Malcolm's last Service

Revd Malcolm led his last Sunday Service. (On the Good Samaritan and who is your neigbour). It was fairly low key which was good. We sang his favourite hymn 'Oh Lord all the World belongs to you'. He also spoke about a girl called Helen who the NCH helped. She had started to self harm whenever her parents fought. The external pain which she inflicted on herself she could control. It was better than the internal pain... Anyway...

After the service, there was a Bar-B-Q and games on the church lawn.

URC Synod

Today the URC Synod for Wessex met at our church. Approximately 200 delegates from all over Wessex came to the church. Revd Malcolm got a group of us to do some Taize singing as a sort of warm up. I spoke to our violinist afterwards, she said it was wonderful worshipping God like that. We left the delegates to their serious business - after our quite rousing session culminating in 'Magnificat'.

They shall not grow old

St Helen's Church is closed this year, and so the annual remembrance service moved to our church this year. The church was packed. Revd Malcolm Atherton spoke rather of peace. He wore a red and a white poppy (something I heard some grumbles about).

After the half hour service, all the uniformed groups, and the band, and town council marched to the war memorial - newly cleaned - for the reading of those lines by Lawrence Binyon

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them......we will remember them.

Fairtrade Harvest

Revd Malcolm, with the help of some children enacting the parts, told us of the life of a tea picker in Sri Lanka. Her standard of living had not gone up in the last 40 years. We all found out thats ours had, but the price we pay for her part in the tea picking had not gone up 'in real terms.' But by us buying Fair Trade tea, she got a little more,and we payed a little more. A just price.

Lord of the Dance

Sarah gave birth to a little boy yesterday. He is to be called Daniel Oliver, This news got a great round of applause in church .... Another baby was baptised during the service this morning. We sang 'Lord of the Dance' and 'All things bright and beautiful.' two songs which are often chosen by the parents of baptised parents ...

Diana's Funeral

I am sure that some people were shocked by the funeral. The coffin was carried out of the church to the singing of the song 'I will go out with Joy... and the trees will clap their hands...' and some people who knew what Diana wished did clap and cheer as the coffin was borne out.

Packed Funeral

The Church was crowded for Gwen's funeral. People who could not get in were standing shoulder to shoulder in the welcome area. About a hundred of Gwen's colleagues from Tesco were there, together with relatives, friends, and people from Church. The bowls placed near the exit for Gwen's charity were piled high with notes.