CONTACT The monthly magazine for North Harrow Methodist Church For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31 v 33 January 2020 North Harrow Methodist Church, Pinner Road, North Harrow, Middx. HA2 6EQ Minister: Revd. John Swarbrick 020-8427-0057 [email protected]Church e-mail address: [email protected]Church website: www.nhmc.org.uk Church Office: 020 8427 7758
Transcript
CONTACT The monthly magazine for North Harrow Methodist Church
For this is the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD:
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their
hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 31 v 33
January 2020
North Harrow Methodist Church, Pinner Road, North Harrow, Middx. HA2 6EQ
North Harrow Methodist Church exists to express and celebrate the love
of God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in worship, learning, caring
and service.
We aim to do this by;
engaging in worship accessible to all
developing effective ways of sharing our knowledge and love of God
developing ways of strengthening and enlarging the worshipping
community
creating an open church as a base for community involvement and
outreach
responding to needs in our local community
engaging with the wider world through our response to issues of concern
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From our minister Dear friends
January brings two fixed points of our life together as a church: (1) the annual Covenant
Service; and (2) the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity (and it is an octave, rather than
a week, because every year it is always the eight days from 18 to 25 January inclusive).
In recent years, our Covenant Service has also been an ecumenical occasion, as we have
welcomed our friends from St Alban’s parish church to share in the renewal of our
Covenant with God which, in the words of the service, ‘promises us new life in Christ’ and
asks to ‘promise to live no longer for ourselves but for God’.
In its origins, the Covenant Service goes back to John Wesley himself. He had imbibed
the theology and spirituality of renewing a solemn covenant with God from the writings
of his puritan ancestors and from his father and mother. Susanna Wesley was a
formidable woman; she taught her children that every Christian enters into God’s
Covenant at their baptism. And in the first decade of the Methodist revival, John began
experimenting with a simple form of covenant renewal. We know this from an entry in
his Journal for Christmas Day 1747.
John Wesley’s first formal Covenant Service was held in the French Church at Spitalfields
on 11 August 1755 when he used the words of the seventeenth-century Christian writers
Joseph and Richard Alleine, which had strongly influenced his thinking. This service was
issued separately in 1780 and became the official form in Wesleyan Methodism for nearly
a century. Each of the other Methodist traditions developed its own form of the service.
The text of the service has proved very adaptable and has changed several times since
then: in The Book of Offices of 1936, published four years after Methodist Union in 1932;
in The Methodist Service Book of 1975; and most recently in the current Methodist
Worship Book of 1999.
But the heart of it has not changed:
Christ has many services to be done:
some are easy, others are difficult;
some bring honour, others bring reproach;
some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests,
others are contrary to both;
in some we may please Christ and please ourselves;
in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves.
Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ.
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I have found over the thirty years of my ministry that some members of the
congregations I have served have deliberately stayed away from the Covenant Service—
and told me why. Ironically, other denominations have taken up the Covenant Service,
which I would describe as Methodism’s liturgical jewel. The core of the Methodist
Covenant Service appears in the Church of England’s Common Worship and the Church
of Scotland’s Book of Common Order; and a version of it is set out in the Baptist Union’s
Gathering for Worship.
I understand, though, why some people stay away: the words of the Covenant Service
are deep and searching. Perhaps those who stay away are afraid that it makes demands
on them they feel they could not live up to. Well, I can feel a bit daunted by the words I
am asked to say and the commitment I am asked to make, but I always pray that God
will give me the strength to renew my covenant, and that I can get to a place where I
can say those balanced phrases with conviction:
I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me,
in all that I do and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me and when there is none;
when I am troubled and when I am at peace.
Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfilment and when it is lacking;
when I have all things and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you,
as and when you choose.
A very happy and blessed New Year to you all.
Yours ever
Please remember that each week John takes Friday off.
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If you supported a coffee morning last month thank you very much and we hope
that you will be able to come along this month.
