Dear Friends,
This month, on the 6th May we have one of the greatest privileges that any of us can imagine. We have the right to go and choose who governs us for the next five years. If you read this before the day then I sincerely hope you exercise your right and make the effort to vote. If you’re reading this after the 6th I hope you did vote. Visiting Africa as I do a couple of times a year and also reading about world affairs I am acutely conscious of how important it is for us to make sure that we do not take our hard one rights to a democratic way of life for granted.
We all know that whoever gets into government, however the final vote goes, it is going to be a long, painful trip towards financial recovery for our country and for many of us as well. Perhaps it is a good time for us all to review our life styles and make adjustments so that we live within our means. It is an often forgotten fact that we can be very happy without feeling we have to buy that happiness. God’s greatest commandment to us all is to love one another, not to love ourselves at any cost!
A few weeks ago we had a marriage preparation weekend and one of the sessions was on finance and budgeting. One, slightly tongue in cheek, suggestion made to the couples attending was that they tried to live for a few weeks, or even just one week on cash only. Easy you say? Well try it for yourself. Draw out of your bank account or with your credit card enough money to see you through the average week. Then put away your cards and just live on the cash so that, if you have no money left, you cannot spend or buy anything more until the following week! That’s how we all used to live pre plastic cards and so many more had control over their lives, even if they were not blessed with every gadget and gismo known to man. Could you do it for a month with the same amount of cash every week?
This month in the church calendar we have both Ascension Day and Pentecost. Two days of great celebration for all Christians. At St John the Baptist we have an evening service on Ascension day, Thursday the 13th of May at 7.30pm so why not come along and celebrate the ascension of Christ back to his Father in heaven. Then at Pentecost we celebrate the gift from God of the Holy Spirit, a gift truly worthy of great joy and thanksgiving. Join us on Pentecost Sunday, the 23rd of May, and also come along from 12noon onwards to our “Pentecost Puddings” event. Sample some great puddings and perhaps bring one along for others to try as well. We look forward to seeing you all.
There is a separate article in the magazine about the renewal of our Organ and remedial work needed in our church bell tower. Please read carefully and also consider the letter you will receive if you live in the parish and help us to maintain our beautiful church in the centre of our village life.
God bless you and all those you love,
John Baxter