mother Superior lay dying.

The nuns gathered around her bed trying to make her last journey comforta-

ble. They tried giving her warm milk to drink but she refused it.

One of the nuns took the glass back to the kitchen. Then, remembering a

bottle of whiskey that had been received as a gift the previous Christmas, she

opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.

Back at Mother Superior’s bed, they held the glass to her lips.

The frail nun drank a little, then a little more and before they knew it, she had

finished the whole glass down to the last drop. As her eyes brightened, the

nuns thought it would be a good opportunity to have one last talk with their

spiritual leader. "Mother”, the nuns asked earnestly, “please give us some of

your wisdom before you leave us”.

She raised herself up in bed on one elbow, looked at them and said “don’t sell

that cow”.

Note tea/coffee served

CONTACTS We’d love to hear from you

Minister: Rev Derek Grimshaw, 01473 805486

Editor and Webmaster: Mike Parker, parker.mj@btinternet.com

Website: http://www.museumstreet.org.uk/

28

CHURCH DIARY Coffee/tea are served every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:00am

April

1st Sun 10.45 am Easter Day Communion led by Rev. Tony Brookes.

4th Wed 12.30 pm Potato Service. Speaker: Myles Macbean

8th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Rev Derek Grimshaw

10th Tue 19.30 pm Get Together John Norman speaks about “Orfordness”

12th Thu 1.00 pm Ipswich Arts Lunchtime concert “Co-op Ladies Choir”

15th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Rev Derek Grimshaw

17th Tue 2.00 pm Tea and Talk

18th Wed 10.00 am Holy Communion

22nd Sun 10.45 am Alternative Worship service led by CLT team

23rd Mon 7.30 pm Church Life Meeting

24th Tue 12.30 pm Community Lunch

26th Thu 7.30pm EAD MWIB at Museum Street (see page 17)

29th Sun 10.45 pm Worship led by Rev Jane Cassidy

May

2nd Wed 12.30 pm Potato Service

6th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Rev Derek Grimshaw

10th Thu 1.00 pm Ipswich Arts Lunchtime lecture “Treasures of the Turf”

13th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Rev Andrew Sankey

13th Sun 1.00 pm Lunch and Church AGM

15th Tue 2.00 pm Tea and Talk

16th Wed 10.00 am Holy Communion

16th Wed 7.30 pm Property Committee Meeting

20th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Rev Ian Gardner

22nd Tue 12.30 pm Community Lunch

27th Sun 10.45 am Worship led by Roger Fern

June

4th Mon 19.30 pm Church Life Meeting

6th Wed 12.30 am Potato Service

14th Thu 1.00 am Ipswich Arts Lunchtime lecture “Felixstowe Harmonies”

19th Tue 2.00 pm Tea and Talk

20th Wed 10.00 am Holy Communion

26th Tue 12.30 pm Community Lunch