The coffee mornings for January are –
January 4th
No Coffee Morning
January 11th
Audrey Mynard – Stroke Association
January 18th
Pat and Peter Harrison – Christian Aid (towards the Circuit target)
January 25th
Doreen Kinmond – Harrow Foodbank
Do come and support coffee mornings. If you haven’t been to one before they
are not an exclusive club, just a great social event and a chance to have a natter,
catch up on the latest gossip and donate a modest sum to a good cause.
We hope to see you.
Thank you. Pat & Peter Harrison
Tuesday
January 14th
Graham and Katrina
Tuesday February 11th
TBA
Tuesday March 12th
TBA
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PRAYER DIARY for January
Week beginning January 5th Father God, the star that led the Magi to the stable announced to the world that its
Saviour was born. Today we live in a world that is still covered by darkness, and still needing to make that journey to the stable door. May our lives reflect your light day by day, as we seek to serve where you have placed us, that we might be the means through
which others can encounter Jesus Christ.
Week beginning January 12th Your majesty is beyond imagination; the eternal King high and lifted up whom the angels
worship. Your power is beyond understanding; the Creator God who shakes the heavens yet holds us in his hands. Your mercy is beyond our deserving; the Saviour God once born for us now sacrificed in love. Forgive the smallness of our faith, the magnitude
of our need, the depth of our sorrow. Raise us up to new life and new ways of service.
Week beginning January 19th We pray for confidence to share your Word with others and for the opportunity to proclaim it. Forgive our reluctance, our timidity. We pray for wisdom to know what should be said and the moment in which to say it. Forgive our reticence, our anxiety.
Be the centre of all we are; the Light by which we walk; the blessing we bring to others.
Week beginning January 26th
Generous God, for all that sustains us; air to breath, warmth and light, food to eat, water
to drink, we offer our thanks and praise. For spiritual gifts that bind us together; one people, one body empowered for service. We offer our hands and voices for the Good
News of the Gospel; healing and wholeness, freedom and justice; we offer our hearts in service.
PRAYING FOR OUR OWN FELLOWSHIP
Please remember the following and their families in your prayers.
Pat and Peter Harrison Peter and Jenny Briggs
John Chamberlayne
Ozay Kuan
Eileen Dupree
Doreen Kinmond
Geoffrey Kinmond Gillian Shacklady
Pauline Ingosi
Edwin and Mildred Galicia,
Bree and Yuri
Set Papaspyrou Audrey Papaspyrou
Steven Taylor
Lesley and Jonathan Hustler Terry Harby
Pray for one another
James 5.16
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A BIG THANK YOU
Thank you to all who have helped in any way to make the
season of Advent a time of true preparation and reflection in
our church, and Christmas itself a joyous celebration,
especially to John, Ian and Jonathan for their thoughts and
reflections and for the choice of hymns which have helped us
to look towards Christmas and beyond.
We also record our thanks to those who have served tea,
coffee and other refreshments; to Peter and Jenny for the Big Sing and all those who
took part; to Jan and her team for the flowers and for the decorations and candles; to all
who have prepared and taken part in our times of worship and communion; for the hard
work of the children in Young Church and the adults too in bringing us the story of the
Nativity; to those who brought gifts for the Harrow Foodbank; to those who turned up to
sing carols at North Harrow Station and at the carol sing-a-long coffee morning.
The Big Sing raised around £500 for Christian Aid, and nearly £300 was donated to Crisis
over the Christmas period, thanks to your generosity. Our church family has much to be
thankful for, not least for all those who work hard, often behind the scenes, to enrich our
The material for 2020 is prepared by the Christian Churches in Malta and Gozo from Acts 27 and 28.
On 10th February many Christians in Malta celebrate the Feast of the Shipwreck of St Paul, marking and giving
thanks for the arrival of Christian faith on these islands. The reading
from the Acts of the Apostles used for the feast is the text chosen for
this year’s Week of Prayer.
Hospitality is a much needed virtue in our search for Christian
unity. It calls us to a greater
generosity to those in need. The people who showed unusual kindness to Paul and his companions did not yet know Christ, and yet it is through their unusual
kindness that a divided people were drawn closer together. Our own Christian unity will be discovered not only through showing hospitality to one another, but
also through loving encounters with those who do not share our language, culture or faith.
In such tempestuous journeys and chance encounters, God’s will for his Church
and all people comes to fulfilment. As Paul will proclaim in Rome, this salvation of God has been sent to all peoples (see Acts 28:28).
There will be two services during this special week.
Saturday 25th January at 12.30pm led by Revd John Swarbrick at
NHMC.
A midweek service led by Father Graham at St John Fisher Church–
date to be arranged. Both services will be followed by a simple lunch.
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CIRCUIT PRAYER DIARY
Week
starting Sunday
Church to
be prayed for
Please pray . . .
January 5th
Pinner
January 12th
Ruislip Please pray for Jigsaw, our monthly Sunday School, now in its second year, and starting to
grow. Please pray for those who work to introduce children to Jesus and the Christian Life.
January 19th Ruislip Manor
Please pray for our Minister Revd. Roger Dunlop. We pray that we might be open to your vision for
our Church as we go forward in to 2020
January 26th South
Harrow
Please pray for the continued signs of growth in
the congregation, for new people joining the fellowship. Please also pray as we await news of
Stationing. We pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire those who will be involved in the
Stationing and the person who comes to the appointment.
For all churches, we ask that God would deepen their worship, strengthen
their fellowship, and energise their mission.
THE ANDERSONS
Brian Anderson has emailed Peter to thank him for sending December Contact
and wrote that he and June have their 60th Wedding Anniversary on Jan. 2nd and
a fourth great-grandchild due then as well. It is some years since Brian and June
left NHMC but many will still remember them.
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ANSWERS TO THE CHRISTMAS TRIVIA QUIZ!
1. Nine (9) - Father Christmas' reindeers are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph. Eight of these names are taken from
Clement C. Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas," and the ninth from the song "Rudolph”.
2. 1957 - The Queen's speech was first televised in Black and White in 1957.
3. Oliver Cromwell - The English parliament passed a law in 1647 that made Christmas illegal.
Christmas festivities were banned by Oliver Cromwell, who considered feasting and revelry on
what was supposed to be a holy day to be immoral. Anybody caught celebrating Christmas was
arrested. The ban was only lifted when the Puritans lost power in 1660.
4. 1223 - In those days, many people were unable to read or write so they couldn't read the
Christmas story from the bible themselves. Also many of the church services were in Latin
which they didn't understand. St Francis decided to change all that.
5. John Calcott Horsely - The first Christmas card was created and sent in 1843 by John Calcott
Horsely for Sir Henry Cole, the friend who had given him the idea in the first place.
6. Yule is an old word for the winter festival, dating back to Viking times. Traditionally, a
huge log would be selected in the forest on Christmas Eve, decorated with ribbons, and
dragged back home. This was known as 'Bringing in the Yule Log'. The magical properties of
the Yule Log were said to ensure good luck in the coming year to all those who lent a hand.
7. Norway - The tree is a thank you gift from the people of Oslo, Norway. During WW2, King
Haakon of Norway was forced into exile in England when the Germans occupied his country.
8. Robins - This was because their uniforms were red. Victorian Christmas cards often showed a
robin delivering Christmas mail.
9. Traditionally, this was the day to open the "Christmas Box" - An 'Alms Box' was placed
in every church on Christmas Day, into which worshippers placed a gift for the poor of the
parish. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day
became known as Boxing Day.
10. Rudolph
11. Charles Dickens
12. December the 26th, Boxing Day
13. Eleven - "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a cumulative song, meaning that each verse is
built on top of the previous verses. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by
"my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas
14. Midwinter
15. Good Luck
16. Mistletoe
17. Twice
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KIDZONE 1
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KIDZONE 2
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DIARY – JANUARY
No Coffee Mornings on Wednesday, Friday or Saturday this week
Sunday 5th 10.30am United Covenant Service – Holy
Communion Revd John Swarbrick Preacher Revd Kate Tuckett
6.00pm Discussion
Wednesday 8th 10.00am Wednesday Prayers
10.45am– 12 noon Coffee Morning in the Lounge
Friday 10th 11.00am-12.30pm Coffee and Chat in the Lounge
